Scripture: Revelation 15
SERMON SUMMARY
In Revelation 15 today, we are transported to two heavenly scenes. One scene has followers of the Lamb who have been slain and persecuted, standing victorious beside a crystal-fired sea, singing and exalting God for who He is and what He has done. They are singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb. For followers of the Lamb today, it can serve as a blueprint to help us remember God's character and past works, live with an eternal perspective, and build a larger view of God’s Kingdom in the world. Scene two relates to the preparation of God’s wrath before it is released on earth. God's coming wrath, represented by the seven angels with seven bowls, demonstrates the intensity and finality of God's wrath against sin and evil. Believers can stand firm, entrusting judgment to God and focusing on the Lamb and His greater purposes in the world today.
SERMON SCREENSHOTS & KEY POINTS
The Song of Moses and the Lamb - God’s Deliverance
What inspires you to worship God? Is it His attributes, such as His mercy, grace, love, wisdom, gentleness, patience, goodness, or purity? Or perhaps it's His provisions in your life, like the health of your children, the strength of your marriage, the security of your job, or your own well-being. Maybe you're feeling thankful because the person you were anxious about asking out agreed to a date. Find yourself drawn to worship God because of the way He helps you through difficult times? Maybe you or someone you care about is going through a health crisis, and in the midst of that struggle, you're discovering a deeper connection with Jesus that you never knew was possible.
Have you ever thought, "Today, I'm going to worship God specifically for His wrath"?
Wrath - “A strong and settled opposition to all that is evil arising out of God's very nature.” Leon Morris
It is a triumphant scene, and God's faithful people, those who have faced martyrdom and persecution for their devotion to Christ, stand victorious over the Beast. It is a powerful reminder that our ultimate allegiance as believers lies not with the fleeting empires of this world but with the conquering Lamb. These believers have overcome the adversary through their steadfast trust and faithfulness in the Lamb. Indeed, they overcame and were victorious by the blood of the Lamb. He was their model, their focus, their hope. And He must be our model, our focus, and our hope in our lives today. Their journey echoes the ancient story of the Exodus, where God delivered His people through the Red Sea when all seemed lost. It’s a reminder that our victory lies not in worldly success but in remaining faithful, our voices joining the chorus of praise even amidst hardship.
The Song of Moses and the Lamb is a good template to warm up our hearts and minds to who God is in our lives and what He wants to do with us. The Song of the Lamb calls us to remember God’s deeds - both in Scripture and in our lives. The Song of the Lamb calls us to declare and remember God's ways—how He has worked in Scripture and in our lives.
When you read this song, are you able to bring to mind times when God provided for you, met you where you were, worked in you to resolve and reconcile a relationship, or strengthened you as you went through a health scare? Are you able to bring to mind the stories of Scripture that show God to be generous, loving, patient, mighty, rescuing, protecting, providing, and kind?
The text says that God is holy. That means He is distinct, utterly unique. What do you think about God when you consider that He’s in a class by Himself? All the things He isn’t doing for you or simply being able to sit in His presence and extol Him for all of His perfections?
The nations are coming to worship God. How much thought do you give to God’s greater work around the world and around you? Do you pray for God’s expanding Kingdom? Do you pray for the neighbors on your street? Do you share God’s story and grace with them? Have you ever considered going on a short-term trip? Do you give to those who serve elsewhere so that they can continue to expand God’s kingdom to the “uttermost parts of the earth?”
It’s impossible not to notice how radically God-oriented the song is. It is saturated with words and phrases from Deuteronomy 32:3; I Samuel 2:2: I Chronicles 16:9; Isaiah 6:3; 12:2; 66:19-21: Jeremiah 10:6-7; Micah 4:2-3; Malachi 1:11, and the Psalms 86:9-12; 92:5; 98;1 99:3; 111:2, 9; 117:1-2; 139:14; 145:17. The song is not about the believing conquerors and all they went through. It is about the Lamb, and this song is completely from Scripture.
Seven Angels, Seven Bowls - God’s Wrath
So when John sees this "tent of witness" in heaven, he sees the ultimate version of what Moses glimpsed on Mount Sinai. The “tent of witness” contained the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, which flow directly out of God's character and nature.
The tent of witness also served as a sacred space where people encountered the living God. His presence was made manifest through the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, which were visible not only on the tent but also within it. In this sanctuary, God's character and nature were unveiled, revealing His holiness - an ardent dedication to righteousness and an uncompromising rejection of evil. It was here that God’s people experienced firsthand the depths of God's purity and His unwavering commitment to goodness.
In other words, the seven bowls that are about to be poured out are the natural outworking of violating God’s moral law. To quote missionary and author E Stanley Jones, “When we violate God’s law, we violate ourselves; we go against reality. We end up ruining ourselves and the creation around us.” In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard wrote: "When we consider what it means to 'manage' our lives and our world, we see that the first order of business is to place our lives and our world under God's management." Have you done that?
The seven bowls of wrath represent the ultimate expression of God's judgment against those who have persistently rejected His grace and aligned themselves with evil. The suffering and destruction that result are not arbitrary but are the natural outworking of the choices made by those who have violated God's moral law.
Final Thoughts:
- Though this life is short, the choices we make in the here and now have eternal consequences.
- Our lives are part of God’s larger plan, and our actions have eternal significance.
- Stand firm in your faith, knowing that your temporary sufferings pale in comparison to the everlasting glory that awaits you.
- Jesus came to give you life with Him. He died for you so that you could know the full extent of His love. Have you come to accept His offer of forgiveness, grace, and love?
- Trusting that God will decisively deal with all wickedness and evil, in the end, can help us leave vengeance to Him and allow us to live with hope. We don’t have to set the tables right. One day, Jesus will do that. In the meantime, we can trust Him to work on those who have harmed or hurt us. We don’t have to exact our “pound of flesh.” Jesus already gave His “pound” for that.
- God has a plan to draw the nations to Himself. You are part of that plan. Share the Gospel well and support gospel expansion locally and abroad.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.