Song of the Lamb

Also another side in heaven, great and amazing seven angels with seven plagues, which of the last with them the wrath of God is finished a solid appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire. Also, those who had conquered the beast and its image in the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands and they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and amazing are your deeds of the Lord God the Almighty just and true are your ways. A King of the nations who will not fear of the Lord, and glorify your name for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been revealed a spray heavenly father we bound your presence today to thank you and praise you for your precious word guides and directs us in helpless Lord, that we might be helped in the process of becoming like Christ. Heavenly father today as we look at Revelation 15. We realize that we are standing on holy ground. We ask heavenly father that you reveal your truth to us through this a particular passage of Scripture that fills us with such assurance that every true child of God today might walk out of this place, having a deeper assurance Lord that you hold us fast guide and direct his father through the passage. May Christ be exalted in it.

May this congregation be edified by Jesus, precious, holy name we pray. Amen. You may be seated as John is being led by the Holy Spirit to pin down the information concerning the seven bowl judgments Holy Spirit of God leads him back to Daniel chapter 2. Now if you're not familiar with that or if that doesn't bring up anything to you.

Let me refresh your memory, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has had a terrifying dream. He wakes up in the middle of the night, trembling and shaking and he can't remember what the dream was all he knows is that is covered with sweat and he scared to death. The dream was terrifying.

It was unnerving to him and he was deeply concerned about it. So he calls together all of his counselors and his advisors.

The Babylonian counselors are all occultists, their enchanters and magicians and sorcerers and wizards with their format on that counsel who were men of God, Daniel, Shadrach me shack and Abednego was for some reason Daniel was not there. At this meeting lovey was out of town on business or what ever but he was not there.

Will King Nebuchadnezzar gathers all his advisors together and he said men they said I had a dream.

It is was a terrifying dream and I want you to interpret the dream for me and the advisor site well find that's great. Just tell us to Dreman and we will tell you the interpretation and the king gets mad.

His face turns red. His hands begin to tremble and he looked at them and says no. He said I know what you're trying to do.

He said you're just a bunch of phonies. Hey Sage I'm in a tell you the dream you're going to give me an interpretation that it will be right.

He said so this is what I'm asking you to do this is what I'm telling you to do. He said you give me the dream first and then give me the interpretation then I'll know that you're not funny and if you don't do it. He said I'm in a tear you William from Liam. I'm in a kill every single one of you if you don't do it. I can imagine advisors looking at you each other, taking a big gulp sand. This is not going to end whale for they knew that they did not have that kind of power is a mandate area who was the captain of the team and he immediately took off looking for Daniel and he when he found Daniel he said Daniel we got a problem. He said there is the Kings given this order and we have got to tell him what his dream was and interpret the dream and if we don't do it. He's going to kill all the counselors in advisors and that includes you, Shadrach me shack and Abednego was whale, so Daniel runs goes to the home of Shadrach me shack and Abednego get Sam together, says guys we got a fast and we got to pray that God will give us that dream and share with us the interpretation so they get all their faces before God, and they begin to pray and the Lord gives Daniel the. The dream, and he gives him the interpretation of the drain. Daniel sets up a meeting with King Nebuchadnezzar and we share with you what happened. Daniel chapter 2 verse 26 to 28 the king declared to Daniel, his name was Bill Tisch as our are you able to make known to me the dream that I've seen in its interpretation and Daniel answered the king and said no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the King the mystery that the king's last but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he is made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed.

Are these, so Daniel explains is that okaying this was your dream you drained of a great huge image a huge statue and and in that statute. There were different metals. The head of the statue was gold.the shoulders in the chest in the in the in the arms or silver. The trunk of the statute was bronze the legs of the statute were iron in the feet of the statute were iron mixed with clay and then he said there was a stunt that was cut out, not by human hands. That was a huge stone and it was cast down, and it struck the statue in its feet and the the statute. The state crumbled in the whole statute crumbled and then it was blown away like chaff in the wind. He said then that stone became a mountain and it grew and grew and grew until it filled all the earth. King Nebuchadnezzar sitting there watching Daniel listen to what he's gotta say his heart up in his throat.

