Podcast appearances and mentions of Paige Patterson

In the last episode of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke explore the story behind a confidential letter in the SBC'S archives that leads to a pastor's wife named Maria. They also look at the Southern Baptist Convention's decision to expel churches that ordain women, critiquing the rhetoric of unity and biblical authority used to justify the exclusion of women from leadership roles Last, the episode draws on the lost portrait of Saint Fabiola as a symbol of women's enduring resistance, urging listeners to recognize the hidden stories of women who continue to challenge oppressive structures in the church. We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back. All the Buried Women is presented by The Bible for Normal People. Credits: Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Producer: Savannah Locke Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Leanne Friesen, CBOQ, and the many anonymous interviewees willing to share their memories of Maria Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters. Social Media Links: Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com Promo Code: Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor's Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 4 of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke share the story of Christa Brown, a sexual abuse survivor and advocate. Her experience reflects the broader issue of clergy abuse, where victims are often silenced and blamed, while abusers are protected and transferred to new congregations. The episode also highlights Pooler's research on the harmful psychological impacts of clergy sexual abuse, including PTSD rates higher than those of combat veterans, and the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) ongoing failure to protect victims. We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back. All the Buried Women is presented by The Bible for Normal People. Credits: Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Producer: Savannah Locke Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Christa Brown (Get Christa's newest book Baptistland: A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal, and Transformation!), David Pooler, Robert Downen, Rosalie Beck, Meredith Stone, and Barry Hankins Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters. Social Media Links: Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com Promo Code: Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor's Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 3 of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke explore the "loopholes" that allowed women to serve in ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), despite the formal prohibition against female ordination. These loopholes included roles like professors, missionaries, and pastor's wives, which allowed women to take on leadership and preaching roles in practice, even though they were not officially recognized as ordained ministers. We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back. All the Buried Women is presented by The Bible for Normal People. Credits: Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Producer: Savannah Locke Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Rosalie Beck, Steve Bezner, and Pamela Durso Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters. Social Media Links: Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com Promo Code: Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor's Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 2 of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke uncover the turbulent and hidden history of women in the Southern Baptist Convention. The story begins in the 1970s, an era of progress and pushback, and follows the journey of Kathy Hoppe, an ordained woman whose call to ministry intersected with a calculated takeover of the SBC. What happens when conviction collides with politics, and how do women respond when their calling is questioned? This episode reveals the invisible threads tying women's resilience to a denomination shaped by control and conflict. We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back. All the Buried Women is brought to you by The Bible for Normal People. Credits: Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Producer: Savannah Locke Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Kathy Hoppe, Barry Hankins, and Robert Downen Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters. Social Media Links: Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com Promo Code: Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor's Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the debut episode of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke aim to uncover women's stories hidden in the Southern Baptist Convention's archives. The story begins in an unexpected place for a podcast about Southern Baptists: 4th-century Rome with Saint Fabiola. Because Fabiola challenged religious and societal norms, her story has become a safe harbor for women with similar experiences… even women in the SBC. Fast forward to 1984, where a pivotal moment in Kansas City, Missouri, changed the trajectory of women's roles in the Southern Baptist Convention. There's a reason Orwell warned us about 1984. Listen to Episode 1 to find out more. We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back. Credits: Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Producer: Savannah Locke Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Jemar Tisby, Pamela Durso, Barry Hankins, and Meredith Stone Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters. Social Media Links: Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com Promo Code: Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor's Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue Truce It all started with a meeting over fancy donuts. Paige Patterson and a friend met together to plot the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. Before that time, the SBC had been more theologically diverse (though, not necessarily racially diverse due to its founding as a group that desired slavery). But if this group of fundamentalists was going to get a whole denomination to turn their way, they'd have to be clever. It would take time. Their scheme involved getting fundies elected into high office who could then turn committees and sub-committees to their side. It's a story of a minority group gaining control of a large organization, and steering it toward their vision of what it means to be a Christian. Sources The Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention – by Rob James, Gary Leazer The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Christianity Today article about Paige Patterson's allegations Religion News article about Patterson Tennesseean article about Patterson Article about early Baptists Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley Cornell's article about the separation of church and state Frances Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins Johnson Archives about SBC Johnson Archives SBC Resolutions Certified Pastry Aficianatro article about beignets Discussion Questions The episode starts with a discussion of accusations about Paige Patterson. What was your reaction to that story and why? Is it possible for a spouse to be a part of the salvation of their husband or wife? Where are the lines? When were you baptized? Did you do it as an adult, child, or both? Why? What do you think is the "right" way to baptize someone? Why? What are your thoughts on inerrancy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the lawsuits concerning Johnny Hunt and Paige Patterson is it possible SBC elites will realize the mistake embracing the #metoo movement was? #southernbaptist #sbc #churchtoo #metoo #paigepatterson #johnny hunt #bruceAshford #jdgreearSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-that-matter8971/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There is no other way to say it. The Southern Baptist Convention is running headlong into importing the #metoo agenda yet they make incredible exceptions when it comes to who they focus on. The Guidepost report ignored Joni Hannigan and Lauren Ashford. The accusations against Bruce Ashford at this point make Paige Patterson's and David Sill's situations pale in comparison. Yet not even an acknowledgement from SBC leaders?https://www.worldviewconversation.com/support/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-that-matter8971/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Harold Smith and Wade Lentz talk about the S.B.C. Guidepost SATF Report that revealed sexual abuse or sexual abuse coverups from S.B.C. entity leaders, including former S.B.C. presidents Dr. Johnny Hunt and Dr. Paige Patterson. This report shows some major fault lines within the S.B.C. that need repairing. The question is, how can this be fixed? Is it too late? 

In this episode, Harold Smith and Wade Lentz talk about the S.B.C. Guidepost SATF Report that revealed sexual abuse or sexual abuse coverups from S.B.C. entity leaders, including former S.B.C. presidents Dr. Johnny Hunt and Dr. Paige Patterson. This repo...

In this episode, Harold Smith and Wade Lentz talk about the S.B.C. Guidepost SATF Report that revealed sexual abuse or sexual abuse coverups from S.B.C. entity leaders, including former S.B.C. presidents Dr. Johnny Hunt and Dr. Paige Patterson. This report shows some major fault lines within the S.B.C. that need repairing. The question is, how can this be fixed? Is it too late? 

The documentary Enemies within the Church shows that similar human sins thrive in US evangelicalism and Eastern Europe“He who is faithful in the small will also be faithful in the great, while he who is unjust on a small scale, will also be unjust on a grand scale.” So said Jesus to his disciples in the sixteenth chapter of Luke. We should count these words among the many verses that American evangelicalism has lost sight of. Believers in Jesus Christ should understand the parallels between injustices that happen within their immediate social orbit and injustices they see writ-large on the nightly news. The little things and big things have an important and enduring relationship because people's misconduct in one's sphere mirrors and compounds their misconduct in the other.Let us consider, for argument's sake, someone who has very few resources but applies the few resources he has to abuse other people. It is safe to conjecture that such a person would probably commit war crimes if he were rich, powerful, and able to command thousands of troops to follow his bidding. If he had no regard for the damage done by his nonviolent and supposedly mild cruelties, it would not be hard to numb him to the damage done by violence. Once he's numb, anything becomes possible, because he no longer heeds the voice of the Holy Spirit.So why do I bring this up? A documentary came out about abuses of power within American evangelical churches, called Enemies within the Church. If you made it this far into the present article, you really need to go to this website (www.enemieswithinthechurch.com) and see it. I realize that most people right now are consumed with news about Ukraine. But the human concerns that drive readers to follow the Russian invasion bear upon the urgent information provided in the documentary.What does the evangelical church have to do with the price of tea in Ukraine?Americans are hearing leaders like Russell Moore denounce Putin for being a “murderer and tyrant” as well as “an abuser of evangelical Christians, other religious minorities, and even his own country's orphans.” Wow, that's rich. “Rev. Dr. Moore” has engaged in his own venal tyrannies. When he was president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, that organization didn't just attempt to liberalize tens of thousands of American churches toward an agenda fundamentally at odds with the Bible. The ERLC minions also destroyed people's careers, joined in campaigns of character assassination, and ruthlessly invaded institutions to get access to their resources, the most prominent example being the way the ERLC clique went savagely after Paige Patterson and his allies in order to install their friends and fellows at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Politics is as complicated in the church as it is at NATO. Russell Moore is an easy target for outrage. But as Enemies within the Church points out, like most supervillains of church life, Moore was promoted and protected by a host of people who have yet to be held accountable for the damage done to American evangelicalism. Documentary producer Judd Saul worked carefully to bring these abuses to light. If people don't understand the stakes and scope of the problem, if they fail to defend the bride of Christ against those who are abusing her, then American churches don't stand a chance.Many people I respect have told me there's no point fighting the fight of Enemies within the Church. They tell me the camp championed by the documentary—call it “the Christian right” if you wish—has already lost the war. Since the story about Ukraine broke, I've had heart-to-heart conversations with my friends on both left and right, especially who have been ruthlessly canceled. I've called up people like Michelle Shocked and Denise McAllister to find fellowship with those who went through cancel culture as I did. Authoritarian sins caused me and so many other Christians to lose our careers, friends, family, and reputations. It is obvious that the warmongering against Russia will bring cancel culture to a whole new level. People who question the dominant warmongering narrative should expect to be labeled pro-Putin, racist, and fascist, and forced to choose between their values and their ability to survive. What seemed like our “personal” issues with censorship and institutional abuses now appears ready to bring Western civilization into World War III and thermonuclear war. My friends may be right; perhaps all is lost. For my part I have withdrawn from social media and almost all public debate because I feel I did what God asked me to. I think God has given me leave to “cultivate my own garden” (pace Voltaire's Candide) away from the toxic sparring with people like David French, Colby Adams, Jonathan Merritt, Hannah Williams, Karen Swallow Prior, Janet Mefferd, and the rest. The wisest thing my father ever told me was, “the world is full of a--holes. Avoid them so you don't smart smelling like them.”I've also realized that almost nobody in the public square believes the ideologies they wear as labels. There is no shortage of famous people embroiled in debates about LGBT and Christianity, including the pastors who answered John Macarthur's call to protest against government bans on conversion therapy on January 16. In LGBT debates, however, most commentators do not seem to care about whether self-identified gay or trans people can turn to Christ and live out the Bible's vision for sexuality. They care about winning the debate.I know many of these self-proclaimed gospel defenders from my ten years of being involved in debates. They weren't there when these battles mattered or when their advocacy could have made a difference. They let countless people get banned, shunned, and crushed. Most of them have fallen into a predictable routine and need to perform their Christian beliefs in order to pay their bills and save themselves from loneliness and embarrassment. Culture wars and conventional ground wars have something in common. They have to be fought. They require strategy. They depend on funding, morale, and courage. To win wars you have to do something. And it saddens me to see Christians wanting to do something about Ukraine, where they can't accomplish anything valuable, while they continue to do nothing about the disastrous fall of Christ's bride at home.That's the key point getting lost in the fog of war. On the whole American Christians do not know very much about Ukraine or Russia. Unless they want to push American politicians to become entangled in yet another conflict far removed from us, full of ambiguities and devoid of clear-cut good and bad guys, we can't do anything about Ukraine from here other than pray. We should pray. But when it comes to the same timeless sins of hubris, domination, callousness to suffering, deceit, greed, vainglory, ambition, and aggression, take note—there is more than enough of that in our own church world, and evangelicals can do something about it close to home.The culture war plays a major role in the Russia-Ukraine War. The term “clash of civilizations,” coined by Samuel P. Huntington, could apply to Russia's friction with the west as much as scholars applied it to the collision of Christianity and Islam. Within the supposedly Christian west, one worldview anchored in timeless moral standards wrestles mightily against another worldview, which is not anchored anywhere but floats on the whims of postmodern, posthuman, relativist thinking. The United States has been exporting its sexual decadence, reckless consumerism, and general hedonism all over the globe. In the last fifteen years, Russia has played the counterbalance to the US in cultural terms, because Putin and other Russians have refused to go along with the west's redefinition of gender, sexuality, family, history, and morality. A lot of Christians who agree more with Putin than with Biden on morality find themselves in a difficult dilemma if they embrace the anti-Putin propaganda which boosts the anti-morality of America's political hedonism. They also find themselves in an awkward position if the situation tempts them to defend everything Putin does.Saul and Gordon came out with their film in November 2021. It is no surprise that all the platforms that need to be airing it are working hard to erase the truths the film exposed. The movie documents how people with unchristian agendas have grossly distorted scripture, even turned it against itself, in order to capitalize on the social capital that comes with America's pastorate. No matter how little talent one has, no matter whether someone believes in Christ or not, he who controls the pews has access. My own history with the documentary, and evangelical corruptionI was interviewed and appeared in the documentary because I had firsthand experience with the subject matter. I have learned the painful truth that there is nothing Christian, right, or conservative about what people perceive as the Reagan-legacy Christian right.

