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Well, howdy. Please stand for the reading of God's Word. And while you are, I just want to give you one update from the Baber household. Another one of our kids just got engaged yesterday. So we are excited. Josiah and Elizabeth are going to be married. Elizabeth's family is here joining us today.

Great celebration. So appreciate your prayers and celebrate with us. We are very thankful for what God has done and continues to do in our family and in our church and in our world. He is at work and we can rejoice in the things that he is doing. I want to read to you this morning from Ezekiel chapter 3, beginning in verse 17.

Ezekiel chapter 3, verse 17. Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me. When I say to the wicked, you will surely die, and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked man from his wicked way, that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his inefficiency.

Iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered yourself. Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die.

Since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you have delivered yourself.

The hand of the Lord was upon me there. And he said to me, Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you. So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chibar, and I fell on my face.

The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and he spoke with me and said, Go, shut yourself up in your house, as for you, Son of Man. They will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them.

Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be mute, and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, Thus says the Lord God: He who hears, let him hear, and he who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we bow, recognizing that it is you who have ordained the prophets and the spirit of the prophets and the words of Scripture as a warning to those who would persist in their evil ways, but also a comfort to those who would turn from their wicked ways and embrace you as Lord, Master, King, God.

Father, for you are just, you will bring upon every individual what every individual has brought about according to their deeds. And yet we also recognize that you are merciful and that you pardon iniquity, and you do so justly and rightly at the cross of Christ, where we see both justice and mercy poured out.

Father, you are just and you are merciful. And because of that, we can turn to you, turn from our wicked ways, knowing that we will be received, not only On the basis of our own merits, but upon the merits of your perfect, spotless Son, the Lamb, who has taken away our sin, and who will come in judgment to take away the sin of the world in judgment.

So, Father, it is to you we bow. We call upon your Son's name, Jesus. May He pardon us in His perfect righteousness. May He cleanse us and baptize us in His Spirit, that we may live to glorify you, exalt you, and worship you. For it's that reason we have come here this morning.

May you now be exalted here in our midst, according to your great name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Once again, good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 22. I want to read to you verses 6 through 9. But first, I would like to read to you the second part of verse 7.

Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. That's my text. 22, 7. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. Let me back up and read verses 6 through 9. And he said to me, These words are faithful and true.

Who's the he? The angel who has just shown John, taking him on an angelic tour, and he has seen the harlot, the judgment of the harlot. And then he's also seen the bride of Christ. The bride of Christ is depicted just above as the bondservants of Jesus Christ.

And he said to me, These words are faithful and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must soon take place. And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren, the prophets, and those who heed the words of this book.

Worship God. Verse 6 makes it clear that everything in written, everything in Revelation was written to the bondservants of Christ. Revelation is written to us who serve him. And it was written to us so that we will do what servants do. And that is properly steward the words that have been given to us.

You think about what we hold in our hands. We hold in our hands the words that tell us about the end of human history as we know it. And there are four things that we need to do to be good stewards of the words of Revelation, and that is what we want to do.

So we're in a little mini-series here, working through these verses, really bringing to our mind what stewarding the words of Revelation really involves. And that's where we've been, that's where we will continue to go. And we're going slow because what's happening, we are now in the conclusion of the book of Revelation.

The visions are over. The scroll has largely, well, contents of it have been written. And now we have that concluding thoughts being written down, and then it's completed. And so, like in any conclusion, you have a good summary. It's a look back over and brings to a point those final exhortations, the so what, in light of all of what has been said, it brings it to bear and back to the forefront.

And so we want to be good stewards of the words of Revelation. They've been entrusted to us. How do we do that? Well, first of all, as we looked last time, we need to live expectantly of Christ's return. And behold, I am coming quickly. Jesus said it over and over in different contexts.

He is coming quickly. We are to expect his imminent return at any time. Not at the Battle of Armageddon, but he promises to come to the loveless church to remove its lampstand. He comes to quickly to the immoral church to throw her into great tribulation. But he also comes to the faithful church to remove from the hour, the time period of the great testing that is coming upon the earth.

