Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title: “What will you do between now and judgment day?”

Scripture: Revelation 14:1-13

(Main commentary helps listed at the end)

Last week: “Why You Need to Know the Gospel”

This week: “What will you do between now and judgment day?”

Bottom line:

God will keep his word to the righteous and to the wicked.

God enables endurance to the end by

1) showing salvation to the redeemed and

2) judgment to the wicked.” -Hamilton

What will you do between now and judgment day? #BetterQuestions

Opening story:

Antonio James story

“When Antonio James was a teenager, he got mixed up with a gang in New Orleans. They would rob tourists in the French Quarter at gunpoint. ‘Most of the time, the victims did not resist. Except one. Antonio shot him, and he died.’ His gang members ran, then testified against them to save themselves. Antonio James was sentenced to death. He was on death row for fourteen years.

“Before he died, he became a Christian. He used his time on death row to teach others how to read so that they too could read the Bible. He taught Bible studies and cared about other men facing death.

“In the death chamber he asked forgiveness from the victim’s family and told them he was sorry for what he had done. The warden of Angola prison, Burl Cain, also a believer in Jesus, took the hand of Antonio James and said, ‘Antonio, the chariot is here; get ready for the ride. Here we go; you are about to see Jesus.

“When Burl Cain announced that the execution had taken place, he said, ‘we have sent Antonio James to his final judgment.’” -Hamilton

What will you do between now and judgment day? #BetterQuestions

Outline:

Bottom line:

God will keep his word to the righteous and to the wicked.

God enables endurance to the end by

1) showing salvation to the redeemed and

2) judgment to the wicked.” -Hamilton

What will you do between now and judgment day? #BetterQuestions

I. Faithful Followers of Jesus have a Glorious Future (e.g. The Best is Yet to Come) 14:1-5

A. The redeemed will stand securely with Christ. (1)

B. The redeemed will sing loudly to Christ. (2-3)

C. The redeemed will be sanctified thoroughly through Christ. (4-5)

D. Redeemed = Ransomed = Purchased to set free

II. God will be just in his treatment of all people. 14:6-13

A. All peoples are called to (#assurance)

1. Fear Creator God,

2. Glorify Creator God, and

3. Worship Creator God.

B. Unbelievers can anticipate (#judgment)

1. Defeat

2. Wrath, and

3. Eternal torment.

C. Believers will

1. endure,

2. obey,

3. find rest, and

4. be rewarded. (#encouragement)

III. Jesus will pour out his wrath on the earth in righteous judgment. 14:14-20 (next week)

A. The judgment will be: (14-16) #GrainHarvest

1. In glory and

2. On time.

B. The judgment will be universal and horrific. (17-20) #GrapeHarvest

C. Luke 22:42 brings this full circle

Bottom line:

God will keep his word to the righteous and to the wicked.

God enables endurance to the end by

1) showing salvation to the redeemed and

2) judgment to the wicked.” -Hamilton

What will you do between now and judgment day? #BetterQuestions

Conclusion:

“When Eugene Tanniehill was about twenty years old, in the early 1960’s, he and his young wife were out drinking at a local tavern. Something was said, or thought to have been said, that irritated the wife, whom Tanniehill quickly took outside. Then he killed a man. The man was a Pentecostal preacher. Serving a life sentence in Angola, Tanniehill was enslaved to the moonshine alcohol made by the prisoners, when one night he cried to God for redemption. That was 1963, and over the years he has come to be known as there Bishop of Angola. Faithfully trusting Christ through persecution from other prisoners, blessing those who persecute him, he now counsels other prisoners and preaches on Sundays and throughout the week. The consequences of this man’s actions cost him freedom, cost him his marriage, and cost him his relationship with his child. But in person he has proclaimed the gospel and has pointed countless men to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.” -J. Hamilton

Other Illustrations:

The Framed Picture of Revelation 11-16

144,000 sealed—6 trumpet plagues (7-9)

True Prophet John (10:1-11)

Persecuted Church (11:1-14)

Christ is King (11:15-19)

Persecuted Church (12:1-13:10)

Satan’s False Prophet (13:11-18)

144,000 sealed—7 bowls of wrath (14-16)

Notice the symmetry and how it purposefully points to the most important truth in the book of Revelation. Just another way God reinforces the idea that he’s purposefully revealing himself to us for our good and his glory.

Other notes:

Main commentary help:

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin

• Revelation by Jim Hamilton

• Revelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary series

• Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger

• 2020 Sermons by Matt Chandler

• ESV Global Study Bible

• Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel

• Bible Knowledge Commentary

• The Book of Revelation, NICNT, Robert Mounce

• The Outline Bible, Wilmington

• Bible in One Year reading plan, Nicky Gumbel

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