 We're in Revelation chapter 22. We're not going to conclude the chapter though I could have. I chose not to. I'm going to take you today through verses 6 through 12 here in Revelation 22. And the next week I plan on completing our study in the book and at that time we'll choose the next book that we'll be going through. Not sure what that's going to be. But let's begin reading here in chapter 22 at verse 6. I'll read to verse 12 and today we're going to be looking at the question, how then should we live? And you'll see why in just a moment. So beginning here in chapter 22 at verse 6, reading to verse 12, John writes, then he said to me, these words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, see that you do not do that, for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book, worship God. And he said to me, do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly. And my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. And so as has been my normal process, especially recently, let me give to you an introduction that moves through the book a bit to give to you insight into how we got here and what we're going to be looking at in just a moment. I know that there are some who are joining us even today for the first time or within the last couple of weeks. And so I want to give to you an introduction that gives you a bit of its context just to give to you some insight into what we've been looking at and where we are in our study today. As we've been going through Revelation, we've seen many things. We've seen the Apostle John, how that John was given a prophetic revelation of things that are to come. When we began the book, we saw that he was exiled on an island, an island called Patmos. And he had been exiled there because he had been preaching the gospel. And so he began this book by saying that he was writing about the things that must shortly take place. Well, that meant that some of the things would begin to take place in a very short time, but other events would come to pass in later years. So John began by saying, behold, he's coming with clouds and every eye will see him. So it began this way because the return of Christ is expected and is to be expected at any moment and every person should be prepared for his return. And every person who believes in him should be living in expectation of seeing him. You see, as we've gone through our study, I shared with you how that Jesus' return is a wonderful promise that is found really throughout the Scriptures. 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. And one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament refers to the return of Christ. So the anticipation of being with Jesus Christ is what is to fuel our lives. It's what's to motivate us. It's to motivate us to prepare to see him. It fuels us to live openly and unashamedly for him before the eyes of the world. In Mark 8.38, Jesus said, 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. He says, do not be ashamed of me. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul said. It's the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes in the Jew first and also to the Gentile. And so John intends his readers to understand that Jesus is returning soon. And so as we began the book, he began by first writing warnings and encouragements to certain churches, the seven churches they're called, the seven churches of Revelation, Ephesus and Smyrna, Pergamos and Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, each one received a letter. And the churches as we went through those chapters, chapters two and three, those churches represented the church throughout its lifetime on planet Earth. As we went through Revelation, we saw how that he spoke concerning the coming Antichrist. He gave us information concerning his false prophet. He also gave to us a picture of the various escalating judgments that will come. We looked at the return of Jesus Christ. We saw the defeat of his enemies in Armageddon. We read of his 1000 year rule on Earth. It's called the millennial reign. We've seen every rebel judged, including both angel and human, as they have been sent to the lake of fire. We've read that the universe will be uncreated and replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. That's something that in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 13, the apostle Peter wrote about. He said, according to his promise, we're looking for new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. And so by the time we've come to this point, Jesus is reigning with his father. The holy angels, all the redeemed are dwelling with the king, the king of kings. From his throne his glory radiates throughout the recreated universe. And we have seen that heaven is filled with praise and worship. We see that his servants are joyfully serving him. And we see that holiness will characterize all who are with him. Now when we began the book in Revelation, let me read how it began in Revelation 1 verses 1 through 3. The introduction is the revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, who testifies to everything he saw, that is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. Blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because, he said, the time is near. He had said