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Calm Before The Storm

Open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 10. This is part of our Revelation study, and we're bouncing around in kind of an intentional way. If it was a series, the title I would have given it is "giddy up" because what you're going to read today with me is quite amazing.

So, one of the questions I want to ask you before we get to the text today is how much of all of Revelation is actually relevant to the church?

You know, this portion of Revelation, it's believed that the church has been raptured out. And so, why would it say you will be blessed to read and understand it? This is the only book in all of the Bible that we get a blessing from God if we read it and pursue understanding of it.

The Eschatology Debate: Pre, Mid, or Post?

See, we have this thing called eschatology going on in our country right now. And some people are pre-tribulation, some people are mid-tribulation, and some people are post-tribulation.

And what that basically means is pre-tribulation means that there's a rapture of the church that starts a seven-year clock, and that a lot of the stuff that happens in Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Revelation—they try to create this timeline based on a pre-tribulation rapture.

The reason I can identify with a pre-tribulation rapture is because we are not set apart for God's wrath. It also says the Spirit will be withdrawn from the earth, and if the Spirit lives within me, then we must go.

But I can also relate to mid-tribulation because mid-tribulation we are told to endure. We're told to hold on. We're told to persevere. And there's so much in the book of Revelation talking to the saints.

Post-tribulation is the one I have the hardest time with because we're set apart from God's wrath. But some people think that we have to go through the tribulation to like purify the church and somehow God will supernaturally sustain us all.

And so all of that has led me to become a pan-tribulationist. It's all going to pan out the way God wants it anyway.

Now some people feel that this is flippant, like this is just you know my comedy shtick. No, it's a real thing. Do you know that in the Bible Jesus says the time has to be shortened or even the elect would be deceived? What does that mean? That means there's no set timeline for any of this stuff. And when God shortens the time, is it going to be on the front end or the back end?

Well, most of what God has shown throughout history and His word is that He has a long arm of mercy. So I got a feeling He's going to let it go until the very last possible minute, hoping that sinners come and be redeemed.

The Biggest Takeaway: Be Ready and Stay Ready

Regardless of what your theology is regarding eschatology—pre-trip, mid-trip, or post-trip—to me, it really doesn't matter because the Bible is clear. There is one thing that must be on your mind. It's bigger and it's the biggest takeaway. It's bigger than all the rest of the mumbo jumbo.

And that is: as people of God, saved folks, our takeaway is to be ready and to stay ready.

That's the deal.

See, we follow where the Bible leads. Where the Bible leads, where it clearly leads, that's where we go. Where it's not clear, we try to have grace for one another.

But see, when you get into the book of Revelation, all throughout the imagery describing the tribulations and the return of Christ, there is some strong spiritual food for us to consume. And to get that strong food, as I told you last week, we need eyes to see. And so that's what I'm asking God for—is that He'd give you eyes to see and ears to hear throughout this message today.

Reading the Text: Revelation 10:1-11

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over his head and his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. And he called out with a loud voice like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.

And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants, the prophets.

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who was standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter, and I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings."

One word after I read that that comes to mind and that's the word wow. Or if we wanted to add a few syllables, wowsy. Wow. Wow. This is going to be a fun ride. I'm going to have fun. I hope you guys stay with me.

Where We Are in Revelation: Understanding the Parenthetical Pauses

But for starters today, I want you to understand where we find ourselves in the book of Revelation. We find ourselves in another parenthetical passage that's found in Revelation.

Parenthetical means insertion or supplementary. An example would be the following statement: "My sister is coming to visit." But instead, I insert a phrase: "My sister who lives in Minnesota is coming to visit." The "who lives in Minnesota" is the parenthesis. Does that make sense?

If you're in Revelation, take notice. You will encounter these things a handful of times. For example, you get one between the sixth and the seventh seal. The sixth seal is Revelation 6:12-17. The seventh is Revelation 8:1-5. You get a parenthetical message in between those. It's a supplement text.

So today we encounter the same thing between the sixth and the seventh trumpets.

