Washed in the Blood

Have your Bibles with you choice. If you would to Revelation chapter 7 looking the day versus 9 to 17. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out a loud voice.

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb and all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.

They fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. In one of the elders addressed me, saying, who are these clothed in white robes and from where they come said that he observed you know and he said to me, these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God serve him day and night in his temple. You sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence they shall hunger no more need of thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd. He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Spray heavenly father is Wiest first started studying the great book of Revelation we read where you have promised a blessing to those who read and hear and obey the principles and commands that you have given us in this great book. We pray father today that we might receive that blessing as we endeavor Lord to hear what you have to say to us through this great book today looking at heaven and Lord, what a glorious wonderful picture you given us and and how we should long Lord to to be with you. I pray father that you would help us, that we might be hungry for heaven. Heavenly father, we would ask today that you got and directors to this passage that Christ may be exalted. This congregation might be edified will be very careful to give you praise and honor and glory for all you do for us in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. You may be seated. Two weeks ago, I shared with you that the best way to study of the book of Revelation is with an exegetical tool called progressive parallelism or progressive recapitulation. It is not wise to study the book of Revelation as you are reading.

I a a chronological sequence.

Instead, I believe that is much better to see it is broken down into seven different sections and each one of these different sections of of Scripture are a picture of the entire church age.

From the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ and in each different section using the same picture from a different perspective or a different angle not have put in your bulletin today a list of the breaking down of those chapters. It's in beautiful orange color so you can check that out. It's right there. You don't have to write a but there broken down in the seven different sections. What are the sections of Scripture. How is it broken down chapters 1 through three chapters 4 through seven chapters 8 through 11 chapters 12 through 14 chapter 15 to 16 chapter 17 through 19 in chapter 20 through 22. Somewhere in chapter 7 of section 2 today and what is John showing us he is showing us heaven at this picture Jesus is already returned. He's already aware, we are already in heaven. All of us are with him and all of God's people are worshiping him with all of our heart. Now what is the purpose and the is what is John teaching us what is they want us to see where John wrote these words almost 2000 years ago 50 generations of Christians have come and gone.

They have lived, and they have died. They have experienced persecution. They have experience suffering.

They have experienced personal trial and now John is showing us how it all culminates in. There's a purpose and that because it helps us not just when we get to heaven, but helps us right now what is he telling us he is telling us this, don't be discouraged. Don't give up. Don't think that you're in this by yourself that you're alone because you're not. Instead, realize who you are, realize who you belong to, and realize where you're going.

In other words, he is telling us to understand to understand identity that we belong to Jesus Christ and folks, if we belong to Christ, then we have a calling. If we belong to Christ, we have a Lord if we belong to Jesus Christ. We have a glorious future, the end of chapter 7 is a vision of heaven, and John is using this vision to wake us up now for some people it sometimes talking about folks that I talk about heaven a lot and they'll say you know this person so heavenly minded.

He's no earthly good.

I don't believe that I don't think you can be to heavenly minded. I don't think you can meditate on Scripture too much. In fact, I think when we saturate our minds and our hearts with heaven would have a greater impact on earth.

I remember taking my dad to the barbershop. It's his back about six weeks before he died. Dad had a lung disease and it was very difficult to breathe. He was in pain. His breath was short hard to get long into oxygen into his lungs, and I remember as we ride over there said that I know you going through a tough time said how you feel, what are you thinking, and he said you know you said all this has made me hungry for heaven and he said during this these last months of my life.

He said I have I have thought more about Christ I've meditated more on heaven than I ever have in my life, and he said, meditating on heaven is three and me from this world CS Lewis at it this way. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy the most probable explanation is this, I was made for another world. Sam Grubbs is teaching our children on Wednesday night and a couple Wednesday nights ago he brought in a big dog cage and set it up in the classroom. This is big enough for the kids to get in fact is big enough for Sam to get in and I brought it and set it up in and for the boys are all excited about this.

I want to get in that cage and and so Sam let them get in the cage and and they got in the cage and affirm for a little while. It was kind of fun and a little while. It was kind of thrilling and then all of a sudden as I stayed in there for a while they realized get kinda cramped up in here. I can't really stretch out I can get out of this and all of a sudden they realized that what at one time seem like fun, had become nothing but bondage.

Sam got in the cage himself and got somebody take a picture of the minute and then he began to share with them what the cage meant what it was symbolized. He said this cages is like sin pay said sin gives you a feeling at first like this is going to be a thrill. This can be exciting. This is going to be fine. And before you realize it that that that fund turns into a prison.

Sam said he was going take that picture of himself and that cage and he was going to put it on a prominent spot in his living room wall and says go put a couple of verses of Scripture under that Romans chapter 6 verse 17 and 18 that says but God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin to God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you've obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto you, be and then made free from sin, you become the servants of righteousness. Sam I got two other good ones for you about John chapter 8 verse 32 and 36 Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And if the sun set you free, you shall be free indeed. Sam said when people come into his house.