what must soon take place and the time is near. And so the book began with the promise that Jesus is coming soon. He then went on to outline what would take place before he returns. But now he writes concerning how all of this knowledge, all of the things that we have seen here in the book of Revelation up to this point here in chapter 22, he is now writing concerning how all of this knowledge should be impacting us. What kind of life are we to live? How then should we live? You see in Luke 12, 39 and 40 it reads, 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. And then Jesus said, you must also, you also must be ready. So John intends believers, that's us Christians, to live in anticipation of being with Jesus. Twice in these verses, Jesus says, behold, I am coming quickly. When the book closes at verse 20, he says, surely I am coming quickly. So Jesus intends to give a sense of urgency to us. The believer, why? He's returning soon. What is he saying? I'm returning soon. Be ready. So with the exhortation to be ready, the church is to be prepared. You see the rapture where the church is taken up, it can occur at any time. So you're supposed to be, I'm supposed to be prepared always. In 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and 52, 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. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, we shall all be changed. In 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 through 18, it says, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, he says, comfort one another with these words. Comfort one another with these words. You're not to be afraid it is coming. Only those who have done evil would be, were to be rejoicing at its coming, because we are finally able to be with him. And what's interesting is, as I was preparing this, I was remembering how as, when I first got saved at the age of 20, one of the words that we used quite often at that time in the, it was in the Jesus movement, what is called the Jesus movement now. One of the words that we used that was part of how we would speak to one another, and I was thinking of it, even as I was preparing the study, was the word Maranatha. We would say Maranatha. Maranatha is an Aramaic word. It is translated, Oh Lord, come. And it's a word that we used amongst ourselves all the time in 1 Corinthians 16-22. Paul said, if any man doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Well, the word anathema is let him be cursed. So if anyone doesn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be a curse. But then he closed by saying Maranatha. Maranatha, the Lord comes. The Lord is coming soon. And that was such a word that we used that there were even bumper stickers that were made that we would put on our cars. And Marie and I, in our car, we had Maranatha, you know, because we knew that the Lord is coming soon. And I can still remember when we were living in a particular apartment in Rowland Heights, how that my next door neighbor walked up to me and said, how is your wife Maranatha? No, he said, how is your wife Marantha? I said, Marantha, yeah, how is Marantha? Because he knew her name was Marie, but he thought her full name was Marantha. I said, where did you get that? He said, you have a bumper sticker that says her name, Marantha. I said, do a bit. No, I said, I said, no, it doesn't. It says Maranatha. Maranatha, what's that? So I had an opportunity to share with him that we expect the Lord Jesus Christ to return at any time. And the word Maranatha is a word that simply means, oh, Lord, come or come, come soon or come quickly. And so that's how I was raised. That's what provoked me. And you'll see this in a moment in scripture, how this is true. But that's what provoked me and my generation of believers to really try to live, to live for Christ, to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, to love the Word of God, to share our faith of the others, to pray, you know, to have fellowship. All of those things were important because we knew that the Lord was coming at any time. We would go to a Bible study. And I was going to Calvary Chapel at that time. And before I went into the military, we would go to the Bible study. And after the Bible study, we'd go to somebody's house. And at the house, we would sit in a circle because hippie sat on the floor. We would sit in a circle. We'd hold hands, we'd pray, and we'd speak about what the Lord had shared with us through His Word in our Bible study. That's the life that I was introduced to as a Christian. You see, Christianity wasn't just going to church. Christianity wasn't being part of a movement or a denomination alone. Christianity was a walk that was daily that you shared with your friends. It was what we talked about. It's what interested us. It is what moved us to live for Jesus Christ. Why? Because He's coming soon. And so we would say Maranatha as a way of encouraging one another. And what you're seeing here in this chapter of this book is that He's saying, I am coming quickly. I'm coming quickly. And so that's something that John intends to communicate to us in that He has shown us all that's taking place. He's shown us the history of the church in a snapshot by going through the seven churches. He's spoken about the various judgments