Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapter 15 as we look at this song of praise the tribulation saints will be singing before the Lord. Now, before we get to our text this morning, I want you to listen to what Paul told Timothy about a period of time we are living in today. In II Timothy 3:1-5 Paul warned, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
The word “perilous” comes from the Greek word CHALEPOS, (khal-ep-os’) and it speaks of times of stress, dangerous times, difficult times, fierce times, violent times that will come in the last days! Now, the big question is, when did these last days begin or have they even started yet?
We don’t have to guess because the Scriptures tell us. Paul said in Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” In other words, the last days began with God becoming flesh and dwelling among us and as you look at the signs of the times, I believe we are living at the end of this period of time known as the last days, prior to the Lord coming back!
Now, if you look at this list understand that Paul is not speaking of the unsaved but the apostate Christians whose characteristics mimic that of the world. Yes they are not saved but they think they are. They are religious but their character is not of God. They have a form of godliness but deny its power! They are self-seeking, self-motivated, self – self - self!
How did this happen? They have moved away from God’s Word and are clinging to the philosophies of this world. And, it is the apostate church along with outright unbelievers that will come against the church of God to try to extinguish their light. Of the Tribulation Period, Jesus warned, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:9-12.
Folks, even today we are seeing a rise in anti-Christian behavior. We see people coming against what we believe. We see people calling evil good and good evil! And, I am sorry to say that this will only grow worse as we move closer to the start of the 7 year Tribulation Period. I will give you one example to show you how far they have come in looking at Christianity as a radical fundamentalist group that are no different than Islamic terrorist, suicide bombers! I know, it is hard to believe, but it is true. It is an outrageous claim, but the evidence speaks for itself. Listen carefully to this story and you will see what I mean and keep in mind this is only one example. We are told:
In late March, the School District of Burlington Township High School in New Jersey conducted a mock hostage taking. Taking precautions over school violence is certainly important; however, this particular school district decided that in their mock hostage taking, the group that engaged in the terrorist activity was right-wing religious fundamentalists.
The mock attack was carried out by police detectives portraying two angry Christian men, armed with handguns, who entered the school’s front door with force, pretended to gun down students in the hallways, and then took ten students hostage while barricading themselves in the school’s media center.
The mock gunmen were described as “members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the ‘New Crusaders’ who don’t believe in separation of church and state.” The mock-Christian terrorists “went to school seeking justice because the daughter of one had been expelled for praying before class.”
Before the exercise, Superintendent Chris Manno said that they needed “to practice under conditions as real as possible . . . in order to evaluate our procedures and plans so that they’re as effective as possible.” But Bob Pawson, a Trenton public school teacher, asked, “So what allegedly real condition was imagineered? . . . a grotesque scenario saturated with Christian-bashing prejudice and bigotry; a scenario which could never possibly occur.”
The Burlington County Times reported, “The purpose of the drill was to test the reactions of police, faculty and administration.” But Pawson responds, “This denigrating drill is also a test of the reactions and responses of New Jersey’s Christians, along with all other fair-minded citizens of any faith, to such a blatant example of anti-Christian animosity . . . A public apology is in order. The citizens of Burlington County could rightly demand the resignation or termination of school officials who dreamed up and approved this reprehensible scenario.”
No other group in America would tolerate this kind of hostility. The School District’s mock hostage taking program targeting Christians as the perpetrators is outrageous . . .
- ACLJ/American Center For Law & Justice, 04/05/07
Now, before you start making protest signs. Before you start writing your congressmen. Let’s look at another group of saints and what they did, how they responded to the persecution they faced. With that said, let’s begin reading in Revelation chapter 15, starting in verse 2 and see what the Lord has for us this morning so we can leave here with a song of praise unto our God!
Revelation chapter 15 is a prelude to God’s final judgment upon a Christ rejecting world. The seven bowl judgments are about to be poured out and when they are done, the wrath of God will be complete! Also, John speaks of these tribulation saints who are standing before the Lord, martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ!
The reason they were able to endure till the end is because of the perspective they had of what was going on around them. Thus, we will look at this morning what they stood upon as these storms of life you might say came crashing down upon them and then what flowed from their lives because of the correct perspective they had!