So we are to live expectantly of Christ's return. Second, where we want to spend our time this morning is to heed the words of Revelation. A good steward heeds the words of Revelation. Look again at the second part of verse 7. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.

Blessed the one, the individual. Blessed is the one who is obeying, who is paying close attention to who. Was observing the words of the prophecy of this book. He says this thing at the very beginning. You remember in Revelation 1, verse 3? Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near.

Prophecy. It's clear that the book of Revelation is not apocalyptic literature. It's to be looked at as prophecy. We have it expressly stated. It is prophecy. It is not to be thrown into the category of apocryphal, apocalyptic literature. That's probably a tongue twister. Can you say apocalyptic, apocalyptic?

Anyway. But the one who is blessed is the one who is heeding. Blessed is the one who is right now heeding the exhortations. And so as we're finishing out the book of Revelation, it's important that we go back through and understand what are the key exhortations. There's a lot of exhortations that we can deduce.

There's a lot of exhortations that are implied. And there are. A number, many exhortations that are expressly given. And so, what I want to do with our time this morning is look at some of those exhortations which are expressly given, just so that as we leave, we can have at least in our mind those clear exhortations that are unmistakable.

And these exhortations come in three different categories. And we'll be looking at these exhortations to individuals, to churches, and to bond servants. You know, it's important to pay attention to warning signs. Wouldn't you agree? This is one about the hair dryer. Think about the warning sign. This is probably one you have on your hair dryer at home.

Guess what? You know what this warning sign is telling you to do? Get done with your bath before you try drying yourself off. Pretty simple, right? Don't try to dry your hair while you're washing it. You might get a shocking experience. You think it would go without saying.

But for some who really don't understand electricity, it's important. Not that they would read it anyway, but at least it would give release liability. Tea from something. Here's another one for the hair dryer. Do not use while you're sleeping. It's another good idea. Don't dry your hair until you're done sleeping.

You talk about multitasking, don't try to do it in your sleep. And these are real ones, by the way. These are real warning signs, not made up. These are ones. Here's one about for all the new, new parents. You know, you've got to understand that when you have Junior and you put them in the stroller, you don't fold him up into it and throw them in the trunk, just in case you didn't know.

This one is for all you zoomers out there. If you get on this, it moves. It moves. So be mindful of that. Warning for all you want to self-defenders with pepper spray. It's not for your eyes. It may irritate your eyes. Spray it in your eyes. So here's another one for all you fishers, fishermen.

This is harmful to your health. Don't swallow the hook. It might hurt you. And if the fish could read, they'd be better off. But they can't read, so they bite the hook. Well, the point is. Is, you know, a lot of these things you would think would go without saying.

But, you know, I think there's some people here today that I may safely say that are doing something far more dangerous and something far more obvious that is going to be harmful to their health than swallowing a hook or drying your hair in a bathtub. And what I'm talking about is we have a Creator.

Don't think that you can live your life thumbing your nose at God. There is a hazard to your health that far dwarfs any of these that I just mentioned. And if there weren't sin in the world, it would be painfully obvious. But there are many who are deluded in sin, and you keep on going, and it's not just individuals, but nations.

We cannot persist thumbing our nose at God and expect safety and well-being. We're doing something far more dangerously obvious than the things I just showed you. Heed the words of Revelation. There are exhortations that are given. I think about Noah's generation building an ark. That is a testimony that judgment is coming.

Today, many things are happening all around, and yet the world is largely clueless to what is coming. Heed the words of Revelation. We have been given the words of Revelation. We have no excuse not to pay attention to them, to heed them, because God entrusts them to us for the benefit of those who do not know Him, who are running headlong into gross, awful, and horrific catastrophe.

But it is also given for the benefit of those pretend Christians who sit among us and yet who do not really know the Christ revealed in Scripture. It is given for the benefit of calling them out of their false and dead relationship to God into a living and active and abiding relationship with the Creator.

