The Love of God

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Terry Webb has been involved in ministry with Calvary Chapel for over 40 years. After committing his life to Christ he served as a youth pastor at Raul Ries’ church in West Covina, CA. Upon moving to Bend, OR in 1992, he started a home bible study with a handful of high school and college-aged students. As the Lord grew the small church through various school buildings and merged with other Calvary-affiliated churches, God opened the door and gave Terry the opportunity to become the senior pastor of what is now Calvary Chapel Bend. He continues to faithfully teach the Bible verse by verse and now oversees the new Calvary Bend Academy K-5 school located at Calvary Chapel Bend.

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Transcript:

Well, since Tom’s not here, I can talk about him a little bit. He’s one of our favorite people that fall asleep during my teaching! So, it’s right on course for him not being here right now. I think he was a little concerned about what I might, you know, rebuttal when he talks about me. Some of the great stories I’m sure you guys have heard! If you know Tom, he tells stories multiple times, and it’s great, though, to be a part of it. And I think that finally, after 31 years of knowing him, when I first came here in 1991 for a little vacation, I met him then, and he never invited me to speak. I really took it personally all these years. So, finally, at the last three days, I said, “If I don’t speak this year, we’re canceling.” And that would have kind of gotten a lot of you a little bothered, right? Driving all this way and preparing your calendar of the year? 

But it truly is a privilege and a blessing to be a part of this ministry. Having sat in yesterday too with a few of the speakers and learning so much about their credentials, I panicked! But then I realized I have some of my own, as Rob said. I’ve been here at the church for 18 years. We moved into this building three years… and the previous building two years at Mountain View High School’s cafeteria, and then back in the little hut of Marshall School for the beginning, and starting with two high school kids in my house, it’s been an interesting road since 1992 that we moved here!

And I must say that I am still getting my education. If you’ve maybe heard of this university—it’s called H.K. University. Maybe some of you are also attending, you just don’t know it quite yet. “Hard Knocks University?” Yeah, it’s still learning and growing, and even after multiple years of serving the Lord and teaching His Word, there’s not a day that goes by that there’s not something else that the Lord has shown me I need to learn.

Also, I’ve not written any books, but I’ve read a few. [Audience laughs] So, we’re right there. I mean, Jay and everyone else, I know that we have a lot in common. But it is true—I’m even having this experience this morning with—this is my son, Zach. Getting to lead in this conference for the first time in worship and also getting the privilege of sharing God’s Word, it’s just an exciting time.

So, thank you all, and, Tom, again is one of my biggest encouragers. When he walked into the high school at Mountain View High School’s cafeteria, and I knew him (as I said, when I came on vacation I met him and Dave Hunt). And when we had taken over the last building that we were at, Dave Hunt was scheduled to speak at the church, and that’s how I got to know him a little better. I’m a talker, he’s not-so-much. When it’s some young kid, you know, (at that time I was thirty), but one of the interesting parts of it all, is when Tom walked into Mountain View High School’s cafeteria knowing him already, I felt then kind of like I feel a little bit right now, as my heart dropped to my feet, because I knew without a shadow of a doubt, I was their next article. They were going to write about some black sheep from Southern California; out of the ministry… been fired… and all of these other things, and I just knew that he was going to have that article, and come to find out he’s been with me in fellowship and friendship ever since! And we both agreed to not be on each other’s boards because we wanted to make sure that nothing interfered with the openness we have in our relationship, and being able to not only encourage and be that “Barnabas,” but as well as in those times of concern or in those times of questioning direction, that we were able to freely do that as friends.

And so, we’ve been to a few conferences together, and he’s been such a great encourager in my life when I get stuck, and I say, “I don’t get it….” We just studied through the Book of Revelation over the last several months, and there were only a couple of things I didn’t know. [Audience laughing] I’m sure you guys can relate. And when I started, I asked our church “How many of you have read through the Book of Revelation?” And a handful of people raise their hands. “And how many of you understood it all? (Because you should be up here! I should be sitting where you’re at.)

