WEBVTT

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 We're going to spend a few minutes in prayer, and so will you join me as we pray together?

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 We're going to pray for ourselves and for our city.

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 Let's come before our Father.

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 Heavenly Father, loving Lord, sovereign God, merciful Christ, we come before you this morning,

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 God, because we are so in need of you.

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 Lord, we sang that song earlier, but how long, God?

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 And there's a part of our hearts that longs for that day, Christ, when sin and evil will be removed from our world.

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 We will be fully reconciled with you, God.

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 God, our hearts cry out, come soon, Lord Jesus.

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 Lord, this world is not a home, and we long for our home to be with you, Christ, again.

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 God, but thank you that while you've called us for the season, for this to be a home,

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 for while we live in this world, God, you're so gracious.

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 You're so merciful.

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 God, thank you that while we go through trials and struggles, you, God, do not abandon us.

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 You're with us in the midst of it.

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 You're such a faithful God.

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 God, when we consider your many attributes, your holiness and your sovereignty,

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 but also your mercy and your tenderness, your righteousness, Lord, but also your grace, God,

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 your faithfulness to us, God.

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 We are brought to our knees, and we cannot help but worship your great and glorious name.

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 God, we come to lift our sights off of our circumstances around us and to worship you

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 and to declare that you are God and there is no other.

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 And so we've come to do that this morning.

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 God, we worship you not only for who you are, but also for what you've done in the gospel.

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 Thank you, Christ, that we are saved by the blood of Jesus, not by silver or gold.

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 We're not saved by our own efforts, but simply through grace alone, God.

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 We revel in your death on the cross, and we take great confidence in it.

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 Thank you, Jesus, so much for your grace.

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 Thank you, Jesus, for going to the cross for us.

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 We so love you, Lord.

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 Christ, this morning we want to pray for the preaching of your word as we come to Revelation 11.

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 We pray, God, that you'll speak to us, God.

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 We pray your word will come alive, God.

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 As a church, we don't need to hear my opinions.

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 We need to hear you speaking to us from your word.

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 And so, God, as we come to your word, I pray it'll open up in our hearts,

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 and you'll speak truth and confidence, God.

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 You'll reassure us of the gospel, but also of your sovereignty.

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 God, I pray let your word speak to us this morning, God.

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 Comfort us and challenge us with your word.

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 Father, this morning we want to pray for Amelia again.

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 And just hearing from her is so wonderful.

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 Lord, we bring her work to the Hakka community in Taiwan before you.

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 And, Father, this morning we want to ask that you will continue to pour out your amazing grace on her.

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 God, won't you strengthen her and encourage her, Father God,

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 when at times it is lonely, at times she may feel isolated.

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 I pray your spirit will draw near to her and she will know your presence and your love, God.

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 I pray, God, for increased friends and friendships, God, and deeper friendships.

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 I pray for real sisters there that she can pour her heart to and share her life with, God.

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 And, Father, as she goes into this internship in this local church in Taichung,

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 God, we pray that you'll bless her work.

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 I pray she'll feel your smile upon her, God.

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 We pray for Amelia and we ask for your blessing to rest upon her.

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 God, we pray for Joanne in Japan who's just gone back this week.

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 We pray that you strengthen her and her work in Japan amongst the Japanese people.

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 God, thank you for these faithful women of God that have answered your call to the mission field.

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 And we pray that you strengthen them, Lord.

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 Father, finally, we want to pray for our city.

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 We want to pray for particularly the march that's planned for this afternoon.

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 We thank you, God, for a relatively peaceful weekend.

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 And, Father, we pray for peace to reign this afternoon, God.

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 God, we pray that there won't be violence.

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 Pray that people will stay safe.

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 Pray there won't be bloodshed, God.

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 We pray for peace this afternoon, God, in our city, Lord.

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 Father, we pray for healing and wholeness to come to our city, God.

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 We pray that we will hear your voice and see what you are doing and what you want to say to us.

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 Thank you, God, that how Hebrews says you are shaking the kingdoms of this world

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 to show that your kingdom is unshakable.

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 But, God, we do pray for our city.

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 We pray for the police.

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 We pray for our political leaders.

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 We pray for protesters.

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 And we pray for peace to be restored to our city, God.

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 We pray these things in your wonderful and your powerful name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Great.

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 We're going to listen to Revelation chapter 11 being read to us by Betty and Jonas.

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 So, come on up.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 The scripture reading comes from Revelation chapter 10 to 11.

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 Please follow along in your bulletin or on the screen.

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 Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying,

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 Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.

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 So I went to the angel, and I told him to give me the little scroll.

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 And he said to me, Take and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter.

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 But in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.

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 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it.

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 It was sweet as honey in my mouth.

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 But when I had eaten it, my stomach was made better.

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 And I was told, You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.

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 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff.

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 And I was told, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there.

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 But do not measure the court outside the temple.

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 Leave that out.

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 For it is given over to the nations.

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 And they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

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 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses.

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 And they will prophesy for 1,260 days cloth and sackcloth.

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 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

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 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes.

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 If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.

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 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying.

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 And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they desire.

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 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.

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 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom in Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

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 For three and a half days, some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb.

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 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents.

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 Because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

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 But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

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 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here.

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 And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

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 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell.

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 Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to God of heaven.

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 The second woe has passed.

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 Behold, the third woe is soon to come.

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 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

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 The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

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 And the twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying,

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 We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

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 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants.

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 The prophets and saints and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

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 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.

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 There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Amen.

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 Okay.

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 Great.

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 Thank you so much, Betty and Jonas.

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 If you are new to Watermark, we are working our way through the book of Revelation, and we are about halfway through.

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 We are in chapter 11 today of 21, 22 chapters.

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 And you'll see, if you've got your Bible in front of you, the next chapter is called The Woman and the Dragon, which sounds very ominous.

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 We'll look at that in two weeks' time.

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 Next Sunday, we have a visiting preacher, Ryuta, from Japan, from Tokyo.

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 We'll be preaching, and we're looking forward to that.

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 But we are working our way through Revelation, and the last two weeks have been quite challenging.

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 I have found it quite hard work as we've gone through chapters 6 to 10.

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 And last week, we ended off at the end of chapter 10.

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 And the way it ends off, Betty read it to us this morning, is that John, in his vision, in his revelation, God says to him,

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 Go to the angel that you saw, and ask the angel for the scroll that's in his hand.

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 And so John goes, and the angel gives him the scroll.

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 The scroll contains God's words.

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 And the angel says, I want you to eat the scroll.

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 And as you eat it, it's going to be sweet at first, but then it's going to become bitter.

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 And so John goes, and exactly as the angel says, this is what happens.

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 He, in his vision, eats the scroll.

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 And it's sweet at first, and it soon becomes bitter in his mouth.

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 And the angel tells him, this is because though God's gospel is sweet, as you speak out his words, you're going to get a bitter reaction.

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 And this is a reference to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, chapter 3, where the same thing happens.

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 Ezekiel has a vision to eat the scroll.

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 And in his vision, God tells him, Ezekiel, you are to speak my words out.

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 And some people will receive the message that you are bringing, and the reaction will be sweet.

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 But some people will reject it, and the reaction will be bitter.

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 But don't mind about people's reaction.

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 That's not your responsibility.

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 Your job is to speak God's word out, whether they receive it or not.

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 And so the point that God gives to Ezekiel, and that God gives to John, and to the seven churches of Revelation,

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 and the point that he gives to us, is that even though at times there's a bitter reaction to the proclaiming of the gospel,

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 our job is to witness and evangelize, and we must do it nevertheless.

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 Okay, so that's how chapter 10 ended.

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 Now chapter 11, which we're going to look at today, picks up on this idea.

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 And in it, Jesus is going to show John that despite opposition to the message of the gospel,

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 Jesus is showing John how it is that the gospel is going to go forward in the earth,

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 how it is that God's kingdom is going to come to the world,

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 and how it is that God accomplishes his purposes in the earth.

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 Okay, so that's where we're going today in chapter 11.

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 And so let's look at how it starts off.

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 And the first thing is, God says this,

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 His kingdom comes in the midst of great suffering and opposition to his kingdom.

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 Look at verse 1 to 3 with me.

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 It says this,

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 Then I was given a measuring rod, like a staff,

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 and I was told, rise and measure the temple of God and those who worship there.

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 But do not measure the outside, the court outside the temple.

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 Leave that out, for that is given over to the nations.

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 They will trample the holy city for 42 months.

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 Okay?

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 Now, there is so much in chapter 11 which is referencing two books in the Old Testament,

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 the book of Ezekiel and the book of Zechariah.

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 It's going to keep on coming up.

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 In the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel also has this vision.

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 And in his vision, he has a temple, and he sees a man measuring out this temple.

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 And what happened is that just before Ezekiel's day,

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 the Babylonians come, 605 BC, they overthrow Jerusalem, and they destroy the temple.

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 And Ezekiel has this vision of this new, grand, and glorious temple.

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 This majestic temple in which God's presence is filled, and it fills the whole earth.

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 Except Ezekiel's temple was never, ever built.

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 It was never accomplished.

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 And the reason is because Ezekiel's vision was a prophetic picture that God was saying

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 of this is one day what the church is going to look like.

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 This is the temple that my Christ is going to build.

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 Not a temple made with bricks and concrete and stones.

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 It's a temple made with people.

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 The church is the new temple.

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 But just outside the temple, there is this court.

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 And John describes this outer court.

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 And in it, he says there is chaos.

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 The nations, that's those that oppose Christ, they are trampling this temple.

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 They are destroying it.

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 They're trying to overthrow it.

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 There's absolute chaos happening outside as they try and destroy the church, God's people.

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 And John says that this is allowed to happen for 42 months.

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 Now, what on earth is 42 months?

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 42 months makes up three and a half years.

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 Now, remember in the book of Revelation, there's this number that keeps on appearing.

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 The number?

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 Seven, right?

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 And the number seven in the book of, or in the Bible, but especially in the book of Revelation,

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 is the number of completeness, of fullness.

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 In other words, when something happens seven times, God is telling us that this action is completed.

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 Three and a half years is half of seven, which means that it's a limited period of time.

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 God is saying for a shortened period of time, not for the whole of history, for a limited period of time,

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 that I'm allowing, I will allow the nations, those that oppose me and my kingdom,

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 to trample on my kingdom and to oppose my church and my purposes and the gospel going out in the nations.

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 For a period of time, those that oppose me will be allowed to inflict difficulty on the kingdom of God on earth.

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 And so, that's what God's saying.

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 Now, the key question for those of us that are believers, and if you're here this morning and you're not yet a Christian,

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 we're so glad you're here.

