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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Revelation chapter 13. Revelation chapter 13, we will 
not engage in a strict exposition of 13. Just want to read it by 
way of context for our consideration of chapter 14. You want an explanation 
of any of these key figures, the beast from the sea, the beast 
from the earth. I know a less than average commentary 
that you can get for free. If you're interested in that, 
just see me afterwards and we'll make sure that you get a copy. 
Revelation chapter 13, beginning in verse one. Then I stood on 
this on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of 
the sea, having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns, ten 
crowns and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now, the beast which I 
saw was like a leopard. His feet were like the feet of 
a bear. and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave 
him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one 
of his heads, as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly 
wound was healed. And all the world marveled and 
followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon, 
who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, 
saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with 
him? And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. 
And he was given authority to continue for 42 months. Then 
he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his 
name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted 
to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority 
was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell 
on the earth will worship him. whose names have not been written 
in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world. If anyone has an ear, let him 
hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He who 
kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is 
the patience and the faith of the saints. Then I saw another 
beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb 
and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority 
of the first beast in his presence. and causes the earth and those 
who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound 
was healed. He performs great signs, so that 
he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the 
sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell 
on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight 
of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an 
image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was 
granted power. to give breath to the image of 
the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and 
cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be 
killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free 
and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand and on their 
foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has 
the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here 
is wisdom. Let him who has understanding 
calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. Then I looked, 
and behold, a lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, 
having his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard 
a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like 
the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists 
playing their harps. They sang, as it were, a new 
song before the throne, before the four living creatures and 
the elders. And no one could learn that song 
except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. These are the 
ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow 
the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among 
men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their 
mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before 
the throne of God. Then I saw another angel flying 
in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 
to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, 
and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory 
to him, for the hour of his judgment has come. And worship him who 
made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. And another 
angel followed, saying, Babylon is falling, that great city, 
because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath 
of her fornication. Then a third angel followed them, 
saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast in 
his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 
he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 
which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. 
He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence 
of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the 
smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have 
no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image, and 
whoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience 
of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments 
of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven 
saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord 
from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, They may 
rest from their labors, and their works follow them. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for this, your Holy Word. We pray for your spirit 
now to minister to us. We pray that you would guide 
us and direct us in our study tonight. We pray that you would 
forgive us afresh for all of our sins and unrighteousness 
and anything that would darken our minds and our understanding. We pray that we would receive 
much encouragement from this passage of Scripture. that you 
would just build us up in our most holy faith, that we would 
leave from this place, having met with God on this Lord's day, 
entering into a new week where we may indeed shine as lights 
in a crooked and perverse generation, and may we indeed hold forth 
your word of truth. And we ask these things for your 
glory's sake, and we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, tonight, 
specifically, I want to look at characteristics of God's people 
in Revelation chapter 14. As I said, it's not a strictly 
expository sermon getting into all of the nuts and bolts and 
details and the nitty gritty of chapters 13 and 14. But I 
think to fully appreciate what we find described in chapter 
14, we need to appreciate the backdrop of chapter 13. Now, just to identify a few key 
themes so that we can work our way through chapter 14 tonight. 
The 144,000 were introduced in chapter 7 at verse 4. I have some convictions on who 
these particular people are, but suffice it to say they represent 
the church, the believer, those who are saved by the grace of 
God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that in 
chapter 13, we have this description of the beast from the sea, a 
description of this beast from the land. And then we shift scenes 
to the lamb and to his fair army. There is a direct contrast working 
between chapters 13 and 14. The followers of the beast. Chapter 
13. The followers of the lamb. Chapter 
14. In fact, one man in his excellent 
commentary on the book of Revelation said this. He says, the immediate 
juxtaposition of the lamb in 14.1 to the beasts of chapter 
13 serves the contrast between the two sides. The point of the 
contrast is to emphasize that Jesus Christ is true lamb to 
whom allegiance is to be given in contrast to the false lamb 
of 1311 and the first beast. You must appreciate what John 
is doing here. He is showing us the followers 
of the Lamb, and then conversely He is showing us the followers 
of the beast, and then conversely the followers of the Lamb. As 
well, John is encouraging the people of God, because we see 
these beasts wreaking havoc upon earth dwellers. We see these 
beasts captivating masses and entireties of men. We see these 
beasts functioning in such a way that despair could set in. But 
the elect of God are reminded that though the beasts rage, 
and though the beasts engage in their warfare, and though 
the beasts carry on in their madness, the Lamb stands on Mount 
Zion. The Lamb is in control. The Lamb is King of Kings and 
Lord of Lords. Again, another commentator said, 
John's point is clear. Let the beasts do their worst. The Son of Man has ascended in 
the clouds and received everlasting dominion over all peoples and 
nations. His kingdom will never be overthrown. He will never have a successor. So the people of God are encouraged 
that though the beasts rage, and make war. Nevertheless, the 
Lamb of God, the Lamb himself is enthroned. He stands on Mount 
Zion. He has his faithful with him. 
