0:42 Well, grace and peace to you all. From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, welcome to Maranatha Bible Church. Welcome to the Lord's Day service in this wonderful building where we can gather as the bride Christ, as the body of Christ, as brothers and sisters in Christ to exalt Jesus Christ. And that is our goal today. That is our aim today.
1:06 And I hope that you have come into this building expecting wonderful things from the Lord. You know, in these Lord's day services, I'm always reminded that what we do here is not passive. We don't just simply sit here or stand here and and drift and become observers. No. The Bible has something far grander in store for us.
1:31 You think look through all the Psalms. Look through the entirety of the Bible, and the Lord calls his people to be active in their worship to him. Words like exalt and rejoice and celebrate and come into his presence with thanksgiving. So as we are gathered here today, it is our encouragement to you, take that active role. No matter what is going on in your week this this this week, take that active role.
1:59 Focus your mind on Christ. Focus your heart. Give your heart once again to Christ as we worship him. And as we begin our service, I'd ask you, as you are able to stand for the reading of God's word. I'm going to be reading today from first Peter chapter one beginning at verse number 13.
2:23 First Peter one thirteen through 25. The Holy Spirit says through the apostle Peter, therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you with the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy. And if you call on him as father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile knowing that you were ransomed from the feudal ways inherited from your forefathers.
3:15 Not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God.
3:59 For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you. Let's pray. Father, we thank you.
4:22 Lord, we thank you for the privilege and the joy it is to gather today to worship you as the body of Christ. Father, may you be glorified today in everything that we do. May you be glorified in what our minds think about. May you be glorified in what our words say, and may you be glorified on what our hearts meditate upon today. And father, we do rejoice today of this good news.
4:50 This good news of Jesus Christ. And may the risen Christ be exalted today. May we rejoice in Him today. Father, we thank you. We thank you for this great salvation.
5:02 May we work it out with fear and trembling before you knowing that it is you who wills and works in us for your good pleasure. You get the glory and we get the joy. What a wonderful exchange that is. And, Lord, we thank you for it from the bottom of our hearts. Help us now as we worship.
5:20 Illuminate our hearts as we hear the proclamation of your words. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Church, will you please join us and sing? Sing to the Lord a new song.
5:31 Sing to the Lord from the bottom of your hearts.
13:19 We've come to give him glory, haven't we? That's why we're here. Let's do that in prayer. Lord, we thank you. We magnify you.
13:25 We exalt you. Lord, the things that you have done in each of our lives are indeed great. And even in those times of mystery, Lord, we trust that you are a great God. And, Lord, we we pray that as we've gathered as your church in this very room, that we would be reminded of your greatness. We pray, Lord, that every other rival, every other thing that seeks to sabotage our joy and our peace and our delight in you, would be vanquished by the truths that we sing and hear this morning.
13:59 We pray that you would heal our hearts, Lord. That you would strengthen our souls, and that we would leave here knowing that we have encountered the living God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.
14:10 Before you see to turn to someone and welcome them to this Lord's Day service. Welcome to Maranatha Bible Church. Welcome to this local assembly where our simple desire is to imitate the blueprint of the New Testament church according to the scriptures. If you're here for the very first time, a special welcome to you. We hope that you are blessed as we seek to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.
14:48 At this time, it is our custom to worship in our giving. We believe that act is indeed an act of worship. And so as the ushers assist us with that, you can find different ways to give, to the contribution of the advancement of the gospel through this local congregation, and our partnership with other ministries and missions organizations that are seeking to make the gospel known across the globe as well. We are so grateful. And we have even more reason to give as we recognize this blessing of a facility that God has given us.
15:20 And we trust that we will pay off all, our expenses, so that we can sooner than later focus on the mission of this church. As that is taking place, a few announcements to bring to your attention. You know this already, that our registration for our yearly conference has been open for the last two weeks. If you don't know this, we do have a yearly conference every year in Michigan in the wonderful retreat center at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference. And so we are looking forward to that in the month of August, the twenty seventh to the thirtieth, and you can scan the QR code there to see and find more information.
15:57 If you wanna know what that looks like, you can go on our YouTube channel and find some of the previous live streams of the wonderful news facilities there and the meetings and the themes and the messages that we've been so blessed by year after year. We have, I think, from what I saw last time, 90 something spots left for those who would want to stay on-site. Though there's much more room for those who would want to stay elsewhere in terms of lodging and attend those meetings. So please register. We're looking forward to that.
16:25 What that means is we will not be having services here that weekend as well. So, you can, you can watch us online if you can't make it to the conference, but we'll get more information as we approach that weekend. Besides that, I also wanna make known to the mothers of this, this church and maybe visitors. Some didn't know this, so I was told to announce it. So there are three main doors into the sanctuary.
