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Voddie Baucham - Changing Perspectives · Voddie Baucham Sermons

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  Speaker 1: If your Bible's with you, please open them to Revelation
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  Speaker 1: chapter 4. Revelation chapter 4. Look at the last section
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  Speaker 1: there in Revelation chapter 4, verse 9 to the end
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  Speaker 1: of the chapter. As I thought about this transition from
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  Speaker 1: chapter 3 to chapter 4, and particularly the way in
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  Speaker 1: which John uses it, I thought about a very significant event,
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  Speaker 1: not just in our nation's history, but in world history.
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  Speaker 1: It was August 14th, 1959, when Explorer 6 sent back
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  Speaker 1: the first images of the Earth from orbit. And it
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  Speaker 1: changed everything. everyone's perspective. Think about that for a moment.
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  Speaker 1: Think about how long human beings walked on this earth,
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  Speaker 1: looked up at the stars and the heavenly bodies, and
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  Speaker 1: imagined what must be out there. And then think about
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  Speaker 1: that time not that long ago when for the first
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  Speaker 1: time human beings had the opportunity to look at the
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  Speaker 1: earth and from an entirely different perspective. Don't just think
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  Speaker 1: about 1959, but think about the next decade, the next
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  Speaker 1: decade and a half, and the images that would come back.
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  Speaker 1: Think about the Apollo program. Think about landing on the
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  Speaker 1: moon and seeing images of the earth from the perspective
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  Speaker 1: of the moon. All our lives, you wake up at night,
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  Speaker 1: you look up in the sky, and you see the moon.
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  Speaker 1: And now all of a sudden, there was a way
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  Speaker 1: for us, not through our imagination, but through actual photographs
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  Speaker 1: to reverse the tables and to look at the earth
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  Speaker 1: from the perspective of another heavenly body. It changes things.
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  Speaker 1: It changes the way you think about space. It changes
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  Speaker 1: the way you think about our universe. It changes the
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  Speaker 1: way you think about our galaxy and everything out there beyond.
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  Speaker 1: But it also changes the way you think about yourself
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  Speaker 1: and your own individual life and where your individual life
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  Speaker 1: fits and what your individual life means. On the one hand,
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  Speaker 1: you could look at your individual life and as a
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  Speaker 1: result of these images, think of yourself as smaller than
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  Speaker 1: you've ever thought of yourself before. as less significant than
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  Speaker 1: you've ever thought of yourself before, or depending on your worldview,
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  Speaker 1: you can look at the earth from that perspective and
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  Speaker 1: think about how vast our solar system is, how vast
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  Speaker 1: our galaxy is, how vast our universe is, and then
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  Speaker 1: think about the fact that it is here where God
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  Speaker 1: determined everything. to display the crowning glory of His creation
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  Speaker 1: and place man. And all of a sudden, you don't
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  Speaker 1: think of yourself as less significant anymore. What does that
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  Speaker 1: have to do with here in Revelation chapter 4? John
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  Speaker 1: has gone from individual churches, seven of them to be precise,
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  Speaker 1: speaking to their individual needs, individual problems, individual strengths, individual weaknesses,
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  Speaker 1: extrapolating from them to the needs and problems and strengths
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  Speaker 1: and weaknesses of churches in general there in Asia Minor,
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  Speaker 1: and also throughout time as we think about those issues
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  Speaker 1: that are faced by churches, to now changing the perspective...
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  Speaker 1: And he goes from seven individual churches to heaven. He
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  Speaker 1: goes from issues that are going on on the earth
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  Speaker 1: to something that is going on beyond the earth. Issues
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  Speaker 1: that we find significant in the day to day to
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  Speaker 1: issues that we cannot even comprehend. And yet we must
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  Speaker 1: comprehend if we are going to survive in the midst
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  Speaker 1: of our lives here. You see, by changing perspectives, John
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  Speaker 1: does something here in the book of Revelation that is
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  Speaker 1: extremely important. What he says is, you are living your life,
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  Speaker 1: you are enduring persecution, you are wrestling with compromise, but
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  Speaker 1: I need you to know something. I need you to
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  Speaker 1: know that there is a realm beyond the everyday. There
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  Speaker 1: is a realm beyond that which you see. And everything
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  Speaker 1: is being determined and worked out from that perspective and
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  Speaker 1: from that realm. And it ought to change the way
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  Speaker 1: you endure everything that you will discover in the chapters
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  Speaker 1: to come. And so here we have this heavenly throne room.
