SERMON SEEDS L6 FOR 4/13/08
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SERMON SEEDS FOR APRIL 13, 2008
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Exodus 20:14
THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE
TEN FOR THE MEN! #8
Exodus 20:1-17
Exodus 20:14 - Thou shalt not commit adultery.
· What is the typical view of non-Christians about sex?
· What are the typical views of non-Christians about adultery?
· What are the typical views of non-Christians about divorce and remarriage?
· In what ways have some Christians started thinking and acting like non-Christians concerning sex, adultery, divorce, and remarriage.
· Why should Christians hold to the sanctity of marriage?
The Sixth Commandment forbids adultery. This simple command reminds us of the sanctity of marriage.
MARRIAGE ESTABLISHED
Genesis 2:18 - And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:22-24 - And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
· The woman was given as a partner to man. What does partnership imply?
· Adam was impressed with Gods creation of woman. Why did God make men and women physically attractive to each other?
· What do the words leaving and cleaving imply?
ADULTERY EXCLUDED
Exodus 20:14 - Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
· Why is God opposed to adultery?
· What is Gods attitude towards sex before marriage?
· In what respects has sex become sport among many?
· How does sexual activity before marriage hurt a marriage?
DEFINITION (OF ADULTERY) EXPANDED
Job 31:1 - I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Malachi 2:15 - Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Matthew 5:27-28 - Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
· What do making a covenant with my eyes and taking heed to my spirit have to do with adultery?
· Whats wrong with the statement Its okay to look, just dont touch!?
· What is wrong with watching or reading sexually suggestive or sexually explicit material?
· How is committing adultery in the heart sometimes the precursor to committing adultery in the flesh?
PERVERSION EXACERBATED
Leviticus 18:22 -Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Romans 1:26-27 - For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
· What is the gay agenda and why are we opposed to it? What makes it so dangerous?
FAITHFULNESS EMPHASIZED
Proverbs 5:18-21 - Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
1 Corinthians 7:3-5 - Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
· What does Proverbs 5:18-21 teach us about faithfulness to our wives?
· What do both passages above teach us about sexual activity in marriage?
· How does giving, caring, and loving sexual activity in marriage help fight against divorce and remarriage?
PERMANENCE ENJOINED
Matthew 5:31-32 - It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:3-9 - The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
· What are Jesus teachings on divorce in these passages?
· Why do they seem severe today, especially to the unsaved person?
LOVE EXALTED
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Titus 2:4 - That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
· What do these verses have to do with adultery, divorce, and remarriage?
· How does a husbands love help keep his wife faithful?
· How does a wifes love help keep her husband faithful?
· Why is it that sometimes people arent faithful to their loving mates?
· What should be our goal towards our wives?
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DEALING WITH A FOOL
1 SAMUEL 25
· Most of us would call the people that I just described as "fools". But believe it or not, all fools are not dumb.
· There are people who are fools for any number of reasons.
Psalm 14:1 - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Proverbs 10:18 - He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Proverbs 14:16 - A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
Proverbs 15:5 - A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Proverbs 28:26 - He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
· Unfortunately, there have been times when we have all played the fool.
· Also, unfortunately there have been times when weve had to deal with fools. How can dealing with fools be frustrating and dangerous?
· How can friends and family help us deal with fools?
We are looking at an episode in the life of David that took place when David was in the wilderness hiding from King Saul. David had to deal with a man whose name actually meant fool, Nabal. Nabals wife, Abigail, actually helped keep David from doing something foolish himself. In this chapter we have some lessons on how to deal with a fool.
The Story 1 Samuel 25:1-24
RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS - Vs. 25
Vs. 25 - Before we retaliate.
Before we get even.
Before we fly off the handle.
Consider the person with whom you are dealing.
When you realize that a person is a fool, you can come to certain conclusions:
1. God will judge him. Romans 12:19 - Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
2. He is not worth imitating. He is a fool. Why should I act like he does? Why should I allow him to provoke me to sin?
Romans 12:17 - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
3. God will take care of me. If you are God's child, God is responsible for you. He'll protect you. He'll meet your needs.
Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN Vss. 26-31
· Vs. 26 What do you think of Abigails advice in this verse? Had David ever followed this suggested pattern before? Romans 12:17-21 - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
· Vss. 27-31 How were her words humble words, encouraging words, and wise words? Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
RECEIVE GODLY COUNSEL Vss. 32-35
· What did David realize after seeing and hearing Abigail?