And now we want to consider some characteristics. Now, when we 
consider these characteristics, these are not imperatives. There's 
not commands in chapter fourteen, go out and do this. Rather, these 
are indicatives. They are descriptions of what 
God's people look like. Now, that will be true in varying 
degrees. It will be true in greater strengths 
and in some weaknesses and all that sort of thing. In this life, 
in this world, the best of Christ's people still struggle with remaining 
corruption. They still find themselves in 
that Galatians 5.17 reality. The spirit lusts against the 
flesh. The flesh lusts against the spirit. These two are contrary 
to one another so that you do not do the things that you want. 
There is that reality. But by and large, those who by 
God's grace have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ will look 
something like these saints described here in chapter 14. And the first 
thing we ought to notice is that they are marked with God's name. Notice in verse one. Then I looked 
and behold, a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him one hundred 
and forty four thousand having his father's name written on 
their forehead. Now that's in direct contrast 
to what he's already indicated about the subjects of the beast. Go back for just a moment in 
chapter 13 at verse 16. He causes all, both small and 
great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their 
right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell 
except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the 
number of his name. I know this text has been taken 
to teach that we ought to be aware of UPC codes. We ought 
to be aware of social insurance numbers. We ought to watch the 
big amalgamation of banks trying to press on us the reality that 
we have to have a chip inserted so that we can do business transactions 
in commerce. That's not what John is talking 
about here. This mark indicates ownership. This mark indicates possession. This mark indicates allegiance. And while the beast has his followers, 
while the beast has his loyal subjects bearing the mark on 
their forearm, bearing the mark on their forehead, God Almighty 
has his mark upon his elect by his grace and for his glory. I think Vern Poythress explains 
this very well with reference to the mark of the beast. He 
describes or he explains it is a counterfeit for the seal of 
God's name on the saints. The beast owns those who are 
marked and they are his slaves. A mark denotes spiritual allegiance 
and ownership, both in the case of God's mark and in the case 
of the beast's counterfeit mark. In both cases, the mark is at 
root spiritual rather than visible. So don't go looking for that 
code. Don't go looking for that sign. 
Rather, as God's people, by grace alone, through faith alone, you 
are marked with His seal. Poitras goes on to say, the multitude 
of speculations about a visible mark are beside the point. You can study all you want, you 
can read all you want, you can look all you want, but the point 
is clear. The beast has his followers, 
they are marked. God has his followers, they are 
marked. That's the point. It's spiritual 
rather than visible. Now, I'm not suggesting you ought 
to go out and get implanted with computer chips. That's not my 
particular point. But that's not, in my estimation, 
what John was talking about. He is talking about God's seal 
of ownership. Anything that mark is the Holy 
Spirit, according to Ephesians chapter 1 verses 13 and 14. The second characteristic that 
we ought to observe with reference to the fair army of the Lamb. Secondly, they are worshipers 
of God. They are worshipers of God. And I think at times we as Christians 
take worship Not so seriously. Worship is what we were made 
to do. God created Adam in his image 
to function as a prophet, priest, and king, and to worship God 
the Lord, to extend the garden temple, to encompass the entirety 
of the earth, so that all of creation would give glory and 
honor and praise and worship to God most high at the entrance 
of sin. Obviously, we needed redemption 
in redemption. We have been saved. Yes, to serve 
God. We have been saved. Yes, to be 
husbands. We have been saved. Yes, to be 
wise. We have been saved to be workers. We have been saved for all those 
myriad of things. But we have been saved to worship. Worship is spectacular. Worship is wondrous. Worship 
is what the creature was created to do. I like what John Piper 
says with reference to this whole idea of worship. He says that 
missions and evangelism are not final. They are means to an end. What goes on into the eschaton? What continues into the eternal 
state? Not missions. Not evangelism, 
but worship. Missions and evangelism exist 
now to make worshippers of our triune God. And when we look 
at this fair army, we notice in verse 2, And I heard a voice 
from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice 
of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists 
playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song, 
notice, before the throne. before the four living creatures 
and the elders, and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 
who were redeemed from the earth. We are saved to worship the living 
and true God. Again, in contrast to the followers 
of the beast. Notice in chapter 13 and verse 
8, all who dwell on the earth will worship Him, except, of 
course, the elect. whose names have not been written 
in the book of life of the land slain from the foundation of 
the world. Notice in verse 12, and he exercises 
all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes 
the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast 
whose deadly wound was healed. Do you know what this indicates? 