that will come. And the seals and the trumpets and the bowls. And He shared of the battle of Armageddon, the revelation of the Antichrist, the false prophet, all of those things. And He's saying, this is my final words. I am coming quickly. So we were taught. Jesus can return at any moment. We ought to be ready. And the early church, when you're looking church history and you're looking your Bible, you'll see that the early church, the church after Pentecost that began to explode and reach the world while the early church was living in such a way that they knew that Christ was coming. And you see it in Scripture. So many verses that point that out. They lived in anticipation of the return of Christ at any time. You see, if the early church was ready, we ought to be ready. And Paul, for example, he shared that with the people in 1 Corinthians chapter one, verse seven. He says, you come short in no gift eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter seven, verse 29 of 1 Corinthians, he told the church the time is short. And because they were expecting him to return soon, they were to be prepared to see him. And so to the Philippians in chapter three, verse 20, Paul said, our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians one, nine and 10, Paul spoke of how they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. John in 1 John 2 28, 28 said, now, dear children, continue in him so that when he appears, we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. In 1 John 3 2 and 3, he said, dear friends, now we are children of God. What we will be has not yet been made known, but we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves just as he is pure. James said in chapter five, verse seven, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord, see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it, until it receives the early and latter rain. And so by looking at these scriptures that I just read, we can see how we're to live today. We should love Jesus. How then should we live? We should love Jesus. We should know that our home is in heaven. We should eagerly await his return. We know that the time is short. We should live with confidence and live in such a way that we are unashamed. We should live a pure life as we prepare to meet him. We should be patient as we wait. We should live at peace with others because the judge is standing at the door, poised to return at any moment. Three times in Revelation 22, Jesus made it clear that he is coming soon. He's coming quickly. He's ready to return at any moment. Now how do I know that is true? Well, verse six, these words are faithful and true. How do I know these things are true? We know that they're true because the God of truth is said so. In Proverbs 30, verse five, every word of God proves true. He's a shield to all who come to him for protection. In John 17, verse 17, Jesus said, set them apart in the truth because your word is truth. So the angel said to me, these words are faithful and true in verse six. These are not simply words that an angel is saying. These are words that God has said and that God has said himself. And these words are almost too good to be true. But then again, we know that God's word is trustworthy. In 2 Samuel 7, 28, we read, Oh, Lord God, You are God. And Your words are true. So everything that John has been revealed is going to come to pass. And so it says in verse six, these words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. The same God who authorized and informed and empowered the prophets and spoken to you. And these are the things that must shortly take place. Now remember that when you're studying the life of Christ that the prophecies that were written concerning Jesus had literal fulfillment. The prophet said he'd be born in Bethlehem and he was. The prophet said he would be born to a virgin and he was. The prophet said that he would be crucified and he was. That he would die and he did. That he would be buried and resurrected, which came to pass. As mentioned a moment ago, conservatively Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in his earthly ministry. And the prophecies that had been recorded by earlier biblical prophets had been fulfilled. Even so, the prophecies given by John will also be fulfilled. And so these words are faithful and true. And he says, And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. And now we have Jesus speaking in verse 7. This is another voice, another person who is speaking. Verse 7, Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. So we have the change of speakers. Jesus is now speaking. And again, he's even at the door. I am coming quickly. I'm even at the door. It's like what James chapter 5 verse 9 says, Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge is standing at the door. In Romans 13 verse 11, do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. I was first taught that Jesus is returning 50 years ago. And people have said, well, you've believed this for a long time. He still hasn't come. Well, the answer to that is, our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. We're one day closer to his return. And so his coming is even at the door. I'm coming quickly, he says. And behold, he says, Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Blessed