SERMON CHRIST DOES NOT HAVE MONOCULAR VISION
Pastor George Dronen
Midland SDA Church
August 11, 2012
Opening Hymn – O Worship the Lord # 6
Text – Revelation 19:6-7
Sermon – Christ does not have Monocular Vision
Closing Hymn – Only Trust Him # 279
Revelation
19:6-7 “Then I heard what seemed to be wthe voice of a great
multitude, like xthe roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder,
crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty zreigns.
7Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for athe marriage of the Lamb has
come,
and bhis Bride has made herself ready.”
Deut. 4:31 For the LORD your God is ua merciful God. vHe will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.v
19Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
27Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. 28But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;w
31Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. 32Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day
Binoculars by definition are two, bi meaning two. I have a pair of binoculars. It has two tube-like cylinders with special lens at each end. If I look through one I will not get the depth of field as I would using both.
We have two eyes, my father injured an eye and consequently he only had one good eye. He could do just about everything a person with two eyes could but as I think back he was never comfortable on high buildings. We grew up in a large two story country brick home. It had a basement, main level, upstairs, and an attic. In the attic there was a ladder leading to the roof. My dad never went up on the roof and I believe it was because he only had one eye and consequently he didn’t have the depth of field especially needed in critical situations like on a roof or windmill.
Some Christians are monocular in their vision. They have good vision out of one eye but the other eye things get distorted.
To illustrate my point I would like to suggest that one eye is how we view relationships in regard to the law. The other eye we use to view our fellow beings in and through the eye of mercy.
Jesus Christ does not have monocular vision but rather He has binocular vision. Therefore when He sees us it is through both eyes.
Christ sees us as both Judge and Mediator simultaneously.
But as He does, He looks upon us with pity, understanding, and mercy. Moreover, when we pray in faith, He, as Mediator, not only claims His righteousness on our behalf, but He assures us that He will empower us to obey and will Himself prepare us for the judgment (Phil. 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”).
Mercy and truth have kissed and our God is a God of mercy. In the Decalogue is written the moral obligations of humankind, first to our Heavenly Father, second to one another.
In the very opening of these words our great God says in Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep My commandments.”
The first part of the second commandment is sever, God says, “I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the 3rd and 4th generations of those who hate Me.” God means what He says and if that were the only part of the commandment it would give us a distorted picture of our God, but listen to the last part, “showing mercy to thousands who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Friend, you can trust our Heavenly Father. For to know Him is to love Him.
Those pitiful words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Verse 38 is filled with pathos “See! Your house if left to you desolate.”
Probably, no words were ever uttered with the tears of our Father, and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
They have done everything they could to save those people who nationally rejected Him. They committed a national sin when their leaders proclaimed, “His blood be on us and our children.” What is the result? Read the 28 chapter of Deuteronomy verse 15 to the end of the chapter. If you have no other reason to believe the Bible these verses will make a believer out of you. They trace the sad history of a people who though they were given every opportunity to repent did not and consequently they have suffered even to our very time.
What a sad warning to our own nation as we see the rapid escalation of doom pronounced by Holy Scripture on those who reject the principles of Scripture in favor of the man of sin.
There is nothing our God wants more than to save the people who He created. Adam and Eve’s descendants, we are a special people. God made us to be His special friends forever. Friend He really does love us, you and me. He has proved it, it is a historical fact, Jesus Christ died in our place. He paid the price of sin.
In dying for us our Savior keep His Father on the throne. Satan had said, “I will sit on the sides of the north” God’s throne.
Sin must be dealt with. It is of such a destructive nature that the only way it could be eradicated would be for the law giver to either change the law, which He could not, or He could pay the death penalty, keep His Father on the throne and destroy the sin with the sinners.
The Bible says, l John 3:4, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” (KJV).
Sin begin in heaven, Revelation 12 describes this war. The war was between the Lamb of God and Satan and his angels who joined him in rebellion. Satan did not prevail and consequently there was no place in heaven for them anymore.
Verse 12 describes what happened next. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Now planet earth is the theatre of the universe. All heaven is watching the last scene in the saga of sin.
You must re-read the 13th and 14th chapter of Revelation.
Some find it hard to understand but it really isn’t.
