Voddie Baucham -The War of Worship

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
We have arrived at Revelation fourteen. And as we've come
here to Revelation chapter fourteen, I think it's important that
we pause for a moment and take a look at
where we are in the grand scheme of things. We
have come through the introduction in the first chapter and

(00:22):
then looked at seven churches in chapters two and three.
After those seven churches, we saw a scene of heavenly
worship in chapters four and five, and that will be
significant as we examine chapter fourteen. After that scene of
heavenly worship, we saw the breaking of the seven seals

(00:43):
and the unleashing of judgment for the first time in
chapter six one through eight five. Then in eight six
through eleven nineteen we saw the seven trumpets and a
retelling and intensification of this picture of the judgment of
God poured out against sin. Then in chapter fifteen, verse

(01:08):
five through sixteen twenty one, we'll see the seven bowls
of judgment. But between those seven trumpets in eight six
through eleven nineteen and those seven bowls in fifteen five
to sixteen one, there is a recap, if you will,
of this story of judgment and redemption that takes place

(01:29):
in twelve one through fifteen four, and that's where we are.
This recap also consists of seven major events. So can
you see that there's an important number here, this important
number of seven, These seven churches, these seven seals, these
seven trumpets, these seven bulls. And of these seven events

(01:52):
that happen as a recap, what are those seven events? Well?
Number one the conflict of the serpent with the woman
and her sea in chapter twelve. Number two, the persecution
by the beast from the sea thirteen one through ten.
Number three, the persecution of the beast from the land
thirteen eleven through eighteen. Number four, the Lamb and the

(02:13):
one hundred and forty four thousands standing on Mount Zion
fourteen one through five, which is where we are today. Fifthly,
the proclamation of the Gospel and of the judgment by
the three angels fourteen six through thirteen. Then sixthly, the
Son of Man's harvest of the earth fourteen fourteen through twenty.

(02:35):
And then finally, the seventh event is the saint's victory
over the beasts and their victory song, which takes place
in fifteen too through four. So as we look here
in chapter fourteen, understand that we're in the midst of
this hiatus between the seven Trumpets and the seven bulls,

(02:56):
and we are also right in the middle of these
seven events. And in the middle of these seven events,
there is this picture of what I like to refer
to as the war of worship. There is a picture
of the war between the Beast, the unholy Trinity of
the Dragon and the Beast, and the false Prophet and

(03:17):
the Holy Trinity of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit. And in the midst of this, right
in the middle of those seven events, we find Chapter fourteen,
verses one through five, and there is this picture of worship.
Listen with me as we read, and you'll see elements
that are reminiscent of Chapter seven. Then I looked and behold,

(03:43):
on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him one
hundred and forty four thousand, who had his name and
his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard
a voice from heaven, like the roar of many waters,
like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard
was like the sound of harpists playing on their hearts,

(04:07):
and they were singing a new song before the Throne
and before the four Living creatures, and before the elders,
no one could learn their song except the one hundred
and forty four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.
It is these who have not defiled themselves with women

(04:30):
for their virgins. It's these that follow the Lamb wherever
he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as first
fruits for God, from the Lamb, for God and the Lamb,
And in their mouth no lie was found, for they
are blameless. Look at the juxtaposition of chapters thirteen and fourteen.

(04:56):
In chapter thirteen, there is a lamb. In verse eleven,
he's the false lamb. In chapter fourteen, verses one and four,
we see the true lamb. Chapter thirteen, he comes out
of the earth and verse eleven. Chapter fourteen, we see
the lamb on Mount Zion. Chapter thirteen, verse twelve, there
is the worship of the beast. Chapter fourteen, verse one,

(05:17):
there is the song of the one hundred and forty
four thousand. Chapter thirteen and verse eighteen, there is the
beast's number. In chapter thirteen, verse sixteen, everyone is enslaved.
In chapter fourteen, verse three, the saints are redeemed. In
chapter thirteen, verses sixteen and seventeen, there is the mark
of the beast. In chapter fourteen, verse one, there is