And king. But it is also written for the benefit and entrusted to us for the benefit of encouraging one another to continue on. And so it's important that we spend some time paying attention to the exhortations that are here. First of all, they're the exhortations to individuals. And I'm going to be taking some from different parts of the book of Revelation.

The first one is respond to the gospel. This comes out of Revelation 14, 6 and 7. Let me read these to you. You don't have to turn there, but you can if you want, or just jot it down. Revelation 14, 6. And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people.

And he said with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water. The eternal gospel. How does God want people far and wide from every tribe, every tongue, every language, every people group, how does he want them to respond to him?

He wants them to fear him. That's good news, so you don't have to be fearing anything else going on in the world. Give him glory. You don't have to be yielding glory to any other being and worship him. You see, the God who revealed himself in his Son, Jesus Christ, that God.

He is the only God who is both merciful and just. You see, when we jettison the cross, we open up God to the idea of being unjust when he shows mercy, to be arbitrary. So, whether you are an atheist or an agnostic or a Muslim or a Mormon, you can be sure that this is what God expects of you: to fear him, give him glory, and to worship him, the God revealed in Scripture who sent his son to be merciful to you.

Whether or not you are on meds or not, what does God expect from you? That you will fear God, give him glory, and worship him. I don't care who you are, what background you are from, it's very clear how. God wants you to respond to his gospel. And that's the first thing you need to do to heed.

Fear God, give him glory, and worship him. Second exhortation we come across in the book of Revelation is that you are to come out of the worldly system. 18:4 says this. I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people. Who is the her speaking of Babylon the Great?

I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues. For her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Come out of her, my people. So, regardless of what your occupation is, regardless of your family background, whatever your family name is, or whether your occupation is cook, mechanic, engineer, doctor, lawyer, whether you're homeschooled, public schooled, private schooled, or unschooled, come out of the worldly system.

You will find expression, and there is a Way of thinking and living according to the dictates of this world, and no matter what background or category of human existence you come out of or are part of, you are to come out of the worldly system. Whether you are husband, whether you are wife, whether you are still in your parents' home, whether you are outside your parents' home, whether you're an Aggie or a T Sip, you must come out of the world, or you will end up participating with her, with the world, and receive the punishment of the world.

You see, there is a way to live for the God of this age in all of these stations of life, and there is also a way to live for the Creator God and Redeemer God in all of these stations. Whether you're young or still in diapers or old and coming back to diapers, you are to come out of the worldly system.

Don't miss these. These are plain, simple exhortations that apply to all. But there's another category of exhortations. Exhortations to individuals and exhortations to churches. So heed the words, whether they're exhortations to you as an individual or you or us as a church. Chapter 2 and chapter 3 are all about the churches of Asia Minor.

These are the seven churches to whom the book of Revelation was originally authored and written to. In Revelation 2:7 says this, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. We are to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches.

Not what he just said, it's present, what he is saying through what has been written and exhorted to the seven churches. We are to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us through them. And it says it seven times, in case you missed it, seven times.

Seven. There were more churches in Asia Minor than just seven, by the way. The picture is one of completeness. All churches of all time are to hear what the Spirit is saying through the words. Through the exhortations. It's interesting to note that these words are written to the collective group.

They certainly have implications for us as individuals, but they are addressed to the collective, to the local church. We are all to be concerned about the local church. We are all part of something. And we can't just say, well, that's the church. I'm over here. No, he wants us all to be concerned about the well-being of his church.

And we are all to do our part in helping the local church. And for us here, members specifically, we are all to do our part to help this little body that we call Emmanuel to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us as a collective organization and how we are to chart the road ahead and live while we wait for His return.

We live in America and we have a big emphasis upon the individualistic concerns of each private citizen. And while there are many things to esteem about that, yet there is also a concern. That we are not just a bunch of little individuals disconnected from each other, bumping into each other, going through life.