From now on he hopes they'll ask questions about that picture on his wall. Sam what in the world have a picture of yourself in a dog cage up on your living room wall for an sample of sight of them. It's to remind me that sin brings bondage is to remind me that sin is a liar at sea and is a deceiver that that sin promises us joy and what it gives us is nothing but bondage. I think there's click kids in the class will probably never forget that illustration I don't think I'll ever forget it either.

Pretty good illustration. There and what is it, remind them of every time they think of that they should be reminded to fight the good fight. What John is doing with heaven is what Sam did with that cage.

John is motivating us. He is challenging us. He is telling us to meditate on heaven.

What for, but so we will fight the good fight here on earth, like the three points I want to share with you today. Number one is our destiny's look again at verses nine through 12. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb and all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. When I went to Cape Town South Africa several years ago was ministering with African leadership and Larry warned the president of the organization. The Doug I got a show you Kate point I never heard a Kate point before, but we walked up a mountain and we walked in we walked in we walked finally got to the top of it and then it, leveled off and we walked over to the side and we got there is a guard rail and it goes straight down several hundred feet and when you look down you can see the ocean. Is it splashing up against the against the mountain. I mean, it was absolutely breathtaking. Larry told me that this is where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean come together in this most beautiful crystal blue water I've ever seen, and you could see the whales they were jumping all over the place just frolicking in the ocean. I thought wow what beauty you take that beauty multiplied by about 10 million times and you got a little glimpse of what heaven is going to be like the Scripture tells us here that there's a number of multitude of people so great that the number could not even be counted and that there were people there from every tribe, kindred tongue and nation, and they held in their hands palm branches and they were dressed in white only ask you something, you get discouraged when you see the direction in which our country is going right now. It wasn't long ago just a few weeks ago where the state of Georgia brought in some walls that were gonna limit and restrict abortion and when that happened the Disney film company said will show you if you're gonna limit abortion to bring laws to do that and will show you will take it will quit producing films in Georgia and will hurt you financially if you try to take away abortion. In this particular state. While Disney Disney was all about children.

I thought Disney was short making movies to make kids happy here. Disney is telling us they are pro-abortion that they they they like the idea of killing unborn babies. CNN did the same thing I said where word situated in Atlanta and will move out of the state. Because of this new law that might limit abortion while I think sometimes we just we feel frustrated just absolutely frustrated when we see that that we are not having the impact on us, Christ rejecting society like we feel like we need to have. I think it's a little like Elijah failed a member of the Lodge was crying out to God, he said, Lord. I'm the only one here.

The serving you and yours and I know Elijah, I have 7000 that are here that have not bound their need to bail friends.

We need to remember that were not in it alone were not into the loan.

God has a host of people, God has his people who were going to stand for him and stand for and forever Richard Phillips said this. Not only is the church a vast host but it reflects all the diversity that is seen in the entire earth, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.

The church is never an ingrown ethnic or cultural enclave is an exciting assembly of believers from every group of humanity. We are reminded of God's promise to Abraham at the beginning of the covenant of grace. I will make of you a great nation and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed the multitudes of John's vision are thus the consummate fulfillment of the Abraham.

It promise. Kevin DeYoung writes they're going to be millions of Africans in this great multitude, and plenty of Brazilians and Chinese and Filipinos. Lots of Mexicans and Indians and Arabs in there be some white people to heaven will be diversity without the political correctness and multiculturalism unified in one single purpose. Every heart every head, every voice giving glory to God and the Lamb.

Don't you notice this multitude is clothed in white and they are holding in her hands palm branches at the picture of absolute victory absolute victory back in the ancient world when an army had defeated another Army in the general was bringing back the victorious army to their homeland as they came to the border. The people and their homeland would be gathered together to welcome them home and they would wear white and they would take palm branches and they would throw them out before the horses as they were coming in and they were saying to them, you have won the victory and they were honoring them for the victory. That's exactly what's going on here folks in this picture Jesus has returned.

