The Revenge of God | Francis Chan

I was so blessed. I just thinking about the tree of life. Sometimes we get so excited about temporary blessings here and we don't focus on wow. We're going to experience the culmination of the whole story of the world and eat from the tree of life that Adam and Eve never got to eat from.

And we're going to eat of that eternal tree of life. That's amazing. I I just When's the last time you thought about that and just rejoiced over that? Or what have you ever daydreamed about that or daydreamed? Um I don't know. I mean just just to think to take of that fruit and go I'm going to live forever in the presence of almighty God who loves me who is all powerful and no one can touch me there's no danger nothing I fear forever we dream about so many things but do we dream about that and it's all because of this All because of the body and blood of Jesus.

And now we as a family are taking of this together, proclaiming the day is coming when he's going to return and take me home. And we won't need to uh fight for what's right amongst all the evil. It's going to be like the garden again, except with the absence of evil.

Um because Satan is destroyed. That's what the book of Revelation is all about. The day when the one who who really destroyed God's creation is put away forever. So good. Um so thank you guys. I I don't know how your weeks have been these last couple of weeks.

Um but for me it's been awesome. It's been a great couple weeks. Not because everything's gone right. In fact, it's been the opposite. There have been a lot of things that have gone wrong. But it's been the book of Revelation that has made these last couple weeks amazing for me.

And listening to people read out loud the book of Revelation. Okay. So, for example, in Revelation 1:3, it says this, "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, who keep what is written in it, for the time is near."

Okay. So, how many of you just participation here? Show of hands. How many of you would like God to bless you this morning? Okay. Okay. Almost everyone. Um, no. Right. I mean, who wouldn't want God to just bless us right now? Okay. Here's the thing about this verse.

This is God's word and he promises blessing for anyone who reads the book of Revelation out loud. That's a promise. Okay. So, right now, if I just gave a sermon, you might be blessed. I I'd hope you'd be blessed, but you don't know. You don't know what's going to come out of this mouth.

I'm human. I could say I could misinterpret scripture. I could just, you know, I had a bad day, so I could just start swearing. I I mean, anything can come out of my mouth right now. You know, you just never know. But the Bible says, "Here's a guarantee blessing.

If you would speak these words out loud, the book of Revelation, he's talking about the book of Revelation. He goes, if you read it out loud, you will be blessed. And those who hear it, there's a promise of blessing. And then those of us who obey it, even more blessing because we're heading towards the end.

And so we've had a few gatherings where we just had people stand up and read from the book of Revelation. And I just left there just feeling invincible, so happy. Like that was awesome. And I went to bed. I'm just like excited. And it seemed like it didn't matter what was going on in life.

Even through the pain, the word of God was a blessing. So, I'd like to start again this way where those of you who want a blessing, man, just stand up, read a few verses from Revelation anywhere because you're guaranteed to be guaranteed to be blessed and we are guaranteed to be blessed as we hear the word of God.

So if you want to read a few verses, go for it in English or Spanish. >> Amen. Amen. And last few weeks, we've had gatherings where we just went on for I don't know half hour to to an hour just reading Revelation, nothing else. And it's so good.

And what I'm realizing is as Will was sharing about the enemy, the dragon, the serpent, the deceiver in the garden, he's always been trying to get us to question God's word. You know, did God really say this? And I believe one of the things he's doing right now is he's keeping people from reading the book of Revelation.

Like I'm willing to bet some of you haven't read the book of Revelation all year until now. And some of you maybe it's been years since you read the book of Revelation because in the church you think, well, there's so many interpretations of it. Which one do I choose and I only trust this one pastor?

You know, cuz his translation is probably right. And and then we start dividing over all of this stuff. And so then we just stay away from the book alto together and we go it's too difficult to understand. But meanwhile God says just read it. Read it out loud.

You will be blessed if you read it out loud. But what if I can't interpret? It doesn't say you have to interpret it. He promises blessing if you read it out loud. And so that's what we have to do is bless one another with reading out loud the book of revelation.

In fact, he says at the end, you just read that from um chapter 22 verse 10. Um he specifically said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near." Okay. So, God in the beginning of Revelation promises you'll be blessed if you read this out loud and everyone will be blessed who hears it.

Then at the end of the book, he says, "Don't seal up this book. Do not seal up this book. Don't keep this book shut." He's talking specifically about the book of Revelation. Don't seal it up. you know, as he opens the seals of the scroll, he's saying, "No, don't seal it back up again.

