Father, you speak to us hard words, and as you speak your hard words to us, Father, if
we are honest, it opens up to us our confusion and our ambivalence and our desires to hide
from you and to run from you.
Father, we know that even your hard words are in fact words of mercy, that our calls
and appeals to us, Father, to turn and come to you, to receive grace and mercy from you.
So, Father, we ask in your mercy and in your kindness that your Holy Spirit would gently
but deeply fall upon us as we listen to your word and as we think upon your word.
And may your word work with power in our lives.
And this we ask in your name, Jesus.
Amen.
Please be seated.
Thank you.
Suffering.
What about suffering?
One of the things I tell people when I give advice about preaching is don't treat sermons
like school or like university lectures.
You know, in a university lecture, they can say, well, in the last class we looked at this
and today we're looking at this and sort of never say something like that in a congregation.
Hopefully the minister will remember his sermon long enough to give it and hopefully it will
have some impact in his life.
But you shouldn't assume that church is like a lecture hall where everybody's taking notes
and they're coming for the next installment in the lecture.
But just having said all of that, we're preaching through the book of Revelation.
And last week we looked at Revelation chapter 5.
And when we were looking at Revelation chapter 5, if there was sort of one overarching point
that we wanted to try to, we sort of could discover in Revelation 5, it was this.
That the only one who saves is the only one who is in control of God's unfolding plan for
the future.
And we spent, you know, about 40 minutes sort of unpacking that and talking about that and
seeing how it was in the scripture and sort of what it meant that the only one who saves
is the only one who is in control of God's unfolding plan for the future.
And while I was sort of all week as I was working on the sermon for last week, the thing that kept
going on in my mind is that surely a lot of people will wonder if that's the case, if it is the
case that the only one who saves is also the only one who is in control of God's unfolding
plan for the future, then what about suffering?
What about all the terrible things that go on in the planet?
Like how, George, do you handle that?
And how does the Bible handle that?
And I never made a single comment about suffering last Sunday.
And that's because I knew that in Revelation 6 we'd be looking at it.
And we'll look at it in Revelation 5, I mean Revelation 8, we'll look at it in Revelation 9,
Revelation 10.
We're going to spend a lot of time thinking about things like suffering over the next few
weeks as we go through the book of Revelation.
The other thing sort of about these sermons is I don't know if you've, I don't have actually
a bulletin up with me, but if you look at the bulletin in the notes, and I think it
comes up at some point in time in the sermon notes, I'm not sure about that, the slides,
but all of this, all of my sermons in the book of Revelation have a title.
And the title is, Following the Lamb in the Dying Days of the Dragon.
That's the overarching sermon series title, Following the Lamb in the Dying Days of the
Dragon.
And so last week in Revelation 5, that's where we actually met the lamb for the first time.
And today, as we talk a little bit about suffering, we don't yet meet the dragon.
What we meet are some of the dragon's friends.
First we meet the dragon's friends, and then we meet the dragon, which will be in a few more
chapters.
So it would be a great help to me if you were to turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter
6, and let's meet some of the dragon's friends, at least in Scripture.
Revelation chapter 6.
We always have some free and available Bibles up at the front if you've forgotten to bring
your own Bible.
Those who use your iPads and phones to follow along the Bible, that's really great.
Just don't check your Facebook status or update at the same time.
Try to stay focused on the Bible.
That would be great.
So Revelation chapter 6.
Let's read it.
And Nora did such a spectacular job of reading it, didn't she?
When she reads a text like this, it grips us, actually.
And that makes it far easier to talk about it after having her read it.
Verse 1 of chapter 6.
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four
living creatures say with a voice like thunder, Come.
And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow, and a crown was given
to him.
And he came out conquering, and to conquer.
And I just sort of want to pause there for a second.
And here's the really striking thing.
I don't know how many of you noticed this, but it's actually quite striking.
Andrew, if you want to put the first point up for Rebecca, here's the thing which is
quite striking.
The Lamb who was slain opens the seals.
I don't know if you noticed that when Nora was reading it, and we're going to look at
the text again.
The rider that comes out conquering, and to conquer.
The rider that comes out with the power for people to fight each other and kill them.
The rider that comes out and is given the power to bring famine.
The rider that comes out and is given the power of death, and of famine, and of pestilence,
and of all sorts of civil unrest.
In every one of these cases, as this suffering unfolds, as this suffering and hardship comes
to earth, it comes as the Lamb opens the seal.