(05:38):
the name of the Lamb and of his father. And
in chapter thirteen, verse fourteen, there is the deception of
the beast. But in chapter fourteen there are the one
hundred and forty four thousand with no lie in their mouth.
Clearly there is a juxtaposition of these two chapters. And

(06:00):
the essence of this, I believe, is this war of worship.
In this war, there are several things that point us
to the ultimate outcome and why it is that this
is placed here for the saints to take heart. First,
there is the presence of the true Lamb, which means

(06:21):
that the adversary in verse thirteen is opposed. The Lamb
is present. Notice that he doesn't arise like the other
beasts in thirteen one, and I saw a beast rising
out of the sea thirteen eleven. Then I saw another
beast rising out of the earth. But in fourteen one,

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he says, I looked and behold the Lamb on Mount Zion.
He stood there on Mountain Zion. Not he came down
to Mount Zion. Out he rose up to Mountain Zion.
Not he walked to Mountain Zion. He's us there, and

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he's just standing in the clamor of Chapter thirteen. The
beasts are going about and doing and raging and trying
and warring, and there is chaos and calamity everywhere. This
picture of rising out of the sea, which is chaos

(07:25):
and calamity, this picture of rising out of the earth,
which is chaos and calamity. And all of a sudden,
as we read about Marx and about war and about
people not being able to buy or sell, I looked
and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb. There is

(07:50):
a contrast here, and the contrast speaks volume that in
this war of worship, the adversary is opposed. We see
this because of the presence of the lamb. This is
also a strategic location. Standing on Mount Zion. Now we
know that he's speaking here symbolically, and there are a
lot of things that point us to the fact that

(08:12):
this is symbolic. When we get into the song arising
out of Heaven and so forth, we know that this
is symbolic. This is symbolic of the redemption of God's people.
The term Mount Zion only happens in the Old Testament
nineteen times. Nine of those nineteen times it's a picture
of the redemption of God's people. And here it is

(08:35):
precisely that, a picture of the redemption of God's people.
But it's hearkening back to something very familiar Psalm number two. Listen,
why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers
take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

(08:58):
let us burst their bond apart and cast away the
cord from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs.
The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak
to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying,
as for me, I have set my king on Zion,
my holy hill. I will tell of the decree the

(09:23):
Lord said to me. You are my son. Today I've
forgotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the
nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron and
dash them in pieces like Potter's vessels. Now therefore, O
kings be wise be warned. O rulers of the earth,
serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss

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the sun lest he be angry, and you perish in
the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are
those who take refuge in him. This is John has
in mind as he sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,

(10:08):
as chaos breaks, and as there is the dragon, and
there is the beast, and there is the false prophet,
and there are all of these who are bowing down
and worshiping and receiving and accepting his mark. The question
must come, what hope do the saints have. The answer

(10:30):
to that question is found in the first phrase. I looked,
and they're standing on Mount Zion. Here's the Lamb of God.
Notice that he's always there. Notice that he doesn't have
to come. See that's how we speak when we pray,

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is it not? When difficulty comes our way, we always say, Lord,
please come and rescue me. News flash, God doesn't have
to come anywhere. He just is. The lamb doesn't have
to get on his horse and ride, so to speak,

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He just is. The cavalry doesn't have to hear about
what's happening and somehow try to get there. Just in
the nick of time. God is never late because he
never has to get anywhere. He just is. And that's
the picture of the Lamb standing here on Mount Zion.

(11:33):
Besides this presence of the Lamb, which says that the
adversary is opposed in this war of worship, there is
the authority of the Lamb, which says that the adversary
is inferior in this war of worship. Notice that the
Lamb is a member of the Holy Trinity, whereas this
false Lamb is a part of the Unholy Trinity, attempting

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in many ways to mimic God down to this eye
idea of the symbolic number. But I want you to
notice also that the Lamb has inherent authority, while the
beast and the false Lamb are granted authority. In Chapter thirteen,
verse five, the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty

(12:16):
and blasphemous words. Again thirteen five, it was allowed to
exercise authority for forty two months, again for a specific
period of time. It's not only allowed authority, but it's
limited authority for a limited period of time. In thirteen seven,
it was allowed to make war on the saints and

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to conquer them. It was allowed to again in thirteen seven,
authority was given it over every tribe and people, and
language and nation. Then there's the second Beast in thirteen fourteen,
the sign that it is allowed to work in the
presence of the Beast. It deceives those who dwell on earth.