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 You're so welcome.

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 It's great to have you with us.

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 But the question this passage asks for those of us that are Christians is this.

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 When opposition and persecution comes our way, when following Jesus costs you dearly and you're reviled or rejected for it,

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 what should you do?

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 How should we respond?

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 You see, for the Christians in the first century, being a follower of Jesus meant, at the very least,

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 that they would be ostracized and kicked out from community.

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 You'd go to the marketplace and you wouldn't worship the emperor, and so you'd be cut off from business deals.

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 You'd be on the outskirts of society.

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 You wouldn't be in the in crowd.

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 As people are making business deals and arrangements and inviting people to social gatherings,

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 you would kind of be at the bottom of the list, at the very least.

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 But at worst case scenario, being a Christian in the first century meant being thrown to the lions

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 or maybe being left to rot in some jail cell at the bottom of some building.

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 And so how should these Christians in first century Roman Empire respond?

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 Friends, how should you and I respond?

00:16:44.980 --> 00:16:46.580
 Well, look at verse 3 with me.

00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:47.639
 Look at what happens here.

00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:54.980
 God says that during this time, for 1,260 days, which is the equivalent to 42 months,

00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.700
 which is the equivalent to three and a half years,

00:16:56.700 --> 00:17:01.600
 for this same time period, this limited period that God is allowing this to happen,

00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.019
 rather than retreating into self-preservation,

00:17:05.580 --> 00:17:08.299
 rather than thinking how to avoid suffering,

00:17:08.860 --> 00:17:13.759
 Jesus sends his witnesses out to bear witness to the fact that Jesus is Lord.

00:17:14.140 --> 00:17:15.400
 Look at what verse 3 says.

00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:19.940
 I will grant authority to my two witnesses, says Christ,

00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.420
 and they will prophesy, that means they will speak my word,

00:17:23.860 --> 00:17:27.519
 for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.

00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.420
 And so the first thing is, how does God accomplish his purposes?

00:17:31.620 --> 00:17:33.580
 How does the gospel go forward in the world?

00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.080
 It goes forward in the midst of suffering and opposition and persecution.

00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:41.000
 But that leads us to the second thing, which is this.

00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.640
 God's kingdom comes through Christian witness.

00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:49.940
 You see, these two witnesses, why are they clothed in sackcloth?

00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:54.740
 The answer is not because they're poor and they couldn't afford any other clothes.

00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:58.920
 The reason is because in the Old Testament, when someone wore sackcloth,

00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:02.079
 it was a symbol of calling people to repentance.

00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:07.279
 It was a way of saying, Christ is Lord, and come back from rejecting him.

00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:11.720
 And so while the church is being opposed because of their faithfulness to Jesus,

00:18:12.059 --> 00:18:16.740
 God, at that very same time, he says,

00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:21.960
 this is the time for his witnesses to speak out and to let the world know that Caesar is not Lord,

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:27.819
 Rome is not Lord, the systems of this world are not Lord, Christ is Lord.

00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:29.480
 Jesus is Lord.

00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:33.980
 Let the hope and the peace and the freedom that people are looking for and longing for

00:18:33.980 --> 00:18:36.039
 is not found in the systems of this world.

00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:38.480
 It's found in the person of Jesus.

00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:40.240
 That was their message.

00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:43.180
 And friends, that's still the message of the church today.

00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:46.759
 See, again, if you're new to church here this morning,

00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:51.819
 you may be surprised to hear that the message of the church is not primarily

00:18:51.819 --> 00:18:56.700
 how to make your life more comfortable or convenient or better.

00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:59.019
 That's not why Jesus came to earth.

00:18:59.019 --> 00:19:03.599
 Now, following Jesus will sometimes make your life better.

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:05.299
 Sometimes it'll make it more inconvenient.

00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:08.339
 But that's not the primary message of the gospel.

00:19:08.859 --> 00:19:12.879
 The message of the church is not simply how to be a good citizen in society,

00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:15.779
 although Christians should be good citizens in society.

00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:18.079
 We should pursue peace and well-being.

00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:21.139
 Friends, if you're new to church, you may be surprised to hear

00:19:21.139 --> 00:19:25.079
 the goal of the church is not to make people feel better about themselves

00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:26.359
 or improve themselves.

00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:31.259
 Though if you believe the gospel, it does help you in the way that you think about yourself.

00:19:31.859 --> 00:19:34.459
 Though, friends, the message of the church and the message of the gospel

00:19:34.459 --> 00:19:41.199
 is that all people, Asians, Westerners, black, white, rich, poor,

00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:45.359
 all people everywhere are under the consequences of our sin

00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.639
 and that salvation and peace are found in no other source,

00:19:48.979 --> 00:19:53.799
 no other solution other than coming to Christ and surrendering our lives to Him.

00:19:54.339 --> 00:19:55.899
 This is the message of the church.

00:19:55.900 --> 00:20:00.280
 And this is the message that the witnesses in verse 3 are given.

00:20:01.080 --> 00:20:02.140
 Now, here's the question.

00:20:02.800 --> 00:20:05.900
 Who are these two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11?

00:20:06.620 --> 00:20:11.460
 Well, on the one hand, they are a picture John has at the back of his mind.

00:20:11.580 --> 00:20:15.000
 He has these two great witnesses in the Old Testament

00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.580
 that spoke up for the glory of God and the cause of Christ.

00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:20.900
 He's thinking of Moses and he's thinking of Elijah.

00:20:20.900 --> 00:20:27.740
 Remember, both Elijah and Moses stood firm in their testimony that God is God

00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:31.560
 rather than the powers of their day, even in the face of great opposition.

00:20:32.280 --> 00:20:36.180
 Remember, Moses stood up to Pharaoh, that pagan king of Egypt,

00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:39.940
 and he demonstrated God's power through various plagues.

00:20:40.600 --> 00:20:43.500
 Elijah stood up to Ahab, that wicked king of Israel,

00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:46.839
 and he demonstrated God's power through amazing prayer.

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:55.700
 But at the same time, both Elijah and Moses face incredible opposition and persecution for their stand.

00:20:56.059 --> 00:20:59.720
 Both of them at one point decide to run away and save themselves

00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:02.420
 because the opposition is so fierce that they are convinced

00:21:02.420 --> 00:21:05.579
 they're going to be killed by those that they are witnessing to.

00:21:05.579 --> 00:21:09.179
 And yet both of them find that in the face of opposition,

00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:13.379
 God is with them and empowering them for the task that he's called them to.

00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:16.960
 And in this way, they are models for what all Christians should be.

00:21:17.919 --> 00:21:20.639
 But then on the other hand, John here is writing,

00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:22.740
 and he's thinking not just of these two,

00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.299
 he's actually picturing all Christians everywhere throughout the ages.

00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:33.819
 You see, we may think these two witnesses refer to Tim Keller and Billy Graham, right?

00:21:34.399 --> 00:21:35.879
 The two great heroes of our age.

00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:38.319
 Or John Piper, Ravi Zacharias.

00:21:38.919 --> 00:21:41.119
 They're going to come and save the church.

00:21:41.940 --> 00:21:45.099
 Or maybe we think they refer to the two missionaries,

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:46.399
 Joanne and Amelia.

00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.859
 They're going to go out and take the gospel to Asia.

00:21:50.740 --> 00:21:53.819
 Or maybe you think they refer to the pastors and the preachers.

00:21:54.299 --> 00:21:55.319
 But look at verse 4.

00:21:55.899 --> 00:21:57.159
 Look at what he says here.

00:21:57.619 --> 00:22:00.099
 He calls them to lampstands.

00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:04.000
 Now in the book of Revelation, what do lampstands always refer to?

00:22:04.940 --> 00:22:06.440
 They refer to churches.

00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.079
 That's right.

00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:09.879
 They're like the church in Smyrna, or the church in Ephesus,

00:22:10.099 --> 00:22:12.259
 or the church in Laodicea, or Philadelphia,

00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:15.220
 or that church in Ebenezer.

00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:18.779
 You see, the lampstands, which are the witnesses,

00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:23.720
 are local congregations of God's people gathered that declare the wonder of God.

00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:24.919
 In other words, friends,

00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:28.820
 the kingdom of God advances or goes forward through the witnesses,

00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:31.060
 not of celebrity preachers and pastors,

00:22:31.560 --> 00:22:36.880
 but through everyday witness of ordinary Christians like you and I in our places of work,

00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:39.800
 in our schools, in our universities, in our neighborhoods,

00:22:39.800 --> 00:22:42.779
 as we seek to follow Jesus and advance His cause.

00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:46.940
 J.D. Greer, who leads the church in the U.S.,

00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:48.539
 he asks a challenging question.

00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:49.279
 He says this,

00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:53.740
 what if we made our primary consideration when pursuing a career,

00:22:54.299 --> 00:22:57.500
 where we can most effectively be used in the mission of God?

00:22:57.980 --> 00:23:00.940
 Lots of factors go into where we choose to pursue our career,

00:23:01.379 --> 00:23:02.279
 where the money's good,

00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:03.680
 where our families live,

00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:05.180
 where we want to live.

00:23:05.619 --> 00:23:06.500
 These are all valid.

00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:07.500
 They're not bad things.

00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:11.299
 But why wouldn't the advance of God's kingdom be the largest factor?

00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:12.839
 You see what he's saying?

00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:14.799
 The gospel goes forward,

00:23:14.939 --> 00:23:19.399
 not just through celebrity leaders and pastors and mega Christians,

00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:22.919
 it's actually through the faithful witness of ordinary Christians

00:23:22.919 --> 00:23:26.220
 in their ordinary places in the cities in which God calls them.

00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:28.720
 But then we see a twist.

00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:30.939
 We see a surprising twist.

00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:35.139
 And that's not that not only the kingdom of God comes out through our witness,

00:23:35.899 --> 00:23:39.819
 not only does the kingdom of God go in the midst of suffering and opposition,

00:23:39.819 --> 00:23:43.259
 but actually the kingdom of God advances,

00:23:43.779 --> 00:23:45.299
 God establishes his kingdom,

00:23:45.419 --> 00:23:46.720
 and the gospel goes forward,

00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:49.099
 not just despite our suffering,

00:23:49.399 --> 00:23:50.740
 but because of our suffering.

00:23:51.439 --> 00:23:52.059
 In other words,

00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.059
 the gospel advances not just in spite of opposition,

00:23:56.339 --> 00:23:58.919
 but through opposition that the church encounters.

00:23:59.879 --> 00:24:02.339
 Look at verse 7 with me.

00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:04.359
 Look at what he says here.