It indicates that at essence, man is a worshiping creature. 
Worship is an inescapable reality. You will most certainly worship 
something. And notice, when you are freed 
from the clutches of the beast, you become a worshipper of God 
Most High and the Lamb who stands on Mount Zion. It is a wonderful 
and blessed contrast that we find here, describing the followers 
of the beast against the followers of the Lamb. Worship, brethren, 
is not something we ought to treat lightly. We ought to work 
and labor to understand the biblical doctrine and to present ourselves 
accordingly before the Lord God Most High. There is this statement 
in the Psalter. In Psalm 87, too, we read, The 
Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of 
Jacob. It's a beautiful testimony and statement, isn't it? The 
Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of 
Jacob. It doesn't mean he hates family. It doesn't mean he hates 
individuals. It doesn't mean he's against 
those things. But rather, what it is highlighting 
is that he loves the gates of Zion even more so because it 
is there that the people of God gather collectively. It is there 
that the people of God present themselves to the triune God. 
It is there that they offer up their spiritual sacrifices to 
the Father through the Son, by the Spirit. And in this, the 
Father is glorified. Worship is a blessed privilege 
that the saints of the land enjoy. In Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews 
chapter 12 verse 28, it says, Therefore, since we are receiving 
a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we 
may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For 
our God is a consuming fire. I think it's very important for 
us. to take that spiritual barometer 
from time to time to ask ourselves, what is our view of worship? What is our view of church life? Now, it could very well be that 
you're at a dead church. I'm not suggesting this one particularly. I hope not. But it could be the 
case where you're at a place where the gospel is not preached, 
the truth is not administered, the sacraments are not practiced, 
worship is irreverent, all those sorts of things. There could 
be that case. But if you're at a church where 
the Word of God is sought to be applied, and it's dead and 
cold and dry, maybe the problem isn't necessarily the church. 
Maybe we need to examine ourselves with reference to these high 
privileges that the Lord has entrusted to us. Maybe we need 
to ask the question, why am I not benefiting? Why am I not receiving? Why am I not enjoying the glory 
of God Most High? Again, if you're a Calvinist 
and you go to a Pelagian church, there might be the problem. That's 
certainly to be, you know, acknowledged. That's certainly to be looked 
at, to be sure. But if a church is seeking to 
faithfully preach and teach the word of God, and it's like nothing 
but dead, dry, cold, hard sand and, you know, rubbish. Again, 
not exonerating any preacher, the one here notwithstanding. 
Could just be gravel spilling forth. You know, sometimes you 
hear sermons and it's like the water of life and you just, you 
know, it's great. Sometimes it's like gravel just 
spilling forth. Hopefully there's a little water 
interspersed with that gravel from time to time. Hopefully. Right. The church, the saints 
of Christ are a worshiping people. Worship ought to be primary in 
the lives of God's people. Thirdly, notice they are spiritually 
chaste. Verse four says, these are the 
ones who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. 
