Simple Faith

Bill Henry: Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that the return of Jesus is predicated upon what we do as the church of Jesus Christ. Very important to remember Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached." It doesn't say you will preach. It says will be preached in all the earth as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. This is basically a statement of fact. Jesus is telling us what will happen.

Guest (Male): Greetings and welcome to another installment of Simple Faith, a time of study in God's word with Pastor Bill Henry. We've been steadily making our way through the book of Revelation, an account written by the apostle John and dictated by Jesus Christ himself. Today, we find ourselves in chapter 14, where we read about God using three very special angels to carry out a very special mission. In a message originating from the pulpit of Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington, here's Pastor Bill Henry.

Bill Henry: Revelation 14:6, "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.'"

It is interesting that at the beginning of chapter 14, we were blessed to get a glimpse into another time of worship in heaven as the 144,000 Israelites, 12,000 from each tribe, were worshiping God with a new song. It is a song that only they can learn. Then in the midst of this, we come to verse six. John, as he is writing, says, "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to all those who dwell upon the earth."

It is an interesting thing to think about. Not only will the angels be blowing the seven trumpets, not only will they be pouring forth different judgments, but also one angel here will be giving the everlasting gospel to preach to all those who dwell upon the earth. I think this is a beautiful thing, that he is going to preach the everlasting gospel. Notice to whom: to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

It is interesting to note that this is probably roughly at the middle mark of the tribulation, the three and a half years of the 70th week of Daniel, the seven-year tribulation. There are about three and a half years left to go. This is towards the end of the world as we know it, literally. It is interesting because, in Matthew 24:14, Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

It is not until the gospel is preached to all the nations, all the tongues. That is what we see happening within our text this morning. It is very interesting to note because there are some today who believe that this means that we, the church, are to be the ones who are to do this. They believe that Jesus cannot return until the gospel has been preached to every tribe, every tongue, and everyone on the earth.

This has led to what is called the "Kingdom Now" theology, that basically we need to take over the earth. I think that is where a lot of what people call "Christian nationalism" is coming from, even though I think that is pretty much a made-up word. It is rooted, I believe, in Kingdom Now theology because it basically teaches that we need to go forth, and once we've made disciples of all the earth, shared the gospel with all the earth, and we control all the governments, then Jesus Christ can return.

Perhaps without realizing this, the people who believe this—and by the way, this is people like Pat Robertson and a lot of your hyper-charismatics are into this theology as well—without realizing it, a lot of the people who believe this basically then are taking the responsibility and the timing for the return of Jesus Christ. This isn't the church's responsibility or the timing. Only God the Father knows the time when Jesus will return. He alone knows the day and the hour.

Again, this doesn't mean that we are not to be about our Father's work. We most certainly are. The good servant will be about his master's work, as Jesus says at the end of Matthew 24 and on into Matthew 25. We are to be about doing missions, making disciples all around the world, and by the way, this includes each one of us here today. To those watching or listening, we are to be disciple-makers. This is a command for each one of us as Christians.

But again, the interesting thing is nowhere in the scriptures does it say that the return of Jesus is predicated upon what we do as the church of Jesus Christ. Very important to remember. Even again, looking at what it says here in Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached." It doesn't say you will preach. It says will be preached in all the earth as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. This is basically a statement of fact. Jesus is telling us what will happen.

This does not mean that the church must do this for the return of Jesus. Thus, it does not also preclude an angel of the Lord from doing it either, because that is what we see right here in the book of Revelation. An angel will be doing this. Now, I have to say this because sometimes our flesh has a tendency of doing something when we hear things like this. "An angel is going to be doing it anyway, so I don't need to go and share the gospel. The angel's going to do it. He'll probably do it a lot better than I ever could."

Look, we have been given the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Haven't you read the Bible where it says that angels look on in wonder? Honestly, it is like the angels are up there saying, "How can the Lord use a guy like Bill? Look at this guy! There's no way." I'm sure that when we look in the mirror, we say the same thing. "How can the Lord use me?" That is the best place to be. Then we just go walk forth in loving obedience.

