 With that said Revelation chapter 1 beginning at verse 1 reading to verse 8 And John writes the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants things which must shortly take place and He sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John Who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and Keep those things which are written in it For the time is near John to the seven churches which are in Asia Grace to you in peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and From the seven spirits who are before his throne From Jesus Christ the faithful witness the first born from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth to him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us kings and priests To his god and father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever Amen, behold he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him Even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so amen I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end says the Lord who is and who was and who is to come The Almighty Father we ask that you would bless the reading and our time now in your word in Jesus Jesus name Amen, the revelation of Jesus Christ I was thinking about this as we concluded our study in second Corinthians and I was praying and seeking the Lord Concerning what book we ought to look at It's interesting that I believe he placed on my heart the book of Revelation. You see the last time I taught revelation for the church was in 2014 but the last time I taught the book on a Sunday morning was in 2004 so it's been 16 years since we on a Sunday morning have gone through this particular book the book of revelation And I believe that it's time to once again look at this book so I'm going to lay a foundation and a brief introduction It's going to take a little bit you can relax a bit if you take notes You might want to but these are things that will help you to understand the book of Revelation and our approach to it And so I'll begin by saying the book of Revelation has also been called the book of consummation That's because it concludes God's plan of redemption And that's because the book of Revelation reveals his victory over his enemies now There are those who would say are you saying to me that God has enemies and the answer to that question is Absolutely, God has enemies you see the psalmist asked the question in Psalm Two verses one through six when the psalmist said why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing the kings of the Earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us break their bonds and pieces cast away their cords from us He who sits in the heaven shall laugh The Lord shall hold them in derision Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure Yet I have set my king on my holy hill in Zion So the psalmist asked there in Psalm two why do the nations rage the word nations is a word that is also translated in scripture heathen Why do the heathen rage is a literal meaning of that speaks of the nations to go in those who are not of the of the people of Israel and It's asked the question why do the nations rage the word rage speaks of banding together to conspire to cause a commotion It speaks of joining together when it speaks of why do they rage it speaks of joining together with evil intent So why do the nations join together to plot evil is the question in Psalm two? He says they have set themselves and made plans against God when it says they have set themselves the word sets Set themselves speaks of they have set themselves in opposition. They have set themselves with hostile intent They're making plans against God they're plotting it against God He said and against his anointed the word anointed is mashiah against his Messiah And so this is something I want to lay as a foundation as we enter into our study of the book Revelation This is something that the church needs to remember We need to remember that the battle is not against the church alone Sometimes we take it personally. We think they just hate us Christians Well, we we need to remember what Jesus said in John 15 verse 18 when he said if the world hates you You know that it hated me before it hated you So this hatred in this opposition and this rage that we are seeing take place today is not against the church alone It is against God himself We only represent what the world is rejecting you see the world is plotting you may not believe it But that's what the scripture says. We just read it. The world is plotting to overthrow God even as Satan attempted to Let us break their bonds in pieces. They're saying what that means is let us rebel against his rule Let us rebel against his laws Let us be anarchists No law we will rebel against it in Isaiah 14 verses 13 and 14 speaking of Satan You have set in your heart. I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high that is called the five I wills of Satan and so Satan rebelled he rebelled against God And so what it's taking place today is people are taking out their rebellion against God. They're taking that out on us Today we're seeing what rebellion against God and his anointed Jesus looks like anything that represents God and authority has now become a target In the first nine chapters of Genesis God establishes three institutions He established the church He established marriage and He established human government read those chapters You see all of that in the first nine chapters. Those are the building blocks of civilization church marriage and government Every one of them are under massive and constant attack even as I'm speaking Even recently we've seen vandalism that is targeting churches and the vandalism that is targeting churches is more than simply Defacing property. I think sometimes because people of the world think that way. They say well They're just painting you can remove the paint. It's not the paint. That's the problem. They're they're rebelling against authority They're rebelling against God himself, but the world doesn't see that so they make excuses for it. Oh, it's just paint It's not it's not just