Grace in Tullahoma

Revelation – The Sealed Saved – 15

It has been a while since we’ve been in Revelation. We took a break for the Summer and started off the school looking at Acts 2 and what the early church devoted themselves to. Now, it’s time to hop right back into Revelation where we left off.

The first series we did had to do with the seven churches. It was more like some of the epistles of the New Testament than what we really think of when we think of Revelation. This second series, though, is where we start getting into the end times, apocalyptic things that you are accustomed to when you think of Revelation.

If you remember back to Revelation 4 and 5, we see John weep because no one is found worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals. And the scroll represents the flow of history…where history is heading. But then John has reason to weep no more, because Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, is worthy. And what we see in Revelation 6 is the opening of the first six seals. And what flows from this history unfolding is God’s judgment poured out on earth in such horrifying ways that the world has never seen before. And the last line before our chapter for today is, “for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (6:17).

It is amidst this desperation that chapter 7 starts.

Revelation 7:1-17

Some say what we’re reading is between the 6th and the 7th seals. Others say it is another recounting of what is happening amidst the 6 seals being opened. When this is happening doesn’t matter as much as what is happening. Here is what we see right off the bat.

Those who are saved are sealed and protected by the Lamb. (1-4)

This is further biblical proof of what we as Southern Baptists and those who hold to Reformed theology refer to as perseverance of the saints. Those who are saved persevere to the end. They don’t just persevere, but they are protected. Their faith is protected. They won’t fall away and be deceived. And they are protected from God’s just wrath.

What we see in this passage is the angels are ready to execute God’s judgment on the earth, but God says, “Wait.” I want you to think how much of a relief those words would be right before you are about to be punished for something. We all deserve judgment, and say there is a firing squad about to execute you, you are blindfolded, and you hear the countdown. “Ready! Aim!” But before you hear, “Fire!” You hear a different word…“Wait!” How much of a relief would that be?! Amidst righteous judgment on the earth, God says, “Wait!” for the sake of sealing those who are saved.

God shows mercy amidst his wrath. (3)

The Old Testament, where we think God seems most vengeful, describes God like this:

6“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

And it’s not just in the Old Testament. It is now with the gospel for you. Romans 6:23 shows God’s mercy amidst his wrath. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And it is also in the future as we see from this passage. God cannot cease to be who he is, and even amidst his just wrath, he is merciful and gracious.

God seals those who belong to him. (4)

What do you think this seal is? Or this sign? How would you mark someone as belonging to you? Who has ever seen Toy Story? How does Andy mark his toys as belonging to him? He writes his name on them.

Later in Revelation 14:1, we see what this seal is: “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

All those who belong to Jesus are sealed by Jesus. They are secure

I want you to try something. Have a conversation with the person sitting next to you. EXCEPT…you can’t talk to them. Ok, go… Ok, we know that’s impossible. You we need to communicate with each other. How about this…Who in here thinks you can have a healthy relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend and never talk to them? Communication is necessary in relationships. What is our greatest, most important relationship? Our relationship with God. How is your communication with him?

Tonight we’re going to finish our “Devoted” series where we see three specific things the early church was devoted to and how we need to be devoted to them as well. We have seen they were devoted to God’s Word and fellowship. Tonight we’re going to see that we need to be devoted to prayer. And hopefully you’ll walk away with some practical tools to start communicating with God on a regular basis, and even constantly.

Acts 2:42

Prayer should be primary. From the very beginning of the church, prayer has been primary. It was the driving force behind everything they did. We don’t just see it in our passage for tonight, but it goes even earlier. As soon as Jesus ascends into heaven, what do the eleven disciples do? Well, after they are urged to go to Jerusalem and stop staring at the sky, they go and…pray.

Acts 1:14 – “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Our first response should be to pray. Immediately after Jesus ascends into heaven, they go and pray. Immediately after Peter’s powerful sermon at Pentecost and 3,000 people coming to faith in Christ, they devote themselves to prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

What’s the first thing you do when you are in trouble? (MOM! HELP! You call out for someone.) What’s the first thing you do when something good happens to you because of someone else? (Thank you!) What do you do when you don’t know what to do? (MOM! You ask someone who can bring wisdom.)

It’s the same with prayer. Prayer should be our first response to everything. I think that’s part of how we can “pray without ceasing.” Need help? Pray. Happy? Pray. Confused? Pray. Thankful? Pray. Fearful or worried? Pray. Whatever the circumstance, our first response should be to pray.

Prayer isn’t just asking for things. It’s talking to God. To a God we can talk to, which is a miracle in itself. And a God who cares and who listens.

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

We’ll come back to this acronym later, but let’s see some more from Acts of why we should be devoted to prayer.

Prayer precedes powerful works. Throughout Acts, God uses prayer as his means to do miraculous works.

