And Now You Know The Rest Of The Story

I invite you to turn to the last book of the Bible this morning, the book of Revelation, as we continue our study in this book. And we come to chapter 14 this morning. Some of you saw the sermon title there, and now you know the rest of the story. You young people have no idea what that means, but if you do know what that means, it means you're really old. I don't know what that says about me, because I know what it means, but it's a Paul Harvey line that he gave at the end of his radio addresses all the time, And now you know the end of the story. And I felt like as we were going through Revelation to conclude this section today of 12 through 14, that's exactly what this particular chapter is saying to us. We studied last time the thick of what we're in, how scary that is, how hard it is. But Revelation 14 is answering that by saying this is the end of the story. Now you know it. And what a blessing it is to come to a section of the Bible like that that helps us in this way. So let's read the entirety of Revelation chapter 14. Then I looked and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of a loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they're blameless. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, and language, and people. And he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of water. Another angel, a second, followed saying fallen fallen is babylon the great she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality and another angel a third followed them saying with a loud voice if anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand he also will drink the wine of god's wrath poured out full strength into the cup of his anger and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night these worshipers of the beast in its image and whoever receives the mark of its name here is a call for the endurance of the saints those who keep the commandments of god and their faith in jesus and i heard a voice from heaven saying write this blessed are the dead who die in the lord from now on blessed indeed says the spirit that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them then i looked and behold a white cloud and seated on the cloud one like a son of man with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand and another angel came out of the temple calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud put in your sickle and reap for the hour to reap has come for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe so he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth and the earth was reaped then another angel came out of the temple in heaven and he too had a sharp sickle and another angel came out from the altar and the angel who has the authority over the fire and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth for its grapes are ripe so the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great wine presses of the wrath of god and the wine press was trodden outside the city and the blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse's bridle for 1600 stadia and there ends the reading of the lord of the word of the Well, going through this fourth cycle in Revelation, we're continuing this today, and it has been the intention here in chapters 12 and 13, if you've heard these messages and considered what's being said, it's been the intention of Revelation, as John received these visions, to unmask Satan's war against us. That's this particular section, this cosmic battle that's going on and to unmask his actors in this. The deception, the counterfeit activity that is going on in the earth, which all has the goal of destroying God's people. That's the ultimate goal that Revelation chapter 12 and 13 has made clear to us. Whatever's happening in the earth, Satan has a direct objective and goal to go after the woman's offspring. He's getting everything in his ducks in a row to do that, to aim that attack at God's people. And it's used some of the most troubling symbols, distressing symbols, to capture this conflict so that we take it seriously and understand it. Satan is a master counterfeiter, a real master counterfeiter. He has been successful in counterfeiting the gospel message in the earth. And he has been successful in counterfeiting the triune god as we looked at last time in chapter 13 chapter 13 captured that with graphic symbols that revelation 13 exposed saying that the world which we will see today and using the language of babylon another helpful way to understand the world and the state of the world bows to the beast and worships the beast and has taken his mark a 666 a counterfeit system which some of you asked me last but what exactly is that and i believe the answer to say 666 is to say it's not the real thing it's not seven and that's really important for us today it's an entire counterfeit system in opposition to the father the father who sent forth his son bringing in ever everlasting kingdom who with all power and authority the holy spirit's work is now given to convict the world of sin of righteousness and judgment and to bear witness to the son of god so that people would be saved all that's counterfeit i think that was the real takeaway from last time is that you're not in some neutral position if you reject Jesus. You are indeed worshiping a counterfeit trinity. You're involved in it. You're a part of it. People are not neutral. The kingdom of seven or a kingdom of six, maybe that helps. They have either bowed the knee to worship God through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Any other choice