· How did David show himself to be a true man of God?
· Why should we seek and be ready to hear Godly counsel?
· Why should we be ready to share Godly counsel?
· How can we be ready to share Godly counsel?
REST IN GOD'S ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM Vss. 36-42
· Vss. 36-38 - What great lesson is found for us in these verses?
· Why do we often want to take matters into our own hands instead of waiting for God?
· Vs. 39 Is it ever appropriate to rejoice when someone dies?
· Vss. 40-42 Why did David propose to Abigail?
· Why should we take action when God wants us to take action and wait when God wants us to wait? How can we tell the difference? Ephesians 5:15-17 - See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Psalms 27:13-14 - I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
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John 1:35-51
ON THE LOOKOUT
If you have ever watched any old cowboy movies or television shows, you have seen a certain character, who usually stood on a mountain or hill. His job was to watch and see if anyone was coming, while others were able to go about their business. His job was to alert the others, usually the "bad guys", if the "good guys" were coming. He was called the "lookout".
In the text we find some early followers of Jesus who were on the lookout in a good way.
LOOKING TO JESUS - Vss. 35-39
This was Andrew and probably John.
LOOKING FOR A BROTHER Vss. 40-42
Andrew probably lived in the shadow of his brother's extroverted
personality all his life. However, when Andrew discovered the Lord
Jesus, the first thing he did was look for his brother to bring Him to Jesus.
LOOKING FOR A FRIEND Vss. 43-51
Philip came to Christ, and he went out looking for his friend, Nathaniel.
Sermon Seeds A28, 7/27/97
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Acts 9:1-22
CONVERTED!
If there was ever an opponent to Christianity, it was the Apostle Paul. Before God miraculously saved him, Saul (Paul) was "Public Enemy #1" to the Christians. See Acts 8:1-4
There came a day however, when Paul was converted. God saved him, and his life was not the same after that. He was a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17). Here is the story of Paul's conversion:
PAUL'S INTENT TO DO HARM Vss. 1-3
PAUL'S INTRODUCTION TO HIS NEW MASTER Vss. 4-9
PAUL'S INVOLVEMENT IN NEW LIFE Vss. 10-22
A visit from Ananias. Vss. 10-19
A voice for the Lord Jesus. Vss. 20-22
Sermon Seeds B13, 6/1/98
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1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-3:4
GRASPING THE TRUTH AM 4/13/08
The passage is helpful in showing us how to grasp the truth of Scripture. It begins by showing that God transmits truth, and then shows that we have various capacities for receiving that truth.
GODS TRANSMISSION OF TRUTH - 1 Cor. 2:9-13
Please bear in mind that no one wants you to have a grasp of the truth more than our precious Heavenly Father. Just as you want your child to know the truth, understand the truth, and practice the truth, so does God!
Jesus came to bring us the truth because He is the truth! John 14:6, 8:31-32,
1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
This is a beautiful verse! But most people use it for the wrong reason. This seems to be a great verse for the funeral of a believer, thinking of the great time God has in store for him or her in heaven which we know nothing about right now.
Humanly speaking, we can not grasp the things which God has prepared for his saints, not only in the world to come, but in this world as well. But look at verse 10.
1 Corinthians 2:10 - But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
God has revealed to us the things of the past that Hes done for us. God has revealed to us the things that Hes doing for us now. God has revealed to us the things that he will do for us in the future.
REVELATION is God showing us truth!
God used Paul and the other Apostles to write down the Word of God in order to reveal those great truths of Gods love for us!
1 Corinthians 2:11 - For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
A man knows the things of a man because he has the spirit of man living inside of him.
Nobody knows you better than you know yourself.
Nobody, except for God, knows your true motives or intentions but you!
That is, nobody knows them, unless you share them. Nobody knows what you are thinking unless you tell them.
In the same way, we cannot get inside the mind of God. The only way we can know what is on the mind of God is if God reveals it to us.
It is the spirit of man that understands a man.
It is the Spirit of God that understands the mind of God.
INSPIRATION
1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
It says here that we have received. And for something to be received it must have been given.
God through the Holy Spirit has given us His mind, His Word! Thats inspiration! 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21
Gods Spirit moved men of God to write the Word of God.
Also Gods Spirit lives within each Christian to help Him or Her understand the Word of God.
I am also encouraged by verse 12 that God gives to us freely.