16:48 To my right, directly outside of those doors, the last door to the right, there is a cry room. We call it a cry room or or nursery room to some extent. It's just a it's a place for moms to go and bring their babies and take care of them in a very comfortable space. There's a TV screen there that live streams the services on time, in real time. So if at any point you need to attend to your little one, you can go right there.
17:12 Look at that. We have somebody right there. And that timely announcement or what? And that room is designated for moms with nursing infants, so, please let's respect that space as well. Few other things.
17:26 July 4 is coming up. This is just something we've done every year. July 3, which is on a Friday, we always cancel that Bible study for that weekend. And so there will be no Bible study on July 3. Just please let that, be known to those who may not be as, up to date with our announcements.
17:42 And so no Bible study this upcoming Friday, but we do have our Wednesday prayer meeting every single Wednesday, 07:00. In the basement of the church, there is a room that we meet in that is, set apart for that. And it's been a blessing. Since we started this church, we haven't missed a beat to pray, and we hope that that would be our habit as long as we remain as a church. So please join us for Wednesdays at seven.
18:03 No Bible studies this, this Friday. And as you know, we have our services Sundays at 10:30AM. Lastly, we have our VBS, which is on July 28 to the thirty first, and you can register your children on our website. There should be a QR code. Yes.
18:20 And we also are in need of volunteers. And so if you wanna help out for those days to minister and serve the children of this church and even visiting children, you can do it on the same QR code. You can scan and you can look for the volunteer part and register your name and your information. We will get a hold of you and let you know how you can help us for that. We are in need of volunteers.
18:39 So please, if it's, if it's on your heart to to bless us and our children in this way, we'd love for you to look into that. I have been reading, the book of Acts carefully and slowly these past few days, And something stood out to me that I wanna share with you. You know, sometimes when we come to church, when we come to these meetings, we tend to lose sight of what it's about, why we do what we do here. And there are many answers to that in scripture. And I hope that this little observation will help recalibrate us and help us understand of what a gift it is to be in God's house as we are here at this very moment.
19:19 You know what I noticed? When Paul went to different churches throughout the account of this book, there's this repeated word or this repeated experience every time. It says over and over again that the churches were strengthened. The people were strengthened. Strengthened.
19:39 You'll see that repeated. And I wanna read one example of that from Acts chapter 14 in verse 21. Just listen. If you wanna turn there, you're free to do that. But just very quickly, listen to these words here in Acts fourteen twenty one.
19:53 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. Here's what this tells me. One of the things that you and I can expect when we faithfully come to meetings like this and listen, as much as church is a people, the church is the people of God, it's more than that. A few Christians going to Starbucks to talk about things in the Bible is not church. That's fellowship.
20:34 Church is an actual meeting with structure and order and leadership and ministers clearly defined. That's church according to the Bible. And what I see here is that when we honor the church, we inherit strength. What kind of strength? Verse 22.
20:52 Strengthening the souls of the disciples. And the innermost part of who you are and who I am, we will know a strength from God. That is God's gift to you when you choose to come and meet with his people. And so it is a strength received, but also a strength that we give. There's something that we contribute as pastor Mark opened the service with.
21:21 And so what we will leave this place with, and every single time we gather, is a supernatural strength from God to keep going on. And that encourages us for many reasons. One of them being, you can come to church weak. You know, it's amazing. You you hear this from genuine Christians sometimes.
21:41 Where have you been, brother? Where have you been, sister? I just I haven't been doing well in my faith. You're the perfect candidate to come to church. Did you know that?
21:51 Because we get strength when we come here. So even if you have to drag yourself, even if you have to crawl to church, get yourself to church because that is where you're going to find strength. So if you are weak today, if you're disillusioned, if you're out of breath spiritually, God is going to strengthen you. He has come to meet with us. He loves us.
22:16 He cares for us. He wants to encourage us. Even though there will be many tribulations that we must endure leading up to the kingdom of God, he will supply the mercy so that we can enter in triumphantly and joyfully. I want us to pray together for that strength to not just be something we read of in our bibles, but to be experienced as his people. Can we do that?
22:38 Lord, you know the hearts of your people. You know the condition of our souls. And we ask you, Lord, humbly and joyfully that we would know the strength that we see the church being energized with in your word. For those who are weak, who can't seem to overcome sin, for those who are losing hope in their prayer lives, for those who just because of the busyness of life are frustrated with their spiritual stride and advancements. We pray, Lord, that you would give us strength.
23:16 Real strength. Holy Spirit strength. Empower us, Lord, through the means of grace that you have established in your church. We ask these things, glorifying you in advance, knowing that we will leave here with greater muscle in our souls. In Jesus' name, we pray.