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:06.019
 When they,

00:24:06.139 --> 00:24:07.399
 that's these two witnesses,

00:24:07.679 --> 00:24:08.579
 when the churches,

00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:09.619
 God's people,

00:24:09.819 --> 00:24:11.019
 had finished their testimony,

00:24:11.639 --> 00:24:13.960
 the beast that rises from the bottomless pit,

00:24:14.159 --> 00:24:14.339
 okay,

00:24:14.399 --> 00:24:15.799
 that means satanic forces.

00:24:15.919 --> 00:24:18.179
 We're going to talk about that in the next few weeks.

00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:20.779
 The beast will make war on them,

00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:21.899
 and will conquer them,

00:24:21.939 --> 00:24:22.939
 and will kill them.

00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:26.279
 And their dead bodies will lie in the streets of that great city.

00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:28.220
 For three and a half days,

00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:29.879
 that's that limited time period again,

00:24:30.259 --> 00:24:33.419
 some of the peoples and the tribes and the languages and the nations

00:24:33.419 --> 00:24:35.359
 will gaze at their dead bodies

00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.619
 and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb.

00:24:37.619 --> 00:24:40.699
 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them.

00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:45.500
 They will clink glasses and say cheers and raise a toast to one another,

00:24:45.619 --> 00:24:46.679
 exchange presents,

00:24:46.899 --> 00:24:51.979
 because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

00:24:51.980 --> 00:24:54.180
 I don't know if you remember,

00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:56.079
 in Luke's gospel,

00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:00.180
 Jesus is betrayed by Judas.

00:25:00.980 --> 00:25:02.839
 He's arrested in the garden of Gethsemane,

00:25:03.360 --> 00:25:04.980
 and he's put on trial,

00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:06.920
 this mock trial throughout the night.

00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:09.120
 And in the morning,

00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:11.799
 the religious leaders want Jesus to be crucified,

00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:15.460
 but they don't have the authority to put anyone to death in the Roman Empire.

00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:17.900
 And so they take Jesus to Pilate,

00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:18.700
 and they say,

00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:19.120
 Pilate,

00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:20.720
 this man is causing an uproar,

00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:24.120
 we better get rid of him before he causes you any more problems.

00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:26.519
 And so Pilate questions Jesus,

00:25:26.660 --> 00:25:29.299
 and Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent.

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:31.940
 But he doesn't want to let Jesus go,

00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:34.259
 because that's going to ruin his political career.

00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:35.920
 And so Pilate's kind of like,

00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:37.360
 not sure what to do.

00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:39.900
 Pilate hears that Herod is in town.

00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:42.160
 And so he sends Jesus to Herod,

00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:42.480
 and says,

00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:42.779
 Herod,

00:25:42.840 --> 00:25:43.579
 here's this man,

00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:44.839
 I don't know what to do,

00:25:44.919 --> 00:25:46.000
 what do you think we should do?

00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:47.720
 So Herod interviews him,

00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:49.159
 and Herod comes back and says,

00:25:49.579 --> 00:25:49.720
 no,

00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:51.039
 I think we should kill him.

00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:52.199
 And so Pilate says,

00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:52.460
 okay,

00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:52.859
 fine,

00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:54.159
 sentence him to death,

00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:56.039
 and Jesus is sent off to be crucified.

00:25:57.059 --> 00:25:58.399
 And at the end of Luke 23,

00:25:58.519 --> 00:25:59.579
 there's this amazing line,

00:25:59.659 --> 00:26:00.119
 and it says,

00:26:00.399 --> 00:26:01.059
 that day,

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:03.659
 Herod and Pilate became friends,

00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:05.339
 because up until this point,

00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:06.720
 they were enemies.

00:26:07.939 --> 00:26:08.839
 See what's happened there?

00:26:09.419 --> 00:26:10.759
 Here are two people

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:12.759
 that previously had nothing in common.

00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:14.200
 They actually didn't get on at all.

00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.740
 But they find some kind of commonality.

00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:18.700
 They find that they are unified.

00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:20.420
 What brings them together

00:26:20.420 --> 00:26:22.379
 is their mutual dislike

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:23.779
 for their opposition,

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:24.460
 and for Jesus,

00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:25.640
 who's causing an uproar.

00:26:26.379 --> 00:26:28.160
 That's exactly what John is saying

00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:28.980
 is happening here.

00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:30.400
 Here in the streets,

00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:32.019
 those that oppose the gospel

00:26:32.019 --> 00:26:33.099
 and the cause of Christ,

00:26:33.559 --> 00:26:35.039
 they persecute Christians,

00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:36.119
 and they're celebrating,

00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:37.359
 and they're exchanging presents,

00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.119
 and they're toasting,

00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:39.339
 and high-fiving one another.

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:39.960
 Yeah,

00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:40.880
 we got rid of those

00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:42.240
 that have tormented us

00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:43.940
 and caused us such problems.

00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:45.600
 And the reason for this,

00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.019
 because the church,

00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:49.220
 those who hold that life and salvation

00:26:49.220 --> 00:26:50.319
 are found in nothing

00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:52.240
 except Jesus and His sacrifice,

00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:53.380
 not Caesar,

00:26:53.600 --> 00:26:54.240
 not Rome,

00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:56.220
 not politics or wealth,

00:26:56.860 --> 00:26:59.240
 those that hold that Christ alone

00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:00.840
 is worthy of worship

00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:02.620
 are considered a threat.

00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:05.079
 They're viewed as some kind of plague

00:27:05.079 --> 00:27:06.379
 that must be exterminated

00:27:06.379 --> 00:27:08.079
 for the well-being of society.

00:27:09.079 --> 00:27:09.799
 And yet,

00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:12.919
 this is all part of God's sovereign plan

00:27:12.919 --> 00:27:14.319
 to bring His kingdom to earth,

00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:15.859
 to establish His kingdom

00:27:15.859 --> 00:27:16.519
 and His glory.

00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:17.939
 And we see this

00:27:17.939 --> 00:27:19.599
 because throughout the book of Revelation,

00:27:20.179 --> 00:27:21.119
 the word witness

00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:22.339
 and the word martyr

00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:24.480
 are almost used interchangeably.

00:27:25.139 --> 00:27:26.779
 Wherever there's a witness for Jesus,

00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:28.399
 they end up being martyred,

00:27:28.399 --> 00:27:29.779
 and whenever there's a martyr,

00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:32.339
 it's because they were witnesses for Jesus.

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:37.179
 Tim Chester says it like this,

00:27:37.819 --> 00:27:39.119
 the church is persecuted,

00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:40.799
 Christians are martyred,

00:27:41.199 --> 00:27:42.819
 and at times the cause of Christ

00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:43.679
 seems defeated,

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.500
 but the church survives

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:47.619
 and comes back with renewed strength,

00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:49.000
 and the cause of Christ

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:50.079
 continues in history.

00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:51.659
 Again and again,

00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:52.839
 throughout history,

00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.119
 regimes have risen,

00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:55.039
 and it's looked as if

00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.339
 they would wipe out the church,

00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:58.439
 but those regimes have gone,

00:27:58.859 --> 00:27:59.819
 and the church has come

00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:01.759
 through persecution strong.

00:28:02.339 --> 00:28:03.519
 It has been victorious

00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:05.259
 through suffering.

00:28:06.179 --> 00:28:07.579
 And so the point that John is making

00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:09.399
 is that the God-given,

00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:10.699
 God-protected calling

00:28:10.699 --> 00:28:11.859
 of the people of God

00:28:11.859 --> 00:28:13.740
 is to bear witness to Jesus,

00:28:14.059 --> 00:28:15.799
 but that does not mean

00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:17.199
 we'll be spared from suffering

00:28:17.199 --> 00:28:18.240
 or death,

00:28:18.539 --> 00:28:20.839
 but rather that the suffering itself,

00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:22.779
 just like the Jesus that we follow,

00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.500
 will be the ultimate prophetic sign

00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:26.119
 to the world

00:28:26.119 --> 00:28:27.740
 that God's kingdom has come,

00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:29.059
 that He's establishing His kingdom,

00:28:29.220 --> 00:28:29.759
 and ultimately,

00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:31.679
 the nations will glorify Him.

00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:34.459
 150 years after

00:28:34.459 --> 00:28:36.119
 the book of Revelation is written,

00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:37.879
 this early church father

00:28:37.879 --> 00:28:38.799
 called Tertullian

00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:40.039
 famously said this.

00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:40.399
 He said,

00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:42.199
 the blood of the martyrs

00:28:42.199 --> 00:28:43.579
 is the seedbed

00:28:43.579 --> 00:28:45.259
 for the gospel to go forward.

00:28:46.459 --> 00:28:47.980
 It's the blood of the martyrs

00:28:47.980 --> 00:28:48.779
 that's the seedbed

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:49.980
 for the gospel to go forward.

00:28:50.379 --> 00:28:50.819
 In other words,

00:28:50.839 --> 00:28:52.299
 he's saying it's as Christians

00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:53.459
 suffer opposition

00:28:53.459 --> 00:28:55.819
 that the gospel flourishes,

00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:57.159
 doesn't retreat.

00:28:57.160 --> 00:28:59.120
 I shared the story

00:28:59.120 --> 00:29:01.220
 a few weeks ago prematurely,

00:29:01.460 --> 00:29:03.240
 so I'll share it again properly.

00:29:05.860 --> 00:29:06.380
 1555,

00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:07.120
 okay,

00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:08.540
 so almost 500 years ago,

00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:10.140
 in the city of Oxford

00:29:10.140 --> 00:29:10.700
 in London,

00:29:11.120 --> 00:29:11.940
 these two bishops

00:29:11.940 --> 00:29:13.080
 are being arrested

00:29:13.080 --> 00:29:13.820
 and killed,

00:29:15.100 --> 00:29:15.880
 Hugh Latimer

00:29:15.880 --> 00:29:17.620
 and Nicholas Ridley.

00:29:18.080 --> 00:29:18.860
 And the reason is

00:29:18.860 --> 00:29:19.740
 because they are telling

00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:20.620
 the Queen of England,

00:29:20.820 --> 00:29:21.320
 Queen Mary,

00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:22.500
 that she needs to repent

00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:23.619
 and come to faith in Jesus.

00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:24.839
 And she doesn't like

00:29:24.839 --> 00:29:25.579
 being told that.

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:27.180
 So she has them arrested

00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:29.299
 and thrown in jail

00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:30.599
 and eventually she decides

00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:31.180
 that they're going to be

00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:32.000
 burnt at the stake.