Jesus has come back to this earth, and every photo every enemy every rebel against God has been silenced and sentenced and separated from God forever in an eternal hail look with their shouting out to just take some time and and look at that look with their shouting salvation belongs to the father and to the Lamb are not praising God at this point in time for the streets of gold, the gates of pearl in the river of life and not praising God for the new glorified bodies that they have of the eradicated sin nature not praising God for the Angels of the mansion that he had made for them in glory where they praising God for their praising God for his sovereignty over their salvation. That's with their praising God for and why would it hit them like that. We need to remember what they just seen they had just seen the judgment of God on the lost in Matthew chapter 25 or 31 through 33 Jesus gave us that picture. He said when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, they will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will place the sheep on the right hand with the goats on the left. The day will come when we will witness the lost world being ushered into eternal torment with no hope of escape, with no hope of the conscious presence of God ever again with no hope of any sense of release or relief forever and one of the sheep on the right hand do. What are they doing today poke at their chest and pride. Absolutely not delay start talking about what they had done to accomplish their salvation. Bragging about their spirituality or their wisdom or their good works absolutely not. They fall down before the throne. They fall down before God Almighty and they thanked him and they say Lord if it were not for your sovereign grace we would be on your left-hand instead of your right hand and we would be headed to an eternity without God, inhale, they would say we deserve hail we sinned against you. We rejected your truth and yet when we were dead in trespasses and sins, you get a miracle in our life. You gave us life you took out of us a heart of stone and you replaced it with a heart of flesh you made out of us a new creation were all things are passed away and behold all things are become new long mind prison spirit lay fast by owning sin and nature's night that I defused a quickening Ray. I woke the dungeon flame with light my chains fell off. My heart was three. I rose went forth and followed the no condemnation.

Now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine alive and here my living head and clothed in righteousness, divine bold. I approached the eternal throne and claim the crown to Christ my own amazing love how can it be that thou my God has died for me for these Christians in heaven excited man, you better believe they are the Scripture says that they are crying out with a loud voice they are praising Jesus from the depths of their heart of an excited over these last two weeks as we looked at how I have this group of Christians this that this great multitude have such great theology they are praising God for his sovereignty he has brought them into this through his grace, and they are in heaven and they will be with him forever and they are experiencing just joy and satisfaction like they have never experienced before. And all they can do is just praise him. Verse 11 tells us that all angels were there also and they are around the throne and what are they doing their praising into over in first Peter chapter 1 verse 12 Scripture speaks of the gospel and then it tells Peter says he is. He said the angels desire to look into this, but they don't get it. I don't understand it and I understand that these are angels that had been with with God. Since their creation when they saw what happened to Jesus on the cross. They saw God the father sending his son to go to through the hell of the cross that he did.

They just couldn't get it.

It didn't register with them but now there in heaven. And all of a sudden they get it they see all of us. All of the believers that are they are and now they are. They are new glorified bodies have eradicated sin nature's and what are they doing. They are praising the triune God. With every fiber in their billion and God Almighty is getting the honor and the glory that he so greatly deserves. And so what are the Angels do they break out in praise verse 12.

The Angels cried out.

Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen Texas to point to our deliverance.

Look at verse 13 to 14 then one of the elders address me, saying, who are these clothed in white robes and where they come S&M sir.

You know, and he said to me, these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They wash their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb seek out, picture this in your mind. John is the one who is and is writing the book of Revelation.

He is under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives him a vision and it is vision he sees this elder coming toward him and Elder ask him a question. What is he asking Jesus. Who are these clothed in white robes and from where they come and John says Sir you know another word you tell me and the elder says these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb that the dispensation is will tell you that this great tribulation is a future time of seven year period of tribulation seven year period of time starts at the rapture of the church. When the Christians are taken off to meet the Lord and in the clouds and then will be seven years of tribulation here on earth and then the Lord will come back and the ones that he's referring to here in verse 12 are the ones who have come to Christ during this seven year period of tribulation, and they have, but they been martyred for their faith.

That's that's what the that's what the dispensation was would believe it is true that in the end of history right before Jesus returns there will be an intensification of persecution and tribulation.

Jesus spoke of that Matthew 24 verse 21 through 22. He said for then there will be great tribulation, such as not been from the beginning of the world until now know and never will be.

And in those day if those days had not been cut short. No human billion would be saved but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Second Thessalonians 2 to 3 Paul said this, let no one deceive you in any way for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, but is this the time that the elder is referring to here when he speaks of the great tribulation.

In this passage and the answer to that is I think no. I think the great tribulation. He's referring to is the entire church age and who were they are. Who was he talking about here.

He said those that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. I don't think he's talking about just the martyrs and the martyrs were washed in the blood of the Lamb, but so were you. If you're a believer today. You have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. The tribulation is being referred to here is the general display of hatred that is expressed against God and his people from the time Jesus came the first time until the time that Jesus comes the second time and Jesus said this in John 15 verse 19 because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Richard Phillips in this way, the book of Revelation urges the church's and John's time in the late first century to brace for tribulation. John wrote to them as your brother and partner in the tribulation also history believers in Christ have suffered the grossest afflictions for the gospel. Yet it prevailed because God sealed them for salvation and empowered them by the spirit to hold fast in faith, faithful servants of Christ were thrown to the lines in John's day. They were burned at the stake in English Reformation. They were hunted through the countryside during the persecutions of Scotland were sent to forced labor camps in communist China and more recently have been bombed during their worship services in the Sudan in Nigeria.