paint. It's a rejection of God It's a rejection of his authority and it's a rejection of any symbol that reminds them of God and his authority I was reading how churches in California, Florida Minnesota New York Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee and Colorado have been attacked during recent violent protests and as many Synagogues have also on July 11 Arson has torched the historic Mission Church in San Gabriel Valley on The same day a 24 year old man crashed his car into the lobby of the Queen of Peace Church in Ocala, Florida And poured gasoline and lit the church on fire In August the statue of Jesus was toppled and beheaded in Miami last Sunday August 30th 2020 a statue of the Virgin Mary erected in front of our Lady of Lebanon Church in Toronto was Decapitated across Europe. There's been a growing rise in attacks on church buildings including violent acts of desecration vandalism was carried out in 1063 attacks on churches and Christian symbols and So when people say there's no There's no persecution of the church. There's no rejection of the church. The facts speak differently There is an ongoing constant rebellion that is now becoming more visual and People see this believers see this and they begin to wonder when is God going to deal with this? When is God going to move? How is this going to happen? Well as we go through Revelation and get to chapter 6 verses 9 and 10 That kind of question is asked there It says when he opened the fifth seal I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony Which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying how long oh Lord holy and true until you judge and avenge Our blood on those who dwell on the earth Well the book of Revelation answers that question Revelation the book of Revelation It's called revelation Because it's the only New Testament book that is primarily prophetic the word Revelation in the Greek Apocalypse speaks of the unveiling it speaks of the disclosure of truth about things that were before Unknown it's the revealing the unveiling and this revelation is primarily about Jesus Christ because Inverse when it says the revelation of Jesus Christ So this book is primarily intended to reveal the glory of Jesus Now for those who take notes the date of the writing is thought to be around the years 90 to 96 AD There was a what they call an early church father. His name was Irenaeus He lived between 130 and 202 AD He was a student of another man who was a father of the church called polycarp and polycarp was a student of the Apostle John So in his book heresies he wrote that the book of revelation was written almost in our day Toward the end of the emperor Demission's reign now we know demission Reigned in 81 to 96 so that gives us the date for the book John wrote this book when he was exiled because of his effective witness of Jesus We'll see that when he speaks of it in verse 9. He was on the island called Patmos for his witness Patmos was one of several places criminals were banished to by Rome Somebody said early tradition says that John was banished to Patmos by the Roman authorities This tradition is credible because banishment was a common punishment used during the imperial period for a number of offenses Among such offenses were the practices of magic and astrology The Romans viewed prophecy as belonging to the same category whether pagan Jewish or Christian Prophecy with political implications like that expressed by John in the book of revelation Would have been perceived as a threat to Roman political power and order So the study of the book of revelation When you study it is approached in various ways, and I'm just gonna touch these some think revelation Presents spiritual principles alone others teach that all the prophecies have already been fulfilled Others consider revelation to be a history of the church in the form of an allegory They view it in other words like a fable people things events. I'll have symbolic meaning If you want to take notes and know how we approach it we hold what is called a futurist view and This view acknowledges the influence of Rome As it had ward with the early church and that it influenced the theme of the book It accepts the bulk of the book as prophetic Looking at the events occurring as immediately preceding the second coming and containing teaching Concerning the tribulation the return of Jesus and his new creation So revelation and veils the character and purposes of God as the revealed in Jesus Christ and God reveals his plans for the church Throughout eternity Now that would include those who first read the book Those living up to a second coming and up until the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth Again the book is filled with prophecy Why is that that we trust prophecy? Well remember God created in controls time and because he does he knows all things In Isaiah 46 9 and 10 it says remember the former things of old. I am God. There is no other I am God. There's none like me Declaring the end from the beginning from ancient times things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure So he declares the end from the beginning now God Occasionally will reveal the future to us to prepare us for what he's about to do in Deuteronomy 29 verse 29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed Belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law You see God reveals his will to us and he did so through his prophets In the old testament book of Amos chapter 3 verse 7 Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets And Peter in 2nd Peter 1 19 through 21 put it this way He said we have the word of the prophets made more certain And you will do well to pay attention to it as to a light shining in a dark place Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts Above all you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the holy spirit And so we're going to embark on a study of the book of revelation. That's your basic background Let's begin with verse 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ Which God gave him to show his servants