Sermon notes from Sunday 3 February 2019
Revelation 14 verses 1 - 5
Here we find in Revelation 14 the 144,000 take up our thoughts. These are the same 144,00 from chapter 7 verse 4. There we saw them going into the great tribulation, sealed, set apart, sanctified during the 7 year period which Jesus himself described as never like it before nor will be like it again. In verse 1 we read of "Mount Zion" which is earthly Mount Zion. They have come through the 7 year period, are at the end of it, standing on the brink when Jesus will set up his earthly kingdom and reign for 1000 years. At that time the devil will be locked away, the Antichrist and the false prophet are in the lake of fire. Now here in chapter 14 the 144,000 are coming out of the tribulation period. The suffering has ended and they are going to reign with Christ. Look at their ministry during the 7 years.
They were faithful. These people have spent years preaching in the most discouraging, downtrodden of times. What will the Lord have to say about our ministry as we stand before him one day and give an account of ourselves? In verse 1 John says "I looked". He sees firstly a Lamb before he says anything about the 144,000. The Lamb is in the midst. In other chapters we read that he saw the AntiChrist, the False Prophet, the Devil but now he sees the Lamb. What a tremendous sight that is to see before you see the people. When we look at the Lamb we see the one who came to seek and to save that which is lost. He is standing with outstretched arms today, he wants us to cast our burdens on him because he loves us and wants us to know that genuine love. The Lamb was last seen in chapter 5 when the book was handed to him. The 144,000 are selected for this particular task and time. Remember Esther and Mordecai. Mordecai told her to stand up for the nation of Israel because "you have been brought to the kingdom perhaps for such a time as this." He has brought you into his family for such a time as this. These men were given this set period, selected, separated, sanctified, sealed but also surrendered. Here were a people who would go into the worse time they would ever face, they would preach the word, there never would be a period like it again. It does not matter what you will go through, make sure God is with you. Romans 12 verse 1 reminds us that we are offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. We are to offer ourselves afresh each day because maybe the Lord has set us out for a different role, a different pathway to follow. We must surrender it to him. Have we really come to the Lord as this 144,000 did? Ever really surrendered ourselves? Asked the Lord "whatever you want me to do, where you want me to go I will go?" In verse 7 the people came through their ministry. The Lord has a ministry for you. Have you found it yet? Paul said to Timothy "stir up the gift that is in you." Have we a ministry today? One day we must give an account of it. Remember the story of the master who gave his servant one talent. The servant went and buried it. When he was called to account for what he did with the one talent, he returned it to his master saying he knew he was an austere man and so hid it until he returned. He was not accepted for it. Remember the story in Matthew 20 of the vineyard the workers. The master came and asked them "why stand ye all the day idle?" All they had to do was be employed yet they were still standing around. We are not to be idle. We are not saved to be sitting around. We are saved to serve. The 144,000 were faithful. They were in the keeping of God himself. No doubt Satan came against them but God kept them through this period of time. Satan cannot put us down. He cannot overpower us. The only power he can use is the power we allow him to use. 1 Peter 1 verse 5 we "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." It was no different for the 144,000. They were kept by the power of God through faith. They faced every obstacle, kept at it though. "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed." (James 1 verse 14) There was no Demas here who chose the love of the world. Here were a people who were prepared to die for souls. They didn`t turn back at the ministry given to them. The whole world was worshipping the beast at this time. The Antichrist came in and an attempt was made on his life. He was raised to life again. God still had his remnant left. Their priority was the Lord`s calling and mens souls. There are many today going away from that priority.
They were fearless in their ministry. They were not promised an easy time or an easy task. Here were a people who would have to stand against the powers of hell and Satan in an unprecedented way. There were evil powers let loose in the world at this time. The forces of hell would be allowed to roam and reign on this old earth. Here were a people standing against that. During their minstry the Antichrist said "if you do not receive my mark you cannot buy and sell." God looked after them. The 144,000 "were not defiled with women" verse 4. We should take that in the spiritual sense. We read often in scripture about going after other women meaning to commit adultery. Israel left God many times and went after other gods. They committed fornication. The 144,000 were fearless in their task because they relied on the Lord at all times. We can allow things to come and take us from God. That is fornication and adultery. Our leisure and relationships can be put in front of God. If we are asked to do a task and we put that before God we are committing spiritual adultery. Daniel as a young boy sat at the kings table in Babylon. Everything was there that he could enjoy eating. The king was nurturing them up to become the wise rulers of the empire one day. Daniel looked at the table and decided not to defile himself with these things. He stood firm with the Lord. He showed his faith in the Lord. It didn`t matter to him that he could have faced death as a result. We live in an easy age. We can approach people with tracts and they will accept them but imagine if we lived in a world where we could be arrested for doing such a thing. How would we cope with that? We need to be careful that we have counted the cost. It is easy to take the place of Christian in this era. Daniel did not fear the old king Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar built an image and gave the order that everyone must bow down to it when they heard the music. Daniel and his 3 friends refused to do it. They were then cast into the fiery furnace but God delivered them.
They were focused in their ministry. Verse 4 "these are they whch follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." These preachers were focused on Jesus the Lamb. It is only when the preaching gets away from the Lamb that there are problems. They had Jesus before them. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4 verse 13) These men were going to reach out with the gospel, they could do it because God told them to do it. Is there something and the Lord says to do it and you say "I can`t do it"? Maybe it is because you don`t want to do it or is it because you have not the ability to do it? What a wonderful testimony these men had. They were called and sealed and pushed forward with the preaching of the gospel. The Antichrist had set up an image in the temple but they did not worship it. Their intention was to lead as many to hear the wonderful message of the gospel. In Revelation 7 verse 9 there is a multitude around the throne. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They are there because of the 144,000. The gospel challenge today is the same. Luke 9 verse 23 "if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." The reason God sealed these men was to evangelise, to bring others to Christ. Agabus was a prophet in Acts of the Apostles. He lifted a girdle one day and said "the man who wears this girdle will be bound and sent to Jerusalem to be imprisoned." That girdle was Paul`s. Paul said "even though they chain and fetter me, take me to Jerusalem, even take my life, I am prepared to go." (Acts 21 verses 10 to 14)
They were fruitful. Notice that a multitude stood around the throne. They were there because of the ministry of the 144,000. They would be saved just like you and I would be saved - through the minstry of the 144,000. That seed you sow - do not be discouraged because you see no fruit for it here and now!
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