Revelation 14:1-13 (Their Deeds Follow Them, Jeff Kliewer)

Come to your house so freely, for gratitude and praises, for compassion so amazing.

Lord we come to give you thanks for all you've done.

Because of your love and feelings, hearts are clean and songs of freedom were changed.

Because of your love, come to your presence, we remember every blessing, that you've poured out so freely from us.

Lifting gratitude and praises, for compassion so amazing.

Lord we've come to give you thanks for all. Because of your love, lift you up.

Because of your love. Good morning again.

Welcome to Cornerstone for our Sunday morning worship. We are praying with you, we are praying for you that this morning finds you in love with God.

Finds you seeking his ways, finds you desiring to know his way.

And the route to finding his way and knowing his way out of Psalm 25 is those who fear the

Lord. What does that mean? To fear the Lord is to have a reverence for who he is.

To fear the Lord is to desire his way above all other ways. To desire the

Lord is to put in proper perspective who God is. As opposed to who

I may think that I am. If we look at 1 Corinthians chapter 2, we do learn that learning about the

Lord, learning about his way, learning God's design can only come through the Holy Spirit.

It doesn't come through the flesh. And so the first thing that we need to do is be turning to him, seeking his

Holy Spirit. We then know in John chapter 14, how

Jesus promised that another would come. That after he left, he would send a helper.

And so when this Holy Spirit comes to us, he helps us not only to understand the way, but enables us to walk in the way.

And then in Titus chapter 2, we do understand that it is through the grace of God that he teaches us.

So relying on his Holy Spirit for his teaching, relying on his Holy Spirit for guidance, relying on the grace to take us along the way, is the way of successfully finding and being taught the way of Christ.

There are two reasons, there are two concerns that might prevent us from getting there. And one is that we desire ourselves more than we desire

God. And so the first thing to do is to take inventory and make sure that your heart is desiring

God. And the second thing is we don't fully comprehend in the depths of our hearts the sovereignty of God.

You see, we don't understand the way that God understands. We don't know the beginning from the end the way that God knows the beginning from the end.

Jesus told Nathanael as Nathanael comes to him, I saw you, I saw you when you were under the fig tree.

And Nathanael says, how can this be? You must be God. And Jesus told him, you believe me because I told you

I saw you, but you are going to see greater things than this. And he told him that you will actually see angels descending from heaven and ascending on the

Son of God. We know at the end that God has a plan and he has a purpose for us.

And while we're here now, he has a plan for us. It's his way and we can only understand it by turning to him.

So our challenge to you this morning is that you love God so much that you can let that love overshadow all other distractions.

Seek him and that you would love him so much that you would desire to actually surrender to the sovereignty of God.

Amen to that. We're going to turn to some announcements. And the first one is an exciting announcement.

If you were here Sunday as we had service out on the parking lot, you heard this. But if you weren't there, we want to make sure that this word gets to you.

And so I'm going to call on Pastor Jeff to come and make this announcement. Thank you, sir.

Well, we have a wonderful announcement, and that is our very own Ben Honeyford has passed his licensing council with the

EFCA. Now, that is a big deal. The Evangelical Free Church of America gives a theological exam, which includes a 20 -page paper and four hours of being grilled by 12 pastors over Zoom and able to ask anything that they like, whether it's the hypostatic union or, you know, incommunicable attributes of God.

Ben was on the hot seat and he passed with flying colors. It was wonderful. So we want to thank God. Now we have another licensed pastor as part of our congregation here.

So we are very thankful. It took a lot of work, a lot of preparation, study, reading tons of books, and Ben did it, did a great job.

So congratulations to Ben. When you see him, give him a big high five or an air five, right, nowadays.

So great job, Ben. Thanks. Pastor, thank you for sharing that because that is such great news.

Sunday we were able to do a virtual laying of hands on Ben and rejoicing for the kingdom of God.

It's not rejoicing for Ben, although we are glad for him, but it's rejoicing for the power of the kingdom of God.

The second announcement, we are getting so much closer to being able to open those doors and to fill these seats with people.

We're working on plans. Pastor Jeff has asked for input. Would you be first service? Would you be second service?

Would you be willing to do either? The numbers are amazing of what we're hearing. So we're looking at plans and how we're going to be able to accommodate everybody.

