Appleton Gospel Church

Sovereign Over The Nations: In a fallen world, it's only natural to see people outside our tribe, people, language, or nation as our enemy. But is that how God sees them? In Jonah 3, God is a God of second chances, giving grace and mercy, to both Jonah and the people of Nineveh, the enemies of Jonah's people. Why? Because God is sovereign over the nations and He is sovereign to save. Recorded on June 19, 2022, on Jonah 3, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "Sovereign to Save" sermon series from the book of Jonah in the Bible. Jonah's story is well-known both in and outside the church for his encounter with the great fish. But Jonah is really about the incredible heart of a sovereign God to save even his enemies.

Sermon Transcript

This whole past year, we’ve had the annual theme of our preaching ministry of The Greatness of God. After today, we only have one more week of this theme before we start our new theme of Learning the way of Jesus. Truthfully, I can’t wait to start this new theme. But we still have two more chapters in the story of Jonah in our Sovereign to Save series before we’re done with this theme. And we’ve said, the basic story of Jonah is well-known in and outside the church. But when you dig into what it actually says, you find a God who is sovereign, with divine power/authority over all. In Jonah, we see that this is a very good thing, because we find the great compassion and love of God, even for his enemies, and we see the lengths he goes to save them. Our God is sovereign to save. Last week, Kyle preached on the fact that God is sovereign over the deep, over even the worst times in our lives, and he often uses those dark/uncomfortable times to prune us for our good. Today, we finally get to Nineveh (after Jonah ran hard away from his calling) and we’ll see that God isn’t only sovereign over his people — God is sovereign over the nations, God is sovereign over all people, but again, with a heart to save. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Jonah 3.

Jonah 3:1–10 (NIV), “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”

If you haven’t been with us, let me give you a little recap of the story so far. About 2,800 years ago, Jonah was a prophet of Yahweh God in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of crisis for his people. The Assyrian Empire was the most powerful nation on the earth at the time. They would eventually conquer pretty much everybody before the rise of the Babylonian Empire. But they were on Jonah’s doorstep and were a real threat to him and to everyone he knew and loved.

Sovereign Over the Deep: In the most well-known chapter of Jonah's story, we do encounter a great fish. But is that what this story is all about? No! The point is that even in the deep, even in that dark and uncomfortable place, even as Jonah drifted down to what he thought would be his death, God was sovereign and good. The fish was only the circumstance that God used to change Jonah's heart. Recorded on June 12, 2022, on Jonah 2, by Kyle Wagner.

This message is part of our "Sovereign to Save" sermon series from the book of Jonah in the Bible. Jonah's story is well-known both in and outside the church for his encounter with the great fish. But Jonah is really about the incredible heart of a sovereign God to save even his enemies.

Sovereign Over All: In the series introduction to Jonah's story, we see all sorts of unexpected things. We see a prophet running from God. We see pagan sailors praying to and praising God. Most importantly, we see a God who is sovereign over all of creation, including the wind and the waves, the seas and the storms. Recorded on June 5, 2022, on Jonah 1, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "Sovereign to Save" sermon series from the book of Jonah in the Bible. Jonah's story is well-known both in and outside the church for his encounter with the great fish. But Jonah is really about the incredible heart of a sovereign God to save even his enemies.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’ve been focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re starting our last sermon series under that annual theme called “Sovereign to Save.” This series is from the book of Jonah in the Bible. The basic story of Jonah is well-known in and outside the church. But when you dig into what it actually says, you find a God who is sovereign, with divine power/authority over all. In Jonah, we see that this is a very good thing, because we find the great compassion and love of God, even for his enemies, and we see the lengths he went to save them. Our God is sovereign to save. Today, we’ll start the story by considering the sovereignty of God over all of creation. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Jonah 1. Jonah is a narrative, but since we’re working through a whole chapter, we’ll unpack it as we go. V. 1.

Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV), “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.” Ok, let’s pause here. So why in the world would a prophet of God run from God? The answer really is because Jonah had a major problem, not with the message of God’s word, but with the intended audience. You see, God had called Jonah to go and preach to the great city of Nineveh, which was not in Israel. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. To give some context, we know from 2 Ki 14 that this was happening during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel who reigned from around 750 - 800 BC, in other words, Jonah lived during a time of utter chaos/crisis for his people. The Assyrians were the most powerful empire in the world at that time and would eventually conquer Israel and kill many friends and family members of Jonah. Historians sometimes point out that the Assyrians were the first empire we have who used phycological warfare to terrify and subjugate the peoples they conquered. Let’s look at a map here. But when Jonah, son of Amittai, a prophet from the city of Gath Hepher in the northern kingdom of Israel was called to go some 700 miles to the northeast to Nineveh, instead, he flees to Tarshish, a city somewhere in the far west in the Mediterranean, perhaps in modern Spain, some 2,000 miles in the other direction. Why would he do such a thing? Later in chapter 4, we learn that Jonah did this because he knew what God was like, that God was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. And he knew that if the Assyrians listened to his preaching and repented (the goal of any good preacher), the Assyrians would receive the grace/mercy of God. And Jonah would rather disobey God than see his hated enemies receive the grace/mercy of God. How would God respond? Would he throw up his hands? Would he stomp his feet? Would his plans be somehow frustrated? Not for a second. v. 4.