things which must be short which must shortly take place And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant john again. I'm going to start slowly with you and build up When you look at this book it begins with a progression. It's called a chain of progression This is the revelation of jesus christ So that gives us the theme jesus christ It says which god So that reveals that god is the source of the revelation God has shown his servants his servants are the ones who receive it He sent and signified it by his angel This is the one who was the what is called the intermediary of god's revelation And then he identifies himself to his servant john the revelation of jesus christ god revealed to show his servants He's sent and signified it by his angel to his servant john And then john says in verse 2 who bore witness to the word of god and the testimony of jesus christ Now john is testifying. That's what he's saying verse 2. He said who bore witness. He's testifying He's giving testimony But we know he's testified in other places. We knew that he testified in the gospel of john We know that in first second and third john he also in his epistles has given testimony But right now he's making it clear that he's testifying and witnessing of the word of god and then he says in verse 3 Blessed is he who reads in those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time Is near blessed are they Now The prophecies will bless those who read those who hear and those who keep the words And that's how scripture is normally understood. You read it. You understand it and you obey it These things in verse 3 have been revealed to john Notice how he says these are things which must shortly take place Well, some of those things will take place within a short time after the writing That doesn't mean that everything will take place in a short time It speaks of being aware that the time is short. You need to be prepared Like it says in first peter 4 verse 7 the end of all things is at hand Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers Like it says in james 5 verse 9 do not grumble against one another brother unless you be condemned Behold the judge is standing at the door. What this is is to encourage patience To encourage a steadfast witness as we give this urgent message that the lord jesus is returning You see at the end of the book in revelation 22 10 It says he told me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book The time is near and so we're to live as if jesus is even at the door the days that we're living in Our days that should be causing us to live with urgency This is something that's very important because he he makes it very clear that a person who has ears Well, that person needs to hear he says that several times throughout this book And he says again I want to look at this with you a little bit more when he says in verse 3 And I'll see this for take this for a moment notice again How he said blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it When I got saved many years ago now I was taught One of the first things I ever was taught related to The last days because we knew that we were living in them And I was encouraged even then as the word of god now encourages us To to hear the word of god now when he says that blessed is he who reads When it says blessed is he who reads This you may find interesting you may it may not be obvious to you because you have to do some reading and studying You see how the context of that would be but It's not simply you and me reading it by ourselves right now It's talking about the public reading of it He's speaking of the one who's reading it blessed is the one who is publicly reading the word of god You need to remember that during the writing of the new testament That an epistle a letter would come to a church and they would pick up that letter was written by paul or whomever And they would read it. There was a public reading They would read that and that's who he's speaking about so he's saying blessed is the one who is reading it But he also says as well as those who hear and keep the word So it's not just to the public reader. It's to those who are hearing and keeping So it's not only in the hearing of the word But in the doing That is being blessed You see there are people who have heard what god says, but they refuse to do what he says That's why the lord said in luke 6 46. Why do you call me lord lord and do not what I say That's why in john 14 15. He said if you love me keep my commandments There are a lot of people I I've encountered over the years Who may be able to speak about the last days and I have encountered more than one who can speak about the last days But they can speak about it, but they don't live as if they're in those last days See one of the things that we need to understand and this is not a critical judgment on those That I'm referring to so much as an observation that this is true with humanity Is very often we know more than we do And there are people who have been well versed in quite a number of things biblically have gone through The their their catechisms. They've gone through their Sunday schools They've learned some essentials of the christian faith. They're able to speak them repeat them argue about them But they don't live them So it's not just the hearing It's not just the blessed is the one who's reading or the blessed blessed is the one who hears it Because the word hear does does not speak simply of of actually just the physical act of listening It speaks of hearing and obeying Blessed is the one who hears and obeys what god has to say Blessed is the one who takes it to heart and whose life has been trans Transformed because it blessed because of it blessed is the person who desires to do what god says to do If you want to have And i'm not saying this about us in particular. I'm really not it could appear That I am and I have to be careful how I say this because I don't want to be misunderstood even in this introduction But if you want to have a full church give a study on revelation, that's not why i'm teaching revelation But if you