Just as I was between these two services, the 8 o'clock service and the 10 o'clock service,
I was in a coffee shop going over my notes, and I sort of rewrite my notes slightly between
the two services, because, you know, just sort of sometimes moving things around.
And I couldn't help but overhearing that every single person in the coffee shop, and probably
on the street outside, heard this street person talking to another street person.
And it was very, very interesting.
He was talking to this other street person, obviously post-hangover, or maybe present hangover,
post-drinking present hangover.
And he had a loud, loud, smoker's raspy street person voice.
And he was explaining to the other guy, as I'm sitting down, preparing to open up Revelation
chapter 6, how, you know, people, I just finally understood, and people need to understand that
the way everything is, and the way I am, and the way everything is, it's just all because
of mutations.
It's all just because of chance and mutations.
There was a mutation, and then another mutation, and another mutation, and another mutation.
And here I am, and here you are, and here everybody else is.
And it's, in fact, the governing story of our culture was being articulated by this street
person.
Part of the governing story of our culture, that these blind, irrational forces over time
created what is now life on earth, and everything that we see.
And in the context of a culture that believes that it's blind, irrational, or non-rational,
irrational forces that bring about the things that we see, the book of Revelation has a very,
very powerful, different message.
It isn't that the way that things are are a result of blind, powerful, huge, irrational,
uncaring forces.
But the Lamb who was slain opens the seals.
Why is this really important?
If the Lamb who was slain opens the seals, repentance is always an option.
If I'm just a product of mutation, who can I call to?
What can I do?
If everything that's going on in the world is completely and utterly just due to the military-industrial
complex or global oil or capitalism or socialism or the modes of production doing their unchanging,
doing their sort of inevitable changes to bring about certain types of social constructs and
situations, then what on earth can we do?
But if, in fact, the Lamb who was slain opens the seals, even though the seals are going to
describe great hardship, and they're going to describe more than just hardship, as we're
going to get to in a moment, but if this, in fact, is true, and it doesn't mean that there
isn't a military-industrial complex, it doesn't mean that there aren't economic forces, it doesn't
mean that there aren't those things, that they don't exist, but it means that they have a vastly
different power context than our culture tells us.
It means that repentance is always an option, that prayer is always an option.
But it's very, very important to just hear this as we go through each of the seals.
Now, just one other thing very, very briefly.
Some of you have maybe been wondering when I'm going to do something, which is usually what
ministers and churches in North America do when they talk about the Book of Revelation.
Some of you are saying, okay, George, I have, okay, I've licked my pencil.
Okay, is this before the rapture or after the rapture?
Is it before the tribulation, in the middle of the tribulation?
Is the tribulation going to have these four stages?
And here's, you see, what often happens with people who talk about the Book of Revelation
in North American churches.
They have this sort of timeline, which they've sort of developed from reading the Book of Revelation
and 2 Peter and 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
And they've developed it from reading Daniel and Ezekiel and Isaiah and Zechariah
and a whole pile of other books, which would take us too long to list.
And they sort of have this timeline, and there's the rapture, and there's the tribulation,
and there's the judgment, and then there's the millennium, and then there's this, and then there's that.
And so what they do is that while they're reading the Book of Revelation,
what they really do as they read the Book of Revelation is they don't actually preach the Book of Revelation.
I don't mean to put anybody down.
What they don't do is actually try to preach the Book of Revelation.
What they try to do is place everything in the timeline.
I'm not going to do any of that.
If you're hoping for a timeline, you can listen to CHRI.
I think MacArthur is doing another sermon of series on this,
and he can tell you the timeline if you want.
I'm not going to talk about that at all.
I'm going to preach the Book of Revelation.
Here's one of the problems with looking at the Book of Revelation
and trying to fit it into a timeline.
Before we get into it, this is just a bit of a time-out learning moment.
Just skip down to Revelation 6 and look at verses 12 and 13.
Chapter 6, verses 12 and 13.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake,
and the sun became black as sackcloth.
The full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth
as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
So turn your page to Revelation chapter 8 and look at verse 12.
Two chapters later, verse 12.
The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck,
and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars,
so that a third of their light might be darkened.
One moment, I thought all the stars fell from heaven.
How, if they all fell from heaven in chapter 6,
could there still be stars in the sky to fall, a third of them, in chapter 8?
See, here's the thing if you read the book of Revelation.
How many here, I can't really see, oh, here I can see.
How many people here have seen the movie Groundhog Day?
Okay, probably half the congregation have seen Groundhog Day.
