A Daily Walk

John Randall: Well here's something to look forward to. Jesus will one day reign over all the earth. The world will be transformed. Sin and death removed, and ultimately God's purpose will be accomplished on earth as it is presently in heaven. What a day that's going to be. I wonder if there's anybody looking forward to that day.

Guest (Male): Grab that Bible of yours and join us for A Daily Walk. Pastor John Randall is in the middle of a study in Revelation. Does it appear to you that the kingdom of darkness is advancing and evil is on the rise? Well, I don't think you're alone in that assessment. But today, we'll hear about a time when God will put an end to the evil in the world and set up his kingdom on the earth. Talk about something to get excited about. Here is Pastor John in Revelation chapter 11.

John Randall: In Matthew chapter four, verse eight, the devil took Jesus on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And then he said to Jesus, "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." At that moment in his humanity, Jesus did not debate with the devil about the fact that he was behind the present world kingdoms.

The Bible tells us that the whole world is actually under the sway of the wicked one, and all you have to do is look around and you can see that it is so. But when the devil said, "All these things I will give you if you will bow down and worship me," essentially he was saying to Jesus, "I've got a shortcut for you. You don't have to go to the cross. Just bow down and worship me and I'll give you all of these things that are presently in my hands."

You see, Adam in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, he forfeited his right to rule. He gave it over to the devil when he sinned, and death passed to all men. But Jesus came to take it back from the devil. And so the devil said, "You don't have to go to the cross. There's a shortcut." And Jesus refused to take the offer of Satan. He would not bow before the enemy. And the reason that he would not bow is because he knew there was coming a day, as we read here in Revelation chapter 11, when the kingdoms of this world would once again belong to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And here in Revelation 11, we observe believers in heaven as they see what's about to unfold on the earth. And they realize that all of the kingdoms of this world will belong to the Lord once again, and that he's about to rule and reign forever. And all that they can do in light of what's coming is break forth in praise and worship. Now, when you read the words "have become the kingdom of our Lord," it indicates the absolute certainty about Jesus coming and reigning even before the fact is accomplished. It describes a future event that is so certain that it can be spoken of as if it's already taken place.

In verses 17 and 18, the Apostle John records the song sung by the church around the throne of God. It was back in Revelation chapter four, in verses 10 and 11, that we saw the church celebrating the God who created and sustains all things. Then in Revelation chapter five, verses eight through 14, they worshiped the Lamb who was slain and redeems the nations through his blood and through his sacrifice on the cross. And now, well, now they give thanks to God who brings history to its climactic end and begins his cosmic and eternal reign of glory.

Notice the response of worship in verse 16. "And the 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and they worshiped God, saying, 'We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned.'" Here we see mentioned again the 24 elders falling down on their faces and worshiping God. The 24 elders have previously appeared seven times in Revelation in a similar context. And I believe, and many scholars would agree with me, that the 24 elders is a representation of the glorified, raptured church of Jesus Christ in heaven while the tribulation period is taking place on the earth.

And the church begins to worship God because of all the prayers that they have prayed for centuries are being answered. Think about it. Think about this for a moment. Believers throughout the centuries have prayed what Jesus encouraged them to pray in the Lord's Prayer. Do you remember it? You might have said it many times. Matthew chapter six, verse 10, part of that prayer was, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

When you look at the world at the present time, you don't see that prayer being answered. Nothing in the world today gives us any sense that Christ's kingdom has yet come from heaven to the earth. In fact, when you turn on the news, it sometimes feels like the only kingdom that is advancing is the kingdom of darkness, and it's advancing quickly, I might add. But granted, as believers we are here, we are advancing, or at least attempting to advance the kingdom of God through the preaching of the gospel, through gathering in this way.

We are standing as salt and light in the midst of a dark world. But the day is coming when all aspects of the Lord's Prayer will be fulfilled literally. Jesus will one day reign over all the earth. The world will be transformed. Sin and death removed, and ultimately God's purpose will be accomplished on earth as it is presently in heaven. What a day that's going to be. I wonder if there's anybody looking forward to that day.