So as we were teaching through the Book of Revelation again, Tom came up to me one Sunday morning, and he asked me if I would teach at The Berean Call Conference. And again, I was very nervous—all these years of having attended different times—having the opportunity to come and share with everyone here today was truly a privilege and a blessing from God. And so as I said, “Yeah, I would love to!” And then he came up to me another Sunday. He said, “I never tell anybody what to teach on.” He said, “but what you taught today, you’re teaching at the conference!”

So he did help me out—and the Lord I’m sure—not having to really spend a lot of time talking to the Lord about what I was going to teach about. So once again, God used Tom for that purpose!

But no, he was really encouraged, as I was that day, teaching through Revelation 19. And then he also helped me with a title. (It sounds like I’m really dependent upon him, doesn’t it?) Well, he said, “God’s Love —the Love of God.” And so, I’m like, okay, great! So how do I get that? Or where did he get that from? Because I don’t remember talking about that in Revelation 19. But for whatever reason, that’s exactly what the Lord ended up on that day teaching us all about understanding the love of God and how God’s love… it endures forever! All the way up until the very end of Revelation, when we find the judgments that come down through the entire book from chapter 6 to chapter 16! All of those judgments, the seals, the trumpets, the bowls that will be poured out, all the way into chapter 17 and 18, where He’s showing us the destruction of the religious Babylon. And then into chapter 18, talking about the destruction of Great Babylon. We end up in chapter 19 where we see the multitudes around the throne of God rejoicing, singing Halleluia, Halleluia! Four times it’s mentioned in those first five verses of chapter 19 of Revelation.

But I’m thinking more on the side of saying, “Okay, well, the love of God—” I mean, you would think that was an easy message for just anybody, even me. But the reality is, is that it’s a little more intense and a little bit more deep in understanding really what the true love of God is! And we know the Scriptures: “For God so loved the world…” (It’s one of our favorites); we’ve quoted it so many times, we could probably say it backwards. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe upon Him would not perish but would have everlasting life.”

That sums it all up. We can close now in prayer. We’ll give the speakers today more time since they didn’t have it yesterday.

But that is the—that’s the Word! That’s John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All.... That’s something that everyone needs to understand—just how magnificent the love of God truly is!

Again: “For God so loved the world…” It tells us His compassion. It tells us His love and sacrifice and commitment. It shows us His greatness, His sovereignty, His faithfulness, and how true He is and how faithful He will be within each one of our lives.

And as we look at that, and we see that “For God so loved the world” that He had given Himself—His only begotten Son—for the very reason of Revelation 19! That we would be in a place now (in chapter 19) recognizing [that] He’s coming back and we’re coming with Him! 

Jesus Christ is coming back! He promised it. He has never broken a promise. He has never gone off track on anything that was true that He has spoken! And He’s proven that from Genesis chapter 1 to the end of Revelation chapter 22! He is going to be faithful. He is always going to be faithful. Whatever He would speak in promises to us, He’s going to fulfill. He’s going to follow through with it! And in all of this, it’s going to be Jesus Christ that is exalted. Jesus Christ that is glorified. And all because—not of our faithfulness and our commitment and our decision to follow Him, but because of His faithfulness and His willingness to take people like me (I won’t include you guys!) to take people like myself, just as He speaks of in that Book of Corinthians: “Having chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.” But again, not just to show off who He is and how He can take the lowliest of lows, the least likely to succeed (at least in the spiritual life); take someone like that and completely transform their lives in the renewing of their mind.

And, as I said, I’m still getting my education. I don’t know. There is a day coming—a graduation—I can’t wait for it, because I will be in His presence! But until then, praise the Lord for the hard knocks—the 44 years of my life that He’s allowed me to go through, even up until this last two years, challenging me like I’ve never been challenged before, through illness, through circumstances of ministry. So many different things that have taken place in these last couple of years, starting off with the pandemic and all that happened there. 

But how wonderful it is to know that as we as Colossians, as Paul says to the Church of Colosse, that if we would set our minds upon the things above and not upon the things of this earth, and we would seek those things that are above and not upon the things of this earth—that God is going to be glorified. And we are going to grow in leaps and bounds in the maturity that He wants to bring into our lives. And He’s not done! That’s why I say my graduation comes when I am in His presence! And to trust me—I don’t need a certificate on my wall because I won’t have one. I won’t be here!