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  Speaker 1: And we have God upon this throne. And at the
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  Speaker 1: end of chapter 4, we find these words. And whenever
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  Speaker 1: the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to
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  Speaker 1: him who is seated on the throne. There's another three.
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  Speaker 1: Glory and honor and thanks. Who lives forever and ever.
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  Speaker 1: The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated
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  Speaker 1: on the throne and worship him who lives forever. Notice
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  Speaker 1: the couplet there. He's seated on the throne and he
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  Speaker 1: lives forever. The creatures give glory and honor and thanks.
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  Speaker 1: To the one who's seated on the throne and lives forever.
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  Speaker 1: The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated
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  Speaker 1: on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.
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  Speaker 1: They cast their crowns before the throne saying, worthy are you,
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  Speaker 1: our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.
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  Speaker 1: Another triplet. For you created all things and by your
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  Speaker 1: will they existed and were created. Amen. Straightforward passage, but
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  Speaker 1: I think it's significant when you put it in its context.
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  Speaker 1: Think about the context. Think about the seven churches and worship,
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  Speaker 1: because ultimately this is a picture of worship. It's a
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  Speaker 1: picture of heavenly worship in the heavenly throne room. But
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  Speaker 1: what's the significance of heavenly worship in the heavenly throne room?
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  Speaker 1: Do we just look at heavenly worship and the heavenly
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  Speaker 1: throne room through the eyes of John as he tries
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  Speaker 1: to give us a picture of what it's like? No,
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  Speaker 1: he can't explain in language that would capture all that
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  Speaker 1: he experiences. And he's still using symbolism here. But why
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  Speaker 1: is he using symbolism? So that you and I can
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  Speaker 1: be impressed with what the throne room looks like? Is
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  Speaker 1: that all? so that you and I can be in awe,
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  Speaker 1: so that you and I can have anxious anticipation of
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  Speaker 1: the throne room? Perhaps. But in context, it has to
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  Speaker 1: be more. What? Well, when you look at the seven
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  Speaker 1: churches and the transition, and he changes perspective, here's what
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  Speaker 1: you remember. Number one, you remember the Caesar cult. You
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  Speaker 1: remember the pressure on the seven churches and the Asia
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  Speaker 1: Minor Christians to bow down to the cult of Caesar.
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  Speaker 1: Caesar is Lord. Rome rules all. And the pressure on
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  Speaker 1: these churches constantly and consistently is to compromise in the
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  Speaker 1: worship of Almighty God in favor of the worship of Caesar.
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  Speaker 1: Remember the powerful trade guilds and the consistent pressure in
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  Speaker 1: some of the areas of for individuals to engage in
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  Speaker 1: practices that were cultic in nature in order for them
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  Speaker 1: to be able to buy and sell and provide for themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Remember the Nicolaitans and the pressure upon these churches by
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  Speaker 1: groups that are bringing in false teaching that have to
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  Speaker 1: be stood against and confronted when necessary. Consider Jezebel. Jezebel.
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  Speaker 1: And the pressure and temptation that Jezebel brings, pushing these
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  Speaker 1: Asia Minor Christians toward bowing down at the altar of
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  Speaker 1: the trade guilds, engaging in fornication and idolatry. Remember all
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  Speaker 1: of this. Remember the pressure to withhold the gospel so
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  Speaker 1: that the church wouldn't experience persecution. Remember the pressure to
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  Speaker 1: withdraw and to go within oneself or to change the
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  Speaker 1: gospel slightly because of the persecution that exists. And now
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  Speaker 1: we look at this picture and all of a sudden
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  Speaker 1: we see several things. One, we see the sovereign God
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  Speaker 1: seated on the throne. Why is that significant? First of all,
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  Speaker 1: it's significant because it is the throne above all thrones.
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  Speaker 1: These churches are tempted. These churches are pressured. These churches
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  Speaker 1: are sometimes crushed under the weight of the Caesar cult.