No, we are to act as a collective, and especially in the church. And that may be something we have to pay a little more attention to. But let me just run through the exhortations. They're very simple. First of all, we learn from the book of Revelation. What is the Spirit of God saying?

What are we all to be doing here at this church? We are to help us, help this church, help your local church stay in the way of love. That's the lesson to Ephesus chapter 2, verse 5. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first, or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent.

Friends, you and I need to do everything we can do to keep our church in the way of love. A love for God, a love for his word, a love for his people, and a love for the people of this world. Remember. Remember, this is what he wants.

This is what we first got started in. And any Indication that would stray off that course, we are to repent and make sure our trajectory is one in the way of love. The exhortations, remember, repent, and do. Do all things. We are to do all things out of a spirit-born love for God.

That's to be the sum total of what we do. And the tree of life is promised to those who love. All church activities are to be expression, expressions of love for God and expressions of love for his people. Not even right doctrine is pleasing to God without love.

We all have a role to play to keep this church in the way of love. We must check ourselves. We must repent quickly and thoroughly when we say a word or think a thought or do anything that would not be an expression of love to one another. And we also need to hold others accountable when their actions are not loving.

And do it in love, of course. You weren't loving at all. What's wrong with you? No. That's not what you do. It's brother, friend, that's not loving. Repent. Turn. Second, we need to keep us, help keep us in the way. Keep us doing that which only the church can do.

Keep us doing that which only the church can do. Smyrna, Revelation 2:10 says this: Do not fear what you're about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you in prison, so that you will be tested and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Do not fear. Do not be fearing. Do not be fearing suffering, even in extreme forms, even from a pack of Satan's most aggressive, organized servants. That was the synagogue of Satan that they were dealing with, and the church of Philadelphia will deal with. Don't be fearing them. Doesn't that make life easy?

Isn't that good news? Fear God? Oh, I don't have to fear anyone else. I have to fear God. Friends, that's good news. And that's why the angel said, preaches the eternal gospel. It's good news. This call to fear God is good news. That means you don't have to fear any wicked entity that would hold itself in a higher authority.

Than God. This makes life simple. Even if intense suffering is involved, church, just keep doing what the church does. Let's just keep on doing what we do. God has a purpose for us. All of us play a role. Some things aren't necessary, like the vans, property, or buildings.

But being faithful is necessary. That is. And that's what he says: be faithful unto death, all the way to the point of death. So, friends, as a collective body, let us plan on meeting death before we meet unfaithfulness. We are to keep doing what we're doing all the way to the point of death.

That makes life simple. Okay, so now we've got our marching orders. Now we just keep doing what the church does. Third exhortation to the churches: help keep us in the way of moral purity. All of us have a responsibility to do our part in keeping us in the way of moral purity.

Revelation 2:16 says, This, Therefore, repent, or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. The them, Nicolaitans, those who are taught. Tolerating the sexual immorality and vice of the day. Repent. Have a change of mind. This church was there at Satan's throne in Pergamum.

Even one of their great faithful leaders, Antipas, roasted or martyred, certainly in church, according to church history, roasted in a bronze bull for his faith. Church held fast during all of this time, and yet they were starting to tolerate those individuals, not make a big deal out of those individuals who were engaging in consuming the things of the world, worldly entertainment, especially associated with the pagan temple scenes, the party scenes, and all that that went along with it, and justifying sexual immorality.

So we all need to do our part to keep this church in the way of moral purity, moral purity. It's pretty simple. We're to stand up on the principles of what the Bible says. Calls us to do in regards to sexual purity. Sexual relations are between one man, one woman, in the bond of marriage for life.

Pretty simple. We defend that. Hidden manna, God's supply, which people don't even know about, a special new name are those who do not begin to soften the standards of biblical sexuality and justifications to participate in the worldly party scene. So, for the churches, all of us need to do our part to keep us in the way of moral purity.