Okay, for the other half of you, if you want to understand most of the book of Revelation,
watch the Groundhog Day.
I'm only partially joking, I'm serious.
Because the literary structure of the book of Revelation is that
the first six seals have this progression,
then there's an interlude,
and then the seventh seal, what does the seventh seal do?
The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets,
and then the six trumpets go right back through destruction,
then there's a long interlude,
and then the seventh trumpet, and what does the seventh trumpet do?
It goes right back, it goes to the bulls,
and all of a sudden it goes right back through the entire same process.
In fact, what you have is the Groundhog Day.
That what you have is a recapitulation,
that you're having a description of increasing series of judgment,
deepening judgment,
and deepening offers of mercy,
and deepening sense of the choice between the two different paths.
And in a literary way, it sort of develops it,
and then there's a pause, and then it develops it,
and then there's a pause, and it develops it,
and then it gets to the end.
It gets to the end.
In fact, most of the book of Revelation,
from chapter six on almost to the end,
is describing life between the crucifixion,
resurrection of Jesus, and the second coming of Jesus.
And so some of you might say,
well, does that mean then, George,
that what it's talking about with the horses and the riders and all that,
okay, is it, are they demons?
Are they humans?
Are they demons?
Are they humans?
Are they, is it sort of something which is happening today?
Is it something that's going to happen at the end of the day?
What do you think?
And my answer is yes.
Yes.
It's all of those things.
It's something which is true of life today,
and it's something which will,
when the final end does come,
will also see it far more clearly
for those who are alive when Jesus finally comes back.
But it describes life.
It describes our experience.
It describes what's going on in the world
from the moment of the crucifixion,
the resurrection of Jesus,
and chapter five of Revelation
describes the resurrection and ascension of Jesus
and what he's like in heaven
and what's going on between now and his return.
But all the way through this,
the lamb who was slain opens the seals.
The lamb who was slain opens the seals.
Some of you might say,
okay, George, this is, okay, that's sort of interesting
and maybe I hadn't thought of that before.
And I'm a little bit relieved
that you're not going to spend
the rest of the book of Revelation
saying things like
that the first horse is the United States,
the second horse is Iran
and the Ayatollahs,
and the third horse, which is black,
is North Korea,
and the fourth horse is Russia.
Like I'm, you know, many of us,
some of us are very disappointed,
I'm not going to say that,
and others are maybe very relieved.
But what on earth does it mean?
Okay, George,
we sort of have a bit of a sense
that to understand that it's the lamb
who was slain opening the seals
does mean that, in fact,
repentance is always an option,
that we can't take
the governing story of our culture
in terms of blind forces
determining so much of what exists,
and we can understand that, in fact,
there's a chance of action,
that there's always choices for human beings,
that we can take action,
that we can pray into things,
that we can call people to repentance,
that we can call the U.S. administration,
the Canadian administration,
we can call the Russians and Iranians
and Israelis and the left
and the right and the Republicans
and the Democrats,
we can call people to repentance,
but what on earth is going on here?
Well, let's look.
Let's go back and read verse 1,
let's go back to chapter 6,
and let's look at the four horsemen
of the apocalypse.
Now, I watched when the lamb
opened one of the seven seals,
and I heard one of the four living creatures,
sorry, just back up
if you weren't here last week,
chapter 5,
God has a scroll in his right hand,
and his palm is open,
and there's a scroll line across it,
and it's a scroll that's sealed
on the outside with seven seals,
and the lamb takes the scroll
from the one on the throne,
who's the father,
and the implication is
is that the scroll contains
basically God's plan for the future,
and the lamb who is slain
takes the scroll
and begins now to open the seals.
So verse 1 of chapter 6,
now I watched when the lamb opened
one of the seven seals,
and I heard one of the four living creatures
say with a loud voice like thunder,
come,
and I looked,
and behold,
a white horse
and its rider had a bow,
and a crown was given to him,
and he came out conquering
and to conquer.
Remember I said that,
you know,
are these creatures,
what they aren't is angels.
Actually,
Rebecca,
put up the next point,
and we'll have that
in the back of our mind
as we read all of these,
the four horsemen.
The lamb who was slain
in mercy
allows and limits
the four horsemen
to do
as they desire.
The lamb who was slain
in mercy
allows and limits
the four horsemen
to do
as they
desire.
So the first
creature comes
at the bidding
ultimately of heaven,
by the permission of heaven,
and this
represents
the horsemen
that is conquering
and desires to conquer.
Look at the next one.