Steve will Hirsch rights, it would be difficult to tell a Christian in China, a rack or North Korea today at the tribulation is not yet started.

Jesus told all his disciples in this world you will have tribulation, but take heart I have overcome the world. Those who wish to bear the name of Jesus in this world must reckon on tribulation of the worst kind. They can also note as this vision shows us that through Christ.

They will emerge out of the tribulation into the glorious assembly of heaven in the presence of God's throne.

What kind of deliverance did these Christians experience they were washed in the blood of the Lamb that folks. It's sad for me to say this but it's true there are way too many pastors in America today that are neglecting the preaching of the cross.

There are way too many pastors today that will absolutely deny the necessity of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for our deliverance or for our salvation we share with you for four quick things about why the the blood of Jesus needed to be shed for us. What did it do for us. Number one, it was a substitution when Jesus died on the cross he died for us. He died on our behalf. He died as our substitute. He took RCN he gave us his righteousness. He took our hail and he gave us his heaven second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says this and it's it says for God made him to be CN for us, who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So first it was a substitution. Second, it was a reconciliation eating a sinful man is separated from a holy God and what separates us is our sin. The only way that we can come together is for that sin to be removed and the only way for that sin to be removed is to be removed through the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The shedding of Jesus blood took the anger out of God's heart toward us and took the anger out of our heart toward God. Romans 510 says while we were enemies while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. The third word on what you see in this in this atonement is. This is the word propitiation word propitiation means of appeasing the wrath of God in first John chapter 2 verse two. The Scripture says that Jesus was our propitiation word propitiation and the English comes from the Greek word Helio's carry-on. That means the mercy seat was the mercy seat, the mercy seat was the lid on the ark of the covenant were the blood was sprinkled on that on that lid and for what purpose for the forgiveness of sins, and then forcefully as 1/4 word and that word is redemption, but we needed to be redeemed from the slave market sin that means to be bought back, it was Peter. He said in first Peter chapter 1 verse 18 for we redeemed not with perishable corruptible things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus. Folks don't ever ever ever think that the shedding of Jesus blood is secondary. It is absolutely primary without it we would have no substitution we would have no reconciliation. We would have no propitiation, and we would have no redemption praising God that Jesus died for us. Here's a question, have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power.

Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb .3 is our destination. Look at verse 15 through 17 therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.

And he sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat for the Lamb is the midst of the throne will be their shepherd.

He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, folks.

Our destination is heaven, what can we expect there would total three things here that I will share with you. Number one, we can expect God's protection.

He will shelter us with his presence, and in fact in heaven will be nothing to fear, destruction and death, disease, demons, disaster with that there won't be any of that and we will have to fear, fear either. But why not because fear will RCN nature will be gone and we will have to deal with sin any longer.

We will have to fear is fear sin, neither will we have to fear godless people they they will be in judgment at that point in time they will be gone separated from us forever and ever and ever in an eternal hail and they'll be no persecution. There will be no intimidation and there will be no torture number two we will enjoy his refreshing no hunger, no thirst, no heat. This will be absolutely glorious, he will guide us to springs of living water. I'll know if you have a run in the long rice before, maybe a marathon within a marathon race, you will you you'll run and you get to about the 20th mile and you feel yourself just totally dehydrated and they got water stations on the on the marathon path and other people are handing you cups of water and you run by you. Grapplers cups of water in you and your mouth still feels like Hotmail before that and you just dump it down your throat and as to such a great feeling. I mean all the sudden the cottonmouth Gagne got new energy you're just refreshed friends in heaven were to be satisfied, never to be frustrated ever again, and then number three is comfort God will wipe away every tear from her eyes.

No more sorrow no more emotional hurt no more separation from our Christian friends in our Christian family ever again, brothers, sisters, if that didn't affect then ring your bell your clappers broken in heaven were going to experience God's protection.

We can experience his refreshing or satisfaction in working experience his comfort. Hallelujah Jesus Christ is Lord, let's pray heavenly father. What a glorious, glorious passage we had before us today. I pray Lord that in some way we might just understand a little better about heaven. Heavenly father that we might be motivated and challenged Byetta fight the good fight, realizing, Lord, what a glorious future. We have before us, Lord, may that be our motivator. May we be like my dad. May we hunger for heaven.

Jesus, we thank you for loving us.

Thank you for dying force. Thank you for your shed blood that brought about our a substitution for us a a reconciliation. The propitiation and beautiful redemption.

May we be so gloriously joyful over what you've done.

We thank you Lord for loving us. Thank you Jesus for dying for us.

We thank you for your your precious blood that caused us to be washed in the blood of the Lamb and is in Jesus name we pray. Amen