00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:33.039
 And so,

00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:34.480
 one October day

00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:35.140
 in Oxford,

00:29:35.559 --> 00:29:36.279
 these two bishops

00:29:36.279 --> 00:29:37.960
 are taken to Town Square

00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:39.259
 and they are tied

00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:39.960
 to the stake

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.519
 and there is hay

00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:43.059
 put around their feet.

00:29:43.500 --> 00:29:45.000
 There's a bag of gunpowder

00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:46.400
 put around their necks

00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:47.539
 and hanging there

00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:48.400
 so that as the flames

00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:48.839
 come up,

00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:49.500
 it's going to catch

00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:50.220
 the gunpowder

00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:52.140
 and explode in their faces.

00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:54.700
 And while this is happening,

00:29:55.299 --> 00:29:56.519
 the younger of these two

00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:57.539
 called Nicholas Ridley

00:29:57.539 --> 00:29:59.380
 is a little bit nervous.

00:29:59.500 --> 00:29:59.960
 You can see

00:29:59.960 --> 00:30:00.740
 he's a bit fearful.

00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:02.079
 And so Hugh Latimer,

00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:03.000
 who's this older,

00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:04.539
 wiser saint,

00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:06.480
 he turns to Nicholas Ridley

00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.440
 and he says this,

00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:08.839
 Be of good cheer,

00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:09.980
 Master Ridley,

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:12.299
 for we shall this day

00:30:12.299 --> 00:30:14.099
 light such a candle

00:30:14.099 --> 00:30:14.660
 in England

00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:16.500
 as I pray by God's grace

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:18.720
 will never be put out.

00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:20.400
 You see what he's saying there?

00:30:20.700 --> 00:30:21.339
 He's saying,

00:30:21.339 --> 00:30:23.220
 they think that they've got us

00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:24.399
 because they're killing us

00:30:24.399 --> 00:30:25.679
 but they don't know

00:30:25.679 --> 00:30:26.699
 that we've got them.

00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:27.899
 They don't know

00:30:27.899 --> 00:30:29.720
 that actually by killing us

00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:30.720
 they think they're going

00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:31.819
 to quieten the gospel.

00:30:32.159 --> 00:30:33.339
 This is going to propagate

00:30:33.339 --> 00:30:33.899
 the gospel.

00:30:34.439 --> 00:30:35.220
 They think they're going

00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:36.339
 to quieten the church.

00:30:36.639 --> 00:30:37.439
 This is going to send

00:30:37.439 --> 00:30:38.279
 the message of the gospel

00:30:38.279 --> 00:30:39.259
 out even further.

00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:40.899
 Be of good cheer,

00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:41.679
 Master Ridley.

00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:43.359
 This day we shall light

00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:44.959
 a candle by God's grace

00:30:44.959 --> 00:30:47.099
 that shall never be put out.

00:30:47.859 --> 00:30:48.379
 And so this week

00:30:48.379 --> 00:30:49.099
 I heard the story

00:30:49.099 --> 00:30:49.859
 on Friday night

00:30:49.859 --> 00:30:51.699
 of the Korean revival.

00:30:52.179 --> 00:30:52.759
 I'm sure some of you

00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:53.279
 will know this.

00:30:53.379 --> 00:30:54.240
 May you know it better than me.

00:30:56.679 --> 00:30:57.119
 1865,

00:30:57.919 --> 00:30:59.699
 this young Welsh man,

00:31:00.619 --> 00:31:02.219
 Robert Thomas,

00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:02.799
 is that right?

00:31:03.419 --> 00:31:04.639
 He's a missionary to China

00:31:04.639 --> 00:31:05.459
 but he's got a heart

00:31:05.459 --> 00:31:06.019
 for Korea.

00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:07.819
 He goes down to Korea

00:31:07.819 --> 00:31:08.740
 and he walks amongst

00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:09.659
 North Korea,

00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:10.119
 Pongyang,

00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:10.919
 for two months

00:31:10.919 --> 00:31:12.339
 learning everything he can.

00:31:12.899 --> 00:31:14.159
 He then goes back to China

00:31:14.159 --> 00:31:14.919
 but he's desperate

00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:15.740
 to go to Korea.

00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.400
 And so he joins

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:20.140
 this French naval trading ship

00:31:20.140 --> 00:31:21.360
 that's going to go to Korea.

00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:23.060
 But halfway along the trip

00:31:23.060 --> 00:31:24.220
 the French vessel

00:31:24.220 --> 00:31:25.480
 decides not to go to Korea

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.120
 to go to Vietnam.

00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:28.060
 So he abandons that ship

00:31:28.060 --> 00:31:29.019
 and joins another

00:31:29.019 --> 00:31:30.259
 American trading ship

00:31:30.259 --> 00:31:31.539
 that's on its way to Korea.

00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:33.320
 But this trading ship

00:31:33.320 --> 00:31:35.039
 is causing a few problems

00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:36.880
 as it gets to Korea.

00:31:37.620 --> 00:31:39.180
 This Robert Thomas

00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:40.539
 decides to join

00:31:40.539 --> 00:31:42.019
 as he wants to get to Korea

00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:42.660
 to be a missionary

00:31:42.660 --> 00:31:44.200
 but he goes as a translator

00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:44.980
 on the ship.

00:31:45.580 --> 00:31:46.180
 And as the ship

00:31:46.180 --> 00:31:47.700
 comes towards Pongyang

00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:48.860
 it's sailing up the river

00:31:48.860 --> 00:31:49.640
 there's a whole lot

00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:50.360
 of opposition

00:31:50.360 --> 00:31:51.840
 and they are eventually

00:31:51.840 --> 00:31:52.480
 attacked.

00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:54.279
 But Robert Thomas

00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:55.340
 takes his Bibles

00:31:55.340 --> 00:31:56.320
 and he throws them

00:31:56.320 --> 00:31:56.960
 onto the banks

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:57.519
 of the river

00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.620
 to try and at least

00:31:58.620 --> 00:31:59.500
 get these Bibles

00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:00.180
 out there.

00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:02.040
 But before he can even

00:32:02.040 --> 00:32:03.340
 get onto the banks

00:32:03.340 --> 00:32:04.580
 there's this fight

00:32:04.580 --> 00:32:05.160
 and this war

00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:06.200
 and they are all killed

00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:06.759
 on the ship.

00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:08.400
 And so Robert Thomas

00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:10.240
 never goes back to Korea.

00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:11.880
 He went previously

00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:12.560
 the year before

00:32:12.560 --> 00:32:13.260
 for two months

00:32:13.260 --> 00:32:14.360
 but on this trip

00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:15.360
 he never even

00:32:15.360 --> 00:32:16.120
 sets foot

00:32:16.120 --> 00:32:17.240
 on the banks of Korea.

00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:18.560
 All he does

00:32:18.560 --> 00:32:19.840
 is he throws his Bibles

00:32:19.840 --> 00:32:20.440
 ashore.

00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:22.520
 But there's a general

00:32:22.520 --> 00:32:23.840
 that takes these Bibles

00:32:23.840 --> 00:32:24.700
 because he wants

00:32:24.700 --> 00:32:25.440
 to put wallpaper

00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:26.580
 on the house

00:32:26.580 --> 00:32:27.760
 where he lives.

00:32:28.460 --> 00:32:29.100
 And so he takes

00:32:29.100 --> 00:32:29.620
 these Bibles

00:32:29.620 --> 00:32:31.060
 and he tears the pages out

00:32:31.060 --> 00:32:31.980
 and he casts them

00:32:31.980 --> 00:32:32.740
 as wallpaper

00:32:32.740 --> 00:32:34.260
 on his house.

00:32:35.560 --> 00:32:36.360
 And the people

00:32:36.360 --> 00:32:37.120
 start to read

00:32:37.120 --> 00:32:37.740
 the words

00:32:37.740 --> 00:32:38.420
 in the Bible

00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:39.720
 and they start

00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:40.280
 to realize

00:32:40.279 --> 00:32:41.000
 that Jesus

00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:41.720
 is Christ.

00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:43.399
 And this revival

00:32:43.399 --> 00:32:44.099
 breaks out

00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:45.399
 and within 15 years

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:46.740
 there are 100 churches

00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:47.859
 planted in Pongyang.

00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:48.759
 It's this Christian

00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:50.639
 center in North Korea.

00:32:51.619 --> 00:32:52.559
 But Robert Thomas

00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:54.059
 paid with his life.

00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:55.259
 Friends,

00:32:55.299 --> 00:32:55.819
 it's the blood

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.660
 of the martyrs

00:32:56.660 --> 00:32:57.599
 that is the seed

00:32:57.599 --> 00:32:58.680
 bed for the gospel

00:32:58.680 --> 00:33:00.160
 to go forward.

00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:02.559
 And that brings us

00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:03.059
 to the fourth

00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:03.819
 and the final point

00:33:03.819 --> 00:33:05.000
 that is God's kingdom

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:06.680
 comes with spiritual life.

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.099
 Because the kingdom

00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:08.519
 of God

00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:09.639
 doesn't only come

00:33:09.639 --> 00:33:10.719
 despite suffering.

00:33:11.259 --> 00:33:12.019
 It doesn't only come

00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:12.839
 through suffering.

00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:14.480
 It comes when God

00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:15.980
 by his sovereign will

00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:18.199
 implants spiritual life

00:33:18.199 --> 00:33:19.500
 into his people

00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:20.539
 and into a society.

00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:22.059
 Look at verse 11

00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:23.179
 with me here.

00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:24.539
 It says this

00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:25.279
 in verse 11.

00:33:25.379 --> 00:33:26.000
 These witnesses,

00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:26.959
 God's people,

00:33:27.419 --> 00:33:28.399
 they've been fought against,

00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:29.059
 they've been killed

00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:30.000
 because of their testimony,

00:33:30.159 --> 00:33:31.179
 they've been left for dead

00:33:31.179 --> 00:33:32.459
 like trash on the street.

00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:34.259
 Those that have killed them

00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:35.039
 have celebrated

00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:35.919
 their great victory

00:33:35.919 --> 00:33:36.959
 because they killed them

00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:38.160
 and they've destroyed the church.

00:33:38.660 --> 00:33:39.660
 But then verse 11

00:33:39.660 --> 00:33:40.420
 says this,

00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:42.480
 after three and a half days,

00:33:42.740 --> 00:33:44.279
 that's that limited time period again,

00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:46.220
 a breath of life

00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:47.279
 from God

00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:47.960
 entered them

00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:48.819
 and they stood up

00:33:48.819 --> 00:33:49.420
 on their feet

00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:50.840
 and great fear

00:33:50.840 --> 00:33:51.539
 fell on all

00:33:51.539 --> 00:33:52.700
 those who saw them.

