I invite you to turn with me tonight to Revelation 19. Revelation 19 as we read and consider together the first ten verses. This portion really closes a section beginning with chapter 17, verse 1, as I'll give a little bit more explanation to in a bit. And in many ways, verse 10 as well introduces what is to come. Revelation 19, beginning at verse 1, hear now the Word of God. After this, I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting, Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His servants. And again they shouted, Alleluia! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who was seated on the throne. And they cried, Amen! Alleluia! Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great. Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, and like loud peals of thunder shouting, Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. And he added, These are the true words of God. At this I fell at His feet to worship Him. But He said to me, Do not do it. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus, worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And really, verse 10 is the verse that I would bring your attention to with regard to this entire section. At this, I fell at His feet to worship Him, but He said to me, Do not do it. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Again tonight, we pray that God will add His blessing to the reading and the consideration of His Word. Well, beloved, in Christ the Lord, over the past couple of weeks, Vista Avenue and Ash Street has been busy. Not just with the normal school traffic or residential traffic, but there's been much traffic with many cars as those who live around here know and even a number of tour buses and many of them from out of state for one purpose, to see the Jade Buddha that was advertised would be coming and would be here for a time. Some of us here went to see it. I went to see it out of a bit of curiosity. One of the members of this congregation said to me that as they stood there, there was kind of a patio up there area with all kinds of idol statues surrounding it. And they said that while they stood there among all those idol figures, they felt a little bit like Paul when he was in Athens surrounded by all the altars to the different gods. If you happen to be one who went to see it, I don't know about you, but as we were there and I was there for just really a very few minutes, I got a very sad and disturbing and uneasy feeling with the incense and with the food and the money offerings and especially with the physical acts of bowing and worship, the reverence that was being offered to the variety of stone images that were up there. And we walked up there and on the way home, it made me remember what the angel said to the Apostle John in this text And also, again, in chapter 22, verse 9, where John makes the very same mistake and the angel with the exact same words says, Do not do it. Do not bow before Me. Worship God. And of course, in the context, we know exactly who the angel is talking about when he says worship God. He is talking about the one true God whose majesty and glory John saw in all of its fullness as well as the glorious picture of the best that is yet to come for the bride of Jesus Christ. And of course, we don't really know why John bowed before the angels. Certainly, this beloved disciple knew better, didn't he? Of course, there are all kinds of speculations, all kinds of ideas that are thrown around as to why he might have done so. Well, maybe, very simply, he was overcome by the awesomeness of the truth that he was given to see. And this is the truth that you and I must see. A truth that is recorded for us as well. Whatever reason it might have been that caused him to bow, there was no excuse for it, yet the fact that it happens twice. We also need to be reminded that John, the beloved disciple, is a picture of how quickly and how easily and how prone we are to remove our focus from the One who alone deserves our focus, where it must be. Now, the book of Revelation includes seven cycles of judgment revealed to John. Seven cycles of judgment which all picture in different ways the two same things. The final judgment of God upon the kingdom of darkness and the final salvation of the church of Jesus Christ. This text finishes that fifth cycle. That fifth cycle recorded in chapter 17, verse 1 through chapter 19, verse 10. And it's interesting, we need to understand the perspective from which John sees this. It's the perspective of time that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 15, beginning at verse 24, when he says, Then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for he has put everything under his feet. The perspective that it's coming from that John sees, what he sees is the multitude, he sees the church. The separation has taken place. The enemies have been put away. And now there is this multitude, the church of Jesus Christ, the redeemed, the elect of God, and they are singing. Now this is hard for us to imagine because of course we still live in this world surrounded by sin and wickedness, But as much as we are able to, we need to put our minds into that perspective and understand what it is the multitude on that day is singing about. What it is that is revealed to John. As in chapter 19, 1 verse 8, John is given a glimpse of the response of the company of the saved in heaven to the final judgment of the wicked and the final complete salvation of the church of Jesus Christ, which John sees. And it's in the context of this that John bows down and the angel quickly corrects John's misdirected worship and commands him to worship God. Worship God! You see, man was made to live in fellowship with God and to live in the worship of God. It's a part of His created nature. And in sin, you see, man is still wired to worship someone or something. As the song said, you've got to serve somebody. And it's clear to us, I trust, that as we look around in this world, as we know our Bible history and the history of mankind, it's clear to us that there are many false gods that have been worshipped and continue to be worshipped. Even gods not in the form of statues, but gods in people's hearts. but it is to be the worship of the one true God who is sovereign in the first place. Now again, no matter why John may have bowed, who knows, maybe simply he