Why God Gives Us These Pauses

And it is said that there are several reasons why the Lord gives us these pauses in the action. And you know, I think one of the reasons is to give the reader a break. We've been studying terrible scenes of tragedy and death. He gives us these pauses to allow us to kind of regroup and gather up our emotions a little bit. These pauses allow the Lord to give us words of encouragement and comfort in the middle of it all.

Another reason I think He does it is to show everyone who is truly in control. And as you read about the horrors of the tribulation, you might conclude that sin and Satan are in control. So God steps in to remind us that He is still the sovereign God of the universe. God wants us to know that regardless of how dark the hour becomes, and in spite of what the devil and that crowd might do, our heavenly Father still has everything under control.

And I think these pauses can also point to the fact that this book is not linear. Meaning the entire book is not one thing after another. There are back glances. There are sidebars. This happens right in the middle of what is linear. I mean the seals and the trumpets and whatnot, they're numbered—one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. So in the middle of all of this, we have God using this to strengthen the saints.

It's there for our wellbeing. If you are pre-tribulation and you're convinced the rapture's got to happen before any of this stuff, no matter what, you still can find something here to benefit your walk. Because as I told you at the beginning, you have one job: to be ready and to stay ready. And we're going to talk about what that looks like.

Lastly, I think these pauses serve to focus our attention right on the Lamb of God. In the midst of His wrath, we desperately need to be reminded of His great power. Every day we need to think of that.

Getting Our Focus Back on Jesus

You see, there's one fundamental problem with the world today. And the world leaves Jesus out of its calculations and plans.

In ancient times, we had astronomers and folks like Aristotle and they believed that the earth was the center of the universe. It wasn't until Copernicus and Kepler came along and they discovered that the sun was the center of the solar system, and then all the other things revolved around it—everything falls into place and begins to make sense.

See, once the world or the church or the ministry or the family cuts Jesus out, the Son of God out of the picture, and they start replacing Him with all kinds of stuff—I mean, just look at the United Nations and the faulty man-made institutions—it's resulted in a lot of chaos. Yeah. How about the United States? From when Jesus was the focal point of our nation to the continual descent into the chaos that America now finds itself.

See, when Jesus is restored as the focal point of mankind's attention, then things will make sense and fall into place. That is what God is up to here in this text.

See, getting our focus back on Jesus—that'll work in the individual's life as well. It'll work in the family. It'll work in the church. It'll work in the Christian college that now has gone woke. They've taken their focus off of Jesus. They get caught up into all these other things.

Everything falls into place when you get your focus back on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this passage does seem to be right in the middle of the tribulation period, but it does serve as a place in the revelation to John that we see Jesus get back on center stage.

So let's notice what is taking place on the earth as we see the calm before the final storm.

POINT ONE: The Vision John Saw

Verses 1 through the first part of verse 3

John sees a mighty angel descending from heaven. Now we are not given the identity of this angel. Some people believe it could be Gabriel the Archangel. Others vote for Michael. We don't know.

However, just give me a little bit of room today. And I'm going to suggest that this angel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

And I'll give you a couple reasons why I feel that way in just a second. But as you may remember, think about this now: Jesus showed up in the Old Testament all the time. These pre-Bethlehem appearances have a name. They're called Theophanies or Christophanies, depending on which ancient language you're looking at.

Now, many believe like I do that Jesus is who appeared to Abraham at his tent door. Jesus appeared to Samson's mother and father. Jesus appeared to Joshua outside Jericho. Jesus was the one who wrestled with Jacob and broke his hip. Jesus met with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace. And Jesus helped Daniel in the lion's den. That's what I believe.

In fact, as these verses are studied, all the evidence points to the fact that there is none other than Jesus Christ Himself that would be in this position.

So let's look at the evidence together. Now, this is going to be a little bit of a scripture walk. So stay with me.

Evidence #1: His Dwelling Place

First up in verse one, we are told of his dwelling place. This angel comes down from the very place where Jesus Christ is located right now.

John 3:13 says this: "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the son of man." Jesus Christ is in heaven today, seated at the Father's right hand, making intercession for you and me today, right now.