I don't believe this has a physical reference. I don't believe that 
God sanctions abstinence over marital bliss, over the conjugal 
relationship. I think when we compare Scripture 
with Scripture, there is a spiritual application of this particular 
reference. These are the ones who were not 
defiled with women, for they are virgins. Rogers and Rogers 
say it seems best to take this description of chastity in a 
figurative sense, indicating that they have kept themselves 
pure from all the defiling relationships with the pagan world. Remember, 
the grand criminal will be marched out not too long from this point 
in Revelation chapter 17. How is she described? She is 
described as the mother of harlots. She is described as one who is 
unchaste, who is unfaithful, who is ungodly. So identification 
with her is a bad thing. These, in contrast, These, over 
against that fact or over against that reality, these are the ones 
who were not defiled. These are the ones who are spiritually 
chained. James uses this convention in 
James 4.4. It says, Do you not know? He calls them adulterers and 
adulteresses. He says, Do you not know that friendship with 
the world is enmity with God? That's what's in view. Paul uses 
the language in 2 Corinthians 11 too. I wanted to present you, 
the Corinthian church, as a chaste virgin to Christ. The idea here 
is not that abstinence in the single life is better, more holy, 
and more noble than us poor married slobs that have to get married. 
That's not the point. Spiritual chastity. Spiritual 
fidelity. God made marriage. It's good. 
Physical. Blessed union. talking about 
a spiritual reference with reference to these followers of the Lamb. 
One man says fornication and harlotry throughout the Bible 
are potent metaphors for apostasy and idolatry. The Lamb's army 
gathered about him on Mount Zion is chaste, faithful to him and 
single-mindedly consecrated to the holy war they are engaged 
in. Notice fourthly, a fourth characteristic. I imagine that a cook takes a 
basic recipe and then adds something of himself to that recipe. As 
a preacher, I often seek to preach as I think preaching should be, 
as I would like to hear preaching. And I remember early on as a 
hearer when the preacher would announce, I have 15 points. Something 
in my head would just go, wait a minute, I don't know if I'm 
ready for 15 points. I'm just not that sharp and I 
don't know that we have that much time. So if you notice, 
I conspicuously did not tell you how many characteristics. 
I didn't want anybody to do that initially and say, oh, we just 
can't handle this. I promise you, we will go no 
later than what we normally go. So we're on number four for those 
who are taking notes. The fourth is this. They follow 
the Lamb wherever He goes. A great description of Christ's 
people. They're not whiners. They're 
not grumblers. They're not complainers. They're 
not babies. They're not murmurers. They don't 
say, Why, Lord? They follow the Lamb wherever 
He goes. That's what verse 4b says. These are the ones who follow 
the Lamb wherever he goes. Again, a contrast between the 
followers of the beast. Notice in chapter 13, verse 3. And all the world marveled and 
followed the beast. Again, following is an inescapable 
concept. Prior to your conversion to Christ, 
you follow the beast, whatever its representation is in your 
life. As followers of the Lamb, we 
do so happily. We do so joyfully. We don't do 
so perfectly. And when we falter, when we sin, 
when we stumble, we confess it. We forsake it. We seek mercy 
from on high. We plead the promise of 1 John 
1, 9. But what is indicatively true 
of a Christian is that they follow Jesus Christ. Imagine that. Now, John, Chapter 10, just to 
go to another place of a similar author, John the Apostle wrote 
the Gospel of John. He also wrote the Book of Revelation. Notice in John, Chapter 10, the 
teaching of Jesus Christ as the true shepherd. John 10, verse 
4, And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, 
and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they 
will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him. For they 
do not know the voice of strangers. Dropping down to verse 25, Jesus 
answered them. I told you and you do not believe 
the works that I do in my father's name. They bear witness of me. 
But you do not do not believe because you are not of my sheep. 
As I said to you, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and 
they follow me. What a great description of a 
Christian. Is that you? Is that define you? Is that true 
of you? You follow the lamb? Again, I'm 
not saying perfectly. In this world, we still have 
remaining corruption. Sometimes we have great intention, 
we're going to get up at four, we're going to read our Bible 
for three hours and we're going to follow Jesus all throughout 
life. We wake up at seven, we don't read our Bibles, we run 
out the door and we immediately conclude it's all over. Well, 
you know, that's unfortunately the experience of a lot of God's 
people. By and large, all in all, what is the general trajectory 
of your life? Is it one of following the Lamb 
wherever He goes? Jesus taught this conspicuously. Jesus taught this often. He told us we are to take up 
our crosses daily and follow Him. And in the context, the 
cross obviously meant death. Be willing to follow Jesus each 
and every day to the death if that is necessary. Now, praise 
God most high. For most of our 365 days in a 
year, we are not called upon to die for Jesus. We are called upon to live for 
Jesus. We are called upon to follow 
Jesus as individuals. That means when no one's watching, 
when no one's around, we seek to be faithful to our King. We 
are called to follow Jesus in our home and implement such passages 
like Colossians chapter 3, where husbands love their wives and 
they're not embittered against them, where wives are submissive 
to their own husbands as unto the Lord, where children obey 
their parents, where fathers do not provoke their children. 