1. STANDING
ON THE SEA OF GLASS – THE WORD OF GOD –
REVELATION 15:2
As I said on Thursday, the sea of glass may represent the laver where the priests would wash to cleanse themselves before they served the Lord. And in Ephesians 5:26 Paul tells us, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” In other words, washing with the Word of God. David said in Psalm 119:9-11, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”
I truly believe the reason they will be able to endure these storms of life is because they were not only saved, but they were standing upon the Word of God. What do I mean by that? Simply, they were standing on the promises of God found in the Word of God, which gave them a Biblical perspective of what as going on!
Today, in many churches across America we are seeing the doctrine of the sufficiency of the Scriptures being attacked. Many feel God’s Word is not enough for us today as we live in this complex, difficult period of time. We need more than just the Bible, I mean, how simplistic is that! The Bible was written for simple people living in much easier times! Are you kidding me? Are you trying to tell me that we have to add the philosophies of this world to the Word of God? That is what some are saying and doing and no wonder they are drowning in the storms of life they are facing! No wonder they have a “self” focus! No wonder they have lost a Biblical worldview!
Folks, I am here to tell you, unashamedly, that God’s Word is completely sufficient for all we have gone through, are going through and will go through in our lives. And please understand that it is not because I said so, but because God’s Word is very clear on this, it says that it is sufficient and I think He should know, He wrote it!
Listen to what Peter tells us of God’s Word in II Peter 1:3-4 in regards to its sufficiency. We are told, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
How many things has God given to us in His Word to help us live and to become more like Him? He tells us “all things” not some or most! That is so important for us to understand. He has not only given us “precious promises” but Peter says that they are “exceedingly great and precious promises.” Yes, I think I can safely say God’s Word is sufficient and man’s philosophies are not and they are in a constant state of flux!
In II Corinthians 9:8 Paul tells us, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” God is able to supply all our needs in all we do for Him! And the sufficiency of the Scriptures is there to help us grow in the Lord and to stand strong as the storms of life come crashing down upon us! You see, when we speak of the sufficiency of the Scriptures we are talking about the Bible being an adequate guide for all maters of faith and conduct! The Word of God gives to us every truth we need for life and godliness.
Listen to what the Westminster Confession of Faith said back in 1647, “The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.”
- Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647
If more would truly believe that and apply that to their lives! Go into any Christian bookstore today and see how Biblical doctrine has been mingled with man’s philosophies to help us to live better lives. These stores are filled with books like this and do you know what, they don’t help! You see, you can’t add to that which is perfect and make it better, you only cheapen it and pollute it! Jesus said in Mark 12:24, “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?’” I think that applies today – people don’t want just the Word of God, they need some updated ideas to fit into their lifestyle! That is dangerous! Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
I truly believe these tribulation saints were able to stand strong in the storms of life that came crashing down upon them, that took their life, because they stood upon the Word of God. Folks, I don’t know what you are going through this morning, the storms you are facing, the baggage you dragged in here this morning, but I can tell you this. God’s Word is sufficient for all you are going through if you would only believe it and apply it to your life! That is where faith comes in. You may not understand it, but you know God and what His Word has said and you walk by faith. Paul, in Romans 8:28 said these familiar words that I am sure we have quoted to others in time of need to help them. Paul said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Guess what? Those words are not only for others, they are for you and me to not only read and believe but apply to our lives – to walk by faith as we stand upon the promises God has given to us in His Word!
Let me share with you these words because they will lead us into our next section, they will tie into it. These are words that were found in Billy Sunday’s Bible:
Twenty-nine years ago, with the Holy Spirit as my Guide, I entered at the portico of Genesis, walked down the corridor of the Old Testament art galleries, where pictures of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob, and Daniel hung on the wall. I passed into the music room of the Psalms where the Spirit sweeps the keyboard of nature until it seems that every reed and pipe in God’s great organ responds to the harp of David, the sweet singer of Israel.
I entered the chamber of Ecclesiastes, where the voice of the preacher is heard, and into the conservatory of Sharon and the lily of the valley where sweet spices filled and perfumed my life.
I entered the business office of Proverbs and on into the observatory of the prophets where I saw telescopes of various sizes pointing to far off events, concentrating on the bright and morning Star which was to rise above the moon-lit hills of Judea for our salvation and redemption.
I entered the audience room of the King of Kings, catching a vision written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Thence into the correspondence room with Paul, Peter, James, and John writing their Epistles.