is the one who holds fast to this. It's interesting if you take notes, you might want to note this when he says the word keep. Blessed is he who keeps. You know, when you see the word keep, it could be used, that word could be used to say that we are obedient to it. But that word keep here in this particular context, the word here that is translated by the English word keep, is actually a Greek word that speaks about holding fast to something or guarding it. It's not speaking specifically and only of obeying it. He's saying you're keeping it. It's in a keep. It's in a protective custody. Blessed is the one who guards God's word. It's what he's saying. Blessed is the one who holds fast to and guards the word of the prophecy. You see, faith is going to be revealed by keeping on holding fast to and guarding God's word. Holding fast to and guarding God's word. The way that's used is found also in 1st Timothy chapter 6. Remember that 1st Timothy is a book that was written that is called the pastoral epistle. For those of you who weren't with us in the study of 1st and 2nd Timothy, or perhaps haven't been taught this yet, the pastoral epistles are epistles that were written to a young man named Timothy, as well as an older man by the name of Titus. They're called the pastoral epistles because they relate to the ministry of pastors and how they're to minister in the church. And so in the pastoral epistles, the first one, Paul had written to Timothy, a young man, and he had said, let no end despise your youth, but be an example of the believer or to the believer in word faith and spirit and love and purity and things of that nature. And he said, be an example to them. So he was giving to them words of teaching related to being a pastor. And so in chapter 6, when he's about to conclude, he says in verses 20 and 21, Paul says, Timothy, guard, keep, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Hold fast, guard, it's been entrusted to you. And that's what the same word is being used here when it speaks about keeping the words of this prophecy. This includes guarding the message of revelation. Why would you need to do that? Well, because some say the book is irrelevant. Others say the book of revelation is simply too mysterious. There are those who actually deny its authority. And in many pulpits, the book is actually ignored. Perhaps they have forgotten the opening words of the book of revelation. Again, I read it a moment ago, Revelation 1.3, where it began by saying, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy. And to keep those things which are written in it, the time is near. So blessed are the ones who publicly read or read it like I do here in the church. But those who hear the word also are blessed in keeping it. And so it's not only in the hearing, but it's in the doing that results in the blessing. So there are those who have heard the gospel, the message, and they refuse to do what God says. They've already decided that they're going to do what they want regardless. It doesn't matter what we hear. It doesn't matter. And I've seen that. I've been in ministry for a while, and I've seen that. I've seen that people are the things they agree with. They smile at and cheer for the things that cut to the heart, the things that they reject. I've seen that for years. Oh, don't be such a judge. You know, you guys are judge. You church, that's the whole problem with you church people is you're so condemnatory. No, we're actually telling you what it's going to save your life, but you don't want to hear it. And we've seen that many times. There are things that you're warned about, things that God says that these are curses and these are blessings, so resist yielding to the curses and walk in the blessings, and we try to give the whole counsel of God. But there are those who hear what's said, and they don't want to do what it says. Sometimes they even have that mindset as professing Christians. But Jesus said to the person who professes to know him, he said, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not things that I say? Why do you say I'm your Lord? You would be saying to them, don't you understand the word Lord, what that means? You didn't just call a person Lord. When you spoke of someone being Lord, that meant that he had authority in your life. And you were living in time when they had the Lords and all of that. And you spoke to one of those royal people who were called Lord and you, you agreed to do something. You called them Lord and didn't do it. There'd be penalties. And so Jesus said, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? They don't want to do the things that are said, and therefore Jesus asks that question. So that's a good question that we can ask ourselves. Christians need to be careful not to reject what God has commanded. In Hebrews 3.15 it says, remember what it says, today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled. You see, the Lord's word is, is a word of blessing as well as a word of warning. And so we need to, to hearken to the things that are said when we hear those things. I shared with the first service a story I've told more than once, and sorry if you've heard this before and, and you can finish the story yourself in your own mind before I start