But knowing that I have been faithful, knowing that I have given my life the best I can to the things that He’s doing in other people’s lives; in my own family’s lives. I have four children. Just coming into my eighth grandchild! And what a tremendous blessing to see my kids are now teaching their kids the way that I didn’t know I could! Not having the “father figure,” not having the family life that my children have had to this point, but to know that I’ve met my Father in heaven, and He taught me how to be a man. I met my Father in heaven and He taught me how to be a husband. Still not graduated yet…. My wife could speak openly with that. But how he taught me how to be a dad, and a man that would be after his heart, and understanding that it is not because of me and who I am; but because He loved me so much that He would give His Son to save me. That He would give His Son to die upon a cross and be raised from the dead that I might have life in this life more abundantly, and in the life to come!

God has been so tremendously faithful in showing me 44 years of my life, probably even before that, I was 17 on a football field when the Lord touched my heart. Spring training in my Junior year. Half our football team received Jesus Christ into their lives. And at that time until this day, though again it’s been very difficult—there have been times when I wanted to quit. Or maybe I did even throw in the towel–only to have it thrown back to me, because God hasn’t finished yet in our lives—in any one of our lives.

He’s got a plan. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been sick or ill or cancer or other things—God is using those very things to change other people’s lives. And to also grow you and me. 

So how wonderful it is to know that God so loved us that He gave Himself for us that not only can we be forgiven of our sin and have that salvation reconciled together again with Him, but to spend all eternity with Him.

And that’s why, through the Book of Revelation, we see God’s love poured out over and over and over and even after the Judgments, and more judgments, and more judgments! He still was a gracious and loving and compassionate God, seeking anyone whose heart would be loyal to Him, that He would not only save them but He would use them to preach the gospel. And, again, it’s because of His faithfulness.

Now, we know Romans:5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
See All... tells us that He demonstrated that love towards us and that while we were yet sinners, He died for us! So he gives not only a proclamation of His love for us in sending His Son by a demonstration as well, but He also is demonstrating to us that while we were in our worst of worst conditions (but our best on this earth that we would ever be); we were in our worst of worst conditions in the midst of that—in the midst of the times that I would curse God, that I would turn against God. I didn’t want my friends to tell me about this “love of God” because I did not get it! I did not understand.

My “love” definition was completely different than God’s. But to know this—that He demonstrated His love; that while I was in that condition He had died for my sins that I could be renewed.

And so, looking at that also, He tells us in John:15:13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
See All... that “Greater love has no one than this—than to lay down his life for his friends.” Now, if Jesus had walked away then, they would have been as they were always doing in the beginning: scratching their heads. “Who’s he talking about? You? Me? Someone else?” No! But then Jesus went on to say, “And I call you friends. I did it for you because I love you, and because I’m going to love you forever, for all eternity.”

As we come into that relationship with Christ, He tells us in Colossians 3— Above all the things that He told us in chapter 3 of Colossians to put on, after He talks about seeking those things that are above—setting your mind on those things that are above, not upon this earth. Out of all the things that He spoke of, coming down to what to take off or put off, and those things to put on, and He gives a short list there of the things that we’re to put on. And as He tells us that, He goes into verse 14, He says, “Above everything else, all these things that you’re to put on, you need to put on above all LOVE, which is the bond of perfection.” And that is God’s love.

We know in Corinthians he talks about all these giftings of the spirit, but he says it doesn’t matter if you have all of these wonderful things that you’re doing, if you have not love, you have become a clanging cymbal. That’s how important… above all, out of everything else in our lives. “As I have shown you love, you need to put that love on and live it out and love others.”

And so as he goes on, and looking at this place in Revelation, just a couple of quick notes about the Book of Revelation—again, very intimidating book for most, including myself. I’m thankful that God has kind of broken it down very simply in the sense of what is most important in the book that at least I taught our church, and that we know beyond the shadow of a doubt. And, number one, that is what the Book of Revelation is about. It’s not about conspiracy theories. It’s not about dragons with seven heads. It’s not about all of this other what some would see as PsyFi, or some spooky kind of stuff going on (that I don’t understand most of it), but it’s about the Revelation of Jesus Christ! He tells us even in the beginning two verses in the beginning. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things which must shortly (more than 2,000 years ago), shortly take place.” And it says, “He sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ as to all things that He saw.”