Today is a special day. Today is Communion Sunday, first Sunday of the month. Now we've been telling you about it.

If you're already prepared, just continue with us. If you have not yet gone off and gotten the elements, put us on pause for a minute and go ahead and get the elements because in a couple of minutes we will be celebrating communion together.

So now let's turn to prayer. Father, God, we focus on what's going on in our country this morning.

The virus, economic difficulties, unrest in our cities.

It can feel very, very stressful. But we think of the words that Jesus told

Nathaniel that there will be a time when you will see heaven open and angels ascending and descending on the

Son of God. We know, Lord, that you are sovereign and that you have a plan and that at the end of this plan you win and we get to win with you.

But right now, Lord, we struggle with what's going on. And so, Father, we pray that you would work in the hearts of anybody that would be seeking to do damage.

We pray that you would be a protection and an encouragement to those that are standing the front lines.

We pray, Lord, for our country to come through this. And, Lord, we pray for your children to stand strong as a witness, as a testimony to the love of God.

We pray, Father, that those around us can see us responding in love because we know you.

And so now, Lord, as we are together, as we are opening up, as Pastor Jeff will take us to Revelation 14, we pray that your

Spirit would speak through him in a powerful way. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

On your face A love like this

The world Helter of our praise

Let there be no higher name Jesus, Son of God You lay down your perfect life

You are the sacrifice Jesus, Son of God You are

Jesus, Son of God You took our sin

You bore our shame You rose to life

You defeated the grave A love like this

The world had never known You took our sin

You bore our shame You rose to life

You defeated the grave A love like this

The world had never known Helter of our praise

Let there be no higher name Jesus, Son of God The sacrifice

Jesus, Son of God You are

Jesus, Son of God Be lifted higher

Than all you've overcome Your name be louder

Than any other song There is no power

The cross was enough The cross was enough

On the altar of our praise Let there be no higher name

Jesus, Son of God You lay down your perfect life

You are the sacrifice Jesus, Son of God You are

Jesus, Son of God We're standing here in front of the very throne of God.

We're standing here in remembrance of the sacrifice, the atoning blood of Christ.

We're standing here recognizing that we are sinful people in need of the cleansing blood of Christ.

And we're standing here together celebrating and remembering what happened.

Jesus brought his followers into an upper room to celebrate the Passover. And it's at that time that he initiated what we know as the

Lord's Table. But before he did that, he took a bowl and he took his garment and he got up and he walked around and he washed each of his followers' feet.

He did this in preparation that their hearts would be prepared because, you see, we are coming in front of the throne of God ready to receive his sacrifice for us.

But he is ready to show us love that is so deep, that is so deep, that cleansing takes precedence.

There's a lot of ways to look at his cleansing, but this is the way I would like us to look at it this morning.

For those of you who are participating with us on Communion, I pray that you are already a believer, that you have already accepted

Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is who this is intended for.

But as we come here this morning, we don't need to be bathed again, but we do come here with sins that are beseeching us, sins that we need to turn in front of the

Lord. I pray, Lord, that we would, at this point in time, ask for the cleansing that, as Christ did, you don't have to be washed, you just have to have your feet cleansed from the dirt that we accumulate as we walk here in the world.

So before we take the elements, I'd like us to look into our hearts. I'd like us to ask the

Lord to receive our confession, to receive our acknowledgement, and that we would turn to you with clean hearts.

So let's pray. Scripture tells us that on the night he was betrayed, he sat with his followers in an upper room, and they dined.

And in that setting, he took bread, and he broke the bread, and he passed it out to them.

And he said, This bread is the body of mine, broken for you, broken for me.

Let's make this personal. This bread is broken for me. And he said, Take, eat in remembrance of me.

Take. In a similar manner, he took the cup.

Shortly he would be in the garden, and he would be praying to his father. He would be pleading to his father,

If there is any way, let this cup pass from me, but not in my will, but thine be done.

He knew what was coming. He knew the agony that he was going to have to endure, and the blood that would be shed.

But that blood is purifying for you and for me. This blood is the source.

Do this in remembrance of me, as Jesus said, This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood.

Take. The mysteries of the cross

I cannot comprehend. The agonies of Calvary.