it. But there are some who haven't heard this, so I'll say it. You know, God's word is intended for blessing and not cursing. God wants to bless your life. And so He warned you, stay away from this. Don't do these things. Why? Because in doing these things you're going to develop a habit of hardness to the things of God and ultimately you're going to end up paying the penalty by going to hell. That's what's going to happen. And those, those are very clear warnings. You know, these are things that, that, that you ought not to do. And, and, and we may hear those things and say, well, I want to do them. Well, you're going to pay a penalty. You know, when I was a kid, you know, my mom, before she got saved, my mom was, my mom smoked, my mom smoked since she was a young teen. And, and so, I mean, she was a young mother when she gave birth to my brother and me and my sisters. And, and she still was a smoker. She smoked for many, many years of her life, 30 or 40 years. And so there was a time when, when a kid like myself, when I was seven or eight, you could be given a note from your mother and you could go and buy cigarettes. Some of you remember that. Some of you remember that, but pretend you don't. And so you'd go to the store and you'd hand it to the owner and just down the street from where I lived, less than a quarter mile was a, what we call the liquor store. It was just down the street. And mom would give me a note and it would say one package of such and such cigarettes. I won't advertise the brand. And they were a quarter at that time. Yeah, I just heard you smokers. What? Yeah, they were 25 cents. And so mom would give me a quarter and I would go and I'd buy her cigarettes for her. And I did that all the time to the point where, you know, the guy who owned the store knew who I was and knew what I was handing him. Well, at a certain age, when I was maybe 10, I could forge my mother's handwriting. I learned to do that. So at the round, round 10, I started getting my own cigarettes. So I'd write give David, you know, package of cigarettes. And I started learning to smoke. So I smoked for a long time, not every day, but often enough. So by the time I was 15, I'd already been smoking for a while. Well, at the age of 15, there was a kind of a movement in my area. And, you know, they had the surfers, but they also had what were called the Continentals. The Continentals were the guys who wore the racer slacks. And we had these little sharp pointed shoes that we could, we called them cockroach in the corner kickers, because you could kill cockroaches in the corner with them, the real pointed. And, you know, you'd wear, you know, and my hair was all rolled like a 53 Chevy hood. It was like that. And I sprayed it with the hairspray, you know. And so it was, I didn't need a helmet when I was in a motorcycle, because if I had, it wouldn't have done anything. My head was so hard with that. But I, you know, that was my look. And my mom, my mom used to smoke. And my mom was, I thought mom was cool. And she'd get her cigarette and she'd put it in her mouth. She'd go to the stove and turn the burner on. She'd lean over and she'd put her cigarette in and go like that. And then my mom would take it out. And she'd, she'd, we used to call it French inhaling. She would, she would blow it out and bring it back in her nose and then both smoke rings. She was a trip. And I, and I used to watch her. And so I thought, mama, you're so cool. You are so cool. Because she was all like that. And so I wanted to be cool. And that's when I got my cigarette and I put it in my mouth. And I turned on the burner and my hair caught on fire. And now my mom had told me fire burns and be careful with it. I had the warning. And my hair, I had the first afro in Norwalk. My hair just frizzed like it was all frizzed like that, you know. And so I learned a long time ago that some things in their proper context are good fire is good in this proper context. And sometimes when it's in a different context, it can harm. And sometimes people think this is good sex and it is in its proper context. The proper context is in marriage. The improper is called fornication. And so there are things that in and of themselves can have almost a neutrality to them. Or there are things you're warned about to not get involved in. Because if you get involved in this, you're going to pay the consequences. And so the word of God is given to us so that we might know what God blesses. But it also is given to us as warnings about what He punishes. And so the one who hears what God says and does it is the wise person. You hear and you do. And you're not the one who says, Lord, Lord, and yet do not what He says. You're the one who doesn't harden your heart as Israel did in their rebellion. Because there are those who say no. And God's word is my joy. It's like what it says in Jeremiah 15, 16. Your words were found and I ate them. And your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart. For I'm called by your name, Lord, God of hosts. In 1 John 5, 3, loving God means keeping His commandments. His commandments are not burdensome. You don't complain against them. They're not hard to bear. They're the things that set you free. It's the truth that has set you free. So they're not hard to bear at all. There's