I stepped into the throne room of Revelation where tower the glittering peaks, where sits the king of Kings upon His throne of glory with the healing of nations in His hand, and I cried out:
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angles prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
- W. A. Criswell, Why I Preach That The Bible Is Literally True
Did you see that? As Billy Sunday went through God’s Word, as he stood upon the Word of God, what was manifested in his life? Songs of praise unto the Lord and folks, as these tribulation saints stood upon the Word of God, what will they manifest in their lives? Songs of praise unto God!
2. THE SONG OF MOSES/THE SONG OF THE LAMB –
REVELATION 15:3-4
The song of Moses, one of them is found in Exodus chapter 15 and the other in Deuteronomy chapter 32 and they deal with God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, God preserving them from the enemy and God avenging the blood of His servants.
Now John also speaks of the song of the Lamb. As you can see, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb both express the themes of God’s faithfulness, His deliverance of His people and the judgment of His enemies. Commentator John Phillips compares and contrasts these two songs. Listen to what he had to say:
The song of Moses was sung at the Red Sea, the song of the Lamb is sung at the crystal sea; the song of Moses was a song of triumph over Egypt, the song of the Lamb is a song of triumph over Babylon; the song of Moses told how God brought His people out, the song of the Lamb tells how God brings His people in; the song of Moses was the first song in Scripture, the song of the Lamb is the last. The song of Moses commemorated the execution of the foe, the expectation of the saints, and the exaltation of the Lord; the song of the Lamb deals with the same three themes.
- John Phillips, Exploring Revelation, p. 187
Also, as I stated earlier this morning, this generation is very “self” focused and yet, when you read through this song of praise unto God you will not find any personal pronouns like “I” or “me” listed, not one! What you do find in Revelation 15:3-4 is the word “Your” or “You” some seven times! In other words, the focus is upon God and not self. Why is that important? Because having the correct perspective of things will help you to live out your faith with joy in your heart and it will put a song of praise on your lips! That means, in the midst of the storms of life you can praise the Lord! Notice I didn’t say you will understand the hows and whys of God but you “can” praise Him! Notice I didn’t say, “you will praise Him.” You see, it truly is up to you, you have the opportunity, but it doesn’t always play out that way because we can lose the perspective of things by getting so focused on self. Focus on Him and trust in Him and then walk by faith with joy in your heart knowing that He is in control and whatever He is doing somehow and someway will work out for good because we love Him!
Let me give you an example of what can flow from our lives. In Acts chapter 16 Paul and Silas are sharing the Gospel with the people in Philippi. In Philippi there was this slave girl who was demon possessed and a fortuneteller that made a lot of money for her masters. And she saw these men come into town and began to follow them and we are told in Acts 16:17-18, “This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days.” Paul did let this go on for a time but he could not let a messenger of Satan proclaim even the truths of God so he cast this demon out of this woman!
Now you would think the city would have jumped for joy, but they didn’t. You see, as I have said, this slave girl made money for her masters by fortune telling and now she couldn’t do that any more! They lost their income and they were mad and so they had Paul and Silas arrested. Not only were they arrested, but they were beaten with rods, thrown in prison and their feet placed in stocks!
How would you respond if that happened to you today? It was totally unfair, they did nothing wrong. I am sorry to say, in my flesh, well, let me just say it would not be pretty, the flesh never is! Yes, Paul and Silas had every right to complain, to pout, to be angry, to protest their unfair treatment, but that is not what they did. You see, they could praise the Lord in the midst of the storm that had come upon them!
Listen to not only what they did, but then what fruit was born from their actions. In Acts 16:25-34 we are told, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
Yes, it is not always easy, but when you have a correct perspective, then you will be able to trust God and walk by faith. Paul and Silas, by their actions, not only was the guard and his family saved, but I believe the prisoners were also. Why do I say that? Because no one left the prison when the doors were opened! They heard the praise of God from these beaten and chained men and it drew them to the God they served! And folks, storms will come, how you respond is really the issue. Let me illustrate it like this:
In the frigid waters around Greenland are countless icebergs, some little and some gigantic. If you’d observe them carefully, you’d notice that sometimes the small ice floes move in one direction while their massive counterparts flow in another. The explanation is simple. Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the huge masses of ice are carried along by deep ocean currents. When we face trials and tragedies, it’s helpful to see our lives as being subject to two forces – surface winds and ocean currents. The winds represent everything changeable, unpredictable, and distressing. But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force that’s even more powerful. It is the sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purposes, the deep flow of His unchanging love.
