How to Look for the Best in Each Other by Believing and Living in Love.

I once heard about a husband and wife who were so upset after a big argument that they refused to speak to each other. That night, not wanting to be the first to break the awkward silence, the man left a note on his wife’s side of the bed that read, “wake me up at 6 o’clock in the morning.”
The next morning, by the time the husband woke up, it was already 8 o’clock. Furious, he roared,
“Where is she?” and was about to chew out his wife when he found a note on his side of the bed: “It’s six o’clock; wake up.”
If we’re going to live in love, we have to learn to forgive one another. The Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, but instead, forgive. And above all things, put on love.”1 That means: Above having your own way, above your own agenda, choose to put on love.
The apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we would be “rooted and established in love so that we would have power together with all the saints.” When we choose to walk in love, we have the power of God in our lives, as well as healthier relationships.

We should always look for the best in each other. That’s one of the things I love about Joel. I used to think that he didn’t see the things that people did wrong. Then I realized: It’s not that he doesn’t see them; he chooses not to focus on them.
That’s what Jesus taught. One day a group of Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in adultery. The Law said that she should be stoned, but Jesus didn’t condemn her. Instead, He said, “Those of you without sin, go ahead; you throw the first stone.”
The woman’s accusers began to look within themselves. Then, they walked away.
We can all throw rocks and point out each other’s faults, but we need to make allowances for one another. We don’t know what some people have been through. We don’t know the pain and heartache they’ve experienced. When the woman’s accusers had all slipped away, Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.”3
Let’s learn to walk in love and see the best in everyone. A house divided will fall. That’s why it’s so important to keep peace in your home. Be the first to apologize. Be quick to forgive.
Someone once asked me if Joel and I argue. Of course, we disagree, but you can’t argue with someone who won’t argue with you, and Joel won’t argue! He’s made up his mind that we’re going to walk in love, because that is where the power is. At times, Joel and I have said, “All right, we can’t see eye to eye on this, so we’re just going to agree to disagree.”
I can’t help it if he’s wrong sometimes!
When Joel and I got married, I like my own way, and when I didn’t get it, I wasn’t happy. Then God spoke clearly to me: Victoria, if you don’t change the way you’re acting, you’re going to change the man you married.
Well, that got my attention, because I didn’t want to change Joel’s personality. I love Joel. That’s why I married him. I knew that I had to be willing to make some changes.
In many relationships, after time, people neglect to walk in love. One day, they realize that their hearts have changed. You hear it all the time: “We just grew apart.”
Joel and I remind ourselves often that God brought us together. He’s got a good plan for our marriage. You need to remind yourself that God has put that person in your life, and He’s got good things in store. If you will do your part by being kind, respecting one another, treating each other the way you want to be treated, God will do His part, and you can live in love!

 Hope – is it just a feeling, or a wish, or a nice idea that optimists talk about? No, hope is so much more. Hope is a Biblical principle and a strong spiritual force. Be encouraged and enlighted with these quotes and verses about the power of hope!

No Matter What Happens God is With You

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We live in a chaotic and uncertain world. Events confront us that can make us question: how can I know God and what is His plan for me, today? Even in the most troubled times you can be sure of these things:

1. God loves you and has an incredible future planned for you.

In the Bible, God tells us:

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Jesus, Himself, when speaking about the people who belong to Him, put it this way:

"My purpose is to give life in all its fullness." John 10:10

Even when life seems out of control, you can be sure of this...God has a plan and a purpose for you. Because of God’s love for each one of us, He provided a plan for our salvation - the way that we can become a part of His family and live the life He has promised us.

2. Our sin has separated us from God.

Mankind is sinful. We only have to look at the world around us to know this is true. You and I have not lived up to the standard of God’s holy and perfect law. As a result of our sin, we are separated from God. In this state of separation, we cannot know God or experience the peace and hope of the life He has planned for us.

"For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
"If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth." I John 1:8

But, because of God’s deep love for each one of us, He provided the way of salvation – the only way that we are able to enter a relationship with Him. This plan is called "the Gospel." The word Gospel means "Good News." The Good News is that God Himself has already made all the arrangements for your salvation. No matter what you have done, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is able to pay the penalty for your sin. God loves you and wants you to be His own child.