is an idolatrous one that is a way of serving the beast. That's how Revelation captures things for us with symbols in very black and white categories so we understand these realities. It's a very black and white book. The beast being the entire antichrist system as we looked at last time of this world that the devil has established. And that's why you understand when the Lord is telling us in the scriptures, I don't want you to love the world or the things in the world he's not just being mean to us what he's doing is saying i don't want you tied to that you belong to me you belong to an entirely different kingdom you're worshiping the true resurrected jesus so when you join with that that's hatred of me you see that's there's there's the contrast again if anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him so the heart has either been this is revelation 13 the heart has either been taken captive one way or the other your loyalties in this life are either to the eternal son of god as you worship him and that's why you're here today right why you're here that that's why when when pastors want you to be in worship this is what they are saying is so important for you to identify with it's not whipping you it's saying you're demonstrating your loyalty to your king what a privilege so you've either joined yourself to the world and anyone who does that makes himself an enemy of god now what's what's scary about all of this what's scary about all this for us is is how much captivity there is in the world to the system what i mean is that those who dwell on the earth was the distinction as opposed to those who dwell in heaven that's that's how you're characterized in the bible seated already in the heavenlies and all authority is given here to this beast you'll notice last time this counterfeit who as as first john says the whole world lies under that sway of the evil one all who dwell on the earth it said last time we'll worship him and then it counterfeited the the holy spirit saying to us all of these false voices that are constantly coming at us false voices false prophets false ideas all of the system leading us to a worship of the beast and taking us away from the worship of the true jesus now i said that's scary because how are we to go forward with us and our children in the midst of this kind of opposition and this kind of threat and this kind of worldwide sweeping phenomenon we don't really have a ghost of a chance if you're looking at it that way if satan's goal is to destroy the people of the lamb that's a scary message in chapter 13 isn't it that's his purpose what are we going to have to face how are we going to make it through this isn't that our question we have a lot of fears don't we we have a lot of fears most of the time our fears if we're honest demonstrate that we're not as confident in the power of God over these things as we should be. And chapter 14 now becomes the answer to these terrible symbols and description of this system of the world becomes an answer to what we've been studying in chapters 12 and 13 and the warfare we're in. And chapter 14 is essentially saying to us, as Revelation has been constantly doing, consider the outcome and remember it's a much scarier thing to fall into the hands of the living god it's a much scarier thing knowing his terror this drove paul in the ministry knowing the terror of the lord we persuade men there has to be a recognition of this or christians will fall into the wrong fears. The light affliction that we face is but for a moment in this life by Satan's attacks is absolutely nothing in comparison to what those who persecute us and stand in opposition to Jesus, what they're going to have to face. That's where chapter 14 is leading us to a conclusion in this section. He is going to punish those who hurt us. And chapter 14 then is showing us the outcome. Chapter 14 is saying, and now you know the rest of the story. You need to keep your eyes there, don't you? You need to remember why we're here, what this is about, where you're headed, where you're going. And that then helps us to open up chapter 14. And I think a helpful breakdown is simply to notice there that there are three times john says then i looked then i looked then i looked uh you'll notice at 14 verse 1 then i looked 14 verse 6 it's the same thing then i saw then i looked and then finally uh verse 14 then i looked and that i think provides us some way to break this down where the first is a look at glory and the second is a look at the voice everyone should be listening to, the voice. And the third one there is a look at the one who is to be feared above all. And you'll see how that is all countering the false trinity, false gospel, counterfeit system of the devil in chapter 13. So let's start there with the first and I looked, and it captures for us a beautiful picture of glory. Notice that there, heaven, in verse 1 of chapter 14. Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters, like the sound of a loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. Here we are now, all of a sudden, taken back up to heaven. It's similar to the effect of chapter five when John was told, come up here, I've got something to show you. And now we've gone from the earth back up to heaven, And here, again, by the end of 14, we'll be back down on the earth. But he's taking us back up for a moment. We're up now on Mount Zion. And Revelation is here in typical fashion, is right after describing the most terrifying foes, the most terrifying beasts, the whole world in opposition to us and to the Lamb, to the Lord and his anointed. All the hardship, all the deception, all the war, all the most ugly things that we fear in this life, the most terrifying description you could find in the Bible is chapter 13 of Revelation of Satan's demonic activity in the earth. After all that, what's the first thing you get in chapter 14? Let's go back up to glory for a minute. That is really, really a beautiful section now to encourage us, isn't it? In other words, you get one of the rare occurrences in the Bible where you start getting a description of heaven. What we're doing there. You've all wanted to know about it. You've all wanted to understand it. And it's in the midst of this conflict that you get, in symbols, a picture of it. What the experience is like. Pretty motivating. That's the intention, isn't it? You understand the effect of it. The effect of it is, it's as if heaven laughs at all this. This is Psalm 2. He who is in heaven shall laugh at all this. After all this, let me show you my saints. Let me show you the end of the story. Let me show you the victor. Let me show you the final glorified state in heaven. Just for a minute. You need that. I know you need it. I need it. The effect, of course, is for us to ask the question, did all the monstrous system of this world, did all that we faced in this life, did all the beasts, all the evil, all the hard things that we've had to undergo and face in this world by our enemies, did it at all frustrate the purpose of Jesus? At all? Were there any casualties? I mean, come on, you ever heard of a war and there's no casualties? Were there any? Think of that question for a minute. Was there just one? Tonight we'll consider, and maybe you think, well, maybe Judas. We'll look at that. That's Acts 1 tonight. He was not. Revelation 14 says there was not one. There was not one casualty. There was not one lost. And I find that absolutely remarkable. After all of this, that we now, after all this exposure of satan's beasts the lord says look up for a minute look up again for a minute that's revelations effect look up i want to show you something here's what i saw i looked up in glory and there in the heavenly jerusalem on mount zion what's the lamb standing now now that's enough direct opposition to remember what happened where did the dragon go and stand on the earth by the sea calling out his monsters and now we look up and there is the lamb on mount zion standing there and guess who's with them 144 000 having his father's name written on their foreheads we already addressed this in chapter 7 um we're not we don't read this like the jehovah's witnesses that there's literally only 144 000 in heaven that's that's crazy it's already told us it's a man number no man can number this is a multiple 12 it's the fullness of the people of god every last one no man could number they're all there you're there all of you who believed in the lord jesus christ are there this is what he's looking at marked by god notice that we've revelation's been about the counterfeit system 666 that's a mark and then god's number seven fullness his mark perfection god has his name on their foreheads in contrast to those who are marked by the beast the lamb has his now i think the effect of this is to say do you think all that i've been showing you and everything that you're going through and how you're seeing everything turn in a culture or how the world rises up at moments in antichrist activity and something fierce it ebbs and flows and when it goes in something fierce do you think after all that when it even climaxed in its worst form ever do you think that ever ever ever frustrated at all the work of the lamb do you it's almost jesus's provocation to satan this section you can't touch my people you tried you gave everything you could, but look at them here. Absolute assurance. Satan, you who went to make war against the offspring of the woman, you think you're taking from my hand? You think you're plucking from my hand? Really? None of them, I said, will be lost. My father gave them to me. I've purchased them. They've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. I'm not losing one. He just gave you a vision of the saints in glory, and you're there. This is a vision of the future. every last one who believes and bows to him will forever be with him he's going to stand by you he'll never lose you he'll never lose you there is no better place to prove the reform doctrine or the perseverance of the saints than right here what a beautiful section isn't it every last one and i think this is this is where revelation is so wonderful and helpful to us and it's sad it's been so abused think of the things we suffer in this life being in the middle earth of warfare right now what would be the worst thing you could ever think that would happen to you that's not sitting in a hot building right now i'm apologizing i am really sweating i and i realized i didn't really iron my shirt this morning but i just can't take it what's the worst thing that could happen to you in this life as a follower of jesus you could be put to death for your faith right chapter 14 is answering that struggle you're having with fear i'm convinced that what is particularly uh behind this is the book of daniel that i referenced last week particularly chapter 3 as um god's people were in babylon remember what was captured there when uh shadrach meshach and abednego were were put on trial two loyalties were captured right then and right there and there was this idolatrous image idolatrous image of a beast set up and it was all about loyalty of heart in that section and remember what happened we kind of rehearsed