Coming Storm Warning (1) The Future: Don't Miss the Signs

Coming Storm Warning (1) The Future: Don't Miss the Signs 5.17.15 >>> Matthew 24 as we continue to work our way through what's called in scripture the Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24 and 25 is the longest answer Jesus gives to any question asked Him while He's on earth. And this is a question that was question Him by His disciples. Now let me just take a couple moments to do a little review for really two reasons. Number one is that I realize that every Sunday here at E-Free there is a significant group of people that it's your first time here. And because we are six weeks into this series, it's like walking into a movie halfway through and not knowing what's going on so I kind of want to catch you up to speed. And the other reason is simply this. For those of you who have been with us along the way, the best way to learn is repetition. Let me repeat that. The best way to learn is repetition. Now, remember what's going on in this passage. Jesus has made an astounding prediction. He predicted that Herod's Temple, an amazing structure. In fact, the Babylonian Talmud said he who has not seen Herod's Temple has not seen a beautiful building. Jesus predicted it would be torn down. Not one block left upon another. Which, by the way, happened 40 years after He made that prediction in 70 A.D. When the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned down the temple. Now, when He makes that prediction, the disciples are going, that's huge! That's climatic. That has to be connected with the fact that Jesus is going to set up His kingdom. So they ask Jesus the question. They say, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your presence? What will be the sign of the end of the age of human rule which at that time was the Romans and the beginning of the Messiah's rule, the kingdom? So Jesus is answering the question. Now, we've used a timeline throughout this series that I kind of want to draw again to help you understand where this all fits in. Remember that when Jesus answers this question, He is just 48 hours roughly before His crucifixion. This is the final week of his life before his death. And that's when he answers the question. Now, the disciples have a disadvantage. They don't know everything that's going to take place after the cross. In fact, they haven't even figured out yet that Jesus is going to die. They still don't have that down. But He does die. We know that three days later He rises from the dead. We know that 40 days after that He ascends into heaven and at that point God sends the Holy Spirit to the earth on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, and the church age begins. That's the age we live in today. It's been going on for over 2,000 years. We are part of the New Testament church. Now, in order to really understand the disciples' perspective, you have to remember that in the Old Testament the church age was a mystery. The church isn't mentioned in the Old Testament. The disciples have no clue that after the death and resurrection of Jesus there would be these 2,000-plus years called the church age. They have a disadvantage at that point in knowing that. Now, I believe that the most literal way to interpret scripture is that the church age ends with an event called the rapture. You can read about it in 1 Thessalonians 4. When Jesus returns in the clouds to catch His bride, the

church, away. I believe that's the next great event on God's timetable. I believe it could happen at any time. I, in fact, believe it could actually happen even today. And when that event happens, it begins a seven-year time span on earth that we call the tribulation. Seven years in which God pours out His wrath and His judgment on unbelieving man. Now, that seven years ends according to Revelation 19 with the second coming of Jesus Christ. Now, folks, remember that's different than the rapture. They're two distinct events. In the rapture, Jesus comes in the clouds for His church. At the second coming, Jesus comes to the earth with His church. And when He comes, He will wipe out His enemies and He will establish what we call the millennial kingdom. A thousand years when Jesus will reign here on earth. Now, the disciples, because they had no clue that there was a coming church age, they thought that the next event on God's timetable would be Jesus the Messiah establishing His kingdom. So when Jesus made the prediction that the temple would be torn down, they said, this must be it. That's climatic. The Messiah Jesus must be ready to establish His kingdom. So they say, Jesus, when's it going to happen? What will be the big sign that we know this is it? And in Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus answers their question by giving the signs that will occur before His coming to establish His kingdom. Now, I believe that every sign that Jesus gives in Matthew 24 and 25 happened during this tribulation period. There are some who believe it all happened in 70 A.D. When the Romans sacked Jerusalem. There are others who believe it happens throughout the church age. I believe it all happens in the tribulation. Now, why do I believe that? Well, I have given you many reasons. Let me just review two of them. The first reason I believe that is because all the signs that Jesus gives in Matthew 24 and 25 parallel perfectly what John says about the tribulation in Revelation 4 through 18. But not just that. The second reason I believe it all happens in the tribulation is because of the analogy that Jesus uses. We already studied it. In verse 8 of Matthew 24, Jesus said that these signs are like labor pains. He uses the analogy of a woman who is in labor. Now, folks, listen. If we consider the first coming of Jesus the conception, if we consider the second coming of Jesus the birth, then the pregnancy is everything in between. Now, when, ladies, you understand this. When you're pregnant, when do labor pains happen? They don't happen all throughout the pregnancy, at least they're not supposed to. And if they happen too early, obviously, that's a problem. Labor pains begin at the end. When labor pains start, it's a sign. It's a sign that you know the baby is coming soon. And what happens from the time the labor pains start until the time the baby comes? Those labor pains get more frequent and they get more intense. It's the same thing with these signs. These signs don't happen all throughout the pregnancy. They happen at the end. And once they start, in that seven-year period, they get more frequent and they get more intense and that's what we're going to see today. Now, last Sunday we looked at one specific sign that was one that Jesus pointed out in detail. And so, what we're going to do today and next week is see that that sign that we looked at last week really initiates a storm like you wouldn't believe. And so, the first thing I want to talk about today is the happening involved. What happens that initiates this storm? We saw it last Sunday. The reality is what's called the abomination of desolation.