When he opened
the second seal,
verse 3,
I heard the second living creature
say,
notice when he opened,
the lamb opened
the second seal,
I heard the second living creature
say,
come.
And out came another horse,
bright red.
Its rider was permitted
to take peace
from the earth
so that people
should slay one another
and he was given
a great sword.
And this horse
and its rider
represents
civil war,
family fighting,
church fighting,
fighting between
what used to be allies.
Verse 5,
when he opened
the third seal,
I heard the third
living creature
say,
come.
And I looked
and behold
a black horse
and its rider
had a pair
of scales
in his hand
and I heard
what seemed
to be a voice
in the midst
of the four living creatures
saying,
a quart of wheat
for a denarius
and three quarts
of barley
for a denarius
and do not harm
the oil
and the wine.
Excuse me,
this is a picture
of famine.
The ancient world
at denarius
was at an average
working,
take whatever
you folks make
in one day
and that's,
you know,
if you are lucky
you work five days
and you live
for seven days
out of what you make
for five days
so in the ancient world
a denarius
was what a person
made for one day
and they'd have
to work six
or in some parts
of the world
every day of the week
and so a quart
of wheat
is what one man,
a working man
would consume
just by himself
and it's describing
a state of affairs
where everything
is ten times
more expensive
than it normally
would be.
It's describing
a famine.
It's describing
a situation
where the grain
is so expensive
that people
can't work enough
to buy enough
to eat
and it's describing
famine
in very powerful
picture language.
Verse seven,
when you open
the fourth seal
I heard the voice
of the fourth living
creature say,
come,
and I looked
and behold
a pale horse.
In the original language
it's the color
of death.
it's the color
that a corpse
would be
in a morgue
and its rider's
name was Death
and Hades
followed him
and they were
given authority
over a fourth
of the earth
to kill
with sword
and with famine
and with pestilence
and by wild beasts
of the earth.
Now why is it
that I say
that the lamb
who was slain
in mercy
allows and limits
the four horsemen
to do as they desire?
Is God causing evil?
No.
If you look
at the text
what he does
is he limits
he allows
and he limits.
Actually what he sees
what we see here
in picture language
is something
we won't turn
to it right now
but later on
if you want to look
in Romans chapter one
the second half
of Romans chapter one
you'll get
a very
very powerful
picture of
what God
sometimes does
and the picture
is that there's
this human
propensity
to do wrong
things
and it's like
the tug
it's like the current
in the stream
and the current
in the stream
is sort of
always there
but God
in his grace
and mercy
is always
restraining that
and so the picture
is it's almost
as if there's
a boat
in the stream
and the boat
is tied up
to a dock
and the stream
is constantly
wanting to bring
that boat
and push the boat
in a particular
direction
but the boat
is tied up
and sometimes
what God does
in judgment
is he
unties the boat
in other words
he's been
restraining
this evil
but sometimes
what happens
is he takes away
his power
to restrain
and he allows
the natural course
of what is
desired to happen
and it's
one of the ways
that sometimes
it both reveals
that God
as an act
of common grace
and common mercy
is restraining
human evil
but that sometimes
still by mercy
and grace
he allows
that
to not be
restrained
or not restrained
as much
and we see
evil revealed
I see the evil
in myself
I see the evil
around me
the lamb
who is slain
in mercy
allows and limits
the four horsemen
to do
as they desire
and that's
what's being
portrayed here
now
some of you
might say
this doesn't
sound very much
like mercy
well
it's
just
the beginning
of the chapter
it's the first
four seals
it's in the next
two seals
and the interlude
that we see
how it's connected
to mercy
so
let's look
and see
how it is
that it's connected
to mercy
how it is
that judgment
and God
and all of that
can be connected
to mercy
let's look at
verse 9
when he opened
the fifth seal
I saw
under the altar
the souls
of those
who had been
slain
for the word
of God
and for the witness
they had borne
just sort of
pause there
for a moment
notice now
that the fifth seal
isn't something
of Jesus
saying
okay
come out
horsemen
or those desires
to conquer
of conquering
and conquering
more and more
and more
it's not a matter
of it being
coming out
what we see
here now
is an act
of revelation
that John
is able
to see
something
and what
he sees
and John
is writing
this in the
mid-90s
and so
there have
been Christians
now for 60
years
in fact
many believe
that following
early church
writers
who wrote
somebody who
wrote just
shortly after
this
that this
was written
while there
was in fact
the first
sort of
major persecution
of Christians
in the Roman
Empire
and there
would have