00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:54.120
 Though they are killed

00:33:54.120 --> 00:33:54.779
 for their witness,

00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:56.360
 they do not stay dead

00:33:56.360 --> 00:33:56.940
 but rather

00:33:56.940 --> 00:33:57.799
 their death

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:58.940
 leads to life.

00:33:59.440 --> 00:33:59.940
 And the point

00:33:59.940 --> 00:34:01.240
 that Jesus is making here

00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:02.620
 is not simply that

00:34:02.620 --> 00:34:03.700
 you may suffer

00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:04.539
 but don't worry

00:34:04.539 --> 00:34:05.079
 it all ends

00:34:05.079 --> 00:34:05.920
 alright in the end.

00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:06.800
 The point

00:34:06.800 --> 00:34:07.759
 that Jesus is making

00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:09.659
 is though things

00:34:09.659 --> 00:34:10.519
 may be difficult,

00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:11.480
 it's okay,

00:34:11.740 --> 00:34:12.680
 there's a happy ending

00:34:12.680 --> 00:34:13.579
 at the end of the day.

00:34:14.059 --> 00:34:14.579
 The point

00:34:14.579 --> 00:34:15.360
 is that the life

00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:16.059
 of the Christian

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:17.599
 follows the life

00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:18.180
 of Jesus

00:34:18.180 --> 00:34:19.320
 which is that

00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:20.800
 the road to glory,

00:34:21.220 --> 00:34:22.500
 the road to life

00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:23.960
 passes through

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:24.920
 Mount Calvary.

00:34:25.579 --> 00:34:26.159
 You see that?

00:34:26.780 --> 00:34:27.559
 Remember Jesus

00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:30.579
 went through Calvary

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.840
 to get to

00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:32.720
 resurrection life.

00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:33.700
 Friends,

00:34:33.699 --> 00:34:34.319
 the pattern

00:34:34.319 --> 00:34:35.059
 of the Christian

00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:35.819
 is the pattern

00:34:35.819 --> 00:34:36.379
 of Jesus

00:34:36.379 --> 00:34:37.919
 that it's death

00:34:37.919 --> 00:34:39.159
 that leads to life.

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.619
 You see a Christian

00:34:40.619 --> 00:34:41.279
 is not just someone

00:34:41.279 --> 00:34:41.980
 who believes

00:34:41.980 --> 00:34:43.299
 that Jesus is God

00:34:43.299 --> 00:34:44.559
 that's good

00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:45.679
 you do need to believe that

00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:47.159
 but even the devil

00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:47.919
 knows that Jesus

00:34:47.919 --> 00:34:48.439
 is God

00:34:48.439 --> 00:34:49.059
 and the devil

00:34:49.059 --> 00:34:49.779
 is not a Christian

00:34:49.779 --> 00:34:51.619
 in case you

00:34:51.619 --> 00:34:52.559
 thought he might be.

00:34:53.779 --> 00:34:54.299
 No, a Christian

00:34:54.299 --> 00:34:54.779
 is someone

00:34:54.779 --> 00:34:56.500
 who follows Jesus

00:34:56.500 --> 00:34:57.239
 who has come

00:34:57.239 --> 00:34:58.299
 to trust in him

00:34:58.299 --> 00:34:59.699
 and obey him

00:34:59.699 --> 00:35:01.000
 and love him

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:02.420
 and follow him

00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:03.280
 and imitate him

00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:03.900
 and that means

00:35:03.900 --> 00:35:04.500
 the pattern

00:35:04.500 --> 00:35:05.420
 of Jesus' life

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:05.980
 is the pattern

00:35:05.980 --> 00:35:07.019
 of our life as well.

00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:08.440
 Remember Jesus said

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:09.099
 if anyone wants

00:35:09.099 --> 00:35:09.719
 to follow me

00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.420
 let him pick up

00:35:10.420 --> 00:35:11.519
 his cross daily.

00:35:12.739 --> 00:35:12.940
 Friends,

00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:13.679
 a Christian is someone

00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:14.739
 who is daily learning

00:35:14.739 --> 00:35:15.320
 what it means

00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:16.199
 to follow Jesus

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:17.119
 by forfeiting

00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:17.800
 our own life

00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:18.320
 for the sake

00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:19.039
 of his glory

00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:20.400
 but the irony

00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:21.599
 is in that place

00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:22.559
 as we lay down

00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:23.019
 our lives

00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:24.719
 actually we find life

00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:25.980
 and that's the great

00:35:25.980 --> 00:35:26.820
 promise of the gospel

00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:27.579
 and we see it here

00:35:27.579 --> 00:35:28.119
 in Revelation

00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:29.319
 that ultimately

00:35:29.319 --> 00:35:30.699
 both spiritually speaking

00:35:30.699 --> 00:35:32.000
 and from the perspective

00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.679
 of heaven

00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:34.099
 in God's economy

00:35:34.099 --> 00:35:35.239
 it's through dying

00:35:35.239 --> 00:35:36.739
 that actually we find life.

00:35:37.179 --> 00:35:38.059
 It's through dying

00:35:38.059 --> 00:35:38.639
 that the church

00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:39.440
 comes alive.

00:35:39.819 --> 00:35:40.699
 It's through suffering

00:35:40.699 --> 00:35:41.339
 persecution

00:35:41.339 --> 00:35:41.779
 opposition

00:35:41.779 --> 00:35:43.519
 that the church flourishes.

00:35:43.940 --> 00:35:44.279
 Again,

00:35:44.420 --> 00:35:45.799
 Tim Chester says it like this

00:35:45.799 --> 00:35:47.940
 Jesus is showing his church

00:35:47.940 --> 00:35:49.699
 that God's people die

00:35:49.699 --> 00:35:51.159
 and yet live.

00:35:51.779 --> 00:35:52.159
 In fact,

00:35:52.319 --> 00:35:53.599
 life comes through death

00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:55.099
 because we are united

00:35:55.099 --> 00:35:55.679
 to Christ

00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:56.659
 our lives are shaped

00:35:56.659 --> 00:35:57.400
 by his death

00:35:57.400 --> 00:35:58.000
 and resurrection.

00:35:58.619 --> 00:35:59.159
 His death

00:35:59.159 --> 00:35:59.759
 and resurrection

00:35:59.759 --> 00:36:01.359
 are not just the means

00:36:01.359 --> 00:36:02.199
 of our salvation

00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:03.739
 they are also the pattern

00:36:03.739 --> 00:36:04.859
 of the Christian life.

00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.599
 Whenever you see people

00:36:06.599 --> 00:36:08.019
 receiving spiritual life

00:36:08.019 --> 00:36:09.359
 whenever you see a living

00:36:09.359 --> 00:36:09.980
 healthy

00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:11.019
 vibrant church

00:36:11.019 --> 00:36:12.099
 you can be sure

00:36:12.099 --> 00:36:13.219
 that behind the scenes

00:36:13.219 --> 00:36:14.619
 someone is dying

00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:16.159
 dying to self

00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:17.199
 or suffering

00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:18.400
 some kind of hardship.

00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:19.380
 And friends,

00:36:19.460 --> 00:36:20.359
 that's the great paradox

00:36:20.359 --> 00:36:21.359
 of the Christian life

00:36:21.359 --> 00:36:22.599
 that the more you try

00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:23.940
 and hold on to your life

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:25.259
 and preserve your life

00:36:25.259 --> 00:36:26.380
 the more you try

00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:28.000
 and maintain your status

00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:29.039
 and your honor

00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:29.800
 and your comfort

00:36:29.800 --> 00:36:30.460
 and your name

00:36:30.460 --> 00:36:31.420
 the more you end up

00:36:31.420 --> 00:36:32.059
 losing it.

00:36:32.599 --> 00:36:33.539
 But paradoxically

00:36:33.539 --> 00:36:34.579
 the more you're willing

00:36:34.579 --> 00:36:35.800
 to give up those things

00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:36.860
 for the sake of Christ

00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:38.280
 actually you find

00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:39.320
 that you gain life

00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:40.480
 and you find

00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:41.860
 you gain Christ as well.

00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:43.480
 And that's true

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:44.159
 for the individual

00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:44.900
 and it's true

00:36:44.900 --> 00:36:46.159
 for the church as well.

00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:47.940
 Be of good cheer

00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:48.659
 Master Ridley

00:36:48.659 --> 00:36:50.239
 we shall this day

00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.079
 light a candle

00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:51.739
 that I pray

00:36:51.739 --> 00:36:52.719
 by God's grace

00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:53.940
 will never

00:36:53.940 --> 00:36:55.299
 ever be put out.

00:36:56.359 --> 00:36:57.099
 And you see friends

00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:57.920
 this is because

00:36:57.920 --> 00:36:58.940
 this life

00:36:58.940 --> 00:37:00.639
 this vitality

00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:01.019
 that's given

00:37:01.019 --> 00:37:01.719
 to the churches

00:37:01.719 --> 00:37:03.039
 is not a result

00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:04.299
 of human ingenuity

00:37:04.299 --> 00:37:05.399
 or human leadership.

00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:06.639
 Look at what it says

00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:07.480
 in verse 11.

00:37:08.259 --> 00:37:09.119
 After this limited

00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:09.759
 time period

00:37:09.759 --> 00:37:10.099
 it says

00:37:10.099 --> 00:37:11.139
 a breath of life

00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:12.039
 from God

00:37:12.039 --> 00:37:12.679
 entered them.

00:37:13.739 --> 00:37:14.219
 Well I mentioned

00:37:14.219 --> 00:37:14.719
 this earlier

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:16.279
 how chapter 11

00:37:16.279 --> 00:37:16.959
 is full of these

00:37:16.959 --> 00:37:17.899
 references to

00:37:17.899 --> 00:37:19.619
 Ezekiel and Zechariah.

00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:21.480
 The first century church

00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:22.639
 as they read

00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:23.539
 that line

00:37:23.539 --> 00:37:24.579
 they immediately

00:37:24.579 --> 00:37:25.439
 would have remembered

00:37:25.439 --> 00:37:26.939
 a very similar line.

00:37:27.579 --> 00:37:28.919
 You see in Ezekiel 36

00:37:28.919 --> 00:37:30.319
 Ezekiel has this vision

00:37:30.319 --> 00:37:31.859
 and in this vision

00:37:31.859 --> 00:37:33.799
 he sees this valley

00:37:33.799 --> 00:37:34.739
 full of dead

00:37:34.739 --> 00:37:35.619
 dry bones.

00:37:35.779 --> 00:37:36.539
 This valley that's just

00:37:36.539 --> 00:37:38.000
 full of these dry bones

00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:39.019
 there's no life in there.