So if you're in Matthew 24, and I hope you are, look at verse 15. We studied this in detail last Sunday. Therefore, Jesus says, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the Holy Place, the temple in Jerusalem, let the reader understand. Understand what? That it's all about ready to bust loose. Now, what did we say last Sunday was the abomination of desolation? Well, according to Daniel and then we saw it in the book of 2 Thessalonians and the book of Revelation, as well, it's an event that occurs halfway through the tribulation. At the 3 1/2-year mark. What we saw last Sunday is this. That at the beginning of the tribulation, the Anti-Christ, a one world ruler, empowered by Satan will set a peace treaty in motion with Israel. It's a seven-year treaty. And through the first three and a half years Israel will love it because for the first time in modern history they will live in security. They will live in peace. They will get to rebuild their temple. They will get to go back to offering all those sacrifices. But at the halfway point of that treaty, three and a half years into it, the Anti-Christ commits an abomination which causes the temple to become desolate. What does he do? He sets himself up as God. He demands that everyone worship him. And that begins the worst time frame in the history of the world. The final three and a half years of the tribulation. If you want to continue with the labor analogy, it would go like this. In labor, there are stages. You have the early labor or the active labor. And then you have that transition period that leads to what? Hard labor. That's when it's really frequent. That's when it's really intense. Well, folks, listen. The abomination of desolation is the transition. Now we get ready to go in to hard labor. And it's going to be a staggering thing. In fact, notice what Jesus says next in Matthew 24:16-18. He's talking to Jewish believers who are alive at that time. And He says in verse 16, then when the abomination of desolation takes place, then those who are in Judea must flee. And if you mark in your Bible I'd circle the word flee. Must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever's in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Now, those are pretty strong words, aren't they? Now what Jesus says is, when you see the reality of the abomination, when the Anti-Christ sets himself up in the Jewish temple as God demanding worship, here is the response you need to have. And in that response, we see three things. First of all, who is he talking to? He's talking to Jews living in Judea. Judea is the region where Jerusalem is. This is ground zero to the abomination of desolation. He says, listen. If you're a believing Jew who's living in that region when you see this happen you need to what? And He says you need to flee. Now, the word flee I had you circle and here's why. Because it's a Greek word where we get our English word fugitive. You need to become a fugitive. You need to go on the run. Why? Well, we'll see it in just a second. Because at this time, the Anti-Christ will launch an assault on the Jewish people that will be the worst holocaust that our world has ever seen. And we'll see that in just a moment. So Jesus says, if you're a believing Jew and you're living in Judea during that time, when you see it happen, become a fugitive. In fact, when are they to do it? Notice the urgency. He gives a couple examples. He says, if you're up on the housetop, don't go down into the house to get anything. Just get out of town.