in fact
been many
martyrs
as John
was writing
this
and John
himself
is writing
this
while he's
a political
exile
on the
island
of Patmos
and what
he sees
are those
who died
for Jesus
again verse 9
when he opened
the fifth seal
the lamb
opened the fifth
seal
I saw under
the altar
the souls
of those
who had
been slain
for the
word of
God
and for
the witness
that they
had borne
that's the
witness to
Jesus
witness to
the lamb
who was
slain
they cried
out with
a loud
voice
oh sovereign
Lord
holy and
true
how long
oh sovereign
Lord
how long
before you
will judge
and avenge
our blood
on those
who dwell
on the
earth
then they
were each
given a
white robe
and told
to rest
a little
longer
here's the
frightening
thing
until the
number of
their fellow
servants
and their
brothers
and sisters
should be
complete
who are
to be
killed
as they
themselves
have been
please put up
the next
point
Rebecca
the saints
are in
God's
presence
and cry
out to
him
how long
so the
first four
horsemen
the lamb
I said
in his
mercy
allows
these
things
to happen
as they
desire
it's
in a sense
in a picture
form what
Romans 1
talks about
in terms of
what God
sometimes does
in human
affairs
releasing
or removing
his restraint
and allowing
freedom
allowing freedom
greater freedom
and the
greater freedom
is used
to evil
to pain
and suffering
to conquering
to causing
famine
to fighting
and to sword
the greater
freedom
is used
for these
things
and it
has all
sorts of
repercussions
on the
earth
people die
Christians die
non-Christians
die
all sorts
of people
die
and now
the fifth
seal is
opened
and John
sees
well
here's the
thing
you know
often in the
west
when we talk
about what
happened
in Nazi
Germany
to the
Jews
we call
it the
holocaust
and holocaust
means sacrifice
but the
more common
use of the
word
and in fact
the common
use of the
word in
Israel
is shoah
which means
calamity
see the
question is
this
as bad
things happen
to us
as we
suffer
is it
a sacrifice
or is it
a calamity
see if it's
a sacrifice
it means
it has
meaning
if it's
a shoah
a calamity
there is
no meaning
there is
no meaning
it's just
suffering
it's just
pain
and death
and no
meaning
and what
John sees
here
what God
shows
John
is that
as the
fifth seal
is open
some of
those
who've
been
affected
by the
fourth
seals
what do
they do
do they
say
I no
longer
believe
in
God
I
no
longer
trust
God
what he
sees
is he
sees
people
in
God's
presence
look at that
in verse
10
he sees
them
underneath
the altar
it's an
image of a
sacrifice
that their
death
has somehow
or another
been a
sacrifice
they cried
out with a
loud voice
10
oh
sovereign
Lord
they're
now in
God's
presence
they speak
to God
and on
one level
they do
call out
how long
if you
read the
Old Testament
time and
time again
in the
Psalms
and in
other
poetry
the Old
Testament
they cry
how long
oh
God
how long
if you
are in
the midst
of
suffering
right now
it is
completely
and utterly
biblical
for you
to say
how long
oh
Lord
how long
oh
Lord
must I
bear
this
how
long
oh
Lord
make it
clear to
me
what it
is that
you desire
me to
know
or do
or to
become
grant me
strength
to bear
up under
this
help me
to understand
father
the meaning
of what
it is
that I
am going
through
how long
is a
biblical
prayer
and that's
what the
saints pray
in the
presence of
God
to God
how long
and they
cry out
and in our
version
it uses
the word
look at
that
and how
long
before you
will judge
and avenge
our blood
on those
who dwell
on the
earth
and in
the original
languages
those words
judge
and avenge
it brings
out two
things
it definitely
brings out
the meaning
of punishment
but it also
has the idea
of vindication
in fact the
vindication is
seen here by
the fact that
God's response
to their cry
about how long
is that they were
given a white
robe
told to rest
it's a sign
that they've
conquered
that in fact
their suffering
had some
meaning
I haven't read
the rest of
the book of
Revelation
but right now
it's a promise
that there is
meaning in
their suffering
these saints
who talk to
God
about it
and pour out
their heart
to him
and they are
not rebuked
he says
you have
conquered
and they ask
when will we
be vindicated
see this is
the mercy
we'll see this
more in a moment
when we look at
what happens
in the sixth
seal
but you see
if
God
both punishes
and vindicates
in other words
he reveals
to the world
those who have
a lust
of conquering
and to conquer
and those who
have a lust
for battle
and for triumph
and for winning
even if it means
that people starve
and that there are
losers
and that you can
have pestilence
as long as you
survive
and you can
thrive
and if
in such a world
the saints
are vindicated
and if it is
in fact the lamb
who was slain
who opens the
seal
there is the
possibility
for those
of us
who have
given our
lives to
evil
to say
one moment
this powerless
and weak
person
that I have
just killed
that I
have
caused
this
famine
to
God
vindicates
them
and in the
revelation