Folks, in other words, the prayer "let thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" is finally being answered. And it's for this reason that praise and worship proceeds there in heaven. But consider for a moment the song, the lyrics that are mentioned here as the church sings. Because I believe that the lyrics that are mentioned also provide for us reasons to worship God. Notice it begins with thanksgiving because of who God is. They cry out giving him thanks.

It's not a song of complaint, but it's a song of praise and thanksgiving. And when it comes to worshiping the living God, it should always begin with praise and thanksgiving. The Bible tells us in Psalm 100, verse four, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and enter into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and bless his name." Are you a thankful person? Are you a complaining person? Are you thanking God for what he's done in your life? Are you complaining to God? What kind of a person are you? What kind of worship comes from your lips, comes from your heart, comes from your life?

This Hallelujah Chorus in heaven acknowledges the character and nature of God. Notice verse 17, that this song of praise acknowledges the power of God. They say he is Almighty God, meaning God is all-powerful. He's omnipotent. Nine out of 10 times the word Almighty is used in the New Testament in association with God, and nine of those 10 times is in the book of Revelation. God's power is on display for the world.

Did you know today that there is nothing too hard for God? That he isn't limited in any way like you and me? Nothing is impossible for him. That he is Almighty, that he has power to change your life today if you'll turn to him. There's no one like the true and the living God. And so they praise God for his power. Where does your strength come from today? Who do you rely on? Who do you depend on and look to when you come to the end of your days?

Will you be looking to God? Now you may not be thinking about that at this moment, but one day you'll be confronted with it. Who is your strength? Who are you depending on? Do you trust in the Almighty God, or do you trust in yourself? Not only is he all-powerful, but also the church praises and glorifies God because he is eternal. It says in verse 17, "The one who is, who was, and who is to come." God has no beginning and no ending. He has always existed.

He's not a created being. He is the creator. The Bible says in Psalm 90, verse two, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." He's always existed. As human beings, we measure everything in time, and so it's hard for us to conceive of something that had no beginning, but has always been and will continue forever.

But the Bible doesn't try to prove God's existence or his eternal nature, but simply begins with the statement in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God," indicating that at the beginning of recorded time, God was already in existence. From duration stretching backward without limit to duration stretching forward without limit, from eternal ages to eternal ages, God was and forever is. The Bible tells us something in Romans chapter one, verse 20. It tells us that God's eternal nature and his eternal power are revealed to us through his creation.

Looking at the order of creation, the sun and the heavenly bodies continuing in their orbits century after century, the seasons coming and going in their appointed time, the trees producing leaves in spring and dropping them in the fall year after year after year. These things continue and no one can stop them or alter God's plan. All of this and more only demonstrates and proves God's eternal power and plan for the earth. And yet for all the evidence that we have in front of us, some choose not to see it, take it for granted or ignore it.

The world system loves to keep us on a constant spinning wheel, only being concerned about self, distracted with ourselves in order that we would never ask the question, "Is there more to life than just this?" The answer to that question the Bible gives us, yes there is. There is eternity, there is heaven, there is hell, there is Christ, there is the sacrifice, there is forgiveness, there is salvation, there is redemption. All of these things are real.

And today, whether or not you want to acknowledge it, there is a real God, and he is all-powerful and eternal. He has always been, he will always be, he is coming again, and he loves you. And he desires a personal relationship with you. As a Christian, when I think of these truths, I am overwhelmed by the awesome God who would love me, who would send his Son to die for me. And all I can do is worship him and live my life for him.

The heavenly chorus acknowledges God's power, his eternal nature, but also it acknowledges his sovereignty. For they say, "Because you have taken your great power and reigned." The word "you have taken" indicates permanence of God's sovereign rule. The Bible says in Psalm 24, verse one, that the earth is the Lord's and all it contains, the world and all who dwell in it. God is in control. I'm thankful today that God is sovereign, that he is in control of all things. The world is out of control, spinning in every direction, but God knows exactly what he's doing.