1 Corinthians 2:13 - Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
In this verse Paul is telling us that He and other authors of Scripture were not communicating the wisdom of men, but the wisdom that was taught by the Spirit of God.
ILLUMINATION
1 Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The natural man (more about Him in a minute) can not understand the things of God, because they are discerned with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God is Spiritually discerned. That is the only way you or I will ever be able to understand it. John 16:13, Psalms 119:18
GODS TRANSMISSION OF TRUTH 1 Cor. 2:9-13
REVELATION INSPIRATION - ILLUMINATION (These words were used by John MacArthur in his commentary on 1 Corinthians Moody Press, Chicago, 1999)
MANS RECEPTION OF TRUTH 1 Cor. 2:14-3:4
1 Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
THE NATURAL MAN
The natural man can not receive the truth of God.
What is the natural man? He is a man without the Spirit of God.
The natural man is a sinner like the rest of us, but He has not put his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior from sin. He has not applied the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to His life.
To be sure the natural man can be a very good man. He can be a very moral man. He can be a very active man in society and even church. But without Christ, He does not have the Spirit of God. And without the Spirit of God, he can not grasp truth.
As it says in this verse, the things of the Spirit of God are foolish to Him.
The natural man, who does not have the Spirit of God has another problem. Not only can he not understand Gods transmission of truth, but he has no part in God, now or ever, unless He comes to Christ.
Romans 8:9 - Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
THE CARNAL MAN
1 Corinthians 3:1 - And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
The word carnal literally means fleshy ones.
They were not allowing the new nature, which Christ gives, to control them. Instead they were allowing their old nature, their old sinful way of doing things to control them.
The old nature lived for self. God gave us a new nature when we were saved, but the old nature still hangs around! And when the old nature is encouraged by our listening to it, we will be carnal Christians.
1 Corinthians 3:2 - I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Notice that being carnal affected the Corinthians understanding of the truth! Paul says, I can only give you milk, the very basics of the Word of God. I cant go any deeper than that with you.
Paul was telling them that they were babes and not growing up. What was their problem?
1 Corinthians 3:3-4 - For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
They were jealous of other people. Thats selfish!
In their jealousy they stirred up trouble in the church. There was strife!
In their strife they formed different groups and started following the teachers of Christ instead of Christ Himself! And jealousy, strife, and division are only the beginning of things that can hinder our growth. What about bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, deceit? Any sin can hinder us from receiving the Word of God!
There is a better way of receiving Gods Word.
THE SPIRITUAL MAN!
1 Corinthians 2:15 - But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
The Spiritual man can grasp the Word of God!
He can judge, that is, discern, evaluate, and analyze Gods Word effectively. Yet nobody can accurately judge Him.
The Spiritual man can understand the meat of the Word. He is able to understand the deeper things of the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 2:16 - For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The Spiritual man actually has the mind of Christ because He is controlled by the Holy Spirit.
So how do we grow up as Christians? How do we become Spiritual? Peter gives us the answer IN 1 Peter 2:1-3
GRASPING THE TRUTH:
GODS TRANSMISSION OF TRUTH:
Revelation
Inspiration
Illumination
MANS RECEPTION OF TRUTH
Natural Man
Carnal Man
Spiritual Man
Which are you?
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REVELATION 5
A GREAT DAY IN HEAVEN
THE BACK OF THE BOOK #6
· Why can we say that every day in Heaven is a great day?
· In what way could one day be greater than another in Heaven?
REVIEW REVELATION 4
· HEAVENLY SUMMONS Vss. 1-2
· HEAVENLY SCENE Vss. 3-7
· HEAVENLY SERVICE Vss. 8-11
As in the remainder of the Book of Revelation, the scene in chapter 5 is in the future. It is a continuation of Johns initial visit to Heaven, and is in preparation for the Lord Jesus Christ opening a book or scroll and carrying out the things written therein. It is a great day in Heaven because the Lord Jesus is the one who is capable and worthy to open the scroll.
SEALED BOOK Vs. 1
· This book is a scroll, with writing on both sides of the papyrus. The writing on both sides probably speaks of comprehensiveness or completeness. There is nothing more to be added.
· The book is sealed and, as we will see, can be only opened by one with power and authority to do so.
· There are many opinions as to what this scroll is. I personally feel that it is probably the Title-Deed to the earth.