23:33 Amen. Amen. Let's stand together in the strength of the lord, and let us worship the living Christ with one voice.
33:18 May we boast of nothing else but the cross of your son. God, we thank you that we have freedom, Lord, to come before you freely, to praise freely. God, we love you. We thank you. We praise you.
33:32 We ask this morning as we prepare to hear your word that you would give us faith as your word says faith comes by hearing of the word of God. And we pray, Lord, that you would empower our pastor by your spirit, and your spirit would be amongst us in a special way, Lord. If your spirit is not in us, with us, and amongst us, Lord, we might as well go home. This is just a social club, Lord. May we experience the power of your spirit in a special way this morning.
34:03 God, that your people would be strengthened. Strengthened in their soul, Lord. And God, that anyone here who does not know you would come to know you, lord, in a real way, in a true and living way. Lord, we need you this morning. Pray that you would be amongst us, god, in a unique, special, peculiar way, lord.
34:26 God, for your glory and for the good of your people and for the salvation of sinners, Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
34:45 Amen. Well, for the past several weeks, we have been tracing in God's word, God's judgment against what the book of Revelation calls Babylon. Babylon, according to this book, is a future religious and economic system that will form the foundation of the Antichrist global empire. And we have considered carefully how God will bring an end to Babylon's religious dimension in Revelation chapter 17. And we've also studied in Revelation 18, how he will overthrow its economic headquarters.
35:29 And it was in chapter 18 that we considered the disturbing response of the nations as they witnessed the collapse of Babylon. And we saw the tears, and we heard the wailing. And we try to make sense of this because it seemed on the surface that they were very empathetic. But we quick quickly discovered that there was no true empathy at all. In fact, the reason for their brokenness was not due to repentance.
36:06 There was no sorrow for the grief of others. It was total self absorption on display. The merchants and the kings and the ship masters were so overwhelmed because the loss of Babylon was the loss of their security, and their personal profit, and their hope of a future. But now we come to our Bibles and look at Revelation chapter 19. And I invite you there in your copy of the Holy Scriptures, because the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John is preparing us to see that these different groups of people that we looked at last week were not the only ones who have their responses and their reactions recorded to the demise and the destruction of Babylon.
37:06 We are about to see a different kind of response, one that comes from heaven. And this heavenly response interprets the fall of Babylon far differently than what the world experienced. While the earth dwellers express themselves in the form of an ancient funeral dirich, heaven is going to react with praise choruses. The contrast could not be more striking. And as we look at these first few verses, we are going to consider this outbreak of heavenly joy and learn how this is only going to stretch our understanding of worship.
37:56 And so let's look together here in Revelation 19, beginning in verse one. After this, I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out, hallelujah. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality and has avenged on her blood on the blood on her the blood, rather, his servants. Once more, they cried out, hallelujah.
38:30 The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the 24 living creatures fell down and worship God, who was seated on the throne saying, amen. Hallelujah. And from the throne came a voice saying, praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear Him, small and great. Pray with me.
38:54 Lord, we ask that you would teach us what it means to say hallelujah. We ask, Lord, that You would help us understand what this praise is all about, and that You would strengthen our worship, that You would help us understand what our hope is, what the inheritance is that we have in Jesus Christ, and how that should provoke us to say hallelujah even today. We ask these things by the help of your Holy Spirit and in the name of the risen Christ, Jesus. Amen and amen. You know what's interesting?
39:34 We saw together last week how there were three groups of people distinct from one another, yet sharing the sorrow of the fall of this Babylon. And now we come to Revelation 19 as the vision shifts to heaven. And we also see three groups of people who are rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. We read of the first two. The third one, we will look at more carefully next week.
40:01 It's in verse six. But I don't want to look at this portion of scripture in the same way that we did at the end of Revelation chapter 18, Because there's something else that stands out in the verses that we just read, and it is this repeated refrain, this repeated expression, Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
40:29 That may seem like a common term to us, but it is uncommon in the book of Revelation and beyond as we're about to discover. The word hallelujah, what does it mean? Well, it's a Hebrew phrase made up of two Hebrew words. The first one is Hallel, which means praise. And the second part is Yeah, which is a shortened version of the name of Yahweh.
40:52 So put together, it's simply praise Yahweh. Praise the Lord. But here's my question. You might have known that, but what I wondered when coming to this passage earlier this week was what is a Hebrew word or a Hebrew phrase, a Hebrew expression doing in the book of Revelation, which was written in Greek? I wondered, why is it untranslated?
41:26 Why is it transliterated instead? And if John wanted to translate it, he could have simply placed, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. But he doesn't do that.
41:40 And I wanna give you two reasons. Number one, hallelujah, was a familiar liturgical cry in the early church. It was something that they said. You can find this in church history, and we see it even here indicated by John. Other words like amen share that same usage.