knew that the angel lived in God's glorious presence and therefore maybe somehow the angel deserved a little bit of reverence or could transmit that onto God. We don't know, but whatever the reason was, the angel makes it clear that like John, he was a creature. And with John, he too was to worship the only proper object of worship who is the one true God who is sovereign. And that sovereignty is confessed and expressed by His people. That's what the multitude is doing here. In a way that you and I cannot even hardly begin to comprehend. Again, John sees what will be going on in heaven on that day. No matter what you and I might think will take place on that day, no matter who you and I might think we may know and how we may know them, we do know that from here that our ultimate focus will be on the Lord God Almighty, as verse 6 says. As another translation says, the Lord God omnipotent, all-powerful. And we do know that nothing will distract us from Him. And that God's people will praise Him with their hallelujahs. They will confess and express His sovereignty in song. Now, if you know Revelation fairly well, you know that there are a number of songs that are recorded for us, heavenly songs recorded for us throughout the book of Revelation. And if you take time to read them, you will notice that in those songs, there is nothing of man. I mean, there is no focus on man. There is nothing. There is no focus on creatures. But it is all of God. It is all of His glory. It is all of His work. And His sovereignty here is declared with the phrase in the beginning of chapter 19, salvation and glory and power belong to our God. Now, we know those things too, don't we? We attribute those things to our God. But remember, this is coming from the perspective of God's people in glory on that day when all His enemies will have been put under His feet. And therefore, they sing of the salvation and the glory and the power of God and acknowledge that in its most comprehensive sense. Salvation in its fullest extent, which includes the complete destruction of His enemies. Remember, our salvation includes that, doesn't it? On the cross, Jesus conquered sin and Satan and death by His resurrection, conquering the grave. Salvation in its full extent, which also includes the restoration and the glorification of God's elect people and His creation. But also glory, God's glory in its fullest extent. The splendor and the brilliance of His very being of whom He said in the Old Testament, no one can see Me and live. And the splendor and the brilliance of His wonders and the works that He has revealed. But not only His salvation and His glory in its fullest extent, but also His power in its fullest extent. His omnipotence, His mighty strength against which absolutely no enemy can stand. How that will be revealed on that day with the putting away of the wicked and that omnipotence which is all for His people, for the benefit of His people. Beloved, that is what the church will sing of on that day as God's people will behold His sovereignty in all of its truth. And that is what we sing of today by faith. Even though we see through a glass dimly, yet we sing because God's sovereignty has been demonstrated. It has been made known by Him. Throughout His history with His people, God revealed His power through His awesome wonders and miracles. And as Paul says in Romans 1, God's eternal power and His divine nature is visible in His creation, which you and I see by faith. That faith which is ours because of His greatest revelation of Himself through His Son, through whom He revealed His salvation and glory and power on the cross. Again, we only see it in part today, yet we see it by faith. And yet, that is what the great multitude sees perfectly on that day. That is what was revealed to John. Yet throughout history, God's sovereignty has also been spurned by the followers of darkness, rejected by the wicked. Again, and this is difficult looking at it from the perspective of that day, but that is also what is made clear to John. That is what the people sing about. In Revelation chapter 18, you read about the fall of Babylon. And Babylon there represents the kingdom of darkness with its godlessness because they do not have this sovereign God. with its evil and sin, with all of the work of Satan, including apostasy from the living God and faith in the lie of Satan. All of that is a part of Babylon. Babylon which rejects God. Babylon represents the fullness of rebellion and transgression against God. It represents the fullness of sin and iniquity and the love of darkness and the hatred for light. The wicked who have turned to other gods. And the evidence of this is that, which will again be made clear on that day, which we know in part today, the evidence is that Babylon trampled God's name. Babylon despised His righteousness and glory. Babylon mocked and crucified the Lord of glory and defiled His name and denied the truth of God and forbid His worship. And Babylon is indeed dangerous because it's powerful. claims salvation and glory and power and exercises a certain power on the earth in these days. And on that day again, it will be revealed in all of its clearness and clarity and fullness that many earthly rulers of Babylon prostituted themselves with the lie of Satan and that the spirit of Antichrist enjoyed much earthly success and wealth and because of that persecuted the church. Rising up against the true God through the persecution of His people, tormenting Christians, depriving them of their earthly needs like jobs and food. And that really is a part of that great tribulation yet to come. We sense it in part today. But we know that it's going to get so much worse for the church of Jesus Christ. It's a part of that tribulation yet to come that will make the church on earth look defenseless and helpless. Babylon, which is guilty because it caused the bloodshed of believers. You see, that's what's also made very clear and vivid is the wickedness of the wicked. And therefore, it is a wonder that John sees and hears this multitude praising the name of God. Or is it a wonder? God's sovereignty again is seen in that He is the one in the second place who judges righteously. Remember, John has given that revelation and we through him of what will take place. A revelation of the end of all wickedness and the beginning of that endless life