By the way, notice where are they to flee to? It says they're to flee to the mountains. And I think -- and I don't have time to show you, but I think there is great evidence in the Bible that would suggest that the very place that all of these believing Jews will go to to hide from the Anti-Christ is a place in modern-day Jordan called Petra. The red rose city as old as time. If you remember one of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" movies, it was filmed in part in Petra. I have had the privilege of being there three times and when you go to Petra you can see how thousands of people could hide in all of the caves that are built into those massive mountains. And Jesus says, listen, whether the abomination takes place, if you are on the housetop, don't go back down to get anything. Just get out of town. Don't waste a second. Now, you might be thinking, what in the world are they doing on their housetop. I mean, let's think about it. Yesterday was a beautiful day, wasn't it? How many of you spent time relaxing on your housetop yesterday? No. Now, folks, listen. When you read the Bible, you can't read it through a western mind-set. In our western mind-set, we don't spend time on our housetop unless we're shingling the roof, right? But in that culture, still to this day, the houses and buildings have flat roofs and that's where people go to relax. It would be the equivalent of our deck, our patio, our porch. They don't have decks built on to their house. They go up on the housetop. So Jesus says, if you're on the housetop and you're sipping some lemonade an you're relaxing and you hear that the abomination of desolation takes place, don't go even go back in the house. And by the way, they would build ladders and things so they could get to their housetop without going through their house. He says, just use the fire escape. Get down from the housetop and run to Petra. He gives another example. He says if you're out in the field and you hear that the abomination of desolation took place, don't go back to get your coat. Just get out of town. Now, what's the coat, the cloak have to do with it? Well, as a farmer would walk to his field in the early morning he'd have his cloak on. That outer garment. And when he got to the field, was ready to go to work. He would take that cloak off. He would lay it on a rock. He would go into the field. He would be working in the field. And Jesus says, when you're in the field and you hear that that happened, don't even go back and get your cloak. Don't waste a second. Just get out of town. Flee. Become a fugitive. Notice something else. Notice the hardship involved. Let's keep reading in verses 19 and 20. Look what else Jesus says to those believing Jews in that time. He says, but woe to those who are pregnant. Well, why would He say that? Well, let me ask you a question. Who has a better chance of quickly running away for their life? A woman who's seven months pregnant or a woman who's not pregnant? Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? So He says woe to you that are pregnant because that's going to slow you down. He says, woe to you who have small children. When's that got to do with it? It says woe to those who are nursing babies, you have small children. Why? Well, let me ask you a question. Who can get out of town quicker, a mother that has a bunch of small children or a mother with no small children? Well, that's easy. Who can get through the grocery store quicker, right? Right? Obviously if you have no small children it's whole lot easier, isn't it? That's exactly what He's saying. Then He says pray that your flight not be in winter. You might be going, wait a second. I didn't know they got blizzards over there. They don't. Now, they'll get some snow in Jerusalem. Some of the most beautiful pictures of Jerusalem I've ever seen are those when it's covered with snow. But winter over

there isn't as much a snowy season as it is a rainy season and to get out of town quickly to the mountains, to the Jordanian Petra area, you're going to have to walk through what's called the wadis. Those are dried up brooks, riverbeds that are dry most of the year. The only time they're not dry is in the winter when they would get rain and they're very, very susceptible to flash flooding. So He says pray that your travel isn't in the winter. That's going to be far more dangerous and the water will slow you down. He says, pray that it's not on the Sabbath. You have to keep in mind, folks, that even in Israel today they still observe the Sabbath and on the Sabbath there is no public transportation available. On the Sabbath you even go into a hotel, they'll have a Sabbath elevator that automatically stops at every floor so you don't have to push a button because that would be working on the Sabbath. And obviously, if it happens on the Sabbath it's going to be a little hard to get out of town. So He's saying, listen. When this happens, there is an urgency and the urgency is you've got to get out of town quick. Now, why do they have to get out of town? Because at that moment the Anti-Christ will show his true colors and he will launch a holocaust on the Jewish people, by the way, not just the Jewish people. Revelation 13 also teaches that that he makes war against the saints. Non-Jews who are believers in that time. Now, in fact, I want you to turn if you would to Revelation 12. I told you earlier that just about everything Jesus talks about in Matthew 24 and 25 parallels what John says happened in the book of Revelation. That's why I think this is all speaking of the tribulation period. I don't think this is stuff that happened in A.D. 70 or somewhere along the line in history. I think it's still to come. And in Revelation 12, I want to read verses 13 and 14 because it speaks of this. Now, in Revelation 12, we see three characters symbolically. The first character is