want to have a full church, especially right now give a study on revelation Why just keep a lot because people are confused they're concerned they they have questions and And there's nothing wrong with that and the book is going to answer those questions But we need to come with this attitude of speak lord for your servant hears Tell me so my life can change lord. I need some hope And and the book of revelation believe it or not you're going to see a whole lot of things going on But it's actually a book that gives us hope for the glory of jesus christ to the believer it certainly does and so Some people will come and listen But others will come listen and and receive joy. It's like what it says in psalm 119 verse 11 Your testimonies i've taken as a heritage forever. They are the rejoicing of my heart In jeremiah 15 verse 16 Your words were found and I ate them your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart For i'm called by your name. Oh lord god of hosts lord. I'm so blessed to hear your word It causes me to have joy and he says the time is near Now when he says the time i have to have to point this out again foundations The word time when he uses the word time the word time is not speaking of the hours on a clock or the days on a calendar It is not that word If the word time is is is the epoch it's it's it's a season it can be called a season of opportunity an era And he's saying the next great era of god's redemptive histories near why because jesus is returning soon Like roman's 1312 says the night is far spent the day is at hand And so he's saying you need to be ready the time is near the time was near 50 years ago When I got saved it's even closer now Instead of getting discouraged while he hasn't come yet. I might as well eat drink and go party with the servants There are people who do that My as well party he hasn't come yet You know, where is the hope of his coming? Peter speaks about that in his own letter He said they're they're mocking that because we have said it and he says don't you know a day with the lord is a thousand years Don't you understand god's timetable god is showing right now? I believe very strongly. He is showing great patience And so that more people can come to faith in him and the church needs to wake up to that So that we can use this opportunity to bring people there without hope And we have our hope in jesus christ And so he says in verse four to he says john to the seven churches Which are in asia grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come And from the seven spirits who are before the throne And so john to the seven churches the seven churches are mentioned in uh verse 11 of chapter one We'll get to that next week It's the seven churches Ephesians uh smirna pergamas thai tyros artists phil the dalphia laodicea And he says to these seven churches verse four grace to you and peace from him who is who was and who is to come This has been called a three fold greeting God from him who is was and is to come god who inhabits eternity But he speaks of the spirit in verse four the seven fold spirit All of this is kind of complicated. I'm trying to make it not so much, but it is The seven fold spirits Communicates the fullness of god You see this term seven fold spirit in chapter three verse one chapter four verse five as well as chapter five verse six The seven fold spirits refers to something out of isiah chapter 11 verses one and two Where it says there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of jesse A branch shall grow out of his roots and the spirit of the lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom And understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the lord That is referring to the seven fold spirits of god It speaks of his attributes is speaking of his fullness And so this is a greeting in verse five and from jesus who is the faithful witness The first born from the dead and the ruler Jesus is the faithful witness jesus fulfilled the will of his father completely Unto death He is the first born when it speaks of first born That's not to say that he was the first one who was created because there are those who say he's the first creation No, that is the first born the word first born speaks of the one who is preeminent or prominent And the reason he's referred to as first born Is because he's the first who has been raised from the dead permanently In colossians 118 he is the head of the body the church He's the beginning and the first born from among the dead so that in everything he might have the supremacy Jesus christ is the ruler over the kings of the earth And the kings of the earth will confess him as the supreme lord No king no earthly ruler has jurisdiction over jesus When standing before poncho's pilot Pilot told jesus that he could have him executed remember in john 19 verse 11 Jesus answered and said you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above So the bible teaches us that jesus is the king of kings He's the lord of lords In jeremiah 23 verse 5 behold the days are coming sayeth the lord that i will raise to david a branch of righteousness A king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth In first timothy 6 verse 15 he will manifest in his own times He was the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and the lord of lords and that's the reason why I bow my knee to jesus christ Because he's the king of kings He is the lord of lords and my governor does not take the place of jesus christ That's why the church gathers to worship jesus christ We need to understand that today We need to because a lot of people have forgotten that jesus christ is the king of kings All rulers and all all others are all principalities all powers Angels angelic hosts satan himself and all of those evil beings that follow his Rebellious lead every one of them bow their knee to jesus christ jesus christ is the lord He is the king of kings. He is my potentate. He is my supreme ruler He is the one who gives me orders and it's to him I bow my knee and to no other man because it's jesus christ and that's what the