You, the perfect holy one, crushed your son.

You drank the bitter cup reserved for me. Your blood has washed away my sin.

Jesus, thank you. Father's wrath completely satisfied.

Jesus, thank you. Once your enemy, now seated at your table.

Jesus, thank you. Perfect sacrifice

I've been brought near. Your enemy, you've made your frame.

Pouring out the riches of your glorious grace.

Your mercies and your kindness knows no end. Your blood has washed away my sin.

Jesus, thank you. Father's wrath completely satisfied.

Jesus, thank you. Once your enemy, now seated at your table.

Jesus, thank you.

Lover of my soul, I want to live for you.

Lover of my soul, I want to live for you.

Lover of my soul, I want to live for you.

Your blood has washed away my sin. Jesus, thank you.

Father's wrath completely satisfied. Jesus, thank you.

Once your enemy, now seated at your table.

Jesus, thank you.

Good morning, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we pray,

God, that you would revive your church. We pray that you would revive us to preach the eternal gospel.

We pray that as you send us out preaching, our deeds would follow us. That we would be genuine in our religion, pure in our religion.

That we would keep ourselves unstained by the world. That we would look after orphans and widows in their distress.

Lord, we pray that our deeds would follow us because we are Christian. Those of us who have been redeemed,

Lord, and we pray for those who have not yet been redeemed that you would send forth your spirit to heal.

Lord, open the eyes of the hearts of those who listen to this message to believe the good news about Jesus Christ.

Oh, Lord, we pray for your mercy in this country. We pray that you would calm the fears and the rioting and the looting and all of the destruction that's happening in this country.

We pray, God, that you would calm those who are perpetrating that and be merciful towards them.

We pray that your mercy would include the extending of the gospel to them in order that they might be saved.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen. What is happening in our country? What are we seeing?

We are seeing the tipping point where the theology of Malcolm X is overtaking the theology of Martin Luther King.

There was a theologian in 1969 named James Cone who published a book called

Black Theology and Black Power. This was Black Liberation Theology and what we're seeing today is a popularization of that Black Liberation Theology, BLT if you will, in the form of BLM, Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter is Black Liberation Theology repackaged to have a popular appeal.

Martin Luther King did not put blackness at the center of his theology.

So James Cone in his book in 1969, Black Theology, the word black according to Cone in that title puts the identity of blackness at the center of his theology.

Now we recognize that famously Martin Luther King says that we're not to judge people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Cone rejects that notion from Martin Luther King. He looks at the

Supreme Court of the United States and he sees a white supremacist institution setting the rules and the rules for society and calls that unjust.

How is it white supremacy? Well, he says that all of the Supreme Court justices are white.

Says James Cone in 2014, all the Supreme Court justices are white as far as I'm concerned.

One may look black, but he's white. And he goes on to say that the court is white supremacists.

Cone proposes that everything in the Bible, remember this is a person who's claiming to be a

Christian theologian. He's from Union Theological Seminary. He says to read everything through the lens of dominance and power.

There are victims, the oppressed, who are dominated by those who are in power.

And it's always the case that those who have the dominant culture will be oppressive.

And so in this theology, Cone sees Jesus and the cross as synonymous with lynching.

The cross and the lynching tree is one of Cone's works. He sees that Jesus was lynched on the cross.

Of course, Jesus said, no one takes my life. I give it willingly. And his solution,

Cone's solution, is to be enraged. The solution of James Cone is to be enraged and to organize to fight.

Now he claims to be Christian, but the deeds of his theology follow.

Their deeds follow them. So as you look out at the movement afoot in America today, you don't see joyful singing from a heart of gratitude.

Now there are many in this movement who are part of it who claim to be Christian. In fact, that's one of the driving forces of the movement is a claim upon Jesus and the

Bible. But you don't see a grateful spirit. You don't see a sense of unworthiness before a holy

God and a joy at being redeemed and joyful, thankful, grateful hearts of worship is not a part.

In fact, you see exactly the opposite. You see profanity. You see chanting. You see no justice, no peace.

You see reviling of men and women made in the image of God, face to face with the police officer, screaming and yelling and deriding that human being made in the image of God.