Read it. Read it out loud. The time is near." And there's so much in this book you need to understand. And I'm not saying anyone on earth has a perfect interpretation, but it scares me as we read it and it's talking about the mark of the beast and which again I know we can get into all of these little rabbit trails of what is that mark and who do you but you read it enough you'll have in your mind something is coming and I would rather starve to death not take the the mark and rather than face the wrath of God.

Um and but you get that from reading this book. It's preparing people because the Bible says the end is near. And then uh the next passage uh verses 18 and 19, I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book. It's the passage you read. It's huge. He says don't you take away from it.

Don't you seal it up and don't you change it. Don't add to it. And that's where we have to be very careful with our interpretations that we're not adding explanations that are not clear. Okay? It's okay to have discussions and and kind of humbly say, "Gosh, could this be?

Could this be?" But when we say, "Oh, no. I know this is exactly what it we just have to be careful with the word of God." But in that fear, do not seal up this book. Do not keep yourself from the blessing. Don't keep others from the blessing.

I believe this has been an absolute lie that has penetrated the church to where Christians all over our country are afraid of the book of Revelation. When this is such a blessing and you can get through anything in life when you understand the book of Revelation because you know what's coming.

That's what this is all about. Um, I was thinking about, okay, the Bible says that in the end, I don't have the verse here, but I think it's Luke 21:28 where he says, uh, it might not be there, so don't look it up. But he says when all these things happen, you know, everyone's panicked because the world seems to be falling apart.

He goes, "When all these things happen," he says, "Straighten up and lift up your heads for your redemption is near." He says, "When everyone is terrified by all these endtime events, we as believers should be able to be like, "Oh my gosh, I hate all the pain that's going on.

I hate the way the world is falling apart." But he says, "Lift up your don't be like, oh no, the world is falling apart. Everything is so crazy, right?" He says, "Lift up your heads going, the book of Revelation is happening right in front of my eyes. This is insane.

Christ is returning soon. My redemption is near." So we should be the weirdest people on the earth as it gets crazier and crazier. We should have this peace that is not slouched over, you know, our shoulders dropped, our head down like he goes, now you straighten up and like lift up your heads and go, God, it's really happening.

You're coming soon. That's what the book of Revelation does for us. I hope it's been doing that for you. I was thinking about um a few years ago I was watching a basketball game with Zeke. I think it was like a Laker game. Um I'm a Laker fan.

He's a Warriors fan. Um but uh but the I think the Lakers were beating the Warriors and uh so it was a long time ago. Um, but uh it was one of those games where the game was already over and you know and I saw it on the app.

It was a replay of a game and Zeke didn't know. He thought it was live. And so we're watching it and I go, I bet you the Warriors won't score another two points for the rest of the game. There's like five minutes left, you know, but but I looked at the score.

I'm like, "Wow, they only scored two more points the whole game, you know, and we're just watching it and and I know exactly what's going to happen." And I go, "I bet you they don't score I bet you they'll score two points." And he's like, "No way." I'm like, "This bet we bet.

I forgot what it was, like 10 bucks or something." And uh and I'm watching the game and I'm just playing along like, "Oh, why did I make that bet? That was a dumb bet. Two points in five minutes." No one does that, you know, on and on and on.

But it was the whole point. And I didn't make him pay at the end. I told him, "Ah, no. I already knew it was gonna happen. I saw the final score." Um, but meanwhile, he's panicked thinking it's happening in real time. I already know the end. I'm not watching the game like freaking out.

I know what's going to happen. See, that's the book of Revelation. It's like, have you ever watched a sporting event where you already knew who wins at the end? There's no stress. There's no like, oh no, oh no, this guy got hurt. This You already know the score.

That's the book of Revelation. It's like, oh yeah, there's going to be wars, rumors of wars, and that doesn't mean it doesn't break our heart. What's going on all around the world right now? When I think about people being trapped under buildings, needless deaths, everything, it is heartbreaking.

I am not saying we are not brokenhearted over that. But what I am saying is there's this other side that when everyone is panic going, what is happening? We should have a peace going I know what's happening. This world isn't meant to last this way. This is the promise of the redeemer coming back.

And amidst the pain, I straighten up, lift up my head, my redemption is near. I hope this book has been doing this for you. But um I want to talk about something this morning that because most of you grew up in America and have listened to American preaching, you probably have not heard of this topic a lot, but it's all through the book of Revelation.

This morning, I want to talk about the revenge of God. I'm willing to bet some of you have never heard a sermon about the revenge of God. Cuz it's one of those things where you want to talk about the grace of God. You want to talk about the mercy of God, the kindness of God, the love of God, maybe occasionally the wrath of God, but the revenge of God.