Hear what one person says about this:

Throughout the book of Acts, God uses prayer as a means to achieve His ends. In almost every case, prayer precedes powerful works. First, prayer precedes the filling of the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:3 is directly tied to the devoted prayer of the disciples in Acts 1:14. Luke intends his reader to make this connection. To make this even more clear, in Acts 8:15, Peter and John pray that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. Luke records, “Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17).

After the first recorded incident of persecution from the council of the high priest, Peter reports to his friends everything that has taken place. Together they pray to God, and “when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Therefore, on three separate occasions, the Holy Spirit responds to the prayers of the early disciples.[1]

God uses prayer to lead people

Acts 2:42-47

We are in a series called “Devoted.” It is straight from Acts 2:42. In it we see three things that the early church devoted themselves to, and we see in that what we are to be devoted to. Primarily, they were devoted to Jesus, but their devotion to Jesus is played out in their devotion to God’s Word, the fellowship, and prayer.

What the word “devoted” means here in this passage is “continued steadfastly.” These things are what they constantly and continually did. Today we are going to see through scripture some of why fellowship is important and why we should, as the early church was, be devoted to fellowship.

Turn to your neighbor and say, “I need you.” Turn to your other neighbor and say, “The world needs us.” Say to yourself, “You don’t need to be alone.”

God created us for community. (Gen 2:18)

Did you know that not everything in the original creation by God was good? It says over and over each day that God created, “and it was good.” But there’s one thing that wasn’t good.

Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

God created us to be in community. We were not intended, from the very beginning of a perfect creation, to be alone. We need each other.

Tim Challies says it this way,

Humans were created to be in community, both with each other and with God. Seven times in the story of creation (Genesis 1) God looked at what He had created and saw that it was good. What follows in Genesis 2 stands out in contrast. In a perfect and sinless world, where man enjoyed perfect community with his Creator, God, looking at His creation, said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” The only thing in all of creation that was not good was man’s solitude. Though perfect, sinless and in perfect harmony with God, humans still needed to be in community with other humans. Thus God created woman to be a companion to man and to allow him true community. Though the world has changed since the advent of sin, the need for community remains.[1]

Fast forward thousands of years and the togetherness we are supposed to have becomes even more important. It’s not just something we need, but it becomes something we are.

We are one body in Jesus. (1 Cor 12:12; Rom 12:5)

1 Corinthians 12:12 – For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

Romans 12:5 – So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

We, together, are how the world sees Jesus. Before he went back to heaven, he said that we will do greater things than he even did (John 14:12). How is that so? Because we are, collectively, his body here on earth. And although each part is different, each part is important for the effectiveness of the whole. This body includes people of all kinds. We are the body of Christ, and each are members of it. And each member is different. And each member is necessary. That includes you. It is essential that each member is together.

Show of hands (favorite ice cream | sports, band, school, nothing | introvert, extrovert)

We differ in our backgrounds and our personalities and our abilities and our hobbies. But all these different types and kinds come together and are made one. There is this unity that is far deeper than all of our differences.

When the world looks at Christian fellowship, it should make them question, “Why are they hanging out with them?” It’s so different than the world around us. We aren’t one because we have all things in common. We are one because we have one thing in common – Jesus. Not only are we one body for the purpose of mission, but it’s much deeper and far more profound than that.

We are unified by the blood of Jesus. (Eph 2:13; Gal 3:28)

Ephesians 2:13 – Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Galatians 3:28 – There

Mark 2:1-12

Do you remember the last words you said to someone you loved who isn’t with us anymore? Or do you remember the last words they said to you? If you knew you were about to see someone you loved dearly for the last time, do you think you would choose your words carefully?

Not all last words are that way, like the famous last words of the redneck: “Hey! Watch this!” Unlike that, here are some famous last words of Christian pastors throughout history, last words that were purposeful and meaningful:

John Calvin’s last words were, “I am abundantly satisfied, since it is from thy hand.” John Knox said, “Live in Christ, live in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death.” John Wesley proclaimed on his deathbed, “The best of all is, God is with us. Farewell! Farewell!” Preacher Henry Ward Beecher entered eternity with the words, “Now comes the mystery!”[1]

On his deathbed, British preacher Charles Simeon smiled brightly and asked the people gathered in his room, “What do you think especially gives me comfort at this time?” When they all remained silent, he exclaimed, “The creation! I ask myself, ‘Did Jehovah create the world or did I?’ He did! Now if He made the world and all the rolling spheres of the universe, He certainly can take care of me. Into Jesus’ hands I can safely commit my spirit!”[2]

I’m certain you would choose your words carefully if you could. I’m certain this is what Jesus did, too, before he ascended into heaven, with his loved one all gathered around.

We are called by Jesus, as Christians, to make disciples of all nations. We see the carefully chosen last words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20. We see it stated a little differently in Acts 1:8.

