Sunday Evening May 12, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: The End [#7]
REVIVAL IN THE LAND
Revelation 7
Introduction:
1. One of the things many Christians pray for everyday is for revival to break out in our world. Wouldn’t you like to see a great revival breakout?
2. In Revelation 7 we find a great worldwide revival happening.
3. In fact, this will be the greatest revival this world has ever seen.
Revival
1. How does revival come about? It happens when people get right with God and get excited about telling the lost about Jesus Christ.
2. How many people does it take to start a revival? Just one! Revival is like fire. A fire can be started by one tiny spark. That tiny spark can quickly grow into huge flames and spread. Revival is the same way. Revival can start with one and spread.
Revelation 7:1-8
3. In our text, we find that God has 144,000 people sealed with His mark on their forehead. These 144,000 are God’s evangelist. Now there are many groups out there proclaiming that their group is the 144,000. The Jehovah’s Witness is one of these groups that proclaim they are the only true church and the only people that will enter Heaven. They also have 144,000 as the limit of people to enter Heaven.
4. There are several problems with this, besides the fact that it is just stupid! One main problem is the fact that the 144,000 are Jewish. There will be 12,000 people from each of the 12 Tribes of Israel. These groups that are making these claims are not Jewish and don’t claim to be.
5. It is also important to notice that God will seal these evangelists. God is the One that will place them there and protect them so that they can tell the lost about Jesus Christ. By the way, God placed you and I where we are for a purpose and that purpose is to tell the lost about Jesus Christ.
Reaping
1. The real evidence of revival is found in verse 9. When God’s people wake up and do what they are supposed to do we will see people saved.
Revelation 7:9
2. Who are these people that are saved? People from all nations. A world revival will breakout during the Tribulation!
3. We must also notice that many of these new converts are in Heaven, which means they were killed for the sake of Christ.
4. I must ask this question: If the Holy Spirit dwells within believers (and He does), how could the Holy Spirit be working if the church has been raptured out? Don’t forget that the Holy Spirit was working in the Old Testament. Just as the Holy Spirit convicted and empowered people in the Old Testament, so will He during the Tribulation.
Joel 2:28-32
5. Isn’t this exciting? The reaping of a great harvest of souls for Jesus Christ. Isn’t that our mission as Christians today?
Results
1. In the next 8 verses we find that result of salvation. We find out what is going to happen when we get to Heaven. We find out what the activities are in Heaven.
Revelation 7:10-12
2. We will worship God because He has given us salvation through Jesus Christ. We will fall on our faces before God.
Revelation 7:13-14
3. I love this question asked by the elder. Who are these people and how did they get here? Folks, they get into Heaven the same way we will, through the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins so that we can come into the presence of God.
Revelation 7:15-17
4. Before we discuss this description of Heaven, we must notice a very pivotal word in verse 15- “Therefore”. This tells us that these people are going to experience Heaven because they were washed in the blood of the Lamb. If the blood of the Lamb had not washed them, they would not be there.
5. Notice the characteristics of Heaven given:
Ø We will worship and serve God all the time.
Ø We will never hunger or thirst.
Ø We will never feel physical pain.
Ø We will be with God forever.
Ø We will never cry or be sad.
Conclusions:
1. As the song says, “What A Day That Will Be”!
2. As Christians, we do have our ticket to Heaven. We will worship and serve God for all eternity in Heaven, but why wait until we get to Heaven to worship and serve God?
3. While on this earth, we are to be telling this lost world that Jesus saves!