Who talks about that? I will um because the book is so much about that. We don't want there to be things about God that we feel scared of or that we just feel like I don't want anyone to know about this side of him as though there's a bad part of him.

He's perfect. Everything he does is perfect. And this is something I've wrestled with through life. Sometimes I'll read portions of the scriptures. I'm sure it's happened to you too where there's a it almost makes you a little sick like, "Ooh, ooh, I don't know if I like that.

I don't know if I like that." But we have to be very careful with that. God is perfect. He is. And in the book of Revelation, there are some things that we're just not used to as Americans. Um, and a lot of us have lived pretty comfortable lives and a lot of us have maybe sat under teaching that was just always, you know, go home happy stuff.

Um, and some of the more difficult things that we read about in scripture, you you remember in Revelation where it talks about uh um the angel giving John the little scroll and John eats it and he says, "It was sweet in my mouth, but then it turned my stomach sour."

See, I believe that scroll was, you know, like it represents the book of Revelation. There are certain things that you you taste and it's like, "Oh, that's awesome. No more tears, no more death. Yeah, end this. End that. But then you hear about some of the destruction of people who've rebelled against God and the torment.

And there's a there's some sourness to it. There's some bitterness to it. There's some difficulty to it. But you can't get away from the fact that Revelation is a book about revenge. What the enemy destroyed, as Will so eloquently put in the garden, God says he's going to pay for that.

And the people who deceive others, God's saying they're going to pay for this. I mean, we know that there are times when someone gets away with something and it makes you sick cuz you're like, "That person should have paid for it, right?" There's that sense of justice in us that gets bothered when it seems like they got away with murder, literally sometimes, and we're like, "That's not right.

That's not right." in the book of Revelation says that isn't right. But God God says something in Romans 12 verse 19. He says, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord." Is this a good verse? >> Okay.

Yeah. The answer is yes. They're all good verses. Okay. But sometimes we read some and we're like no. This is a good verse. Everything God says is good. And he says vengeance for you. I think we get so used to like I'm not supposed to avenge. I'm not supposed to avenge.

And you shouldn't. The Bible says never avenge yourself. So if Jason does something to me right now, the Bible says, "Don't avenge yourself. Don't get him back." When everything in my flesh is like, "Oh, like I just want to say something. I want to do something. I want to get him back."

I mean, I think about even, you know, we've been working a little bit on this property and some people in the community have been stealing our tools and and there's this side like, "Oh, I want to catch them. I want to just maybe if I'm just a BB gun and just, you know, just something, you know, there's something in the flesh.

You want to get him back." And God says, "No, no, no, no. Never, never avenge yourself." But he says, "Leave it to the wrath of God. You've got to let God be God." And God is a God of wrath. And he says, "Leave it to him. Leave it to him."

And also, as believers, I mean, we're always supposed to be hoping for the repentance of others, you know. So when Jason offends me, my heart is not I want to get him back. The right heart is God. Bless him. Open his eyes to how good it is to love people.

Why you got to do that to me? You know, it's it's even praying for these people that have stolen things from us. Honestly, in our hearts, oh God, I just pray for them. I want them to know you. I want them to experience your grace. But there does come a time for the wrath that wrath of God.

Why? For it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Okay. So, right now, there's a God in heaven who says that word vengeance, you don't get to use it for yourself. You don't ever get to avenge yourself. that belongs to me and me alone.

I'm He's the only one who has the right to take revenge. Isn't that crazy? God says, "I'm it." And he goes, "I will repay." So for us to deny that God is a God of vengeance, then there would never be justice. there would never be vengeance because he's the only one who's allowed to have this.

And that's what the book of Revelation is about. Now, like I said, because we are Americans living in this season of time, um we don't talk about these things. In fact, we we ask questions about like, hey, did God really say he was going to take revenge? Is it right for God to revenge?

I mean, how could God be a loving God and also take revenge? These are the questions we ask. These are the things we're brought up with. And people say, "Well, I believe in a loving God, so he must not have wrath. He must not pay people back. If he's a merciful God, how can he be both?

Okay, these are very clever, you know, questions that we bring up. But let me just go to scripture. Remember when God reveals himself to Moses and he tells Moses, "No one can look at me and live through it." But then he says, "You hide in this rock and I will reveal myself to you."

And in Exodus 34:6 he says, "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.

Okay, so people say, "Well, how could God be loving and also be a God of revenge or a God of wrath?" Well, just read the Bible. He says, "This is who I am." He goes, "I abound in steadfast love." He goes, "But don't think that means I don't pay back the guilty.