42:04 And so for John to employ and to use this kind of language is familiar vocabulary to his readers. They knew what hallelujah meant. They said hallelujah in their meetings. And so John here, guided by the spirit, freely uses the word hallelujah. Secondly, we've seen this over and over and over again, that the book of Revelation is absolutely saturated with Old Testament imagery, illusions, and even languages.
42:41 And so what we have before us is John, yet again, connecting us to the Hebrew scriptures, to the themes and the realities of the Hebrew Bible, to show the continuity of it, to show that what he is saying here by way of prophecy doesn't contradict what the prophets of old have said. And so even by sprinkling hallelujah here, he is encouraging us and inviting us to contemplate how the realities of the new are in concert with the testimonies of the old. And they call us to deeper reflection, and that is exactly what we're going to do. And that becomes even more meaningful to us when we recognize that this is the first time the word hallelujah appears in the New Testament. Right here.
43:38 There are only four occurrences where you will find hallelujah in the New Testament. All four are found in this one chapter. Not in any part of the gospels. Not in any doxology in the epistles. All of the hallelujahs are reserved in Revelation chapter 19.
44:00 That's significant. And we want to consider these things more carefully. So here's what we plan to do as a family, as a church. We want to look at three reasons why they're saying hallelujah here, and why we should say hallelujah as well. So if you leave this place today and somebody asks you, what did you learn in church?
44:24 Because we're supposed to learn. Right? We come to God's Word. It's taught. And we are people called to learn and grow in our understanding.
44:34 If somebody were to ask you, what did you gain from God's word on this lord's day? You can say, I learned three reasons why I should say hallelujah. Three reasons why I should strengthen my praise. I should grow in my adoration. I should increase in my worship.
44:52 It's modeled for us right here. Now I told you earlier that there are four mentions of hallelujah. We will only consider the first three because the final one is tied to a truth so weighty that it deserves a separate message. Three reasons why we can say hallelujah. Three reasons why we should say hallelujah.
45:14 Number one, the saints shout hallelujah for his complete salvation. Not just salvation, his complete salvation. Notice the first word that appears after the initial hallelujah in verse one. A great multitude in heaven crying out hallelujah, salvation. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
45:40 Salvation, underline it. This word frames what this celebration is all about. And I'm aware that John tells us explicitly in verse two why they're saying hallelujah. Look at it again. For his judgments are true and just, for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality.
46:02 But judgment in itself is not why these saints are jubilant. It's not the the cause of their exuberance. It's an understanding that judgment is used in order for God's salvation to reach its completion. Another way of putting it, the believers in heaven recognize that what God has done to Babylon has brought them to the climax of his promised deliverance to those who belong to him. Hallelujah.
46:37 Salvation. You see, oftentimes, when we hear the word salvation, we limit it to our spiritual redemption, to Christ's defeat over sin and and death, and what we have inherited because of our faith in him. And though that is generally true, though in many context, salvation means that, we also have to understand that salvation, that spiritual deliverance is a starting point that sets us up to experience future deliverances. In other words, there is a future dimension to your salvation and mine. And we see this in so many places in the New Testament.
47:24 One very obvious place is in Romans 13 verse 11. Listen to what Paul says here to these believers and to us. In Romans 13 verse 11, besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. It's possible to be Christian and spiritually asleep. Why should we wake up from sleep?
47:45 Paul says, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. Hold on for a moment. How can salvation be near to us if salvation is gained upon belief? A repentant faith. Well, clearly, the New Testament teaches that though we are saved that conversion, we are also moving toward the fullness and consummation of our redemption.
48:16 And so salvation does not just promise you and I a new heart. It guarantees you a new body, a new home, a new world, and a new and everlasting kingdom that will be governed by the righteous king who saved your soul. There's more to our salvation than us being cleansed by the blood of Jesus as glorious as that is. That blood prepares us to know more salvation. And that's why Peter can say things like, in second Peter three verse 13, you know this well.
49:02 But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. God is gonna bring not just a regeneration to us, yes, in our soul, but a regeneration to the universe. The world and the universe itself will be born again in some sense, and God is preparing us for that. And that should be our longing as those who have been saved, that there is yet more to our salvation to unfold, which means that in order for the arrival of God's salvation in its final stages to take place, other things need to be done including judgment, the judgment of Babylon. And so when we come to Revelation 19, that is what we are witnessing, the end of the tribulation period where the lord is preparing and setting the stage for our complete salvation, for us to enter into the fullness of what he has promised us and purchased for us.