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  Speaker 1: The cult that says Caesar is Lord. The cult that
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  Speaker 1: says Rome is the greatest power that the world has.
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  Speaker 1: ever seen. And in the midst of all of this,
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  Speaker 1: John changes perspective. And he says, if you could see
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  Speaker 1: what I see, you would know that Caesar does not
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  Speaker 1: sit on the ultimate throne. There is one who is
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  Speaker 1: enthroned higher than Caesar's throne. There is one who is
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  Speaker 1: enthroned higher than every throne. There is one who is
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  Speaker 1: king of kings and lord of lords. When you put
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  Speaker 1: this into its proper context, you understand what John is
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  Speaker 1: saying to these Asia Minor Christians, but you also understand
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  Speaker 1: what he is saying to us. Because I don't know
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  Speaker 1: if you recognize it, brothers and sisters, but we too
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  Speaker 1: wrestle with the same kind of pressures. You and I
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  Speaker 1: both wrestle with this pressure to look to human thrones.
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  Speaker 1: That's why there are people right now who absolutely don't
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  Speaker 1: know what to do with themselves because another election is
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  Speaker 1: coming up. And if I hear one more person say,
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  Speaker 1: this is the most important election of our lifetime, I
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  Speaker 1: just might throw up because that's what they said last
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  Speaker 1: time and that's what they're going to say next time.
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  Speaker 1: This is the most important election of our lifetimes. If
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  Speaker 1: we don't get it right this time, it's going to
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  Speaker 1: be the end. That's what they told us four years ago.
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  Speaker 1: We don't get it right, it's going to be the end.
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  Speaker 1: And it's bad. The end hadn't come. And so now
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  Speaker 1: you have people out there who are stressing. Why are
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  Speaker 1: they stressing? Because we have to choose between a Mormon
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  Speaker 1: and a Marxist. Hadn't thought about it like that, had you? Oh, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: please deliver us from the Marxist. Give us the... Lord,
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  Speaker 1: please deliver us from the Mormon. Give us the... What
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  Speaker 1: do you do? Do you just bury your head? Do
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  Speaker 1: you just run and hide? What? What do you do?
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  Speaker 1: Here's what you do. You change your perspective and you
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  Speaker 1: look to the throne that is above every other throne
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  Speaker 1: and you recognize that the throne of God is not
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  Speaker 1: in Washington, D.C. Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. There's never, ever,
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  Speaker 1: ever been a Messiah in Washington, D.C. And there's never, ever,
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  Speaker 1: ever going to be A Messiah in Washington, D.C. And
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  Speaker 1: all of those people that we look back to as
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  Speaker 1: though they were messianic figures, note that we only look
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  Speaker 1: at them from the future like that. not when they're
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  Speaker 1: in the present. We see all of their flaws. It's
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  Speaker 1: only when time passes and we don't remember all of
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  Speaker 1: their flaws that we look back and say, oh, if
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  Speaker 1: we could have that guy again. There's never been a
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  Speaker 1: Messiah in Washington, D.C. There's never going to be a
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  Speaker 1: Messiah in Washington, D.C. Things are bad from a biblical, theological,
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  Speaker 1: moral standpoint. perspective in our country. And they're going to
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  Speaker 1: continue to be bad for the next four years, eight years, whatever.
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  Speaker 1: They're going to continue to be bad because Jesus is
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  Speaker 1: not running for president. But here's the good news. God
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  Speaker 1: is not running for God. He is seated on the
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  Speaker 1: same throne that he's always been seated on. And so
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  Speaker 1: just like John, changing perspective gives hope to the Asia
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  Speaker 1: Minor Christians. When we gather together and worship this God
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  Speaker 1: who is on the throne, we come here one day
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  Speaker 1: in seven to do what? Change perspective. To take our
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  Speaker 1: eyes off earthly thrones, to take our eyes off earthly leaders,
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  Speaker 1: to take our eyes off earthly whims, earthly wishes, earthly desires,
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  Speaker 1: earthly fears, and change perspective. And for a while, for
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  Speaker 1: a while, just remember that there is a king who
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  Speaker 1: has always been king and will always be king. That
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  Speaker 1: there is a God who is in control. That he's
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  Speaker 1: sovereign over all the universe. And everyone and everything will
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  Speaker 1: ultimately bow down to him. We gather in worship to
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  Speaker 1: change perspective. That's what's so sad about man-centered worship. You
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  Speaker 1: gather together one day in seven. You look out there
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  Speaker 1: and earthly thrones let you down all day, every day.