a dragon. And the dragon represents Satan. The second character is a woman and in this chapter the woman represents the nation of Israel, the Jews. And the third character is the male child that comes from the woman and that represents Jesus, The Messiah. Now, notice what it says in verse 13. I wish we had time to go through the whole chapter but we don't. Look at verse 13. Look what it says. And when the dragon, who's that? Let's see if we can get 100% participation. And the dragon, who's that? Satan. Saw, when he saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman. Who's the woman? Israel. Who gave birth to the male child. Who's that? Christ. So now the dragon through the Anti-Christ launches this assault on Israel unlike anything we have ever seen, folks. And I'll show you the results of in it a second. But I love verse 14. I wish we could spend the rest of the morning on verse 14. Notice what God says. He says, but, in contrast to that, but the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, Israel, so that she could fly into the wilderness, I believe that's Petra, to her place where she was nourished. Notice for how long. For a time. That's one. And times. That's two. One plus two is three. And a half a time from the presence of the serpent Satan. He's talking about that 3 1/2-year period right here. He's saying there's going to be a huge persecution. Satan through the Anti-Christ. But he says during that time God is going to supernaturally take a remnant of those Jewish people, I

believe who are believers, and he's going to super naturally protect them as He takes them into Petra and He supernaturally that verse says nourishes them. Remember when we studied Elijah, remember when Elijah was at the brook called Cherith? How did he eat? God sent him food through the ravens to nourish him. And God will supernaturally protect this remnant of Jewish people. He will supernaturally nourish them for 3 1/2 years as they hide as fugitives from the Anti-Christ. Now, by the way, write down a reference. We don't have time to look at it because I'm going to have a hard time finishing on time as it is. Write down Revelation -- I'm sorry. Daniel, Daniel 12:1. Don't look it up now. Show some self control here. Don't look it up now but look it up later. You know what you'll discover. Daniel 12:1 tells us that Michael the archangel, the highest of all God's angels, is the protector of Israel. His job is to protect Israel. And I think he will be the key player during this time who supernaturally, he's -- that's the wings of the eagle. He supernaturally keeps that remnant safe to Petra where there he nourishes them for 3 1/2 years until Jesus Christ returns, and I believe if you follow the -- you know now Christmas Eve on TV they show you the path that Santa's going. You know what I'm saying? I believe you could see it in the Bible for the second coming. And I believe one of the first places Jesus goes when He returns is Petra where that remnant is being safely hidden from the Anti- Christ. However, that's going to be a small remnant. In fact, turn to the book of Zechariah. If you're not sure where Zechariah is, if you're in Matthew, just go backwards two books. It's the next to last book of the Old Testament. Go to Zechariah 13 and in Zechariah 13 we see the holocaust in that day. Zechariah 13:8. Here's what it says. And it will come about in all the land, Israel, the Jewish people, declares the Lord. Look at this. That two parts in it, two thirds of the Jewish people, will be cut off and perish. In that 3 1/2-year time period, two thirds of the Jewish people will be killed at the hands of the Anti-Christ. Keep reading. But the third will be left in it. That remnant that He supernaturally protects. And I, God says, will bring the third part through the fire. This matches what John said in Revelation. I'll refine them as silver as refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name and I will answer them and I will say they are My people and they will say the Lord is my God. So what's Jesus saying? He's saying, listen. If you're a Jewish believer alive during the tribulation living at ground zero in the region of Israel and you see the abomination of desolation take place, don't wait. Don't delay. Become a fugitive. And God will supernaturally protect and nourish that remnant while two thirds of the Jewish people will die at the hands of the Anti-Christ. You see, folks, that last 3 1/2 years is hard labor in the world. In fact, as we keep reading, notice what Jesus says about the horror of that 3 1/2-year time period. The first thing He tells us about it is the horror of that time period, the storm that will take place in that time period will be unprecedented. Look what He says in Matthew 24:21. He says, for then, that last 3 1/2 years, from the abomination of desolation to the second coming, there will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will. I don't know how people can think it all happened in A.D. 70 because that description does not describe anything that's happened in our history as of yet. And that's why, ladies and gentlemen, we call that last 3 1/2 years, we call it the