of perfection and glory for the church of the best that is yet to come. So indeed, what a reason to worship God. What a reason for the multitude to sing of God's sovereignty because of the eternal outcome. In verses 2 and 3 of chapter 19, the multitude sings of God's sovereignty exercise over Babylon. And in verses 7 and 8, the multitude sings of God's sovereignty exercise on behalf of the church. Beloved, what we learn from here very clearly is that the last event of judgment is definitive. It is unchangeable. It is eternally set. And it includes the eternal danger of those who reject God, of those who reject His only Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe that's the reason that my heart was bothered. That's why I hurt coming away from the Jade Buddha. Because of the number of people who were there who were expressing reverence to the idols there. And to think about it, they were but a small, tiny part of those who exist today and even a smaller, tinier part of those throughout history who have rejected the one true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And who are completely ignorant and blind to the fact of the path that they are on, like those sewer rats we talked about last week. They do not understand what is coming upon them because Babylon is fallen. That's what John sees on that day. That's what the multitude sings about. Alleluia, verse 1, Alleluia, salvation and glory and power belong to our God for true and just are His judgments. And then he points out what those judgments are. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He avenged on her the blood of His servants. And again they shouted, Alleluia! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. Those are words that are sung. The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. Babylon is fallen because of her wickedness and her rejection of God because of her torment and abuse of God's people. She is fallen justly. In the justice of God, she gets what she deserves, what she earned, what she has coming to her. The sovereignty of God's Word and holiness and righteousness is seen in the punishment of Satan and his hosts and is seen in the putting away of all evil and all wickedness from His sight and from His people because the unholy cannot and never could and will not stand or survive in God's holy presence. We know that's true because of the cross of Jesus. If it were not for the cross of Jesus, you and I would have no hope, no chance, because we could not stand in His presence. But Jesus Christ took all of our unholiness upon Himself. He paid for it. And we are clothed in His holiness and righteousness. Babylon has fallen and her destruction is thorough, complete. Again, from that perspective, remember, we can say from our perspective, it will be, from that perspective, it is thorough, it is complete, with nothing left to hinder or bother the church of Jesus Christ ever again. And that smoke rising up is proof of that. We all know that after something burns, after it burns up completely, only the smoke is left, and those ashes, those ashes absolutely can never be put back together. we are being taught here about the eternal suffering and the eternal desolation of Babylon and all those who are a part of her. Satan's head has been crushed at the cross. His utter defeat will be revealed on that last day with a multitude rejoicing with a fourfold alleluia because of the destruction of all wickedness. Not because the church is happy and thrilled about the many who are lost. That's not why the church rejoices. But she rejoices because God is glorified. God is justified in the destruction of Babylon. But at the very same time, that last event includes the eternal delight of those who received Jesus Christ by faith. We read about a marriage, a wedding. Bride and a bridegroom. A wedding feast. Really, is there anything more delightful than that? Isn't that the best day, in a sense, we say, of our lives? You see, God's destruction of Babylon avenges Himself because of Babylon's hatred for and rejection of God. And it avenges the church for the persecution and the abuse that she suffered at the hand of the wicked. And the church will stand by God and His work for her through Jesus Christ will stand before all eyes as those who called on the one true God, the only Savior, Jesus Christ, by faith. And she will enjoy marriage with the Lord. That's what the multitude sings of also. Verse 6, Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, and like loud peals of thunder shouting, Alleluia, for our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the wedding of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel said to me, Write, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. And he added, these are the true words of God. Dear people of God, the love of Christ for His bride was demonstrated in His work of atonement on the cross and that work will be experienced in its full extent when that marriage takes place in glory. In its full extent as that marriage points to that perfect fellowship and union and life and love of and love with God which will be never-ending. And that marriage supper, that feast points to that fellowship and enjoyment and sufficiency which will be ours in Christ Jesus that you and I cannot even begin to fathom right now. All of this is what John sees as what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ and it will happen. This is the way it will be. The destruction, the putting away forever of Babylon, of wickedness, and the salvation, the glorification of the church of Jesus Christ forever and ever. And this today, even as we still live in the midst of a world of sin and shame, this is to give us comfort as those who are in Christ Jesus. Comfort no matter what may come upon us in this life. Because this is the truth. And it's no wonder then, isn't it, that John was compelled to worship? Yet he was given the worship lesson, wasn't he? He was rebuked for his misdirected, his false worship, and he was commanded toward the true object of worship because we need to understand and remember the deadly danger of false gods. They have no salvation, no power, no glory to offer. They are only empty and meaningless. And the only thing that they can provide for us, as it were, is eternal destruction. That is what those find who look to false gods. And we remember