HopeLives365

Mark Finley: Jesus puts it this way. He says, Matthew 5 verse 17, think not. Now when Jesus says think not, what does he mean? He means get your thinking straight here. Think not that I've come to destroy the law. Isn't that pretty plain?

Guest (Female): This is HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message, Revelation's Call to Obedience. Enjoy and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay updated with HopeLives365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: Welcome back to HopeLives365. During this series, we've been studying the book of Revelation and particularly Revelation chapter 14. Now if you've been with us for the last few presentations, you remember that Revelation 14 is divided into three parts.

The first part, the first five verses, picture a group of people on the sea of glass in heaven with Christ. Then we have the middle part of Revelation 14, which is really a message to prepare that group of people to stand there with Jesus. Then at the end of the chapter, Revelation 14, verses 14 to 20, you have the event for which this group of people are prepared, namely the harvest or the end of the world or the second coming of Christ. So you have a people, a message, and an event.

The key thing though is this message, a message that prepares people for heaven and eternity and a message that prepares them for the coming of Jesus. In Revelation chapter 14, the Bible says, "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made heaven, earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters."

Now notice we studied in our last presentation Revelation 14, verse six. And I saw another angel flying, it's an urgent message. In the midst of heaven with an everlasting gospel. The gospel is the incredible good news that Christ's perfect life atones for my imperfect life, that Christ's death atones for my death, that through Jesus I can live forever and have eternal life.

It's to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. It's a universal message. But then it says, saying with a loud voice. What kind of a voice? With a loud voice. Why a loud voice? Because God wants us to hear. God wants us to understand. Fear God and give glory to him. I want to look at this expression with you, fear God. What does it mean to fear God?

Now some translations will say reverence God or respect God, and that's true, but there's something much deeper than that. The Greek word for fear God is a word called phobeo. And this word phobeo means fear in the sense of respect, yes, but fear in the sense of making God supreme in your thoughts. Fear in the sense of respecting God enough to do what God says. Throughout the Bible, fear God, respect God, making God first in your thoughts is linked to obedience.

Let's notice that in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. We're looking at this linkage: fear God. Remember we read about the gospel? The gospel does not deliver us from obedience, the gospel gives us the power to obey. The gospel doesn't enable us to break God's law, it gives us the strength to keep God's law. We are not saved because we keep the law, we're saved by grace. But because we are saved, we are obedient.

Apple trees do not produce apples in order to become apple trees. Apple trees produce apples because they are apple trees. Christians do not produce good works to earn their salvation. Christians produce good works because of the power of God's grace that operates within them. So here is a call that says, I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice.

Notice this is not something that's muffled in a corner, this is not some quiet voice. Saying with a loud voice, God wants us to hear: fear God, respect God, obey God. Now notice the relationship between fearing God and keeping his commandments. Ecclesiastes 12, we start with verse 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. This is the essence of the thing. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it's good or evil.

So notice: fear God and keep his commandments. Keeping God's commandments is not legalism. It's rather a response to God's grace. Throughout the book of Revelation, there is a call for an end-time people to obey God. For you look, for example, at Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17. God's end-time people are identified in this passage in Revelation chapter 12, verse 17. And here in 12:17, identifying God's end-time people, scripture says:

And the dragon was wroth or angry with the woman. Now let's pause there. Who is the dragon? Well, in Revelation chapter 12, verse nine, it says the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan. The devil is pictured as a dragon because he destroys, and a serpent because he deceives. The devil deceives those whom he will destroy and destroys those whom he has deceived. So the dragon is the devil.

Let's go back again. The dragon was wroth with the woman. Who is the woman in Bible prophecy? In Bible prophecy, a woman is the bride of Jesus. We find this in a number of places in the Bible. In Ephesians five, the Bible likens Christ to the husband and the church as his bride or a beautiful chaste woman. In Jeremiah six, verse two, the Bible again likens the bride of Christ to a beautiful woman. Jeremiah 6:2: I have likened the daughter of Zion, who is the daughter of Zion? That's the church, to a comely and delicate woman.

So throughout the Bible, we have that symbolism. So the Bible says in Revelation 12:17: and the dragon, that's Satan, was wroth, that's angry, with the woman, that's the church. And what does he do? He goes to make war. Who does he make war with? The remnant of her seed, or the remaining those who remain faithful to God and those who have the testimony of Jesus. Notice it says here the dragon was wroth with the woman, went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God.

So God's end-time remnant, the ones who remain faithful to him, what are they doing? They're keeping the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus. But somebody says, Pastor Mark, I thought the law was done away with in the New Testament. I thought law was an Old Testament concept and that grace is the New Testament concept. Throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament, believers were saved by grace.