Paige Patterson, actor and postpartum doula, reflects on the highs and lows of her journey navigating an artistic career and how postpartum work has transformed her life. We loved connecting the patterns of how she was showing up in the world when she was met with “success,” and what she has learned from the darker times in her life. Paige’s passionate focus on being in love with all cycles of life and embracing her unique ways of living feels like a message we all needed to hear. Topics We Discuss: Acting Postpartum Doula Receptivity In the Episode, We Learn: She became deeply obsessed with theater in highschool, studied it in undergrad, and then went on to get her MFA at Columbia University. About her immersive experience applying and auditioning for the MFA program at Columbia. She met her husband and best friends while living in New York. She got signed with Paradigm and a great management company right out of college. How the casting directors in New York really coached her at the start of her career. About her years-long lesson of enjoying her wins in the moment and not focusing on what is next. The reckoning she had after coming off of a 14 episode run and not booking for 3 years. How she checks in with herself to step into her own power and pleasure. About her beautiful mentorship experience with Birdsong Brooklyn. How she discovered her unique offer to the world as a human and as a doula. About her postpartum doula offering, which includes day shifts, overnight shifts, and planning calls. The importance of sacred boundaries. After birth you have to give yourself space to heal: “Ideally 2 weeks in bed, 2 weeks by the bed.” The importance of giving yourself permission to grieve your old life - give yourself space to have two contradictory feelings like grief and gratitude. How she is focusing on being in love with her life as it is now. Some tips on how to help your body complete cycles and restore your nervous system. Resources: Connect with Paige on IG @paigeisapeach Birdsong Brooklyn mentorship program Skyting Yoga Davie-Blue (Somatics) The Twelfth House podcast from Holisticism The first 40 Days by Harry N. Abrams Awakening Fertility by Harry N. Abrams Affiliates: OSEA Malibu non-toxic skincare Living Libations organic and wildcrafted

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “How does the Bible end? With an invitation.”Scripture: Revelation 22:10-21; Genesis 3:1-19; John 7:37; 20:31; Isaiah 55:1; 2 Peter 3:1-13(Commentary helps listed at the end)Need:Bottom line: Revelation and the Bible ends with an invitation to come to Him: To watch, wait and witness (despite the suffering) until he returns to take us home to the New heaven and earth.INTRODUCTIONOpening story:God is always working for his people. (Rom 8:28) He's not waiting on us to ask. Ask, yes! But God's working whether we ask or not. God initiates mercy and grace. See Gen 3:1-19.Seminary student Christmas shopping spree. They gave us play money and then let us go in and “buy” gifts for our children. (Isaiah 55:1)Read Genesis 3:1-19; Revelation 22:1-9CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)It's also noteworthy that these last 2 chapters of Revelation and of the Bible occur when sin has been abolished from the universe. No more sin, shame, guilt, death—it's all history.Bottom line: Revelation and the Bible ends with an invitation to come to Him. (Several, actually) To watch, wait and witness (despite the suffering) until he returns to take us home to the New heaven and earth.OUTLINELAST WEEK invitation 1-2:Two invitations from God to us as we anticipate the New Eden and the reverse of the curse: (6-9)A. Obey God. (6-7)B. Worship God! (8-9)Five more invitations for a total of 7Obey the word. (22:6-7)Worship God! (8-9)Proclaim the truth of God. (10-11)Unlike Daniel, reveal, don't seal his word from the world. Why?Because “the time is near”For each of us it's only a heartbeat away.For all of us, it's never been closer. We're another day closer today.A day is coming when change will no longer be possible. (11) What some say…others say we can still change…“Imagine being at the Grand Canyon and having a tour guide take you to some massive precipice. You look over the edge and realize that the drop is so deep it makes you dizzy. Then the tour guide says, ‘Let the self-assertive fool who wants to destroy himself disregard caution, ignore my instructions, and go over the edge.' Is that what the tour guide wants you to do? P. 4143 things we know in our gut:We all know that we do what we want to do.We all know that we are responsible for what we do.We all know that God will hold us accountable for what we do.“How we respond tot he truth of God's word in this life will confirm our character and determine our destiny forever.” -D AkinPursue the will of God. (12-15)He's coming soon. He will…judge or reward after he…Examines our mindTests our heartGives us according to our waysAs judge, Jesus is fully qualified as he is the omniscient OneAlpha and omegaFirst and lastBeginning and endBe washed in the blood of the lambFor justificationFor sanctificationWashing = “persevering in faithfulness to Christ and refusing to compromise with the world” -D AkinGives us access to Tree of lifeRiver of lifeCity of life…forever!In contrast to those who did/do not. They are left outside the city in the lake of fire (“dogs”)Dogs in that dayStink and are dirtyRoll in their own stinkCannot wash themselvesRespond to the invitation of God. (16-17) Jesus authenticates the message of Revelation in v. 16.Root = source (before David, as God)Offspring = descendant (coming from David, as man)He's the God-man who's the bright morning star (Num 24:17)This passage is Christological. Colossians will expand on this (we'll start that series next week)The “Great Invitation” is a 4-fold invitation (17):The Holy Spirit says come!The bride, the Church of Jesus, says come!The one who hears is invitated.The one who thirsts for abundant, eternal life is invited. (Cf. Isaiah 55:1; John 7:37)Spurgeon says with respect to content and location of these verses:It's placed at the end of the Bible because it's the aim of the Bible.It's like the point of the arrow with the rest of the Bible being the shaft and the feathers.John wrote in his gospel these tings are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and that by believing you might have life in his name. (John 20:31)As far as you're concerned, this book has missed it's target unless you've accepted his invitation. All the books in the Bible cry to sinners, come to Jesus! Take the water that quenches your thirst!Heed the warning of God. (18-19)Severe warning (adding/subtracting)EveryoneComprehensiveLiterally Revelation (but by implication, all of scripture)Believers love, obey and receive the word.Unbelievers hate, disobey and reject the word.Pray for the coming of God (Return of the King). (20-21)“Yes” - answer the question “I am” - remember who he is“Coming” - second coming/return of the king“Soon” - one heart beat away; 1 day is like 1,000 years to the Lord (2 Peter 3)There is a God.You're not him.Are you ready to meet him?In sum, Revelation ends with a 3-fold posture to assume: watch, wait, and witness.Watch - Keep your eyes on the clouds…He's coming again! He's coming soon! Are you ready?Wait - Persevere. No doubt, suffering will accompany us as we wait. Do not grow weary in doing good in the meantime. Lean into your witness.Witness - This is the great work he's left us to join him in. Exalt the King. Expand the kingdom. As we keep our eyes on the clouds, we also keep our eyes on the crowds (Greg Stier). This is how we're to continue to do good. Our witness will result in invitations being accepted. It may also result in the ultimate witness of martyrdom. If so, so be it. To live is Christ, to die is gain and more of Christ.Ever since Genesis 3, the Garden and the Fall, God has been pursuing us with an invitation to repent and return to him. To repent and believe the truth that sets us free. So it's entirely appropriate that God would end Revelation and the Bible with these grand invitations.CONCLUSIONBottom line: Revelation and the Bible ends with an invitation to come to Him. (Several, actually) To watch, wait and witness (despite the suffering) until he returns to take us home to the New heaven and earth.Closing story:Jim Hamilton's notes“The resurrection guarantees the return.” -JHMines of Moria scene in the Fellowship of the Ring where Gandalf the Grey gives his life to save the Fellowship.Gandalf the Grey is resurrected and then returns as Gandalf the White. He comes back to them to help them finish what they started—to save the world from darkness. P. 411Jesus is coming back and he's inviting you to join him. Of all the ways he could end the Revelation, he chooses to end the letter with an invitation to come to him now.The question is, will you accept his invitation?PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:“The whole point of the book of Revelation is to engender an encounter with Him. An encourager that then empowers us to follow him and his paradoxal way.” - Darryl JohnsonRevelation = Apocalypse = unveiling = breaking through2-fold purpose:Seeks to set the present moment (in all it's brokenness) in light of the unseen realities of the future. Jesus is coming, and bringing with him a whole new creation!Seeks to set the present moment in light of the unseen realities of the present. A fundamental conviction of apocalyptic literature is that “things are not as they seem.”One of the unseen realities of the present is that the time is near. Nothing around us in history or nature tells us the time in near without help from scripture)The great purpose-the pastoral purpose-of Revelation is to open up that more and see Jesus in the midst of it all.Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near.” Jesus had to tell us this.Matt 24-25: Thrust is the time is near. Believe me. “Be alert” And yet, there's a process that takes time at hand. See kingdom parables too.Jesus talks about the future as imminent AND lots has to happen over time. Wars, rumors of wars, famines, false messiahs, gospel to the whole world…This tension is real.Doesn't every generation feel Ike they're the last one? Makes sense in light of Matt 24-25.Beginning = arche = source and pattern of the series; not just the beginning of the seriesEnd = telos = destiny/purpose of the seriesEx. Acorn's telos is an oak tree and groveThe telos of humanity is to become like Christ.After darkness is complete…Before the faintest sign of dawn…Tiny star seems barely able…but is a reminder that the night will end…will be defeated.The star pulls the morning sun behind it……just as Jesus pulls the kingdom behind him.Maybe your life feels like the darkest part of the night right now. Look to the Bright morning star and remember what he is pulling behind him.Need: To believe Jesus' words, ways and works with respect to the time is near and his handling of our rescue and evil's demise. (My take)OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:No, God wants you to repent. To change your course heart, mind, soul and strength and follow his ways, words and works.MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. JohnsonReplyForward

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Reverse the Curse: What is the New Eden?”Scripture: Revelation 22:1-9(Commentary helps listed at the end)Need: Believe that God's word is “trustworthy and true” enough to follow fully and faithfully.Bottom line: We reverse the curse in our own lives when we believe the word of God in word and action.INTRODUCTIONOpening story: Curse of the BambinoThe Curse of the Bambino was a superstitious sports curse in Major League Baseball(MLB) derived from the 86-year championship drought of the Boston Red Sox from 1918 to 2004. The superstition was named after Babe Ruth, colloquially known as "The Bambino", who played for the Red Sox until he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920.[1] While some fans took the curse seriously, most used the expression in a tongue-in-cheekmanner.[2]Babe Ruth as a member of the 1918 Boston Red Sox, the final season before the drought.External imagesPicture of the graffitied "reverse curve" road signRemoval of the sign (then re-graffitied to read "reversed the curse") by a crew including Governor Mitt Romney, following Boston's 2004 World Series victory.Prior to the drought, the Red Sox had been one of the most successful professional baseball franchises. They won five of the first fifteen World Series titles, including the first in 1903, more than any other MLB team at the time.[3]During this period, Ruth was a core contributor to the Red Sox's three championships in 1915, 1916, and 1918. Following the sale of Ruth, however, the once lackluster Yankees became one of the most dominant professional sports franchises in North America and set the record for World Series titles by more than twice the amount of any other MLB team.[4] The curse became a focal point of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry over the years.Talk of the curse as an ongoing phenomenon ended when the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series.[5] The Red Sox's championship was prefaced by them overcoming a 0–3 deficit against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the first and, to date, only time an MLB team won a best-of-seven playoff series after losing the first three games.The curse had been such a part of Boston culture that when a "reverse curve" road sign on Longfellow Bridgeover the city's busy Storrow Drive was graffitied to read "Reverse The Curse,"[6] officials left it in place until the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. After the World Series that year, the road sign was edited to read "Reversed Curse" in celebration.[6]Read Genesis 3:1-19; Revelation 22:1-9CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)It's also noteworthy that these last 2 chapters of Revelation and of the Bible occur when sin has been abolished from the universe. No more sin, shame, guilt, death—it's all history.Bottom line: We reverse the curse in our own lives when we believe the word of God in word and action.OUTLINEI. Description of the New EdenA. We will be nourished by God. (1-2)Water of lifeTree of lifeLeaves of healingB. We will worship our God. (3)Curse is reversedThrone of GodAppropriate response is worship/service (Latreuo) Ex. Romans 12:1Worship God as Father and LambC. We will see our God. (4)We will see his face.His name will be on our forehead.D. We will reign with our God. (5)In the meantime, accept these invitations (2 of 7):II. Two invitations from God to us as we anticipate the New Eden and the reverse of the curse: (6-9)A. Obey God. (6-7)His words are trustworthy and trueThe Lord sent his angel to show his servants what's comingHe's coming soon!Blessed are the obedientB. Worship God! (8-9)John's signatureJohn's overwhelmed response is and isn't appropriate (faith vs feelings—-> discipline)We're servants who worship and we're worshippers who serveWhen we take a good thing and turn it into a god-thing, we sin and commit idolatryIII. Five more invitations (NEXT WEEK)CONCLUSIONPoem from pg. 409-410-Jim HamiltonBottom line: We reverse the curse in our own lives when we believe the word of God in word and action.PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:We make Superman out to be a god.God makes Superman out to be a cartoon.A little girl once defined repentance as “Being sorry enough to stop doing it.”Fort Knox holds 173 billion dollars in gold.It has held the nation's gold deposit since 1937.It could create a 20x20x20 ft cube of gold.Now imagine how much gold it would take to create a 12,000x12,000x12,000 foot cube. Now 12,000 stadia! (1,500 miles)!What's the real treasure in the new heaven, earth, body and city?God himself.MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. JohnsonReplyForward