great tribulation. Why? Because that's what Jesus called it. He said during that 3 1/2 years, there will be a great tribulation unlike anything the world's ever seen. You see, folks, this is when the labor pains get intense. This is when they get more frequent. And in this case, the labor pains are the judgments that God sends on the world. Now, according to the book of Revelation, there are 21 different judgments that God sends on the world during the tribulation period. You can put them in three categories of seven. First, there's what's called the seal judgments. And there's seven of those. Then there's what's called the trumpet judgments. And there's seven of those. And then there's what's called the bowl judgments and there's seven of those. Now, let me real quickly, real quickly let me just run through with you what they are. Let me just run through them. We're not going to take a lot of time to talk about them but I want you to see these labor pains. Now, folks, listen. Think of it this way. Think of the seal judgments as taking place over the course of years in the tribulation. Think of the trumpet judgments taking place over the course of months. And think of the bowl judgments at the very end, that hard labor, taking place over the course of weeks and even days. Now, here's what the Bible says they are. We've already talked about the seven seal judgments. So let me just mention them if you weren't part of some of the previous messages, you can go back and watch them online where we talk about these more in detail. Seal number 1 is the coming of the Anti-Christ. That's the first judgment. Judgment number 2 is war. Unprecedented war. Unlike anything we've ever seen. Number 3, famine. Famine to the point that enough bread to -- enough money to buy enough bread for one person will cost a full day's wages. Seal number 4 is death where the Bible says 25% of the world's population will die due to war, due to famine, due to disease and then due to wild beasts. Judgment number 5 is martyrdom of believers and there will be a huge number of saints in that time, believers in Jesus, that will be murdered for their faith. Judgment number 6, seal judgment number 6 is physical chaos caused by a massive earthquake, so massive that the stars fall out of heaven. And then number 7, number 7 is actually 7 more judgments. Number 7 is the trumpet judgments and you see that in Revelation 8. And let me just read verse 1. Revelation 8:1 says, when the lamb, that's Jesus, broke the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour and I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them. So the seven seal judgment is the seven trumpet judgments. Now, what are they? Let me just give them to you real quick. The first trumpet judgment is that a third of all vegetation is destroyed. The second trumpet judgment is that a third of all sea water and all the life in the sea is destroyed. The third trumpet judgment is that a third of all freshwater is destroyed. The fourth trumpet judgment is that a third of all the skies, the planets, the stars are destroyed. The fifth trumpet judgment is five months of demonic torment. I believe these are demons who have been kept in a pit since many, many, many years ago because of their horrible vileness of sin that will be released on the earth for five months. Trumpet judgment number 6 is an army from the east that will kill a third of the men remaining. And then trumpet number 7 is 7 more judgments. The bowl judgments. And these are the ones that are intense, hard labor. These are the ones that happen at the

very end of the tribulation. These are the ones that happen over the space of weeks, maybe even just days because they're so intense and so frequent. Notice what they are. And we'll read some scripture passages for each of these. First of all, the Bible says that bowl judgment number 1 is physical sores. Physical sores. Let me read from Revelation 16:1-2 that describe it. John says, I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God and the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image. Now, by the way, just like the plagues in Egypt with Moses, these plagues don't seem to affect, at least this one, doesn't affect believers. This is just those who followed the Anti-Christ and there will be malignant sores all over their bodies. Notice the second bowl judgment. The second an third one we can really do together. The second one is that the remaining seawater is destroyed and the third one is that the remaining freshwater is destroyed. In Revelation 16, let me read verses 3 and 4. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea and it became blood like that of a dead man and every living thing in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bull into the rivers and the springs of waters and they became blood. So now all water has been destroyed. The next bowl judgment, number 4, is scorching heat from the sun. This is when global warming becomes reality right here. Okay? Look at Revelation 16 and look at verses 8 and 9. The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun and the sun and it was given to the sun to scorch men with fire and men were scorched with fierce heat. Now wouldn't you say at this point they'd say, God, enough. We repent! But they don't. What do they do? It says, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues and they did not repent. And then comes the fifth bowl judgment. Total darkness. Painful, total darkness. You see this in verses 10 and 11. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became darkened and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and they did not repent. And then the sixth bowl is a drought that's so severe it dries up the Euphrates river which is going to allow for all the armies to get across to meet at Megiddo for the final battle of Armageddon. You read about this drought in verse 12. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And then there's the final bowl. And the final bowl is a great earthquake unlike the world has ever seen. A great earthquake that's even worse than the sixth seal judgment that happened earlier. And you read about this in verse 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, it is done. This is the last judgment. And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peels of thunder and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it and so mighty and every island fled away. The mountains were not found. And look at this. And huge hailstones, about 100 pounds each, came down from heaven upon men and men continued to blaspheme God.

