Latest / HBCWestminster / 12.26.21 Revelation 19:11-16 Pastor Nathan Anderson

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12.26.21 Revelation 19:11-16 Pastor Nathan Anderson · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  And as we get started, you know, over the last month, over the month of December, we have really enjoyed some truly powerful messages of truth as Pastor Danny and Pastor Sam have brought the word. As we have explored some of the names of Jesus, Pastor Danny began this series by calling on us to raise our view of Christ.
• 0:27
  He said that it is often when our view of Christ is too low where we experience the troubles in life. Our series that we have been going through for the month of December is called His Name Shall Be Called. The weight and the immenseness of these names that we have studied must not be lost, church.
• 0:56
  As we come to a close of this study and we're ready to close out the year of 2021, we have spent this time looking at these names of Jesus, not just that we might know more, but that we might be transformed.
• 1:13
  As Pastor Sam said last week, we, your pastors, desire that the studying of these names would not only lead to a proper theology, but a proper doxology. That is to say, that as we study these things, as we become more knowledgeable of Him, it might impact our lives and transform how we live. Otherwise, what are we doing?
• 1:36
  Because we have sought to gain a great and deep understanding of who Jesus is and the great names which scripture used to describe him, we would glean a rich and deep comprehension of just how awesome our God is. As we've progressed through this study, I hope you guys have grabbed a hold of the segments and timelines in which they have been preached.
• 2:04
  Pastor Danny started us off with prophecy, right? The promise of the coming hope, the coming Messiah. And then he said that this Messiah would be the treasure of all nations. And then last week, Pastor Sam said that this treasure, this Messiah, has indeed come. God has come. God is with us. So if you're paying attention to those timelines, it goes like this.
• 2:33
  He is going to come, and it's going to be amazing. And he came. And now, as we're ready for this final study, and his name shall be called, we will see he will indeed come again. But brothers and sisters, he is not coming meek and mild this time. He is coming as the conquering warrior.
• 2:59
  We will be studying Revelation chapter 19 today and we'll be considering three sets of names given to Jesus in this passage. Faithful and true we will find in verse 11 of 19 of Revelation. The word of God in verse 13 and king of kings and lord of lords in verse 16. Those will be our points as we enter into this.
• 3:27
  study. We will read our passage in just a moment and pray, and I hope and pray that we will then eat together at the table of the Word, and I pray that we might find the delicious and savory truth today. If you would stand with me as we read from Revelation chapter 19, I'll read verses 11 through 16. The Word of God says this,
• 3:59
  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God.
• 4:25
  And the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of kings.
• 4:55
  And God, we come before you today, this morning, humble. God, in awe of how great and vast you are, how powerful your word is. And Lord, as we study it this morning, I pray as we study these names which you have revealed, written down, that we might know you better, that this study would impact, change, transform,
• 5:29
  convert our hearts and our minds. Lord, we pray that you would be honored and glorified in the preaching and teaching of your word now. And we pray these things in your name. Amen. Amen, church. You can be seated. Now, as we read this passage for today, some of you might be thinking to yourself, I thought it was Christmas. What on earth is Nathan doing reading Revelation 19?
• 6:06
  In fact, I brought my family here today to hear a nice little Christmas message about a baby. Well, that was last week. This is this week. Last week the child came, but now we're going to look forward to when that baby is coming back. But not as a helpless baby, as I said. No, this time he comes back on a war horse. Again, as we go through this sermon and we read from this passage, you might say to yourself, I came here for a Christmas sermon.
• 6:41
  Well, Pastor Danny again challenged us in the first week and encouraged us to raise our view of Christ at the beginning of this series. And so, as we finish, we seek this morning not to leave Christ in the manger lest we miss the fullness of his purpose and plan for us. Honestly, church, if we just left Christ in the manger, I don't think the culture and the world would have any problem with him. If we left him just as a cute little baby boy,
• 7:14
  I don't think the culture would have a problem with him. I don't think they'd have such an issue with his disciples. I believe it is this Christ we are about to look at today, it is these names which the culture cannot and does not want to stomach. Here today, we're going to see how the same names of Christ, I believe, can invoke.