(12:58):
And in thirteen fifteen it was allowed to give breath
to the image of the Beast. Notice it was allowed,
it was given, It was allowed for a time, it
was given. This authority is granted to the Beast. I
believe it was Martin Luther who said, even the devil
is God's devil, he has no authority of his own.

(13:23):
And so the first comfort that comes to the saints
is in the fact that this unholy trinity is merely
doing what it is allowed to do in the sovereignty
of God, and that the Lamb stands there not afraid,
not fearful, but it stands there in authority, in his

(13:44):
own authority, in his inherent authority. Notice also this mark
which points to his authority. The mark of the Beast
is a product of fear and loss again sixteen and seventeen.
Also it causes all both small and great, both rich
and poor, both free and slaves, to be marked on

(14:06):
the right hand and the forehead, so that no one
can buy or sell unless he has the mark that
is the name of the beast and the number of
its name. There is the fear of loss. We heard
about this earlier. Secondly, this mark of the Lamb is
different because it's the product of faith. First of all,

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it's completely counterintuitive. We're in this world, there is war
being waged against the saints. The saints are being devoured.
There is this dragon and this beast and this false prophet.
The whole world is in chaos, and they say, you
cannot buy or sell without our mark. You can't eat,

(14:50):
you can't survive, you can't do anything without our mark.
And so logically we assume that there is pressure on
believers to receive this mark because of the fear of loss.
And it seems counterintuitive not to accept this mark if
you can't even feed your family without it. And yet

(15:12):
this one hundred and forty four thousand don't have that
mark of that beast on their forehead or on their hand.
They have the mark of the name of the Lamb
and of his father. In spite of the fact that
it seems that the only way to survive is through
the beast. This is reminiscent of the seal in chapter seven,

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and if you remember, the seal in chapter seven was
the answer to the question in chapter six and six seventeen,
the question is for the great day of their wrath
has come, and who can stand? So chapter seven follows
on chapter six in order to answer the question who
can stand? And the answer is those who are sealed.
Those who are kept are the only ones who can stand.

(15:59):
In the midst of this, chapter thirteen raises a question
who can survive if you have to have this mark?
Certainly only those who will somehow compromise and get this
marked but still be worshippers of the No no, no,
no no, because along with this mark is the worship
of the beast. So if God's people are not going

(16:21):
to Blaspheme and worship the beast, how are they going
to survive? So there's a question at the end of
chapter thirteen that's implied, just like a question at the
end of chapter six, who can survive? Who can stand?
He reintroduces the one hundred and forty four thousand Have
you forgotten? I have a mark? I have a seal?

(16:46):
The Unholy Trinity is not the only one with a
mark and with a seal, nor is this idea new
and redemptive history an Ephesians one, beginning of verse eleven.
In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to the purpose of Him who works all things

(17:08):
according to the counsel of his will, so that we,
who were the first to hope in Christ, might be
to the praise of His glory. In him, you also,
when you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of
your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it. To the praise of

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His glory, you shall be kept. How I mean, if
you have to have that mark to buy and sell,
how folks, if God could feed his people in the
desert with manna from heaven, he can feed us while

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the nation's rage. He can provide for us without us
having to compromise at all. Then there is, of course,
this symbolic number. This six hundred and sixty six number
was symbolic. It's short of seven. It's not seven seventy seven.