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “What's the New Jerusalem?”Scripture: Revelation 21:9-27(Commentary helps listed at the end)Need: We need to see how dangerous it is to set our hearts on the treasure here on earth.Bottom line: The real treasure of the new heaven, earth and city is God himself. We look forward to a new heaven, earth and city because there we will:Live in God's presenceexperiencing his mercySatisfied by his pleasures, andAware of his justice forever.God is the treasure. And God treasures us!INTRODUCTIONOpening story:A lot has changed in the last 500 years…Read Rev 21:9-27CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)It's also noteworthy that these last 2 chapters of Revelation and of the Bible occur when sin has been abolished from the universe. No more sin, shame, guilt, death—it's all history.OUTLINEThe New Jerusalem will be a perfect city. (9-21)The New Jerusalem will be a perfect temple. (22-27)“I did not see the temple in the city”Why? Because, “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (22)John 2:17-22Ephesians 2:19-22“This means that whereas formerly there was a structure, a tent or a building, that was holy because God was there, now the structure is the whole of the reality. The temple is the new heaven and new earth. Just as the temple was formerly the holy place in the midst of the wider world, now God and the Lamb are what the temple was: they are the holy in the midst of the world, and there is not a particular building that is the temple because the world itself has become the temple. This is what the OT prophesied in the passages such as Zechariah 14:20, 21.” -Jim Hamilton“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (23)“Have you ever taken a flashlight outside on a clear, sunny day? You can barely see the light of the candle or flashlight at all.” -Jim HamiltonI can remember getting a new Timex watch for Christmas and trying to see it glow during the day. You could never see it because the light in the room or outside was way to bright. You had to go into a closet and close the door to see it. The light of the sun and moon will be that dim in comparison to the light of the glory of God.“but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” will enter this city.“God wrote these people's names in the Lamb's book of life before foundation of the world. It is not unfair of God to write down some names and not others. He is God. He shows mercy to whom he pleases (Exodus 33:19). He does not owe mercy to anyone. He has chosen to guarantee that some will be faithful to him, and the rest he allows to make their own choice. They choose to worship the beast and suffer the consequences. But it is not as though those who names are written in the Lamb's book of life do not get the same choice. God so works that they are born again, and as a result they have the ability to see God's hidden kingdom. Because of that, they choose to resist the beast. They choose, and God chose them. Humans are responsible, and God is sovereign.” -Jim Hamilton p. 399The New Jerusalem will be a perfect garden. (22:1-5; Next week)CONCLUSION“Image that you were born into a miserable situation—no family, no future, no hope. A father you did not know and never would have met sets his love on you. He makes elaborate plans to redeem you for himself, make you part of his family, and give you hope and a future. The price for your redemption is shocking, but this father who has decided to adopt you doesn't even flinch.At a cost to himself that you cannot fathom, a price that you will not understand until your own faculties have matured, he ransoms your life. The redemption entails a journey of a distance we have no categories for comprehending, a sacrifice that risks everything , suffers, dies, and rises from the dead, and in the triumphant resurrection your life is secured. He has bought you back, and he will fetch you home.” -Jim HamiltonBetter questions:Have you chosen him?Bottom line: The real treasure of the new heaven, earth and city is God himself. We look forward to a new heaven, earth and city because there we will:Live in God's presenceexperiencing his mercySatisfied by his pleasures, andAware of his justice forever.God is the treasure. And God treasures us!PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:The value of a pearl can vary dramatically depending on many factors, such as its type, size, color, surface quality, and more. A wild pearl will be worth more than a cultured pearl. However, on average, a pearl's value ranges from $300 to $1,500.https://www.thepearlsource.com› h...How Much are Pearls Worth | The Pearl SourceA natural pearl (often called an Oriental pearl) forms when an irritant works its way into a particular species of oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed.https://www.jthomasjewelers.com› ...How Pearls Are Formed - J. Thomas JewelersOTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:We make Superman out to be a god.God makes Superman out to be a cartoon.A little girl once defined repentance as “Being sorry enough to stop doing it.”Fort Knox holds 173 billion dollars in gold.It has held the nation's gold deposit since 1937.It could create a 20x20x20 ft cube of gold.Now imagine how much gold it would take to create a 12,000x12,000x12,000 foot cube. Now 12,000 stadia! (1,500 miles)!What's the real treasure in the new heaven, earth, body and city?God himself.MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “What's the New Heaven and New Earth?”Scripture: Revelation 21:1-8 (Commentary helps listed at the end)Need: To believe that the best is yet to come.The saying goes, “I may not know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.”In one sense, this is true. I do not know what tomorrow holds. But,In another sense—a sense that matters much more—this statement falls short. Because in light of God's revelation, we DO know the future. And the future is bright and clear that the best is yet to come.Questions: Do you believe that the best is yet to come? Are you living like you believe that? Or are you living in fear? Or shame? Or guilt?Bottom line: We look forward to a new heaven, earth and city because there we will:Live in God's presenceexperiencing his mercySatisfied by his pleasures, andAware of his justice forever.Do you believe that the best is yet to come?Can you picture it?Or are you picturing something that you think is even better?Is that even possible?INTRODUCTIONOpening story:Our wedding day and weekend January 1988 was an exciting day full of stresses and reunions. But because of a massive ice storm that was paralyzing even the northerners along the Atlantic coast, it was even more stressful.Massive ice storm - From NYTimes.comIn South Carolina a tractor-trailer carrying 260 land mines collided with a small car last night in Myrtle Beach after skidding on ice. Traffic was blocked for 30 minutes as military bomb experts worked to secure the area, There were no injuries and the authorities said residents were not in danger. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/08/us/storm-drops-a-foot-of-snow-on-much-of-the-south.htmlThe storm sent many Southerners to grocery stores to stock up on supplies, and, in Little Rock, Ark., residents scooped up videos.''We had to beat them off with a stick,'' said Wallace Wyeth, manager of Goodtime Video. ''We're averaging about three tapes per customer.''At the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C., the polar bears were kept in their heated dens for their safety, ''just in case the pool freezes over or something,'' said Linda Roberts, a mammal keeper. ''They could jump in and it wouldn't be good for them.''It took our friend Randy 24 hours to drive the normally 8-hour drive from Pennsylvania. Another friend ran into a bridge abutment on his way from Louisville. My brother did a 360 spin in his RX-7.Lots of people late or missed itTerrible night before for me (lots of pent up frustration from my groomsmen or maybe just not happy to rent a tux)I couldn't wait to be marriedHoneymoon destination canceledGreat honeymoon and start to the rest of our life togetherDespite all of the stresses, we were still excited about our wedding day and it was a good one. But let me tell you what we were not thinking. We weren't thinking that this would be the best day of our marriage. We weren't thinking that there would never be another day in our marriage as good as that one. We truly believed that in our marriage, the best was yet to come. And that's the point of today's message.Just like…When we hunger, that's our body's way of telling us that there's something out there that satisfies this hunger.When we thirst, that's our body's way of telling us that there's something out there that satisfies this thirst.We yearn for a better life, a more fulfilling life, a more abundant life, even a longer life, that's our soul telling us that there's something out there that satisfies all of that. Forever.So when I think about eternity, I now think about the new heaven, earth and city because I know I'll spend it living in the presence of my creator, experiencing his mercy, satisfied by his pleasures and aware of his justice forever.What about you?Opening question: Do you live in anticipation that the best is yet to come? Does that impact how you live each day?OUR NEEDOur need is to believe that the best is yet to come.Last week's bottom line: The text teaches us that one day each and every one of us will stand before God and his throne and will be asked to give an account for our lives. (It's true it's already written down) There's a God, you're not him. Are you ready to meet him?Bottom line: We look forward to the new heaven, earth and city as we:Live in God's presence,Experiencing his mercy,Satisfied by his pleasures, andAware of his justice forever.Read Rev 21:1-8CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)Transition: This passage is about:The fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises, andThe completion of the story of our world as we know it.It's also noteworthy that these last 2 chapters of Revelation and of the Bible occur when sin has been abolished from the universe. No more sin, shame, guilt, death—it's all history.OUTLINE (Jim Hamilton's)I. The former things have passed away. (21:1-4) “The old has gone…” (2 Cor 5:17)MAIN THEME: The old is gone.HOLD UP AN OLD IPHONE and contrast it with my new one. The old has passed away…We could summarize these four verses as:“The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Cor 5:17 NIVA. Describes the new heaven, earth and city. (1-2)Still heaven, earth and city (symbolic and literal)No sea which is where they would remember evil comes fromRev 13:1 “The beast came up out of the sea”Job 41 “Leviathan”Holy city—the cube is the holy of HolmesB. Describes life in the new cityGod with us (Immanuel)No more tears…No more death…“In a new cosmos, in a holy city, with no sea from which an evil snake might arise, God will dwell with his people in intimate, covenant relationship.” -J HamiltonTo believers: “God is going to dwell with you and comfort you. Find in that hope theresolution to all tensionThe comfort for all sorrowThe healing from every disasterAnd the consolation that swallows up every disappointment” -J HamiltonGod is > all your painTo not yet believers: “If you're not a believer in Jesus, let me invite you to try and to imagine something better than this passage offers you…is what draws you away from God really better than this?” -J HamiltonII. “I am making all things new” (21:5-8): “The new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17)God makes 3 statements about his new state of affairs in the new:HOLD UP THE NEWER IPHONE…A. Statement of what God is doing. (5)B. Command to write. (5)C. Statement of who God is and what he promises to both the righteous and the unrighteous. (6-8)A promise to the righteous.A warning to the unrighteous.A. What God is doing (5): Making all things NEW (not renovating).B. “Write this down.” (5): God is faithful.God asserting his faithfulness to do what he's already said/written he will do.What is written will come to pass. It's as good as done. When we believe the Bible we're believing what it tells us about itself.The Holy Spirit bears witness as well.C. Statement of who God is and what he promises to both the righteous and the unrighteous. (6-8)“It is done!” - He tells us this before it even happens. He's trustworthy. His words are true.“I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end” - God asserts his eternal nature. “If God is already at the end, then he knows what will happen.” -HamiltonAlpha is first letter of Greek alphabet.Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.A promise to the righteous. “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” The river of life—abundant and eternal life. What we crave at our core.Do you thirst for God? Or do you thirst for his things?Do you love his justice and mercy?To not love his justice is to celebrate corruption.To not love his mercy is to fail to love the most beautiful reality God has created. (Indian chief story)“Those who are victorious will inherit all this…” As “sons” of God, we have the same inheritance that Jesus himself has coming. Wow!“The sons of the King are exempt from taxation, as Jesus explains to Peter (Matt 17:24-27). This is why 21:6 says that God will give the right to drink ‘from the spring of the water of life without payment,' and then verse 7 speaks of what those who overcome will inherit. Those who are united to Christ by faith are heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:26-29).” -HamiltonA warning to the unrighteous. “But if God is not what you worship, if you thirst for things other than him, your life will show it…andy you will go where you belong, where you will get what you deserve—the lake of fire, the second death.” -HamiltonBQ: “What does a thirsty man do to get rid of his thirst? He drinks.” -D AkinCONCLUSIONBetter questions:“Are you bothered by the so-called problem of evil? Have you ever asked yourself what would justify human history? What would make this world and everything that has been done in it worth creating?”“If God is omniscient, then he knew everything that would happen in the world that he created when he started the project. What could possibly warrant all the pain, death, disease, rebellion, wickedness, and sorrow that has happened in this world? Babies die. People get AIDS and cancer. Murderers do awful things. People are enslaved to sins that ruin their lives. Dictators murder their citizens, and genocides take place. What would justify human history? Why would God create a world where all this would take place?”“Why would God create a world where people rebel against him? A world where children reject the teaching of their parents and refuse to believe the gospel their parents believe. What would cause God to allow all this?”“We may never fully understand what God has done in this world, but 21:1-8 shows us that God will make a new heaven and new earth that is pure, that, unlike the first one, will never be defiled. He will comfort those who trust him, wiping away every tear, protecting them from all sin, dwelling in their midst, satisfying their thirst, relating to them as a bridegroom in covenant, as a father to a beloved son, as a faithful God in covenant with his people. And God's people will know him. They will know the glory of his justice and the glory of his mercy, and they will perceive these things in the salvation that comes through judgment. In studying Revelation, we pass through the final judgment in 20:11-15 on our way to the new heaven and new earth, in which righteousness dwells. God created the world so that he could make known his justice and his mercy. The justice God will demonstrate against the wicked is on display in the new heaven and new earth in his wrath on those who burn in the second death of the lake of fire in 21:8. For all eternity God's justice will be on display so that the redeemed who enjoy God's mercy will continue to feel the mercy they have received.” -Jim Hamilton, p. 388-389Bottom line: We look forward to the new heaven, earth and city as we:Live in God's presence,Experiencing his mercy,Satisfied by his pleasures, andAware of his justice forever.PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:mak-i´-ah; from 5332; medication (“pharmacy”), i.e. (by extens.) magic (lit. or fig.):—sorcery, witchcraft.5332. φαρμακεύς pharmakĕus, far-mak-yoos´; from φάρμακον pharmakŏn (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion); a druggist (“pharmacist”) or poisoner, i.e. (by extens.) a magician:—sorcerer.5333. φαρμακός pharmakŏs, far-mak-os´; the same as 5332:—sorcererOUTLINE (Don Wilmington's Outline Bible)I.OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:A little girl once defined repentance as “Being sorry enough to stop doing it.”Tear-filled vs fear-filled converts.When we're truly convicted of our sins, we tend to tear up with regret and at the thought of disappointing our loving Heavenly Father because of our thoughts, words, and/or actions. God doesn't want fear-filled converts but tear-filled converts. (Ray Comfort)MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “What's the Great White Throne of Christ?”Scripture: Revelation 20:11-15; (Commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: The text teaches us that one day each and every one of us will stand before God and his throne and will be asked to give an account for our lives. (It's true it's already written down) There's a God, you're not him. Are you ready to meet him?Are you ready for that? Let's pray.INTRODUCTIONOpening story:Circus elephant when it is born is tied to a stake so that it will learn that even though it will grow way more powerful and is easily be able to uproot a stake, it will believe the lie that it cannot pull the stake up and it cannot walk away. Circus elephants are trained in this way.Ex. Universalism which says that everyone goes to heaven. God would never send anyone to hell.Read Rev 20:11-15Opening question: When you join the ‘great and small' and stand. Before the great white throne and God asks you, “Why should I let you enter the new city, the new heaven and the new earth, and not cast you into the lake of fire?” What will you say?A set of scales is how most Americans think about this.It's a good question to ponder.TimelineOUR NEEDOur need is for mercy before a holy and just Creator—before God himself.Last week's bottom line: There's a God, you're not him, are you ready to meet him?Bottom line: The text teaches us that one day each and every one of us will stand before God and his throne and will be asked to give an account for our lives. (It's true it's already written down) There's a God, you're not him. Are you ready to meet him?CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)OUTLINE (Darryl Johnson Commentary)I. LThrone (20:11) - The dominate image in Revelation. Shows up 38X. Everything in Revelation happens with respect to the throne of God.6 scenes:4:1-5:14: Door open, throne occupied and therefore not vacant. It's not up for grabs.Holy, Holy, HolyWorthy is the Lamb7:9-17: A great multitude from every nation, tribe, tongue, people group Cry out for salvationLamb at the center will shepherd them to the springs of life8:1-4: Silence in heaven11:15-18: “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ and he will reign forever and ever.” V. 1516:17-19:5:Loud voice “It's done”Judgments over therefore Hallelujah chorus!Great multitude singingMarriage supper of the Lamb celebration20:11-15: Singing and shouting stopsNothing but a throne—a mega white throne.II. Who's on the throne? God the Father? Jesus Christ? Yes, both.III. Earth and heaven flee from the throne. Why? Because they're so polluted by human sin and evil cannot remain in his presence.IV. The dead, great and small, standing before the throne. (20:12) All of humanity stands on a level playing field in the end.V. Books were opened.Books about us.Bible? (Standard) Perhaps it will be there too.VI. “The dead…were judged according to their deeds.” (20:12) Not a salvation by works. “It's just that he's telling us that deeds are more serious than we in the 20th century think.Deeds reveal values.Deeds reveal character.Deeds reveal our true allegiance.Deeds reveal what we really believe. -DJSaved by faith or good works? Yes, both.