I was in communication in the US Navy. Whenever a message that wasn’t for everybody’s eyes was sent they would encrypt the message. It would come across our teletype machines in 5 letter coded groups. When we received it we would give it to an officer who would take it into the crypto shack just outside our radio room.
At the beginning of the message there was an indicator telling the recipient what decoder to use. When this happened a strip would come out of the machine telling us in plain language what the message was all about.
Did you know God encrypted certain parts of the Bible so that the curious and insincere would not understand?
Jesus spoke in parables, some have never figured out what He was saying.
Daniel was told that certain parts of his book would not be understood until the very end of time. The only ones that God has revealed His truth is His commandment keeping people, those who are willing to keep His word He has given special insight to His thoughts. He does this through His messengers, the prophets. God’s special people in the end time will fall short of no gift that He has given to His church. especially is this true of the gift of prophecy.
1 Samuel 9:8-9, explains what God gave His people. They were first called seers. They were the eyes for God’s people. We think of them as prophets. A church without a prophet is a church without eyes.
The book of Revelation, the last in the Bible is thought by many not to be understood until the “rapture.” This teaching was instigated by a counter-reformation strategy.
Revelation 12:7-12 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the wholec world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.d 10And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying,e Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.f 11And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
12Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye thatg dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
Revelation 13:1-4 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. 3And I saw one of his heads as though it had beenc smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast;d 4and theye worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and theyf worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him?
The 12th chapter of Revelation is pretty straight forward. There is no argument that the first verses are about Jesus, Mary, and Jesus ascension back into heaven. It is clear that there was war in heaven and the dragon, the devil and his angels were cast out to this earth.
Where we have trouble is in the 13th chapter. Simply because it is too plain, especially verse 4. “They worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast. The question: “Who is the beast?”
You can conjecture up ideas such as, “he will rise out of the middle east.” “He will come from the rising of the sun.”
Who do you think this beast is because the Bible says the whole earth wondered after the beast. You must gain a knowledge of it because if you don’t you could be worshipping this beast power innocently. And the other side, people say; “I just don’t want to find out.” The truth is, we will be judged by what we could have known.
Earth’s last generation must know the identity of these symbols. The book of Revelation is a book that has a special promise for the reader. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:4.
God’s last generation will have a knowledge of this book. It will guide them safely through to the promise land.
God has encrypted the last day events as they are inscribed in scripture. Reason being God does not want the words to be used in such a way to cast reproach on His name. Some of the things written are not for the curious and the vain and sinful. Only those who sincerely want to know God’s will can be assured that He will not leave them in darkness concerning last day events. Like the communicators in a military operation, they don’t want their plans falling into enemy hands.
Throughout the Bible God has left keys for us to construct His message to us.
Jesus was asked by four of His disciples about the end times. He told them in plain language, but He left a crucial key. Matthew 24:15—we kind of skip over this text. How many know what the text is?
This verse is key to our understanding of last day events. In Matthew 23:37-38 Jesus spoke to the Jewish leaders about their house being left desolate.
Just a little while later when He describes to His disciples events to be watching as the end comes He again uses a word, “desolation.” This time He says it is an “abomination.” Something detestable, abhorrent, going against the grain, something that would make the sanctuary in heaven desolate. The power that was able to do this is what Jesus is telling His followers to be aware of. It is going to take the whole world captive.
We have not had our binoculars on. We have tunnel vision. We don’t really want to know. We are monocular in our sight.
Back to Revelation 13: whoever this beast is, this is who Satan has given his power to. Remember, when Adam and Eve sinned and they fell, Satan now claimed the world as his. The conqueror has usurped the power that was given to Adam to rule the world. Satan claims this world as his.
When Jesus Christ came He challenged Satan. He knew that at the cross his reign was coming to an end. That is why he so desperately tried to get Jesus to come down from the cross. If there was one person on that terrible Friday that didn’t want Jesus to die it was Satan. He knew that Jesus was a perfect sacrifice. Jesus said, “He comes (Satan) but he has nothing in Me.” Satan knew that this last week was his last chance or he faced extinction. He, Satan, is on death row and the only thing he has going for himself is to buy a little more time, but time is about to run out. The only thing left is for God’s people to form characters like Jesus and when it happens it is over.