something that you bless by and you rejoice in because God is blessing your life. You see we're to do these things. Why Revelation 1, 3 again said the time is near. Now when He said for the time is near, the word time is not speaking of hours on a clock or the days on a calendar. They are seasons of opportunity, if you will. And so the next great era of God's redemptive history is near. Why? Jesus is returning soon. Titus 2, 11 through 14 says it like this, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age. While we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. And so Jesus is speaking concerning that. He says, I am coming quickly. And He says in verse 7 again, blessed is He who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. So genuine belief is seen by action. Action always reveals belief. And that would mean that we're holding fast to His word, keeping His word, guarding the scriptures and living for Him. Now notice again in verse 7 how Jesus says, who keeps the words of the prophecy. Well, when He says keeps the words of the prophecy, what are the words of Revelation encouraging us to do? Well, to love Jesus, to live a godly life and along to see Him. In 2 Timothy 4, 8 it says, Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing, all who have loved His appearing. We love Him. And because we love Him, we live for Him. And we live for Him as if He's coming even today. In 2 Peter 311 it says, Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? And then He tells us, You ought to live holy and godly lives. In 2 Peter 3 going on to verse 14, He says this, He says, So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. Live holy and godly lives, be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. And so I am coming quickly, keep the words of this prophecy, and live as if you expect me to return. In verse 8, Now I, John, saw and heard these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Now remember, the angel has shown him, he's actually given him, what we would call a guided tour of New Jerusalem, and the things to come he had spoken to him. Then we saw how Jesus spoke directly, John had recorded what he had said, but now John personally bears witness adding his testimony of the book of Revelation. Now what's interesting is, notice how he says, When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down. Everything was so incredible that he felt compelled to worship. The problem is he gave his worship to the wrong person. The Bible makes it very clear that worship is to be given only and exclusively to God himself. That's the first command of the Ten Commandments. Exodus chapter 20 in the Old Testament, when the commandments are given in chapter 20 verses 2 and 3, we read, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. In the Old Testament book of Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 6, we read, You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas, and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host bows down before you. So it's understandable that he'd have a response to worship after all that he's seen, but the thing that's wrong with this is he's given worship to the wrong person. And once more he's reminded that worship is only to God, not angels, and you don't worship other believers. The angel immediately tells him, see that you do not do that. Now in Revelation 19 verse 10, he had done this before and he had gotten rebuked in the same way, because in Revelation 19, 10 it says, I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, see that you do not do that. I'm your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And so he'd done it before and he had been rebuked. In verse 9 it says, then he said to me, see that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book, worship God. And he's already been told that. You see, others in Scripture had fallen on their faces in wonder and amazement at things that had occurred. When you read your Bible in the Old Testament, Ezekiel fell to his face when he saw the glory of the Lord. It's recorded in chapter 1 of Ezekiel, the prophet Daniel. He fell down too in chapter 8 and chapter 10 of his book. He was overwhelmed. In the New Testament, Peter and John and James fell on their faces when Jesus was transfigured before them. In Matthew 17, 5 and 6, it says, while he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them and a voice from the cloud said, this is my son whom I love. With him I'm well pleased. Listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground terrified. So before Jesus, it's proper, but before the angel, it's not. The angel is simply a fellow servant of God. It's interesting. Not only is he a fellow servant of God, he's a fellow servant of John, but he's also a fellow servant of the prophets as well as fellow believers. In other words, and you might want to remember this, the angel is not superior to believers. He actually is one that you could actually say he protects and serves. The angel protects and serves believers. How do we know that? Well, Psalm 91 verse 11, he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. In Hebrews 114, speaking of angels, are they not all ministering spirits sent to minister for those who will inherit salvation? They're here to protect