The first thing that I have to know and understand is that the Book of Revelation is about the unveiling, the revealing of Jesus Christ in the heavenly place (or in the heavenlies). As it’s being explained to John by Jesus himself, written to reveal the full identity of Christ and to give warning and hope to all believers! Jesus is the focal point. Not trying to figure out “who’s gonna be that?” and “what’s going to do this”? And how will that come to pass?

I learned a lot of commentary during the Book of Revelation, and most of…a lot of…the commentary that I learned, I learned that everyone has different opinions. And so many have different ideas. And though there are those (and I know Tom would be happy–after knowing him for a long time) he as well as myself have talked about some of those that started out so simple and just trying to be faithful to teaching the Book of Revelation. It’s in the Bible, so why not teach it? Why wouldn’t we want to teach it?

Because there’s so much we don’t get. But the thing is, He’s given us exactly what we need to get. And that is, again, Revelation is about Jesus Christ unveiling Himself in the heavenlies. He took them to heaven and he looked down at the earth, showed everything that was going to happen on the earth. He’s looked in heaven. He looked around the throne. He looked everywhere in heaven. At everything that was being seen! We did the very best we could to navigate through the information that John tried to write down as he maybe scratched his head a few times. Trying to somehow, some way, make sense of it during that time of those seven churches that this letter was to be given to.

Well, the second thing we know is that in chapter 1 verse 3, the second thing that we know is if we read this book and the words of this book out loud, and we hear these things that are being read out loud, and we keep the things that are written—what does He tell us? We’re going to be blessed! And every single week that I taught through the Book of Revelation I said… You guys already know where I’m starting—it’s about Jesus and all about Jesus, and those things that as he gives us the third point or the third thing and that is the outline, thankfully he helped me by giving me an outline in the Book of Revelation in chapter 1 verse 19: “John, write down those things that were (past tense), the things that are (chapter 2 and 3)... chapter 1 was the things that were… chapters 2 and 3 the things that are as John was writing, as he was just in that moment of time being caught up with God and Jesus, as he was being caught up with Jesus and Jesus was explaining to him all of these things: “I want you to take all of these things and take them and tell them and teach them to the seven churches.”

Now, I believe He’s taught them then so that we could learn them now as well. But during that time of the seven churches, the present time, and then thirdly the outline says that “you are also then to write down those things which are to come.” And we’re living in that day right now.

We just taught through it. We saw the things that were to come, how it was going to end, how the Second Coming would take place, how there would be 1000 years of Satan being bound in chains; how he would be released one more time, but before that time, the church (as Jesus said) “I will be coming back in the clouds” (as the Rapture’s already taken place).

And he says, “As Jude tells us in vv. 14 and 15, and tens of thousands of His saints will come with Him.” That’s us! Being caught up together with Jesus again when He takes us away from this place. But there will be a second coming when He comes to establish His kingdom here on earth, and He tells us that we, as His children, as there were multitudes and multitudes of martyrs and believers around the throne of God—so many they were innumerable to count.

And in all of that taking place was part of showing the finality of the love of God coming to an end—coming to pass at least on this earth— when He came to judge the world of its sin once and for all. Casting Satan as already the antichrist and the false prophet are already thrown into the lake of fire in earlier chapters 17 and 18. 

And we see them being thrown into the fire alive. But then comes that Great White Throne Judgment once and for all. And so, with all of these things that have happened (and as I mentioned the third one giving us an outline of what things you’ve seen, which things that are, and those things that will be).