He can't believe it. He said this man has just given me my dream and told me exactly in detail what happened when I can even remember it myself. How in the world can he do that before he can I say a thing. Daniel says Sir, let me give you the interpretation of that dream.

He said you King are the head you are the head of gold babbling.

You are the king of Babylon. Then he began to tell them about the rest of the stature he doesn't tell him the names of these particular nations that are gonna rise up because that hasn't been fulfilled yet, but we know them, because that prophecy has been fulfilled and he says that the silver shoulders and the silver arms and chest. They were an inferior power that will rise up after you and that we know to be made of Persia and in the trunk of bronze would be the Grecian Empire and then the legs of iron would be the Roman empire and in the feet that were mixed with clay and iron would be a divided Rome and listen to how Daniel describes the stone that was cut out without human hands. Daniel chapter 2 verse 44 through 45 and in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people it shall break in pieces. All these kingdoms and bring them to an end and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, a great God is made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will stand for ever. Daniel chapter 2 takes us right to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the stone that became the mountain that filled the whole earth is a picture of the kingdom of Jesus Christ that will never ever end that will that will try out for ever and ever. Jesus Christ came to this earth. He was born of a virgin live, the perfect and sinless life, he was crucified, resurrected and ascended. He is right now and has been since that day, a rainy from heaven, and there is me in the last 2000 years. One kingdom after another, that is risen and fallen, but the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is is forever and it will stand forever and it will triumph. Revelation 15, 124 is an interlude that reminds us of that truth. Another two points I want to share with you today.

Point number one is a godly restless look again at verse 22 then also another sign in heaven, great and amazing seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last with them the wrath of God is finished. I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire and also those who conquered the beast and its image in the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hand book of revelations toughen it. I mean, we read about persecution and suffering and trial and tribulation and and martyrdom and and it just is just tough and it can get so heavy that that will say to our sale. That's enough. I asked just enough I can't take anymore. I need a time of just spiritual, physical, emotional and mental rest here.

God knows that you know the Lord knows her limitations in Psalm 103 verse 14. The Scripture says the Lord remembers that we are but dust and is sometimes we just need a breather. Sometimes we just need to feel his hands undergirding us. I remember in my former church. There was a very godly lady had been married for 60 years that passed away have the funeral service at the church and right there in the front row was her husband and us got ready to start the service. I looked down at her husband and tears rolling down his cheeks and his whole body was just shaking the sobs's granddaughter was on the second row right behind him and sit right beside her was her four-year-old daughter and when she saw her granddaddy crying. She sequestered something the little girl's ear little girl ran ran the pew and she ran right over in front of her great-grandfather and she stood there and looked up at him and she held up her arms and in the great granddad all the he quit crime and tears stop big smile came on his face and he reached in and he picked her up and he just hugged her and he put her on his lap and she sat there for the whole rest of the service and he didn't cry one time it was like that was the motivation that he needed to get him through that tough time together in marathon races and somebody questioning him about it said when you get to mile 20.

And you got six more miles to go sit what motivates you. How you do it and he said well said. During that time, especially one I'm going appeals that he said I'll think toward the finish line in and said I think toward the finish line because I know that my wife and my kids are. They are an out as soon as I get there. They're going to hug me and it's can be a great time.

That's the motivation that keeps me going here in Revelation 15 God is telling us what to do, so that the struggle with the world the flesh and the devil will not do us in. In Philippians chapter 3 verse 1314, Paul put it this way, he said rather not count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What you do you take your eyes off your own failures and off your own hurts grievance grievant greetings and take your mind off that and you gaze into the future and you see the joy in the tryout that lay ahead for you in Christ puts the sea in Revelation 13 was not a good thing you remember in Revelation 13. What came out of the sea, the beast came up out of the sea, the beast was a picture of the secular political world system and the city represents just chaos and evil power, and it was not a pretty sight. But at this point in time. All of a sudden the sea is flattened out and it's calm and it steel, like transparent glass.