“By their fruits you shall know them” -Jesus, Matt 7:20“Faith without works is dead.” -JamesDo you trust your doctor? (Pp. 352-3 in DJ commentary)You say you believe the doctor is the smartest in town. (diploma on the wall, reputation, etc.)PrescriptionWalk 1 mile/dayKnock off caffeineTake 3 pills/dayCome back in 1 weekYou leave filled with hope. You trust her! (You say)But then you don't follow her prescription fully.A week later, you return for a checkup.How are you feeling? Not so good.Ok, my prescription usually works. Did you do what I told you to do? Sort of.Did you walk a mile/day? Sort of. Not a whole mile.Did you knock off caffeine? I drank one Dr. Pepper/day but not a coke!So you didn't knock off caffeine.Do you trust me?Of course! You're the smartest dr in town. I'd be a fool not to trust you.Did you take 3 pills/day? Well, 1-2/day.I thought you trusted me…had faith in me.I do!No you don't.How can you judge me that way?!Because if you really trusted me, you'd do what I told you to do.Jesus said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46Books were opened.People judged “according to what they had done” because deeds reveal what we really believe.VII. Another book opened—book of life. (20:12)VIII. “Thrown into the lake of fire” (20:15): Symbolizes the state of being marked by deep regret and searing anguish.Not nothingness.Not forgetfulness.IX. “Second death” (20:14)First death = When we physically die.Second death = what happens to those who do not repent of their sin and turn to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—eternal regret, anguish, “Oh God I missed the point!”First resurrection = life after death/the grave. Being alive with Jesus before his coming glory.Second resurrection = what happens to believers after going through judgment scene (tribulation)—new creation where our bodies are transformed and made new. (Phil 3:21, 1 Cor 15:51-52)2 books. Good news. Really?First, books on those who believe inJesus Christ; there's a full accounting. God hasn't missed anything. It's all there in detail. Thoughts, words nad actions. Awful.But, good news. Everything confessed is erased or crossed-out. In red. Blood red.“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.1.8-9.NIVSecond, more good news because the other book—the Lamb's book (20:12). It lists the name, yes. But more importantly ti lists the deeds of the Lamb. The book on me lists my deeds.The Lamb's book lists his deeds. His deeds are deeds done on behalf of sinners like me!Perhaps the first page of the Lamb's book has these words from Isaiah 53:5-7; 11b-12:“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all…he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth…by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5-7, 11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.53.5-12.NIVDarryl Johnson writes, “At the judgment, the book on me is going to be opened. Then the book on Jesus is going to be opened. Then the book on Jesus is going to be placed over the book on me! And in place of my deeds, the court sees his deeds!”CONCLUSIONOpening question: When you join the ‘great and small' and stand. Before the great white throne and God asks you, “Why should I let you enter the new city, the new heaven and the new earth, and not cast you into the lake of fire?” What will you say?Funerals are hard when the person who passes is a believer. They're even harder when we know that they were not a believer or we don't believe there was fruit in their life to support the belief that they were. Darryl Johnson suggests the following:“This is how I handle it. I will say something like this: ‘We are all going to die. And each of us is going to have to give an accounting for our lives. On that day we have two options. The firstoption is to take our stand on the basis of what we have done with our lives. The second option is to take our stand on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done with his life. I shall exercise option two. I find no hope in option one.”“I saw a great white throne.”What will you do?A little girl once defined repentance as “Being sorry enough to stop doing it.”Bottom line: The text teaches us that one day each and every one of us will stand before God and his throne and will be asked to give an account for our lives. (It's true it's already written down) There's a God, you're not him. Are you ready to meet him?PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:OUTLINE (Don Wilmington's Outline Bible)I. The great chain. (20:1-3) LAST WEEKA. The prisoner.B. The prison.II. The great reign. (20:4-6) LAST WEEKA. The resurrection of the just.B. The rule of the just.III. The great revolt. (20:7-10) LAST WEEKA. The adversary.B. The apostasy.C. The attack.D. The annihilation that goes on forever.IV. The great white throne. (20:11-15) THIS WEEKA. The Judge: The Savior is seen sitting on his throne. (20:11)B. The judged: All the unsaved throughout all human history are now judged. (20:12-13)The books in this judgment (20:12)Various books (12a)The Book of Life (12b)The basis of his judgment (20:12c-13):Their deeds done while on the earth.C. The judgment (20:14-15): To be thrown into the lake of fire forever.Akin's outlineI. Unbelievers will stand before the sovereign God of the universe. (20:11)II. Unbelievers will be judged for their righteousness, not the imputed righteousness of Christ. (20:12-13)III. Unbelievers will spend eternity separated from God in the lake of fire. (20:14-15)Summarizing Jesus' teachings on hell in Matt 25:31-46 (by Don Whitley):Hell is real.Hell is separation from God.Hell is for all the ‘accursed ones.'Hell is eternal.Hell is fire.Hell is a prepared place.Hell is eternity with the Devil and his angels.Hell is inevitable if you have never come to Christ.Hell is inescapable once you are there.Hell is avoidable if you will repent and believe in Jesus Christ.Add to thisOnly God has the power to cast humans into it (Luke12:5)Both the soul and the body could enter it (Matt 10:28)See also the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and it becomes clear that our Lord believed hell was real.No room for universalismNo room for annihilationismWe know that Jesus believed in it becauseHe thought it.He died on the cross because of it. “Would he have died under the wrath of God if there were no wrath to come?” -M'Cheyne“Why all this suffering in the spotless One if there is no wrath coming Ont he in sheltered, unbelieving head?” -M'CheyneOTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:Tear-filled vs fear-filled converts.When we're truly convicted of our sins, we tend to tear up with regret and at the thought of disappointing our loving Heavenly Father because of our thoughts, words, and/or actions. God doesn't want fear-filled converts but tear-filled converts. (Ray Comfort)MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Millennial Madness: What is the millennial reign of Jesus Christ?”Scripture: Revelation 20 (Commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: There's a God, you're not him, are you ready to meet him?INTRODUCTIONOpening story:In March of 1997, 39 members of the cult Heaven's Gate committed mass suicide in an attempt to enter a higher plane of evolutionary existence. Coinciding with the close proximity of Haley-bop comet, they believed that they were leaving for a better world. They were described as part new age, part Christian millennialist and part UFO religion. And yes that's an official designation for some religion.We look at that and rightly think that's madness. And yet we argue and debate over Christian eschatology even in the church, even though the things we largely agree on are much more important than the things we disagree over. This madness needs to stop.OUR NEEDWe need to realize that the number 1 is much more important than the number 1,000. It's not about the 1,000-reign of Christ. One Lord. One Savior. One way, truth and life. 1 King. It's about the one who made our salvation possible and that we're one day closer to his return.Last week's bottom line: We worship Jesus for who he is and what he's done (and what he's doing to do): He came and He's coming again!Bottom line: There's a God, you're not him, are you ready to meet him?CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)OUTLINEI. The great chain. (20:1-3)A. The prisoner.B. The prison.II. The great reign. (20:4-6)A. The resurrection of the just.B. The rule of the just.III. The great revolt. (20:7-10)A. The adversary.B. The apostasy.C. The attack.D. The annihilation that goes on forever.IV. The great white throne. (20:11-15) NEXT WEEKV. Discuss the 3 views: (sketch on dry-erase)A. Pre-millennialistB. A-millennialistC. Post-millennialistCONCLUSIONWe need to realize that the number 1 is much more important than the number 1,000. It's not about the 1,000-reign of Christ. One Lord. One Savior. One way, truth and life. 1 King. It's about the one who made our salvation possible and that we're one day closer to his return.There's a God, you're not him, are you ready to meet him?He's coming back. You have to decide whether or not you believe that. The proof that you believe that will be seen in how you orient your life. If around him, his mission and his imminent return, then we'll know. If not, then you'll live like the rest of humanity and that doesn't end well.Next week we'll go deeper into this great white throne of judgment and what Jesus believed about hell.PrayOTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Why Worship Jesus?”Scripture: Revelation 19:11-21 (Commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: We worship Jesus for who he is and what he's done (and what he's doing to do): He came and He's coming again!INTRODUCTIONOpening story:See Tomb of Unknown Soldier description in Jim Hamilton's Revelation commentary.OUR NEED“We Christians don't realize who we are. We too often forget that this world is not our home. We are not earthlings. We see the city that is to come, which has eternal foundations, whose King is Jesus.”I was chatting with my long-time friend who's in the ministry about this happenings in the news this week. We talked vaccines, civil disobedience, and our identity in Christ. It was funny how we both were struggling with how to respond to the events happening in our country this week. I found that in both our cases when we focused“Mission for God exists because worship of God doesn't.” -John Piper, Let the Nations Be GladSo why worship Jesus Christ?Last week's bottom line: We worship Jesus Christ for who he is and for what he's done. We exist to worship him and enjoy him forever.Bottom line: We worship Jesus for who he is and what he's done (and what he's doing to do): He came and He's coming again!CONTEXTWe have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)We saw the fall of BabylonLast week we saw heaven celebrate himThis week we see another reason why: his return! (Second coming)OUTLINEThis passage gives us THREE huge reasons for why we worship Jesus. And they don't even include that fact that he CREATED us or that he is the RISEN Christ defeating death and living forever (which should be reasons enough!). (We covered two last week)So, in case we needed more reasons to worship Jesus, here they are in Revelation 19We worship Jesus Christ because:Of his just wrath and judgment over humanity. (Last week)Of his joyous wedding to the Bride of Christ (the Church). (Last week)Of his jubilant return ending Babylon and establishing his Kingdom forever. (This week)In light of Jesus' return in chapter 19, a vast crowd will praise him the Lamb of God:I. The celebration in Heaven (19:1-10) LAST WEEKA. Praising the Lamb for his wrath on a corrupt whore (19:1-5)The reasons for his judgment (19:2): This false religious system is condemned on two counts.Corrupting the earth with immorality (19:2a)Murdering the saints of God (19:2b)The rejoicing over this judgment (19:1, 3-5)The song (19:1b, 3, 4b-5): It consists of one great, grand, and glorious word: “Hallelujah!”The singers (19:1a, 4a)A vast multitude (19:1a)The 24 elders (19:4a)B. Praising the Lamb for his wedding to a chaste wife (19:6-10)_The clothing of the bride (19:6-9): She wears the cleanest, whitest, and finest of linens.The chastening of the apostle (19:10): John is rebuked for attempting to worship the angel who is revealing these things to him.II. The confrontation on Earth (19:11-12) THIS WEEKLet's remember we're talking about the king of kings in Rev 11:15: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”He's also a person in the sense that he's the second person of the trinity. This passage opens with us looking at a person—the divine person of Jesus Christ. Fully human and fully God. I can't explain it. And he's beautiful to behold. Perhaps this is why Darrell Johnson wrote, “I'm sure this is why, as my grandfather died, just before he took his last breath, he said to my father and his brothers, ‘Oh, boys! He's beautiful!” Heaven is about a person!A. His appearance as heaven's King (19:11): John sees Jesus, who is called Faithful (reliable) and True (authentic, genuine, real thing), seated on a white horse, coming from heaven.Second coming: White horse (2nd coming)—conquering king, and a Donkey (1st coming)—king of peace.Why is Jesus coming back? 3 reasons for his second coming:To judge Satan, sin, and the system of the world (Babylon) (17, 18, 19:11-21)To establish the universal, visible, manifestation of His millennial kingdom (20:1-6)To provide motivation for faithful service for the Church in each and every generation in the meantime.Second coming will be globally unmistakable:Like lightning—quick and brightly visibleLike vultures—come to consume corpses (see battle)End of great tribulation starts with judgment and vengeance.Note his character: faithful and true (just judge and just war)B. His apparel as heaven's King (19:12-13, 15-16): Jesus wins because of…His eyes…penetrating judgment and insight; he misses nothing seeing all (and he still loves you); they don't just look at us—they look through usHis many diadems (symbols of victory) all on one head represents all the kingdoms he rules (all of them); total sovereignty! It is a strange sight but not uncommon in the first century for kings to wear multiple crowns to show he was king of more than one country. A crown for every victory? you could argue a crown for every person he's rescued and defeated death for!Vs many heads each with just one crown on the dragonHis name no one knows but him—two points:In ancient times it was thought if you knew someone's name (even a god's) then you could exercise a certain level of control over him or her. To a degree that is true. If you see your friend walking down the street ahead of you and you yell out, “Betty!” She will stop and turn around. If you want to get a child's attention you say their full name Darien Roger Gabriel! It is a way of saying that Jesus Christ—as available as he's made himself—is under no one's control.In ancient times, names revealed something about the person's nature and character. “You are Simon. You shall be called Cepheus, the Rock.”His robe dipped in blood—both a priests and kings robe…His from battle—his enemies will be judged; but he arrives to the battle with blood already on his robe…His martyr's blood—his saints will be vindicatedHis blood from the cross (I favor this one)—his substitutionary atoning sacrifice will save many souls from sin, death and hellC. His authority as heaven's King (19:15-16): unparalleled authorityHis titles:The word of God (cf. John 1:1-14)-God's perfect communication and revelation (word and deed)King of kings and Lord of lords—sovereignly rules over all for ever. Not Caesar is Lord—Jesus is Lord! The declaration of faith of the early churchHis sword—his powerful words are the means from which he will conquer evil forever.He spoke to a fig tree and it withered.He spoke to howling winds and heaving waves and they calmed.He spoke to a legion of demons and they obeyed.He speaks here and the war is over and he is the victor.Jesus is “the word of God” meaning Jesus is God's speech…his final speech.His rod—more like a very strong shepherd's staff. He shepherds by leading, feeding and protecting his flock. Rule here can also be translated “shepherd”His wine press—Picture of his holy and full wrath against Babylon, Satan and his kingdom. It will also include those who follow him.D. His armies as heaven's King (19:14)—plural meaning probably humans AND angelsDressed in linen and on white horses—white represented the redeemed and linen representing priests (vs warriors); will get to follow him into battle but really no battle at all; linen is the uniform of priests and the Bride—not of warriors.No fight—Jesus shows up and it's over; Chuck Swindoll said, “Let's cut to the chase: before anybody on earth can utter the word ‘Armageddon,' the battle will be over. When God determines the end has come, it's curtains.” Insights, p. 254E. His avenging as heaven's King (19:17-21)He defeats Satan's armies.He defeats antichrist and false prophet. The first permanent residents of hell are these two.Why does Jesus Christ win? Because of who he is. He is king of kings and lord of lords. He's our Creator! He's our savior!CONCLUSIONContrasting two feasts.Wrath vs Wedding.PrayLord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32OTHER NOTES:Contrasting first and second comings of Jesus ChristFirst vs. SecondHe rode a donkey vs a white horseHe came as the suffering servant vs King and LordHe came in humility and meekness vs majesty and powerHe was rejected by many as the Messiah vs recognized by all as LordHe came to seek and save the lost vs to judge and rule as KingHe came as God incognito vs in all His splendor-Daniel AkinOTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. JohnsonReplyReply allForward