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And so the beast is going forth, and he is
waging war, and he is getting those individuals to worship him,
and he is marking them. And his mark is six
hundred and sixty six. There are these three sixes, and
we know that seven is God's number of completion. He
falls short of completion. Forty two months is half of

(18:35):
seven years. That means it falls short of completion. He
falls short. But what's God's number? Twelve times twelve times
one thousand, that's the number. What's twelve? It's the number
of the completeness of the people of God. Twelve times
twelve times a thousand. What's a thousand? A thousand is

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just a ridiculously large number. So what are we talking about?
The complete number of the people of God times the
complete number of the people of God times a ridiculously
large number. To whom do we refer everybody? All the

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people of God? Just like that first one hundred and
forty four thousand we demonstrated was absolutely not a reference
to a literal number of Jews converted after the rapture.
That's absolutely not what that number referred to. We demonstrated
that this number is reminiscent of that number, and it

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is a reference to the totality of the people of God,
to the perfection of God's ability to accumulate for himself
a people, a perfect people, a complete people. You know
what this number means. God is not going to be
missing anyone in heaven. Amen, He's not going to be

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missing anyone. There is no one whom God will desire
to save that will not be saved. These true worshippers
of the Lamb, they mean that the adversary is doomed.
We've already seen that the presence of the Lamb mean

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the adversary is opposed, that the authority of the Lamb
means that the adversary is inferior. And now the worship
of the Lamb demonstrates that the adversary is doomed. What's
he after He's aft to worship all the worship, complete worship,
to be completely worshiped as God. He's not going to

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get it. How do we know verses two and three.
And I heard and again, remember remember what we saw
in chapter seven. First he hears, and then he sees.
Now he sees and then he hears. And I heard
a voice from heaven, like the roar of many waters,
and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I

(21:11):
heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
and they were singing a new song before the throne,
and before the four living creatures, and before the elders.
This song originates from heaven. This is important. There is
a voice from heaven. We've seen this before in chapter ten,
Chapter ten, verses four and eight. We'll see it again

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in eleven twelve, or saw it again eleven twelve. We'll
see it again in fourteen thirteen, and again in eighteen four.
This voice from heaven. So we know that this worship
is originating from heaven. Now, this worship of the beast
originates from Earth, not from heaven. This worship of the
lamb originates from Heaven. It's superior worship, its authentic worship,

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because it originates from Heaven. Then there's the idea of
many waters. He says, like the sound of many waters.
We've heard this before in chapter one and verse fifteen.
Listen talking about Jesus. His feet were like burnished bronze
refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the
roar of many waters. This is the voice of ultimate authority.

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So there is worship that is originating in heaven and
has a voice that is reminiscent of Ultimate authority. In
Revelation nineteen six, then I heard what seemed like the
voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters,
and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder. This
is an overwhelming sound of worship. Then there's the idea

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of thunder. We see this in four six, six', one, eight, five,
ten three through, five, eleven, nineteen, sixteen, eighteen nineteen. Six
but listen to the idea of harps in chapter, five verse.
Eight WHEN i had taken the, scroll the four living
creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the,
lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls full of,

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incense which are the prayers of the saints fifteen. Two
AND i saw what appeared to be a sea of
glass mingled with, fire and also those who had conquered
the beast and its image and the number of its,
name standing beside the sea of glass with harps Of

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god in their, hands heavenly. Harps so this, sound this
worship originates in. Heaven it is absolutely, overwhelming and it
is beautiful and. Glorious this song is echoed on. Earth

(23:48):
look at verse, Three and they were singing a new
song before the, throne and before the four living, creatures
and before the. Elders no one could learn the song
except the one hundred and forty four thousand who had
been redeemed from the. Earth you've heard of the song
of the. Redeemed that's what we refer to. Here it
is the song of the, redeemed and only the redeemed

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can learn. It anybody can. Sing everybody, worships but only
the one hundred and forty four, thousand the totality of
the people Of, god learn this song of the. Redeemed

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there is a sense in which only those redeemed Of
god can offer him. Worship every, knee will, bow and
every tongue will confess That jesus Is lord to the
glory Of god The, father and it will Glorify god
on that. Day it will Glorify. God his wrath against
the wicked will bring glory to his. Name his destruction

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of the wicked will bring glory to his. Name it
will be. Worshipful but that is not the same as
what we speak of. Here this is the worship offered
by the people Of god as a direct result of
being redeemed by The, lamb and not everybody can do.
This notice that there is a. Distinction although the worship