3. Jesus Christ is the only provision for our sin.

Through Jesus Christ, you can experience a personal relationship with God and enjoy a life of peace and hope. When Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sin, He bridged the gap that separated us from God. The Bible outlines this incredible plan:

"God showed us how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sin." I John 4:9 –10
"So we praise God for the wonderful kindness He has poured out on us because we belong to His dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven." Ephesians 1:6-7
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." II Corinthians 5:21

It is only through Jesus Christ that we can know God personally. It is through Jesus alone, that we can experience God’s love, enjoy peace and hope, and receive the gift of eternal life.

4. We must each receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Just to give mental agreement that Jesus died on the cross is not enough. Each of us must turn to God, acknowledging our sin and powerlessness to save ourselves. We must ask Jesus to come into our lives and receive His sacrifice as total payment for our sins. We exercise our will and do this as an act of faith.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sin, but they have already passed from death into life." John 5:24
"Jesus told her, 'I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.' " John 11:25
"God saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Ephesians 2:8–9
God sees and understands your heart. There are no magic words or precise formulas you must pray or say. You can talk to God right now in the quietness of your heart and invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior. Here’s a simple prayer:

"Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me and dying on the cross for my sin. I want to know You personally. I invite You into my life as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving me of all my sins and for the gift of eternal life. Help me to grow close to You in this new life You’ve given me."

If this prayer expresses the longing of your heart, pray it right now. Jesus will hear you. He will save you and come into your heart and life. You will become a child of God and receive eternal life. If you have made a decision to trust Jesus, you have been born into God’s family. God’s promise to you is that He will never leave you or abandon you.

"But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

One of the best things you can do right now is to tell someone about your decision.

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

God has given you another gift. Now that you have believed in Jesus, God has sent His Holy Spirit to live in your heart. The Holy Spirit will help you in your new life and teach you about God. God tells us His Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Counselor, who will bring us peace and guide us into all truth.

"And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth." John 14:16 –17
"And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit …The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God." Ephesians 1:13 –14

The Bible says we are to grow in our faith. We do this through praying to God, reading the Bible, spending time with other Christians, and obeying the Holy Spirit’s prompting in our lives. We have prayer counselors who care about you and will pray with you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have free materials and information that will help you in your new life with Jesus.
Remember, now that you belong to Jesus, nothing can separate you from Him. No Matter What Happens, you have God’s promise of eternal life and His peace and protection for your life now.

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, and our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38 – 39

God bless you! May the joy of God’s salvation fill your heart, today and always.

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What Is Hope?

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Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instructions about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.
Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

When I came to Bethlehem back in the middle of 1980, the signs were repainted to include the name of the new pastor. Rollin asked me what I would like to see painted on the back side of the north sign that faces the parking lot. I said I would like to see the words from Psalm 42:5 — Hope in God!
That’s the message I want all of us to have in mind every week as we leave Bethlehem and enter another week of work. The whole verse says,

   Why are you cast down, O my soul,
      and why are you disquieted within me?
   Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
      my help and my God.

A Sermon to Preach to Yourself: Hope in God!

Richard Sibbes, one of the great old Puritan preachers of Cambridge who died in 1635, wrote a whole book (175 pages) on Psalm 42:5. He was called “the sweet dropper” because of how much confidence and joy his sermons caused. He called his book The Soul’s Conflict with Itself, because in Psalm 42:5 that is exactly what you have, the soul arguing with itself, preaching to itself. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God!”
Hoping in God does not come naturally for sinners like us. We must preach it to ourselves, and preach diligently and forcefully, or we will give way to a downcast and disquieted spirit.
This is evidently not well known among all the saints — this preaching to yourself — because in Cameroon I recommended it to several as a way of fighting off discouragement, and it seemed quite a new thought to them. In fact three months after Noël and I returned I received a letter from one of the young women who struggled most it seemed. She said,

While I was on holiday at the end of May I had time to write myself four sermons on different topics, and it’s been quite helpful to refer back to them from time to time, though sometimes when I’m depressed reasoning doesn’t seem to get me very far and it’s easier just to try to hold on to certain verses or truths.

Indeed! The best sermon you preach yourself this week may be only three words long: Hope in God!
I love the way the psalmists wrestle and fight and struggle to maintain their hope in God. This is normal Christian experience while we are still just saved sinners. And we better own up to it, or else we may grow sluggish and negligent in our fight for hope. And that is very dangerous, as our text plainly teaches.

The Emotional Reservoir of Hope

A young woman from California asked me for an interview last week because she was doing a psychology project on “forgiveness,” and she needed to record some pastoral interviews. One of the questions she asked was something like this: “What are some of your feelings when you forgive someone?” One of my first thoughts was that I have to have the feeling of hope in order to forgive instead of retaliate.
In my life — and I think it is the intended biblical pattern — hope is like a reservoir of emotional strength.