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  Speaker 1: And then you come into the church of the living
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  Speaker 1: God and have worship that doesn't change perspective. You don't
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  Speaker 1: get to look at your world from a wide angle lens.
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  Speaker 1: You don't get to hear from someone who brings you
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  Speaker 1: a word from afar. You instead get to gaze at
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  Speaker 1: your own navel and have absolutely no hope and absolutely
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  Speaker 1: no good news whatsoever. God save us from man-centered worship.
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  Speaker 1: We worship God who sits on the throne. Listen to
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  Speaker 1: this from Psalm 2. Why do the nations rage and
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  Speaker 1: the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth
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  Speaker 1: set themselves and rulers take counsel together. against the Lord
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  Speaker 1: and against his anointed, saying, let us burst their bounds
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  Speaker 1: apart and cast away their cords from us. He who
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  Speaker 1: sits in the heavens laughs. I love that. Oh, I'm
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  Speaker 1: so afraid. God, what am I going to do? This
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  Speaker 1: is the most important election of my lifetime. And I
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  Speaker 1: get the Mormon or the Marxist. I'm scared, God, are you?
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  Speaker 1: He's laughing. He's laughing. The Lord holds them in derision.
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  Speaker 1: Then he will speak to them in his wrath and
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  Speaker 1: terrify them in his fury saying, as for me, I've
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  Speaker 1: set my king in Zion, my holy hill. I will
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  Speaker 1: tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, you
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  Speaker 1: are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of
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  Speaker 1: me and I will give you the nations, your heritage
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  Speaker 1: and the ends of the earth, your possession. You shall
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  Speaker 1: break them with a rod of iron. and dashed them
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  Speaker 1: in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings,
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  Speaker 1: be wise. Be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve
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  Speaker 1: the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son,
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  Speaker 1: lest he be angry and you perish in the way.
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  Speaker 1: For his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who
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  Speaker 1: take refuge in him. Where is your refuge? I hope
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  Speaker 1: it's on a different plane. I hope it's from a
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  Speaker 1: different perspective. We not only see the sovereign God seated
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  Speaker 1: on the throne, but we see the eternal God, the
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  Speaker 1: one who lives forever and ever. It's repeated there twice.
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  Speaker 1: The living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to
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  Speaker 1: him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever
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  Speaker 1: and ever. The 24 elders fall down before him who
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  Speaker 1: is seated on the throne and worship him who lives
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  Speaker 1: forever and ever. Which means what? The end is not
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  Speaker 1: in doubt. We serve the one who lives forever and ever.
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  Speaker 1: The end is not in doubt. And secondly, we recognize
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  Speaker 1: that God's people will prevail. God's people will prevail. You
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  Speaker 1: know the problem with most of us? We equate God's
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  Speaker 1: people with America. Maybe you find that in Second Hesitation somewhere,
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  Speaker 1: but I don't find that in my Bibles. God's people
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  Speaker 1: are not a geopolitical people. God's people are a spiritual
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  Speaker 1: people who belong to him because of their relationship with
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. God's people are found all over this world.
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  Speaker 1: We'll see that on next week. Every nation and kindred
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  Speaker 1: and tribe and tongue. America is not God's chosen nation.
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  Speaker 1: America is not God's chosen people. We get afraid when
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  Speaker 1: America begins to teeter or totter as though the kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of God is somehow in jeopardy. Listen to me. The
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  Speaker 1: king who sits on the throne is sovereign over all,
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  Speaker 1: and he is the one who lives forever and ever.
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  Speaker 1: His kingdom is not in jeopardy, and the end is
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  Speaker 1: not in doubt. This is not your final destination. This
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  Speaker 1: is not the end of it all. In the end
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  Speaker 1: of it all, there is a king who is seated
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  Speaker 1: on the throne, and he will always be seated on
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  Speaker 1: that throne. And if you belong to that king and
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  Speaker 1: to that kingdom, why are you afraid of Caesar? Why
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  Speaker 1: are you afraid of the trade guilds? Why are you
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  Speaker 1: afraid of the Nicolaitans? Why are you afraid of Jezebel?