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  diametrically different responses based on what you believe. And so, what you believe is of paramount importance and has huge implications for our lives. So may we now, with our hearts and minds ready to be changed by the power of the word, begin to eat at the table of the word. Our first name is going to come from verse 11, as I said, but as we begin, we see John write these words. Then I saw heaven opened as he
• 8:13
  begins what will be the bookend to this revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him with a visual of heaven opening. We begin, we must first give a brief context to the book's contents to this point. John has spent the first 18 chapters sharing of Christ, his heart, his passion for the church, and promised that he alone is the one worthy. That even though there will be a deceiver who will come,
• 8:44
  who is known as the Antichrist, the ultimate judge, the ultimate warrior, the king of kings is Jesus. And throughout Revelation to this point, there is also this promise of judgment which will come upon the rebellious. The nations will fall as he prophesies over and over.
• 9:06
  As this setting is being drawn for us by the great writer John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we come to verse 11 and see John saying, heaven has opened. And earlier in Revelation 14, John describes a door opening and him seeing heaven, right? He says, a door has opened and I can see heaven. Here though, there is no door. Heaven has just been opened. And if you read this in connection with...
• 9:34
  Revelation 4, it's almost as if there the door is cracked. Here the door is flung wide open to give an unobstructed view of what is to come. That is the rider on the horse. Heaven is open and behold the white horse, he says. The one sitting on it is called faithful and true. Faithful and true. Here then we come to our first sets.
• 10:07
  The word true, the meaning of the word true used here is pretty cool because it means attested or assigned to because it has been tested. It means what cannot be hidden. That is to say that Christ has been fully tested, that the God-man's substance and power is such that it cannot be hidden.
• 10:40
  What does that really mean, though? Well, it means that his godhood and manhood, all that he claimed and claims to be, has been tested. Not only the substance of himself and his words, but the promises he has made, they have all been tested and proven to be true.
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  So much so that the truth of who he is and what he has done and will do cannot be hidden. It is as if Christ is that 20,000 lumen flashlight shining bright in the darkness. The darkness, no matter how dark it is, cannot conceal its worth and truth. He is true. He is also faithful. Revelation 1.5 calls him the faithful witness.
• 11:37
  Here it says he is faithful and true. Faithful witness. That is to say, he is faithful to witness to the truth because it is impossible for him to lie. We know this from Numbers 23, verse 19. But faithful to what? Faithful to witness to what? Faithful to witness to himself and about himself, which means he is faithful to carry out what he has promised to do and carry it out in accordance with his character.
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  and thus he must discharge his office as the judge, not shrinking back from the administration of it or the discipline and punishment which it must contain. Here we see that contrast, that diametrically different responses which can come in as we hear this truth, faithful and true. If you are found in Christ and his judgment, his punishment,
• 12:40
  has already been paid by himself. Remember that meaning of the word true, attested to because it has been tested? Well, his payment for us has been attested to as true and complete. True and complete. He has promised, he was the fulfillment of all of God's righteous standards, and by trusting in him, we have his righteousness to us imparted to us on his behalf, or on our behalf.
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  This is, I believe, what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 2, verses 4 through 9. You see, the good news of the promise of God expressed through Christ is that he is faithful and true, and thus, as Ephesians 2, verse 7 says, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. What does faithful and true to us mean?
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  mean to us as believers? It means that we get to experience the reality of a God who does not lie and does not falter in his grace towards sinners saved by the blood of his son, Jesus Christ. That is what faithful and true means to us as believers. In a 180 degree turn from that reality, what does faithful and true mean to those?
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  who have not trusted in his finished work, it means they stand condemned already. As John says in John 3, verse 18, whoever believes is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. But here, we must, I must, point out that this condemnation can change in a moment, in an instant.
• 14:37
  If you believe, you are not condemned. Christ has paid it all, and if you place your trust in him, that condemnation goes away immediately as we are found in him. But church, here we see that according to the undeniable truth, the testimony of that which is attested because it cannot be hidden, namely the faithfulness and trueness of Christ and his promises, he will judge in righteousness and he will make war on evil.