• If I am put down, I look to the emotional reservoir of hope for the strength to return good for evil. Without hope I have no power to absorb the wrong and walk in love, and I sink into self-pity or self-justification.
• If I experience a setback in my planning — I get sick, or things don’t go the way I’d hoped in the board meeting, for example — I look to the emotional reservoir of hope for the strength to keep going and not give up.
• If I face a temptation to be dishonest, to steal, to lie, or to lust, I look to the emotional reservoir of hope for the strength to hold fast to the way of righteousness, and deny myself some brief, unsatisfying pleasure. That is the way it works for me. That is the way I fight for holiness in the Christian life. And I believe this is the biblical way to make our calling and election sure.

My prayer is that as we focus our attention on our Christian hope over the next sixteen weeks, God will fill your reservoir to overflowing, and that deep down in the Hoover Dam of your soul the great hydro-electric generators of joy and love and boldness and endurance will churn with new power for the glory of God.
We begin today with the most basic question of all: What is hope? Specifically we want to know not just Webster’s definition, but the biblical definition. We have to know what we are talking about before we can get very far in our grasp of the great truths about biblical hope.

Three Ways We Use the Word “Hope”

We use the word hope* in at least three different ways.

1. Hope is the desire for something good in the future. The children might say, “I hope daddy gets home early tonight so we can play kickball after supper before his meeting.” In other words they desire for him to get home early so that they can experience this good thing, namely, playing together after supper.
2. Hope is the good thing in the future that we are desiring. We say, “Our hope is that Jim will arrive safely.” In other words, Jim’s safe arrival is the object of our hope.
3. Hope is the reason why our hope might indeed come to pass. We say, “A good tailwind is our only hope of arriving on time.” In other words, the tailwind is the reason we may in fact achieve the future good that we desire. It’s our only hope.

So hope is used in three senses:

1. a desire for something good in the future,
2. the thing in the future that we desire, and
3. the basis or reason for thinking that our desire may indeed be fulfilled.

The Distinctive Biblical Meaning of Hope

All three of these uses are found in the Bible. But the most important feature of biblical hope is not present in any of these ordinary uses of the word hope. In fact the distinctive meaning of hope in Scripture is almost the opposite of our ordinary usage.
I don’t mean that in Scripture hope is a desire for something bad (instead of something good). And I don’t mean that in Scripture hope is rejection of good (instead of desire for it). It is not the opposite in those senses.
It is the opposite in this sense: ordinarily when we use the word hope, we express uncertainty rather than certainty.

• “I hope daddy gets home early,” means, “I don’t have any certainty that daddy will get home on time, I only desire that he does.”
• “Our hope is that Jim will arrive safely,” means, “We don’t know if he will or not, but that is our desire.”
• “A good tailwind is our only hope of arriving on time,” means, “A good tailwind would bring us to our desired goal, but we can’t be sure we will get one.”

Ordinarily, when we express hope, we are expressing uncertainty. But this is not the distinctive biblical meaning of hope. And the main thing I want to do this morning is show you from Scripture that biblical hope is not just a desire for something good in the future, but rather, biblical hope is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future.
Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future; it expects it to happen. And it not only expects it to happen; it is confident that it will happen. There is a moral certainty that the good we expect and desire will be done.

Moral Certainty

Before we look at the Scripture, let me say what I mean by “moral certainty.”

Not Mathematical or Logical Certainty

It is different from, say mathematical or merely logical certainty. Mathematical or strictly logical certainty results from the necessity of non-moral laws. If we have two apples and add two more, we may be “mathematically” certain that we now have four apples. That is mathematical certainty. If all men are mortal and if Plato was a man, then we may be “logically” certain that Plato was mortal. That is logical certainty.
That kind of thinking is important. In fact, it is indispensable in biblical studies as well as all other areas of life. But most of our experience is not like that. There is a kind of legitimate certainty and confidence that does not come from mathematical calculations or merely logical laws. I call it “moral certainty.”
I call it moral because it is rooted in the commitment of the will of persons. And the will is the seat of morality. That is, we can only speak of moral right and wrong in relationship to acts of will. So whatever has to do with the will is an issue of morality. And moral certainty is a certainty that is based on acts of will.