Hebrews 1:3 says this: "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high."

How about Hebrews 10:12? "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, he sat down at the right hand of God."

So this angel's coming from the right place, right?

Evidence #2: How He Is Described

Next, in the last half of verse one and the first part of verse two, we see him described. Several key descriptive phrases are used to illustrate this angel's appearance.

Clothed With a Cloud

You see, he is clothed with a cloud. What's a cloud a garment for? Cloud is a garment for deity.

Psalm 104:3 says, "He lays the beams of his chambers on the water. He makes the clouds his chariot. He rides on the wings of the wind."

In the Old Testament during the wilderness wanderings, the Lord led His people with a glory cloud through the desert, right? There was no road or track through there. So He was the cloud in Exodus 16. He was with them to guide them and to guard them. And He is in the darkest days the earth will ever see. He will be there for us as well. He is still able to protect His people. He's still able to lead us.

Dark clouds covered Sinai when Moses received the law. In Exodus 19, God clothed Himself in a glory cloud when He met Moses on the mountain. Exodus 24:34. When Jesus ascended back to heaven, a cloud received Him. Let's look at it.

Acts 1:9: "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight."

So when He returns, He's also going to return on a cloud. So when we compare scripture to interpret scripture, we can make a case that this angel in our text today is Jesus Himself.

Let's look at 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. It says, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord." Amen. Alright.

Revelation 1:7: "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." Everybody together. Amen.

I don't want to get too Pentecostal in here. So yeah, He is clothed with a cloud and we can have that amen in our heart when we read Revelation. When we read this scripture, we can get excited—and there's even more to come.

A Rainbow Above His Head

Next, he has a rainbow above his head. It's upon his head. The rainbow is a symbol of the mercy and faithfulness of God. That's what that symbol is.

It first appeared in Genesis chapter 9 after the flood to guarantee the Lord's promise that He would never destroy the earth with water again. It is a symbol of our heavenly Father's faithfulness. Yes, our wicked culture has hijacked that symbol. But please always know and keep it in here what that means biblically.

It also appears in Revelation chapter 4 where the throne of God is surrounded by an emerald rainbow. It's a symbol of His mercy. So the Lord comes as the faithful one and as the merciful one. What a blessing to know that even in the midst of wrath, the Lord still remembers His mercy. That's what that's telling us.

His Face Shines Like the Sun

Then it says his face shines like the sun. What's this a description of? This is a description of his glory.

When Jesus walked the dusty roads of this world, He appeared to be an ordinary dude. So ordinary that He did not stand out by His appearance. Says that in Isaiah 53. He concealed His heavenly fame within His earthly frame.

However, there was one occasion where He let it loose, when His glory came out. And three of the gospels recorded it—it's the transfiguration. That's in Matthew 17, Luke 9, and Mark 9. It happened that the glory was on the inside became visible on the outside. And all three gospels tell us that Jesus outshone the sun that day.

When Saul of Tarsus met Him on the Damascus road in Acts chapter 9, Jesus was brighter than the noonday sun.

By the way, human beings love darkness. But when the light shines on their sins, they are brought to their knees before the glorious Lamb of God, or they run away offended.

His Feet Like Pillars of Fire

Next, his feet are like pillars of fire. This is a picture of his judgment. When Jesus comes, He's not coming as Savior next time, folks. He's coming back as the sovereign Lord of the universe. He is coming to execute judgment on all those who have rejected Him.

The word pillars also brings with it images of firmness, stability, strength. We are looking at a God who is rock steady and able to carry through with the mission that He has in front of Him. And He's going to judge this world, the sinners in this world, and Satan himself. And no being will be able to prevent Him from doing what He intends to do. And He's going to rule with authority. We're told that in this passage.

Evidence #3: His Dominion Over the Entire World

Here's a wonderful picture of our Lord and Savior. He is standing with one foot on the land and one foot on the sea. And He has this little book in His hand. Do you know what you're looking at?

This is a picture of His dominion over the entire world. This is a picture of His dominion over the entire world.