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  Speaker 1: All of that will turn to dust. But the one
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  Speaker 1: who is on the throne lives forever. Forever. Changes the
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  Speaker 1: perspective and encourages the Asia Minor Christians and they need
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  Speaker 1: this encouragement. Why do they need this encouragement? Why do
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  Speaker 1: you need to know that God is sovereign and that
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  Speaker 1: God is eternal? Because tomorrow you won't have anybody preaching
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  Speaker 1: to you. Amen. Tomorrow you'll have people breathing down your neck.
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  Speaker 1: Tomorrow you have deadlines. Tomorrow you have pressures. Tomorrow you
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  Speaker 1: have difficulties. Tomorrow you have threats. Tomorrow you have to
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  Speaker 1: decide to speak or not to speak in light of
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  Speaker 1: what it may mean for your job and your future. Tomorrow,
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  Speaker 1: you have to decide to compromise or not to compromise.
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  Speaker 1: And when you stand in front of opposition like that,
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  Speaker 1: when the Asia Minor Christians face the trade guilds, when
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  Speaker 1: the Asia Minor Christians face the Nicolaitans, or when the
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  Speaker 1: Asia Minor Christians face the Caesar cult, what is it?
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  Speaker 1: What is it? that will give you the courage to
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  Speaker 1: endure to the end. The God who sits on the
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  Speaker 1: throne and lives forever and ever, who says to you,
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  Speaker 1: whatever you face in the here and now, know that
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  Speaker 1: it's not the end of the story. God's people will prevail.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel chapter 4, verse 34 says, Nebuchadnezzar, when God gives
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  Speaker 1: him back his mind, all the end of day, I'm sorry,
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  Speaker 1: at the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes
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  Speaker 1: to heaven and my reason returned to me and I
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  Speaker 1: blessed the most high and praised and honored him who
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  Speaker 1: lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion and
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  Speaker 1: his kingdom endures from generation to generation. That's whom we serve.
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  Speaker 1: It's eternal. It's eternal. It's not four-year cycles. It's eternal. Thirdly,
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  Speaker 1: we see him as the creator. Notice from the 24 elders,
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  Speaker 1: worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory
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  Speaker 1: and honor and power. Why? For you created all things.
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  Speaker 1: He's worthy. He's worthy. To receive all glory and all
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  Speaker 1: honor and all power. Why? Because he created all things.
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  Speaker 1: He created all things. He created all things. He's the creator.
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  Speaker 1: He's the sovereign, eternal Lord of the universe. And he's
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  Speaker 1: the creator of all things. Which is why he has
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  Speaker 1: the right to exercise his sovereignty. Which means that everything
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  Speaker 1: belongs to God. Not the Caesar cult. Not Rome. Not
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  Speaker 1: the trade guilds. Which means that everything ultimately and only
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  Speaker 1: finds its purpose in the reason for which it was
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  Speaker 1: created by the creator. That's what we learn when we
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  Speaker 1: change perspectives. That God is the creator of all things.
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  Speaker 1: And that everything that we have, everything that we are,
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  Speaker 1: and everything that there is exists to bring glory and
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  Speaker 1: honor to its creator. That's why. Not to you. By
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  Speaker 1: the way, this is not always immediately good news. Amen? Amen?
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  Speaker 1: God is the creator of all things. Amen. That's awesome.