There are not two methods of salvation. We're not going to get up in heaven and say to Moses, Moses, how did you get here? Well, I got here by my good works. Daniel, how did you get here? Well, I lived in the Old Testament, I got here by my good works. David, how did you get here? I got here by my good works. No. Everybody who is ever saved is not saved by their works, but they're saved by Christ and his works.

Those in the Old Testament were saved by the Christ that was to come. Those in the New Testament are saved by the Christ that has come. The Old Testament believers' faith looked forward to Christ, our faith looks backward to Christ. Notice Titus chapter two, and it says verse 11: for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. So the grace of God appears to all men. Grace was revealed to the Old Testament in the Old Testament sanctuary, in the lamb sacrifices, that pointed forward to Christ.

Grace is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit as we look back to the Christ of the cross. So throughout the Old and New Testament, the law of God is upheld in the lives of those who are faithful to Christ. It's not that in the Old Testament they're saved by law and in the New Testament we're saved by grace. Everybody who's saved is saved by the grace of God. It is only by his grace that anybody can be saved. But that grace transforms our life. That grace enables us to be faithful to Christ.

Throughout the book of Romans, we find this beautiful blend of law and grace. So let's take a look at that because so many people misunderstand that whole concept of law and grace. We're going to start here in Romans chapter three. Romans three, we're going to look at verse 23: all have sinned. So every human being has sinned. They've fallen short of the goodness and grace of God and deserve eternal death. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace.

What is the basis of our justification? What does the word justification mean? The word justification means being made right with God. So we are made right with God. We stand before God just as if we had never sinned. How? Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So Christ redeems us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us. Verse 25, Romans three: whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God.

So God sets forth Christ as a propitiation. What's that mean? A ransom. So through faith in his blood, we are delivered from the condemnation of the law. Verse 26: to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, we receive the gift of eternal life and we are justified. Where is boasting then? Verse 27: it's excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. So how are we justified? By faith.

Guest (Female): You're listening to HopeLives365. We'll be right back. And if you like what you're hearing, we invite you to check out our website, HopeLives365.com. There you can find many ministry resources, encouraging messages, and even a link to our HopeLives365 YouTube ministry. And of course, an opportunity to sow into this valuable ministry. Find out more by going to HopeLives365.com. That's HopeLives365.com. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: Will our obedience justify us? Not at all. Will our law-keeping justify us? Not at all. Because we desire to keep the commandments, does that justify us? Certainly not. The Bible says we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. How then should we relate to the law? Down here in verse 31: do we make void the law through faith? God forbid, we establish the law. So because we are saved by grace, because we are transformed by the grace of God, we do not in any way feel that we can now avoid the law.

Now turn our back on the law, now make believe the law doesn't exist, now live like however we want. That's not what the Bible says. It says, do we make void the law through faith? God forbid. We do what? We establish the law. Just like Jesus didn't come to do away with the law, he came to fulfill the law in his life and show us how to keep the law. In Matthew chapter five, verse 17, Jesus puts it this way. He says, Matthew 5, verse 17, think not.

Now when Jesus says think not, what does he mean? He means get your thinking straight here. Think not that I've come to destroy the law or the prophets. I come not to destroy but to fulfill. Isn't that pretty plain? People say the law's nailed to the cross, Christ came to destroy. No, Jesus is clear. Think not that I've come to destroy the law or the prophets. I come not to destroy but to fulfill.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, full of meaning. Did Jesus come to do away with the law that says thou shalt not kill? Not at all. How does he fill it with meaning? He said if you look at your brother with anger, if you have anger in your heart, you've broken that commandment. So anger is a violation of the commandment because anger unchecked leads to violence and violence unchecked leads to murder.

So Jesus is not saying that anger is just as bad as murder, what he's saying is that that seed of anger in the heart is a violation of the law. What does Jesus say about adultery? Does he come to do away with the law that says thou shalt not commit adultery? Not at all. Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust, in other words, you gaze at a woman with lust, you committed adultery in your heart.

Jesus didn't come to do away with the law, he came to expand it, he came to magnify it. In fact, in the book of Isaiah chapter 40, the Bible is very plain on this particular point. Isaiah chapter 40, the Bible says the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Lord stands forever. And so the word of God stands forever and ever and ever. And God's word is true.

The law of God as outlined in the Old Testament is clear, plain on the law of God. And the law never can save us, but the Lord only can do that which by the grace of God we're able to obey. So the law can only accomplish what God himself places within our heart. Did Jesus come to do away with the law? Look at Isaiah 42, verse 21: the Lord is well pleased for his righteous sake, he will magnify the law and make it honorable.

So he magnifies the law. He says not only thou shalt not kill, but he says that if you get angry in your heart, that breaks the commandment. How does he magnify the law in adultery? By saying he takes it from the physical act to the attitude of the mind. Notice the Lord is well pleased for his righteous sake, he will magnify the law and make it honorable.