This is what it means to follow the Lamb. There's this idea that 
to follow the Lamb, you've got to quit your job, you've got 
to go get seminary train, and you've got to go out to China 
and be a missionary. Absolutely not the case. God 
does call some to do that, but for the most of us, He calls 
us in our regular, normal, everyday, mundane existence, and He calls 
us to follow Him in that particular sphere. That's what a Christian 
is. He is one who follows the Lamb 
wherever He goes. The fifth characteristic is found 
in verse four as well. Notice, these are the ones who 
follow the Lamb wherever He goes. And the next section, these were 
redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the 
Lamb. They are the redeemed. They're 
not the great performers. They're not the exceptional ones. They're not the ones who were 
wise enough to avoid the beast. They were not the ones who were 
good enough to avoid the beast. In the final analysis, brothers 
and sisters, we will stand before God and be accepted by Him on 
that day, not because of our righteousness, not because of 
our works, not because of our good doing, but because we were 
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. It's a great description, 
isn't it? If you had to identify one particular 
Christian, what is it? I'm redeemed. What is redemption, 
biblically speaking? Redemption presupposes sin. Redemption presupposes bondage. Redemption speaks of the work 
of Christ coming into this world to redeem us from our sin. Remember, Israel of old was in 
Egypt. God redeemed His people. He took 
them out of there and brought them into blessed liberty. Christ 
does that. Christ brings His people out 
of darkness into marvelous light. Christ redeems them through His 
own precious blood. He does this by having become 
a curse, according to Paul in Galatians 3.13. He was made a 
curse for us. Galatians chapter 4 indicates 
that in the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son, born 
of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. In Ephesians 1, when the apostle 
is celebrating the work of the triune God, the Father chose 
the Son redeems. He says, in whom we have redemption 
through His blood. This idea of redemption should 
never, or may it always cause us to reflect upon the necessity 
of the blood of the Lamb of God. That is why and how we stand 
in acceptance with God the Lord. It's a blessed, blessed concept. 
Notice, sixthly, they speak the truth. Now, they don't speak 
the truth in order to be saved. They're saved because they're 
redeemed through precious blood. But having been redeemed, having 
been justified freely by His grace in the life of sanctification, 
get this, they speak the truth. They don't lie. They take seriously 
the ninth word. They do not bear false witness. 
They do not gossip. They do not slander. They do 
not twist things. in the mind of the author, if 
we can project, is probably Psalm 15, which is a description of 
the perfect man, Jesus Christ. But those who by God's grace 
are in union with Christ will strive by his grace to speak 
the truth. This is what the text says. And 
in their mouth was found no deceit. The dragon, the beast from the 
sea, the beast from the land operate through deceit and lies. The people of God operate through 
truth and they operate through honesty. This is why the Apostle 
Paul in Ephesians 4 says, let no corrupt speech flow from your 
mouth. Speak those things which are 
necessary or unto necessary edification. It says we are to no longer lie. What a value! What a prize! We're 
to esteem the truth. God is the Lord God of truth. How dare His people speak lies? How dare His people not be precise? How dare His people tear off 
the edges of truth and play loose with it? We need to be a people 
who speak the truth. Back in Psalm 15, it tells us 
that He swears to His own hurt and does not change. You make 
an agreement with someone, you carry it out. You covenant with 
somebody, you carry it out. You agree to financial obligations 
that are crazy, carry it out. We don't have the prerogative 
of the beast followers. Well, you know, I'm just full 
of deceit and lies and corruption and wickedness. No, not as a 
Christian. Jesus said, they will know you 
by the love that you have for one another. As well, truth ought 
to play into that equation. We ought to speak truthfully. 