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  This truth is a comfort to those found in Christ and yet a terror to those whom have rejected him as they experience the judgment of he who is faithful and true to carry out his promises. As the passage progresses on, as we read those verses, we see no longer a suffering servant. No longer the baby dependent on a mother nourishing him.
• 15:40
  We no longer see Christ allowing himself to be judged by the unjust as he stood in the midst of sinners being mocked, beaten, and spit on. No, now we see Christ coming on this white horse, the symbol of victory. In Roman times, this is the kind of horse that the commanding, victorious Roman commander would come and ride into Rome on, receiving the praise.
• 16:09
  As Christ comes on the white horse, he is signaling that the victory is won. Christ comes on a war horse. Christ also comes with eyes aflame.
• 16:27
  And here, may I just say, that which began with the light of a star, that which started with the flickering light of a candle. If you guys were here on Christmas Eve, we lit those candles, right, to represent the light of the world coming into this world, right? When Christ comes back, it's not a flickering light. His eyes are aflame. The veil over the power no longer. Here, the burning eyes of our Savior are seen.
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  wearing crowns, showing he is ruler over all and bearing a name which John says no one knows. And as I studied this passage, it's funny because when you read that, the name that no one knows, you read commentaries and you study and you read all these attempts to try and explain and give us what this name could possibly mean. But scripture says, guess what? Nobody knows it. We don't like that. We don't like that. But the unknown name here,
• 17:38
  is a powerful reminder to us that our Lord and Savior is truly immeasurable in his greatness. That there are things, though we might spend eternity with him, that we may never know because he is inexhaustible. And here we see he has a name that no one knows and may never know because it is too great. We also see him clothed in a robe dipped in blood. And here, again,
• 18:16
  You might ask yourself, why on earth is one of our pastors preaching this sermon the day after Christmas? But we must, church, we must, if we are to appreciate the lowly baby, understand what was veiled, what was held back as he lived in his humanity.
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  If we don't understand what he veiled, what he held back, then it is easy for us to forget just how awesome he is, how powerful he is, and how frail he made himself that he might live the perfect life on our behalf. What of this blood-dipped robe, though? Many have speculated. Some say it is his shed blood on behalf of the saints. Others, it is the blood of past wars which he has waged.
• 19:07
  Yet others say it speaks of the certainty of the victory which he is about to achieve as he comes with a blood-dipped robe and the war has not started yet. And to all these I say yes. I believe this robe dipped in blood shows that this is not his first battle. He has...
• 19:33
  waged war before. He has fought on behalf of Israel. He has fought on behalf of his name before. This is not his first battle. It also shows the saints his blood has covered their transgressions, and thus as he comes to judge in righteousness, they need not fear. And finally, I do believe this is a picture of the certainty of the battle to be won. If you are following with all of this, the picture we are getting of Christ
• 20:05
  is one of a pretty serious warrior. He's not messing around. A warrior battle-tested and yet without ever experiencing defeat. And it is in the midst of this powerful, these powerful and victorious pictures, we get our next names of Christ. The Word of God. The Word of God.
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  As John goes on to describe Christ and this scene, we see that from his mouth will come a sharp sword. There is another part of scripture which records this moment as well. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 8, Paul is talking about this, and he adds another word. Here it says that from his mouth will come a sword.
• 20:56
  In this, though, in this recording from Paul, he adds another word alongside mouth. Verse 8 says this of 2 Thessalonians 2. The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill by the breath of his mouth. Now I find this wording interesting and actually very significant from Paul because the word used for breath here is pneuma, which is the word used.
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  for spirit. Here we find Jesus Christ and the spirit are together used to express the word of God just as in the inspiration of scripture. The word of God which is Christ and the spirit of God bring about the words of God which are a sharp sword being wielded by Christ. And if you are like me as you begin to read and hear this picture, you might be thinking about that famous verse in chapter four.