I'll forgive you. But for those who don't want my forgiveness, I will pay them back. In fact, my sin, if I don't repent of it, the punishment, the sin itself will be passed on to my children. and their children and their children. Why don't we sing songs about that?

Right? This is why we don't believe in it because we don't sing songs about the wrath of God. We sing about the blessing. But what's he saying? I'll visit the iniquity on the fathers and their children and their children and their uncles and their mothers. It's just on and on and on.

He's just like, "This is who I am. This is the book of Revelation. But because we grow up here, we wouldn't want to sing songs about the wrath of God. But guess what they do? In Revelation, they are singing songs praising his wrath. Okay. Yesterday, I know you guys did like a songwriting.

Some of you um some of the church musicians went up to the prayer property and wrote some songs just um about the love of God. Um I really think we need songs about his revenge too and his wrath. Um in fact, Mercy and I kind of wrote one uh not too long ago just based upon the book of Revelation.

Now, sometimes when you read the book of Revelation, another thing that'll go through your mind is this doesn't seem fair. This doesn't seem fair. The punishment seems too extreme based upon our own opinion. In my opinion, that seems too extreme to have an eternal punishment. For some reason, I'm okay with eternal life and eternal mercy and grace, but eternal punishment again doesn't feel right to us.

But I want to read from Revelation 15 verses 3 and 4. They sing the song of Moses. Okay, read the song of Moses in the Old Testament sometime. It's like all about the wrath of God. And God tells the people of Israel, "Sing the song. Memorize the song.

I want you to sing it." And it's like, "Wow, it's all about his wrath." Um, or a lot of it. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, oh king of the nations, who will not fear, oh Lord, and glorify your name, for you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. So in the middle of all of God pouring out his wrath, they start singing the song saying, "Man, great and amazing are you. Just means fair. Justice, fair, fair, fair are your ways, O Lord.

So here's what they sing in heaven. So we on earth go, I don't know if that's fair. Everyone in heaven just goes, your ways are fear. Your your ways are fair, God. Your ways are holy. Your ways are right. This justice is right. This judgment is right. Later on in chapter 16, as they're pouring out the bowls of wrath, it says, "I heard the angel in charge of the water say, "Just are you.

Fair are you, oh holy one, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments, for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve." And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty. True and just are your judgments.

So what are they saying in heaven? They're saying this is good cuz they shed the blood of the saints. This is referring back to um chapter 6:es 9- 11 where it says when he opened the fifth seal and can you go to that next verse? Uh yeah. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

And um but they're crying out how long, how much longer, God. So so the book of Revelation in some ways is a response to their question. Those who have been martyed and they're saying, "How much longer? how much longer. And then um in uh chapter 16 verse 6, they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and you have given them blood to drink.

It is what they deserve. This is scary stuff and I can see why people just avoid it and say just give me some happy verses. But you have to understand this is a very real part of God. He does repay. He says that's who I am. I am merciful, gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

But I also don't just leave the guilty unpunished. I will punish them. And these martyrs who have died and they're asking me, man, I didn't get to see justice in my lifetime. This is something you need to understand. Some of you will not get justice on this earth.

I mean, we live in a time where everyone demands justice, but scripture says it's not guaranteed right now. There will be justice, but right now that's not guaranteed. I mean, tell it to the martyrs. For some of these martyrs, life ended wrong. So, the last thing they heard was a gunshot.

The last thing they felt maybe was hanging by a noose, choking to death. Maybe the last thing they heard was a guillotine just coming down to behead them. And and so they're standing before the altar and go, "That was the end of my time on earth." And God says, "Not yet.

It's not over yet." And that's why all of heaven is worshiping and praising God going, "Yes, they killed these guys. Make them drink blood." And they're worshiping him for it. Revelation 19:es 1:3 says, "After this, I heard what seemed to be a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out, hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

For his judgments are true and just. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." This is the end and it's a celebration.

Now look, we have a choice when it comes to the wrath of God. You can deny it, you can ignore it, or you can worship him for it. You can deny and just say, "No, it's I don't think it's fair. I think it was a misprint." Just deny it.

Explain it away. It's weird that we sit in judgment of his judgment. Like I I don't know if I believe in it. I don't know if it's fair. That's crazy. You can deny it. You can ignore it. Let's just seal up the book. Let's not talk about it.

Let's just talk about other passages. Or we can do what heaven does. They worship him and say, "You are fair." Let me just explain one more thing to you. This was a quote I heard probably 40 years ago and I still remember it. I don't know who said it originally, but for those of you who think this feels unfair, God does not do things because they are fair.

But because God does something that makes it fair. I'm going to say it again. God does not do something because it's fair, but because God does something that makes it fair. In other words, you're not allowed to say, "Well, here's what I think is fair, and God must come under that."