Confident Expectation

Let me illustrate. I have a strong moral certainty that Noël and I are going to stay married to each other as long as we live. This is based not on mathematical laws or merely logical syllogisms. It is based on the character of our wills and the promises of God — which are just expressions of the character of his will. We have almost 20 years of evidence about the nature and commitments of our wills and the graciousness of God’s will.
When we speak of our future, we do not speak in the ordinary terms of hope. We don’t say, for example, “We hope that we don’t get divorced.” We speak in terms of confidence and certainty, because the character of a God-centered will is like iron.
But of course we could be wrong, couldn’t we? Yes, and all the communists in the world may convert to Christianity this afternoon. And it may be that not a single deceptive word will creep into any advertisement for the next five years. And every pornographic publisher may go out of business by year’s end because men will gain mastery over their lustful desires.
All these things are mathematically and logically possible. There is no mathematical or logical certainty that they won’t happen. Why, then, do we have such strong confidence that they will not happen? Because we know something about the human will. There is a kind of certainty that comes from knowing the character of a man or of a group of men or a wife. It is not infallible, but it is secure and confident. It lets you sleep at night. It carries you over rough times. Eventually, it can see you right through the grave.
Biblical hope is not a mere desire for something good to happen. It is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future. Biblical hope has moral certainty in it. When the word says, “Hope in God!” it does not mean, “Cross your fingers.” It means, to use the words of William Carey, ‘Expect great things from God.”

Where Scripture Teaches This About Hope

Now let us go to the Scripture to see where I get this understanding of biblical hope. We will begin at Hebrews 6:9–12. After warning his readers that it is possible for people who have had remarkable religious experiences to commit apostasy and go beyond the point of no return, he says,

Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Writer’s Confidence in His Readers

The reason the writer is so sure that his readers will not be among the apostates is that they have not only been loving servants for God’s sake in the past but are still serving. You see that emphasis on perseverance, don’t you, at the end of verse 10? You showed love in serving the saints in the past, and you still do. Their religious experience was not a temporary decision at camp or at a Keith Green concert or Billy Graham crusade. It was continuing. Perseverance in godliness is the proof of the genuineness of a person’s salvation. That’s why the writer feels so sure of the people: they had served the saints, and they still do.

The Writer’s Admonition to His Readers

Now comes the admonition in verses 11 and 12 to press on and not become sluggish. But now the battle is described in terms of hope, not just in terms of love and service:

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end.

In other words, with all the zeal of the past that enabled you to work and love in the name of Christ — with all that zeal, keep on pursuing the full assurance of hope to the end. There is no fight, no quest, no challenge, no war more urgent than this. Keep your hope hot!

“The Full Assurance of Hope”

Now what does “the full assurance of hope” mean in verse 11? It means hope which is fully assured. Hope which is confident. Hope that has moral certainty in it. It is not finger-crossing hope. It is not the lip-biting gaze as you watch the place kicker go for a field-goal in the last ten seconds when you are down by two points.
In fact, verse 12 implies that hope and faith are almost synonymous. Notice the connection: verse 11 says, Go hard after full assurance of hope; verse 12 says the result of that pursuit of hope is that you will be like those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Pursue hope so that you can be like men of faith.

The Connection Between Faith and Hope

Let’s pursue this connection between hope and faith a little further. The term “full assurance” (used here in verse 11, plerophorian) is found one other place in Hebrews, namely, 10:22. However, there it is “full assurance of faith” instead of “full assurance of hope.” It says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Then in the next verse it says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Notice, hope is something that should not waver, because it is rooted in the faithfulness of God. There should be moral certainty in it because the will and purpose of God are like iron, not chalk.
But what about the relationship between full assurance of faith and full assurance of hope? Is there a difference? I would suggest that faith is the larger idea and hope is a necessary part of biblical faith. Hope is that part of faith that focuses on the future. In biblical terms, when faith is directed to the future, you can call it hope. But faith can focus on the past and the present too, so faith is the larger term.
You can see this in Hebrews 11:1. This is the closest thing we have to a definition of faith in all the New Testament, I think.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Here’s how I would paraphrase this verse. Wherever there is full assurance of hope, there is faith. Faith is the full assurance of hope. Biblical faith is a confident expectation and desire for good things in the future.
But faith is more than that. It is also the “conviction of things not seen,” and some of these are not future. For example, verse 3: “By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God.” Faith can look back (to creation) as well as forward. So faith is the larger idea. It includes hope, but is more than hope. You might put it this way: faith is our confidence in the word of God, and whenever that word has reference to the future, you can call our confidence in it hope. Hope is faith in the future tense.

Why This Relationship Is Important

There are two reasons this is important to see.