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  Speaker 1: I need to be reminded of that. When I gather
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  Speaker 1: in worship, I need to be reminded that God is
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  Speaker 1: the creator because that means that ultimately everything is going
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  Speaker 1: to be clear sailing for me. Nope. Well, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: ultimately that means that, you know, if I love God
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  Speaker 1: and I live for my created purpose, then that'll please
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  Speaker 1: God and things will go well with me. Nope. Not
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  Speaker 1: at all. The spotless, sinless Lamb of God who was
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  Speaker 1: perfect in His obedience to His Father brought glory to
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  Speaker 1: His Father by being crushed and killed for sins He
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  Speaker 1: did not commit. Who do you think you are? But God,
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  Speaker 1: how can you let these terrible things happen? I'm recognizing
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  Speaker 1: the fact that I'm created to bring you glory and honor, yes.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: And sometimes it's your suffering at the hands of the
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: Caesar cult or you're suffering at the hands of the
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: trade guilds, or you're suffering at the hands of the Nicolaitans,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: because you will not bow, that brings glory to God. Yes,
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: you're created for God's glory. But it's like wood. Wood.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Some wood is glorious when it is erected into a
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: beautiful building. Some wood is glorious when it makes a
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: fire to warm you during the winter. Now we see
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: beyond these theological realities about the one who is on
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: the throne. Here in this passage in particular, we see
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: the interplay between the living creatures and the 24 elders.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: The living creatures, what do we see? We talked about
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: this on last week, but let me just sort of
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: set the stage so we can turn the corner and
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: get to the reaction of the 24 elders. In the
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: living creatures, we see that there are four living creatures.
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: And we see these four living creatures interact. around the throne.
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: And so these four sides or four corners of the throne.
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: And we know that this number four is extremely important
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: in Revelation as this number four points to the earth
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: in its totality. It points to the four winds, to
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: the four corners of the earth, and so on and
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: so forth. And so now we have four living creatures,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: four different directions, worshiping God and proclaiming his holiness from
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: the throne room. So we have a representation of the
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: living creatures, a representation of the earth, God's glory being
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: proclaimed throughout the earth by all living creatures. And so
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: we see here, for example, Psalm 19. We look at
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: the fact that the heavens declare the glory of God
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: and that even the heavens pour forth speech. Not only
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: the heavens, but every living creature screams to the glory
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: of God. And we have the representative of that here
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: before the throne with these four living creatures who are
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: crying out. But when these four living creatures cry out,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: the 24 elders respond. Whenever the living creatures give glory
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: and honor and thanks to him who's seated on the throne,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: before him who is seated on the throne and worship
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: him who lives forever and ever. And then they cast
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: their crowns down before the throne saying, worthy are you,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: for you created all things, and by your will they
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: existed and were created. So the 24 elders... in response
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: to what's happening with these four living creatures, represent the
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: unity of the people of God throughout time. Is it
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: literally the 12 tribes and literally the 12 apostles? It
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: doesn't say that. It doesn't say that. But there are
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: these 24 beings referred to as elders around the throne
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: who represent that number 12 two times. That number 12
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: is significant because it represents the people of God. That
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: number 12 two times, the people of God in the
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: Old Testament, the people of God in the New Testament.
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: What does this communicate to us? Well, again, first and foremost,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: it communicates to us the unity of the people of
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: God throughout time. The unity of the people of God
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: throughout time. This is important in that it teaches us
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: that worship is not a new thing. Amen? Amen? In
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: Hebrews chapter 11, we find this very clearly as we're
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses. And in Hebrews
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: chapter 11, we hear about these saints of old again
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: and again and again. and the encouragement that they bring
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: us because of what they teach us about faith. Isn't
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: that ironic? We think about the saints of old, and
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: we think that we're the ones who are all about faith.
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: They're the ones who are all about law. They're the
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: ones who are all about works. And they had law,
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: and they had sacrifices, and they had works, and we
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: have faith. And then Hebrews chapter 11 explodes that. By faith,
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith. You see,
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: these 24 elders scream to us the presence of the
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: people of God and the worship of the people of
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: God by faith in the Old Testament and in the
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: New Testament. Under the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: By faith, by faith, by faith, by faith. We also
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: see that in Romans chapter 11 with Gentiles who are
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: grafted in this true vine. But not only do we
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: see the unity of the people of God throughout time,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: but we also see the synergy of worship in heaven
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: and What we do when we gather here is a picture,
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: if you will. It's an example of what's seen here
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: in Revelation chapter 4. In Revelation chapter 4, with these...
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: all of creation, and we see these stones and these
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: natural phenomenon, and we see these living creatures and the
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: 24 elders, and we see God being worshiped and giving
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: glory there on his throne. What do we see on earth?
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: We see a picture of this as one day in seven,
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: the people of God gather together to do the exact
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: same thing. The 24 elders remind us of that. It's
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: like the temple and the tabernacle. They're earthly pictures and
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: images of a heavenly theological reality. In the Lord's prayer,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: what do we pray? Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. Where?