And he's working all of these things according to his plan. The Bible says that many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19, verse 21. The song of praise, the song of worship continues with thanking God also for his righteous judgment. And we're almost through verse 18. "The nations were angry and your wrath has come." Revelation, folks, reveals the kingdoms of man are opposed to being removed from power.

And why? Why are the nations angry? The answer is because they want to have their own way. They don't want to be ruled by God or submit to Christ. The Bible tells us this in Psalm chapter two, in verse one. It says, "Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth they set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ, saying, 'Let's break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.'"

In other words, the psalmist is saying that man wants to worship and serve the creature instead of the Creator, who is blessed forevermore. Nations want to cast off all restraint and God will permit them to do so for a time. God will never force his way into your life. You can resist his love. You can choose to live in sin and run from God like some of you are today. People do it all the time. But the end result is eternal separation from God.

When it says here that the nations were enraged, it means there was a deep-seated, ongoing hostility toward God. It's actually a settled burning resentment against God. And during this time, men will be so deceived and blinded by their own sin and hardness of their heart toward God that their rebellion will lead to actually gathering armies together in an attempt to try to fight against God and they will lose. And yet heaven rejoices when God finally puts an end to the evil in this world.

There are people today who are presently fighting against God. They're blinded by sin in bondage to it. They excuse it, they explain it away. They said, "Oh, I went to church before, but I don't live for God presently." They're deceived. There are those that are opposed to God in the educational system pushing all kinds of evil upon our children. There are those in the political system lobbying for all kinds of ungodly practices and policies. But I wonder, are you fighting against God today?

Are you rebelling against God's love? Are you rejecting his salvation today? Maybe you'd like to surrender your life to Christ. Maybe you'd like to respond to the love of God. Maybe you want to turn from your sin and get right with God today. I'm going to give you that opportunity in a few moments to get up out of your seat, stand below this platform, receive Christ as your savior as so many others have done. Or for others of you, you need to get right with God. You know what I've been running into a lot lately? Listen to me on this.

I've been running into a lot of backslidden believers. A lot. I don't know why God has had me come across many people who are backslidden recently, in recent days. People who at one time went to church, at one time walked with the Lord, but they don't presently. And I never want some person in a backslidden condition to think that everything's okay with God, because I need to tell you it's not. God says, that's not my word, that's God's word. God tells people who are backslidden, "Return to me, come back to me. You're not in a good place, and where you're headed and the trajectory that you're on, it leads to pain."

Listen, God's calling you back. If you're a backslider today, I'm going to give you the chance to get right with God, to turn back to God. He loves you. He's calling you back. He's the God of the second chance and the third and the fourth and so on. He's calling you. Finally the seventh trumpet sounds. Heaven worships the all-powerful, sovereign, righteous, victorious God. But then finally, folks, listen, it speaks of a time of further judgment.

Look at verse 18. "And the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, prophets, and the saints." The dead mentioned here being judged are those who are spiritually separated from God. They face their judgment at the great white throne. The Bible describes two judgments: one for the believer and one for the non-believer. The judgment for the believer is not a judgment to condemnation. Our sin, if you've trusted in Christ, our sin was judged at the cross of Calvary.

Jesus took our sin upon himself. And thus, when we stand before God in judgment, it's a judgment where we receive rewards. The Bible says in Romans 14 for the believer that we will all stand before God's judgment seat and each one of us will give an account of himself to God. The Bible tells us in Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 10, that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and each one may receive what is due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

It's a judgment for rewards. I don't fear standing before God because I'm not going to stand before him in my own righteousness. I'm going to stand before him clothed in the righteousness of Christ and he's going to reward me for what I've done in this life. But then there's a judgment for the non-believer. Listen. Listen carefully as we conclude. Listen. The Great White Throne judgment is described in Revelation chapter 20. It's the final judgment prior to the lost being cast into the lake of fire.

And the Bible tells us that there are books in heaven that are open and another book called the Book of Life. And anyone's name not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels for eternity. That's what the Bible says. The Great White Throne judgment. The question is which judgment will you have? The judgment that you will receive depends on what you do with Jesus.