Jonah 1:4-6 (NIV),

God is Greater Than... Series Conclusion: After considering the traps of pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth here are the conclusions of King Solomon's search for meaning: Fear God and obey his commandments. What does this mean and how might this lead to lasting significance? God is greater than all. Recorded on May 29, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 12, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re finishing a sermon series called “God Is Greater Than…” from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. And in this series, we’ve said that there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Next week, we’ll start a new sermon series on the book of Jonah called Sovereign to Save. But today, we’ll consider the conclusion of King Solomon in his search for meaning. In some ways, it’s a very simple solution. But, in light of everything we’ve covered so far, I believe it is rooted in real wisdom, which, if we listen, will help us not only avoid these traps but will lead us to a life of lasting meaning and significance. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 12. We’ll break this chapter down into three sections. So part one, v. 1.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 (NIV), “1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; 5 when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets. 6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”” 

Let’s pause here. What is going on here? Well, commentator Duane Garrett interprets vv. 2-5 as a poem describing the steady decline of the human body in old age, and I think he’s right. The trembling keepers of the house are the trembling of hands, the strong men stooping is the bent posture of a weakened back, the grinders are teeth that have fallen out or cannot easily eat anymore, and those looking out the windows are the eyes that have trouble seeing. v.

God is Greater Than...Wealth: The fourth and final trap of our series is the materialistic life. The materialistic life believes that more money, wealth, and possessions will lead to lasting meaning and satisfaction. Money isn't inherently evil, but it is uniquely tempting for us. How do we avoid a life of hollow consumerism? Watch here. Recorded on May 22, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 5:8-20, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

   All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series called “God Is Greater Than…” And we’ve said that there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Our series has examined the traps of pleasure, wisdom, and work, but has come to the conclusion that God is greater than all, and it’s only in him that life has meaning/significance which will last forever. Today, we’ll consider the trap of pursuing wealth, of making/accumulating more and more, something we will call the materialistic life. But again, how could it be such a bad thing to have money?? How could the pursuit of more money, wealth, or possessions become a trap? If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 5:8.

Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 (NIV), “8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. 10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. 13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. 15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? 17 All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. 18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of Go...

God is Greater Than...Work: The third trap to consider is thinking that pursuing a life of work accomplishments or career achievements - the productive life - will lead to lasting meaning and satisfaction. But is this true? We were made to do good work, but work can become a trap if it becomes our main source of identity and security. Recorded on May 15, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series called “God Is Greater Than…” And we’ve said that there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These traps are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Our series will examine the traps of pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all, and it’s only in him that life has meaning/significance which will last forever. Today, we’ll consider the trap of pursuing a life of work, of accomplishing more and more, something we might call the productive life. Now, again, how could it be such a bad thing to be a productive person?? How could the pursuit of a good job or a fulfilling career become a trap? If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 2:17.

Ecclesiastes 2:17–26 (NIV), “17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

In this series, we’re assuming that King Solomon is the author, which means that Ecclesiastes was written almost 3,000 years ago. And we’ve said that King Solomon decided to go on a journey of discovery. He went on something like a quest to understand everything that is done under the sun — a phrase ...

God is Greater Than...Wisdom: The second trap to consider is thinking that pursuing a life of knowledge and wisdom, the intellectual life, will lead to lasting meaning and satisfaction. Now there's nothing wrong with education, innovation, or technological breakthroughs, in fact, they can help so many areas of life. So get wisdom! But avoid the trap of pursuing knowledge and wisdom apart from God. Recorded on May 8, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 2:12-16, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series called “God Is Greater Than…” And we’ve said that there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These traps are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Our series will examine the traps of pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all, and it’s only in him that life has meaning/significance which will last forever. Today, we’ll consider the trap of pursuing a life of wisdom, of pursuing more and more knowledge — the intellectual life. How could that be such a bad thing to be an intelligent person?? Why is the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom a trap? If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 2:12.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 (NIV), “12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.” 16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!”