You see the opposite of joyful singing. You don't see purity. James Cone's Union Theological Seminary and his religious movement advocates for sexual immorality and, in fact, derides those who stand upon the teaching of the scripture because, of course, they do not believe that the word of God is inerrant and can speak with clarity to anything.

You don't see the following of Jesus. We are taught to take up our cross and follow

Christ. But in the Black Lives Matter theological movement from James Cone's theology, you see instead the opposite of meekness.

Jesus, in teaching, said, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. You see bricks instead of blessing.

You see an SUV running over an officer. You see fires set ablaze to people's businesses.

You see looting and everything that's contrary to the teachings of Jesus. You also do not see honesty in the movement.

The premise of the riots and the justification that is laid out for them is that there is some kind of systematic racial injustice in America.

And pressing that down to the level of police departments, the idea is that police in America are racists.

And the evidence, of course, is the evil actions of the one who put his knee upon the victim of that horrible crime.

But you do not see honesty. Honesty would, according to Proverbs 18, 17, require that you listen to two sides of an argument.

You examine claims that are made rather than accepting them carte blanche.

Is there evidence that the police of this country are targeting

African -Americans and killing them because of the color of their skin? Well, last year, there were 390 police shootings of white people.

There were 270 shootings of black people and somewhere in the mid -100s of Hispanic people and other races as it goes.

So the statistics do not prove, in fact, or support in any way, shape, or form this hypothesis.

Honesty requires looking at the facts. Now, I was a missionary in inner city

Philadelphia. And then on a mission trip to New York City, I was standing on a street corner, just minding my own business.

In fact, I went outside to call my wife. And as I was standing there, a police officer circled the block, having seen me stand on the corner.

And he jumped out of the car. And another car came from the other side. And before I knew it, I was surrounded by police officers.

Probably the year 2008, something like that. Those who were on the mission trip to the

Bronx could remember what year that was, somewhere in there. And these officers took me and pinned me against a fence.

And they patted me down, asked me all kinds of questions, at first in a harsh tone.

And after that, I wasn't injured. I thanked them because I knew they were not targeting me because of the color of my skin or for any other reason than to do their job.

They suspected me of trying to set up a drug corner where I was standing in the Bronx. Now, I can't prove that anybody there was racist.

I can't look into the hearts of any of the officers. And neither can you. No one can look into the heart of another and see racism.

Now, if there's reason or evidence, as in somebody makes a statement or some kind of outward, observable, verifiable, falsifiable piece of information, then we can examine that evidence.

But to look into the heart of another person and ascribe implicit bias and white privilege and all kinds of assumed points is, in fact, a dishonest behavior.

I want to recommend to everybody watching this video a book by Thomas Sowell. It's called

Intellectuals and Race. Now, Proverbs 18 .17 tells us that we need to listen.

And James tells us to be slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to become angry. So if somebody is already angry at me,

I'm sure, for saying the things that I'm saying so far. But unless you're willing to go and get this book,

Intellectuals and Race, I don't think that you're willing to hear. Now, Proverbs 18 .17

is written to all of us. We all need to listen to both sides of a dispute.

Votibakam is a great example of someone who's taught faithfully on this subject. I'd recommend that you go to YouTube and just Google defining social justice and watch the 45 -minute or so sermon by Votibakam.

Votibakam's deeds follow him. His teaching is biblical. He exegetes the scripture in context and allows the plain meaning of scripture to speak for itself.

And he lives a life consistent with the teaching. His deeds follow him.

He adopted seven children. He's moved to the ends of the earth, from America to Zambia to preach the gospel and to establish a seminary.

He continues to return to the United States of America to preach, which is what funds his ministry overseas.

I would recommend listening to his teaching and the others that have taught with him at that same conference where he preaches on that YouTube video.

I would recommend that you listen to that entire conference, James White, Tom Askell, and the others who were present at the conference on social justice at G3.

I believe it was January of 2018. The deeds of those who are truly identified with Christ will follow them.

You will know a tree by its fruit, and you will know a Christian who is truly identified and marked by the

Holy Spirit. You will know a Christian by our fruit, the fruit of the life that you live.

Our deeds follow after. Now, these deeds that we perform, the works, the good works that we were created in Christ Jesus to do before the foundation of the world, these works do not contribute to our salvation, but they demonstrate that salvation.