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Why worship Jesus Christ: His wrath and wedding?”Scripture: Revelation 19:1-10 (Commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: We worship Jesus Christ because of who he is and what he's done. We exist to worship him and enjoy him forever.“Mission for God exists because worship of God doesn't.” -John Piper, Let the Nations Be GladIntroduction:“Imagine boarding an airplane, having the doors close, and then hearing the pilot announce that as soon as he gets the plane off the ground he's putting his nine-year-old son in the pilots chair. How relieved would you be if near the end of the flight, after many dips, dives, jerks, and polls, the pilot announced that he had taken control of the plane? When God begins to reign, the world will finally be ruled as it should be.“ -HamiltonAfghanistan we've seen injustice and evil…We will have reason to celebrate one day!John piper wrote that the reason the mission of God exists because the worship of God does not. Let the nations be gladWhat will get us through is this truth:Last week's Bottom line: “The future is bright even though the day is dark.”This week's bottom line: We worship Jesus Christ for who he is and for what he's done. We exist to worship him and enjoy him forever.Last week in Revelation 17-18 we saw the downfall of Babylon and how those seduced by her are drug down with her into destruction with her. Are you in that crowd? God calls you out today! (V. 4)This week we see God praised for his character and competency. His character shines as he acts in accordance with that character in judging the whore and giving her what she deserves.Context:We have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)Last week we saw the fall of BabylonThis week we see heaven celebrate himNext week we'll see his return! (Second coming)Outline:This passage gives us two huge reasons for why we worship Jesus. And they don't even include that fact that he CREATED us or that he is the RISEN Christ defeating death and living forever (which should be reasons enough!).So, in case we needed more reasons to worship Jesus, here they are in Revelation 19:1-10In light of Jesus' return in chapter 19, a vast crowd will praise him the Lamb of God:I. The celebration in Heaven (19:1-10)A. Praising the Lamb for his wrath on a corrupt whore (19:1-5)The reasons for his judgment (19:2): This false religious system is condemned on two counts.Corrupting the earth with immorality (19:2a)Murdering the saints of God (19:2b)The rejoicing over this judgment (19:1, 3-5)The song (19:1b, 3, 4b-5): It consists of one great, grand, and glorious word: “Hallelujah!”The singers (19:1a, 4a)A vast multitude (19:1a)The 24 elders (19:4a)B. Praising the Lamb for his wedding to a chaste wife (19:6-10)The clothing of the bride (19:6-9): She wears the cleanest, whitest, and finest of linens.The chastening of the apostle (19:10): John is rebuked for attempting to worship the angel who is revealing these things to him.II. The confrontation on Earth (19:11-12) (NEXT WEEK)Conclusion:Have you been invited to the wedding feast?Have you accepted the invitation?How are you preparing to be part of the bride of Christ?PrayNotes:Why we worship Jesus:Hallelujah = Praise Yah or Yahweh = Praise the Lord = Praise Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.4X - nowhere else in the NT; found heavily in the Hallel PsalmsWho God isSaviorGlory, attributes of GodLoveTruthHolinessPowerKnowledgeOmnipresenceOmnigoodnessImmutabilityTruth & HolinessAvengerKing, sovereign rulerBridgegroom; GroomProvider of HolinessWhat God's doneSaved us from sin and death, shame and guilt, babylon the whore, and hell itself.Present in His people (Holy Spirit)True and just in his judgments (esp. against babylon and Satan.Avenged all injusticeRules with all authority and powerBetrothed to His peopleClothed His people in righteousnessWho am I in light of this?His servant who rightly fears and reveres himHis saved/rescued oneWorshipper of Jesus ChristBride of ChristWhat do we get to do as a result?Please him; gladly submit to himLive for him with my life he saved from eternal destruction and damnationRejoice and shout hallelujah because of who he is and what he's done. Worship God!Enjoy him and his wedding feast forever.Better questions:Are you invited to the wedding feast?Have you accepted your invitation?What's keeping you from accepting that invitation?What does your life say?What needs to change?Hallelujah = (You) Praise Yah(weh)BQ: Why only used here (4X in Revelation)? Why do we worship and praise Jesus like this here?Reason 1 - Because Jesus Christ delivers his people from the Whore (Babylon).Psalms 113-118 are the Hallel psalms. The thread that runs through them is the Exodus. They are sung before, during and/or after the Passover Celebration. They recall God's deliverance from and judgment of Egypt. (The Babylon of that day)Jesus and his disciples likely sang one or more of these as part of their Passover celebration at the last supper. (Mark 14:26)We worship Jesus because he delivers us from Babylon (the world, the flesh, the devil).Babylon = the great city, the whore, mother of whores, the power that opposes God's purposes and oppresses God's people.1500 BC Passover meal celebrates deliverance from Egypt won through the coming Passover lamb (Jesus).AD 30 Wedding feast celebrates deliverance from Babylon won through blood of the lamb.Reason 2 - Because of the coming marriage supper of the lamb. (Eternal feast) Because he calls us and then makes us ready by empowering us to be ready for his arrival. (Cf. Phil 2:12-13) “Therefore, the multitude cries, “Hallelujah!” The bride (the Church) is ready to enter into the feast, which lasts not 7 days, not even 14 days, but forever.” -D JohnsonThroughout the OT, the arrival of God's kingdom—new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem, new Zion—is spoken of as entering a great feast.See Isaiah 25:6Rev 19:7 & 9Parable Matthew 22:1-14King is God the FatherSon is JesusAll who didn't RSVP to invite and dress appropriately are judged“Let us rejoice and be glad” only shows up twice in NT:Rev 19Matt 5:11-12“Let us rejoice and be glad” Why? Because the vindication of Jesus' disciples is taking place.Case: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” is a discipleship book—a document to hope make disciples. (Darrell Johnson)Jesus' great commission is go make disciples of all nations, all ethnic groups. This book shows us what it means to be his disciples. These images help us.Images:Great city (Babylon) vs The Greater City (New Jerusalem)Whore vs BrideTitles and images: Disciples are:PriestsCo-regents with JesusWitnessesMartyrsHis Bride1st Church (Ephesus): “Left your first love.” (2:4)7th Church (Laodicea): “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into you, and eat with you as you with me.” (3:20) Echos love poem in Song of Solomon 5:2“I stand and knock”“Hear my voice”“Opens the door”4th Church (Thyatira): “Jezebel who seeks to seduce Jesus' bride into bed with Babylon the whore.”Ephesians 5:25-27Marriage customs of 1st century Judaism:3 steps in getting married:Engagement (betrothal)Prepare for weddingWedding supper itselfBetrothal ceremonyProspective groom and best man leave father's house and travel to prospective bride's house. Finalize arrangements and settle on “purchase price”. (She is bought at a price, 1 Cor 6:20)As soon as paid, marriage technically went into effect. Legally bound to each other but not sleeping or even living together yet. She was declared “consecrated” to the groom (set-apart) exclusively for him.A new covenant established between the sealed by drinking wine over a benediction was pronounced: “This cup is a new covenant”The groom leaves bride's house and returns to father's house for 12 months while he prepares a room there for them to live in.During this time the bride prepares herself for the wedding (and marriage).While not sleeping or even living together these 12 months, they were legally and spiritually bound to each other. “So binding was this betrothal agreement—this covenant—that if a man died during the betrothal period, she was considered a widow. To breach the betrothal agreement was the same as divorce.” (Think Joseph and Mary)“At the end of the betrothal period, the bridegroom, dressed in festive attire, and accompanied by his best man and friends, would make his way back to the bride's house. Although everyone had a rough idea of when the groom would come, they did not know the exact day or hour. Usually, to add the element of surprise, he would arrive around midnight. His arrival would be preceded by the shout, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out. Come out to meet him” (Matt 25:6). Then, wiht great joy, the bride, veiled and accompanied by her maidens, who were carrying lamps, would come out to join the groom and his attendants. Then the wedding feast itself would begin!”“First, there was a brief ceremony involving the word, “take.” The groom would “take” the bride from her home. Thus the Hebrew expression, “Take a wife”. free the groom “took” the bride, the whole bridal party would make its way to the groom's father's house. There they would find the wedding guests gathered and dressed in special robes. The feast would take off! It would last 7 days, sometimes 14 days.”“About AD 33, in Jerusalem, Jesus is havin gthe Passover meal with his disciples in an upper room. He takes a cup of wine, gives it to his disciples, and says, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.; Jesus then tells them he is leaving. Wha'ts more, he tells them that they cannot come where he is going—-yet (John 13:36).Then John 14:1-3“Do you hear what Jesus is claiming? He is the Bridegroom, the headband of the people of God. We are his bride. He has paid ‘the purchase price' with his own blood. He has sealed the engagement with a cup of wine; ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.' He is preparing a place for us in his Father's house. And he is coming to take us to himself to be his forever.”“We have been betrothed! We are engaged to Jesus Christ!” -Darrell Johnson“Hallelujah! The time has come for the marriage feast.” Send out the invitations. “Blessed!” “Blessed is everyone who is invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”Look at Rev 19:7-8 “And the bride has made herself ready…was given to her to clothe herself…”Tension here like throughout the NT. On the one hand, “The bride has made herself ready.” On the other hand, “And it was given to her to clothe herself.” Which is it?It is the same tension found in Phil 2:12-13: “So then…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Who's doing the work? Us or Jesus? The answer is both.“He calls us to himself. Then in relationship with himself, he begins to free us, especially from captivity to Babylon, and begins to empower us to live a new life. Our new life leads to new deeds, “the righteous deeds of the saints” (19:8). Yet it is because of his power at work in us—that we are able to do the new deeds.” -D JohnsonWhat does all of this mean for discipleship right now? At least 6 Things:If we are engaged to the Lamb, then we have a powerful picture of the nature of Jesus' love for us.He loves us as his friendsAs his brothers and sistersAs his templeAs his body…But as his BRIDE! Wow!If we are engaged to the Lamb, then we are very secure. Bought at a price: his own blood.We are not our own any longer—we are his!New covenant he'll never breakIf we are engaged to the Lamb, then the fundamental issue of discipleship is loyalty. The issue is fidelity. We do not want ot be found in bed with another lover. Babylon, the whore, is very seductive. We cannot be engaged to 2 brides.If we are engaged to the Lamb, then sin is worse than we thought. Sin is adultery. It is not only missing the mark. It is not only twistedness.It is adultery. Profoundly relational.If we are engaged to the Lamb, then the call to loyalty is a call to be ready. It's a call to intimacy.He's gone away to prepare a room in his Father's house. (21-22)While he's gone, are we preparing ourselves? “The righteous acts of the saints”If we are engaged to the Lamb, then the call to discipleship is a call to simplicity.We are too busy. Too encumbered.No wonder we lose intimacy. Lack of margin kills intimacy. -Andy StanleyThink back to when you were engaged…we MADE time to be together.Being in love simplifies things. The call to discipleship is the call to do whatever it takes to stay in love with Jesus.Other Illustrations:Main commentary help:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. JohnsonReplyReply allForward