If you missed our series introduction a few weeks ago, you can go back and watch that if you’d like more background on the book of Ecclesiastes. But we’re assuming that King Solomon is the author, which means this book was written almost 3,000 years ago. And King Solomon was known for his wisdom which was a gift from God. So Solomon decided to go on a journey of discovery. He went on something like a quest to understand everything that is done under the sun — a phrase that means basically everything done in this broken world apart from God. And he did this in order to find out what, if anything, is truly meaningful, what among all the possible activities really matters in life — what really gives us meaning under the sun? Last week, we saw that this journey started with pursuing a life of pleasure. Solomon said that “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” And he tried to see if good food, good wine, accomplishing big projects,

God is Greater Than...Pleasure: The first trap to consider is thinking that hedonism, of pursuing pleasure or avoiding pain, will lead to a meaningful life. It's tempting to think that indulging in good food and wine, accomplishing great things, having wealth, being entertained, or having lots of sex is the key to happiness. However, none of these things bring ultimate satisfaction. Is there anything better? Recorded on May 1, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

 All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re continuing a new sermon series we started last week called “God Is Greater Than…” As we said, there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These traps are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Our series will examine the traps of pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all, and it’s only in him that life has meaning/significance which will last forever. Today, we’ll consider the trap of pursuing a life of pleasure, a life of happiness, a life of self-gratification. How could that be such a bad thing to try and be happy?? If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 2:1.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NIV), “I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” 

So if you missed our series introduction last week, you can go back and watch that if you’d like more background on the book of Ecclesiastes. But we said last week that we’re assuming that King Solomon is the author,

God is Greater Than: Series Introduction. In ancient times, King Solomon used his wisdom and vast resources to observe everything done under the sun. And what did he find? Life was a vapor, a breath. So much of what we worry about and work for seems to be meaningless. Is there any way to find real meaning and significance in life? Or are we stuck living in depression, denial, or destructive cynicism? Recorded on Apr 24, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 1, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re starting a new, 6-part sermon series from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible called “God Is Greater Than…” God is greater than what, exactly? Good question. Here’s the big idea for this series: There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands and thousands of years. These traps are traps of faith that can affect everything about how you live your life. Fundamentally, they’re traps of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to displace, or, take the place of God in your life. What’s tricky about these traps is that they always seem to have the power to replace God for a season, or sometimes for years. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. What a tragedy. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all of these, and it’s only in him that life has meaning which will last forever. So let's learn from the Teacher of Ecclesiastes, let us not waste our lives on things which are ultimately meaningless, and let us see that God is greater than all. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 1:1. We’re going to cover the whole first chapter, so we’ll unpack this as we go. v.1.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (NIV), “1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Let’s pause here. So first, who wrote Ecclesiastes? Someone who says they are a son of David, that is, King David of ancient Israel who lived around 3,000 years ago. After David died, Solomon, his son, became the king of Israel, ruling from the capital city of Jerusalem. It never says directly, but from the clues in the text, Solomon is the most likely author. Some scholars don’t agree, but there really isn’t any solid evidence that it couldn’t be Solomon, and it fits God’s gift of wisdom described in 1Ki 4; let’s look at that together. 

1 Kings 4:29–34 (NIV): “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of wall...

The Perfect Judge: Our current age will not last forever. One day Jesus will return, the dead will be raised, and all will give an account of their lives to Him. What will that day be like? What hope is there for any of us to stand before the great white throne on Judgment Day? Our hope rests on the fact that the Judge is also the Savior. Recorded on Apr 10, 2022, on Revelation 20:11-15, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of The Supremacy of Christ sermon series. The Christian gospel claims that Jesus is far greater than anyone or anything. And it’s true that his first coming was marked by humility, suffering, and even death on a cross. But is that how Jesus is today? Absolutely not. Jesus has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God. Today, Jesus reigns and rules over all of creation and will one day return in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re finishing a sermon series called The Supremacy of Christ. For the past 6 weeks, we’ve been saying that the Christian gospel claims that Jesus is far greater than anyone or anything. And it’s true that his first coming was marked by humility, suffering, and even death on a cross. But that is not how Jesus is today. Jesus has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus reigns and rules over all of creation and today we will consider his return in glory to judge the living and the dead. During the past few years of dealing with Covid and other difficult things, it became clear to me that far too many Christians have way too small of a vision of who God is. And it’s true that if we fail to get this vision of Jesus, high and lifted up, supreme over all, we’ll have all sorts of problems in our life and faith. In this series, we’ve considered a number of ways that Jesus is far greater than anyone and anything. But now, let us look ahead to things yet to come, to the end of time and the end of this age of sin and struggle. A few weeks ago, we heard the promise of the angels at the ascension of Jesus that he would one day return in the same way. What will that day be like? What will happen on that day when the King of heaven returns? If you have a Bible/app, please open to Revelation 20:11.

Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV), “11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Earlier this year, we finished our Encounters with God series by considering the Apostle John’s encounter with the risen Jesus on the Island of Patmos toward the end of his life living in exile there. And just as the ancient Israelites needed the incredibly vivid prophetic imagery of Ezekiel and Daniel when they were in exile, so John and the early Christians needed John’s vivid imagery of the cosmic battle between good and evil found here in Revelation. Now, the book of Revelation is really unique in the Bible because it’s written in the Jewish apocalyptic literary style, which we don’t really have anymore. And I suspect that it’s for this reason,