Richard Phillips said this, the Crystal city is a glorious vision of God's sovereign power as creator and his triumph as Redeemer, the saints, praising God alongside the Crystal city of heaven are identified as those who had conquered the beast and its image in the number of its name people.

John wrote the book of Revelation, but eroded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. John wrote the book with his own hand. But it's the word of God and we need to remember that because God is telling hurting persecuted Christians here persecuted children of God, to look ahead to look ahead to the finish line and realize what's going to happen and what were going to be like what I have new glorified resurrected bodies and this is what were going to see rigorously the secular political system that we bought you and martyred you going to be silenced and judged. When you see the false prophet that false religious system that told you to shut up about abortion and gay marriage were to see them silenced and judged and the people who tried to to deceive you into getting into the desires of the flesh and rejecting Christ. They're going to be silenced and judged and you will be there in glory, and all the sudden you go to realize that that you're never going to hurt or suffer to go through frustration or anguish or pain or sin or death ever again. You will never know anything else but joy unspeakable and full of glory .2. The song of the Lamb. Look at verse three and four and they sang the song of Moses the servant of God, the song of the Lamb, saying great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty just and true are your ways are King of the nations who will not fear a Lord, and glorify your name for you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been revealed. So once again were giving just a time of breathing new fresh air takes us back to the song of Exodus, the song of Exodus, which is the forerunner of the song of the Lamb. Now how does this relate. How does the story of of the children of God in bondage in Egypt and set free.

How does that relate to you and me today what Moses saying about God's deliverance from slavery and bondage. We as Christians saying about God's deliverance from sin, death and hail the children of Israel were in in bitter bondage, bitter bondage back then they were in slavery, they were forced to work when they didn't want to work. They didn't want to be there.

I had no choice in the matter. They had to be out in the hot sun and the stone quarry just chiseling out these huge stones for the pyramids and for the king's palace and for all these other things they couldn't leave like that. They felt like they were now destined to spend the rest of their life in this kind of slavery in this kind of misery. There was nothing the world I could do about it. The Pharaoh was a tyrant and he was an idol worshiper. He treated the children of God like they were animals. God sent 10 plagues upon the. The people of Egypt and the Pharaoh. And when he did every one of the plagues that God sent up in Egypt was a judgment on an idol of Egypt. Did you realize that so so they had a frog God in Egypt. So God sent a plague of frogs everywhere. The people stepped when they step out of their house even in their house. I stepped on a frog. It was so many frogs there that they finally died and I took shovels like put them in these big piles stinking nasty throat flesh everywhere was absolutely horrible. God said, you will worship a frog or you got that worship the sun God called raw God just brought the whole land into total darkness of Scripture says it was a darkness so deep it could be failed cuts and you will worship the sun a good I worship the Pharaoh is a is a God. And so God brought the 10th plague the, the, the plague of the death of the firstborn and the king's son, the heir to the throne.

He died in that plague and God said you want to worship Pharaoh a good every single one of those plagues was a judgment on the false God and when the plagues hit the that they can't. The Pharaoh would get upset for a little bit, Moses would speak to him and said God's telling you to let his people go and and and the Pharaoh would harden his heart. Finally, the 10th plague came the plague of the death of the firstborn, and when that happened in his own son died. The Pharaoh said get out Moses take your people and leave.

I don't ever want to see your face again get out of the land and Moses took the people of God, and they left and they headed out toward the promised land they got to the Red Sea. It was a band really stopped at.

They looked around and when they looked around.

There was this huge cloud of dust. They heard the "a" of of of horses hooves and they realize the whole Egyptian army was coming after them and when they left Egypt they were singing, free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty. I'm free at last. They were so happy they'd never been this joyful. This was the greatest time in their life and then all of a sudden the horror was back.