The scroll John saw in Gods hand is the title deed to the earth, which He will give to Christ. Unlike other such deeds, however, it does not record the descriptive detail of what Christ will inherit, but rather how he will regain His rightful inheritance. He will do so by means of the divine judgments about to be poured out on the earth While the scroll is a scroll of doom and judgment, it is also a scroll of redemption. It tells how Christ will redeem the world from the usurper, Satan, and those men and demons who have collaborated with him. John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11, (Chicago, Moody Press, 1999), p. 164
STRONG ANGEL VS. 2
· Although the strong angel could have been Gabriel or Michael, the Scripture does not identify him.
· This is a special scroll. Only a special person, one who is worthy, can open it. The loud announcement is asking for such a person to come forward.
· The one who breaks the seals must be able to carry out the judgments written there.
SAD STATE VSS. 3-4
· A search was made for a worthy person. There was nobody found. Not even an angel was worthy to open the scroll.
· Unless someone worthy could open the scroll and execute the judgments found therein the earth could not be redeemed and restored to its state before the Fall. John wept bitterly.
SAVING KING VSS. 5-7
· John was told not to weep. As usual, God had things under control.
· The Lord Jesus is first presented as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:9 - Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
· The Lord Jesus is next presented as the root of David - Isaiah 11:1 - And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
· Luke 1:32 - He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
· Jesus was not only qualified to open the scroll because of his birth, but because of His work as the slain lamb. John 1:29 - Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
· The horns speak of power. The eyes speak of his complete knowledge.
· He alone could take the scroll out of the Fathers hand.
STUPENDOUS WORSHIP VSS. 8-13
· Vs. 8 Notice the proof of Jesus deity. He is worshipped! Praise and worship are reflected with the harps and bowls of incense.
· Vs. 9 Christ is worshipped for His redemptive work.
· Vs. 10 Christ is worshipped for making Christians kings and priests.
· Vs. 11 Angels and elders join for a magnificent chorus of praise.
· Vs. 12 The work of redemption is so phenomenal that Christ is worthy of all power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory, and blessing.
· Vss. 13-14 The worship scene ends with the whole universe giving their praise.
OUR GREAT REDEEMER
2 Corinthians 5:21 - For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 1:18-19 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Isaiah 47:4 - As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
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OPENED SEALS
REVELATION 6
THE BACK OF THE BOOK #7
· Name some of the greatest disasters, natural and man-made, that the world has ever seen.
· How do you think these disasters will compare to the Tribulation?
REVIEW REVELATION 5
· SEALED BOOK Vs. 1
· STRONG ANGEL Vs. 2
· SAD STATE Vss. 3-4
· SAVING KING Vss. 5-7
· STUPENDOUS WORSHIP Vss. 8-13
We now begin to see the Tribulation Period unfold. As we have seen, the church is in Heaven. On earth the Anti-Christ has begun to assert himself as a bogus man of peace and signs a pact with Israel that brings temporary peace to the Middle East (Daniel 9:27).
In Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ has taken the scroll out of His Fathers Hand, and begins to break the seals. As each seal breaks, a form of judgment ensues.
THE HORSES OF EARTH Vss. 1-8 SEALS #1-4
1. THE WHITE HORSE ANTI-CHRIST VSS. 1-2
· Vs. 1 The first seal is opened. There is a loud noise as one of the beasts summons Come!
· Vs. 2 The one who comes forth is someone on a white horse. The first thought would be that this is Christ coming to conquer. However Christ is opening the seals, and His coming is at the end of the Tribulation, not at the beginning.
· The one coming forth here is wearing a victors crown. When Christ comes, He will wear a kingly crown (Revelation 19:12)
· Here the one on the horse is carrying a bow without arrows. His initial conquering will be done through negotiation, as with Israel. This will change later. Christ will come with a sword. (Revelation 19:15).
· The Anti-Christ is an imitation Christ. He is a deceiver, a fake! He resembles Christ to a point.
2. THE RED HORSE WAR Vss. 3-4
· The peace on earth will be short lived. Red is the color of war, the color of bloodshed.
· During the first part of the Tribulation there will be wars and rumors of wars. Matthew 24:6-7
· Israel will evidently be protected at this time because of its pact with the Anti-Christ. Daniel 9:27
3. THE BLACK HORSE FAMINE Vss. 5-6
· The one on the black horse carried scales, with the idea of weighing out food which was in very short supply.
· A days wage, a denarius, would only buy a quart of wheat, or 3 quarts of barley. Prices will be exorbitant.