of their
vindication
there is
the invitation
to repent
and to be
on the side
of the lamb
that's why
these four
horsemen
where God
allows
what is
desired
whether it's
by human
beings
using their
evil for
freedom
or whether
it's
hostile
demonic
powers
or
some
other
reality
encaptured
by these
images
and God
with limits
allows it
to happen
that now
when some
of the
victims
who are
saints
cry out
and ask
for their
vindication
there is
in fact
an opportunity
for people
to say
oh my
God
what have
I done
can God
have mercy
this is
made even
more clear
as we look
at the
next seal
the sixth
seal
because in
fact what
is put
before us
is that
in the
presence of
such evil
that there
are two
responses
which are
ultimately
possible
that in
fact if
we have
the courage
to look
internally
into our
own lives
and see how
it is that
we respond
to things
that we
will understand
that even
ourselves
even those
of us
whose suffering
is not
nearly that
which is
described here
that have
not had
that same
type of
terrible
things happen
to them
but even
if the
suffering
is just
the fact
that we
have a
boss
that's
really mean
to us
or a
mom
who never
loved us
enough
or a
dad
who sort
of ignored
us
or somebody
who cut
us off
or it's
just anxiety
and it's
just stress
and if we
look at it
this is
very powerful
and profound
why is it
that we
choose one
way or
the other
look at
what it
says in
the sixth
seal
verse 12
when he
opened the
sixth seal
I looked
and behold
there was
a great
earthquake
and the
sun became
black as
sackcloth
the full
moon became
like blood
and the
stars of
the sky
fell to
the earth
as the
fig tree
sheds
its winter
fruit
when shaken
by a
gale
the sky
vanished
like a
scroll
that is
being rolled
up
and every
mountain
and island
were removed
from its
place
then the
kings of
the earth
and the
great ones
and the
generals
and the
rich
and the
powerful
and everyone
slave
and free
hid
themselves
in the
caves
and among
the rocks
of the
mountains
calling
to the
mountains
and rocks
fall
on us
hide us
from the
face
of him
who is
seated
on the
throne
and from
the
wrath
of the
lamb
for the
great day
of their
wrath
has come
and who
can
stand
revelation
6 is
centered
around
two
questions
how
long
or
who
can
stand
who
can
stand
imagine
that a
person
is coming
against
you
and they
have a
gun
and they
come to
you
and you
see that
you're in
danger
and you
have a
choice
you can
look to
the right
and there's
a person
you can
see their
face
you can
call out
to them
for help
you turn
to the
left
and there's
a rock
and when
they come
to you
with a
gun
you say
I'm not
going to
turn to
the person
who has
a face
that I
can call
about
for help
I'm
going to
call out
to the
rock
to help
me
rock
help
me
mountain
help
me
very
powerful
imagery
put up
the next
point
please
Rebecca
earth
dwellers
try to
hide
from God
while they
cry out
to idols
who
can
stand
earth
dwellers
on earth
is
a
world
of
earth
and
it
doesn't
mean
that
Christians
don't
dwell
on
earth
but
it
becomes
a
description
of
those
earth
dwellers
who
are
in
rebellion
against
God
in fact
it
starts
to
introduce
a
fundamental
understanding
of what
it means
to be a
Christian
a
Christian
is a
resident
alien
on
earth
a
Christian
is a
pilgrim
and we
know from
the Old
Testament
we know
from the
New
Testament
that we
are to
pray
for the
blessing
of God
upon the
city
but
ultimately
the city
of Ottawa
is not
my home
and the city
of Ottawa
my citizenship
is not
ultimately
a citizenship
in Canada
my ultimate
citizenship
is the
kingdom of
God
the kingdom
of the
Lamb
who was
slain
and my
true home
is where
the Lamb
reigns
and while
I live
here on
earth
not as
an
earth
dweller
but one
who
lives
on
earth
I
seek
the
good
of
the
city
the
earth
dwellers
try to
hide
from
God
while they
cry out
to idols
who can
stand
why
is it
when I
at a
very
simple
level
why
is it
that when
I
suffer
or I'm
in stress
why
is it
that I
would turn
to idols
why is it
that I
would turn
to alcohol
or to drugs
or to gambling
or to spending
money in a mall
or to anger
or to fantasies
or to pornography
why when I am
under mild
struggling of stress
would I turn
to one of these
why would I
turn to rocks
and mountains
why is it
that these
people
seeing
or sensing
or feeling
or realizing
the face
of God
try to think
that being
in a cave
could hide
from the face
of God
and that an
idol
a rock
or a mountain
would help
or deliver
them
will suffering
incline my
heart to God
or away
from it
many people
when we
suffer
we turn
away from
God
why is it
that we
turn away
from God
when we
suffer
is it
that when
we turn
away from
God
and are
suffering
that we
stop
suffering
is it
that when
we
turn away
from God
and suffering
that all
of a sudden
our
suffering
has meaning
is it
that all
of a sudden
we only
are victorious
and we
tower over
things when
we turn
away from
God
like why
is it
that we
do that
why is
it
will
suffering
and climb my heart to God
or away from Him?