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “How to See The Future”Scripture: Revelation 18 (Commentary helps listed at the end)Introduction: Makes me think of how quickly things can change in a nation. Afghanistan fell to the Taliban this week in 1 day. We know that the foundations of the existing government were weak already so while it fell suddenly, they were vulnerable as soon as our troops left.Our nation (America) is sliding towards destruction too. And while this slide may be gradual, the crash will also likely to be sudden. Perhaps revival will delay or prevent this. Are you praying for revival in our land?What will get us through the great tribulation as the church? We'll have to figure out how to work together to live for Christ with the daily threat of dying for Christ.What will get us through is this truth:Bottom line: “The future is bright even though the day is dark.”Our need: Eyes to see that these dark days as a blip on the timeline of eternity and live accordingly; a drop in the ocean of time.Quote: “Today, the greatest challenge facing (evangelical, Bible-believing) American (Christians) is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world.” —CJ Mahaney, pastorQuote: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who goes on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased.” -CS Lewis, Weight of Glory, pp. 25-26Last week in Revelation 17 we saw how evil turned on evil when the Beast destroyed the Whore.In Revelation 18 we will see more of the downfall of Babylon and how those seduced by her are drug down with her into destruction. Are you in that crowd? God calls you out today! (V. 4)Context:We have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)Outline:I. God judges the whore. (1-8)II. The world laments over the whore. (9-19)III. The angels sing of the doom of the whore. (20-24)Conclusion:Reminders of Afghanistan. Christians there are dying today for their unwillingness to be seduced by Babylon. They are the martyrs spoken of in Revelation.Question: Would you be willing to die for what you believe in?Where do you see yourself right now? Living in light of today? Living in light of eternity?Where do you want to see yourself?What's keeping you from repenting and believing that the way of Jesus is the way to go?Repent of your sins today. Trust and follow the Lord Jesus Christ who knows the way, the truth and the life.PrayNotes:Rome was considered Babylon (code to the Church in John's day) and he was prophesying it's destruction around AD 95. In AD 410, after a long slide into destruction, Alaric, with his northern hordes of Goths, pillaged Rome and laid it waste in one week.John wrote Rev 17-18 to (Bruce Metzger):Stimulate faithfulness in first century persecuted ChristiansTo remind them of their ultimate victory in Christ no matter whatIt's a warning to believers . Babylon is allegorical of the idolatry that any nation commits when it elevates Material abundanceMilitary prowessTechnological sophisticationImperial grandeur, andRacial pride over the Creator.This seems familiar to me as an American citizen.Revelation concerns the character and timeliness of God's judgment not only on people but also nations…and all authorities, corporations, institutions, bureaucracies, denominations and even churches. -Bruce MetzgerQuestions: Are we drawn to the spiritual “Red light districts” of our world? Or are we drawn to the kingdom of God?Other Illustrations:dad joke/Funny: “Everybody is talking about the apocalypse like there's no tomorrow…”“Keep your eyes on the clouds and the crowds.” —Greg StierLive in light of his imminent return.“Jesus didn't give the Church the book of Revelation so we'd build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we'd would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlundOther thoughts wrt joy and circumstances and Jane / Nightbirdie“Sow a thought, you reap an action;Sow an action, you reap a habit;Sow a habit, you reap a character;sow a character, you reap a destiny.”-E. Stanley JonesMain commentary help:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Which city are you living for? What woman are you chasing?” Revelation 17 PG-13Scripture: Revelation 17(Main commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: “Live for the Lamb and his pure bride, not for the beast and his foul whore.” -HamiltonOur need: “We need to be convinced that it's better to live for the Lamb and his pure bride than for the beast and his foul whore.” -HamiltonContext:We have seen:Jesus and his churches (1-3)The throne and judgments of God (6-16)Now we move to this section on the whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)Contrast:The world is the foul whore.The Church is the bride of Christ.Who do you want to live for? Which city?Babylon the Great, orServes the beastSells it's soul to the world, the beast's foul whoreLives for what will look good for a short while before being destroyedCarries out his purpose Leads to the Great Babylon aka HellThe New JerusalemServes the LambFellowships with the church the Lamb's pure brideLives for what will last foreverPlease God through obedienceLeads to the New JerusalemWhich religion: Works or grace?Intro/Opening story:“Tale of Two Cities” in 11th grade English classAlso consider:Foxes Book of MartyrsAntipasOutline (from Willmington's Outline Bible):I. The information in regard to this prostitute (17:1-6)A. Her corruption (17:1-2, 4)She commits adultery with both potentates and people of this earth (17:2)She says blasphemous things about God (17:4b)She is utterly materialistic (17:4a)B. Her compromise (17:3): She has aligned herself with the godless political systems of this world.C. Her caption (17:5): On her forehead is written,“Babylon the Great,Mother of all prostitutes and obscenities in the world”D. Her cruelty (17:6): She is drunk with the blood of martyrs she has murdered. (Share story of 21 Martyrs)II. The interpretation in regard to this prostitute (17:7-18)A. What John sees (17:7): He sees a woman riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns.B. What John is told (17:8-18)The woman represents a corrupt religious system depicted by the city of Babylon (17:8)The beast represents various kings (17:9).Some have already ruled (17:10-11)One king will be the most powerful (17:13)Ten kings are yet to rule (17:12)These kings will destroy the woman but will themselves be destroyed by the Lamb (17:14-18).Conclusion:My sister-in-law and I were talking movies the other day and we were discussing the difference between DC comic movies and Marvel comic movies. I noted that I thought it was ironic that DC who boasts darker, more realistic stories uses fictional cities (Metropolis and Gotham) whereas Marvel, who tends to take itself less seriously uses real cities (mostly) like New York and Budapest.How serious are you taking the city you're living in?John calls us to be in the world but not of the world. (1 John 2:15-17)Where do you see yourself right now? Which woman are you more identified with? Which city seems more like home to you?Where do you want to see yourself?What's keeping you from repenting and believing that the way of the Lamb is the way to go?Repent of your sins today. Trust and follow the Lord Jesus Christ who knows the way, the truth and the life.PrayOther Illustrations:dad joke/Funny: “Everybody is talking about the apocalypse like there's no tomorrow…”“Keep your eyes on the clouds and the crowds.” —Greg StierLive in light of his imminent return.“Jesus didn't give the Church the book of Revelation so we'd build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we'd would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlundOther thoughts wrt joy and circumstances and Jane / Nightbirdie“Sow a thought, you reap an action;Sow an action, you reap a habit;Sow a habit, you reap a character;sow a character, you reap a destiny.”-E. Stanley JonesMain commentary help:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “Why worship God for Armageddon?Scripture: Revelation 16:1-21(Main commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: God is glorified in his just wrath as he brings is awesome wrath on his enemies—wrath that fits the crime. (Just ask the heavenly host)Intro/Opening story:Brave Church by Rowland SmithThe year was 250 CE and Rome found itself facing, invaded even, by a different kind of enemy. It was not an army it could simply defeat on the battlefield, but a plague that swept through parts of the empire.Most historians think the invader was akin to Smallpox or Bubonic Plague, based on the early descriptions of symptoms. Whole households were disappearing to the ravages of the disease. Proximity was spreading illness at unprecedented rates, causing fear and panic as people saw their friends and family quickly falling ill, only to escape symptoms by death.Plague and PanicBodies were left in the streets, being removed from houses so that remaining inhabitants could hopefully live in relative safety from whatever was attacking. The sick were driven out into the public areas to die a slow and painful death. It caused panic among the public, resulting in many fleeing to the countryside to escape the confines and tighter living of city neighborhoods. At one point, up to 5000 per day were falling in Rome alone. The empire was dying in epidemic proportions!However, as many fled, there was one group of people that stayed. They cared for the sick, buried the dead, attempting to thwart the plague by burying bodies and covering them in lime, or burning bodies that had been piled in the streets. Who were these lunatics that stayed and cared for those who were dying? Who was this group that ran into the plague instead of fleeing in panic? They were known as Christians.Love and LoyaltyThese so-called Christians that lived within the Empire were found with the sick and dying, not running from them. As people suffered in the community, they responded with love, care and concern. They put their hands on the hurting and brought comfort to their suffering.In 260 CE Dionysius wrote a tribute to their efforts saying, “Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and only thinking of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ…”These anomalies of common sense stayed to care for the wholeness of the community, dealing with the ravages of death and infection rather than running to the hills in search of safety. The Christians lived in search of love and in search of a response that looked like Jesus' life. A life where love triumphed danger and where the values of the kingdom of God overruled the safety of one's life.These values resulted in a bravery that was not witnessed in the rest of the community or in the civic rulers. Only the Christians were brave enough to love, in spite of the dangers.A Growing Faith Most historians reflect on this era of Roman history as a critical time in Christian history as well. This response of the Christian community is often cited as one reason that this faith in Jesus grew among the population. Even pagan observers noticed a constant charity and love for others. During these times of plague and great need in Roman history, Christians were observed to be standing in the gap where the empire failed to bring wholeness.The emperor Julian complained in a letter to his pagan priest in Galatia that the virtues and responses of the Christians were out matching their own citizens. He observed that recent Christian growth was partly due to, “benevolence toward strangers and care for the graves of the dead.” He goes on to say, “The impious Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that they lack aid from us.”Curious ValuesThe early church, as it lived in Rome, gained notice as a community that lived under a different set of values that were based on love and care for neighbor. They brought human care to situations in ways that other philosophies and belief systems did not, and so people were drawn to it. They were drawn to a community that cared for them in spite of their outsidedness and differences in beliefs. And so, the Romans noticed this strange band of brave people that were connected by a Galilean named Jesus. They noticed these oddities because they lived by virtue of a particular verb…love.Teach the frame reminding us about Rev 11:15 that Jesus will be king. (Time permitting)Read through and explain Rev 16 as the last 7 judgments of God on his enemies.We must read Rev 16 from God's perspective—not ours. Explain why…Each plague:The placeThe punishmentThe promise or perversion1st 3: response of the righteous2nd 4: response of the wickedIf time…Final thoughts with help from Nicky Gumbel:I. Jesus is coming back. He tells us this in his beatitude. Second coming of Christ—are you ready? We're one day closer to it than we were yesterday.II. Jesus took your judgment. “It is done” reminds me of “It is finished” from Jesus on the cross where he died for my sins so that I wouldn't have to. (John 19:30) Cf. Romans 6:23 and John 3:16III. Judgment is delayed. (But this is his final warning) Judgment is for those who “refused to repent and glorify him.” (16:9) …but not forever. It is right and good that God would judge those who deny him giving them what their actions and attitudes deserve. Are we ready? Are we warning others?IV. Judgment will be totally just. 16:7 (heaven praises him for this too) And we're reminded that God's judgments are “true” and “just”. That's because he is truth and he is holy. This is consistent with his perfect and unchanging character.ConclusionAs Greg Stier says, let's keep our eyes on the clouds and on the crowds as we wait expectantly for his imminent return. Let us not walk in fear but in love rooted confidently in the faith we've received in Jesus Christ.Read 10 commandments (Exodus 20); 2 Peter 3:8-9; 1 Thess 5:1-11.Invite people to repent and believe.Tell someone.If you want your name written in the book of life, pray to God something like this,Dear God, thank you for revealing your word and ways to me today. Thank you for helping me understand better who you are and what you are doing.I believe that Jesus Christ, the son of God, died for my sins in my place so that I could receive mercy and have life in his name. Forgive me for my sins and fill me with your Holy Spirit to overflowing. Help me read and obey your word daily as I learn to walk in step with you. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.PrayOther Illustrations:“Keep your eyes on the clouds and the crowds.” —Greg StierLive in light of his imminent return.“Jesus didn't give the Church the book of Revelation so we'd build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we'd would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlundOther thoughts wrt joy and circumstances and Jane / Nightbirdie“Sow a thought, you reap an action;Sow an action, you reap a habit;Sow a habit, you reap a character;sow a character, you reap a destiny.”-E. Stanley JonesThe Framed Picture of Revelation 11-16144,000 sealed—6 trumpet plagues (7-9)True Prophet John (10:1-11)Persecuted Church (11:1-14)Christ is King (11:15-19)Persecuted Church (12:1-13:10)Satan's False Prophet (13:11-18)144,000 sealed—7 bowls of wrath (14-16)Notice the symmetry and how it purposefully points to the most important truth in the book of Revelation. Just another way God reinforces the idea that he's purposefully revealing himself to us for our good and his glory.Other notes:References:Main commentary help:Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Book of Revelation, NICNT, Robert MounceThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonBible in One Year reading plan, Nicky GumbelExalting Jesus in 1 Kings by Tony MeridaDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Covered a ton of topics from Doug Stauffer's claim that I changed the text of The King James Only Controversy because of his refutations -false-, to the weaponization of medicine, the onset of vaccine mandates, and the rise of trans-humanism. Played some pretty creepy videos -well, Rich thought they were creepy-. Talked about Leighton Flowers a bit, and Rich tells me a fellow in Twitter wrote to tell me that LF is not, actually, Southern Baptist, or, at least, works for a non-SBC entity, and hence could embrace Open Theism without a problem. I know years ago he was associated with Paige Patterson and Southwestern, but, things change. I still think he would be worried about the stigma still associated with the position, but maybe the attraction will get to him eventually. Anyway, lots of worldview analysis today on the program. Wrapped up with a few minutes in response to Sam Shamoun's recent rant.

