“NO PAYBACKS” (REV. 13:10)

INTRODUCTION:

1. We have spent a considerable amount of time studying the book of Revelation.

2. We have found that the people of John’s day were beaten down, oppressed … the effect of many

assaults.

3. Persecution was vicious and severe.

4. Some Christians were killed.

5. John saw the need for God’s people to be encouraged.

I. DURING THIS STUDY I HAVE WONDERED IF WE COULD TAKE ONE OF OUR SONGBOOKS BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE UNDER ROMAN RULE, WHAT SONGS MIGHT HAVE HAD SPECIAL APPEAL TO THESE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS WHO WERE UNDERGOING FIERCE OPPOSITION? WHAT SONGS WOULD APPEAL TO PEOPLE WHO WERE LITERALLY DYING FOR CHRIST?

A. Tonight we are going to take a brief pause. We are going to draw some lessons from some of the

things we have seen in the book of Revelation.

B. If we think about John’s readers and the songs we sing, perhaps the song “Follow Me” would have

been sung by these brethren.

(1) This song is on page 107 of our songbooks.

(2) This spiritual selection has three stanzas.

(3) The first one says:

(a) “I traveled down a lonely road and no one seemed to care.

(b) The burden on my weary back had bowed me to despair.

C. One gets the sense that this is how some of John’s readers felt.

D. Christians, in many circles, were rejects (outcasts).

E. God’s people were looked upon as a disease that needed to be wiped out.

F. These soldiers of Christ had huge burdens on their backs.

G. Perhaps these brethren would have enjoyed coming together and singing stanza #2.

(1) “I work so hard for Jesus I often boast and say,

(2) ‘I’ve sacrificed a lot of things to walk the narrow way.

(3) I gave up fame and fortune I’m worth a lot to thee.’”

H. In looking at the first readers of Revelation, these Christians had given up much.

(1) Several had sacrificed to walk the narrow way.

(2) Many were hard workers for the Lord.

I. First century brethren could also have sung the final stanza.

(1) “Oh Jesus if I die upon a foreign field some day.

(2) Twould be no more than love demands no less could I repay.

(3) No greater love hath mortal man than for a friend to die.”

J. Some gave their lives on foreign fields.

K. More than just a few died.

L. Christian love and dedication kept brethren going.

M. John’s readers were living lives like many of our songs describe.

N. We sing words like the ones in “Follow Me”.

(1) “I gave up fame and fortune …”

(2) “If I die upon a foreign field …”

(3) “I traveled down a lonely road and no one seemed to care …”

(4) We may never experience some of these things but others have.

II. AS WE LOOK AT THE SAVAGE PERSECUTION THAT GOD’S PEOPLE FACED AND THE DEPTH OF THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE, THERE ARE SEVERAL CONCLUSIONS AND POINTS OF APPLICATION WE MAY BRING TO OUR TIME.

A. For instance, what excuse can we give to our God for leaving the faith?

B. If we lived back in the first century, we might have argued:

(1) “God, keeping the faith will require me to die a painful death.”

(2) “Being a Christian will cause my children to be taken away.”

(3) “I must give up Christianity or I will lose my job.”

(4) “Unless I leave the faith, I will go to prison.”

(5) “I am afraid to become a Christian because of the consequences.”

(6) “I will be beaten and be a social outcast.”

C. If God accepted excuses, these excuses would possibly be good ones.

D. What excuses can WE offer to God for leaving the faith?

E. What excuses can we give for being a lazy Christian?

(1) We cannot say to God, “I will be killed.”

(2) We cannot say, “The government will hunt me.”

(3) We cannot say, “ I will lose my children.”

(4) We cannot say, “I will be beaten … perhaps to the point of disability.”

F. If there has ever been a time and a country where people are without an excuse to become a

Christian and be active, it is now.

G. Christians in this country are virtually unhindered.

H. Occasionally there are some minor complications ... some law or rule is passed that offers a small

restriction ... but for all intents and purposes, Christians are unhindered.

I. We have a large number of freedoms.

J. If God did not excuse people in a time of persecution, how will He deal with us who are living in a

completely different environment?

(1) Our freedom is like the man who received several talents.

(2) Are we using our freedom or are we hiding it in the earth?

(3) Can we not imagine what judgment day will be like?

(4) Imagine two Christians standing before the Lord.

(a) One lived under the Roman rule.

(b) This brother lived with the threat of death every day.

(d) He remained faithful to the point of death.

(e) The other Christian lived in America.

(f) What did this man do with his life?

(g) He suffered very little.

(h) He gave of his excess. He had a half-hearted commitment.

(i) His freedoms were used for a pleasant life on earth.

K. I do not want to be brother #2. Neither do you.

L. We may not suffer like those in John’s day.

M. However, when we come before God we want to have a good record.

(1) Our record may have some limited checkmarks in the suffering column.

(2) We want the best possible grade in the areas of:

(a) Knowing God;

(b) Teaching the lost;

(d) Supporting Christ’s church,

(e) And being faithful to death.

O. In looking at the first century Christians, there is no excuse to:

(1) Reject Christianity;

(2) Be inactive or dead.

P. A second point of application is this.

(1) Think about the lifestyle that John’s readers had.

(2) These believers lived under continual persecution.

(3) God’s people were in a constant state of danger.

(4) Because of the hostility, revenge would have been a temptation.

(5) At times we too are tempted to pay back others because of what we’re going through.