Notice, seventhly, they are blameless, for they are without fault before 
the throne of God. And we might just project and 
say, well, in the eschaton, in the heavenly state, in heaven 
itself, of course, we'll be without blame. We are without blame positionally 
by virtue of our union with Christ. He is without blame. God made 
Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us so that we might become 
the righteousness of God in Him. So not only in the heavenly state, 
but here on earth, we ought to pursue blamelessness. We ought 
to be upright. We ought to be men and women 
of our word. We ought to be men and women 
of good character. Again, not perfect. There's not 
anybody on this earth that's never going to see a sin. There's 
always somebody who can come to you and say, wow, I saw that. 
That was inconsistent. That was wretched. That was horrible. 
Don't say, no, it wasn't. You know, I'm great. No. Yeah, 
you're right. Please forgive me. They ought 
to see that as well. Blamelessness before God and 
men. Paul said, I strive, I strive 
to maintain a conscience void of offense toward God and toward 
men. That's an amazing thing. Strove 
for that. That's what made him tick. Have 
a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men? Absolutely. This could be summarized or these 
concepts could be summarized in the eighth characteristic 
of verse 12. They keep the commandments of God. Here is the patience 
of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments 
of God. We realize that the law does 
not justify. The law can never bring us into 
acceptance with God, because we're sinners, because we're 
undone, because we are not perfectly righteous. But having said that, 
when we are justified freely by His grace, the law serves 
as the rule or pattern or standard for life. The Reformers called 
this the third use of the law, the normative use of the law. In other words, how does God 
want me to live as a justified believer? God wants you to live 
in virtue of His holy law. Look to the law. Turretin says 
it something like this. The law sends us to Christ for 
our justification. Christ then sends us back to 
the law for our sanctification. I think that is a great construct 
to put on the biblical data. And that is precisely what is 
described here in verse 12. Here is the patience of the saints. 
Here are those who keep the commandments of God. Again, John writing the 
gospel, it was there that Jesus says, if you love me, you will 
keep my commandments. It's a no brainer, isn't it? 
Well, wow, that's amazing. You would think it is in the 
modern evangelical and reform. What, you mean I got to do what 
God says? You mean I have to obey? But I was saved by grace. You are saved by grace. You're 
saved in order to obey God. That's why. The law is a good 
thing. It's a holy thing. It's a wise 
thing. The people of God love the law. Look at that man in 
Psalm 1. Look at that man in Psalm 119. Look at the Lord Jesus 
Christ. It was a delight for him to do 
the law of the Father. So, as the born-again people 
of God, we ought to be pursuing obedience to the law of God. 
This should flesh itself out in our interpersonal relationships. Oh, no one anything, Paul says, 
except to love one another. For he who loves another has 
fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall 
not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall 
not steal. You shall not bear false witness. 
You shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, 
they're all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love 
your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. 
Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. That's Romans 13, 
8 to 10. You see, the law isn't contrary to the child of God. I've often thought in light of 
John's language in 1 John 5, if we hate his law, we really 
ought to take stock of our spiritual position. 1 John 5, verse 1, 
whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and 
everyone who loves him who begot also loves him who is begotten 
of him. By this we know that we love 
the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. 
For this is the love of God that we keep as commandments. And 
His commandments are not burdensome. Are the commandments burdensome? 
You look at the law and say, oh, how I hate your law. Oh, 
what a bondage is your law. Oh, what a drag is your law. 
You take Sunday, for instance. Three hours. Three hours out 
of a busy, long week filled with hours for you to do whatever 
you want. I mean, not whatever you want. You can't go out and 
kill people or fornicate or do sinful things. But for the most 
part, for the most part, we look at Sunday and we go, 
oh man, I've got to go to church. Again, it could be a bad church. 
It could be gravel, spouting gravel, just blowing gravel. In which case, find a place where 
there's water being shot forth. But the attitude, Oh, church. Oh, what a drag. Isn't this what 
John is saying? Isn't this what John is condemning? His commandments are not burdensome. Blessed is that man in Psalm 
1 whose meditation is upon the law of God day and night. What 
was Joshua's mandate before he went in to the land of Canaan 
to conquer? God says to meditate upon my 
law. Then your way will prosper. Then you will have blessing. You take some of the other commandments. 