00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:40.419
 And in this vision

00:37:40.419 --> 00:37:41.239
 God comes to him

00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:41.480
 and says

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:42.019
 Ezekiel

00:37:42.019 --> 00:37:43.480
 can these bones live?

00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:45.059
 And Ezekiel says

00:37:45.059 --> 00:37:45.780
 I don't know God

00:37:45.780 --> 00:37:46.659
 you alone know.

00:37:47.219 --> 00:37:47.960
 Humanly speaking

00:37:47.960 --> 00:37:49.240
 no but with you

00:37:49.240 --> 00:37:50.199
 who knows right?

00:37:50.900 --> 00:37:51.539
 And so God says

00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:52.099
 Ezekiel

00:37:52.099 --> 00:37:54.159
 speak my words

00:37:54.159 --> 00:37:55.340
 to these dry bones.

00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:56.880
 And so Ezekiel does

00:37:56.880 --> 00:37:58.179
 he speaks God's word

00:37:58.179 --> 00:37:59.139
 and as he does

00:37:59.139 --> 00:38:01.099
 the bones start to rattle

00:38:01.099 --> 00:38:02.699
 flesh and muscle

00:38:02.699 --> 00:38:04.119
 and sinew start to form

00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:05.260
 and these bones

00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:06.280
 start to become

00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:07.059
 human bodies.

00:38:07.619 --> 00:38:08.300
 And then God says

00:38:08.300 --> 00:38:09.039
 Ezekiel

00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:10.159
 speak again.

00:38:10.500 --> 00:38:11.719
 And he speaks God's word

00:38:11.719 --> 00:38:12.219
 and it says

00:38:12.219 --> 00:38:13.320
 the breath of God

00:38:13.320 --> 00:38:14.760
 entered these bones

00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:15.480
 these bodies

00:38:15.480 --> 00:38:16.720
 and they stood up

00:38:16.720 --> 00:38:17.300
 on their feet

00:38:17.300 --> 00:38:18.500
 like a great army.

00:38:19.140 --> 00:38:19.780
 Well that's exactly

00:38:19.780 --> 00:38:20.840
 what Revelation said.

00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:22.260
 As the breath of life

00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:22.900
 came into them

00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:23.580
 they stood up

00:38:23.580 --> 00:38:24.080
 on their feet

00:38:24.080 --> 00:38:24.960
 like a great army.

00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:25.920
 Except

00:38:25.920 --> 00:38:27.980
 in the Hebrew Bible

00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:29.519
 the word for breath

00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:30.100
 pneuma

00:38:30.100 --> 00:38:31.200
 from where we get

00:38:31.200 --> 00:38:31.720
 the word

00:38:31.720 --> 00:38:34.480
 I've forgotten

00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:35.260
 where we get that word.

00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:37.940
 Pneumatic

00:38:37.940 --> 00:38:38.800
 what's that sickness

00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:39.200
 when you

00:38:39.200 --> 00:38:40.420
 pneumonia

00:38:40.420 --> 00:38:41.260
 there we go

00:38:41.260 --> 00:38:41.720
 thank you

00:38:41.720 --> 00:38:42.100
 doctor

00:38:42.100 --> 00:38:44.160
 all the doctors

00:38:44.160 --> 00:38:44.840
 in the back left

00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:45.880
 corner there

00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:47.880
 where we get

00:38:47.880 --> 00:38:48.660
 the word pneumonia

00:38:48.660 --> 00:38:50.100
 the word for breath

00:38:50.100 --> 00:38:50.580
 in Hebrew

00:38:50.580 --> 00:38:51.080
 pneuma

00:38:51.080 --> 00:38:52.040
 is the same

00:38:52.040 --> 00:38:53.200
 as the word

00:38:53.200 --> 00:38:54.220
 for God's spirit.

00:38:55.700 --> 00:38:56.640
 And so as the breath

00:38:56.640 --> 00:38:56.980
 of God

00:38:56.980 --> 00:38:58.040
 comes into these bones

00:38:58.040 --> 00:38:59.020
 God's spirit

00:38:59.020 --> 00:39:00.060
 comes into these bones

00:39:00.060 --> 00:39:00.980
 and they come alive.

00:39:01.640 --> 00:39:02.340
 In other words

00:39:02.340 --> 00:39:03.320
 what God is saying

00:39:03.320 --> 00:39:05.040
 is that revival

00:39:05.040 --> 00:39:05.660
 happens

00:39:05.660 --> 00:39:06.800
 by a sovereign

00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:07.480
 move

00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:08.820
 of his Holy Spirit.

00:39:08.820 --> 00:39:10.140
 it's not the work

00:39:10.140 --> 00:39:11.100
 of human ingenuity.

00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:12.440
 You can't

00:39:12.440 --> 00:39:13.860
 you can't grow church

00:39:13.860 --> 00:39:14.480
 or establish

00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:15.120
 God's kingdom

00:39:15.120 --> 00:39:15.500
 on earth

00:39:15.500 --> 00:39:16.320
 just by doing

00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:16.960
 things well

00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:17.539
 and putting on

00:39:17.539 --> 00:39:18.100
 a good show.

00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:19.340
 It's the spirit

00:39:19.340 --> 00:39:19.700
 of God

00:39:19.700 --> 00:39:20.480
 that breathes

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:20.980
 into dead

00:39:20.980 --> 00:39:22.140
 souls

00:39:22.140 --> 00:39:22.640
 and gives them

00:39:22.640 --> 00:39:23.260
 life again.

00:39:24.100 --> 00:39:24.940
 But that's also

00:39:24.940 --> 00:39:25.400
 a reference

00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:26.800
 to Zechariah chapter 4

00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:27.740
 because in Zechariah

00:39:27.740 --> 00:39:28.480
 chapter 4

00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:29.840
 Zechariah has a vision

00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:31.180
 and in this vision

00:39:31.180 --> 00:39:32.820
 he sees two olive trees

00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:33.559
 that are like

00:39:33.559 --> 00:39:34.640
 two lampstands

00:39:34.640 --> 00:39:35.440
 and they are

00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:36.480
 guarding the temple.

00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:37.780
 And Zechariah

00:39:37.780 --> 00:39:38.220
 says God

00:39:38.219 --> 00:39:38.759
 how are they going

00:39:38.759 --> 00:39:39.219
 to do it?

00:39:39.539 --> 00:39:40.019
 How are they going

00:39:40.019 --> 00:39:41.079
 to guard your temple?

00:39:41.739 --> 00:39:42.480
 And God says

00:39:42.480 --> 00:39:43.059
 this is how

00:39:43.059 --> 00:39:43.379
 they are going

00:39:43.379 --> 00:39:43.779
 to do it.

00:39:43.959 --> 00:39:44.839
 Not by might

00:39:44.839 --> 00:39:46.639
 not by power

00:39:46.639 --> 00:39:48.500
 but by my spirit

00:39:48.500 --> 00:39:49.119
 says the Lord

00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:50.239
 by my breath

00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:51.539
 by my pneuma.

00:39:52.379 --> 00:39:52.779
 And so friends

00:39:52.779 --> 00:39:53.559
 the point that Jesus

00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:54.019
 is making

00:39:54.019 --> 00:39:55.259
 is that the church

00:39:55.259 --> 00:39:56.079
 is victorious.

00:39:56.659 --> 00:39:57.559
 The kingdom of God

00:39:57.559 --> 00:39:58.359
 will advance.

00:39:58.500 --> 00:39:59.019
 The gospel

00:39:59.019 --> 00:40:00.039
 will go out.

00:40:00.379 --> 00:40:01.139
 It doesn't merely

00:40:01.139 --> 00:40:01.739
 survive.

00:40:02.379 --> 00:40:03.119
 It doesn't merely

00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:04.539
 just make it through.

00:40:04.980 --> 00:40:05.939
 The kingdom of God

00:40:05.939 --> 00:40:06.599
 will survive

00:40:06.599 --> 00:40:07.419
 and will advance

00:40:07.420 --> 00:40:08.400
 and will thrive

00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:09.940
 because though

00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:10.860
 it once was dead

00:40:10.860 --> 00:40:12.639
 God breathes

00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:13.220
 his spirit

00:40:13.220 --> 00:40:14.039
 and life into it

00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:14.720
 because the church

00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:15.519
 is fundamentally

00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:16.980
 a spiritual organism.

00:40:17.380 --> 00:40:17.900
 It's not just

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:18.659
 a group of people

00:40:18.659 --> 00:40:19.200
 that are trying

00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:20.099
 to do life together.

00:40:20.740 --> 00:40:21.300
 And that's why

00:40:21.300 --> 00:40:21.700
 the church

00:40:21.700 --> 00:40:22.559
 is so precious

00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:23.019
 because it's

00:40:23.019 --> 00:40:23.680
 his temple

00:40:23.680 --> 00:40:25.119
 and it's his presence

00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:25.760
 that's in here.

00:40:26.099 --> 00:40:26.680
 But it's also

00:40:26.680 --> 00:40:27.340
 why the church

00:40:27.340 --> 00:40:27.940
 will stand.

00:40:28.579 --> 00:40:28.800
 Friends

00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:29.300
 the future

00:40:29.300 --> 00:40:29.800
 of the church

00:40:29.800 --> 00:40:30.539
 doesn't depend

00:40:30.539 --> 00:40:31.099
 on me.

00:40:31.740 --> 00:40:32.460
 That's good news.

00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:33.519
 It doesn't depend

00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:34.019
 on you.

00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:34.900
 It depends

00:40:34.900 --> 00:40:35.480
 on Christ

00:40:35.480 --> 00:40:36.019
 who is the head

00:40:36.019 --> 00:40:36.579
 of his church

00:40:36.579 --> 00:40:37.599
 and he will stand.

00:40:38.179 --> 00:40:38.579
 Friends

00:40:38.579 --> 00:40:39.440
 the church

00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:40.000
 will stand

00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:40.780
 and will never

00:40:40.780 --> 00:40:41.719
 become overcome.

00:40:42.380 --> 00:40:43.259
 Individual Christians

00:40:43.259 --> 00:40:43.900
 will mess up

00:40:43.900 --> 00:40:44.699
 and make mistakes.

00:40:45.159 --> 00:40:46.440
 Churches will make mistakes.

00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:48.000
 Pastors and preachers

00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:48.800
 do dumb things.

00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:49.599
 We lose our way

00:40:49.599 --> 00:40:50.119
 for sure.