Fourth, all of us need to do our part in keeping us from conforming to the social, professional, and national ethics of a fallen world. This is the lesson from Thyatira. Revelation 2:22 says this: Behold, I will throw her, Jezebel, the one who is in the church, in a place of great authority, who is having a big influence on the church, and churches of her kind.

I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery will. With her into great tribulation unless they repent. They're going to meet great tribulation. Behold, fix this in your mind. Get this in your thinking: what God is going to do with professing Christians and churches who elevate the gods of the workplace.

And this is that society of guilds, professional societies that would sacrifice to their patron gods of their different industry and the immorality and sexual immorality that would be part of it. Get in your mind what God is going to do with the professing Christians and churches who elevate the gods of the workplace and the immorality that goes with it.

What is he going to do? He is going to throw them into great tribulation. You cannot serve God and the things of this world. These Christians were being led to allow industry standards of gain and immorality to trample to true godliness. It's kind of like they were people who were justifying doing what God forbids because, well, that's what my boss wants me to do.

Or, I have to go along with this if I am going to keep my job. Such people are going to go into great tribulation. Listen, if you want to serve the God of this world, you are certainly going to get the opportunity to do so, and you're going to experience all that goes with it.

But it's to these that Christ says in Revelation 2:25, Nevertheless, what you have, hold fast until I come. Hold fast, hold fast until Christ comes. That's what we are to do: to keep holding fast to Christ, keep doing the deeds of Christ. And this church, as a church, is not to allow the business or industry or education systems or professional societies of our age to cause us to conform to their standards.

We are given as salt and light so that they will conform to the standards of the God who has revealed himself in Scripture. And what is the reward for such churches and such individuals who do not let the industry standards rule over them, or the social ethics, or the professional ethics, or the national interests of a fallen world rule over them?

What is the reward? They will rule over the nations. That's the promise given to. Ziatira. They will rule the nations with Christ. Well, what else do we expect? Makes perfect sense. If a king's army conquers a nation, what does it do? It installs those loyal to the king to the places of power, right?

Those who compromise are not fit to rule over the nations because they have been ruled over by the nations. If you're currently being ruled over by the social ethics, by the workplace ethics, if they trump God in your life, then guess what? You're not one fit to rule over the nations.

That's why we are to be overcoming them. That is what we do. So do your part to keep the church free from conforming to the social, workplace, and national ethics and interests of a fallen world. Fifth, keep us vigilant against the spiritual decline by strengthening our Christ-exalting ministries.

Strengthen the ministries of the church. Keep the church vigilant against spiritual decline. This will happen. This is what happened at Sardis. Revelation 3:2. Wake up. Strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die. For I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of my God.

So remember what you have received and heard, and keep it, and repent. Therefore, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Wake up. Be on the alert. Strengthen. Strengthen those ministries that exalt Christ.

True ministries. We need to complete the work that God has called us to do. We have many ministries here, and guess what? I don't think one of them has reached perfection. So do your part to help strengthen the ministries here or in your local church. Be a force to strengthen the ministries of the church in small ways and in large ways, whatever God has equipped you to do.

Because there are going to be those who will rise among us who will discourage the ministry and ministers. Remember, strengthen. Strengthen them. I remember. Well, what do you think about this notion? I don't tithe to the church because my tithe is putting my child through college. I think in Sardis, there was a lot of thoughts about not strengthening the church for a variety of reasons.

Look, it's the church that God has promised to be here when he returns. Let us do all that we can. No other institution has that promise. It's up the fallen institutions that will come under judgment. Wake up, strengthen, remember. Remember that you have been entrusted with the great truths and promises that came with the gospel.

That's what we have. Let us remember them. Let us always be repenting and changing directions from any indication and inclination towards spiritual deadness. What does spiritual deadness look like? Not strengthening the church. Are you doing a part to help strengthen your local church that you are a part of?