We are to make disciples around the world and where we are.

Why? Because the world needs Jesus. And the people around you need Jesus. Turn to your neighbor right now and say, “You need Jesus.” Turn to your other neighbor and say, “You need Jesus.” Now, I do this with our students often, so humor me. Put your chin to your chest and whisper, “You need Jesus.” You just spoke truth! We all need Jesus! That means we all need to be disciples and we all need to make disciples. We are going to have a practical lesson today…some equipping. Are you prepared to make disciples? If all the Christians in the world were like you, would any disciples of Jesus be made? Would anyone hear the gospel?

How long do you think it would take to lead the whole world to Christ? America? Tullahoma? Our schools?

Statistics (32% of the world claims to be Christian; 68% non-Christian)

U.S. population: 332 millionWorld population: 7.75 billionEach day (in the world)385,000 babies are born261,800 of those will end up non-Christian150,000 people die102,000 die without knowing ChristEach hour (in the world)7,425 people die5,049 die and go to hellIf you stood all the lost people of the world shoulder to shoulder, they would circle the globe 30 times.If just Southern Baptists could see 500,000 conversions a year and freeze the number of people who were born and died . . .It would take 664 years to reach America15,500 years to reach the worldIf one person led one person to Christ the first year, discipled him, and then both led one person to Christ the next year, then continued the process  . . .We would reach our schools in 10 years (1,024 converts)We would reach Tullahoma in 15 years (32,768 converts)We would reach America in 29 years (536,870,912 converts)We would reach the World in 33 years (8.5 billion converts)

Do you realize the great commission was given to YOU? The great commission isn’t about just bringing someone to church for a pastor to share Christ with someone. It’s about YOU sharing Christ with someone. It’s about YOU leading them to make a decision about Christ. It’s about YOU teaching them how to follow Jesus. I am convinced that a sign of a healthy church is when the baptistry waters are stirred with people the pastor has no clue who they are, because s

What are you devoted to?

Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Our devotion should be to Jesus.

When you’re devoted to something, it is evident in different ways. What is internal becomes external. When you are devoted to Jesus, it comes out in different ways. We see this with the early church. They were devoted to Jesus. They sought to follow him. They loved him.

But their devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to God’s Word, fellowship, and prayer. Just like when I am devoted to my wife, it could come out as devotion to house chores, etc. My main devotion is to my wife. It is played out in my devotion to other things. First we see the early church’s devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to the Word of God.

Our devotion should be to God’s Word.

What is God’s Word? They had the Old Testament at this time. You know what they didn’t have? The New Testament. But you know what they did have? The New Testament. How? They were hearing it first-hand.

In this verse it specifically says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”

The New Testament was written by apostles or in close proximity to apostles.

That’s the major factor used in determining what should be in the New Testament. It had to do with apostolic authority. Who were apostles?

Apostles were specific people set apart by Jesus.

This would include the twelve disciples. Paul became an apostle, and he defends his apostleship in his letters since his calling was different than the others (2 Cor 11; Gal 1:11-24). So, apostles were devoted followers of Jesus who had first-hand accounts of his life, death, and resurrection, and they were set apart bring that message to the world. And the early church devoted themselves to their teaching. As should we. But how?

How do you devote yourself to God’s Word? This is where we are going to get practical.

Devote yourself to God’s Word by reading it. You might say, well I don’t like reading. That’s a lie! You read all day every day. You read text messages and social media and sports news and celebrity gossip. You read about what you are devoted to. How else are you going to know God better? The only way is through reading. You will not and cannot have a close relationship with Jesus if you don’t read your Bible on a regular basis.

Devote yourself to God’s Word by studying it. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should seek to understand what it says. We should dig deep. We shouldn’t just read it to read it…to check a spiritual box off…but we should read it carefully and intentionally. We should ask questions when we read it. We should seek to understand the context of what we’re reading. We should notice patterns in the text, like repetitions of words or phrases. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should read about the Bible.

When we don’t seek to rightly understand the Bible, it can get us in a lot of trouble. I want you to realize something very serious and scary. Satan knows the Bible better than many Christians. I would even dare say he knows it better than most of you. And he distorts and twists it to lead you astray.

He’s been doing it since the beginning. Hear what he says to Adam and Eve in Genesis when he tempted them to sin: Genesis 3:1-4

He does the same to Jesus when he tempts him in the wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11.

God’s Word is the only offensive weapon that we have to fight against Satan with (Eph 6:17).

So, we need to study God’s Word so that we know God’s Word. Here is a great tool to help you get into Bible study and maybe for you to end up leading your own Bible study. WordGo by Bible Study Fellowship.

When we read and study God’s Word, we can and should trust what it says.

Devote yourself to God’s Word by trusting it. The Bible is without error, and it is useful for every area of our lives.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – 16 All Sc