The Pharaoh was back in the picture and they knew that he was easy to kill them or it was good to be back to slavery again they shouted out, Moses wanted you bring us out here into the wilderness. What kind of joke. Was this your play alone us. Why did you do this to us. Where you going to go back to slavery. Are we gonna die out here in this wilderness. What did you do that in short they were saying we knew it was too good to be true. With that in mind I want you listen to the words of Joel Biggie hit the nail right squarely head. He said you sometimes feel that way, dear believer. Once we were enslaved to sin and Satan. But Jesus set us free. By grace we repented, believed on him by grace. We brushed his blood on the doorpost of our souls deliberated us from our sins.

Our lives changed in many ways within the spiritual struggles intensified and became more difficult.

The bloodhounds begin the bay and we fear that we would no longer be free. Revelation 12 through 14. The great Dragon pursues God's saints tries to destroy their souls. When you since the talons of the Dragon nipping at your heels. Are you tempted to give up use. I am afraid that I'm I'm on the failing end. I know that if I'm to join the saints in heaven. I must have no line my mouth.

I must not be defiled. I must have a life of obedience to God.

I become very concerned when I think of that and I confess I am prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. I am prone to leave the God I love how often I fall short of God's commands. Spurgeon writes for a short such a time.

Surely you say I cannot hold on my way with such a hose seeking to drive me back.

I must again become the slave of my iniquities, and thus dreading apostasy and feeling that you'd rather die than become what you were you this morning or feel trepidation and fear. You have tasted for a moment the joys of holiness in the suites of liberty and now again to go back to endure the bondage of the spiritual Egypt would be worse than before. But God did not abandon his children who put the blood on the on the doorpost, and God did not abandon the children of Israel when they came to the boundary of the Red Sea. What did he do, he opened the Red Sea and the children of Israel went through on dry land. Then he lifted up the, the pillar of fire and in the Egyptian army came flying in into that same place going in that same direction that that the children of Israel are gone. God let loose his power. The water came crashing down, destroying completely destroying the entire Egyptian army, so they sign the song of Exodus.

They sang the song of Moses versus 334 great and amazing are your deeds of Lord God the Almighty just and true are your ways are King of the nations who will not fear a Lord, and glorify your name for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been revealed verse 33 connects the song of Moses with the song of the Lamb.

What is it do that what those Israelites experience thousands of years ago is exactly what we are going to experience when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back and yet it's going to be a million times better. The song of Moses said God God us through the song of the Lamb says God is going to get you through was pastoring my first church in Creekmore's 28 years old.

There was a lady in our church a very godly lady good mom.

Good good wife, faithful church member.

She came to me and she was really upset because she just did not have assurance of our salvation. She told me about her life and and and she said she came to be a Christian when she was a teenager, but she said I'm guilty of this in and that's the end of this the end that since she's at my standard so horrible I just can't believe that the Lord could really could really forgive me and I sent her Joyce. That's why we call it amazing Grace is a we call it amazing Grace because the blood of Jesus Christ kick and wash away all of our sins, and I took her to first John chapter 1 verse seven that that says this, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin that I sent her Joyce. I said you think your sins were worse than the thief on the cross. I said he was a robber. He went into people's houses and stole her valuables. He stopped people on the road and threatened their lives, maybe even kill people to get their money. And yet he humbled himself before Christ. He reached out in faith and repentance and trust in what he Jesus I towing Jesus said to him today. I will be with you in paradise. She went for months just grieving and worrying about her salvation had an absolutely no assurance at all until finally one day we will have a counseling session and I just had it with her and I finally I just interested listen to me. I said, you are never going to be good enough to satisfy a holy God and us in your right you're a horrible center. You're a terrible center and you don't deserve to be saved. She looked at me.

Your eyes got as big as saucers and and I let it sink in for just a minute and then I said with the blood of Jesus Christ is more powerful and can cleanse away every sin that you've ever committed and every sin that you will ever commit.