Why do I hide from God?
Why, if God has a face,
is it that I see or sense,
why is it that I speak to a rock
or an idol rather than God?
How can a rock help me?
How can an idol help me?
Why do I say that I'll only become
a Christ follower if God shows up?
Why would I choose to repent
and have suffering?
I mean, why would I not,
why would I refuse the chance
to repent and have suffering?
Now, somebody might be wondering,
am I sane, George,
are you sane,
are you sort of like those people
that make lots of,
they make it in the news
and they're just really,
really, really, really,
add a few more reallys,
embarrassing,
that when something bad happens,
you get some radio preacher
gets up and says,
this is all because of the evil
that's going on,
and take your pick.
It's because there's not
enough Republicans,
there's not enough Democrats,
there's not enough rich people,
there's not enough programs
for the poor,
you know, fill in the blank
with your favorite evil,
and that's why this judgment
has happened.
George, is that what you're saying?
And that's not what the Bible's saying here.
The Bible's not saying
that God doesn't actually
allow evil to happen.
I'm not saying,
in that sense,
that radio preacher's
not wrong.
The radio preacher is,
and I don't mean to offend,
is hiding a profound arrogance
to think that he or she
knows exactly what it is
that God's doing.
And they probably don't.
They probably don't.
And it's arrogantly
overstepping the boundaries
to talk as if you know
when you don't know.
I mean,
the fundamental lesson
of the Bible
is always to humble us,
not to make us think
we're smarter than other people
and better than other people,
but to humble us,
to bring us to the point
where we call out to God
for mercy
and say,
how long?
The other problem,
and I know we,
maybe I'm going over time,
I apologize for it.
The other thing about it,
though,
is that when people
say things like that,
we get the wrath of God
all messed up
and confused.
Turn in your Bibles
with me to Matthew
chapter 26
in closing.
Matthew chapter 26.
It's,
if you have a Bible
and you're not that familiar
with it,
there's the Old Testament,
the New Testament,
and Matthew is the first book
in the New Testament.
And turn in your Matthew
chapter 26
to verse 36.
And
in the flow
of the book
of Matthew,
Judas is off
to betray Jesus.
Jesus has just instituted
the Last Supper
with his friends.
He's told them
he's all going to die.
He's going to be captured
within 12 hours
of the Last Supper.
A few hours,
in fact,
less than 12 hours,
he would be captured.
He'll be falsely accused.
He'll die
a criminal's,
a slave's death
upon the cross.
And he's told them
all of this
and they don't understand
what's going on.
They're all confused.
And he goes to the
Garden of Gethsemane
and then Jesus went
with them to a place
called Gethsemane
and he said to his disciples,
sit here while I go
over there and pray.
And taking with them
Peter and the two
sons of Zebedee,
he began to be
sorrowful and troubled
and he said to them,
my soul is very sorrowful
even to death.
Remain here
and watch with me.
And going a little farther,
he fell on his face
and prayed saying,
my father,
if it be possible,
let this cup
pass from me.
Nevertheless,
not as I will,
but as you will.
Just put your finger
there for a moment.
If you go on
and read the rest of it,
you'll see that
three times
Jesus says this
same prayer,
my father,
if it be possible,
let this cup
pass from me.
Nevertheless,
not as I will,
but as you will.
This happens
just a few hours
before the cross.
And it's a very,
very powerful image.
It's a very common image
in the ancient world,
in Jewish scripture
and in pagan,
in the pagan world,
for the cup,
in this particular case,
to be an image
of God's judgment
and wrath.