So Jesus never came to do away with the law. Many Christians are so confused on this point. You look at Romans chapter six, for example. See, throughout the New Testament, the Bible talks about the importance of keeping God's law. Romans six: what shall we say then, verse one? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

So shall we continue in sin? What is sin? 1 John 3, verse four says that sin is the transgression of the law. Sin is breaking God's law. So sin is not what I think sin is, sin is not what you think sin is. We don't define sin, God's law is defined by God himself. What shall we say then? Shall we sin that grace may abound? Shall we break the law that grace can continue?

Not at all. God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? So by the grace of God, God's grace redeems us from the guilt of the past. God's grace forgives us for our sin. But God's grace is also the grace for obedience. Throughout the Bible, grace leads us to be obedient. You find this, for example, in the book of Romans. Here in Romans, the Bible is very clear where it talks about the grace of God that leads us to obedience.

God's grace is so good that it delivers us from the past guilt and penalty of sin, and it delivers us from the grip and power of sin. You know, I had a person say to me once, but Pastor Mark, the law of God is done away with. I said, do you have any children? They said, yeah, we've got children. I said, do you have a teenage daughter? Yeah, Pastor, we've got a teenage daughter.

Let's suppose your teenage daughter is 16 years old and she's going to go out on a date. And you are a little nervous about it, but you decide, okay, I'm going to allow my daughter to go out with this guy. And he comes to the house, you meet him. You've seen him before in church and he seems to be a pretty good Christian. So you begin talking to this young man and you say, now young man, I want my daughter home at nine o'clock.

And young man, I know you're going to take her to a church social tonight, but I want you to be circumspect. And he looks at you and he says, well, I don't know if I'm going to have her home at 10. What do you mean? I thought you were a Christian. Don't you understand the whole concept of honor father and mother? Oh, that law's done away with. And by the way, you know after I'm going to take her to a party.

A party? What kind of a party? Well, you know, the Bible, all those commandments, they're done away with. You don't have to worry about them. Thou shalt not commit adultery, don't worry about that one. Thou shalt not steal, don't worry about that one. You say, Pastor Mark, that's preposterous. It is, it is. But just think it through, my friend. If you believe the law of God is done away with, where are there moral principles, ethical principles to guide your behavior?

If the law of God is done away with, just think about what society would be like. Honor your father and mother. There'd be absolute chaos in society. Thou shalt not steal. Our personal goods would not be safe at all. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Your whole moral fabric of society would be broken up. Thou shalt not covet. You begin to think of the implications if the law of God was done away with.

The whole society would be filled with chaos, filled with conflict, filled with strife. God is looking for a group of people who are saved by grace, who are redeemed by love, who are transformed by his power, who live godly obedient lives in the last days of earth's history. Remember this message, saying with a loud voice. Revelation 14, verse seven. A message that is sent by angels flying in the middle of heaven, saying with a loud voice, fear God, that is obey God.

There's a call back to obedience at a time of disobedience. At a time of random school shootings, at a time of violence in our streets, at a time of corruption in our government, at a time of immorality in our society, at a time of gender confusion in this world, at a time when children are disobedient to their parents. At this time, God is calling us back to obedience.

In fact, in Revelation chapter 14, verse 12, we have another picture of God's end-time people. And here in Revelation 14, verse 12, it says this: here are they, here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. You can never keep God's commandments unless you have the faith of Jesus. You can never live an obedient godly life unless the faith of Jesus is living in your heart.

But did you notice what the book of Revelation says? That last book for the last days, that message for end time. It says very clearly: here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God. God is going to have an end-time people that are obedient to him, that keep all of his commandments. Is there some area in your life that's not in harmony with God's will?

Is there some area in your life that you are knowingly, willingly disobeying God? Grace does not cover known sin. Grace does not cover our rebellion. When we come to God, Jesus says in John 14, verse 15: if you love me, if you love me, keep my commandments. Motivated by love, transformed by grace, changed by his power, we live lives in harmony with his will and keep his commandments.

Guest (Female): You've been listening to HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at HopeLives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: Motivated by love, transformed by grace, changed by his power, we live lives in harmony with his will and keep his commandments. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, how thankful we are for this message in the book of Revelation. An angel flies in the middle of heaven having the everlasting gospel.

The good news of peace, good news of freedom from condemnation, the good news of grace, the good news that our sins can be forgiven. And the angel says with a loud voice: fear God. A call to make God supreme in our life, a call to obedience, a call through the grace of God and the power of the Spirit to live in harmony with your will.

So we thank you, Lord, for this call and open our hearts to follow you. Where we have broken your law, forgive us. Where we have transgressed the commandments of God, have mercy upon us and give us, dear Lord, your strength through your grace to live obedient lives. In Christ's name, amen.