1. One is that it helps us grasp the true nature of biblical hope. Most of us know that biblical faith is a strong confidence. Doubt is the enemy of biblical faith. But if hope is faith in the future tense, then we can see more clearly that hope, too, is a strong confidence and not just wishful thinking.
2. The other reason it is important to see this relationship between faith and hope is that it shows how indispensable hope is. We all know that we are saved by grace through faith. Faith is necessary for our salvation. But we don’t as often speak of hope in those terms. But we should. Hope is an essential part of faith. Take away hope and the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 is destroyed. We are not merely saved by grace through faith. We are saved by grace through hope.

Paul Shares This View of Hope

Now briefly let’s notice how Paul shares this same view of hope in Romans 4:18. He describes Abraham as the great example of faith, and in particular, of justification by faith. In Romans 4:22 he says, “This is why Abraham’s faith ‘reckoned to him as righteousness.’” And the faith Paul is speaking about is the faith that God would fulfill his promise by giving him a son, Isaac.
So the faith which justified Abraham was faith in the future work of God. Verse 21 makes this crystal clear: he was “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” In other words he had what Hebrews 6:11 called the “full assurance of hope.”
Verse 18 describes how faith and hope worked together: “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations.”
“Against hope” means that from the ordinary human standpoint there was no hope: Abraham was too old to have a child, and his wife was barren. But biblical hope is never based on what is possible with man. Biblical hope looks away from man to the promise of God. And when it does, it becomes the “full assurance of hope” — the expectation of great things from God.
It is not easy to describe exactly what Paul means in verse 18 when he says, “In hope Abraham believed . . . that he should become the father of many nations.” But from the whole context I think it is fair to say that

• Abraham’s faith was his strong confidence in the reliability of God’s word, and
• Abraham’s hope was his strong confidence in the fulfillment of God’s promise.

In other words, whenever faith in God looks to the future, it can be called hope. And whenever hope rests on the word of God, it can be called faith.

Revelation 14:6-13 Seven Messages of Hope for Today

Revelation 14:6-13 Seven Messages of Hope for Today

When we look around the world today, we might not see much hope for us. What we see in Revelation 14 can speak to us today. Just as then, we need to hear about hope. This chapter presents seven messages of hope for us today.

THE ETERNAL GOSPEL

“Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” (Revelation 14:6, HCSB)
First, we need to make a distinction between the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the “eternal gospel.”
This is the only place in the Book of Revelation where the word “gospel” appears, and its use here is decisive.The angel’s message is called “the eternal gospel.” It is not the gospel of God’s redeeming grace in Christ Jesus but, as the following verse shows, a summons to fear, honor, and worship the Creator. It is an eternal gospel in that it sets forth the eternal purpose of God for people. It relates to judgment and salvation in the coming eternal age. Those who dwell on the earth are further specified as every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
It probably does not imply spreading the saving gospel to all the nations before the end. That is the work of the church (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 6:9–11). Another sense of “gospel” is perhaps more likely here, however. In context, this angel announces impending judgment (14:7).
The first part of the message is: ‘Recognize God as Creator and Judge, the Beginning and End of your existence, and all will be well.’
While there will come a day when no one else will be able to respond to the gospel even in the eternal state, the good news of salvation in Christ will be a perpetual reminder of the love of God in the hearts of those who live with him in the eternal city. The universality of the availability of the gospel is here stated and is to be proclaimed to all who live on the earth irrespective of national entity, tribe, language, or people group.

However, the eternal gospel of Revelation 14:6 must be understood in light of Revelation 14:7. The urgency of this final appeal of the eternal gospel is based on the need for men to fear God and give him the glory, and that is particularly true because the hour of God’s judgment has come.

The reason why this is important is that the people who hear this message in Revelation 14 will not listen to the messengers. They will ignore the message of hope at that time. There will be a time of repentance. However, they will refuse to believe it. For us today, these seven messages are messages of hope. Even in the midst of the difficulties which you and I will encounter, we can receive hope from God.

SEVEN MESSAGES OF HOPE FOR TODAY

1. Give God glory (Revelation 14:7)

“He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give Him glory…” (Revelation 14:7, HCSB)
We need to give God the glory due to Him. We “fear” God when we respect Him. The best way to respect God is to give Him glory about everything He has done in my life.

2. Judgment has come (Revelation 14:7)

“…because the hour of His judgment has come…” (Revelation 14:7, HCSB)

During the present age, the angels are not privileged to preach the Gospel. That responsibility has been given to God’s people. While the nations will fear “the beast” and give honor to him, this heavenly messenger will summon them to fear and honor God alone. It is a reminder that God is the Creator and He alone deserves worship. It is what theologians call “natural theology.”