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to ComeTitle: “What to do with God's wrath”Scripture: Revelation 15(Main commentary helps listed at the end)Bottom line: The display of God's holy justice in saving his people and winning their praise is meant to make us want to be among the redeemed, not the condemned.Intro/Opening story: Our youth are back from a week of camp. Their theme was “The darkness and the light”. They broke it down over 4 days:Let there be light: The God who creates (Creation)The light came into the world: The God who cares (Incarnation)You are the light: The God who calls (Sanctification)Light the darkness: The God who commands (Mission)In Revelation 15 we see God leveraging evil to judge evil justly. It feels very dark because the world will be covered in darkness. But God's people will still be called and commanded to shine brightly in that darkness as God unleashes his holy and just wrath on all humanity that persists in rebellion to him. I love this quote: “Jesus didn't give the Church the book of Revelation so we'd build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we'd would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlundToday, we will see the precursor to the bowls of God's wrath coming in Rev 16.3 “I saw” or “I looked”:I. God's wrath will be finished. (15:1)Plagues remind us of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Bowls will be more plagues.When we think of wrath, we tend to think of losing control. God doesn't lose control or his temper.II. Victorious worship by the nations. (15:2-4)Songs of deliverance From slavery in EgyptFrom slavery to sinActions of GodTitles of GodFear God and bring glory to his name. Why?He alone is holyAll nations will worship himFor his righteous acts have been revealedIII. God's glory and power will be displayed. (15:5-8)We broke the covenant law.He is holy and must punish sin.He will reveal his power and glory through his holy justice on sin. Not social justice.Biblical justice.ConclusionEarly church documents show that the day of a person's martyrdom was called the day of his or her victory because they didn't succumb to the pressure of compromise. —Darrell Johnson. P. 225“The victory comes in facing the worst the beast can throw at us and remaining faithful.” —Darrell Johnson, p. 225Who's side are you on?The question is never, “Will I be a disciple?” The question is always, “Who's disciple will I be?”Let's pray.Other Illustrations:Funny: “Everybody is talking about the apocalypse like there's no tomorrow…”“Keep your eyes on the clouds and the crowds.” —Greg StierLive in light of his imminent return.“Jesus didn't give the Church the book of Revelation so we'd build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we'd would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlundOther thoughts wrt joy and circumstances and Jane / Nightbirdie“Sow a thought, you reap an action;Sow an action, you reap a habit;Sow a habit, you reap a character; sow a character, you reap a destiny.”-E. Stanley JonesThe Framed Picture of Revelation 11-16144,000 sealed—6 trumpet plagues (7-9)True Prophet John (10:1-11)Persecuted Church (11:1-14)Christ is King (11:15-19)Persecuted Church (12:1-13:10)Satan's False Prophet (13:11-18)144,000 sealed—7 bowls of wrath (14-16)Notice the symmetry and how it purposefully points to the most important truth in the book of Revelation. Just another way God reinforces the idea that he's purposefully revealing himself to us for our good and his glory.Other notes:Main commentary help: Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel AkinRevelation by Jim HamiltonRevelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary seriesBreaking the Code by Bruce Metzger2020 Sermons by Matt ChandlerESV Global Study BibleBible in One Year by Nicky GumbelBible Knowledge CommentaryThe Book of Revelation, NICNT, Robert MounceThe Outline Bible, WilmingtonBible in One Year reading plan, Nicky GumbelExalting Jesus in 1 Kings by Tony MeridaDiscipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson

Forrest Davis III joins Bobby Lopez to discuss the downfall of SWBTS after the ousting of Paige Patterson.

Jeff Dornik joins Bobby Lopez in this episode of The Big Brown Gadfly to break down the latest developments in the Jerry Falwell Jr scandal. The primary concern discussed the Leftist takeover happening at Liberty University.