In ancient times, when a person was going to take authority over a place or a person, he put his foot on it. When God gave Canaan to Israel, look at what He said in Joshua 1:3: "Every place that the soul of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you just as I promised Moses."

Did you know that in ancient times when one king would conquer another king, he would have a public display and the conquered king would have to lay on the ground and the conquering king would put his foot on the neck of that king? That was a symbol of total domination. This is why many of them would sell their souls in the trenches rather than go through that embarrassment when their kingdom was overthrown. Total domination.

His Voice Like a Roaring Lion

We are then told that he called out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. It is said that the roar of a lion can strike fear into the bravest heart. An adult male lion's roar can be heard as far as five miles away. Lions usually roar just after sunset. Kind of ironic, isn't it?

They do so as the sun sets to proclaim their territory. And I think that's what we're seeing in these verses. The Lord is staking His claim and He's saying, "I am the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This world is my world. Keep your hands off what belongs to me."

That's why I love being in His grip. There's no better place to be. See, and that's what we see here. We see the victorious Jesus laying claim to the planet earth. And He holds in His hand the book which is the title deed to the planet. And He stands with one foot on dry land and the other on sea.

Jesus has come to take control of this world. He has come to take over. So forget the world and the devil. Our Lord reigns today and He will forever. This truth will become increasingly clearer as the end draws near, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

That'll be you and that'll be me.

The Blood Over the Doorpost

The only thing that's still left to settle is, do you have Jesus's blood over the doorpost of your soul?

You know, I wasn't planning on telling the story, but I'm going to tell it anyway. Go back to Egypt with Moses and the angel of death is going to pass through. And two Jewish men are standing out in their yard talking to each other. And the one says to the other one, "I'm really nervous about the angel of death tonight."

The other one says, "Why? You don't have to be nervous. You know, did you do the thing with the lamb?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I did the thing with the lamb."

"And you got the blood over the doorpost, right?"

"Yeah, I got the blood over the doorpost. I'm still nervous, though."

"Well, you don't have to be nervous," said the other one.

And then the first guy said, "Yeah, but you have more than one son. I only have one son. What happens if God takes him?"

He's like, "Well, you know what Moses said, right? If you've done what needs to be done, the angel of death should pass right over."

"I don't know. I'm still kind of nervous."

So they both go to bed that night and the angel of death passes over. Which one of those two men had their son die?

The answer is neither of them because the blood of the lamb was over the doorpost.

We may wobble. We may doubt. We may have different things that happen to us. But the confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ comes from the fact that His blood redeemed us while we were yet sinners. We can't add one ounce to our salvation. He did it all. He gives it freely. We receive it freely. And then we come and we praise Him and we make His name great.

POINT TWO: The Voices John Heard

The last little bit of verse 3 all the way through verse 7

Voices of Mystery

First up, they were voices of mystery. John hears seven thunders speaking. Apparently, they spoke a language John could understand, and he got ready to write down what they were saying. Man, I wish he would have wrote them down some days. But the Lord stopped him and told John to seal up those things which he heard the thunders say.

So what did they say? Nobody knows. I don't know. You don't know. Nobody knows.

So why write about it if he's not told to, you know, what to say? You know, why did he put that in there that I was told not to say it? Because I think he wants us to know that God has some things that He wants to keep concealed for the time being. And we living by faith have to be okay with that.

See, even Paul writes of a time when he was caught up into the third heaven. He was taken into the very presence of God and he was not allowed to write about it. Did you know that? It's found in 2 Corinthians 12. And in verse 4, as he's talking about it, he ends with, "And he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter."

The reason God puts us into this spot, I think, is very simple. He wants to teach us a valuable lesson because so many of us want to uncover all the mysteries of God. It's our natural curiosity, right? But He wants us to know that there are just some things that go on in our life that are going to remain a mystery.

Let's look at Deuteronomy 29:29 together. That verse says this: "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

See, there are a thousand questions in this life for which you and I do not have the answers. Why do good people suffer? Why do babies get sick and die? Why is there so much evil in our world? Why is living holy so difficult? We will never have the answers to these and thousands and thousands of other questions on this side of heaven. The best we can do is leave the mysteries with the Lord and trust Him to do what's right.