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: On earth as it is. Where? In heaven. What are
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: we praying? We're praying for this kingdom reflection. of obedience
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: to God here on earth that looks like obedience to
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: God in heaven. There is a synergy between the worship
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: of God in heaven and the worship of God on earth.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: And there is a synergy between this change of playing
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: in chapter 4 for the Asia Minor Christians and this
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: change of playing for you and for me every time
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: we gather before Almighty God. We also see a picture
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: of God's faithfulness to reward those who endure. Again, we've
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: seen this. What do they have? They have what they
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: were promised earlier on. When you look, for example, at
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: these golden crowns, and when you look at the white robes,
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: you refer back to the churches and their letters and
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: what was promised to those who endure. Now you have
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: 24 elders standing around the throne of God, worshiping God,
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: wearing the very things that they are told they would
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: wear if they are those who endure to the end,
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: if they are those who conquer, if they are those
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: who overcome. And so now here are the 24 elders
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: standing And they gather around the throne and what do
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: they do? They cast their crowns before the throne. What crowns?
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: The crowns that they received because they endured to the end.
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: Because they did not bow to the Caesar cult. They
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: did not bow to the trade guilds. They did not
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: bow to the Nicolaitans. They did not bow to Jezebel.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: They did not bow to their day. They did not
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: bow to their culture. God is faithful. And the rewards
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: that He promised are in the possession of the 24
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: elders who are a picture of the people of God
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: throughout time. We need to be reminded that God is faithful.
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: We need to be reminded that He's faithful to those
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: who endure. We need to be reminded that He does
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: not forget you. That He does not forget me. We
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: need to be reminded that God is absolutely aware of
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: the difficulties that we face, that it does not pass
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: by without being noticed. And we need to be reminded
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: that God rewards those who are faithful to him. Praise God. Amen. Well,
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, Pastor.
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: I don't know if we should be motivated by rewards
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: and stuff. I don't know. Hey, I don't write the mail.
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: I just deliver it. He says rewards. Who are you
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: and who am I to sit here and say, you know,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: being motivated by rewards just doesn't seem pious enough for
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: me when God says, endure, and there's a reward. You
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: talk to God about that if you got a problem
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: with it. Well, I just don't know. I You tell
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: God you don't think he's godly. There are rewards. He
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: rewards the faithful. Now, lest you get carried away, notice
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: what happens to those rewards. We see, fourthly, the insignificance
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: of those rewards in light of the glory of God.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: Because they're standing there with these crowns, and they do
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: not walk around before the throne... pointing to their crown going, hey,
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: see what I did? When you change perspectives and you
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: understand that God is the sovereign creator, that he is
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: the eternal one, that he rules in heaven and on earth,
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: you stand before him wearing a crown, ultimately recognizing that
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: it is by his grace that you endured. It is
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: by his grace that you were faithful. So what happens
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: to the crown? The crown is cast down before the
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: one who sits on the throne. God is faithful to
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: reward his people. And when his people are rewarded, they
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: recognize that those rewards pale in comparison to the one
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: who sits on the throne, who, by the way, is
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: the one who enabled and empowered them through the blood
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: of Christ to be faithful and to endure. It is
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: by His grace and for His glory. You know what
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: that says to you and me, saints? It says that
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: throughout history, Old Testament, New Testament, the saints of God
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: who have been faithful today those whom we admire so greatly,
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: they are rewarded, but they recognize that their rewards are
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: merely a reflection of the faithfulness of Christ as manifested
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: in the way that He endured with them. Which means
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: that for those of us who are in Christ, we
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: have everything we need to endure You ever think about martyrs?
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: If you ever read Fox's Book of Martyrs, your experience
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: has probably been similar to the experience of other Christians.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: When I read Fox's Book of Martyrs, here's my experience.
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: I read the story of a martyr and I say,
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: I cannot imagine enduring that. And then I read another
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: one and I go, I cannot imagine enduring that. And
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: then I read another one and I go, I might
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: not even be a Christian. Because I just wouldn't do that.
