The Seventh Trumpet -- The Triumph of Christ's Kingdom

Sunday Night, June 29, 2008 First Baptist Church, Lovejoy, GA - Pastor Mike Hardin Revelation 11:15-19 ¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. ¹⁸ The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." ¹⁹ Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Outline of passage

• The 7th angel sounds the 7th trumpet (15a)
• Voices announce God's Sovereignty Over His Kingdom (15b)
• Twenty-four elders Worship (16-18)
• They fell on their faces.
• They express gratitude.
• They acknowledge God's reign.
• They rejoice in God's judgments.
• The temple in heaven is opened (19)
• The ark is revealed
• Flashes of lightning
• Rumbling, peals of thunder
• Earthquake
• Great Hailstorm

The last three of the 7 trumpets were so horrific they were referred to as the "three woes" (Revelation 8:13). The seventh trumpet is the third woe, and the 7 bowls of wrath that are to come are all part of this seventh trumpet. Cross Reference the seventh trumpet of Revelation with the Trumpet of Joel 2:1-2.

Joel 2:1-2 ¹ Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- ² a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.

Verse 15 Cross reference Psalm 2

Psalms 2:1-12 ¹ Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. ³ "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. ⁵ Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶ "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." ⁷ I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. ⁸ Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. ⁹ You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Verse 17 The elders refer to the one "who is and who was". Earlier in Revelation they referred to the one "who is, who was, and who is to come." The implication is that at this point, he has come.

Verse 18 Three groups who receive rewards:

• The Prophets
• The Saints
• Those who reverence your name

Destroyers of the earth:

• Babylon,
• the beast,
• the false prophet, and
• the dragon

Verse 19 Is this ark the OT ark of the covenant? Probably not. It is not located in an earthly temple, but in a heavenly temple. The OT ark was always referred to as "The Ark of The Covenant". The one in Rev. 11:19 is referred to as "The Ark of His [God's] Covenant". Possible the OT Ark related to the Mosaic Covenant, while the Heavenly Ark relates to the New Covenant in Christ.

Get a Life: Part 2, What is Important to Me?

Philippians 3:7-14

By Mike Hardin

Sermon 2 of 5 in the series Get a Life!

Philippians 3:7-14 (NIV)

⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Introduction

Many years ago there was an ad in a Tucumcari, New Mexico paper. It was in the Available and Wanted section and went like this: “Marriage minded man with one hundred fifty irrigated acres of farmland seeks marriage minded woman with John Deere tractor. When replying, send picture of the tractor.” Friends, there is a man who knows what is important to him.

This morning, as we continue this series, I want to pose this question for your consideration: “What is really important to me?” Our subject is values and they are crucial in determining whether or not you have a life. Last week we looked at your purpose in life and the reason why you are here. You may understand your purpose yet you will need values to support your vision. They express how you need to behave while moving in the direction of your dream. If not, your dream can become a nightmare, taunting you over the life you are missing.

Ask yourself this question: “What would I be doing with my time if I knew I only had six healthy months to live?” It might help you to see clearly what you really value. Obviously the adjective “really” communicates that we have real values and we have espoused values, those we pay lip service to and those by which we live. We can have vain values and we can have substantial values. How do we know the difference? We must clarify them.

Outline

1. Our Priorities Change with Our Perspective (3:7-8a)
   1. Learning the Truth Modifies our Perspective
   2. Knowing Christ Modifies our Perspective
      
2. Our Priorities Determine Our Purpose (3:8b-11)
   1. All Priorities are Meaningless apart from Christ.
   2. Our Purpose is to be Righteous (Rightly related to God).
      1. There is no such thing as being "self-righteous"
         1. There is a distinction between being morally righteous and legally righteous.
         2. Only by Faith can we be rightly related to God.
      2. A Right Relationship with God means Christ lives through us.
         1. We share in the power of his resurrection
         2. We share in the fellowship of his suffering.
            
3. Our Priorities are Revealed in our Passion (3:12-14)
   1. Passion is revealed in focus. "One thing I do..." (v. 13)
   2. Passion is exclusive. "Forgetting what is behind."
   3. Passion results in action. "straining... I press on"

Based on the sermon by Brett Selby.

Get a Life: Part 1, Why Am I Here?

¹This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²(This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) ³He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

⁴This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” ⁸Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. ⁹They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.

¹⁰This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:1-14 (NIV)

Introduction

In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that he came for a purpose. That purpose was that we might have abundant life. Often we make the mistake of thinking abundant life is something that we begin to experience only in heaven, that this life is just a holding pattern for heaven. It is true that this life is preparation for eternity. But that doesn't mean that life is not meant to be lived in abundance right now.