Romans 8:28—all things work for good for those who love Him. We have to hold on to that.

See, right now we are looking at, you know, one of those Middle Eastern carpets. You know, we're looking at it from the bottom and all the different cords are running through and it looks terrible, but then you flip it over and it looks like a masterpiece. That's what's going to happen with us right now. We're looking at the back of it. But soon when we get to heaven, we'll get to see what God had in store.

1 Corinthians 13:12 says this. Paul is talking. He says, "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known."

How Do You Please God?

So that kind of brings up a question and this is kind of key. How do you please God? How do you please God?

Do you know that in all of scripture, there is only one thing that we can exercise that will please God? Do you know what it is? It's faith.

We have all the mysteries of God all figured out and we've got the end timeline all structured out. Who cares? God's not impressed. And you're probably wrong anyway. Faith is what pleases God.

I want to show you some scriptures as to how important faith is for those of us who actually want to follow Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 says this: "And without faith, it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Romans 1:17 says, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith, for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith."

Ephesians 2:8-9 says this: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing. It is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that nobody can boast."

Habakkuk 2:4. Now this is quoted in Romans and Galatians. The just shall live by faith. The point is the just shall live by faith.

Voices Crystal Clear

So now let's go to verses 5 and 7 of our text. We see the voices that are there are crystal clear. While the voices of thunder remain a mystery, the next voice John hears brings a message that is stone cold, clear as a bell.

The person John saw lifts up his holy hands and makes a tremendous promise. He tells John that the days of waiting are finished. God is preparing to finish His work and complete His word. God is preparing to bring His work of judgment and redemption to an end.

In case you have forgotten, let me just share with you. God does not operate the way we do. His timetable is vastly different than ours. We sometimes think we're in a period of delay. We think things are moving so slowly. We think God will never fulfill the promise that He has made. Well, we're wrong. God wears a different kind of timepiece.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, He tells us, "A thousand years is like a day to God."

You see, it appears that sin and Satan are winning the battle. We sit here and go, "It feels like we're losing, Lord." Well, the end result, the truth, is far different than our temporary here-today-and-gone-tomorrow life in the flesh.

When you look back through the lens of all of human history, our 70 years, if by strength 80, says the psalmist, that's a blip on the screen. That's a whisper of steam that is seen and then is no more. We get all caught up in what this life is supposed to be.

Do you want to know what's really at play for you and for me? Our eternity and our righteousness is what's really at play. Either your name is written in the book or your name is not. How many years you live and what you do is not what's important.

Look at Hebrews 10:35-39. Just absorb this one with me.

"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. Verse 37, for yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous ones shall live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls."

Soon, God is going to turn the page. He's going to tell the angel to blow his trumpet, and Jesus is going to return for His bride. And God will judge the earth, sin, and the devil and usher in eternity.

How and when He does that is not the real issue. The real issue is to be ready and to stay ready and live by faith and not shrink back.

Since the day you met me, I've told you one thing. I'm looking for folks who will link arms for such a time as this and who are not afraid. We follow the Bible where it leads and we really don't care what others have to say. We want to live for Jesus and we want to be ready and stay ready.

POINT THREE: The Scroll That John Took

Verses 8 through 11

All right, let's bring it home. The scroll that John took. The scroll that John took.

John is told to take the little book out of the hand of the angel. He is told to eat it, but he is warned that the book will be sweet in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. So John does as he's told and he finds that the words of the angel are in fact true. The book is sweet as honey to the taste, but it really upset his stomach.

Then John is told to take the message he has eaten and share it with others who need to hear.

That's kind of a strange little section of scripture. Yeah. I mean, it does, however, give us a couple of lessons in the Word of God. I think that would be cool if we would understand. Think about it now.