So after the seven seals, after the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of judgment are poured out, all during that time we find some coming to know Christ in a relationship. As He goes on, we see the destruction of the great harlot, which is religious Babylon (chapter 17), and then Babylon the Great (chapter 18) being destroyed, which was the commercial and political Babylon. Everything up to this point leads us into chapter 19 v. 11 which is what I’m going to look at a couple of verses this morning. Everything up to this point has been the introduction to this revelation, or unveiling, of Jesus Christ as He returns to the earth with power and great glory. He returns to the world as a judge to judge the sin of this world once for all.

He’s coming to judge His enemies, to set up His kingdom, to rule over the earth. Again the scriptures teach us—some 1800 times in the Old Testament; 300 times in the New Testament—as He refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

One message is very clear in the Bible, and in the Book of Revelation. And that is, as I mentioned earlier, Jesus Christ is coming back. And we’re coming with Him. As we continue to live out our lives in this world, we’re coming with Him. We know the signs of the times. We know what’s going on in this world and how confusing it is. I think of what Jay Seegert said yesterday: “It’s not going to get better! It’s going to get worse.”

Now a lot of people don’t like that, especially if you think you’re building the kingdom right now on earth. “Oh, no way, man! We’re here, we’re gonna work even extra harder than they ever have to see Jesus help set His kingdom up here on earth right now!”

But you see, the thing is, is that the time has not come! We need to continue to understand what He has given us through His scriptures. In 2 Timothy 3 he tells us (and you guys all know this, I’m sure by heart!). “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong… [Oh my gosh! It’s like before our very eyes!] …haughty, (and here we go), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (And even better than that) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people, turn away.”

He goes on then in chapter 4 and he refers back to chapter 3: “In those that were apostates or false teachers,” and he says this: “I charge you therefore (ch 4:1), before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom (which we’re in!) –Revelation (we just finished that in our own ministry here).

But He goes on to say, “Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching…” Why? Well one, He has told us to do that. Someone shared the scripture yesterday (or maybe I read it, I don’t know), but it said something to the effect of that we are to be doing the work of an evangelist. Why? Well, not only because Jesus is coming back and people need to be saved. He doesn’t say, “Be an evangelist.” We’re not all called to be evangelists, but we’re definitely called to do the work of an evangelist. In sharing…. Again, not preaching and beating people over the head, but sharing the love of Christ. Letting people know, as you are now a living epistle. People are reading you like a book every day. And there are chapters they love, and there’s probably a couple of chapters that they’d like to rip out.

Nonetheless, we are living epistles, and we are to present ourselves as living and holy sacrifices to God, so that He can use our lives for those people as we do the work of an evangelist. But here’s another reason why: We need to preach the Word of God and we need to be ready with God’s Word and the knowledge—not just the knowledge but the understanding that the Holy Spirit would give to us as He’s the greatest teacher of all—our tutor!

But what we find here, (he goes on to say) “For the time will come when they (see ch 3) will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you, (Bereans! Or Berean Callers), followers of Jesus—not of Dave Hunt or Tom McMahon, followers of Jesus Christ—“but you and me,” he tells me, “but you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist, fulfilling your ministry. How wonderful is that?! Again, He’s coming back! 

He’s coming back because of the love that He has already shown to this world so long ago. Even in Genesis after that fall, God provided because He loves us. Because He loves Adam and Eve. Because He loves everyone in this world. But we learn as well! Too many people get hung up in that, stopping there. True, He loves us. But He’s also promised to be just. And so it has to take place, what He’s talking about here. It has to take place. And what He’s wanting to do within each one of our lives in using us as His spokespersons. 

When we talk that…him coming back, are we excited about it? And I’m not trying to get a cheerleading section going right now. But are we really anticipating it? I share with our church. You know, you guys may remember, I always liked the commercial: Heinz Ketchup. That slow, good Ketchup. As they’re spending money for the commercial, waiting for what seemed like several minutes to me when I was a kid. The anticipation of it finally hitting the burger, and it took so long as they ended it with “it’s SLOW good!”