church needs to understand We need to understand we're forgetting that today. I'm telling you we're forgetting who jesus christ is We're forgetting our obligations to him our responsibilities to him as a church as believers We need to be awakened to the fact that he is the king of kings And what did he do for us verse five? He loved us and he washed us from our sins in his own blood He redeemed us. He purified us. He's released from us from sin He's done He's released us from the power of sin by the washing of the blood of christ in first john 1 7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light We have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus his son purifies us from all sin He doesn't purify us from some sins. He purifies us from all sin So whenever it is you did prior to coming to jesus christ You know and i'll be honest with you the enemy has a tendency of reminding you and your flesh conspires with the enemy And he says oh, this is what you were. This is what you did. This is how it was This is what should have taken place. He did that to me this morning It happens every day I wish marie would stop reminding me. You know, he does that every day I'm in trouble now Does he do that with you? Does he ever remind you what you were does he ever? am I the only one That I can wake up even as I did this morning and remember and remember every morning One of the first things that happens to me some reminded of how evil i've been every morning And every morning I go to the throne And every morning I say thank you jesus That was what I was But that is not what I am Because in you i'm a new creation I remind every morning now. I don't know if you guys understand that or not. You may think oh, you must be carrying a guilty conscience My conscience is cleansed by the blood of jesus christ but my memory Actually keeps me on my knees before him in gratitude For all that he's done for me Because I can be reminded the enemy has a way And the world conspires To remind you of what you were It does doesn't it what you've done You may wake up and you may be Gosh that was 50 years ago That was 20 years ago that was Am I never going to forget this? But what it has done with me it has caused me to learn to put into into into practice that the promises of god To remember yeah, I was that But if any man be in christ, he's a new creation All things are passed away behold all things are become new I have a brand new life my my i'm going to heaven and and i've i've i've been used by the lord Why would I dwell on what i've done when I can begin to look forward to what he's going to do And so that's how I live my life. Yeah, I've never forgotten where I came from It's helped me to have tenderness and compassion for those who struggle with i what i've struggled with But I can stand as a living testimony of the grace of god the mercy of god the power of god the transformation of god I can do that because I worship the king of kings and the lord of lord who transforms life And my life is brand new it's a new life and you can understand that today And I have been washed you have been washed by the blood of jesus christ and that's what he says He had purified us from all sin and so this morning. I said lord. Thank you for making me brand new I wish that I would have done things differently. I wish I would have been somewhat different I wish I would but I wasn't but you know what I told him this morning if you don't mind I'm telling you for a service. I won't tell second But I told the lord I said i'm so grateful for what you've done in my life first thing in the morning every day Thank you for what you've done in my life Thank you for the newness Thank you for all you've done jesus Thank you because that has kept me on my knees before you for all these years god. I know what I was But I also know what you've made me. I will concentrate on what you've made me But I'll never forget what I was Because I want to stay close to where I came in so that I never become someone who judges others for not being perfect I remember what I was I don't give permission to myself I don't give an excuse to myself. I accept that I did that I was wrong. I wish I hadn't God knows but lord you used it in my life Turned around what was meant for evil turned it into good You made me into the person I am now and I thank you for that Because I have been purified and so have you if you're born again purified by the blood of jesus christ and he says to us When he says he has made us kings and priests to god his father in verse six We've been washed by the blood of jesus. That's a picture of what is called consecration The word consecrate means to set apart for service And so the blood of jesus christ has consecrated us has set us apart so that we might serve the lord in So in christ we are kings And we are priests and what do you mean kings and priests? Well, we have direct access to god Through jesus And first peter 2 5 it says you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god through jesus christ He went on in first peter 2 verse 9 to say you are a chosen people a royal priesthood a holy nation A people belonging to god that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light Called you out of darkness into his wonderful light and then he gives us his word verse 7 behold He is coming with clouds And every eye will see him Now he says behold This is interesting. I thought, you know, how many times does he use that word behold? And I forget it was I don't want to give you the wrong number, but it's quite a number I look and I said the word behold how many times is that used in scripture? Well, this is a word behold It's a word that's being used to draw your attention and saying check it out behold. Look at that It's like when john the baptist pointed jesus out to his disciples in and john 136 It says looking at jesus as he walked john the baptist said behold the lamb of god. He's drawing their attention It's like when paul wrote concerning the rapture of the church in first christians 15 verses 51 through 54 When he said behold I tell you a mystery