Lesson #1: The Word of God Is to Be Swallowed

The Bible is spiritual food. Jesus said as much in Matthew 4:4: "But he answered and said, 'It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Jeremiah doubles down on this thought in chapter 15:16: "Your words were found and I ate them and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart. For I am called by your name, oh Lord God of hosts."

There is something special about the Bible. It is food for the hungry soul. It is a balm for the hurting soul, which means the enemy will use anybody and any method he can to try to stomp on it. And we've seen that for years and years and years. Same arguments. They're so lame and so weak when you really look at the true evidence.

See, the Bible, I call it the unleashed tiger on the soul. It is meat for your sustenance. If we are to be all that God wants us to be, then we are to get into this book and feed, to linger there, to graze there.

I love me a good devotional book. And sometimes you can just read devotions that have a jump-off verse and you feel like you're doing something—that's not feeding on God's Word. That's fast-food drive-through.

We are to drink deeply of the words so that our souls can grow strong in the things of the Lord. So we must get into the Bible for ourselves every day. One of my biggest challenges being your pastor is to read God's Word for my soul. I read a lot of this Revelation 10 and all these scriptures I've to share with you. Oh, that's something pretty good I can share with the congregation. Oh, that might make a good Bible study. No. What about me? What about you?

Don't try to study God's Word to study it. Consume God's Word to strengthen your being.

Lesson #2: The Book Is Sweet and Bitter

When John swallowed the book, he found that it was both a blessing and a burden. It was sweet and it was bitter at the same time.

The Sweetness

The sweetness of this book can be found in its passages about grace, love, mercy of God. And some people just they want it to just stop there. When we read of Jesus dying for our sins, rising from the dead, it's so very sweet to the soul. We read of heaven. Oh, that is awesome. We read that He will meet our needs, never leave us, come and take us home someday. He's going to prepare a place for us. That is awesomely sweet.

When a sinner reads that Jesus will save them if they will only come to Jesus by faith, that is sweeter than what words can actually describe. The book is filled with sweetness.

The Bitterness

But it is also a book filled with bitterness. This book tells us about a hell that awaits all the lost. It is a book that the Spirit of God uses to convict the hearts of saints and sinners alike. The book tells of judgment, wrath, and damnation. It's a bitter book, my friends.

Some people say, "When you read God's Word, what do you feel?" "Oh, I just feel so happy."

Well, good for you. When I read it, I feel like I'm getting a spanking. God has to dry my eyes and straighten my spine and say, "Go get them. You're going to go out there and you're going to stumble and fall, but I got you." Thank you, Lord.

But when I stop and think of the harshest news of all is for those who see no need for Jesus. Those who are so deceived in their own goodness and are blind to their fallen nature of sin that we all have. And then they reject the one who can save them. They reject the one who can redeem them. They reject the one who can give them eternal life.

And sometimes I read my Bible and I'm thrilled and blessed and helped. And other times I'm just brought to tears as something's revealed in my life.

Be that as it may, when we take the whole book, the bitter and the sweet, the blessings and the burdens, we are able to say that it fits together so well. It reveals our problems, but it always points us to the right solution.

Praise the Lord for the Word of God.

Lesson #3: The Word of God Has to Be Shared

Therefore, the last thing I'm going to share with you in this message today is that the Word of God has to be shared. John was told to share the message of the book with others. The same burden has been placed on our shoulders today.

We are to take this book with both its blessings and its burdens. And we are to share its message with the lost and dying world and do so without apology. We don't walk around all timid. The King of Kings has redeemed us and we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And by the way, God did not give us His Word for our benefit only. He gave it to share with the world. So let us go forth with the Word of God and say to anyone and everyone that might hear our voice that Jesus saves the lost sinner.

Conclusion: A Fresh Glimpse of Jesus

The world is going to enter a time of tragedy like never before. And I thank God before we get into chapter 11 that He gave us this fresh glimpse of Jesus. Thank God that He has reminded us that He is in control. Thank God that He has reminded us of the importance of His Word.

And whatever your needs are today, my friend, know the Son of God is willing and able to meet you right where you are. Come to Him today. Surrender again to Him today. Let His life fill you and define you and make you into what He wants you to be.