50:13 And in order for that to happen, he has to he has to execute his wrath against every rival that would resist the completion of his salvation. And that is what is taking place here. And though this burst of praise will be experienced in a unique way when that turning point in redemptive history arrives, the truth of it alone should cause us to never hesitate to sing it, to shout it, and even whisper it in private worship. If you need to find a reason to genuinely praise the Lord, may I suggest to you and to myself to become more acquainted with our redemption and what awaits us? What do you know about the completion of your salvation?
51:15 Not just what he's done in the past, but what he's going to do in the future. How familiar are you with it? I'll tell you that the more familiar you become with it, the more you will have the ability to genuinely say hallelujah. Can I give you one simple taste of it? It's what Paul says in the book of Philippians.
51:37 Let's go there together. It's worth it. In Philippians chapter three, in verse 20. Most of us are aware that when that day comes, we will see Jesus Christ in the fullness of his glory. Amen?
51:59 Amen. But have you ever considered this, that when that day comes, you and I will actually share in his glory? So what do you mean? Well, see what Paul says here in Philippians three verse 20. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a savior, the lord Jesus Christ.
52:20 Pause. That's why most of us understand our union with Jesus Christ upon his return. We await a savior, and we're going to see him in all his splendor, in all his majesty, in all his excellencies. Amen. His glory will be unveiled before us, and you and I will be so spellbound that it will keep your adoring attention for eternity.
52:50 But look at verse 21. It doesn't stop at verse 20. Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself. If you're a true born again Christian, then you believe that you will be resurrected. You believe Jesus resurrected from the dead, and you believe that you will be resurrected from the dead.
53:16 But have you ever considered this layer to our resurrection? We're not just going to be marvelously altered and transformed, but we're actually going to share the design of Jesus' resurrection body. Isn't that what it says here? To be like His glorious body. If that doesn't cause you to say hallelujah, I don't know what will.
53:40 What does his resurrection body look like? What does it feel like? What is it able to do? What is it able to perform? What is it free from?
53:49 We don't have the complete picture, but that single truth alone is enough to generate a hallelujah. That that belongs to me. That's my inheritance and yours. And I think we get some clues when we see how the Lord interacts with his disciples and how he moves in his post resurrection appearances. I know sometimes we get frustrated because we don't get all the answers we want to some of these truths and doctrines.
54:21 But I've I've come to be at rest with the revelation that I believe the Lord veils much of this just so He can surprise us like a good father does. So one reason the saints shout hallelujah is because of God's complete salvation. It's here. It's arrived. But we come to the second reason.
54:46 The saints shout hallelujah for His eternal judgment. Look again at verse three. Once more in Revelation 19, verse three, Once more they cried out, Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. So now there's this renewed declaration of praise, and the reason is quite plain.
55:11 The smoke of her, being Babylon's torment, goes up for eternity. That's what that phrase indicates, forever and ever. Here's what the point of this is, that this ancient Babylonian spirit that has manifested differently throughout history, All that she represents, all that she has caused, the oppression of God's people, the temptation that has seduced nations, false religions, idolatry, materialism, all of that evil will one day come to an end, and that end will be permanent. It will be irreversible. Babylon, though she has made many comebacks throughout the centuries and will have a final attempt in the tribulation period, the last several years of human history, will never be able to make a comeback after this.
56:12 The blow that she will receive by the hand of God at this juncture will be final. And the saints in heaven recognize this, and they say hallelujah at the permanence of God's judgment. Not just his judgment, but the effect of it. Corrupt government, false ideologies, persecution, every vile thing you can imagine will no longer be able to ruin our world. It will stop, it will cease, and it will be done forever and ever.
56:52 And this is why the saints can say, Hallelujah. Here's what's so interesting. The truth of God ridding the earth of all this corruption is something that the saints have always longed for and praised God for. You know, we're reading this in the last book of the Bible, but we've been prepared for it in earlier passages in our Bibles. You don't have to answer this out loud.
57:20 You can answer it in your heart, But I wanna ask you, when is the first time the expression hallelujah appears? Not in the New Testament, but in the Bible altogether. Don't answer it out loud. When do we first encounter hallelujah in our bibles? If you guess the book of Psalms, you're right.
57:44 And I want you to see it with your own eyes in Psalm one zero four. And the reason why I'm taking us here is because it shows us something very interesting about hallelujah. Look at Psalm one zero four, the last verse of this chapter, verse 35. Psalm one zero four verse 35. Look what the psalmist says.
58:16 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. That's hallelujah. That's translated, but the actual Hebrew is hallelujah.
58:31 And it's the first time it shows up in our bibles. In what context? Does it sound familiar? What is he what is he celebrating? Judgment.
58:43 Isn't this fascinating that the first appearance of hallelujah in our bibles and the last time it shows up in our bibles, it is glorifying God for bringing an everlasting end to evil. Not that it can't be used for other purposes. You you see the same expression throughout the book of Psalms for different reasons. But I think it is absolutely amazing that it carries a special designation. It describes the joy and the delight and the gratitude that believers taste at the reality of God putting an end to their oppression and the temptation of wickedness around them.