And I mean an active one. Whatever capacity that God has, are you active in identifying those ministries of the church that you have been equipped and gifted in such a way as to help and to strengthen? This is your marching orders to do as part of the church.

Strengthen the church. There is a threat of decline. Stay vigilant. Deadness is not strengthening, not remembering, not keeping. Don't let good things die right before your eyes. That's what happened in Sardis, a great church at one time. And those who just watched it die. And for those, Christ's return is going to be like a thief.

Wow, what was that? Church going on or whatever, not even knowing the rapture happened. White clothing, a name never to be erased from the book of life, Christ's delight before the Father are for those bondservants who remain vigilant and unashamed of Christ's name and who remain engaged in strengthening the ministries of the church.

Sixth, help keep us in the way of victory. Do your part. I don't care how old you are, I don't care what your capacity is. Help us. Stay in the way of victory. Revelation 3:8 speaks lesson we learned from Philadelphia. I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not but lie, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you. Two commands to behold. One, behold an open door.

Listen, whatever God has set before us an open door, we're not concerned about anyone else closing it. Let us walk through that open door. Second thing to behold: behold, your enemies will come and bow down to you. Your enemies will know just how much God has loved us.

So let's stay in the way of victory. Hold fast. Hold fast to what? This is what verse 11 is about. Hold fast to that which has been entrusted to you. Listen, no other group knows the end of human history like we know it. We know the beginning of human history.

We know the end of human history. We know the problem of mankind. We know the remedy to mankind. You have been entrusted with these words. Proclaim these words. Strengthen those who do. Keep us in the way of victory so that no one will take your victor's crown. And the promise to this church: such will be kept from the hour of testing.

He's coming quickly to deliver such as these from the great hour of testing. And they will become pillars in the temple of God. They will have God's name inscribed upon them. They will have the name of the new Jerusalem inscribed upon them. They will have Christ's new name inscribed upon them.

Do you see to whom they belong? Let us stay in the way of victory. And let us help one another stay in the way of victory. We're in this together. And seventh, help us to all keep in a close relationship with Christ. This is the message to Laodicea.

Keep us from the way of apathy. Keep us from the way of spiritual indifference. This is this. Lukewarm church that was neither hot nor cold. Revelation 3:18, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed, and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Therefore, be zealous and repent. What Jesus advises this church and all churches, buy true cold, buy true clothing, buy eye salve so that you can see, so that your nakedness will not be exposed, so that you will be truly rich.

Listen, friends, worldly flash and external shows of richness does not mean a church is zealous for Christ. Help us here. Help keep us from the way of apathy, from spiritual indifference. Help us to be zealous. How are we to be zealous? Jesus gives us the answer. Behold, Christ wants to come in and have supper.

Those who welcome Christ into their lives and into their fellowship and daily activities, guess what? They fellowship with Christ. At the table in this world, and they will fellowship with Christ on the throne in the future. Christ wants to be on the inside. Problem with the church at Ephesus is that it had left its first love.

And if you start leaving your first love, boom, boom, boom, there's a series of events that's going to ultimately end you up in a place of complete spiritual apathy with Christ on the outside. But Christ wants to be on the inside. And if you have a true relationship with Christ, you will never be lacking in zeal for Him.

The problem with many who lack spiritual zeal is that you don't have a relationship with Christ. I see people come and go all the time. I see those among us who have a fervor and a zealousness, and I see those who just seem to never really get connected.

They come, they go, and sometimes they just kind of fade out of the scene, and they never really get connected. And the problem with them is that they lack a zeal, and why they lack a zeal is because, and if this is you, it's because you lack a personal relationship with Christ.

Christ is knocking at the door, wants to come in, and wants to share his life and his spirit with you. And that's good news. Those who share their Table with him now in this life. We'll share his throne with him in the next. So heed the words of Revelation.

There's exhortations to individuals. There's exhortations to church. And there's also one more category that I want to mention this morning, and that's exhortations to the bondservants. Exhortations to the bondservants. And so the previous exhortations obviously are also addressed to the bondservants as well. And there are more exhortations as we continue through chapter 22, and we'll come to those as we come to those.