We too must die as Jesus died, a death to self. Like the song says, “All to Jesus, I surrender, all to Jesus I freely give, sin had left its mark but Jesus makes it whiter than snow.”
The last conflict on this planet is over worship. Most of the world will ignorantly or willingly worship the beast and by so doing they will worship Satan. That is what he wants, Isaiah 14:13-14.
The issues, centers over who is creator, listen, the issue is over evolution or creation. Worshipping the creature or the creator. Remember Satan is a creature. Only God is a creator. The whole world is being taught that humankind evolved from lower forms of life, that this world is millions of years old, that there was life on this earth before man was created. We have these issues right in our own church. Now the test comes. Will you worship the creature or the creator?
Each person living on this earth will be “Marked.” In their hand showing what they do. And in their forehead showing what they believe. Those who have Satan’s mark will be identified by either what they do or what they believe. What they do and what they believe will identify God’s people. There is a difference.
What is it that you do that is so radically different that the whole world will see you as odd and peculiar? Nothing, I say again, nothing is so out of step and different than worshipping when the whole world watches ignorantly, “why do those people worship on the wrong day?” Sunday is the day to worship! Authority? There is none?
You are watching an army marching to the beat of the drummer. Everyone is in step except one. He or she is putting the right forward while the others put the left foot forward. Does that person stand out? I should say so. Everyone sees.
You get up Saturday morning. You put on your dress clothes; you leave your house with your Bible. This happens every week. People know. Seventh-day Adventists. Different. They eat different. They aren’t out for the parties. You are as it were a person living on foreign soil. You are an ambassador, a representative for the Lord Jesus Christ. You are living were you are as a witness to your world what Jesus is like and what He stands for.
17Revelation 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off kto make war on the rest of lher offspring, mon those who keep the commandments of God and hold to nthe testimony of Jesus.
Earth’s final hours will be a battle of words. Will we believe what God has given to his servants the prophets to write out for us, or will we believe the lies of the devil. Jesus said that he was the father of lies.
Revelation 21: 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
God our heavenly Father wants us to be honest people. He is even more explicit in
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
We must be honest and forthright, but there is a part of that text that bothers me. It says; “whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Do you like made up stories? You know fictional material. Stuff that you know isn’t true. Like movies that aren’t real. Novels etc. . . am I being to blunt? Maybe so, but people I want those who hear me say, I heard what you said it pricked my heart. I need to spend the time with my Bible and studying God’s word. I don’t need to waste my time on the internet-watching things on the TV that I know aren’t good for my thinking. I need to quit reading some of the stuff that is offered.
Why am I saying this? Because I know that soon and very soon Jesus is going to stand up in the heavenly courtroom and say, “It is done!” When He does, it is all over.
Revelation 22:9 “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
The time is coming when our destiny will be sealed. It will be forever to late.
I am not here to scare you into heaven, but there is a hell to shun and a heaven to win. Jesus has made provisions for each of us to be saved. If you know you are saved praise God! But if you know you aren’t than do what is necessary to be saved.
Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior from sin and for salvation. Make an honest decision to obey Him and turn from your wicked ways.
Like the prophet of old says, “why will you be lost?” and Jesus makes the plea, “Come unto Me.”
Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and all the holy angels are in one business, “TO seek and save that which is lost.”
Humankind is lost, when Adam sinned the entire race was lost. When Jesus died He paid the price for our redemption and now all can be saved.
It is like this Jesus has put in the bank enough credit for each of us to draw from. It is there but you have to draw it out.
Is there someone sitting here this morning that is not sure whether you are saved or lost?
Is there someone sitting here this morning who would like to be sure that you are not lost?
Maybe you are someone who is sitting here this morning and you are saying to yourself, preacher I hear you but I am not sure, I am not sure of what the Bible says, would you like to say pray for me, and would you seek out one of the elders and tell them you would like to know more of what the Seventh-day Adventists believe? If so let us know.
Is there someone sitting here this morning who would like to recommit their life to Jesus, telling this congregation, the world, that you want them to know which side you are on.
It is like this folks. The devil votes against you going to heaven, Jesus votes for you going to heaven, the deciding vote is up to you. How do you vote this morning?
Closing Hymn – Only Trust Him # 279