59:33 Hallelujah. That is definitely eye opening, but I'm also aware that what you are hearing at this moment can be quite challenging. Hallelujah at judgment. Is it possible for us to be wondering how how is it that the redeemed can revel in the permanent demise of Babylon, even though she is the mother of all filth and wickedness? And now there are some who might debate about what it is exactly that they are celebrating in Revelation 19.
1:00:15 Is it the ideology? Is it the spirit behind the system that is destroyed? Or is it also including the people who were used as conduits to bring about this vileness upon the earth? Either way, there are many Christians who struggle to reconcile how anybody can actually rejoice over the destruction of any kind with our moral ethic as followers of Jesus Christ. And to be transparent, I remember coming across this some years ago and thinking to myself when realizing this is the first time hallelujah shows up in the New Testament, and it's at judgment.
1:00:57 It was up to me. I could think of many other places where hallelujah could have showed up in the New Testament, but in the face of wrath, of swift divine destruction. And then it dawned on me, when trying to make sense of this, who is it that's saying hallelujah? The redeemed. Yes.
1:01:24 But the redeemed where? Go back to Revelation 19. Look again at verse one. After this, I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven. That's important.
1:01:41 In heaven crying out hallelujah. In heaven crying out in verse three. Hallelujah. The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. So these are believers, undoubtedly, but these are believers who are dwelling in the unfiltered presence of God, liberated from the corruption of sin, and forever transformed.
1:02:09 Here's what that means. When the Lord calls us home or when we are glorified, every part of our being will be renewed, including our perspective on absolutely everything. Even though we are justified in this place, and I pray that every person here is born again, The way we view sin, the way we view people, the way we even view God himself is far from perfect. We're still tainted. There's still pollution.
1:02:42 There's still a ceiling to our understanding, to our comprehension of what is true, and what is holy, and what is pure, and what is beautiful, and what is right. And one of the things about glorification is that there will be such a radical change in the way we think that we will be in complete alignment with the nature and assessment of our God. We will see as he sees. We will feel as he feels, and we will rejoice in what he rejoices in. So much so that without hesitation and in perfect agreement, we can say hallelujah when he judges wickedness and the wicked in order to vindicate himself.
1:03:29 For now, it's difficult for genuine believers. And that problem stems from two main things. Even the most spiritual of Christians cannot see God for who he truly is in his complete form and his complete realities. We don't really know just how holy God is. If we're honest, we treat him and we think about him as someone who's just a little bit better than us, was a little bit more consistent than us.
1:04:08 We don't really grasp how he is far above our understanding of what is righteous and what is pure, what is blameless and what is just. That's our fundamental problem. And that's proven by the fact that we doubt him at times, we dare to even criticize his ways, we question some parts of his word. Those are all indications that we don't understand just how holy he is. But there's a second issue.
1:04:44 We also don't comprehend just how sinful we are because we're constantly looking at one another. We're constantly comparing ourselves to others, and we rarely compare ourselves to this holy God. And even when we do, back to part one, we don't really know how holy he is. So even when we try to measure up, unless from the help of the Holy Spirit, you've met people like this who arrogantly assume that they are good. You you hear atheist talk like this?
1:05:26 Oh, when I get to heaven or when I stand before God, I have a few questions to ask him. Really? You have no idea who you're talking about. Even Isaiah the prophet, who said, Woe, woe, woe to all his fellow brethren, when he got before the holiness of God on that throne, shrieked as he realized just how unclean he was. But here's the reward that awaits us.
1:06:08 Though we will not fully be able to understand and grasp the reality of who he is and who we are and who sinners are, our minds will know a renewal when he brings us home. And only then will we be able to fully make sense of this kind of hallelujah. Can I provide a a verse that can help us believe that a little bit more? It's in the old testament. It's Isaiah chapter 65.
1:06:41 This is one of those verses worth holding on to for future conversations. Look at Isaiah 65, it's one simple verse, but it's packed with so much promise, and I'm sure it can generate a lot of conversation. Isaiah 65. Look at verse 17. Isaiah 65 verse 17.
1:07:13 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. You see this? The primary truth in view here is that when we do enter into that age to come, God will heal our conscience. He will not allow us to carry over into this new world our past regrets, our past sorrows, our past shame, our past loss. There will be no emotional hindrance when we step onto those shores.
1:07:57 They won't even come into mind. That's one of the blessings. But as a general truth, the reason why it brought us here is to show that something will happen to our minds in the new heavens and the new earth. So you and I think joyfully, yes, that when we get to heaven, there'll be no more aches, no more pains, no more doctor visits, no more medication, no more canes, no more wheelchairs. Yes.