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: I certainly wouldn't say that. Who thinks to say that
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: when somebody's about to burn them to death? That's my
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: experience when I read Fox's Book of Martyrs. And you
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: know what? Because of what I know about me, because
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: of what I know about men, because of what I
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: know about Christ, here's what I know. Every one of
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: those individuals, if they had read their own story of martyrdom,
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: before it actually took place, would probably have looked at
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: it and said, there's no way I could respond like that.
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: But there was grace provided in the moment. These crowns
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: did not point to the glory of the 24 elders.
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: In fact, the 24 elders aren't even identified This is
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: not about their glory. They aren't even named. It's just
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: a symbolic picture of the people of God throughout time.
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: And so they stand there, the 24 elders, this nameless entity,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: and what do they do? They worship Christ. They bow
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: before Christ again and again and again. You see them
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: worshiping and bowing down around the throne. Why? Because there
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: is only one who is worthy of worship in the
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: throne room. Finally, these 24 elders point to the ultimate end, reality, place,
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: and purpose of every believer. Your ultimate end, your ultimate reality,
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: your ultimate place, and your ultimate purpose is bowing. before
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: the throne of the most high God. That's it. That's it.
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: That changes everything. That changes your perspective completely. Completely. You see,
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: if my ultimate reality and my ultimate purpose and my
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: ultimate end and my ultimate goal is success in the
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: here and the now, then all I do is compromise
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: upon compromise upon compromise in order to win or curry
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: favor with people here and now so that I can
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: accomplish my ultimate goal, achieve my ultimate end. But if
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: I understand That my ultimate end, my ultimate reality, my
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: ultimate place, and my ultimate purpose is there bringing glory
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: and honor to God. Now, that change of plane and
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: that change of perspective changes my response from day to day.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: My ultimate end and goal is not the praise of men.
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: My ultimate end and goal is not to satisfy men.
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: My ultimate end and goal is not possessions or position.
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: My ultimate end and goal is the glory and honor
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: of him who sits on the throne and who lives
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: forever and ever. That's what happens when you change planes.
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: That's what happens when you change perspectives. If you're an
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: Asian-minded Christian and you're there in Sardis and you're just
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: trying to survive, if your ultimate end and your ultimate
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: goal is just the next meal, then why not? You know,
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: why not? I'll go to the pagan worship at the temple.
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: I'll sign up for the trade guild. I won't really
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: mean it. But my ultimate goal is to advance in
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: my field. If your ultimate goal is to advance in Rome,
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: then why not? I mean, I don't have to. Listen,
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: I don't believe Caesar really is a god. I don't
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: think Caesar even believes that he's really a God. He
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: knows he's going to die. I mean, come on now.
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: It's just words. But think of all the good I
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: could do if I get close to Caesar. If I'm
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: trusted by Caesar. Think of all the good I could do.
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: Do you see why? It's important that we change perspective.
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: You see why it's important that you rise above your day-to-day?
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: You see why it's important that we gather as a
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: body of believers for a God-centered experience of true biblical
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: worship that takes us off of the plane of the
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: here and the now and the me and the mind
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: and reminds us that the sovereign Lord of the universe
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: is still on his throne, that he will always be
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: on his throne, that he is the creator and sustainer
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: of all things, that all living creatures find their purpose
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: in him and his glory, and that especially the people
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: of God throughout the ages Find their purpose in his worship.
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: This is what we find at the end of chapter 4.
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: And we haven't even gotten to the good stuff. In
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: chapter 5, we haven't even seen the lamb yet, people.
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: We haven't even seen the lamb yet. And we're overwhelmed
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: with how worthy God is to be worshiped. We haven't
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: even seen the one who laid down his life for us.
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: We haven't even seen the one who died to redeem us.
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: We haven't even seen the one who took on flesh
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: so that the throne room doesn't even look the same anymore.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: Do you realize that? The throne room doesn't look the
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: same anymore because there's a person there now. He added
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: a human nature. We haven't even gotten there. And God
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: is already, already overwhelmingly worthy of our worship and completely
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: changes our perspective because of who he is and because
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: of what he's done. He's worthy because he's the creator
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: of all things, the sustainer of all things. He's the sovereign, eternal, Lord,
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: of the universe and he will reign forever and ever.
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: Let's bow.