what the Lord says in Isaiah 42, verse 8, that He will not share His glory or His worship with false idols, with false gods. He will not even, as we see here, share His worship with His most faithful creatures. False gods, idols, are nothing. But He is everything. This is the truth revealed to John. And it will be made clear on that day that our God is jealous for His glory. He is jealous for His people with a righteous jealousy and earnest desire for what belongs to Him. His people belong to Him. He will not share them. Praise God. His glory and honor and His worship, it belongs to Him. He will not share it. And this worship of God is commanded. It's not an option. So many today make it to be an option or to say, well, it doesn't matter who or what or how you believe, just believe in something. No, not at all. Because it is a blessed privilege to worship God as we see by faith and believe what Jesus Christ has done and trust that it's true for me too. Now beloved, many still replace God today with actual idols or images or violate the first commandment by putting their trust or their confidence in something else. In themselves. In their own power. in their own talents or abilities or in money or in hopes or dreams or plans of their own making or in governments or in something else. And especially we find that to be true in this economic time, this economic hardship. When money is tight, even God's people tend to become worried and anxious and try to figure out, well, how can I do it? How can I make it work? There's nothing wrong with being stewardly and exercising the wisdom that God has given us. But in so many ways, it draws our trust away from Him thinking that His arm has been shortened in some way because of our economy. Indeed, we don't worship the Jade Buddha. That's foolish. That's silly, right? But we need to ask ourselves, what else might you and I put our trust in instead of God? Nobody else may know it. but you do, and I do. You see, maybe the biggest danger for us is compartmentalizing God. He gets our attention on Sunday for an hour or two. We get our weekly fix of Him then, but the rest of the week, we're on our own. We don't even think about Him a whole lot. Or maybe our danger is some sort of self-willed worship, coming to worship with God's people with an attitude of, what's in it for me? Or does it fit my preference? Because we know there is much worship out there that is designed to be consumer or people or me-driven worship. And you know, I say to you that consumer-driven worship is okay as long as we understand the true consumer. And that is God Himself. Our worship is to be with a sincere heart, coming humbly to give to God in response to what He has given to us in Jesus Christ, that which He has given to be completed in glory. And as God's people by His Spirit come in that spirit of humility to give to Him our praise for who He is and what He has done, we will never be disappointed. Because He always gives to you and me thousands, million times more than we can ever give to Him. John was given this glorious revelation of the final, the complete salvation of the church. it has been recorded for us as if we were there with John and we were there from that perspective and we have seen it. We have seen the truth. It's for us today too. And today too, we are commanded to worship God alone. How could we not want to? Singing of Him that salvation and glory and power in its full extent belongs to our God. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who loved us. We are more than conquerors with a glorious future. Christ's victory in all of its glory and what He has accomplished will be clearly revealed and experienced on that day. Not today yet, we can't quite fathom that, can we? But yet we know that the best is yet to come. Why did God make Himself and His salvation known to us? And why is His salvation ours by faith? We don't know when we look at ourselves, do we? We can't even begin to fathom that. Of course, we know it's only because of His good pleasure, and that's good enough. But the question is, what are we going to do with it? There are so many who are dying out there. There are so many who, apart from Jesus Christ, will end up as fallen Babylon. The angel says at the end, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. even though John saw it from the perspective of that day, that day is not yet here, which means the day of salvation is still here. And the message of Jesus Christ is that message that you and I are called to take to our neighbors and co-workers, that message we are called to support with those who bring it in foreign lands. The message of the only hope to be rescued from Babylon, who will be fallen and have the joy of salvation in Christ Jesus. Beloved, may we dedicate ourselves however possible. May we dedicate ourselves to being used of God to declare Jesus Christ that only message of hope because God who loves us with an everlasting love will take us to Himself in glory and all pretenders to His throne and those who worship them will be put away and locked up forever never to exercise influence against Jesus Christ and His Bride again. But our worship, it will resound without end to the one and only God singing as we read in chapter 15, Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. You see, beloved, by His Son all of His enemies will be put away to suffer forever. And through His Son, all of His believers will live with Him in the eternal glory and perfection and holiness of His presence. That is the certainty and the hope of those who worship God and worship Him alone. Amen. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that by Your Holy Spirit, more and more we would have eyes and a heart only for You. There are so many things in this life which seek to grab our attention and things that we give our attention to and even put our trust in, even if only for a season. And we praise You, Father, that in those times You quickly remind us that those things are fleeting, that they will not last. They provide no hope. That our hope and confidence is in You alone. And Father, keep our eyes focused upon You. Help us to worship only You. Be pleased, we pray, with the worship that we bring. Accept it from our hearts and from our lips to the praise of Your glorious grace. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.