(6) When we are hurt, we want to return the pain.

(7) There are people who seem to egg us on day after day.

(8) There is the temptation to retaliate.

(9) We have the desire to get even.

Q. Revelation tells us a thing or two about revenge. READ Rev. 13:10.

R. John summarizes much of the oppression in his day.

(1) Many of God’s people had gone into “captivity”.

(2) People were being killed with the sword.

(3) For some (many) revenge would have been tempting.

(4) In 10B John says what many brethren were doing – God’s people chose to persist in faith and patience.

(5) When wronged, these brethren knew what to do.

(6) From what John says many did what was right.

(7) When God’s people were persecuted, they did not retaliate.

(8) Christians were not seeking revenge.

(9) These people knew that God would take care of that. (Rom. 12)

(10) God promised revenge in Rev. 13:10.

(11) God said,

(a) “To the ones who have taken you captive, these very ones will enter into captivity.”

(b) “To those who have killed with a sword, they will also be killed.”

S. I read about some mistreated people this past week.

(1) Some “Christian” people were taken to communist prisons.

(2) 50-pound chains were wrapped around the prisoners’ feet.

(3) Pokers were heated in fires until they were red hot.

(4) These burning rods were then touched to bare human flesh.

(5) Salt was forced into their mouths. Then they were not given anything to drink.

(6) These believers were whipped. They were left out in the cold.

(7) At a later time, the communists were put into the prisons.

(8) Most of the world would have said, “Now it’s our turn to get even.”

(9) Communists had put both religious and non-religious people into prison.

(10) The non-religious people beat and tortured the communists.

(11) The religious people defended the ones who had tortured them.

(12) The religious people received one piece of bread per week.

(13) At times medicine was also made available.

(14) Both medicine and the one slice of bread per week were given away.

(15) The religious people gave these items to the ones who had beaten them.

(16) Revenge may be sweet. Revelation tells us this is a treat we are to resist.

(17) God says, “Revenge is my business.”

T. God’s promise of revenge provides a third point of application.

U. The mistreatment of God’s people brings serious consequences.

(1) When anyone deals with members of God’s kingdom, and these dealings are negative

(bad, harmful) …when God’s people are treated in a vicious/malicious way … heaven pays attention.

(2) No book of the Bible makes this point more often than does the book of Revelation.

(3) Rome tried to wipe out the church. Heaven responded.

(4) God wiped out an empire because Christians were mistreated.

(5) If we could draw no other lesson from Revelation, we can learn that Christians need to

be treated carefully.

(6) Brethren need to be dealt with in a way that is gentle and kind.

(7) The world has little interest in this point.

(8) As Christians, we can surely learn and apply this material when we deal with …

(a) a fellow Christian,

(b) a husband, wife, child,

(d) the member beside us or a member across the aisle.

(e) Treat these people as you would treat Jesus.

(f) Abusing a Christian in any way is bad news.

(g) Some have abused brethren in a financial way.

(h) Physical and mental abuse has occurred.

(i) Some brethren have been cheated and manipulated.

V. The book of Revelation shows that the mistreatment of a Christian is very serious.

III. WHAT OTHER POINTS OF APPLICATION MAY BE DRAWN FROM THE STUDIES THAT WE HAVE TAKEN FROM THIS BOOK?

A. A fourth point is the continuation of the church.

B. Last week we saw that Satan teamed up with a sea beast (Rome).

C. Next week the plan is to study the second beast mentioned in Rev 13.

D. Satan had two powerful allies. He tried to crush the church.

E. His assault was unsuccessful. The church continued.

(1) We have some modern prophets who say the church is doomed.

(a) “Unless the church changes, it will die.”

(b) “The church must be modernized or it will cease to be.”

(2) If by “modernize” we mean take advantage of technology – computers, internet, cell

phones, etc. – we agree.

(3) If “modernize” means “change the plan God has given” – no.

(4) The church will not die if we stick with God’s plan.

(5) We may not grow quite as fast as denominations grow; we may not make some people

happy; but the church will not die.

F. If Satan and his two great helpers (an unholy trinity) could not destroy the church, the church can

withstand the future.

G. This is a point that needs to be communicated to our young people.

H. In the church our young people are being pounded with the idea that our beliefs are out of date.

We must change with the times. Things are different now. The “old ways” will no longer work.

I. Our critics boldly tell us how drama must replace teaching and preaching.

J. What was worship must be transformed into entertainment.

K. Replace the Bible with cute stories, quotes and psychology.

L. Instead of the church affecting culture, culture guides the church.

M. At the end of Revelation (22:18-19) John says to stay with the plan.

N. This instruction is as valid in our day as it was in his.

(1) If we stay with the Lord, the Lord stays with us.

(2) With God on our side, the church will not cease to exist.

O. What other points of application come from Revelation?

P. The final point is that being a Christian is possible.

(1) If it were impossible to be a Christian, the first century would have been that time.

(2) I know of no one who has lived under more adverse conditions.

(3) In spite of immense difficulties, people lived the Christian life.

CONCLUSION:

1. If these people could live it, everyone here can as well.

2. There is no excuse to avoid becoming a Christian or being a faithful Christian.

3. If you are old enough to be a child of God and faithful to Christ, and have not yet made that choice,

there will be no better time to become a Christian.

4. You can become a Christian now. You can have all your sins forgiven right now.

5. We encourage you to have the new life in Christ.

6. If you desire this, please come now as we stand and sing the invitation song.