We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet The trumpet will sound the dead will be raised incorruptible We shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, this mortal has put on immortality Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory It's like when paul spoke of being completely transformed because of christ again second christians 5 17 If anyone's in christ, he's a new creation all things have passed away behold all things have become new He uses the word to draw our attention Now he says in verse 7 behold He's coming with clouds Every eye will see him Interestingly the book begins with the return of jesus Because he was expected at any moment You're supposed to live i'm supposed to live as if this is the last day that he's going to come Any moment now that's how we're supposed to live in anticipation Like a bride who really wants to get married To the husband I don't know how many brides I have in this room maybe a few And I hope you had this anticipation I hope you did maybe you didn't It's your wedding day You know I was sharing on our Our friday We have a friday Program, what's it called John? Let's talk marriage. It's on fridays John interviews me because he needs a lot of help with his marriage and summary And we had a subject ball and chain Just this last week I wonder if any of you watched it, you know if you do it It's worth watching I do I need to hear myself And the topic was Ball and chain and we talked a lot about that and all of that it was a fun conversation But you know that old saying ball and chain and you know and usually men talk about the wife that way They say oh, she's my ball and chain, which means i'm in jail You know she's keeping me from doing what I want. So she's my ball and chain So we talked about that and I was sharing with them. I said, you know the fact is this From the time it as I grew up and I saw the saying to be true as we raised our daughters and now I think it'll be also true with my granddaughters. You know, I've got several granddaughters and You know little girls as I grew up grew up with this idea of one day having a husband And marriage was something at least in my generation and my children That one day they were going to have a husband and my daughters were raised like that not that we forced them to We didn't we didn't you know, but they did that naturally, you know Because they they they play with their dolls from the time they're small and they play house, you know They'll they'll have their little girlfriends with them. They sit around in a circle and they talk about the little girl who's not there You know, they have a good time And from the time they're small Their mind is geared towards that There's the prince charming that's going to come into the life, right And one of these days he's going to come in and sweep them off their feet They're going to have a beautiful wedding day and and marriage is going to be great You know and little lot of little children grew up with that little girls grew up with that And I was sharing I said, you know little girls do they have bride magazine and they prepare the they have the gown They preserve the gown once they got married and all of that and I said the difference is we men call a ball and chain because When's the last time you saw a lot of boys sitting around in the corners in a circle say let's play married You know boys don't do that. We pick up sticks and hit each other with them We climb trees and things like that, but play marriage. Are you kidding? You know, why would I go there? Men don't do that You know a woman buys the dress. It's got to be the dress. She wanted all her life, right A man rents a tux that another victim had the week before and and That's the difference that it really is a difference And is there such a thing as groom magazine? Have you ever seen a guy looking at groom? Oh, I want to oh, I'll trim my mustache like that I'm gonna wear those things in my hair. No, you don't see that. So there's an entire different thing There's an anticipation and so for a woman a wedding day Is one of the most beautiful times of her life? That's the way it used to be looked at maybe it still is for many It used to be that for pretty much every there are two days in her life that were to be special You may or may not know this may not be old enough to know this her wedding day And her funeral. I don't know if you knew that Her wedding day and her funeral And her funeral had to be a beautiful funeral all her friends had to come and her wedding day had to be a beautiful day That's the way it used to be some of you don't know that but that's how it used to be Her wedding day. There are two beautiful days in a woman's life I've heard it said her wedding day and the day she goes to heaven And so there's an anticipation in this bride's heart She's gonna be with her groom I still see that in weddings to this day that that beautiful little bride has prepared herself For her husband She wears the most beautiful gown that she has Her friends are all excited They send out all of these invitations invite their friends those whom they love The day comes and she's married in the music place and the doors open And she's on display for all the sea and everybody rises and she walks in that's her wedding day But it's not just the party It's not just getting together in front of people in a beautiful gown Her wedding day goes beyond that. She's marrying the one she loves And there's an anticipation that is in her heart from the moment she meets the guy knows This is him when he asks her she prepares she's ready. She's ready to herself For her wedding day And you know what when that day comes It's the most glorious thing this most beautiful thing because she married the one whom she loves I don't see that in the church today I don't see that in the church today Ephesians 5 tells us that the the church is the bride of christ We're supposed to have an anticipation to be with Jesus But I've heard people say I hope he doesn't come soon because I want to go to europe I've got things I want to do. I want to buy a new car. I want to get