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that is offered on earth and the worship that even
we offer here is informed by this worship From, heaven
it's not the. Same the worship That john is experiencing
here would be unsustainable by. Us first of, all it
would be physically unsustainable by. Us our voices cannot sustain

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this kind of. Worship our ears cannot survive this kind of.
Worship our bodies cannot endure this kind of. Worship so
there is a real sense in which we await our
new glorified bodies in order to enter into this. Fully
it's also emotionally. Unsustainable you can't sustain the kind of

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emotional intensity that's being referred to. Here your mind can't
concentrate sufficiently in order to do what's being done. Here
it's spiritually. Unsustainable your sin hinders. You you are still a,
sinner and so there is still a sense in which
you are tainted when you attempt to Worship. God you

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still Worship god oftentimes out of your own, selfishness out
of your own self. Indulgence you want it to be for.
You you wanted to be what you. Like why because you're,
Sinful you're not there, yet your thoughts betray. You you
say something About god that you know and believe to be,

(26:59):
true and, oftentime right in the midst of saying, it you, go,
really you don't have to admit. THIS i know. IT
i know. It there have been times when you were
right in the midst the, worship listening to a sermon
and somebody says something that you don't, like and immediately

(27:20):
your flesh. GOES i think that has to be. Wrong
why because you're interpreted the passage. Yourself, no because it
pierces you in your heart and you don't like it
because it gets to a beloved and cherished sin that
you're not ready to get rid of or repent. Of

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this is what happens to us in the here and
the now as we attempt to Worship. God so know
that what we're talking about here is, far in a
way more than anything that you AND i have ever
experience or. Encountered and yet everything that we do in

(28:05):
the worship of Our god is informed and influenced by.
It and just like this authentic, worship the only worship
that is, authentic the only worship that is worthy to
be offered To, god is worship that originates in heaven

(28:25):
and not on. Earth what DO i mean by? That
WHAT i mean by that Is god tells us how
to worship, him and we worship him in that. Way
we don't invent ways to Worship. God the one hundred
and forty four thousand are. Here they're standing before The.
Lamb they don't stand there and, Say i'm overwhelmed by this,

(28:47):
moment AND i think WHAT i really want to do Is.
No they're standing there and there is the sound of
rushing waters and the sound of thunder and the glorious
sound of harpists on their heavenly, hearts and there is
a song from heaven around the. Throne and what do they?
Do they, say we can outdo. That, no they learn

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the song and they offer it to The lamb because
there's nothing that they can do that would be more.
Significant the worship that we offer To god is the
worship That god requires of. Us, next we see the
followers of The True, lamb and this tells us that

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the adversarya has failed in this war of. Worship they're
described Here, first it is these who have not defiled
themselves with, women for they are. Virgins, again this is
one of the things that absolutely obliterates the idea that
what we're dealing with here is is literally one hundred

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and forty four Thousand jews converted after the. Tribulation this
is not speaking about individuals who have never had physical
intimacy with a. Woman if you put it in its,
context it's clear what's being referred to here In revelation

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two and verse. Twenty BUT i have this against you
that you tolerate that Woman, jezebel who calls herself a
prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice
sexual immorality and to eat food sacrifice to. Idols notice
the connection between sexual immorality and. Idolatry what's chapter thirteen
all about? Idolatry the worship of the, dragon the worship

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of the, beast the worship of the false. Prophet it's.
Idolatry and so the idea of idolatry and sexual immorality
are juxtaposed frequently In. Revelation soak here about individuals who've
not committed. Idolatry in chapter, seventeen verses three and. Four
and he carried me away in the spirit into a.
Wilderness AND i saw a woman sitting on a scarlet

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beast that was full of blasphemous, names and it had
seven heads and ten. Horns the woman was a rayed
in purple and, scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and,
pearls holding in her hand a golden cup full of
abomination and the impurities of her sexual. Immorality this is
the picture of that great Beast babylon The great verses

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six and seven in chapter. Seventeen AND i saw the
woman drunk with the blood of the, saints the blood
of the martyrs Of. Jesus WHEN i saw, HER i marveled.
Greatly but the anger the angel said to, me why
did you? MARVEL i will tell you the mystery of
the woman and of the beast with the seven heads