And without those works, you can recognize a false Christian. So let's go now to Revelation chapter 14.

We're picking up where we left off last week. This is the Great Tribulation. We've entered into the last three and a half years of the world as it is.

It's a great time of testing and trial on the earth and of horrible devastation as God is, in fact, pouring out wrath on mankind, a wrath that had been stored up.

Last chapter, Revelation 13, we saw both the Antichrist and the unholy spirit and this false trinity who then offers the mark of the beast, the mark that designates somebody as identifying with the beast, with the

Antichrist. And so we come into Revelation 14. Then I looked and behold, on Mount Zion stood the lamb and with him 144 ,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads.

So the parallel there goes back to the false prophet that looked like a lamb but spoke like a dragon.

That false lamb is now contrasted with the true lamb. Now, I think that the

Bible knowledge commentary, John Walvoord, is correct here in saying that this is not a picture of Jesus at the second coming but rather a prophetic foreview of that event.

So it's not that Jesus has yet descended to earth or that the 144 ,000 have made it to heaven, but rather this is a prophetic foreview of that event where they will be united with the lamb.

So in verse 1, the 144 ,000 had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads.

They are marked. They are identified with Christ. Okay, so they're genuine Christians.

They belong to him. Indeed, we saw this in Revelation 7. We know these are 12 ,000

Jews from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. So these are Jewish Christians, believers who are saved.

Verse 2, And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder.

The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. Could be God's voice here.

And they were singing along with this voice. Now you have the sound, the beautiful echoing chorus of the 144 ,000.

Here we're going to see four marks of a genuine Christian. Maybe you're asking yourself, am I a genuine

Christian? Do these things mark you? Singing is the first.

They were singing a new song before the throne. Psalm 126, verse 3,

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. The mark of a

Christian is joy. A desire to sing because this grateful heart inside of you, the saved, you've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

You have nothing that you brought to the table and yet he saved you. And so the only response is to sing.

This pleases him. Before the four living creatures and before the elders, no one could learn that song except the 144 ,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

Beautiful picture. First it's singing. Second, It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.

Sexual purity is a mark of genuine Christianity. Sexual purity is a mark of genuine

Christianity. It is these who follow the lamb wherever he goes. The third is following Christ.

Take up your cross daily and follow him. Count the cost, accept that cost, and die to yourself daily.

This is what a genuine Christian does. Following the lamb and his teaching. To follow means you're his student.

You have to learn from him. You'll be reading in his word to understand his will. And then fourth,

These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found.

The fourth mark here is honesty. Truth telling. Willingness to say the truth no matter what it costs, no matter what pain comes into your life.

In Matthew chapter five, Jesus tells us about this. They will revile you and hate you and say all kinds of evil about you because of Christ.

But the honesty of the true believer is not dissuaded. No lie was found for they are blameless.

Blameless. I believe the word here is amamoi. It means not sinlessness, but it means blameless.

Meaning any sin involved in the believer's life is covered by the blood of the lamb, but there is a genuineness that's observable.

Who can lay any charge against God's elect? There is a genuine Christianity.

The mark of walking in the light. No longer a slave to sin. No longer making a practice of sin.

The whole book of first John tells us that when someone makes a confession of faith, we don't just stamp that and say that this person is definitely a

Christian. First of all, they ought to be baptized, which is a step of obedience marking that inward confession, that conversion of the heart.

But then you observe the life of a believer. And if a person does not bear good fruit, we question whether that's a genuine salvation.

Your life must be changed if you are in Christ.

Become a new creation if you are in him. This is the case with these beautiful believers.

144 ,000, the genuineness of their Christianity. There is a video that I'm gonna recommend that you also look at.

It's called Adoption Improves a Perfect Little Family.

And it is the story of Odi Bakom. It's on desiring God. So if you just wanna look that up, or Michael, you could attach this at the end of the video if you would like.

But Odi Bakom, Adoption Improves a Perfect Little Family. The Bakoms discuss how their family seemed perfect with their two little children.

They didn't desire to have more. But then the Lord changed their heart and opened them to bringing these seven other children into their life.

This is pure religion. Their deeds follow them. James 1, 26 and 27.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

James Cone religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the

Father, is this. To visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The gospel alone can accomplish this in the heart of a human being, a fallen heart.