And it's a very,
very powerful image
that Jesus,
who understands
that he's going to
go to the cross
and not that he's done
anything wrong himself,
but he will go
to the cross
and he will die
upon the cross
and his death
upon the cross
will be
that he experiences
the wrath,
the judgment,
proper to me,
that he will drink
the judgment of God,
the proper anger
of God at evil.
My desire is to conquer
and to be conquered.
My desire is to put
myself forth first
even if it means
that others starve
and are in famine.
My desire for conflict.
My desire to triumph.
All of those things
that I have done
that are wrong.
All those things
that I love
about the four horsemen
in my life
that deserves
the judgment of God.
And those are things
in my life
and in yours.
And that
which properly deserves
the judgment of God
because the saints
are crying out
how long
and I am implicated
in that cry
of how long.
And Jesus goes
to the cross
and on the cross
he takes upon himself
that cry
of how long
that I deserve
and he drinks
the cup
of God's wrath
for me.
and the amazing
thing about this image
is
that
you know
there's lots of times
in our life
we go through
really really really
really hard times
and we say to ourselves
if I had known
about how hard
it was going to be
in advance
I would have never done it.
We can always worry
about the cross
that Jesus says
okay yeah
I'm going to die
for the sins of George
he gets up on the cross
and afterwards
it's way way harder
than he thought
it was going to be.
And here we see
that God lets him
know in advance
how hard it's going to be.
He tastes the cup
and he still says
I will go.
And so it's not just
that Jesus
who is the Lamb of God
who was slain for me
it's not just
that he takes upon himself
that anger and judgment
which I properly deserve
and it's just something
as if God has now
just sort of
that he now stands
for merely in terms
of suffering
for me
in my place
but also
his act of obedience
his willingness
and love
to actually
after having tasted
the cup
to still
take the cross
both aspects
of who Jesus is
stands for me.
The cry of the rich
and the poor
the generals
and the powerful
and the slave
who turn to rocks
and mountains
and say
who can stand?
And a Christian
the saints
who are underneath
the throne of God
and are speaking
in the presence
of God
to God himself
their answer isn't
well I've lived
a completely
and utterly
blameless life
and that's why
I can stand.
Their answer is
to humbly say
I can only stand
because the Lamb
of God
took upon himself
the wrath
of God
that I deserved.
Put the final point
up please.
Out of love
for me
the Lamb
who was slain
bore the wrath
of God
that I deserve.
Please stand.
Most of us today
not all of us
are able to stand
on our own strength.
This Bible passage
says that there will be
a day when we have
to stand before
the throne of
Almighty God
and we will not
have the strength
and the strength
to stand.
And the Holy Spirit
is convicting
some of us
maybe to turn
to Jesus
for the first time
to understand
what he's done
for us on the cross
and for others
just to realize
that my desire
to conquer
my desire
to be first
my desire
for conflict
my desire
for anger
my desire
to hide myself
from God
that's
even though
I'm a follower
of Jesus
that's become
far too strong
in me.
I'm going to
say a prayer
in closing
which
if the Holy Spirit
is convicting you
to pray
that I invite you
to pray with me.
I'll say it to you
very quickly
and if it
suits what the Holy Spirit
is convicting
in your life
then I'll say it
a second time
slowly
so that you
can pray it
with me.
Dear God
I try to hide
from you
I call out
to idols
to avoid you
please forgive me
please deliver me
I thank you
that Jesus
drank my cup
of your judgment
Jesus
please live
in me
as Savior
and Lord
please pour
out your Holy Spirit
upon me
today and every day
until I stand
in your presence
as your servant
thank you
amen
the Holy Spirit
has been convicting you
of the need
like me
to pray such a prayer
for some
it is the beginning
of your life
as a follower
of Jesus
for others
it is just a deepening
I invite you
I'll say this prayer
slowly
and I invite you
if the Holy Spirit
is convicting you
do not say no
to the Holy Spirit's
conviction
do not say no
to the Holy Spirit's
conviction
I'll say it
and I'll pause
and you can say it
silently
you don't have to
say it out loud
it's just between
you and God
dear God
I try to hide
from you
I call out
to idols
to avoid you
please forgive me
please deliver me
I thank you
that Jesus
drank my cup
of your judgment
Jesus please live
in me
as Savior and Lord
please pour out
your Holy Spirit
upon me today
and every day
until I stand
in your presence
as your servant
thank you
Amen
Tiago
know
I
can
pray
las
BR
E
Guys
let