1:08:26 That's wonderful. But have you ever considered your psyche? Have you ever considered your outlook, your meditations, your analysis, your trauma, your subconscious? Have you ever considered that? God did.
1:08:46 He's going to heal it. Not just from pain, not just from agonizing thoughts, not just from nightmares, but also in the way you see sin, and you see His holiness to the degree that you will say hallelujah at things you struggle to believe today. The saints will shout hallelujah for God's eternal judgment, which brings us now to our third and final declaration in Revelation 19. Let's read it again in verse four. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne saying, amen, hallelujah.
1:09:46 And from the throne came a voice saying, praise our God, all you, his servants, you who fear him, small and great. Here we have another hallelujah coming from a different group of people, though, who's highlighted here, not the great multitude in heaven, but the 24 elders and the four living creatures whom we've discussed in the past. What I want us to see, however, is the direction and the focus of their hallelujah. What is being emphasized here? What is the object of their praise at this moment?
1:10:21 Look again, verse four. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying amen. Hallelujah. Look at verse five. And from the throne came a voice saying, it's the throne of God, which teaches us what?
1:10:40 That a third reason why the saints shout and declare and sing hallelujah is because of God's sovereignty. God's sovereignty. Not just his complete salvation, not just for his eternal judgment, but because of the fact that he is king and he will be king forever. And if you doubt that interpretation, take a quick peek at verse six. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude.
1:11:06 That's the third group they join in. Like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out hallelujah for the Lord our God, the almighty, what, reigns. What these heavenly beings are rejoicing about, the reason for their their glee is the righteous, everlasting, and unfolding rule and reign of God upon the earth. It's not just the fact that he rules and reigns in heaven, but that he's about to rule and reign in our planet. It's around the corner.
1:11:41 Is it not? What's in the same chapter, the return of the lord Jesus Christ? This is what they are anticipating. This is what they are realizing. It's here, hallelujah, for his sovereignty.
1:11:53 And I wanna remind you today that if you are truly blood bought, if you are truly sealed with the Holy Spirit of God, then you will also recognize that, yes, the Lord currently presides over and governs the universe, but that he will also rule and reign in this world and for eternity. In other words, we as Christians understand that he is king, but the fullness of his kingdom is not yet realized. It is still to come, and we should all eagerly long for it. They say hallelujah. And when we speak about Christ returning as king, we have to understand that this should be a theme of our praise.
1:12:40 Look again at verse five. What's the call from the throne? There's a call from the throne in verse five. What is it? Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.
1:12:51 He's speaking to believers. And what he's saying there with that last part, small and great, is that regardless of our differences, regarding our social status or spiritual capacities, every true Christian should share in this one excitement. I want Christ to rule and reign, not just in my life, but overall life. That is something that every Christian yearns for. And perhaps one reason that thought doesn't move us enough is that we have lost sight of what is universal lordship will usher in.
1:13:32 You know, we we say these things. Things, we sing these things, and that's why it's important to come under God's word being preached. But the implications of that listen. Do you understand this? If you're a Christian, you don't just believe that Jesus one time died on the cross two thousand years ago.
1:13:46 You believe that he's coming back bodily with a scepter in his hand, with his dominion and his everlasting government, with his own designation of who will rule with him. He will be a righteous dictator. He'll be the greatest dictator. He'll be the kind of dictator that everybody will love and adore. Jesus Christ coming back implies more than you think.
1:14:20 It's not just going to be the subjection of all nations. It's not just going to be the eradication of all criminal activity and injustice and demonic presence. That's glorious. But when Christ Jesus comes back, he is going to prepare an environment for his bride to experience fellowship with him with a joy and a glee and a bliss that will be likened to a wedding. When you and I contemplate Christ coming back, we have to broaden our vision of it.
1:15:01 It's not just going to be him making all things right. It's going to include his creation of a world where we will know everlasting communion with him, where you and I will enjoy him in the safety of his strength as we sit under the endless outpouring of his love. Do you know why I can say that? Because in the same place where it says, Hallelujah for the Almighty, the Lord, the Almighty reigns, is the mention of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Why are they declaring and shouting about his sovereignty?
1:15:46 Yes. He's in control. Yes. He's all powerful, but he's also coming to redeem his bride. The king is coming to rescue his church.
1:16:00 Nothing will stop him from bringing us to himself face to face forever. Nothing. Do you know how strong the grip is of the hand of this king? No one can pluck you out of his hand. Do you understand that though the Antichrist has duped the world at the end of the tribulation period, all the things that he has set up, all the strength that he thinks he has, all the support that he has gained will fall in a moment's notice at the very sight of this king.