00:40:50.539 --> 00:40:51.340
 But the church

00:40:51.340 --> 00:40:52.139
 God's witness

00:40:52.139 --> 00:40:52.659
 on earth

00:40:52.659 --> 00:40:53.539
 will stand

00:40:53.539 --> 00:40:54.360
 throughout the ages

00:40:54.360 --> 00:40:55.239
 no matter what

00:40:55.239 --> 00:40:55.920
 the opposition

00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:57.820
 if

00:40:57.820 --> 00:41:00.039
 if we maintain

00:41:00.039 --> 00:41:00.780
 our witness.

00:41:01.680 --> 00:41:02.519
 If we speak

00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:03.080
 his word.

00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:04.240
 Friends

00:41:04.240 --> 00:41:04.840
 the great irony

00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:05.360
 of the church

00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:05.960
 is that the more

00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:06.940
 we try and save

00:41:06.940 --> 00:41:07.740
 ourselves from

00:41:07.740 --> 00:41:08.539
 persecution

00:41:08.539 --> 00:41:09.880
 the more we end

00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:10.660
 up dying away.

00:41:11.420 --> 00:41:11.920
 And yet the more

00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:12.960
 we embrace

00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:13.760
 opposition and

00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:14.460
 suffering for the

00:41:14.460 --> 00:41:15.120
 cause of Christ

00:41:15.120 --> 00:41:15.900
 the more the church

00:41:15.900 --> 00:41:16.420
 flourishes.

00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:17.740
 And so look

00:41:17.740 --> 00:41:18.700
 finally as we come

00:41:18.700 --> 00:41:19.300
 to a close

00:41:19.300 --> 00:41:20.559
 and what is the

00:41:20.559 --> 00:41:21.460
 consequence of this?

00:41:21.539 --> 00:41:22.460
 How does this all end?

00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:23.740
 Well look at verse 13

00:41:23.740 --> 00:41:24.200
 with me.

00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:26.200
 It says there are

00:41:26.200 --> 00:41:26.860
 these dramatic

00:41:26.860 --> 00:41:27.539
 events

00:41:27.539 --> 00:41:28.920
 at the end

00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:29.619
 of that hour

00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:32.739
 a bunch of people

00:41:32.739 --> 00:41:33.719
 some people

00:41:33.719 --> 00:41:35.259
 reject God

00:41:35.259 --> 00:41:36.579
 7,000 are killed

00:41:36.579 --> 00:41:37.519
 in this earthquake.

00:41:38.139 --> 00:41:39.360
 It's a small number

00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:41.639
 but then it says

00:41:41.639 --> 00:41:42.519
 the rest

00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:43.279
 were terrified

00:41:43.279 --> 00:41:43.800
 that means

00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:44.500
 they were humbled

00:41:44.500 --> 00:41:46.159
 and they gave glory

00:41:46.159 --> 00:41:47.340
 to the God of heaven.

00:41:48.340 --> 00:41:48.759
 See at the end

00:41:48.759 --> 00:41:49.500
 of chapter 9

00:41:49.500 --> 00:41:50.360
 there's all these

00:41:50.360 --> 00:41:51.259
 dramatic events.

00:41:51.380 --> 00:41:52.320
 Remember in chapter 9

00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:53.159
 there's earthquakes

00:41:53.159 --> 00:41:54.099
 and there's calamity

00:41:54.099 --> 00:41:55.000
 and there's disaster

00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:55.699
 and there's chaos

00:41:55.699 --> 00:41:56.920
 and there's all these

00:41:56.920 --> 00:41:58.059
 strange things

00:41:58.059 --> 00:41:58.700
 that are happening

00:41:58.700 --> 00:41:59.500
 and it says

00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:00.559
 but the people

00:42:00.559 --> 00:42:01.340
 did not repent.

00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.700
 They don't turn

00:42:02.700 --> 00:42:03.539
 from their idols.

00:42:04.380 --> 00:42:04.680
 But yeah

00:42:04.680 --> 00:42:05.440
 they do repent.

00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:07.400
 So what's the difference

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:08.440
 between chapter 9

00:42:08.440 --> 00:42:09.260
 and chapter 11?

00:42:09.940 --> 00:42:10.980
 The difference is that

00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:11.920
 God's church

00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:13.079
 is a faithful witness.

00:42:13.659 --> 00:42:13.920
 Friends

00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:14.880
 how is revival

00:42:14.880 --> 00:42:15.940
 going to come to Hong Kong?

00:42:16.300 --> 00:42:17.039
 It's not just

00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:17.539
 through doom

00:42:17.539 --> 00:42:18.119
 and disaster

00:42:18.119 --> 00:42:19.019
 and calamity.

00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:20.260
 It's through the witness

00:42:20.260 --> 00:42:21.300
 of his people

00:42:21.300 --> 00:42:22.720
 through his church.

00:42:22.719 --> 00:42:24.439
 It's through faithful

00:42:24.439 --> 00:42:25.599
 followers of Jesus

00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:27.519
 witnessing to the point

00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:27.939
 of death

00:42:27.939 --> 00:42:28.980
 that will bring the nations

00:42:28.980 --> 00:42:29.679
 to repentance.

00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:31.559
 And so what does that mean?

00:42:31.619 --> 00:42:32.939
 It means three things for us.

00:42:33.379 --> 00:42:33.799
 Firstly

00:42:33.799 --> 00:42:34.599
 it means this

00:42:34.599 --> 00:42:35.859
 that Hong Kong

00:42:35.859 --> 00:42:37.319
 needs hundreds

00:42:37.319 --> 00:42:38.259
 and hundreds

00:42:38.259 --> 00:42:39.399
 of more churches

00:42:39.399 --> 00:42:41.299
 faithfully proclaiming

00:42:41.299 --> 00:42:41.779
 the gospel

00:42:41.779 --> 00:42:42.819
 of the kingdom of God.

00:42:43.399 --> 00:42:43.619
 Friends

00:42:43.619 --> 00:42:44.219
 it means we need

00:42:44.219 --> 00:42:44.839
 more leaders.

00:42:45.339 --> 00:42:46.239
 We need more elders

00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:46.779
 and pastors.

00:42:47.359 --> 00:42:48.659
 We need more worship leaders.

00:42:48.980 --> 00:42:50.379
 We need more CG leaders.

00:42:50.380 --> 00:42:52.140
 We need more university

00:42:52.140 --> 00:42:52.940
 ministry leaders.

00:42:53.140 --> 00:42:54.340
 We need kids ministry leaders.

00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:55.920
 We need men and women

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:56.820
 that will take someone

00:42:56.820 --> 00:42:57.400
 under their wing

00:42:57.400 --> 00:42:58.180
 and read the Bible

00:42:58.180 --> 00:42:58.460
 with them

00:42:58.460 --> 00:42:59.260
 and disciple them.

00:42:59.760 --> 00:42:59.980
 Friends

00:42:59.980 --> 00:43:01.059
 our city is desperate

00:43:01.059 --> 00:43:01.579
 for hope

00:43:01.579 --> 00:43:02.599
 and the hope of the city

00:43:02.599 --> 00:43:03.960
 is in the witnesses

00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:04.420
 of God

00:43:04.420 --> 00:43:05.559
 God's church standing

00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:06.780
 and proclaiming

00:43:06.780 --> 00:43:08.099
 that Christ is Lord.

00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:09.519
 Secondly

00:43:09.519 --> 00:43:10.240
 it means this

00:43:10.240 --> 00:43:11.420
 it means that

00:43:11.420 --> 00:43:12.380
 if you're not a Christian

00:43:12.380 --> 00:43:14.140
 Jesus is calling you

00:43:14.140 --> 00:43:15.180
 to follow him today.

00:43:16.119 --> 00:43:16.599
 Friends

00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:17.519
 if you're here this morning

00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:18.519
 and you're not yet

00:43:18.519 --> 00:43:19.380
 a follower of Jesus

00:43:19.380 --> 00:43:21.300
 today is the day

00:43:21.300 --> 00:43:22.320
 that he's calling you

00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:23.860
 to come and follow him.

00:43:24.500 --> 00:43:24.720
 Friends

00:43:24.720 --> 00:43:26.260
 Jesus is not inviting you

00:43:26.260 --> 00:43:26.800
 to himself

00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:27.760
 so that he can simply

00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:28.619
 improve your life

00:43:28.619 --> 00:43:29.320
 or make your life

00:43:29.320 --> 00:43:29.920
 more comfortable

00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:30.480
 and convenient.

00:43:31.340 --> 00:43:31.940
 Jesus says that

00:43:31.940 --> 00:43:32.660
 if you follow him

00:43:32.660 --> 00:43:33.800
 it will be inconvenient.

00:43:34.579 --> 00:43:35.579
 He may even ask you

00:43:35.579 --> 00:43:36.599
 to die for your faith.

00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:38.420
 Jesus may even send you

00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:38.940
 as a missionary

00:43:38.940 --> 00:43:40.079
 to some foreign land

00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:41.400
 where it will cost you

00:43:41.400 --> 00:43:41.940
 your life.

00:43:42.700 --> 00:43:42.900
 Friends

00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:43.619
 following Jesus

00:43:43.619 --> 00:43:44.840
 will cost you daily

00:43:44.840 --> 00:43:46.019
 and dearly.

00:43:46.940 --> 00:43:48.019
 Jesus is not asking you

00:43:48.019 --> 00:43:48.820
 to add a little bit

00:43:48.820 --> 00:43:49.820
 of Jesus to your life

00:43:49.820 --> 00:43:51.059
 to your already busy life.

00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:52.920
 Jesus is calling you

00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:53.940
 to lay down your life

00:43:53.940 --> 00:43:55.079
 to follow him

00:43:55.079 --> 00:43:55.699
 to the cross

00:43:55.699 --> 00:43:57.199
 to make him

00:43:57.199 --> 00:43:58.739
 your first priority

00:43:58.739 --> 00:43:59.320
 in your life.

00:43:59.960 --> 00:44:00.820
 Jesus is calling you

00:44:00.820 --> 00:44:01.759
 today to pick up

00:44:01.759 --> 00:44:02.239
 your cross

00:44:02.239 --> 00:44:03.219
 and to follow him.

00:44:03.980 --> 00:44:04.139
 Friends

00:44:04.139 --> 00:44:05.000
 if you don't know him

00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:05.980
 today is the day

00:44:05.980 --> 00:44:06.800
 to change that.

00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:08.239
 Come to Jesus.

00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:09.759
 And then thirdly

00:44:09.759 --> 00:44:10.519
 it means this

00:44:10.519 --> 00:44:11.619
 it means if you are

00:44:11.619 --> 00:44:12.400
 a follower of Jesus

00:44:12.400 --> 00:44:13.780
 he's calling you

00:44:13.780 --> 00:44:14.840
 to be a faithful witness

00:44:14.840 --> 00:44:15.739
 in the city

00:44:15.739 --> 00:44:16.679
 at this time.