Are we anticipating it? It’s been slow, in some of our opinions. That’s not what the Bible says. There’s nothing slow about it. One day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is one day to God. It’s not slow at all. It’s only been a couple days but the reality is the anticipation of waiting on His coming. Being watchful. Preparing ourselves to enter into that marriage supper that’s going to take place in chapter 19. That we can be with Him forever as we’re waiting and ready and so “dolled up” or “well groomed” waiting for the great Bridegroom to come and take us away. He wants us to be there. He wants us to be standing steadfast, immovable. [So] that nothing is going to move us. Nothing is going to shake us. Nothing is going to take us off course because of our own neglect or our lack of being Bereans that he talks about.

No, we’re going to continue to preach the Word of God. We’re going to continue to know it and rightly divide it, the best we can, with complete dependency upon the great Tutor and the Holy Spirit as He’s working in our lives.

Well, with all of that, and understanding, he goes on and he mentions in verse 11 (when we look back to chapter 4:1, we see the door of heaven opening then and now here in chapter 19 we see it opening once again). One, we saw the door in heaven open back in chapter 4 after he dealt with the churches the things that are, and showing, too, the love of Himself to the churches there in those seven churches! And as he is speaking to them—the Church at Ephesus is probably one of our famous memories—in a church that, again, seemed to have a form of godliness. They were doing those things that seemed so right. And I believe they were, probably, thinking it themselves! 

And God told them, “Yeah, what you’re doing is good, but I have one thing against you. You have left your first love.” And only showing His love and compassion one more time, as He does throughout the Book of Revelation—one more time, He says, “Remember from where you have fallen, and do your first works.” I.e., “Get back to the basics! Get back to when you were in love with Me.”

Again, He has promised us that “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” They left Him. Other churches in those seven churches (and we broke them all down), they all…not all, some of them had their very good points in how they were living out the Word of God, though they were suffering, though they were struggling—they never moved!

But so much more, had allowed the cares of this life—what’s going on right now, today, before our very eyes, amongst the church in general. Many churches in our own community here! Rather than following after sound doctrine that maybe they once knew, and maybe they never knew it. They continued to walk after the itching ears of the Body, of the people that came out and signed up for their church. No longer are they seeking sound doctrine. It’s going to become less and less, and more acceptable for the compromise, as the seven churches tell us that! As Jesus instructed John to share these things with them because of where they were presently at in their own condition. 

Well, how important it is, then, to understand that as He’s coming down on this white horse, and it tells us that the one who sat on it was “faithful and true.” In verse 11 He tells us that. “And in righteousness, He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had names written that no one knew except Himself, and He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, they followed Him on white horses. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations, and He himself will rule them with an iron rod…

He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of the Almighty God, and He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 

You see, that white horse again (now we’re not going to explain all of these, I’m sure many of you already know better than I do) but he’s talking about the One sitting on the white horse going to battle with His soldiers and the multitude that will come back with Him, and I mentioned, the Body of Christ—the believers in Jesus Christ who were taken away.

Not only did a horse provide an advantage but a privilege. It spoke of honor and power and speed. The color it represented was speaking about victory. And then, it says “The one who was sitting on it, faithful and true,” in regards to all that He said. All of the promises that He had made, that He was going to keep them; that He was going to be faithful to those promises, and in truth only speak those things that were true and are true, both in His promises and His judgments.

He tells us that He was going to give us peace in John:14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
See All.... And as He promised it He has done that, to all who have called upon the name of the Lord, and all who are looking to Him—as Paul talked about in Philipians: “Through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding is going to guard your hearts and guard your minds.”

One of our hardest things, even going back to Colossians:3:22Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
See All.... One of the hardest things to continue to bring into the submission of Jesus Christ. Taking all of my thoughts captive is what goes on in my mind, and how it can distract me and ruin my sleep in the middle of the night.     

Even as I’m teaching sometimes, things are going on in my head, and I’m going, “Lord, what is going on? How can this happen?”

But He tells us, look, as our minds are being set on Him, as we’re praying with prayer and supplication, and giving thanksgiving to Him for how wonderful and great He is. And just prior to that, he’s talking about anxieties and how not to be anxious for anything, but through prayer and supplication, letting our requests be made known to God, and the peace of God not only guards our hearts, it guards our thoughts, our minds.

And as we continue to bring those things into captivity of Jesus Christ, He continues to fill our minds, and meditation upon His Word filling our minds with those thoughts and looking forward to that day that we will be with Him, once and for all.