and serve. That's what they do, but they're not here for us to worship. And that's why he says, do not worship me, worship God. Again, that's a purpose of revelation to direct worship to God. He went on in verse 10 to say, do not seal the words of this prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Do not seal the words of this prophecy, because it's intended to be proclaimed. The message is to be given because it stimulates worship and obedience. The time is short. Proclaim these prophecies. Proclaim what is found in revelation. You see, Jesus' return is to produce a fire for evangelism throughout all generations. When I first got saved again, this is what I learned. I learned that the things that are going to take place are for sure. God said them, therefore I can believe and trust him in that. And because the time is short, I'm coming quickly, he says. The time is short. I was taught from the very beginning to not only hold fast to God's word, because it's true, but to share it with other people. And if there's anything I see in the church today that concerns me, it seems to be the lack of a fire for evangelism. That it's not the same kind of sense that we once had. It's a sense that we need to rekindle this need in the church for us to go out and to share, to speak to our family, speak to our friends, be willing to speak to our neighbors. When we go to school to speak to the teachers, you know, to share about Jesus Christ, that's what I learned in the early days. That was what's provoked me so much that God eventually just placed me in ministry so I could encourage others to do the same, to talk about Jesus Christ. Don't be ashamed of him. Don't worry if somebody cancels. Who cares if they cancel you? Share with them the truth of Jesus Christ, because that's what's going to save them. These words are true and we need to believe that. You know, I'll be honest, I'll say it really quickly. I didn't prepare this, so I'll just say it and then move on. Hopefully it'll make some sense. But when I first got saved, you know, like everybody, why wouldn't I be like everybody else? I didn't know anything about the Bible. How would I never read it, never studied it? It was never taught to me. I didn't know anything. And so no, I didn't have Bible knowledge at that time. I only knew a few things. Once I was lost, now I'm found. Once was blind, now I see. I knew that. And I was going to Bible study and I would hear the word and then you know what we would do? We would actually, young believers, we would go to one of our friend's houses. We would sit on the carpet because hippies sat on the carpet. We didn't need furniture. We would sit in a circle and we would talk about what we just learned. And we would hold hands and we would sing worship songs that we were being taught. And then we'd pray for one another. I did that all the time. That's what Christians did. That's what I was taught Christians do. The church wasn't the place that I practiced my Christianity. The church was a place I was equipped to give a message to others so they come to know Jesus Christ. The church was in a place for me to sit and be a few warmer. The church was a place for me to be taught God's Word so I could bring my parents to Christ. I could bring my sisters to Christ so I could share with my brother about Jesus Christ so I could tell my friends about Jesus Christ. And I didn't know how to close the sale. I didn't know how to bring someone to faith but I didn't know that this faith was necessary so I would bring him to Bible studies. I'd invite him to church and I'd say, I can't say it well but he says it better than me. Listen to what he has to say. It's true. And that's how I started out, like everybody else in this room. The difference is I didn't get tired of it. I still believe the only way to God is Jesus Christ. I still believe we need to know him because his Word is true and he is coming back. He is coming back soon. He is coming back quickly. We need to be prepared. That's what the Word says. That's what the Word says. You know what I'm saying? And somebody once said, we don't need a few warmers. He said, because if we did, I'd just put cushions on the chairs. What we need is on fire believers who actually know this is true. And it doesn't matter, by the way, what your age is. You say, well, I'm just too young. No, no, you're not. If you've tasted of the Lord, you've got a great testimony and there's a field that is white for harvest. Well, I'm too old. No, you're not. No, you're not. You're just old. Just don't get grumpy. Don't get grumpy. Walk in the spirit. And don't get mad at the young people because they are what you were in a different way. That's all. They're just as dumb as you were when you were 20. Just as dumb because I was a dumb 20-year-old and I did dumb things because 20-year-olds do dumb things. But God got hold of me and God began through his Word to change me and I have seen what God can do when he gets a willing heart. And that's why I get on fire and that's why I say, follow him. Tell your friends about him. Listen, I buried both of my parents. I buried both of my parents. My dad and my mom. I buried both of my parents. Do you know what? I had tears of sorrow because I missed them, but I don't have tears that say I'll never see