1:16:35 In fact, all it's going to take, according to Thessalonians, is his breath. Not one bullet will be shot. Not one missile will be launched. All this sovereign king will have to do is say the word, and all his enemies will be relinquished. And with that same power that will destroy, he will also bring us to himself, and we will feast and fellowship with him forever and ever.
1:17:10 And the saints recognize us about the kingship of Christ, and they say hallelujah. I wonder today if you need a jump start to your worship. I wonder today if you've come here dry. Let me remind you about your future, your salvation. As sufficient as it is, it's not complete in the sense that there is more deliverance for us to know.
1:17:43 There is a hallelujah that awaits. There is a level of worship that will be unlocked when we are reunited with our Lord and our Master, and He changes our minds, where we will be able to see as He sees and feels as He feels, and process as He processes. And even though that hallelujah is to come to some sense, we can say it now in anticipation of it. And thirdly, the sovereign king deserves our hallelujahs now because as we see here, he is preparing a feast for us. There is a wedding day coming where the church will look in the eyes of her savior and will know his voice and will experience His touch, and that will be what makes heaven, heaven.
1:18:37 Maybe you can't say hallelujah to any of this because you're not even safe to begin with. Maybe you're sitting in this place, and you think that sounds like a lot of hope, and that sounds too good to be true. It is true. And it can be your future today if you recognize this king of whom I speak. Though this is prophecy about what's to come, it demands a response now.
1:19:07 And maybe today, you don't have the assurance of your sins being forgiven. Maybe today, you're here as a curious individual, but you're not converted. This Jesus that we are studying is real and he can be known. Do you wanna know him? He can do a work in you where your spirit will be able to testify, I'm saved.
1:19:40 I'm a child of God. And for the first time in your life, you'll be able to perhaps say, hallelujah. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that your word every week never fails to amaze us. And, Lord, we rejoice at knowing yet again the treasures that we have inherited in Christ.
1:20:38 Make us a people who unashamedly praises you. May this room never fail to have hallelujahs, But may it also be true in our own lives. Apart from these meetings, may it be true. But we pray that these realities would not escape us so quickly. When life becomes so challenging and overwhelming, when we look at our trials and they seem so heavy, bring us back to why we can say hallelujah.
1:21:16 Our salvation is yet to be fully realized. There is a renewal that awaits us, and there is a king who is coming to rescue us, and we will be with him forever. We love you, Lord, and we've come to worship you as your people. Put a hallelujah in our mouths again. In Jesus' name, amen.
1:21:38 Let's stand church. Let's worship him. You know, we could have kept going into that fourth hallelujah in Revelation 19, but I thought there's so much to say about that marriage supper of the lamb. I don't want to just designate an entire Sunday for it, and I'm really, really looking forward to it as we come to the close of Revelation because we're gonna see heaven. We're gonna see the millennial reign of Christ.
1:30:57 We're gonna see all these wonderful things. So ahead of us are glorious sessions, and also painful ones, because we're gonna see about hell, and the Great White Throne Judgment. Cherish these moments. It's very rare that revelation is explored in these days, but I can't think of a more applicable book to the times that we are living in. Let's pray.
1:31:28 Lord, we can study about your love. We can sing about your love. We can preach about your love, but only your Holy Spirit can help us experience your love. We pray that every heart here would be convinced that they are loved by you. And Lord, whenever we doubt that love, help us see Jesus Christ who died for us because You loved us.
1:31:55 Lord, help us throughout this week as Your church now sent out. Give us divine appointments to declare these things and to invite people into these truths and to never blush about it. Give us the wisdom and the boldness and the courage to do so. Lord, for all those in this place who are enduring trials, who can barely pay attention to anything that took place in this last hour and a half. Because how much they are suffocated under the pressure and the difficulties, Lord, bring relief.
1:32:27 Bring relief. Help them know how to hide under the shadow of your wings. Help them know how to escape into your presence. Help them believe that as they feast on your word, that they can endure all things because you've made us more than conquerors in Christ. Give us that grace, Lord, for all the challenging marriages and all the the difficult children, for for all the circumstances that are outside of our control, Lord.
1:32:53 Physically, emotionally, help us sense your nearness, and help us be able to say hallelujah through it all. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen and hallelujah. Amen. There it is.
1:33:10 Well, listen. Yes. Let's applaud. Let's give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. Another reason to say hallelujah.
1:33:19 We have a picnic. You see that? Picnic waiting for us. If you don't know where we fellowship, you'll get directions, and you'll see that feast downstairs waiting for us. Just see the stairs right by the cry room on the door to my right here, the last door here.
1:33:33 Go straight down. If you brought a change of clothes, there's places where you can do that. There's gonna be activities. What's the time limit? Whenever you wanna go home.
1:33:41 God bless you. We'll see you next week in Jesus' name.