But for now, I just want to call attention to one more exhortation, an exhortation that is specifically addressed to the bondservants of Christ. If you remember the angelic tour, he's going to show John the wife of the Lamb. And after he gets through showing the city and he comes to the flesh and blood, bride and wife of the Lamb, the bondservants is who they are.

But I want to call to your attention Revelation 19:5. And a voice came from the throne saying, Give praise to our God, all you bondservants. You who fear him, the small and the great. And this is in the context of the downfall of Babylon the Great. All of heaven in chapter 19 erupts.

Hallelujah, verse 1. Salvation and glory belong to our God because his judgments are true and righteous. Verse 2. He has avenged the blood of his bondservants. Hallelujah, verse 3. Her smoke rises up forever and ever. Her destruction will never be complete, so her rise will never begin again.

Such a system is done, complete, over. And it's in that context, you bondservants, be giving praise to God. Be giving praise to Him for the extraordinary performance of deliverance that He has brought about. Now, that's something that's coming in the future, but even now, we can look upon our times and understand where it's going.

There is an inevitable extinction to all the fraud, all the deception, all the evil that we see around us. It is right and it is good that God brings an end to the sinful character. Of this world. The decree has been made. The word has been given. Jesus does reign, and he will reign on earth as he does in heaven.

Make way for the Lord in your heart. Soon you will be in his presence one way or the other. That was John the Baptist. Make way for the Lord. Make way for the presence of the Lord. You today, make way for the presence of the Lord. You will soon be in his presence for sure.

But even as we look around our world today and we see the indicators of this brazen defiance or flagrant immorality and the gathering hostility against God's people, we have reason to praise God in the midst because we know the outcome. So no matter how great the opposition to the truth, or no matter how great the opposition to the Jews, and no matter how great the opposition to Christ's followers, no matter how great all of this grows, and by the way, there is a link between all three of those.

If you remember in Revelation 12 and 13, there is a dragon, a draconian spirit behind it all. He is behind the. Truth? A boy is not a boy. He is, I mean, that's the only thing Satan's been good at from the beginning is deceiving. Making people think the unthinkable, the absurd.

So, wherever there's a growing spirit of deception, guess what? I can tell you who's behind it. And you should not be ignorant of this. Second element, the Jews. We know from chapter 12 and chapter 13, there is a draconian spirit that can't tolerate the woman who gave birth to the child who is to rule the nations.

And that is the Jewish nation. They cannot even have a square inch. Why? There is a spirit behind it all. We can see it. We have clear it. And the war against Christ's followers. There is a connection. The war against truth, the war against the Jews, and the war against the Christ's followers all comes out of that same draconian spirit.

So no matter how great this opposition becomes, God's bondservants have occasion to praise God because God is greater. And it is good and right that such would come to an end. So, how do we steward the words of Revelation? Well, we live expectantly of Christ's return. We heed the words of Revelation.

Listen, you do not want your inheritance to be in this world. So, let us heed the words. Let us heed the words that He's given to us as churches, as bondservants, and as individuals. Let's stop and bow and yield and heed. Heed what's been given to us. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for these exhortations. And we have just mentioned a few of them this morning. But we see how you have left us with clear instructions. We don't need to be wondering what we're about. We're not to be left wondering what we are to be doing while we wait for your return.

You've given us many things to do. Father, help us to come out of this world. Forgive us for all those areas in our lives where we have not bowed to you, and help us all to know and be more and more affirmed that soon we're going to be in your presence.

All of us and everyone, planet Earth, will. I have to reckon with you. Help us to reckon with you today by way of the cross in Jesus Christ. We confess our sins and we call upon your name to do whatever you need to do in our lives to bring us to a right relationship with you as individuals.

And we pray for your protection and keeping power so that we may, as a church, stay in your way. Lord, it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.