a little bit of it but i want to give you the conclusion because i think i believe revelation 14 is working from this that when king nebuchadnezzar made the image of gold he set it up in the plain of dura in the province of babylon he gathered all of babylon together and commanded everyone to worship the image so so daniel 3 is giving you the worst possible scenario that could happen in the kingdom of men to you worst possible whoever would not bow down to the image would be cast into the burning furnace of fire isn't that about the scariest thing i don't know that there's too many things i'd want to have to go and then he heats it up seven times so much so that the men who got near it were incinerated if i were told i'm no longer able to worship jesus if i were told that i'm not able to gather and if i do i will be executed by the way you think that could ever happen you'd have never said that 20 30 years ago now you're like yeah it's possible possible this scenario here remember what happened shadnach meshach in the bed and go said you know we don't even have to answer you we're not doing it we're not doing it he was furious i'm going to give you one more chance I'm going to play the horn when the music begins. Powerful. Horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, every kind of music. You better fall down and worship the image that I've made well and good, but if you do not, you're immediately going into the burning, fiery furnace. Don't even need to wait and see. We're not doing it. Remember what happened? They hurl him in there. Nebuchadnezzar walks near the fire and he looks in And he says to his people, look, didn't we throw in three into the fire? But I see four men, unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they're not hurt. And the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God. And that's how it should be read. I'm going to say sons of God. It's the Son of God. He was there. who was with them jesus there's the lamb with his sheep in the worst possible scenario of life and notice that's very titles being used in this section the effect of chapter 14 is to say that even in their martyrdom look at their deliverance look at who is with them and look he's standing he's triumphant and the the imagery of heaven then is this you're the ones happy you're already happy he's already given you joy now but you're the ones that have happiness reserved for you you're the ones that have joy in heaven reserved for you you're going to get to sing of the new song it's the song of the lamb the song of deliverance you're the ones that are going to be singing before the angels they don't they won't even have the privilege to sing this song it's your song you're the ones redeemed you're his people the fact is to say your greatest singing is coming don't expect it on earth by the way your greatest singing's coming that's held out for you it's reserved for you it's for you imagine doing that with all the heavenly choir all the people god saved a multitude no man can number get a look at it that's this you're going to be singing like israel after pharaoh was drowned in the sea for the devil at the end goes in the red sea and it's over and you're going to stand and sing the song of the lamb forever deliverance and guess what you're going to be an absolutely pure people in other words there's no more sin you followed the lamb wherever he went and you will follow him in heaven notice how he characterizes you here you have verse five he has promised to take away your sins last phrase they are without fault before the throne you'll never have to fear condemnation you're without fault you're pictured here in complete happiness your sins dealt with and now you're in glory you're in awe of the lamb you're singing you're at peace you're presented faultless before the throne and you're seeing him who was able and had kept you through all of this and you marvel at him forever it's really sad how much we hold on to here isn't it really sad how much we hold on to all this i'm as guilty as the next guy when this is your story and your end as a believer in Jesus. Now, I took time to develop that because the rest of this chapter comes back now to say something to those who dwell on the earth. And it's serious. Chapter 13 was utterly scary. Chapter 14 is much scarier for the world. Who can fight the beast? Remember that question? Who can fight the beast? Who is like the beast and who can fight against it? That was the question in chapter 13. And chapter 14 says, ah, wrong question. wrong question you're fearing the wrong one don't fear him who can kill the body fear him who can kill the body and soul in hell the second part now says to you who dwell on the earth speaking to unbelievers you should listen to a much more different voice in the earth you should understand why he's saying that because last time he said there's a false holy spirit whose voice is like the voice of a dragon leading all these people astray. And Revelation 14 says, don't listen to that voice. Boys and girls, don't listen to that voice. Voices in your head that tell you this, don't listen to that. Here's an entirely different voice. John sees three angels flying through heaven. And they have a distinct message at the last moment of history. What's the message? The first angel is giving a kind of last call. then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to those who dwell on earth to preach to those who dwell on earth to every nation tribe tongue and people saying with a loud voice he is proclaiming with a loud voice and this is the heart of the church's message look at it there and he said with a loud voice verse 7 fear God and give him glory because the hour of His judgment has come and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Think of all the idolatry of saving earth. Worship Him. He's God. This is a powerful voice. And the assessment of Romans 1 was constantly of mankind that there is no fear of God before people's eyes. Isn't that what Nebuchadnezzar realized? You know what Nebuchadnezzar said afterward? He said this. This is what Nebuchadnezzar realized after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered by the Son of God. Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him and set aside the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. For there is no other God who can rescue in this way. Fear him, says the first angel. This is God. Here's his gospel. It's the gospel of his son. You've been having this preached to you how many years now? It's what he's doing right now. You're seeing this fulfilled. And the second angel comes, and what's his message? The second angel comes down and is preaching. Babylon has fallen. Babylon has fallen. That great city because she made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Babylon is presented as those who dwell on the earth, who worship the beast. Their two twin sins of the world are idolatry and sexual immorality. And we know that. This is why the Bible is always saying to us, stay away from it. Stay away from it. You're done with that. That's Babylon. The angel's saying to us, it's over, the city's fallen, the world's fallen, the world is passing away in the lust of it. That's our message. The whole world's coming down. It's going to be by fire and made new. Then a third angel breaks out with the greatest warning in the Bible. It's the final sort of line that's drawn, similar to Moses drawing a line in the sand. you have a choice if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on their forehead or on their hand he's going to drink of the wine of the wrath of god and it's going to be poured out in full strength this is the strongest section on hell in the bible he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and their smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and its image and whoever receives the mark of his name so so you have two choices here that are presented that result in two worship you are either loving the world and your actions are serving the beast characterized by idolatry and sexual immorality given over to that or you've listened to jesus who's proclaiming to you the everlasting gospel that you need a savior william hendrickson says it so well that this third angel here characterizes people on the eve of judgment they are easygoing they are indifferent they are unconcerned they are listless they are careless and he says think of an artist who's out on the rock by the ocean and he's absorbed in a painting and he just keeps looking at the beauty of that painting as he works on it and all of a sudden around him the tide is coming and swirling and it's going to pull him right off the rock. And everyone keeps saying to him, get off the rock! Get off the rock! All he does is keep that eye on that painting. He is so taken by that painting. He loves that painting. He's so absorbed in that painting. and get off the rock! Rolling the eyes constantly. Never listening. Never taking it seriously. And the waves are about to bury them. See? That's the third angel saying. I feel like today that's such a common attitude even in the church. I don't know that we even believe this is going to happen anymore. Would we be so careless if we did? You know, would we? I wasn't totally excited about this second part of the sermon, I'll be honest. This is not what I want to preach. Who wants to preach this today? I got up and I thought, I love the first part. I'm having a hard time with the second part. I'm having a real hard time with it. And what can I say? Don't be like that. An everlasting gospel is being preached to you. Humble yourself. Confess your sins. Is that so awful? He's inviting you to receive everything. Bow the knee to the King of kings and Lord of lords and look at the happiness that awaits you. Look at it. Worship God. The lie of the world, it doesn't bring you happiness. It doesn't. It wrecks you. It destroys you. You tell me you've run in sin. You know what it does to you. It's wrecked your life. We've all tried it. And he stretches out his hands today all day long. Right? That's his voice today. At the last moment of history, you think about all these voices coming at us all day long on the news, the media, all these voices pulling us away, pulling us away, pulling us away. Think of the power of this voice who on every Sunday we gather and hear the gospel preached. That voice has more power than all those other voices. A false Holy Spirit leads us away. The Holy Spirit has the power to save every last one of the sheep, and He will. So you know this. Every Sunday, the voice comes. What am I saying? What's the heart of my message? You know it's the heart of my message. The everlasting gospel is what I'm preaching to you, and I'm telling you to worship the King. Enjoy Him. I'm telling you, don't be duped by Babylon. Don't be duped by this world and its system. It's done. It's over. It's fallen. It's going away. And the third thing I'm saying is if you worship the beast and you decide to accept that and run away in it, wrath awaits. I just think how wonderful the voice is still going out today that is delivering and has delivered millions and millions and millions of people out of this. That's