I'm just going to go plant some seeds. I'm going to go and do my best. I'm going to tell people what God has said in his word. I'm excited about that. I'm going to share the gospel because I've been saved by the gospel, and I'm excited about it. We don't share the gospel because we want to hurry his return, although that's a good motivation too, but we share the gospel because we've been commanded to by our Lord.

Look at the end of the gospel of Luke. Look at the end of the gospel of Matthew. We are commanded there to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, make disciples of all men and all women around the world. We are to share the gospel because we love God, because we've been saved to the uttermost. His Holy Spirit is abiding in us, and his Spirit within us longs to share the gospel and longs to reach the lost for Jesus Christ.

Now, notice back in our text. This angel will go around the whole earth, speaking to every nation, every tribe, in every language, and to all the people who dwell on the earth. Think about this picture. All the people who are alive during this 70th week of Daniel, this seven-year tribulation, they will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ from an angel. They may have heard it many other times as well.

Look at verse seven in our text. It says, "saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.'" Remember what time this is in the tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel. Think about this. The two witnesses who witnessed for three and a half years have been killed, and the world rejoiced over them being killed. They sent back and forth presents. They were mailing them to each other. "Woo-hoo!"

Then the 144,000 are rejected by the world. Believers are being martyred all around the world. We are told back in chapter 13 that the world is now—most of the world—is worshiping Satan and the beast, the antichrist, and the beast. We are told also where the world cries out, "Who can make war with the beast?" as they thumb their nose at God. Lastly, we've been told several times already in the book of Revelation that during this time, God has been looking for people to repent, although it says they would not repent.

If you want to see the long-suffering of God, if you want to see the grace of God and the love of God, look at the text that we have before us here. Here is a world that has rejected Jesus Christ. Here is a world that is under the judgment of the 70th week of Daniel, the seven-year tribulation, and right before the most gnarly judgments are to come, the bowl judgments, God is once more giving the earth a chance for everyone to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How loving is this to try to save as many as he can? This is a radical thing. Two quick points on this. Notice the church is no longer here to preach the gospel. He doesn't say, "Go out and preach the gospel." The church is gone. We've been raptured three and a half years earlier. We're not here for this. God now has to send an angel to do this. For the first time in history, an angel is appointed to preach the gospel to the people of the world.

They are given this great honor. Again, remember, it's not a "got to" share the gospel, it's a "get to." I get to share the gospel. I've been so gloriously saved. I find it interesting as this angel is going around the world, and it says in verse six that he's preaching the everlasting gospel. Then we're told what he's preaching. Check this out again in verse seven. "With a loud voice, 'Fear God, give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and springs of water.'"

How many people hear this from pulpits today? How many crusades do we hear saying, "Fear God, give glory to him, worship him"? It's usually, "Oh, God loves you. Come to him. God's waiting for you here." That's not what he's preaching, but this is the everlasting gospel. My question this morning, as we kind of go deeper this morning, is: what is the gospel?

What is the gospel? If I came up to any of you this morning and I asked you point-blank, "What is the gospel?" what would you tell me this morning? What is the gospel? Well, let's take a look at that this morning. The word "gospel" is found 100 times in the New Testament. It is used most of the time in the book of Romans and only once here in the entire book of Revelation, and that's within our text this morning.

The word "gospel" comes from the Greek *euangelion*. Basically, it is a combination of two Greek words: *eu* and *aggello*. It is *euangelion*. Basically, it means to proclaim or to tell good news. It is not just good news, it's a good message. It's gospel. It's good tidings, but it's also speaking it forth. It is the speaking forth of good news. Zodhiates says, "Generally, the plan of salvation, its doctrines, declarations, precepts, and promises."

Generally speaking, the gospel includes the entire word of God. All 66 books are the gospel. All the whole Bible is the gospel. In the New Testament, the gospel is tied with several different words. It's called the gospel of the kingdom of God, the gospel of Jesus, the gospel of grace, the gospel of peace, the gospel of Christ, and the gospel of your salvation.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, so we don't find the word "gospel" in the Old Testament, but its first time was used in Matthew chapter 24, verse 23. It says this, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people." Then in Mark chapter one, Mark says this about his gospel: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Remember, we call the first four books of the gospel the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, because the whole book is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark chapter one, verse 14, we read this: "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.'"