· The rider was instructed to hurt not the (olive) oil and the wine (Vs. 6), meaning that luxury items, affordable only to the rich, will not be touched. David Levy, Revelation: Hearing the Last Word, (Bellmawr, NJ, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Inc., 1999), p. 89
4. THE PALE HORSE DEATH Vss. 7-8
· The pale horse was pale green in color, a color that reminds us of death. Death was on the horse, and hell (Hades) followed. Either the word hell is referring to the grave or to hell itself.
· Death will be caused by war, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, killing ¼ of the worlds population. Right now, that would be over 1 billion people.
THE HEROES IN HEAVEN Vss. 9-11 SEAL #5
· Vs. 9 The heroes I refer to are those who I believe have already been martyred for the cause of Christ during the Tribulation.
· Vs. 10 They are inquiring How Long? They are not being vindictive. God had already promised judgment. They just wanted to know how long they would have to wait.
· Vs. 11 These Tribulation saints will not yet have their resurrection bodies (Revelation 20:4-5), but they had some form that God was able to clothe them with white robes.
· They were told that they needed to wait for the number of fellow servants and brethren to be fulfilled.
THE HARM ON EARTH Vss. 12-14 seal #6
· Vs. 12 - This earthquake will be the worst the world has ever seen to this point. Two more earthquakes are mentioned in Revelation 11:13 and 16:17-19.
· The sun will turn black and the moon will turn red, perhaps from the amount of smoke and ash in the sky. The earthquake will probably lead to fires and volcanic eruptions.
· Vs. 13 The stars of heaven here are probably meteors and/or asteroids that will bombard the earth. It will be like a fig tree having its fruit blown off and falling to the ground.
· Vs. 14 John likens the sky to an unrolled scroll that splits in the middle and rolls up on either side. John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11, (Chicago, Moody Press, 1999), p. 206 See Isaiah 34:4.
· The earthquake was worldwide, and so powerful that everything was shifted.
THE HOPELESSNESS OF MEN Vss. 15-17
· Vs. 15 Notice the total terror on earth. The devastation is so great that everyone from the richest and most powerful to the slaves and poor will be running for cover.
· Vs. 16 They will call and on mountains and rocks to fall on them to protect them from Gods wrath. Ironically, there is no sign of any repentance.
· They will also fear the wrath of the lamb. We normally dont think of an angry lamb as any great threat but this is The Lamb of God and The Lion of Judah.
· Vs. 17 Thankfully, the church will be in Heaven during this great day of God pouring out the wrath of His judgment. But think of all those who could face this fate unless they come to Christ!
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PASTOR MAIL is a mailing list for male pastors. The purpose of the list is to share sermons, outlines, illustrations and prayer requests. To subscribe send a blank email to pastormail-subscribe@associate.com
EXPOSITORY ECHOES is a mailing list that includes a full text sermon from Pastor Jack Peters. To subscribe send a blank email to expositoryechoes-subscribe@welovegod.orgHAVE THESE SERMON SEEDS BLESSED YOU? THEN, PLEASE PASS THEM ALONG!
ABOUT SERMON SEEDS:
Sermon Seeds is a weekly e-mailing of free brief sermon outlines from Pastor Jack Peters. These outlines are meant to help other pastors and Bible Teachers in their own preparations.
In most cases these outlines are only "seeds". They are not sermons ready for you to preach. Feel free to improve on these outlines anyway the Lord leads you.
TO SUBSCRIBE - Send a blank e-mail to: sermonseeds-subscribe@welovegod.org
TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Send a blank e-mail to: sermonseeds-unsubscribe@welovegod.org
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE!
http://www.sermonseeds.org is the location for the Sermon Seeds Archives. You will find most of the outlines from these e-mail editions, plus links to other helpful web pages. Be sure to sign the guest book, and tell me a little about yourself.
JACKS EMAIL ADDRESS jpeters@alltel.net
TALK TO JACK THROUGH INSTANT MESSAGING
I welcome live correspondence with those on the Sermon Seeds list. To put me on your "buddy list" here is the information you need.
AOL AIM JackPeters1947
MSN (Microsoft) - johnwpeters@hotmail.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE http://www.sermonseeds.org
This ministry has grown over the years because people like you have told others about Sermon Seeds. Always feel free to forward the weekly Sermon Seeds email to those who you think might be interested in these outlines. Also, please share our website address with others as well. Thank you for your support.
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: sermonseeds-unsubscribe@associate.com