how powerful the gospel preached is. I want to close this morning with this. The end of this is now a section that describes those who have decided to stand with the beast. They have rolled their eyes at the mission of the church. They've not taken it seriously. They've called it everything under the sun, strict, whatever. Not listened. And they've essentially joined, says Revelation 14, those who oppose the Lord and His anointed and His people. And Revelation 14 becomes the final statement of God on how it's going to go. This is 2 Thessalonians 1 that says, You're enduring hardship, dear Christians, but know that it's a righteous thing with God to repay those with tribulation who trouble you. He will give you rest when Jesus comes, but when He is revealed with His angels, He will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of God. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. This final vision here captures that in terms of a great harvest. It's what Jesus described in the parable of the wheat and the tares, when at the end the angels come and they do the separation. Here, a great separation is described where the Son of Man is going to sit on a great judgment throne and notice the language of a sickle, a farming tool for splitting grain. The angel is told to thrust it into the earth and reap for the harvest is ripe and guess who he reaps first you you he's going to gather you he's going to gather you and all the elect from the four corners of the earth are going to be brought into the kingdom and we are going to forever be with the lord amen but then the other angels pictured as thrusting into the earth gather the clusters of vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe, verse 19, so the angel thrust his sickle in the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great wine presses of the wrath of God. As they were pressed down outside the city, blood came out of the wine presses up to a horse's bridle. This is the worst imagery of judgment. Blood flows deep and you see the effect of the message, don't you? It's a judgment to take seriously. He's the one who is in control. No matter what happens to us, the Lamb is on our side in this earth. The light, momentary affliction that we face is nothing compared to the joy and bliss that awaits. I hope that encourages you so much today. But you see why we're here and doing what we're doing in the midst of all this? What we're announcing in an everlasting gospel so that people would be saved. The wicked don't prosper. the wicked don't prosper this is what's in store for those who don't believe and they face the one who they spent their whole life rejecting so i say don't be indifferent or careless but there's something said so wonderful to us in the midst of all this did you notice in the middle of this verse 12 here's the call for the endurance of the saint those who keep the commandments of god and their faith in jesus and i heard a voice from heaven saying write this blessed are the dead who die in the lord from now on blessed indeed says the spirit that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them he just promised that those who die in the lord from now on that's you even if it's martyrdom you know what he just attached to the death his blessing that's remarkable precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints so here's the call to endurance through this don't lose heart we follow jesus wherever he goes soon soon you'll be there soon in glory the lamb will stand beside you and he's with you now he's promised you that lo i'm with you to the end of the age do you hear it not one's lost he wants you to know that even if one of you had to go through the worst possible death here of persecution he is said you're blessed i've attached a blessing to that death think of shadrach meshach and abednego not one's lost not one and you're going to get to sing there one day with no more tears best song you'll ever sing perfect joy ultimate happiness no more sorrow you'll be without fault forever never to know this again i know that tomorrow i may not be ready but i'm ready now right because it's hard out in the week and that's why we need this every week by grace are you ready keep your eyes on the son of god those who keep the faith in the son of god we walk through fire we walk through rain but there in the fire is one like the son of god who's promised us i'll never leave you nor forsake you i'll stand with you forever and they're beloved and now you know the rest of the story heavenly father thank you for encouraging us in your word and helping us for we tend to fear all the wrong things and set our fears on everything of this world when we just learned what the world's going to have to face by rejecting the Messiah and we are so thankful that no matter what you have us to go through that you've attached a blessing to this you've even said blessed are us when we are persecuted for righteousness sake for ours is the kingdom but let us be about right now the preaching of the everlasting gospel so that that voice would be heard in the earth and that you would continue to save thank you for assuring us that all your sheep will be there everyone who's professed and believed in the lord jesus will be there and so that whatever we have in this life we can go forward in confidence knowing that you're with us and you love us we pray for this sad world and we pray for the state and the things that are happening pray your gospel would prevail and thank you for today in worship to have our minds renewed and to be refreshed in your truth in jesus name we pray amen