00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:18.199
 Friends chances are

00:44:18.199 --> 00:44:18.739
 that will mean

00:44:18.739 --> 00:44:20.079
 opposition and persecution.

00:44:20.799 --> 00:44:21.299
 Chances are

00:44:21.299 --> 00:44:22.259
 you'll be misunderstood.

00:44:23.179 --> 00:44:23.639
 Chances are

00:44:23.639 --> 00:44:24.399
 you'll be accused

00:44:24.399 --> 00:44:25.219
 of being bigoted

00:44:25.219 --> 00:44:26.419
 and hypocritical.

00:44:27.099 --> 00:44:27.559
 Chances are

00:44:27.559 --> 00:44:28.179
 it will cost you

00:44:28.179 --> 00:44:28.559
 dearly

00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:29.519
 if not financially

00:44:29.519 --> 00:44:30.179
 then probably

00:44:30.179 --> 00:44:31.039
 your reputation

00:44:31.039 --> 00:44:32.339
 certainly your pride

00:44:32.339 --> 00:44:32.879
 and your ego.

00:44:33.539 --> 00:44:34.199
 But he's also

00:44:34.199 --> 00:44:35.279
 promising you this

00:44:35.279 --> 00:44:37.019
 that in that place

00:44:37.019 --> 00:44:37.859
 while it feels

00:44:37.859 --> 00:44:38.739
 like you're dying

00:44:38.739 --> 00:44:40.000
 a thousand deaths

00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.559
 that death

00:44:41.559 --> 00:44:42.159
 will lead

00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:43.440
 to life.

00:44:44.199 --> 00:44:45.319
 He promises you

00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:46.480
 that though you die

00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:47.559
 you will be raised

00:44:47.559 --> 00:44:48.580
 he will give you life

00:44:48.580 --> 00:44:50.180
 both in this lifetime

00:44:50.180 --> 00:44:51.680
 and in the life

00:44:51.680 --> 00:44:52.420
 to come.

00:44:53.180 --> 00:44:53.780
 Friends Jesus

00:44:53.780 --> 00:44:54.980
 calling us to follow him

00:44:54.980 --> 00:44:56.019
 with everything we have.

00:44:56.680 --> 00:44:57.300
 Will we do it?

00:44:57.860 --> 00:44:58.900
 Let's come to him

00:44:58.900 --> 00:45:00.039
 in prayer now.

00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:01.100
 Let's do that together.

00:45:04.780 --> 00:45:05.519
 Lord Jesus

00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:06.840
 we come before you

00:45:06.840 --> 00:45:08.240
 and we thank you God

00:45:08.240 --> 00:45:09.400
 that you are such a

00:45:09.400 --> 00:45:09.920
 magnificent

00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:10.900
 and faithful God.

00:45:10.900 --> 00:45:14.000
 Christ

00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:15.280
 in our day and age

00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:16.160
 we don't like

00:45:16.160 --> 00:45:16.960
 the idea

00:45:16.960 --> 00:45:19.099
 or

00:45:19.099 --> 00:45:19.940
 let me put it this way

00:45:19.940 --> 00:45:20.220
 Father

00:45:20.220 --> 00:45:20.860
 in our day and age

00:45:20.860 --> 00:45:21.900
 we feel entitled

00:45:21.900 --> 00:45:23.059
 to a comfortable

00:45:23.059 --> 00:45:24.260
 and a convenient life.

00:45:25.420 --> 00:45:25.619
 And God

00:45:25.619 --> 00:45:26.260
 when things don't

00:45:26.260 --> 00:45:26.860
 go our way

00:45:26.860 --> 00:45:27.260
 we

00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:29.300
 so easily

00:45:29.300 --> 00:45:30.220
 feel sorry

00:45:30.220 --> 00:45:30.880
 for ourselves

00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:32.579
 we feel victims

00:45:32.579 --> 00:45:33.180
 of some

00:45:33.180 --> 00:45:34.400
 agenda

00:45:34.400 --> 00:45:35.320
 against us.

00:45:36.139 --> 00:45:36.579
 God

00:45:36.579 --> 00:45:37.340
 you cut against

00:45:37.340 --> 00:45:37.780
 the grain

00:45:37.780 --> 00:45:38.800
 and you promise us

00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:39.559
 that in this life

00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:40.380
 we will have trouble

00:45:40.380 --> 00:45:42.180
 that following Jesus

00:45:42.180 --> 00:45:43.320
 following you God

00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:44.599
 means that we are

00:45:44.599 --> 00:45:46.059
 inviting difficulty

00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:46.820
 into our lives.

00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:48.119
 But God

00:45:48.119 --> 00:45:48.820
 you promise that

00:45:48.820 --> 00:45:49.840
 that death

00:45:49.840 --> 00:45:50.780
 will lead to life.

00:45:52.340 --> 00:45:52.619
 Father

00:45:52.619 --> 00:45:53.980
 pray for those of us

00:45:53.980 --> 00:45:54.320
 God

00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:55.760
 that maybe feel

00:45:55.760 --> 00:45:57.140
 spiritually stagnant

00:45:57.140 --> 00:45:58.300
 we feel

00:45:58.300 --> 00:45:59.380
 spiritually dry.

00:46:01.680 --> 00:46:02.200
 Father

00:46:02.200 --> 00:46:02.720
 won't you

00:46:02.720 --> 00:46:04.360
 in your grace

00:46:04.360 --> 00:46:05.019
 and your mercy

00:46:05.019 --> 00:46:05.980
 won't you bring us

00:46:05.980 --> 00:46:07.200
 to the end of ourselves

00:46:07.200 --> 00:46:09.340
 that we may find

00:46:09.340 --> 00:46:10.300
 true life again.

00:46:10.380 --> 00:46:10.780
 God

00:46:10.780 --> 00:46:14.440
 God

00:46:14.440 --> 00:46:14.800
 I pray

00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:15.200
 Father

00:46:15.200 --> 00:46:15.619
 where we've

00:46:15.619 --> 00:46:16.220
 tried to hold

00:46:16.220 --> 00:46:17.059
 on to our lives

00:46:17.059 --> 00:46:17.320
 and

00:46:17.320 --> 00:46:21.039
 I pray

00:46:21.039 --> 00:46:21.260
 God

00:46:21.260 --> 00:46:21.960
 that you will

00:46:21.960 --> 00:46:23.180
 intervene

00:46:23.180 --> 00:46:23.920
 and intercede

00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:24.440
 that God

00:46:24.440 --> 00:46:25.019
 you will

00:46:25.019 --> 00:46:26.619
 cause us

00:46:26.619 --> 00:46:26.980
 to die

00:46:26.980 --> 00:46:27.619
 to ourselves

00:46:27.619 --> 00:46:28.160
 that we may

00:46:28.160 --> 00:46:28.800
 find true

00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:29.420
 life in you

00:46:29.420 --> 00:46:29.740
 Lord.

00:46:31.340 --> 00:46:31.680
 And God

00:46:31.680 --> 00:46:32.019
 I pray

00:46:32.019 --> 00:46:32.680
 for Watermark

00:46:32.680 --> 00:46:33.019
 and I pray

00:46:33.019 --> 00:46:33.880
 for every church

00:46:33.880 --> 00:46:34.440
 in Hong Kong

00:46:34.440 --> 00:46:34.860
 I pray

00:46:34.860 --> 00:46:35.340
 for the English

00:46:35.340 --> 00:46:35.760
 churches

00:46:35.760 --> 00:46:36.380
 and the Chinese

00:46:36.380 --> 00:46:36.880
 churches

00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:38.140
 I pray

00:46:38.140 --> 00:46:38.440
 God

00:46:38.440 --> 00:46:38.700
 that we

00:46:38.700 --> 00:46:39.000
 will be

00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:39.320
 faithful

00:46:39.320 --> 00:46:39.760
 witnesses

00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:40.440
 to our city

00:46:40.440 --> 00:46:41.440
 I pray

00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:41.700
 God

00:46:41.700 --> 00:46:41.980
 that the

00:46:41.980 --> 00:46:42.180
 kingdom

00:46:42.180 --> 00:46:42.500
 of God

00:46:42.500 --> 00:46:42.980
 will come

00:46:42.980 --> 00:46:43.460
 to Hong Kong

00:46:43.460 --> 00:46:43.780
 I pray

00:46:43.780 --> 00:46:44.119
 that the

00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:44.420
 gospel

00:46:44.420 --> 00:46:45.200
 will advance

00:46:45.200 --> 00:46:45.460
 God

00:46:45.460 --> 00:46:45.860
 I pray

00:46:45.860 --> 00:46:46.099
 Lord

00:46:46.099 --> 00:46:46.300
 that

00:46:46.300 --> 00:46:46.940
 your

00:46:46.940 --> 00:46:47.260
 kingdom

00:46:47.260 --> 00:46:47.860
 will come

00:46:47.860 --> 00:46:48.079
 God

00:46:48.079 --> 00:46:48.380
 because

00:46:48.380 --> 00:46:48.599
 your

00:46:48.599 --> 00:46:49.039
 church

00:46:49.039 --> 00:46:49.940
 does not

00:46:49.940 --> 00:46:50.200
 shrink

00:46:50.200 --> 00:46:50.480
 back

00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:50.740
 in the

00:46:50.740 --> 00:46:51.000
 face

00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:51.119
 of

00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:51.539
 opposition

00:46:51.539 --> 00:46:51.780
 but

00:46:51.780 --> 00:46:51.920
 that

00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:52.079
 will

00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:52.519
 stand

00:46:52.519 --> 00:46:52.800
 Lord

00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:53.660
 make

00:46:53.660 --> 00:46:53.840
 us

00:46:53.840 --> 00:46:54.000
 a

00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:54.280
 faithful

00:46:54.280 --> 00:46:54.660
 witness

00:46:54.660 --> 00:46:54.920
 we

00:46:54.920 --> 00:46:55.320
 pray

00:46:55.320 --> 00:46:56.620
 we

00:46:56.620 --> 00:46:56.900
 pray

00:46:56.900 --> 00:46:57.100
 these

00:46:57.100 --> 00:46:57.320
 things

00:46:57.320 --> 00:46:57.560
 in your

00:46:57.560 --> 00:46:57.960
 wonderful

00:46:57.960 --> 00:46:58.880
 and your

00:46:58.880 --> 00:46:59.260
 powerful

00:46:59.260 --> 00:46:59.720
 name

00:46:59.720 --> 00:47:00.940
 Amen