The Consequences Of Non-Repentance.

The Consequences Of Non-Repentance.

Revelation 9:1-20ESV

When someone is in contempt of court, it means behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the court.

When it comes to contempt against the Lord it means knowingly defying God’s Lordship and Kingdom authority.

The consequences are eternal and will not be reversed. Contempt against the Lord is a very serious verdict.

So in these days before Jesus returns, wake up, sober up, and dress up, because very soon, we who believe in Jesus will go up to meet Him in the air. Jesus is coming to take us out of this world before the great and terrible “Day of the Lord.” Christ will snatch away every believer before God pours out His wrath on unbelievers who remain behind during the 7-year tribulation to come.

Revelation 9:1-2ESV And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.

Notice, the fifth angel blew his trumpet. Throughout God’s word the trumpet is a sign of staying alert, on go, ready, the trumpet blast spelled out victory, warning etc. However, greater than any of that, the return of Jesus!

Doug Mendenhall wrote a parable that gives us all something to think about:

Jesus called the other day to say he was passing through and wondered if he could spend a day or two with us.

I said, “Sure. Love to see you. When will you hit town?”

That's when Jesus told me he was actually at a convenience store out by the interstate.

I must have gotten that Bambi-in-headlights look, because my wife hissed, “What is it? What's wrong? Who is that?” So I covered the receiver and told her Jesus was going to arrive in eight minutes, and she ran out of the room and started giving guidance to the kids—in that effective way that Marine drill instructors give guidance to recruits…My mind was already racing with what needed to be done in the next eight—no seven—minutes, so Jesus wouldn't think we were reprobate-loser-slobs.

I turned off the TV in the den, which was blaring some weird scary movie I'd been half watching. But I could still hear screams from our bedroom, so I turned off the reality show it was tuned to. Plus, I turned off the kids' set out on the sun porch, because I didn't want to have to explain shipping wars or storage wars to Jesus.

My wife had already thinned out the magazines that had been accumulating on the coffee table. She put Christianity Today on top for a good first impression. Five minutes to go.

I looked out the front window, but the yard actually looked great thanks to my long, hard work, so I let it go. What could I improve in four minutes anyway? I did notice the mail had come, so I ran out to grab it. Mostly it was Netflix envelopes and a bunch of catalogs tied into recent purchases, so I stuffed it back in the box. Jesus doesn't need to get the wrong idea—three minutes from now—about how much on-line shopping we do.

I ran back in and picked up a bunch of shoes left by the door. Tried to stuff them in the front closet, but it was overflowing with heavy coats and work coats and snow coats and pretty coats and raincoats and extra coats. We live in the South; why'd we buy so many coats? I squeezed the shoes in with two minutes to go.

I plumped up sofa pillows, my wife tossed dishes into the sink, I scolded the kids, and she shooed the dog. With one minute left I realized something important: Getting ready for a visit from Jesus is not an eight-minute job. Then the doorbell rang.

Revelation 9:3-4ESV Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

I think it’s interesting that only God can speak to those that don’t realize they're God’s created; Those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Verse 4, say’s those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

The wonderful news is, those who are sealed know. They don’t walk around wondering if they’re sealed, they know.