The purity without which, the holiness without which no one will see the Lord comes through the gospel.

As you put your faith in Christ Jesus alone, his cleansing blood atones for your sin and all unrighteousness.

And he then empowers you to become like him. He changes us from one degree of glory to another.

We're no longer walking in the sinful patterns of our past. But we come out from that darkness and we walk in the light.

This is genuine Christianity. Our deeds must follow our confession. Verses six and seven.

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

And he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.

Now we have an angel flying through the earth, proclaiming the eternal gospel.

Now the Bible knowledge commentary, John Wolvard doesn't think that this is the gospel per se, but it is only the message that's preached in verse seven.

The message of judgment. Matthew Henry does see this as the gospel.

And I agree with Henry at this particular point. The eternal gospel that the angel preaches is the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ.

And it includes this call to fear God. In order to come to Christ, we have to understand our need for him, to fear him, to come in reverence.

The hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.

This is the beginning of that message, the preaching of the good news. And it's not exhaustive here that that's the only thing the angel said, but this first angel, what we are told, is preaching an eternal good news.

And that good news alone is Jesus Christ who saves sinners like us.

Verse eight, another angel, a second following saying, fallen, fallen is

Babylon the great. She who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.

So you get the first angel preaching the good news, pronouncing salvation to the ends of the earth.

Normally that's a human activity, not an angelic activity. Humans are sent to proclaim, as it says in Acts 1347, so the

Lord has commanded us saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

The good news that we're sent to proclaim, but here in verse eight, now we have a denouncing of the false mystery religion.

When we get into chapter 17, we will see that Babylon here represents false religion.

And social justice theology, James Cone theology, is an example of that false mystery

Babylon religion. It's the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it's marked by immorality.

In Isaiah chapter five, verse 20, we're told woe to those who exchange good for evil, and they call evil good.

They exchange darkness for light, and sweet for bitter. Immoral religion is obvious to Christians who see the truth of God's word, but in the eyes of the person who holds that, everything is upside down.

The social justice warrior believes himself to be a crusader for truth, even while he goes in his immorality.

Social justice as a concept is immoral at every point. So when it teaches on, let's say, sexuality, the victim in the social justice construct is the

LGBTQA+. The A stands for allies, and the plus is just adding to the acronym so that it would be inclusive of any self -identity.

And the immorality of that movement says that it's Christians who are oppressing the poor victims of the

LGBTQA plus group. In truth,

God's word prescribes a sexual ethic, and to stand against God's word is immoral, fundamentally so.

And so it is Isaiah 520, calling good evil and evil good.

And that is also the case with gender, teaching women that there's no distinction between men and women.

You get abortion because of that, because women who would like to be as autonomous as men, when they get pregnant, that will change the trajectory of their career.

And so in order for them to be able to control their own destiny, my body, my choice kind of thing, a woman is told that she has the power to control that.

That's under her autonomy. When in truth, it is the most wicked, vile, murderous spirit imaginable.

1 ,712 babies were murdered the same day that George Floyd died.

It's murder. It's immoral. And not just that, the twisting of gender roles, such that a person who doesn't feel like the gender that they are would now get a surgery to mutilate the human body.

And children being encouraged to do this, given drugs that block puberty, these kinds of immoral attacks on the imago dei, the image of God.

The social justice religion is a lie. And it is an immoral, fundamentally immoral attack.

It's also true with race. It's also true with immigration. Over and over again, what is true and genuine is turned on its head.

It is fundamentally immoral to judge a person by the color of their skin. To classify people by a binary of white or people of color is an immoral construct.

It creates one supposed oppressive class and another victim class and ascribes guilt to a person based on the color of their skin.

Quote, unquote, whiteness. As Clarence Thomas is called white by James Cone. It is a fundamentally disordered and immoral movement.

Immoral. It's immoral in every way, shape, and form. But it's denounced in Revelation 14, 8 because this kind of man -made religion is a lie.

And look, fallen, it's going to fall. Revelation 17, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.

And then verse 9 to 11, another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the

Lamb. Is hell the absence of God?

Is hell where people go because they autonomously reject God? No, in that case, they would be getting exactly what they want.

We're told here in the holy word of God, hell is a place where God actively is and where God actively punishes.