Do you see now why Jesus calls this the great tribulation? Do you see now how this analogy of labor pains fits in to the whole thing? In fact, if you go back to Matthew 24, not only will this storm be unprecedented, but back in Matthew 24:22, we'll stop here this morning. In Matthew 24:22, it will also be unbearable. It will be unbearable. Look what it says, verse 22. Unless those days, that final 3 1/2 years, had been cut short no life would have been saved. I love this. But for the sake of the elect, for the sake of the believers who will be alive during that time, those days will be cut short. In other words, there's a reason why God has said this will only happen for 3 1/2 years. It won't go longer than that. And the reason is because of believers who will be alive at the time. You see, folks, listen. There are two principles that you find all the way through scripture. Please don't miss them. Because some people look at this and they go, how can you serve a God that does this? How can you worship a God who does this? We live in a culture today that wants to pick and choose the parts of God we like. We want a God today in our culture who always forgives. We want a God in our culture today who always shows mercy. But, folks, you have to understand two things about God. Two things, two principles you see all the way through the Bible. It's this. Number one, listen. God always punishes sin. Don't miss that. You say, I don't want a God who punishes sin. I want a God that just always forgives and always shows mercy. My friend, do you not realize if God didn't punish sin you would have no chance to go to heaven? Do you realize that the only reason you and I who know Jesus can one day be in heaven forever with Him is because God punished our sin when Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place? If God didn't punish sin, we would have no hope. If God who is holy and just didn't punish sin, we would be doomed for eternity. God always punishes sin. And the second principle, don't miss it. God always rewards obedience. I want to end by reading this verse. And I'm going to ask if you would to stand with me as I do, in the Chapel if you would stand, as well. The worship team's going to come out and get in place. And in Exodus 34, I want to read these two verses as we end. I love it because these two verses show us the whole of God. Folks, listen. If you only embrace the parts of God that you like, then you can't embrace God at all. And look what it says in Exodus 34 beginning in verse 6. Listen. It says, then the Lord passed by in front of Moses and proclaimed. Here's what God said about Himself. Look at it. The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth. We're going, yeah, that's the kind of god I want who keeps loving kindness for thousands. Who forgives inequity, transgression and sin. Yes! That's the kind of god I want. But don't miss the next phrase. It says, yet, even though all those things are true about God, yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. That's also true about God. My friend, listen. He's holy. He's just. He must judge sin. He's always just. And as followers of Jesus, we need to praise Him not just for being a loving God, a merciful God, a forgiving God, we also need to praise Him for being a holy God. A righteous God. A just God. Because if God would have chosen to not punish Jesus for our sin we would have no hope.

Would you bow with me for prayer? Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His counselor? And the answer is, no one in this room. God, Your ways are so superior to our ways. We can't even fathom Your thoughts. But, God, we do know this. We know that you alone are God and You always do what is right. You always do what is just. And, God, some of what we see that's going to happen in the future, it's hard to embrace. It's hard to swallow. It's rough stuff. But, God, this morning, I don't just want to praise You because You're a God of love. Yes, You are a God of love. I don't want to just praise You because You're a God of mercy. And, yes, You are a God of mercy. I don't just want to praise You because You're a God who forgives and I'm so thankful that You have forgiven me through faith in Christ. But, God, this morning I also want to embrace You and praise You because You are a God that's holy. You are a God that must punish sin. You are a God that is righteous. You are a God that is just. And there is no punishment You ever give that's undeserved. There is no punishment that You ever give that's unfair. And I am so thankful that when Jesus died on the cross You, this loving, compassionate God, poured out Your wrath on Him so that my sin could be paid for in full. So, God, today we embrace You. Jesus, you are Revelation's risen redeemer who one day is going to come to reign, to rule, to judge. And so, this morning, though what we have heard is hard to wrap our minds around we choose to worship You, all of You. We embrace You. We love You. In Jesus' name, amen.