I said not quit calling Jesus a liar and and quit believing the lies of Satan and just revel in the forgiveness of Christ. She burst into tears and then she began to pray on their forget her praying she said, Lord, forgive me for not trusting you. Forgive me for not understanding how great and how merciful you are.

Forgive me. I want to understand your mercy in a way that I've never understood it before 25 years later I went back to Oliveira church and preach the homecoming service. She was in the choir after service was over she came down to me and hugged my neck she said Doug I'm saved and she said I have not had a doubt about my salvation.

Since that day. 25 years ago.

She says I know the mercy of God is real. AW toes are said the mercy of God is a moral and theological doctrine to me. The mercy of God is my life and my breath all the mercy of God that God is compassionate that he stoops to have pity on his people. Last Sunday night we went to the Geddes concert over Calvary church and I learned an interesting thing I learned that John Calvin John Newton and John Wesley all had the same favorite song. I thought that was interesting.

What song was it. It was some 130.

I've read Psalm 130 countless times before, but after realizing that those spiritual giants exalted the Psalm that much. I thought well maybe I need to meditate on the Psalm and so I did. Would to God that I had understood the depths of that Psalm when I was a 28-year-old pastor trying to minister to a lady in my church who was struggling with assurance of her salvation. Read you that Psalm don't you just to let it sink in. After I read the Psalm.

I want to share with you the lyrics of a song that Matt Popper wrote with Psalm 130 is a source. The song is called. His mercy is more I hear Psalm 130 out of the depths I cry to you oh Lord, oh Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my please for mercy. If you oh Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand, but with you there is forgiveness that you may be figured out. Wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word.

I hope my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning more than watchmen for the morning, O Israel, hope in the Lord for the Lord.

There is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption and he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Why was this the favorite Psalm of John Newton and and John Calvin and John Wesley because first of all, they understood the holiness of God.

Secondly, they understood the depth and the depravity of their own sin. And thirdly, they saw the truth of what Psalm 130 that he is grace was greater than our sin met Papa song mercy is more listen carefully. The song sheds light on Psalm 130 what love could remember no wrongs we have done omniscient, all-knowing, he counts, not there some thrown into a C without bottom are sure our sins, they are many. His mercy is more what patients would wait as we constantly run what fathers are tender is calling us home. He welcomes the weakest of violence.

The poor are sins they are many. His mercy is more what riches of kindness he lavished on us, his blood was the payment. His life was the cost.

We stood.

Lisa debt we could never afford our sins, they are many. His mercy is more praise the Lord. His mercy is more stronger than darkness new every morn.

Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more he will hold us fast.

He will hold us fast. The scene in heaven involves you, and many brothers and sisters, we will be standing before this sea of glass. The emphasis here is on the transparency. We will have full understanding of what all went on here on this earth.

The injustices will be righted. The questions that we have will be answered, who are willing where the hundred and 44,000. We are all the believers from Adam to that last person who comes to Christ for the second coming and we will be standing there and this we will understand that our persecution in our trawl and are suffering in our pain. Even our martyrdom had meaning had meaning and all of it brought glory to the Lord, who gave his life for us and saved us for all of eternity brothers and sisters. This is not a fairytale. The day will come when we will see how the providence of God was with us day after day after day and you and I will know and I mean we will really know what Romans 828 means. Now God that we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. You believe that man is pray.

Heavenly father, we thank you and praise you for this precious passage of Scripture, we thank you Lord for the blood of Jesus that washed away our sins, we thank you Lord for the mercy of God that is greater than our sin.

Father, may we never forget it. May we never neglected, may we never take advantage of it. But may we revel in it day after day that your mercy is more we love you.

Thank you and praise you for loving us have passed you now as we get ready and prepared to two.

Enjoy and celebrate the Lord's supper that you be with us in great power that we experience your presence that we celebrate what you have done for us on the cross of Calvary and it's in Jesus holy and precious name that we pray. Amen