No, God is perfect. His love is perfect. His mercy is perfect. His vengeance is perfect. And when he acts, it's perfect. And he sets his standard. He decides what's right, what's wrong, what's fair, what's unfair. We don't say, "Well, you know, the dictionaries." No. God says what he writes is fair.

And what we are called to do is to worship him for his fairness. And somehow in the mind of God, all these things in revelation, they're fair. And this doesn't mean that there aren't victims in the world. All of us are victims in some way. And we should fight for justice for others that are being suppressed, who are being hurt.

But as believers, there also has to be this side of us that where we believe that being mistreated personally is a blessing because of eternity. Okay. Matthew 5 11 and 12. Just going to close with this. Blessed are you when others revile you, persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Let me close with this passage from Jesus. He says, "Blessed are you when they revile you, persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account."

This is these are the words of Jesus. I when I when I was just meditating on all of this, I don't know, it just gave me a bunch of joy. Okay, so for example, I just preached a sermon, right? And it's recorded. Other people are going to watch it and they're going to say all sorts of junk about me.

Oh, he means this. He means this. He And it used to bug me like, "Oh man, why would they say that? I'm a nice guy." You know, and they you're twisting my words. You're doing this, this this this way. And then I'm looking at Revelation and I'm looking at this passage and going, "Oh, all right.

Go for it. I I mean, I'm doing my best understanding the scriptures, whatever else. any false accusations. He goes, "You should be rejoicing." See, it's only the book of Revelation that can get us there where we're going. This is going to end. So you it it's this. And again, I hope you understand where I'm I am not saying that there are not true victims.

I mean, you guys know me. I'm fighting for those people. I'm always trying to get food, water, get kids out of human trafficking, whatever. That's what we do as believers, okay? But there's this other thing that's going on where everyone's playing victim and well, way, look what they did to me, what they did to me, what they did to me, and pretty soon we're all just fighting with one another rather than going, you know what?

God's a God of revenge. he'll take revenge. And if I endure some things, and this doesn't mean like you, you know, you're you're punished for doing something wrong. It's about you're seeking to do what's right and you're wrongly accused or someone takes advantage of you. There's got to be some part of us that's like, "Everything's going to be fine one day.

I already know the final score. I already know what's going to happen. We've been reading the book of Revelation and I'm okay with it. Um, I'm more sad and fearful for them because I actually don't want them to come under the vengeance of God. I don't wish it on my worst enemy.

It's right. It is good. But I would rather see them repent because even God says that he takes no delight in the death of the wicked. I forgot the exact verse but it's in there. He doesn't take delight. He says blessed. He he loves when his saints um die because he gets to be with them.

But he says I don't take delight in the death of the wicked. And that's what Peter explains is like I'm I've been waiting. I'm not slow to keep my promise. I'm just wanting more repentance. I want to see it. He doesn't desire this, but it's a very real part of him.

So, I know it's a lot. It's a lot to stomach. And for some of you, this a new thought, but read through the book of Revelation. You'll just see this is what it's about. And we've got to come to grips with it. And I will say this week was one of the first times I forget it was this week or last week where I just as I was reading about the wrath of God I joined with heaven and I worshiped him for his vengeance.

I joined these verses and saying just and true are your ways. I'm just telling you it did something to me. Um, there is a blessing. We say we want on earth as it is in heaven. Well, in heaven, they're worshiping him for his wrath and vengeance. So, I believe we're supposed to do that here.

Um, and I'm going to do it even if no one else is. And and there was something great about doing that. So, is someone cooking over there? I'm just seeing fire. Okay. Just the smoke was freaking me out. Okay. I'm like, Pete, your house is on fire, I think.

Um, okay. Sorry, that's just distracted. Um, speaking about fire, let's sing about his wrath. Um, no, let's uh let's just end today with some worship. Um, and uh, but in your head, this may be the first time in your life you've actually worshiped God for his fair and right judgment and his vengeance.

That's what I'm praying for because there's something very, it's weird, but a little bit peaceful and um, calming and But it also just gets rid of any of this thought of hatred towards others and vengeance towards others and puts you all under the vengeance of God and go, "Okay, God, forgive them.

Forgive them. They didn't know what they were doing. Um, forgive me for wanting to take vengeance. And I praise you. Your ways are right and you will make all things right." Remember what Will taught us during communion. everything comes back and the tree of life is coming and we can celebrate this.

So let's just spend some time worshiping him for his wrath, his judgment, his goodness, his fairness. He is perfect in all of his ways.