In our passage in Jeremiah 29 we find the exiles from Jerusalem living in captivity in Babylon. They were waiting to live life after the exile was over. They were thinking that they would build a house when the exile was over. They were thinking that they would begin careers when the exile was over. Their lives were going to start someday. Jeremiah wrote them a letter. It is the first letter found in the Bible. In this letter he told them not to wait for someday to begin their lives, but to start living them right now.

Many of us live our lives the same way. We are going to start living when we meet the right person. We are going to start living when we get that next raise. We are going to start living when we have children. We are going to start living when we find the right job. We are going through the motions of living waiting for something to happen that will begin the abundant phase of life. The problem is that God wants every phase of life to be abundant. That doesn't mean that every phase of life is fun, but every phase can be fruitful if we embrace it.

In his book The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren begins by addressing the universal question of “Why Am I Here?” What he means by that question is, “Why did God create me? Why do I exist? What is my purpose?” But there is another way to look at the question of “Why Am I Here?” What if instead of asking “Why do I exist?” we asked ourselves, “Why am I in this particular place, at this particular time, under these particular circumstances?”

Instead of thinking that they could begin life when they got back to Jerusalem, Jeremiah wanted them to think about why they were in Babylon. Why were they in exile? What was God doing in their lives right where they were?

God Has a Good Plan for Your Life (v. 11)

When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, we need to remember that God has a plan. When Abraham raised his knife to give Isaac as an offering of obedience to God, God had a plan. When Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, God had a plan. When Saul was hunting David down, trying to take his life, God had a plan. When the disciples were bailing water while Jesus was sleeping through the storm, God had a plan. When Mary and John stood before the cross, watching her son and his teacher being crucified, God had a plan.

God's Plan is to Bless Us. (v. 12)

What did God mean when he said he wanted to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future? When we hear the word “prosper” we are prone to think in terms of financial prosperity. During their time in Babylon many if the exiles did prosper financially. But verse 12 tells us what prosperity looks like from God's perspective.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me. In Jerusalem these people had turned their hearts away from God. Some may have become very secular, others were worshiping false gods. In this letter from Jeremiah God is letting them know that he is going to use this experience to draw them as a people back to himself.

These people were not calling on God. After the exile they would call on him. They were not praying to God. After the exile they would pray to him. When they lived in Jerusalem, even if they had prayed, God would not have listened to their prayers, because of their sinful lives. God says that after the exile, not only will you pray, but when you pray, I'll listen.

God's Plan is to Reveal Himself to Us. (v. 13)

God wanted a love relationship with his people. He wanted to pour out his blessing on them, but their hearts had been divided. He told them that after the exile experience, they would no longer have divided hearts.

God's Plan is Both Present and Future.

God is concerned about the current welfare of his people. He encourages them to build houses, plant crops, and raise families. He doesn't want them to miss out on the blessings of today because they are waiting on the blessings of tomorrow. He promises some great blessings for the future, but it was a future most of the exiles would never see. He tells them that in 70 years he is going to gather them up and take them back to Jerusalem. Only a few of the children would likely live 70 years to see the return to Jerusalem. God wanted them to enjoy life in Babylon, while looking forward to a day when their children and grandchildren would return to their homeland.

In the same way God wants us love life full lives today, while looking forward to the day when we are gathered with him in heaven.

God's Plan is to Make Us a Blessing

God told the exiles to seek the peace and prosperity of the city. He told them to pray for the city. He told them, “If it prospers, you prosper.”

• God wants us to be a blessing, even to our enemies.

• God blesses us so that we can bless others.

• God blesses us when we bless others.

Jeremiah 29

Terms

Babylon: At the time of Nebuchadnezzar, the capital of Babylonia, the only superpower of it's day. Nebuchadnezzar's projects made the city one of the wonders of the world. It was a testimony to his strength and power.

Jehoiachin: former King of Judah, in exile with his mother in Babylon.

⁸Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done.
¹⁰At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹²Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him.
In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and took away all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD. ¹⁴He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.
¹⁵Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials and the leading men of the land.

2 Kings 24:1-15 (NIV)

Zedekiah: client king of Judah, paying tribute to Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The last king of Judah, he and the Jews who stayed behind with him after the exile were considered by God to be beyond redemption.

¹ After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the craftsmen and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. ² One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

³ Then the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?"
"Figs," I answered. "The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten."

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁵ "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. ⁶ My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

⁸ " 'But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,' says the LORD, 'so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. ⁹ I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them. ¹⁰ I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.' "

Jeremiah 24:1-10 (NIV)

Nebuchadnezzar: king of Babylon, captured king Jehoiachin and his mother, appointed Zedekiah a client king of Judah.