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and the horns that carries. Her it's a. Mystery in other,
words he's not speaking directly about sexual, immorality but about
a picture of idolatry that's personified here in this sexual. Immorality,
ephesians chapter. Five that first paragraph we see a very

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similar idea of idolatry and, covetousness and sexual immorality all.
Intertwined so when he refers here to these individuals one
hundred and forty four thousand being, pure saying that it
is these who have not defiled themselves with, women for
they are, virgins his reference is to the fact that

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they have not engaged in the idolatry of chapter. Thirteen
they have not defiled themselves by worshiping at the altar
of the. Beast, next they are faithful. Followers it is
these who follow The lamb wherever he. Goes what a beautiful.

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Picture there was a contrast here in thirteen. Three one
of the heads seemed to have a mortal, wound but
its mortal wound was, healed and the whole earth marveled
as they followed the. Beast, now what's. Happening the one
hundred and forty four thousand follow The lamb wherever he.

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Goes this is the only appeal to the idea of formal,
discipleship following this terminology of discipleship and following that is
found outside The gospels and acts in The New. Testament
this is a distinctive of true. Worship notice we haven't
left the idea of true, worship and it is a

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byproduct of. Redemption, see when we Worship, god there are
a number of limitations that we. Place first of, all
when we say, worship we almost always refer exclusively to.
Singing we're gonna have some, worship and then somebody's gonna
Preach help, Us. Lord nothing can be further from the.
Truth here's the other mistake that we make is that

(34:03):
we mistakingly think that our worship is merely limited to
those things that we do in our formal association and.
Services but the idea here is of following the. Lamb
they followed the false. Lamb these individuals are following the real.
Lamb this is a byproduct of their, redemption and it

(34:26):
is a fruit of their. Worship worship always manifests itself
in obedience when it is authentic. Worship if we're not
walking in, obedience then we're not really. Worshiping. Amen, Lord
we've gathered here to say that you're. Worthy we want

(34:47):
to sing that you're, worthy we want to preach that you're.
Worthy we want to gather around these elements that say
that you're. Worthy and then we want to leave and
live in a manner that is completely contradictory with everything
that we just, said and call what we did authentic.
Worship that dog won't. Hunt authentic worship always manifests itself in.

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Obedience and so in this war of, worship the adversary
has failed mainly because these individuals are. Pure they haven't
given into his, idolatries and they follow The lamb wherever he.
Goes is this not pictured in the way that we.

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Worship this is that right here and right now impact
of our. Worship in our, worship we always worship in three.
Tenses there is the past tense of our, worship and
so we praise The lord for who he is and
for what he has. Done and when we, worship we
always look back at what has been. Accomplished that is
an essential part of our. Worship there is also that

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sense in which we look forward and anxious, anticipation and
so we worship The lord and anticipate his, return anticipate
our being with him. Forever but there is this present
tense sense of our, worship and that is how the
worship Of god in the here and now impacts and
affects our. Life let me give you two. Examples baptism

(36:15):
and The Lord's supper important aspects of, worship the two
ordinances that The lord left. Us what do we do in, Baptism,
well we look. Back why do we dip the person
in the. Water there is a picture Of christ being
buried when he. Died we raise the person. Up that's

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a picture Of christ being, resurrected and so past, tense
that's what we look back. To there's also a future.
Tints what do we look forward to in the. Future,
well this person who's being baptized is also going to,
die and when they, die they are going into the
ground like they're being pictured going into the. Water but
Because christ has, risen they too will rise. Someday what

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about the? Present i'm right now being buried to my
old life and raised to walk in newness of. Life
in the here and the, now there is the, past
there is the, future and there is the. Present in
our worship The Lord's, supper when we gather around this
table in a few, moments what are we going to.
Do we're going to look back to the broken body

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and shed blood Of Jesus christ and rejoice over our
redemption because he died and rose. Again and then we're
going to look, forward as often as you eat this
bread and drink this, cup you proclaim The lord's death
until he. Comes but there's also a right here and
a right. NOW i am going to eat AND i
am going to, drink and it is going to be