There are so many promises in the Scriptures! Now, I’m thankful for some of the technology in this world. It sometimes gets me there quicker than having to try to go through and count them all myself. And here is what I found as I looked it up. (There are a lot. A whole lot of them.) And again, looking at all the different people’s opinions on 300-30,000. It was going all over the place, so I’m not quoting anyone. I just know there’s a lot from what I’ve read and seen in His Word.

He goes on to say that not only is He on a white horse, and the one sitting on Him is faithful and true, but in righteousness He’s going to judge and make war. Now, wait a second! 

My title was The Love of God. He’s turned into a Judger and a Warrior. He’s coming back to destroy what’s going on upon the earth, those that rejected Him and His love. And again, that’s what a lot of the world is saying: “Hey! God doesn’t care if you’re a drunk. He doesn’t care if you’re an adulterer. He doesn’t care if you’re a lesbian or a homosexual. He doesn’t care about that. We’re all one in God! Every road leads to him! Where’s the love of the church? Why are you guys so negative?” as they go on and on, disputing these things and calling us a bunch of hypocrites and a bunch of judgmental people, but the reality is God is coming to judge sin, and the reality is, not only did they say it back then, back in chapter 6 of Revelation, vs. 9-11 in the beginning of the Tribulation when many people became martyrs for Jesus Christ. They were underneath the throne of God, and they were calling out, “How long? How long, Lord, until your vengeance is poured out upon these people?”

I have to tell you, I’m super glad that God—not that He didn’t listen to them—but He was not yet going to do that. As He told them, “You guys wait a little while.” (Like in a couple thousand years later, right?) 

But I’m glad He didn’t come in 1979 around May. I’m glad He didn’t come in April. I would have never known Him. I betcha we could all say that, and I’m sure glad that He didn’t come back until the day that I gave my heart to Jesus. And that He changed my life and renewed my mind and my thoughts and how I live my life for Him.

Well, it’s no different here as He comes to that place of letting us know that, look, it’s not going to be as…  Even as he shared with them in chapter 6:9-11. It’s not going to happen until there is a completeness of those who will be saved just like you were, He told them. “Just like you were.”    

And so, we’re still living in that time, right? We know what Peter talks about in Second Peter, where he tells us, as many are looking at it and saying, “Where’s His coming?” 

“Oh, he already came.’

“Oh, he’s not coming.”

And yet, it goes on to talk about how He is “not slack concerning His coming.” In verse 8, chapter 3 of Second Peter, he says, “But beloved, do not forget this one thing: That with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack….” The word “slack” there is talking about being lazy. “The Lord is not lazy (or slack) concerning His promise (again, there’s the promise) as some count laziness or slackness, but He is longsuffering toward us, and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Isn’t that wonderful? He loves them so much. He still loves people, even though we’re now saved. He still loves us.

But He’s not slack, lazy, for His coming. He’s just not willing that any would perish—He died for the whole world, and His will is that all would be saved. But we know through what He has given us through His Word that time is running out.

I love what David Guzik said: He said, “It’s good for us to remember that this dramatic display of judgment comes only at the end of a long time of grace, patience, and mercy. He goes on and says, “This is no rush to judgment.” Jesus has amply displayed His love, His nature of mercy, forgiveness, and grace to this fallen world. He comes now to judge a world hardened and totally given over to their rebellion against God.” 

He talks about it in Romans:1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
See All...: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting.” There comes a time when that’s it! He tells them only a few verses before that verse 28 in Romans 1. He tells them there in verse 20 “they are without excuse.” There’s not going to be one person to say, “No one told me! I didn’t know that! Oh, there is a hell? Wow!!”

They aren’t going to be without excuse! And you guys probably know that Romans 1 [is] such a beautiful picture of why they will be without excuse, because of God himself and His creation and what He has shown them, and what He has shown everyone upon the face of this world.