We see the simplicity of the gospel, but we also see it is very deep. To be a little more specific, turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Paul basically kind of says what the gospel is again in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses one through four. "Now, I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain."

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures." This is what the gospel is. You tie it back to what Jesus said in Mark's gospel: repent and believe the gospel. As Paul is expanding upon this, and as we go further into what's been called the Romans Road—most of you have heard of the Romans Road—it's a great way to share the gospel.

Let me just read through these scriptures as they come up on the screen, but you can write these down if you'd like. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 6:23, "But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 10:9, "Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:13, "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Amen? Amen! That's the gospel, simply put. That's the concise Bible, if you will.

But again, as we go further and further out and look at the gospel from a little further out, we see again that all 66 books that we call the Bible in fact explain the gospel further and further the more in-depth you go. Whether it be from the fall of mankind into sin at the beginning of the book of Genesis all the way to the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the book of Revelation.

We see in Genesis even the promised Messiah even at the fall, that he would come to redeem us. It is interesting as you go and find the gospel in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, the gospel is to be found. The Messiah would come through the chosen people of Israel as God chose the people of Israel. Remember, God didn't choose the people of Israel because they were the best people of all the earth. No, God chose them to show his specialness, his greatness.

They are still his chosen people. God's not done with that nation yet. But we need to understand it's not because of who they are, it's because of who God is. So even the same is for us being in Christ Jesus, but we see that he promised in the Old Testament the coming of the Messiah through the nation of Israel.

Then as we go on into the gospels, Jesus came and we read that he died for our sins, and yet he rose from the dead on the third day. Then into the book of Acts, as the born-again believers start to spread the gospel. Then on into the letters, we see the gospel being more clearly and clearly declared and detailed there. It's a beautiful thing.

As it goes in-depth of the gospel, we're even told how we're saved in the book of Ephesians chapter two, verses eight and nine: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." That's the gospel, simply put, straightforwardly put. But we also need to understand, and I want to talk about this for a few minutes, the Bible also clearly tells us that there will be many false gospels that come, and honestly more so in the last days.

There are many false gospels that have been throughout church history. Turn with me real quick in your Bibles, please, to Galatians chapter one, as Paul is warning the church there in Galatia, but he also warns us today of a false gospel. I love how he writes this here. He is just kind of almost confounded that they would turn away from the real gospel.

Galatians chapter one, verses six through nine: "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed."

Say it out loud with me: let him be accursed. "As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches to you any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Do you hear that today from most pulpits? "Dude, somebody brings you a false gospel, let them be accursed." It's like, "Oh, Pastor, that's pretty harsh."

Yes, why? Because false gospels lead people to hell. False gospels tear people's faith apart, and there are many false gospels even today being embraced by many within the church. Now I'm going to probably step on some toes here. I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'm not trying to do this meanly either. I'm not going to be like, "Okay, there's your toe, I'm going to do it on purpose."

But I am going to try to correct because there's a lot of false stuff out there, and maybe I'm going to hit on some of your favorite people. Then that's too bad. Look, there's what's called the "health and wealth" gospel. That's a false gospel. Today they call it "manifesting" today. There's a huge church here in the Vancouver area, and they're into manifesting. It used to be called "word faith."

So whatever you speak, it manifests out, and if you say "Mercedes-Benz" enough, "Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz," it'll suddenly appear out. You speak it into existence. These are guys that used to be like Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey. Today it's guys like Bill Johnson, Joel Osteen, and others. You'll always be healthy, you'll always be wealthy if you're really walking with the Lord Jesus. Well, somebody might want to talk to Jesus about that as he was crucified on the cross.

Some call it the "blab it and grab it," speak it and it will come, "name it and claim it." Basically, this is a false gospel that puts more faith in their words than in the word of God. There's also another false gospel out there, the gospel of false signs and wonders. It's kind of tied in with what we just saw, but it's also tied in with false worship. Those who go to church simply for fun or for a spiritual high, or just because that's where all my friends are, because they're carried away by their feelings. "Oh, that worship just woo! It's just every time." They're also looking for these signs and wonders, and they go from church to church, movement to movement.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today, we brought you a message from Pastor Bill's series in Revelation. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. If you'd like to share today's message with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen, and you can actually download an audio MP3.

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