• 21:59
  of Hebrews, Hebrews 4, 12, where it says the word of God. The word of God is like a two-edged sword, sharper than a two-edged sword, able to divide to the soul and spirit, the joints and marrow, and discern the hearts and intentions and thoughts. Church, church, this is the living and active word of God, breathed out by God.
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  It's this word that's going to be used to defeat the enemy. And God has used this to reveal himself, his plan, and his worth to us. Christ is the word of God as he is the revelation of God to man. This is the word which God gifted to us to convey his plan and purposes. And will church be the very word?
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  which is spoken out in judgment on the Antichrist and the lawless one and will defeat them in an instant. The same word which was spoken out to create the word, the world, the earth, and all that is in it will be spoken to defeat the enemy. Now, none will be able to stand under this skillful wielding and expression of truth by Christ as he comes as warrior king.
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  None but those who are found in Christ. Church, remember that statement from Ephesians I read earlier, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Hold that in your mind as we read verse 14, where it says, And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
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  Who is this army? Are they angels? Angels have been depicted as armies in Scripture. Let's look at verses 7 and 8 of chapter 19 to get our answer. Verse 7 says this,
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  and pure. Church, who are these armies clothed in fine linen, bright and pure? It is us. It is the church. But notice, we do not come back armed, ready for battle. We do come on white horses because the victory is certain, but we do not come back armed for battle. There is only one person who comes back ready for battle. That is
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  So why do we return with him? Why do we come behind him on those white horses? We come to bear witness. We come to bear witness to the victory that he will win. Remember.
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  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Church, what better way to show the immeasurable richness of his grace towards us in Christ Jesus than to show us what we have been saved from, to show us the immeasurable authority and power which he yields or wields and say, by grace, by my grace, you have been saved.
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  Through faith, and this not of yourself, so no one can boast. Apart from my righteousness imparted to you by my sacrifice, this would be your fate. As we look on, this truth, I believe, sinks deeper, and the glory and might of our Savior is revealed more. Faithful and true, the very word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, and is to be used to defeat the enemy and his followers.
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  In an instant, these are the names of Jesus. These are the names of Jesus, faithful and true, the very word of God. And lastly, we turn to our final names given to Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords. As if the imagery of Christ
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  As warrior king could not get any more robust, any more powerful, here we see our last names of Christ given and the description of it raises our view of him once more. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And church, it's true. Christ...
• 27:33
  does have a tattoo. The Apostle Paul, and actually flip with me to Philippians. Flip to the left here, just a few pages. Philippians chapter two, Apostle Paul writing of Christ, who he became, writes in Philippians chapter two, verse nine through 11, they say this, therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above
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  Every name. So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue confess that what Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Every knee. Church. Every crown. Throughout history.
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  Every evil king, every evil lord, ruler, president, dictator will be recognized for what they were, usurpers who were and are unqualified to rule in the place of the Messiah King. Churches, we read these last names, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we look out on the world that we see. We see chaos. We see
• 29:29
  Sin. We see depravity. Scripture says he is king of kings and lord of lords. It's easy for us to ask, how? Church, there is no end and there is no beginning in this statement. Christ is the king of kings and lord of lords. When the earth was spoken into being, Christ was king and lord.
• 30:05
  When Adam and Eve were in the garden, Christ was King and Lord. When Adam and Eve fell, Christ was King and Lord. When Israel was formed into a nation, Christ was King and Lord. As that nation faltered and desired to look to a man as King rather than God as King, Christ was King and Lord.
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  As that nation was judged and dispersed and finally found themselves under Roman rule, Christ was King and Lord. When the church was formed and then persecuted by the Apostle Paul, by Nero, and throughout the centuries, Christ was and is King and Lord. Church, as we look...
• 31:06
  out over a world and culture lost to sin and expressing the true reality of the depravity of man, Christ is indeed King and Lord. And how do we reconcile these two things? How can we understand and believe that Christ is King and Lord of all and yet see all that we do? We see as we look throughout history, we see Christ veil and hold back the full exercise of his
• 31:38
  authority. We saw this so vividly as he came to earth and set aside his individual authority to express his godhood, as Philippians says. Again, in Philippians chapter 2, it says, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, but church.