All creation bears witness to God’s existence as well as to His power and wisdom. Nonetheless, “the beast” will convince men that he is in charge of the world, and that their destinies are in his hands. The message of the angel calls men back to basics: God is Creator—worship and serve Him. The fear of the Lord, not the fear of “the beast,” is the source of wisdom.⁶

3. Babylon has fallen (Revelation 14:8)

“A second angel followed, saying: “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, who made all nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.”” (Revelation 14:8, HCSB)
This is the first mention of Babylon in Revelation Two Babylons are spoken of in Revelation: religious Babylon and commercial Babylon—the false religious system and the oppressive economic system. The second angel declares both are powerless.⁸ God’s gospel announces not only the end of evil’s reign, but the renewal of Israel’s worship of God through the exalted Christ⁹

4. Escape God’s wrath (Revelation 14:9-11)

“And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9–11, HCSB)
The third message is directed especially to those who are deciding about following “the beast.” It is a warning that “the easy way” is really the hard way, that to “go along with the world” means to go away from God. The Greek text reads, “If any man continues to worship the beast,” suggesting that there is still opportunity for repentance and salvation.¹⁰ The third angel says, “Don’t take the mark of the beast.” But the world, by and large, will buy into Antichrist’s diabolical plan.¹¹
In the ancient world, wine was usually diluted with two or three parts water to one part wine. The only reason not to dilute the wine was to get drunk. Here God will make those who worship the beast drink the wine of his wrath undiluted. In other words, they will face the full force of God’s judgment.¹²The wrath of God will be the judgment that these people will receive for following Antichrist. Because they have followed the wrong Christ, and not Jesus Christ, God will pour out judgment. This judgment is based on their own decision and commitment.

FOR FOLLOWING THE ANTICHRIST, YOU GET:¹³

1. Torment will be painful, with fire and brimstone.
2. The torment will be in the presence of everyone, including Christ.
3. The torment will be eternal.

This is the Book of Revelation’s description of Hell.

5. Keep the faith (Revelation 14:12)

“This demands the perseverance of the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”” (Revelation 14:12, HCSB)
“Be patient” is the word given to those who become Christians during the Tribulation—to those who respond to the evangelism of the 144,000, the message of the angels, the powerful testimony of the two witnesses in Jerusalem.¹⁴ Again, these Christians are defined as saints, which suggests that the followers of Jesus will exist in a different form of community than it does today.

6. Death does not have a hold on you (Revelation 14:13)

…“Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.”… (Revelation 14:13, HCSB)
The exhortation to endure earthly suffering gives way to a promise of a future heavenly reward. The second of seven beatitudes in Revelation spells out what God has in store for his faithful people. To “die in the Lord” doesn’t necessitate martyrdom, but depicts dying as a faithful follower of Christ and applies to any Christ follower, from the first century on.¹⁵
Dietrich Bonhoeffer defines the importance of those who are blessed at death:

“but not all the dead are blessed—only those “who die in the Lord”—those who at the proper time learned how to die, those who kept faith, those who held fast to Jesus even into that final hour whether amid the sufferings of public martyrdom or of the martyrdom of a quiet solitude of enduring life.”¹⁶

Yet, even if a Christian does die, it is the not the end of the existence of a Christian. In contrast to the end result for those who follow Antichrist (Revelation 14:9-11), the saints will experience happiness.

7. Your good works are worth the effort (Revelation 14:13)

…“Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!”” (Revelation 14:13, HCSB)
If Revelation 14:12 was negative encouragement, Revelation 14:13 is positive.¹⁷ Our works will follow our faith. As we continue in the faith, we work in sharing the Gospel. We have the assurance that everything that we do for Jesus is worth the effort. Jesus will reward us for our work for His Kingdom. Just as He reminds people in Matthew 25, we will be rewarded as He says: “Well done, faithful servant.”

Conclusion

Therefore I pray that the main point of the message is plain from Hebrews and from Romans, namely, that the biblical concept of hope, which we are going to be examining for the next 16 weeks, is not the ordinary concept we use in everyday speech. It does not imply uncertainty or lack of assurance. Instead biblical hope is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future. There is moral certainty in it.
I count it a great privilege and delight to spend the next sixteen weeks with you unfolding what it means to say that our God is a “God of hope”; (Romans 15:13) and that the central exhortation of our church is very simply and very profoundly, Hope in God!