a nice house. I want to have chill I want I hope he doesn't come soon now There are things you can do As you await That are great But may those things you're doing never eclipse your desire for him See the wedding day The wedding day and the reception and all of that is an event that takes one day The marriage is for the rest of your life. You ought to be preparing for the marriage Not just that one day And what the bride is supposed to be doing is preparing for that one whom we love So we'll be with him forever And jesus is coming the scripture says and every eye will see him But we also ought to be looking for him Preparing ourselves that we can see him and as it says this It says in verse seven. He's coming with the clouds When you read that Clouds the word clouds in the bible symbolizes various things in exodus 33 It symbolizes the presence of god But it could also be making a reference to the saints who return with jesus because In jude 14 it says inok the seventh from adam prophesied about these men also saying behold The lord comes with ten thousands of his saints In first acelonians 3 verse 13 that verse speaks of the coming of our lord jesus christ with all his saints So this return could be a picture of the saints returning with christ Notice in verse seven every eye will see him That includes jews and Gentiles who are alive at his return You see we're going to see this as we go through revelation. We'll be looking at the tribulation This this period of god pouring out his wrath on on the unbelievers and in zechariah chapter 12 verse 10 It says i will pour out on the house of david and the inhabitants of jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication They will look on me the one they have pairs They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son When you read your bible jesus's return is a promise That is repeated In the 260 chapters of the new testament his return is mentioned 318 times The return of jesus is found in more than 500 verses throughout the bible One out of every 25 verses in the new testament refers to the return of jesus christ So the anticipation of being with jesus is what is to fuel our lives and motivate us to prepare It fuels us to live openly and unashamedly for him before the eyes of the world In mark 838 the scripture says whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation Of him the son of man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels So jesus said i will come again and i will receive you unto myself And so in our first study we need to ask the question are we ready? What kind of life are we to live if christ is returning even as the scripture says that he's coming quickly In luke 12 39 and 40 it says understand this if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming He would not have let his house be broken into you also must be ready Because the son of man will come at an hour when you don't expect him Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you living for christ? What kind of life am i to live a life of faith a life that expects to be with him one that is awaiting to be found worthy And he says in verse 8 8 he says i am the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end sayeth the lord who is Who was who is to come the almighty? alpha and omega god speaks only here and in chapter 21 verse 5 and he declares that he is the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end alpha and omega The first and last letters of the greek alphabet But they represent more than a first and last letter alpha and omega represents all the letters in between And he's saying i am sovereign I'm sovereign over the entire course of human history He's saying i am the almighty I am supreme over all things and you need to know That what i'm saying to you will come to pass That jesus christ is returning and he's returning soon He has made you kings and priests therefore live as if you know him May our may our lives be living testimonies of the reality of the fact that he purified us from all sin And may we live in such a way that we actually make the kingdom of god our first priority That we raise our children for those of us who are parents that we We raise our children in the love the knowledge the fear of the lord We who are grandparents that we have an influence on our children That we speak to them and and we share with them and and even as i've spoken to my eldest grandson who's 17 years old My josiah and i've said i've said this to him i said josiah I said when you have a relationship and when you want to get married i said i want to tell you something He told him this recently i said Use your use your grandmother and your grandfather You can use this as your example I said do you think that we have a good marriage? He says yes you do I said then use this as an example Be the kind of man Be the kind of man That loves the lord josiah And mario woman who does too You see i am to tell The stories of god Not just to my children, but the psalmist said and to your children's children That's what i do I want not only my babies To know jesus I want my grand babies and any great grand babies should we have them to know jesus christ And that's why my life is ordered the way that it is. It's not because i'm a pastor It's because i'm a sinner saved by the grace of god And i know the joy of the lord and it is my strength and i know the forgiveness of god For he has forgiven all sins and i know the power of the holy spirit where he has transformed my life And i want my children and my children's children to know the same And with that if the church lives in anticipation of the return of christ With that knowledge we can change the world one person at a time You want to know why the world is going to hell in a hand basket because the church has forgotten that jesus is coming soon And we've begun to live as if he's not well We're going to go through revelation to remind ourselves. Behold. I am coming every eye shall see me I'm coming with the clouds and it is soon and we need to live as if he's even at the door We need to live that way even right now