So, we see all the way to the end after all the judgments that people are still, to this day right now—I have family. All my family, none of them know Jesus on my side of the family! And my brother died last year, and I’m sorry, I really don’t believe he became a believer in his life. I don’t know. Nor am I sitting around hoping and wishing. But I know where he stood, as well as the two others in my family right now. They don’t want anything to do with God, which for a time cut us off. They didn’t want anything to do with me or my family. 

Some of you are in that boat. But you know what? You keep being a light. You continue to pray for opportunities to do the work of an evangelist, and you love them. You love them with everything you have that Jesus might save them. 

There’s still going to be those that are willing to serve the Antichrist. Back in chapter 13 verse 4 it tells us this. After some of those judgments had taken place, they were still saying, with their own lips, as they worship the beast, they said, “Who is like the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 

Again, it wasn’t because of a lack of God’s love. It was because of the will of man.

Wolvyard says this: “All of these passages point to the sad conclusion that in the Day of Judgment, it is too late for men to expect the mercy of God. There is nothing more inflexible than Divine Judgment, where grace has been spurned or rejected, the scene of awful judgment that comes with this background is in flat contradiction of the modern point of view.” And the modern point of view is this: “God is dominated entirely by His attribute of love.”

Hey, God is all about love. We’ve just talked about that. He demonstrated it. He loves us. He sent His Son to die for us. He is not willing that any would perish, and He’s shown the love that He has given to everyone who would believe upon His name.

But you see, that’s where people get stuck. I remember driving down to the church a couple of months ago and just…usually I don’t listen too much to the radio because it’s pretty close, but I happen to have it on and I’m hearing this one song about God and love. And God is love. He thinks love, He smells love, inside everything that He is is love. 

And it went on and on, like everything is love. And you’re love, I’m love and we are love. And all that’s going on. I’m going, “What in the world?” I said, “I could have helped them write that song! They left out one important part. He’s also Judge.” [That’s how it] would have concluded, it would have been a beautiful song!

He is love. And He loves us, but understanding that He is also just. He talks about the “eyes of fire” here as it speaks to that penetrating insight that Jesus has as he searches and has eyewitness knowledge of the total life of the church and mankind.

He knows everything about each one of us. When we’re standing. He knows we’re sitting right now. He knows what you just thought…and what you just thought again…and again! 

He knows everything before we even do it, He says! How amazing is our God! He knows how we serve. He knows how we give. He knows how we love. He knows everything! And He knows and has the right, then, to judge is it all. He is able to discern the secrets of the heart. There are no secrets before Christ.

Spurgeon says “His eyes are like a flame of fire, to read us through and through, and know us to our inmost soul.” He talks about His many crowns that He had, the word Diadema. The crown of royalty and authority, not because they finished a Greek game and were successful to place. No, this was the crowns of royalty and authority.

He has many crowns, He tells us here, because He rules over many kingdoms, and He is the King of Kings and Lord of all. He is sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing. He’s also our loving, compassionate, and forgiving Savior. He is the ultimate royalty in power and authority.

The love of God spared us from death. The love of God is what spared us from the destruction that is still to come. He has removed us from that because of His love and His goodness, and His grace and mercy.

So, just looking back as He says in chapter 22:20-21, He said “Surely” (Jesus speaking) “surely I am coming quickly.” And all because God so loved the world that He gave His own begotten son. I hope and pray that the many things you, we all, are going to learn here today and tomorrow, that we take those things and we put them into our hearts and our thoughts and our minds—But out of it all, remembering what each one of these guys are talking about ultimately, even as Brad shared yesterday, ultimately it’s about Jesus Christ and being a light in this dark world that is perishing.

(Prayer) Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your love, Lord, that so many don’t understand. Lord, I know I didn’t have a clue. I had such a different understanding before I met you and was enlightened by you. You changed my life, Lord! You changed the way I think, the way that I act. You have completely transformed me by the renewing of my mind. And I pray you would continue, Lord, to mature and grow our lives. I thank you so much again for these people. For your children, Lord, that they would continue to search your scriptures daily; that they would continue, Lord, to do the work of an evangelist, Lord, as we are awaiting that day that we will see you face to face. 

Bless the rest of the speakers this day. Bless Tom and this ministry and all that you’re doing, Lord, through each person in this room. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Thank you so much!