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  Praise God, the time is coming. It is promised and it is prophesied here where he will come back with authority unveiled. And we saw earlier, he is faithful and true. It is attested to him as certain because his word has been tested fully. He is coming back and when he does, he comes in full expression of his authority over all the ages, over all the rulers, and he will conquer all evil.
• 32:44
  by the very breath of his mouth. Here again, I think we see the contrast in what his names, these names, evoke from the hearer. If you are found in Christ, then the truth that he has all authority, that he is over all the rulers, over all the kings, over all the lords, is a great and mighty comfort to us, is it not? But, church,
• 33:21
  Those of you sitting here now, those who might listen later, this promise, this reality of Christ as authority over all carries significant weight to it. If you've never trusted Christ, may this moment, this promise of the coming full expression of Christ's authority be a call to accept the free gift of salvation which he offers to you right now.
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  And if you do, this prophecy of judgment turns from dread to dream, from fear to faith. We no longer live in fear of the coming judgment. We come with excitement as we get to see our Savior prove to all who he is. And then we will find comfort and peace that he offers and we will soon ride with him to witness his ultimate victory.
• 34:26
  But if you don't grab onto this and believe this truth now, the day you confess him as Lord will be a day filled with sorrow. You can do so willingly or you can do so as you experience the judgment on ultimately the separation from a God who is holy. And so I pray, I pray earnestly that you would ask yourself, you would consider this truth of who he is. You know,
• 34:59
  C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. I love C.S. Lewis. I love the Chronicles of Narnia. I'm not a big fiction person, but I love his writing, and so find those very interesting. But I love, one of my favorite books is Mere Christianity. I've read it, I think, four or five times. And in that book, and Lewis is famous for making this statement about Christ, right? He gives you the three L's. You can call him
• 35:28
  You can call him a lunatic or you can call him Lord. You know, as we share Jesus with the world around us, often we find in conversations, people will say, well, he was a good man. He was a good teacher, right? But they don't believe in his deity. They don't believe in his sacrifice. And Lewis very aptly points out that Christ didn't leave that as an option. The claims that he made about himself and scripture makes about him,
• 35:58
  leave us with only three choices. He was either evil, right? A liar. Lied about who he was. That he was God. Or he was bat crazy, right? Lunatic. Because he thought he was God and he wasn't. Or he was Lord. We do not get to leave him as simply a good teacher. We must make
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  A choice of who Christ is. And scripture reveals him to be king of kings and lord of lords. And as I said, some of you might say this is a pretty weird Christmas message. I've talked about judgment and blood-dipped robes. But...
• 36:54
  I would say it is for this very reason we celebrate and remember the coming of the baby born in a manger. For without the reality of judgment, without the promise of judgment, forgiveness means nothing. What are we forgiven from? And what are we called to? Church, let us rejoice and exalt and give him glory. For the marriage supper of the Lamb will come.
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  And I pray that we would be a bride, a church who has made herself ready, ready to see the warrior king who's going to come back and display his immeasurable authority as he shows once more that he is faithful and true, the very word of God which will defeat sin and the enemy for all time in an instant.
• 38:05
  Let's pray. God in heaven, thank you for the promise and the truth of your word. God, I thank you that you didn't leave us much option with what to do with your son, that we must make a choice because it is the most important decision that we could ever make. Lord, for those sitting here now who have not come to know you, I pray, I pray, God, by your spirit, they might.
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  they might hear your word, your promise of salvation, and receive it. For those of us who have believed, God, I pray the fact that you are a God who is faithful and true means we can entrust ourselves to you, that we should and can live differently because you have paid it all, God, that we would spend our lives making ourselves ready for the promise of your second coming.
• 39:13
  Lord, that as we get this picture, this tremendous picture of who you are, God, that it would change us. It would change how we live, how we think, how we raise our kids, how we speak to our coworkers and our neighbors. God, we love you. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your son. We pray all these things in your powerful and authoritative name. Amen.