Guest Bios Show Transcript How should churches minister to abused women? And what does biblical submission look like when husbands fail to love and honor their wives? This week on The Roys Report, we'll be tackling this sensitive, yet critically important issue with Judi Noble—an abuse survivor and counselor with decades of experience ministering to abused and battered wives. Listen and join the discussion this Saturday morning at 11 a.m. 1160 Hope for Your Life and Sunday at 7 p.m. on AM 560 The Answer.  This Weeks Guests Judi Noble Judi Noble is a domestic violence survivor, who started Eagle's Wings Organization in 1996 and is still the acting Executive Director. She has channeled her passion to see that women and their children live in a free, safe and loving environment.   Judi is an author, public speaker, certified domestic violence advocate/counselor, Biblical counselor, and certified life coach.  She now pursing the ordination track through the Free Methodist Church. Ms. Noble life's work is to ensure that survivors of domestic violence are treated with justice, dignity, and honor  Show Transcript Segment 1 JULIE ROYS:  Welcome to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University. I'm so glad you're with us. I am Julie Roys. And today, we're going to be tackling an extremely important topic in the church, but one that, sadly, rarely gets addressed. And that is the issue of abusive marriages and how the church should minister to abused women.  As some recent scandals have shown, this is an area where the church definitely needs to grow. Last year, you may remember, there was a controversy involving a prominent Southern Baptist preacher and seminary president, Paige Patterson. And at the center of that controversy was Patterson's advice for abused women.  Patterson was asked, for example, whether he condones abused women seeking a divorce. Patterson said that he's never counseled anybody to seek a divorce. He said, on occasions when the abuse is “serious enough” or “dangerous enough,” he has suggested temporary separation. But he added that most abuse is, and I quote, “of a less serious variety.” On another occasion, Patterson admitted that he had urged a woman who was being abused by her husband to stay in her abusive marriage and to pray for her husband. Later, this woman, reportedly, arrived at church with two black eyes, and she asked Patterson if he was pleased. Patterson said he was pleased because apparently, that morning the husband had come to church and prayed to receive Christ. Well, many in the church found Patterson's responses shocking. Patterson has since been removed from his position as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. And there were some other issues involved with that, with Patterson as well. But many people say these kinds of responses and attitudes are rampant in the church. Just last week, I published the first of two articles about abused women at Harvest Bible Chapel. These women say the church failed to protect them, but instead protected their abusive husbands. And instead of rescuing them from a nightmare marriage, the church prolonged and even exacerbated the issue. And if you want to read those articles, you can read them at my website:  JulieRoys.com. But just how should churches respond when, well, when women indicate that they're being abused? And what constitutes abuse? And what are the signs of abuse that pastors and lay people should look for? Well, joining me today is someone who can help us with those answers. Her name is Judi Noble. And she's a certified domestic violence advocate and counselor with decades of experience helping abused and battered women. She's also the founder and executive director of Eagle's Wings—an organization that treats both abused and abusers. And she's the author of Radical Reconciliation, a book that tells her story of fleeing an abusive marriage when she was pregnant with her first child. So Judi, welcome! It is a pleasure to have you join me!  JUDI NOBLE:  It is an honor to be with you, Julie. Thank you so much. JULIE ROYS:  Well, I am really looking forward to discussing this issue because I think it's so important and often so overlooked. But Judi, can you just start by helping us understand the nature and the scope of this issue. I've heard that as many as 1 in 3 women have been abused by an intimate partner. That's an absolutely stunning statistic. But from your perspective, from your experience, would you say that's accurate? JUDI NOBLE:  That is very accurate. Yes. It's very under-reported at times, too, just because of the shame that correlates with the abuse. But the statistics show 1 in 3 women, yeah. JULIE ROYS:  And what about in the church? Is it any different in the church? I mean we'd like to think that people who follow Jesus Christ and claim to be professing Christians, that they're different, that there isn't this abuse? JUDI NOBLE:  That's true. That is the hope and the desire. And I know that's the desire of Christ. However, it is not much different. It's 1 in 4 have been or are being abused right now in the church. And again, it goes under-reported so we're not quite as sure if the statistics are accurate. But from our scope, it's fairly accurate. JULIE ROYS:  So, where do you get those statistics from and those kinds of studies? Is it just sort of self-reporting from churches or how do you try to measure that? JUDI NOBLE:  Actually, it is some self-recording from churches. It's what we do here. And it's also—there was a report, I think it was a Huffington report, about 2 years ago, that did a thorough investigation of abuse and these statistics. JULIE ROYS:  Well, as you say, it often goes under-reported. And it, and I was just talking to someone, actually for my second report, which will be coming out soon. And actually, if you want to make sure that you don't want to miss that, you can go to my website and sign up for updates and you'll get that article as soon as it posts. But the woman I talked to said she gave a lot of signs of abuse. But she didn't come out and she said now she's an abuse counselor. She said, she never had somebody come to her and say my husband hits me or my husband forces himself on me. That rarely happens. She said there are signs that you need to look for and when somebody is being abused, there's sort of some telltale signs. But we have to be aware of them. Would you say that's accurate? JUDI NOBLE:  Very accurate, yes. JULIE ROYS:  Yeah. So why is it, I mean, one, why is it that women aren't more forthcoming about abuse? And then, what should we be looking for? JUDI NOBLE:  I think the number one reason why they're not forthcoming is fear and shame. And especially in churches, if they are going to a pastor and if their abuser is well known in the church as a leader, there is the shame of betraying him and not wanting to reveal the characteristics of abuse. And they are usually very, very afraid that they are not going to be supported. So therefore, if they go and talk to a leader in the church, it's usually, they give them very, very little information, just enough to, hopefully, have someone ask more questions. JULIE ROYS:  And I think there's probably a fear of whether they'll be believed, especially if the person is a leader in the church that they're talking about. Because why would you believe the abused party as opposed to this leader who looks exemplary to everybody around them, right? JUDI NOBLE:  Absolutely. And that is probably the number one reason. Because if the abuser, most of them are very charming and they're very selective about who they abuse and when they abuse. And so, there's never any telltale signs of the characteristics of abuse to anyone other than the family members. And that's the confusing part. JULIE ROYS:  So, what would be some of the telltale signs that you might see and know to ask some questions or begin to look into things? JUDI NOBLE:  Well I think, number one, the beginning of it just create a safe place for her to be able to share her story. And as she shares, again, know that you're just getting a little bit, bits and pieces of the truth. Ask her if she's afraid. Ask her, what she's afraid of. But tell her, make sure you tell her this is confidential.  I'm not going to judge you. We're not here to judge. We're here to listen. We're here to take care of you. And just acknowledge her bravery. If she mentions that she feels like she's abused, if she even mentions the word, acknowledge her bravery and her courage for breaking the silence and seeking help. That's creating a safe measure for her to share more. JULIE ROYS:  How do you know, though, to even ask those things? I mean, what does a woman say or what does she indicate that makes you say there might be something going on? JUDI NOBLE:  You can ask some questions:  All right, do you feel frightened of your mate? Are you afraid to speak right now?  What happens when you do express your feelings to him? Those kind of questions, like, you can ask them that. They probably, and then just fidgeting. She'll be fidgeting. The one thing that I ask is, when I was on staff of a church I just asked, so who meets your needs? And the silence there is riveting. And the look on her face is like, what do you mean who meets my needs? Because their needs are not met. They're busy meeting everybody else's needs. She is an object. And so, then I can go on further to say, does anyone meet your needs? Do you have friends? Who are your friends? Are you in close proximity with your family? If all those questions are, “I don't have friends,” the answer is, “no, I don't have much relationship with my family,” one of the characteristics of abuse is isolation.  They'll isolate them from friends and family. They're very selective, the abuser's very selective on who the abused can associate with. That's a telltale sign. JULIE ROYS:  Well, again, that's Judi Noble, founder of Eagle's Wings and the author of Radical Reconciliation. We need to go to break but when we come back, I want to talk specifically about submission in the church. What does submission look like when you have a spouse that doesn't love and honor his wife? But yet how is submission maybe used to perpetuate abuse on that wife? When we come back, we'll talk about that. Again, you're listening to The Roys Report. I'm Julie Roys. We'll be right back. Segment 2 JULIE ROYS:  How should the church minister to abused women? Welcome back to The Roys Report. I'm Julie Roys. And today we're talking about a serious problem of domestic violence and abuse and how churches can be part of the solution. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. 1 in 7 women have been injured by an intimate partner. 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. So domestic violence and rape is epidemic in our society. And according to my guest today, it's also epidemic in the church. And sadly, the church doesn't always do the best job of addressing this issue and helping victims of abuse. Again, joining me today is Judi Nobel, a certified domestic violence advocate and counselor. She's also the founder and executive director of Eagle's Wings—an organization that treats both abused and abusers. And she's the author of Radical Reconciliation, a story of overcoming domestic violence. This is Judi's own story of how she fled an abusive marriage and overcame a potentially fatal illness. And today, I'm giving away 5 copies of Judi's book—Radical Reconciliation. If you'd like to enter to win this book, just go to JulieRoys.com/giveaway. Also, today's show is recorded so I can't take your calls, but you still can join the live online conversation on Facebook. Just go to Facebook.com/ReachJulieRoys. And to get to us on Twitter, just use my handle, @ReachJulieRoys.  So, Judi, right before the break, I mentioned this issue of submission, which is something very controversial in the church.  What does that mean? Does a wife have a responsibility to submit to her husband? That would be unique as to a husband submitting to his wife. Some say it's mutual submission. Others say, “well no, a wife should be submissive to her husband. She has a unique situation to do that.” And then there's those who say, “listen, whether or not, you know, you go to more the feminist viewpoint of submission or the more the traditional complementarian side of it, it should not be an excuse for abuse, ever. That is not what submission is.” But I think for a lot of women who are caught in this and hearing the church talk about submission, that may not get communicated. So, I want you to talk about this very controversial concept and what it means especially when there's abuse. JUDI NOBLE:  Yes, it is an extremely controversial subject. And when you're talking about women who've been abused, you're talking—Christian women want to be good Christian wives. I don't know of anyone that we've seen that doesn't want to be a spiritual, loving woman, Christian woman, that honors God. Submission—Jesus would never, ever use abuse to cause anyone to submit. Submission in a normal marital, in a non-conflicting marital relationship, can be mutual. And it can be loving. And it can be respectful and honoring. And even though it might be a struggle at times, it can be resolved. However, when you're talking about abuse, there's 4 pillars of domestic violence—now this is the “Judi Noble 4 pillars” that I believe, in my 25 years of doing this. It's intimidation, manipulation to gain power and control. When a woman who's being abused, and not just physically abused, but emotionally, and sexually and verbally, they're just as hard on the heart as a physical punch is to the body. If you're talking about submission to someone who's abusing them, the more that they submit, the more powerful the abuser becomes and the worse the abuse gets. It's the bottom line. So they try. And the trying is usually, very regrettably,  JULIE ROYS:  Yet there's so much guilt and shame associated with speaking out, or saying something against your husband because, you know, we're to honor our spouses. So how do you counsel women to deal with that guilt and shame? JUDI NOBLE:  Guilt and shame are part of abuse and it's not their guilt and shame. It's not. It's the abuser's guilt and shame—it's the manipulation that they've received. Because of the isolation, they have very little input from the outside world. So, they believe what they hear every day. And most of them it's criticism, it's devaluing. Their esteem is so low. They don't feel like they're good Christian wives. So, what we do here, is we try to help them to understand that God loves them. That He would never ask them to submit to abuse. That that's the enemy. That He is for them. And that He will always stand with them. That there is never an excuse for abuse. That even with submission—submission was never, ever meant to be an abuse tactic. JULIE ROYS:  I want to ask a question about intimacy within a marriage. I know some of you, if you're listening right now and you have young children by the radio, you may want to move them somewhere else or listen to this later on the podcast. But I do want to ask about that situation because someone I talked to said, you know, she had received teaching on I Corinthians 7—your body is not your own, it belongs to your husband, therefore fulfill your marital duty to your husband. And she said that her husband forced himself on her and would hurt her. And yet, she had received this teaching from I Corinthians 7. And so, she felt guilty and like she couldn't say anything. Talk about that in intimacy within a marriage and the Christian teaching on it. And how maybe that gets perverted in our understanding of it sometimes. JUDI NOBLE:  Well, I just go back to what the Lord said about, what Paul said about husbands, “love your wives like Christ loved the church.” That's not loving your wife like Christ loved the church. He would never do that. He would never harm to gain His own need to be satisfied.  And therefore, in my estimation, it becomes rape. When someone says, “no,”—and I know that that's, you know, probably not a very popular idea. But I do believe that we have the opportunity to say no—when we don't want to, when we feel betrayed, when we feel violated. And if there is a husband that truly loves his wife, like Christ loves the church, he would honor that. JULIE ROYS:  So, a woman who is in this situation may be asking herself, and especially if a woman has come from an abused background, where abuse seems normal. And maybe her mother had taught her, we don't talk about these things. And so, she just kind of assumes this happens in a lot of marriages. They just don't talk about these things. We keep them silent. I know there's women listening right now who are in that situation. Speak to that woman and help her understand what is the difference between normal marital conflict and abuse. JUDI NOBLE:  Normal marital conflict is equality. It's equally honoring, it's equally respecting, it's negotiating. Your partner is going to be able to own and take responsibility for his mistakes. He's going to be able to say he's sorry and truly repent. And to be able to repair. It's learning how to repair. I mean we all have to learn how to repair in marriage. But it's having humility and honor and preferring the other. That does not happen in abusive relationships. 9 times out of 10, I mean, basically if they say, if an abuser says that he or she is sorry, it's usually not about the person that they've abused. It's about them. They want to have more leeway.  But there is never, ever an excuse for that kind of abuse. Abuse conflict is totally different than true marital conflict, normal marital conflict. As abuse demands its own way, you become an object. You feel like you don't have a say. You feel like you don't have a voice. You've lost your ability to make a decision. You've lost your ability to voice what you need, what is important to you. And that is domestic violence. JULIE ROYS:  And it seems like probably the most subjective one, I think, we can very clearly say, okay, physical abuse, we know that line. You should never hit your spouse period. I mean, that just no, no excuse for that ever. Should never happen. But emotional, spiritual abuse, that's where it gets a little bit muddied, I find. And people don't know, “now is this abuse?” Is this what this looks like? We need to go to break. But when we come back, Judi, I want you to address that. What does emotional abuse look like? What does spiritual abuse look like? Again, I'm speaking with Judi Noble, founder of Eagle's Wings and the author of Radical Reconciliation. Also, if you'd like to connect with us on Facebook, just go to Facebook.com/ReachJulieRoys. And you can comment there. Again, I'm Julie Roys. You're listening to The Roys Report. And we will be right back after a short break. Segment 3 JULIE ROYS: Welcome back to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University.  I'm Julie Roys.  And today, we're discussing an issue that for far too long was tolerated by society. But thanks to the #MeToo movement, the sexual abuse of women and domestic violence is finally getting the attention it deserves. There's also a corresponding movement in the church called the #ChurchToo movement. And now, we're becoming aware of how widespread abuse is—not just in society, but also in the church. And we're beginning to recognize that the woman sitting next to us in the pew may be battered and abused at home. But often, she doesn't come out and say she's abused. Instead, she tests the waters. She may say she and her husband fight a lot. Or, she'll say that her husband is controlling. But rarely does she actually admit that her husband hits her, or forces himself on her, or berates her incessantly. So how do we spot abuse? And especially in our faith communities, how do we help these abused women, and their children, find safety? Well joining me today to help us learn how to do just that is Judi Noble, a certified abuse counselor and founder of Eagles' Wings—an organization that helps equip pastors and leaders to recognize abuse and help abuse victims. Also, I'm giving away copies of Judi's book called, Radical Reconciliation. If you'd like to enter to win that book, just go to JulieRoys.com/giveaway. Also, if you want to read some of the articles I've published on this topic, they're available at my website. As I mentioned earlier, I'm publishing a two-part series about abused women at churches that at one point, were associated with Harvest Bible Chapel. The women say the church failed to protect them, and instead, protected their abusers. I believe these pieces are just extremely important for understanding how this dynamic plays out in the church. So again, to either enter the giveaway—go to JulieRoys.com/giveaway for that—or to read the articles, simply go to JulieRoys.com. So Judi, before the break I just brought up the issue of emotional and spiritual abuse—something that is much harder, I think, to identify, because it's subjective, than physical abuse, where there's hitting, or sexual abuse, where there might be forcing yourself on another person. So talk to me a little bit about how emotional abuse is, what spiritual abuse is, and maybe within the context of a story of somebody who's gone through this so we can see an example of what it looks like. JUDI NOBLE: I coached and counselled a woman back for a couple of years. And she was in a domestic abuse relationship—mainly emotional and mainly spiritual—it had gotten somewhat physical. However, her husband had wanted to counsel. And because he told the pastor that she was not being a submitted wife and she was being rebellious, so I suggested strongly that they not meet together because I thought that was too dangerous for her. The reason being that she wouldn't be able to share her heart with the pastor. And I didn't know if the husband had already begun to accomplice the pastor, which happens, because they're charming. So she went ahead and counselled anyway with the pastor and her husband. And she very bravely and courageously shared her heart on how she felt. And what she thought was going on—that she was trying to be a spiritual wife and a submitted wife. The whole time her husband was just glaring at her, unbeknownst to the pastor that was coaching them and counselling them. And she shared so much that it was pulling the covers away from the abuser. So the pastor told her to go home and pray more and to be as submitted as she could be—to do the normal things that most pastors would say to a wife that didn't really understand abuse, really didn't understand the consequences of what he was saying. And so, they got in the car together. And on the way home he berated her. He mocked her. He stripped her of every bit of identity that she had, verbally. And by the time they got home he had begun to physically abuse her pretty horrifically. So, it was all of the above: spiritually, emotionally and physically—he really hadn't gotten physically until he realized that he had lost control. And it was devastating for her. It was devastating. JULIE ROYS: What you just described, I mean, being in counselling with your husband, and in one of the stories that I wrote, that was the standard course of action—you would go to intensive counselling and it would be, you're there with your husband. And you also have a set of advocates. But to the women, saying this in front of their husband was terrifying. Right? I mean, because this is just going to bring more abuse. And you're going to pay for it when you get home, right? Because you were not supposed to say that. JUDI NOBLE: Absolutely. Never, I don't believe you should ever counsel the two together. JULIE ROYS: Yeah, standard marriage counseling you do counsel together. Because that's the whole point is to work things out. But when there's abuse, no. That's a really bad idea. JUDI NOBLE: A very bad idea. JULIE ROYS: How, and I'm guessing the spiritual part of it is he was using scripture to try and gain control? JUDI NOBLE: Yes, he was. And he had told her for many, many months that she was a terrible Christian and used scripture against her. And she would bring these scriptures to me. We would try to decipher them as far as what God meant, not what he meant. But it was terribly confusing. Again, she didn't have a lot of outside input except for us. But eventually she did get free. JULIE ROYS: But it's so, so, so, so hard to combat those messages, isn't it? JUDI NOBLE: It is. JULIE ROYS: I know I talked to one woman who said that I thought that I was crazy because my husband kept telling me that I was crazy. So, I started believing him. But the only reason I had a problem with this is because I was crazy. The problem was me. Right? And that's what the husband, in these situations, is trying to get the wife to believe, because he will not look at his own problem. So she . . . JUDI NOBLE: It's called gaslighting. And the first thing, really, most of the women say when they walk through our doors the first time, they just say, “I think I'm crazy.” The gaslighting is very manipulative. JULIE ROYS: It's awful. Well again, you're listening to The Roys Report.  I'm Julie Roys.  And joining me today is Judi Noble, a certified abuse counselor and the founder and executive director of Eagles' Wings—an organization that equips the church to help abuse victims. And when we come back, I want to hear the rest of this story. How did this woman find help? We'll be right back after a short break. Segment 4 JULIE ROYS: Well how can churches spot abuse and help abuse victims? Welcome back to The Roys Report. I'm Julie Roys. And today, we're exploring this important topic with Judi Noble, a certified abuse counselor and author of Radical Reconciliation. We'll be jumping back into that discussion in a just a minute. But first, I want to let you know that next week we're going to be talking about the tragic shooting last year at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 people dead. There have been a lot of theories and speculation about what caused that shooting. But my guest next week says it's clear as day what caused the shooting. He says the shooter was extremely violent. And for years had communicated his intention to murder people. Yet school administrators refused to believe in the depravity of mankind and sin. And as a result, they refused to expel the student, and instead, they sought to reform him and correct the injustices that must have made him violent. And they kept him in that school sitting right next to the people that he wanted to murder. Well, my guest will be Max Eden, author of Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies that Created the Parkland Shooter and Endanger America's Students. This is going to be, I think a really eye-opening program. So, I hope you'll make a point to join me next week on The Roys Report! But returning to our topic today on abused wives, again joining me is Judi Noble. And just a reminder, if you missed any part of today's show—or want to listen to it again or share it with friends, it will be available about an hour from now at my website JulieRoys.com. So Judi you were telling us a story in the last segment about a woman who was a victim of spiritual abuse, emotional abuse, and then it became physical abuse as well but I'd like to hear the rest of that story. I'm hoping it has a redemptive ending. What happened with this woman?      JUDI NOBLE:  Because of the physical violence, we had told her that it was going to escalate into physical violence eventually, if she didn't start making proactive movements to leave or to get some other kind of counseling. JULIE ROYS: Was she coming to you as part of Eagle's Wings, coming to you to get help but getting counseling, it sounds like, from her pastor at the same time?                                                                                  JUDI NOBLE: Well, the counseling from the pastor was at the admonition of her husband. She was given our information by a friend. And so we started talking with her and sharing with her. You know, sometimes it's the denial is so thick, she didn't even want to admit that she was really an abused wife. And so, the physical violence clarified that she was. For some reason that really, well, for the most, sometimes if you are in denial that will actually clarify that you are being abused. She had children. And so that terrified her. So, we began the journey of just investigating what she wanted to do. What was her dream? What dreams hadn't she fulfilled? When they get ready to leave, any of them that try to get ready to leave, it is the most dangerous time for them. As the power and control will be totally lost. So we baby stepped it pretty much through her journey. I have an amazing board of directors. I have a pastor on my board, a police officer on my resource board. And so I talked her into talking to one of them. The police officer is also a pastor. And she talks to him. And it was a divine moment, because his kindness overwhelmed her—the pastoral kindness that he shared with her, and the truth that he shared with her, and talked about Moses and the Israelites and crossing the Red Sea, and how God is going to do this for her. It was a miracle moment. It was very divine. Because of his knowledge on how we could keep her safe and what we needed to do because she was all the way across the country. We just got connected with another shelter and with his help, and their help, and our help and with the police officer's help we got her out and we got her safe. Her story is very incredibly redemptive. She always wanted to go back to school to get her bachelor's degree. She's now in her master's program getting her MFT. JULIE ROYS: That's wonderful. I know that you counsel not just abuse victims but it says abusers as well. That's a harder group to work with I am guessing, but not beyond the scope of God's redemption, right? JUDI NOBLE: Absolutely, if you read my book, my ex-husband who was my abuser, absolutely came full circle. We can't lose hope for anybody, because they're are all God's children. But, and you know, when you have someone that is broken and someone who will break and hurt wives and children, then you know God wants their heart. He's an Isaiah 61 God. He can heal the broken hearted. The wounded people wound. Broken people, break. If we can stop domestic violence we have to get at the source, which is the person who is being violent. And I think that is the hands and feet of Jesus, is to try, if they are willing, to listen and to talk. And to share and get healing. And I do believe that's where the answer lies.  JULIE ROYS: So, we talked a lot to victims today. But to abusers, you would say go get help, you're not beyond, they must feel horrible, they must know what they are doing, right? JUDI NOBLE:  Yeah, they do but if we're at all critical then we just confirm what they already feel about themselves. So, it's a loving, but firm and gentle, and strong, and I had a lot of good men around me that can help with that. Because men call out men, I believe. But there have been many guys that have walked through this door that have said and listened to me and gone and have a couple counselors on board that will really help, if they want, they'll really help these guys get better. And we don't ever, ever, ever ask them to go back with their wives or ask their wives to reconcile at least for a year or two. Until they've had really good healing. JULIE ROYS: Yeah, trust needs to be earned, especially after it's been broken that poorly. And where, for people listening right now, hopefully your church is a good place to go and to get help, but not always. What would you say to people both those are listening who are abused and those who are abusers, where should they look to get help?  JUDI NOBLE: That's a great question. I think the community does a little bit better job to help the men, the men who are abusing. But there are places like Eagle's Wings. I think that there is another ministry called Focus that they can contact. You just have to be very careful. There are counselors that will definitely help the men. Women can go to the pastors themselves or go to the woman's ministry and ask, “Do you have a program here?” We have a program called Love Does No Harm. It's our group. “Do you have programs here? Do you have groups here that help abused women?”  JULIE ROYS: So that takes us to the question of training and a church better equipping. My guess is that most churches don't have anything like that for abused women.  JUDI NOBLE: Exactly, they don't. JULIE ROYS: Okay, so, for the church leader who is listening and says this is definitely an issue we want to be equipped for, how do they equip themselves? JUDI NOBLE: I believe that every domestic violence organization in this nation has training material. We do. And is very, very willing to go out and train your staff. We are one of the few Christian organizations. We will train your staff. I know Focus is a Christian organization. We will definitely make sure that you get trained. This is our passion. Because once you know what you are dealing with, then you can deal with it effectively and godly. And there will be no more re-abusing of the victim.  JULIE ROYS: And that's what's so often happens, isn't it? They go to get help, unfortunately in a church, and there' a lot of churches that do this well. We're talking about the ones that don't do it well. But they do get as you call it, re-abused. Explain what you mean by all that.  JUDI NOBLE: They very candidly go to their leadership whoever that might be. And if it's a man then they're very scared. Men are scary to them. And they attempt to try to share their story. And whoever is listening is not listening. They pull the submission card. Or they don't hear their hearts. They don't validate them. They tell them to go home and work harder. And so, it's really re-abusing them. And many times, if we do that too many times, we lose them. There's a great scripture, Isaiah 42:22 “These are like people hidden in caves, imprisoned. And who will say to them, restore, restore.” We need to be restorers, otherwise they will go deeper in and won't come out again. Or they'll leave and they don't come back to our churches. And we don't want to lose them.  JULIE ROYS: And that is the tragedy, a lot of women. When they are in the church and have experienced abuse, when they leave their spouse they often leave Christianity. I know a woman I was talking with and she said that when she left her husband, I would be leaving Christianity because I had been told for so long that to speak out or go against him was so wrong, that I would be leaving my faith. And she said I am still disentangling the truth from the lies about what God really feels and what God says.  JUDI NOBLE: Yep, absolutely. Well said. JULIE ROYS: Tough to do. Really quickly, because we don't have a lot of time, one group that we haven't spoken about, is the children. And they are sort of the collateral damage in these abusive homes. What about the children? How can we help the children?  JUDI NOBLE: There are more and more counselors I know in my church particularly we have a counseling center. And we have a counselor just for children. In one church that we do our Love Does No Harm group, they have a real effective program to help children heal, get them into counseling. There is low cost counseling and if you are out and away and you can get these kids into counseling for women that are abused. Sometimes in court cases the abuser will not allow them to have counseling. But if you can, get them into counseling quickly, quickly. And let them know that it's not their fault, anymore than it was the woman's fault for being abused. The children tend to take it on themselves, if I had just not spoken out – they feel the guilt, condemnation, and shame just as their mom does. It's not the abused's fault any more than it's especially those little baby's fault.   JULIE ROYS: Well, Proverbs 31:8 and 9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly.” And friends we want our churches to be places where the vulnerable are defended. Where the vulnerable are protected, where abusers are called to account, and confronted. Sadly, we haven't always done this in the church. Whether out of ignorance, cowardice, or just indifference, we have failed to help women in abusive relationships. And this has to change. Churches must do a better job of protecting the vulnerable. So, I encourage you, if you're a leader in your church, urge your church to get training on this issue. Just like Judi was talking about. And if you suspect that someone may be abused, reach out to that person. Let that person know it's safe to talk—and that you'll do everything within your power to protect her. Again, my thanks to Judi Noble for coming on today's program. I so appreciate all the valuable information that you gave us today, and your heart for the vulnerable. So thank you, Judi, thank you so much. And just a reminder. If you missed any part of this show, or just want to listen again, just go to JulieRoys.com. We'll have the podcast posted within the next hour. Hope you have a great weekend and God bless!   Read more

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