them again because I brought them to Christ. They knew Jesus Christ and I'll see them once again. It was not a goodbye. It was a see you later and that gives me hope. You see? That gives me joy to know that I was obedient to the things of the Lord. I shared with those he needed to hear. And we need to know he's coming soon and we ought to live as if he is. We ought to be aware that he is. And Jesus is saying over and over and over I come quickly from chapter one to the end of the book. I'm coming. And this book that he's given, he says, this is one who keeps the words of the prophecy, guards those words. He's saying there's no new message. There's no new prophets. There are no new books. This is it. It's like what Jude said in Jude verse three, chapter one verse three, where he said, beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. There's no new revelation. There are no new books that are being brought out. No new insights. This is what we have and this is what we present. And then he goes on and we'll conclude by looking at verses 11 and 12. He says, he who is unjust, let him be unjust still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. He who is holy, let him be holy still. Behold, I'm coming quickly. My reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. Now this speaks of people's response to the truth. Those who hear the truth but continue doing wrong and live filthy lives and godly lives, he says, you're going to be judged. In their hardness and unrepentance, they're sealing their future in the lake of fire, remember in Revelation 20 verse 15 it said, anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. In your hardness and unrepentance, your future is judgment. But he goes on to say, he who is righteous, let him be righteous still and the one who is holy, let him be holy still. The unrighteous, you're going to stay in that. Understand, no matter what, all that has been done for you, you rejected. But those of you who received and continue living in the grace of God, Colossians 1 21 through 23, Paul said to the church, once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. If you continue in your faith, establish and firm and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant, hold fast, don't let go, continue moving forward. And finally, verse 12, I'm coming quickly, my reward is with me. Now Paul had said that our works will be tested when he was writing to the Corinthians. He said, the quality will be revealed by fire. And what has been built, if it survives, well, there's going to be a reward to the builder. But only the works that have been done to the glory of Jesus Christ ultimately will last. So the awareness of Jesus' soon return is to provoke us into action. And so I began by saying, how then should we live? Galatians 6, verse 9 says, let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up, hold fast, don't let go, live for Jesus, share the faith with others, attend your church, get involved in service, be prepared. He says, I am coming quickly, I am coming quickly, my reward is with me, therefore, be prepared, be prepared. Is coming as soon. Father, I ask that we would be prepared because it is nearer than when we first believed. So Lord, I ask that as we have seen your word, that we will be prepared to see you. And even as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed, perhaps there's some right now in this room, we need to get right with the Lord. There may be some watching online or in the overflow. And you know you need to get right with Jesus Christ. And if you're, if you know you, you are, and you're ready, and you're saying, God, I do, I want to be prepared, forgive me of my sins. Lord, I want to be new. I'm sorry I've sinned against you, forgive me. Lord, forgive me. You may be a backslider, you may be somebody who at one time had been moving forward but ended up going backwards. Or you may be somebody who hasn't ever opened your heart to Christ. Whatever the case may be, you can return right now, you can come to him right now. And if you need to and desire to, as our eyes are closed, our heads are bowed, I'd like to pray for you. And if you know the Lord is speaking to you and you need to be right with him, would you raise your hand? Let me, let me pray for you right where you're at. Just raise your hand then I might see you. Father, you see these hands. I ask in Jesus' name that you would just reach down and every person whose hand is raised. Father, you know the contents of their heart and the desire, what they need. I just pray that you'd reach down right now as they turn to you and say, God, be merciful to me. I am a sinner. Wash and cleanse me, forgive me of my sins. Enter in, give me a new life to live for you. Empower me by your spirit. I want to hunger after you. I'll follow you, Lord, from this point on. I pray that you would move in them right now as they do so. And as they yield to you, Jesus, I pray that you would make them brand new and may your Holy Spirit fill them so that they long for you and you alone. We yield to you now, Lord, and we thank you and bless you. You can put your hands down. And Jesus, I pray that you would be with every one of us and whatever state we're in right now that you'd work in us. We yield to you in Jesus' name. Amen.