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a picture and a reminder of my need right here
and right now to constantly feed On. Christ this picture
of following The lamb wherever he goes is a picture
of this present impact of our. Worship they're the first

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fruits verse. Four these have been redeemed from. Mankind it's
first fruits For god and The. Lamb we said this,
before but it bears mentioning. Again you're hearing this in
the first. Century there aren't that many people on Planet

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earth in the first. CENTURY i, mean they can't imagine
a planet was seven plus eight billion people on. It
they just that's, unfathomable absolutely. Unfathomable and in, fact this
number one hundred and forty four, thousand this means very
little to you and to me when we live in

(38:48):
a country that calculates its DEBT i think in. Zillions,
now it's not a big of a number to. US
a thousand to the first, centry, mind that's, huge almost.
Incalculable we have sporting events that have this many, PEOPLE.

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NASCAR nascar has racist with more people than, This so
we don't even have to imagine this. Number you can
actually go see this. Number but to a first Century,
christian they can't wrap their minds around this. Number this

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number is, Huge this number is, overwhelming it's. Unimaginable and
Then john says it's first, fruits which means it's representative
of even larger. Number it's a picture of the totality
of the people Whom god will save and redeem on the,

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earth and that number is bigger than anything you can.
Imagine there's going to be more people redeemed than you. Think,
amen all of us tend to underestimate the number of
people who are going to be. Redeemed you can't imagine

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the number of people Whom god has saved and Whom
god is going to, save and how gloriously magnificent it
will be when that number is finally. Revealed contrast this

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with what happens in thirteen fifteen when they worship the
beasts for a limited period of. Time, finally these people
are Truthful verse, five and in their mouth no lie
was found in their. Mouth no lie was found by the,

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way again another example are another proof that we're not
talking about a literal one hundred and forty four thousand.
People nobody's that. Saved Amend did you catch? That nobody's that?
Saved all, right he's not literally saying there's one hundred

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and forty four thousand virgins who've never. Lied that's, ridiculous that's.
Ridiculous that's not what he's talking, about you, Know and
enough already with all, this, well you, know salvation now
is not like. That but in the last, days you,
know after the rapture and so on and on and so,
forth a millennial, kingdom then you're gonna have a different
kind of salvation and different kind of. Salvation, no, no, no

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he's not being. Literal it's not a one hundred and forty
forty four thousand virgins who've never. Lied all have sinned
and falls short of the glory Of. God. Amen but
what's being referred to, here there's a. Contrast looking thirteen
five and, six and the beast was given a mouth
uttering haughty and blasphemous, words and it was allowed to

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exercise authority for forty two. Months it opened its mouth
to other blasphemies Against, god blaspheming his name and just,
dwelling that, is those who dwell in. Heaven he's. Blaspheming
notice the use of. Blasphemy there's, blasphemy and he's. Blaspheming
what is it to? Blaspheme to lie About? God to

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speak Against, god to say that which you ought not
say About, god to say that which is not true About?
God that's what it is to. Blasphem what's the contrast
in this war of? Worship the contrast Is god's people speak.
Truth there's a juxtaposition here of those who follow The

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beast and those who follow The. Lamb and in this
war of, worship it is very clear that the beast
has failed and The lamb has, succeeded that The beast
has lost and The lamb has. WON i Believe chapter

(43:34):
fourteen is here to encourage, us and we need it
after chapter, thirteen and then we need some encouragement after
we walk through chapter. Thirteen chapter thirteen just looks, bad
and just look. Bad it is. Bad he's allowed to
war against the. Saints we're. Dying you can't, buy you can't,

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sell you can't. Eat they hate, us it's just. Awful
we need some. Encouragement do you know WHAT i? Believe
all we need is verse. One THEN i looked and,
behold On Mount zion stood The, lamb and with him

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one hundred and forty four thousand who had his name
and his father's name written on their. Foreheads no matter
how dark the days, get if you look To, zion
you will see The. Lamb and no matter how dark
the days, get The lamb never stands On zion. Alone