Jesus died in your place, took your judgment and mine so that we could stand before him clothed in his righteousness. But if you reject what Christ has done, then you will stand before the Great White Throne and be judged for your sins. God loves you. That's why he sent Christ to die in your place. That's why he died and then rose again so that you could escape judgment to come and receive salvation and know that your name is in the Book of Life.

Last verse, verse 19. "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, earthquake, and great hail." At the beginning of this chapter, chapter 11, we saw an earthly temple that was built by man in rejection of Jesus Christ. But now in heaven, at the end of this chapter, the real temple is opened in heaven and the ark of the covenant representing the throne of God is seen and lightning and thunder and earthquake and great hail begin to fall as the final judgments are about to take place on the earth.

As you look at this picture of the future, in a very real sense, folks, it describes two separate locations. One location is on the earth, where there will be the experience of unprecedented judgment of God on a Christ-rejecting world. But the second location is there in heaven, where you will experience the unparalleled joy and elation in the presence of God for eternity. My question to you today in light of this contrast is where will you be?

Which judgment will you face? Will you be there around the throne of God singing the praises of the Lord, or you will be on the earth experiencing the judgment of God? It really comes down to your decision. God loves you so much, he'll never force his way into your life. For love to be love, there has to be a choice. And so God gives you that choice today. The Bible says choose this day who you will serve.

Make a decision. You say, "Well, I'm undecided." Then you're decided. To be undecided is to be decided. You're either for him or against him. There is no middle ground. There is no walking the fence. You're either on one side or the other, and God calls you to the side of light even if you're in darkness. Which kingdom are you a part of? Who is your king? Is Jesus your king? If he's your king, then he rules and reigns in your life. If he isn't your king, then it's evident by the life that you live.

But this king loves you. He loves you so much that he died for you. Listen, you can't get to heaven by being a good person, because you'd have to be perfect, and no one is perfect. But you can get to heaven by trusting in the finished work of Christ, and he is perfect. The perfect sinless life died on a cross, was buried and then rose again the third day, offers you the hope of heaven, the forgiveness of sin, eternal life, your name written in the Book of Life.

Do you have that assurance today? Are you a backsliding individual? Do you want to get right with God? Don't put it off any longer. Today is your day. There's no day like today. You may never have another moment like this. This week we got word of another tragedy that I will not go into detail about, but someone that I had sat down with, prayed with many times, talked to about turning to Christ, heard the gospel and passed into eternity in a tragic way. Friend, you do not know how much time you have. Today is the day of salvation. If you can hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Respond to his love.

Guest (Male): We pray that you will, if you haven't already. This is A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. John will be right back. His teaching today was based in Revelation chapter 11 and titled "The Coming Kingdom of God." You can hear it again at adailywalk.org, oneplace.com, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A case could be made that we've never been more divided as a nation than right now. When a nation is divided, to whom can we turn? Well, that's answered for us in a book we'd like to get into your hands from Jack Countryman. It's titled If My People: A Prayer Guide for Our Nation. You'll receive 40 days of prayer and reflections in the Spirit from Second Chronicles 7:14. And we're making it available to our A Daily Walk listeners for the cost of just eight dollars.

You can call us for the ordering details at 877-242-0828. That's 877-242-0828 or request it online at adailywalk.org. We are thankful for your support, especially during these summer months. If you've been encouraged and blessed by the teaching of the Word and want to help us deliver the good news all across the nation and the world, stop by adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. Let's return to Pastor John as he leads us in prayer.

John Randall: Heavenly Father, we thank you now in this moment as we prepare our hearts. Lord, your word is your word. It's truth. And I pray if there are some today who have been running from you, God, claiming to know you but really don't know you. Backslidden, Lord, I can't think of how many, Lord, I've come across in the last several weeks and months who have been wandering away from you, self-deceived into thinking they can just go on living their life and still stand before you and be welcomed in.

Lord, I pray for those today who know better, that you draw them back. Lord, I pray for those that have never responded, that today would be the day that they would give their life to Christ, surrender to you, allow you to be king of their heart, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Guest (Male): Hear all about a cosmic conflict as you join us next time for A Daily Walk with John Randall.