They are tormented day and night with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the

Lamb. God is present in hell, actively punishing wicked men and women.

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night. These worshipers of the beast and its image and whoever receives the mark of its name, those identified with the beast, with the false religious system, they've bowed and worshipped to this animated statue.

They've taken the mark. Here in the end times, they are doomed to an eternal punishment.

It is a horrifying thought. And it's not just this last generation that will endure this kind of punishment.

Jesus explained this in the parable of the weeds and the wheat in Matthew 13.

He allows the wheat and the weeds to grow up through the ages, simultaneously and side by side.

But then at the end, there comes a time where he sends the angels to gather the weeds into bundles and to throw those bundles into a fire that is never quenched.

This coming judgment is real and it is terrifying. The God who made the world will judge the world in righteousness.

And we're told here that he has a cup. The cup itself is called anger.

And contained within the cup of this anger of God is the wrath of God, verse 10.

He also will drink the wine of God's wrath. Poured full strength into the cup of his anger.

Imagine God holding a cup of anger that contains his own wrath. There's nothing to stop the drinking of this wrath.

And when it's poured out upon the earth, the bowls of wrath we'll see in chapter 16. It's terrifying.

But God. God sent his one and only son. Jesus the

Christ. To live a perfect righteous life. And taking the cup of God's wrath against sin.

He drank it to the full. Taking into himself the punishment that we deserve.

Jesus bore the wrath of God in his flesh. Being killed in our place.

As a sacrifice offering from God. Not as a lynching. As a sacrifice offering.

The paschal lamb. In fact that word blameless earlier. Refers to a blameless animal.

A sacrificial animal. Ammoy. Is declared to be blameless and therefore it can stand in and die the death that the sinner deserves.

The paschal lamb. So it is that God sent his one and only son

Jesus. To die the death that we deserve. And I am a wicked sinner. Who deserves to drink the cup of his wrath.

In a cup of anger. Against me because I sin. And yet God poured out all of that wrath on Jesus.

Who as a substitute took it from me. And bore it in his flesh. And died the death that I deserve.

He saved me. He rescued me. How can I help but sing? To sing joyfully.

I have joy and gratefulness and thankfulness in my heart. Because of Jesus.

And he then empowers me by his spirit. To walk blameless before him.

With purity and joy. And all of the marks that each of us have.

As believers. Honesty. Singing.

Not defiling ourselves sexually. Following the lamb.

These are the marks of a true believer. Here is a call for the endurance of the saints.

Those who keep the commandments. And their faith in Jesus. Walking in obedience.

I heard a voice from heaven saying, write this. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed says the spirit.

And this is a Trinitarian picture. The father speaking of those who die in the Lord Jesus. And the spirit then echoes.

That they may rest from their labors. For their deeds follow them.

Their deeds follow them. So in closing. Reject false religion.

Denounce mystery Babylon. Whether that be social justice religion. Or any other non -biblical religion.

Or even the easy believism that marks so much of our culture. How do we get to this place?

Because preachers have stopped proclaiming the need for repentance. In the gospel.

Brothers and sisters. The genuine gospel involves repenting from sin.

And walking in a new way. Newness of life. There has been a teaching throughout

America over the last many decades. That salvation is only an intellectual ascent.

To the statements of the gospel. In truth. The gospel must change the heart.

And the will. And the desires. From the inside out. A genuine conversion will be marked.

By the deeds that follow. And so we echo the scripture here. Their deeds follow them.

Repent of sin. Repent of false religion. Denounce that. Trust in Christ alone.

Don't put any hope in the righteousness that will follow. Don't put any hope that you're going to earn something from God.

No, put all your hope in Jesus Christ. And as you focus on Him. The author and perfecter of your faith.

As you walk in Him. He will change you from the inside out. This is the genuine gospel.

Let's pray. Father, our hearts are breaking for what we see. The tipping point in our culture.

Where a majority of Americans are believing. The James Cone Black Liberation Theology.

And all forms of liberation theology. Which are fundamentally immoral.

We pray God that you would have mercy and send revival. We pray that the truth of your word would triumph in this dark hour.

Give light. To darkened minds. Lord, I pray that you would open eyes.