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those of us who are sealed with his name and
his father's name stand right along with. Him As paul
says In, ephesians seated in the heavenly. Places that's your
birthright as a born again follower of the True. Lamb

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this doesn't mean that days aren't, dark but it means
that in the midst of those dark, days the adversary is,
opposed the adversary is, doomed the adversary has failed because

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The lamb will be. Victorious but the question still, remains
whose name is on, you whose seal is on? You
whose number is on? You you know what's interesting about thirteen

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is that when you AND i look At chapter, thirteen
it's written in such a way that it's very easy
for us to. Discern and if you were to bring
anyone chapter thirteen in chapter fourteen and ask them do
you want chapter thirteen or do you want chapter, fourteen
they would say give me chapter. Fourteen of, course there'd

(46:24):
be some people out there who's you, KNOW i love the,
devil give me chapter, thirteen, Whatever but most, reasonable rational
people are going to, say give me chapter. Fourteen but
here's what you've got to keep in. Mind chapter thirteen
looks like it does to us because we're Reading god's.
Revelation you know what it looks like to a, lost,

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hurting and dying. World that dragon looks Like. God that
beast he looks like The. Sun that second beast looks
like the spirit pointing back to the. Sun those three

(47:13):
sixes are really close to three sevens if you're not looking.
Carefully and after, All god is the one who says
that we're obligated to take care of our, families, right
so certainly someone who says do this so that you
can buy and sell and take care of your families

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as someone to whom we ought to. Listen. See the
sad reality is there are many people who think they're
in chapter, fourteen when in fact they're in chapter, thirteen
because chapter thirteen only looks disastrous from a heavenly. Perspective

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but if you don't have, that it just looks like
the way everybody. Lives it looks like your decent neighbor
down the street who's just a good. Person it looks
like grandma who never went to, church never served The,

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lord but was good to you and took care of
you when you were. Sick it looks like your uncle
who was so much fun to be With, andy you
absolutely love him to. Death and if he calls you,
today it, says let's go to the ball. Game there's
nobody that you're ready to go to the ball we
can go out a game With you're just a good.

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Dude you. Know he's all over chapter. Thirteen they're not
looking to the lamb who was standing On Mount. Zion

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their mark is three. Sixes their worship is being offered
to a False christ and the False god and the False.
Spirit and if you were to tell them, that they
would fight you tooth and nail and call you all

(49:23):
sorts of horrible. Names why because the dragon, deceives that's
what he. Does what is our? Hope our hope so.

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Far there's more coming to this, chapter but our hope
so far is that we make a clear distinction between
the Authentic trinity and the false. One our hope is
that the worship that we offer to The lamb is
not just lip, service but life. Service our hope is

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that we examine the mark carefully and ask to whom
do we? Belong in other, words our hope is careful
inspection of our own lives with a view toward radical
obedience to The lamb and offering him the worship that

(50:33):
he is. Due let's, Pray, father as we, Bow we

(50:56):
bow before you as a grateful, people grateful to you
for how clearly you have articulated these, truths grateful to
you that you've revealed this to, us and yet confessing
to you that even those of us who are redeemed have,

(51:20):
been at one time or another, Deceived and for, many
if not, most of, us coming to salvation was first
and foremost an acknowledgment of the fact that we'd been.
Deceived that we thought we were righteous but we were.
Not that we thought we were worshiping The lamb but
we were. Not that we thought we were looking to Mount,

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zion but we were. Not that we thought we were
one hundred and forty four, thousand but we were. Not
and if that is true of many of us who
know and love and serve The, lamb then certainly it
is true of. Others, god would you grant by your

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grace that those under the south of my voice would
be given eyes to see and ears to. Hear grant
that none would leave here, deceived but that instead we
would see and worship The lamb who was, Slain that

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we would be numbered among the, redeemed that we would
be sealed With his name and, yours and that we
would offer worship that originates in heaven and manifests itself
on the, earth and that ultimately impacts the way we

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live our. Lives as we followed The lamb wherever he,
goes H grant this we pray In christ's name and
for his. Sake amenh