- Source Unknown
You see, what is driving your life – the surface winds or the currents of God? If it is the surface winds, if you are letting life’s circumstances drive you, you will manifest frustration, anger, depression and-so-on. But, if it is the currents of God you will have a song in your heart that will overflow into your life and manifest itself accordingly. Let’s look at the 4 points we see in this song regarding the praise that is given to God from a heart that is focused upon Him. And we covered these on Thursday but I believe this is important for us to look at this morning once again.
A. PRAISE THE WORKS OF GOD (Great and marvelous
are Your works)
The song opens up with praise for the works that God has done. In other words, God is omnipotent or He is all-powerful. May we not forget that. It is as the Psalmist said, “All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:10-13.
B. PRAISE THE WAYS OR
PLAN OF GOD (Just and true are Your ways)
Next we see praise for the ways or the plan of God. Yes, even in His judgments He is righteous. His plans, His ways are perfect even though we may not always understand them. In Psalm 145:17 we are told, “The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.”
C. PRAISE THE PERFECTION OF GOD (Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy)
Then we see the worship or praise for the perfection of God, that He is holy. You
see, because He is holy He alone is worthy of our praise! In Psalm 96:8-9 we are told, “Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.”
D. PRAISE THE PURPOSE OF GOD (For all nations shall come and worship before You)
Finally, the song closes with praise for the purpose of God. You see, we were created to praise God and in Revelation 4:10-11 we see that played out. This is from the KJV of the Bible and we are told, “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Also, in Psalm 66:4-5 we are told, “All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name. Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.” One day this will happen as the nations of the world, during the kingdom age, will bow before the Lord and worship Him, the very thing in which we were created for!
It is as Paul said in Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You see, Jesus humbled Himself before the Father and God exalted Him and one day every knee will bow before Him.
Folks, the reason they could live out their faith, the reason they could continue on during the storms of life, is that they stood upon the Word of God, which is sufficient for all they were going through! The reason we can stand during the storms we face, the tough times we go through is because we too are standing upon God’s Word, His promises to us, for they are sufficient for us to live and grow by!
It does not matter what the enemy throws at us, we are going to bring glory to God in the way we respond. Remember Stephen as he appeared before the Council, the Sanhedrin for his faith in Christ in Acts chapters 6 and 7. In Acts 6:15 this is what these hard hearted men saw as they looked at Stephen, “And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”
Then, as he shared Christ with them, they became outraged and in Acts 7:57-60 we are told, “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Now as you read that you may think, “What a waste of a life!” Not so! You see, his love for God, his love for people, especially those who were putting him to death, his ability to forgive did not go unnoticed! There was a young man named Saul who consented to Stephen’s death and he took this all in and it ate at him. You see, he wanted that kind of relationship with God, the one that Stephen had but he could never attain it through the Law, his sin kept him from God and he knew it! And I believe God used the example of Stephen to work on Saul’s heart because in Acts chapter 8 wee see this young man get saved! We know him as Paul the apostle who wrote 14 of the 27 New Testament books!
John Hess-Yoder tells us:
While serving as a missionary in Laos, I discovered an illustration of the kingdom of God. Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings of Laos and Vietnam reached an agreement on taxation in the border areas. Those who ate short-grain rice, built their houses on stilts, and decorated them with Indian-style serpents were considered Laotians. On the other hand, those who ate long-grain rice, built their houses on the ground, and decorated them with Chinese-style dragons were considered Vietnamese. The exact location of a person’s home was not what determined his or her nationality. Instead, each person belonged to the kingdom whose cultural values he or she exhibited.
So it is with us, we live in the world, but as part of God’s kingdom, we are to live according to his kingdom’s standards and values.
- John Hess-Yoder
Thus, as we live out our faith in this world, may we do so with praise unto God for His works, His plan, His perfection, and His purpose; for He alone deserves our worship. And folks, people are watching how we live out our faith, may they see Jesus in us!
As I close this morning, let me leave you with this to think about. We are told:
As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: “It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians – and I am one of them.”
- Moody Bible Institute’s, Today In The Word, 1988, p. 18
May we be able to say the same! You see, joy is the flag flown high from the castle of our heart where the King of kings and Lord of lords is in residence there!