That they can see wonderful things in your word. To rightly divide the word of truth.

To no longer blindly accept the teaching of men. But rather to trust in the name of the

Lord our God. In the word of the living God. I pray now for any who have not repented of their sin.

And found salvation in Christ. That they would repent and believe the good news. Spirit of God, move in their heart.

That they would turn away from wickedness and deception. And believe in Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Who died and yet rose from the dead. And is seated at the right hand of the Father. God, we pray for mercy.

We pray for peace. We do ask Lord that you would bring an end. To all of this rioting.

All of this pseudo religion. The religious zeal that animates the immoral.

We ask for mercy in this country. And revival in the church. In Jesus name, amen.

Our adoption journey began early on in our marriage.

We got married the summer between my sophomore and junior year college. Our first child was born ten months later.

So people thought we were crazy. Our second child wasn't born until a couple years later.

And after that we had a girl and a boy. And we heard it over and over and over again.

You know, you have the perfect little family. And there was so much pressure on us to just stop there.

But then a few years later, we wanted more children. And had done some things to prevent us from having children.

And we went back and found out that those things could not be reversed. So we began to, at that point, think about adoption.

So here we are with our 11 -year -old and our 14 -year -old. And we walk into this agency and we said, hey, we're interested in adopting.

And I think we said that we were interested in adopting several children. And the lady just went and got her supervisor.

We didn't know what was going on. She said, tell her what you just told me. And we just, you know, we were interested in adopting maybe a few children.

We didn't know at the time that adoption agencies in this country have a hard time finding black families who will adopt.

It was like an answer to prayer for them. We started our paperwork in May.

And we were matched in July. It was almost scary because we were just, you know, sort of getting used to the idea.

By the end of July, there was another baby in our home. Yeah, that was our first of seven adoptions.

And everything changed. We never went through that process again. The second adoption was with the same agency.

The adoptions three through seven, we just got phone calls seven times.

The Lord said yes. It's been incredible for us.

We love every minute of it. We laugh a lot. There's a lot of work to be done.

But everybody pitches in, and it's great. For me, adoption has helped me both as an individual

Christian and as a pastor. Until, you know, I became a father to adopted children and was able to look at my children and know these are as much my children as those children who are related to me biologically.

Until that moment, I wasn't able to fully just understand and grasp what it means to be a child of God because we are

His children by adoption. When you understand adoption,

He is children. And He's not going anywhere.

Adoption is about the gospel. For me, adoption is important because it's just a beautiful picture of God's grace in my life.

I was really the forerunner in doing something to prevent us having more children biologically.

I was insane. I was wrong. I wanted to be in control, and I didn't allow God to be in control.

God is so faithful to give us back what the locust have eaten. I just get a chance to love on some kids who are actually my kids and raise them.

It's just been a blessing. I did not think that I would be almost 50 years old with seven kids, seven little kids.

But I tell you, I wouldn't trade this for anything. When we started this journey, we were on the downhill side of parenting.

We had two kids. They were 14 and 11. We were just a few years away from an empty nest.

And now we're almost 50. We're looking at 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, and almost 2.

We're not doing the empty nest thing. What else are we going to do? What else are we going to do with our lives that would be more important than what we're doing right now with our lives?

I can't think of anything. Jesus, comfort for all who mourn.

You are the source of heaven's hope on earth.

Jesus, light in the darkness. Jesus, truth in your circumstance.

You are the source of heaven's light on earth.

In history, you lived and died. You broke the chains.

You rose to life. You are the hope filling us.

You are the rock in whom we trust. You are the light shining through all the world to see.

You rose from the dead, conqueror of fear. Our prince of peace, drawing us near.

Jesus, our hope, living for all who will receive.

For we believe. Sing that together, together again.

Jesus, hope of the nations. Jesus, comfort for all.

You are the source of heaven's hope on earth.

Jesus, light in the dark. Jesus, truth in your circumstance.

You are the source of heaven's light on earth.

In history, you lived and died. You broke the chains.

You rose to life. You are the hope living in us.

You are the rock in whom we trust. You are the light shining through all the world to see.

You rose from the dead, conqueror of fear. Our prince of peace, drawing us near.

Jesus, our hope, living for all who will receive.

For we believe. For we believe.

For we believe. We believe.