Text:
Revelation 17:13-14:
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Theme:
Called Chosen and Faithful
Introduction:
- The Book Of Revelation is the only prophetic book of the New Testament and is written by the Apostle John while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos.
- The book’s purpose is to reveal what happens during the Apocalypse, or end times, or last days.
- As the other book written by the Apostle John, the Gospel of St. John, its primary focus during these end times is Jesus, the Christ.
- The context of our text is chapter 17 where God interprets the mystery of the woman and the beast that had seven heads and ten horns.
- The ten horns of the beast represent the 10 kings which give their power to the beast.
- It is here that we approach our text à 10 kings = “these” in our text
- However, we will in this study focus on verse 14 which is about the Lamb who is to defeat the beast.
- The Lamb is Jesus – Lord of Lords and King of Kings
- There are people with the Lamb è Who are they???
- Those with the Lamb are the CALLED CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL!
- The ten horns of the beast represent the 10 kings which give their power to the beast.
Body:
- Who are the CALLED CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL?
- The CALLED
- The Call of God à There are two types of “callings” from God
- The Call to live right
- 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
- The Call to service
- 2Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
- The Call to live right
- The CALLED are those whom God shows mercy toward
- Matthew 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- God provides the CALLING regardless of our REPENTANCE unto salvation.
- Matthew 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- We have all been called. The question is who has heeded to the call!
- The Call of God à There are two types of “callings” from God
- The CHOSEN
- The CHOSEN are those who heed to God’s call and satisfy His requirements…e.g. God’s Preacher!
- 2Thessalonians 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
- They are SANCTIFIED…set apart…by the Holy Spirit
- They BELIEVE based on the Truth of God
- 2Thessalonians 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
- Only a few of the CALLED are CHOSEN
- Matthew 20:16, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
- The “original” Chosen People:
- Revelation 7:4, “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
- The “adopted” Chosen People:
- Revelation 7:9, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”
- The CHOSEN are those who heed to God’s call and satisfy His requirements…e.g. God’s Preacher!
- The FAITHFUL
- What is Faith?
- Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- Faith is the belief in something that is not believable.
- Faith is living a reality that is not real.
- Faith comes from knowledge and is fueled by TRUST.
- Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
- The value of FAITH is that it CHANGES REALITY!
- You don’t have to feel stuck in the hole, problem, frustration, or relationship that you are in. Through FAITH you can CHANGE your REALITY!
- While they are the CALLED and CHOSEN, God is also expecting them to be FAITHFUL!
- Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
- You are gonna have to go through some things…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- You are gonna have to endure hard times…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- You are gonna get tired…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- You are gonna be misunderstood…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- You are gonna get sick unto death…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- It is gonna seem like God is not there some times…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- You are gonna think that you can do it on your own some times…BUT BE FAITHFUL
- HOW LONG?
- “Unto death”
- Don’t give up!
- Hold on ‘til the end!
- 2Timothy 2:3, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
- “Unto death”
- WHY?
- God will give us “a crown of life”
- Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
- We can only get our reward of “a crown of life” (eternal life) after we suffer the experience although not the sting of DEATH
- All three are dependent upon each other consecutively
- You must be CALLED before you can be CHOSEN
- You must be CHOSEN before you can have the Spirit of God that empowers you to be FAITHFUL
- God will give us “a crown of life”
- Why are the CALLED CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL with the Lamb?
- We satisfied the requirements
- To be with the Lamb, Faith is not an option but a requirement!
- Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
- Romans 8:30, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
- God promised
- 2Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him….”
- We satisfied the requirements
- Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
- What is Faith?
- The CALLED
Conclusion:
- Just to let you know…
- I am CALLED…
- He called me to LIVE RIGHT
- He called me to ACT RIGHT
- He called me to SERVE RIGHT
- He called me to PRAY RIGHT
- He called me to SING RIGHT
- He called me to PREACH RIGHT
- He called me to TALK RIGHT
- He called me to WALK RIGHT
- HE CALLED ME
- I am CHOSEN…
- I answered His call
- I confessed my sins
- I professed His being Lord over my life
- I expressed to other the way to Salvation
- I received His Spirit
- I die to the flesh and receive life through His Spirit
- I live in the predestined life that He ordained for me
- HE CHOSE ME
- I answered His call
- I am being FAITHFUL…
- When the struggles of life block my way à I hold to His Hand
- When I can’t see my way à I let Him be my sight
- When I stray off the path à I call His Name to righten me
- When the world is pulling me down à I seek His Face
- When you won’t treat me right à I look to Him to be my only Friend
- I HAVE TO BE FAITHFUL
- I wanna be with Him!!!
- I wanna be one of the CALLED CHOSEN and FAITHFUL!!!!
- I am CALLED…
#388