Take any of the commandments. What do you mean? I can't have 
idols? If that's the disposition of 
your heart, then grace hasn't been there. See, grace liberates 
us from bondage to the beast and brings us into that blessed 
place of the worship of the Lamb. No longer do we reject the law. 
No longer do we count it as our great grief and burden, but rather 
we steam it. Rather we love it. And rather, 
as John describes in the book of Revelation, here is the patience 
of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments 
of God. And then the ninth characteristic 
follows on the heels of that, Revelation 14, 12b. Here is the 
patience of the sage. Here are those who, first of 
all, keep the commandment of God. And then notice, secondly, 
and the faith of Jesus. Faith of Jesus. Now there, I 
don't believe he means their personal faith in Jesus, but 
rather the objective truth of Christianity. Something that 
we looked at on Wednesday night in Jude 3. Jude says, contend 
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to 
the saints. I'm not talking about your hold on Christ. He's talking 
about propositional revelation as it comes to us in the 66 books 
of God's Holy Word. You contend earnestly for that 
faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. It is 
the body of doctrine that reveals unto us the glory of God, the 
way of salvation, and man's duty with reference to his Father. 
That's what's in view here in Revelation chapter 14. They keep the faith of Jesus. This is absolutely crucial in 
the context. Because what was happening or 
what the threat was in the churches in Revelation was to turn back 
from Christ, was to not overcome, was to not persevere, was to 
not finish strong. In fact, if you look at all of 
the seven letters in chapters two and three, there is a promise 
given to those who overcome. What's his point? His point is 
persevere. His point is go forward. The 
point is, don't give up. The point is, don't stop. You know what, brethren, sometimes 
a Christian life is hard. Sometimes it's difficult. Sometimes 
it's trying. Sometimes it's punctuated with 
trials and afflictions. There's disappointments. I just 
got word of Johnny Farese. I hope you all read that email 
and I hope you're all praying for that brother. He's a servant 
of God. immobilized, cannot move. And 
for the last 14 years, I actually think it's longer. I don't know 
if his sister missed something there, but I remember getting 
Faris letters back in Palmdale before I ever got here. This 
man couldn't move at all. Muscular atrophy, I think, is 
the name of the particular disease that he has. He's the oldest 
living person with it. You just don't get to his age 
with this particular disease. I mean, he can't move. He uses 
a breath powered computer system. Is that correct, Pastor Cam? 
I had the privilege to visit him several years ago. I wish 
I could have been, you know, fly on the wall with Cam on that 
particular day. Ask him, Johnny, has the Christian 
life been easy for you? Is it easy to serve the Lord 
Jesus Christ knowing that you can't even move? Ask God's tried 
people at times. Is it easy? They may not say 
it's easy, but it's certainly worth it. The message of the 
book of Revelation, and this is what's so unfortunate. People 
don't read it. People are afraid of Revelation. 
People get more enamored with or more consumed with the beasts 
and the rage and the maladies and all that sort of thing than 
the corrective offered to deal with those men or deal with those 
madmen. The message of Revelation is 
that in this world, you will have tribulation. But be of good 
cheer, for I have overcome the world." That's it in a nutshell. Keep the faith of Jesus. Keep it. Don't let go. Don't 
hold it like some... You know you ever shake those 
guys' hands and they hand you like a lent noodle? Shake my 
hand, man! Shake my hand. There's Christians 
out there that put out a limp noodle. Shake the hand. Grab that doctrine. Hold on to 
the faith. Don't let it go. Understand the 
truth. Know the Gospel. Know the Scriptures. Know that body of truth that 
was once for all delivered to the saints. And do not let it 
go. Spurgeon said, Would you have 
me silence the doctrine of the blood of sprinkling? Would any 
one of you attempt so horrible a deed? Shall we be censured 
if we continually proclaim the heaven-sent message of the blood 
of Jesus? Shall we speak with bated breath 
because some affected person shudders at the sound of the 
word blood? Nay, verily, we will sooner have 
our tongue cut out than cease to speak of the precious blood 
of Jesus Christ. We need more men and more women 
of the caliber of the Apostle Paul. He's saying something of 
it in 429. I am not ashamed of the gospel 
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone 
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Why, Paul? For in it the righteousness of 
God is revealed from faith to faith, that just as it is written, 
the just shall live by faith. You could sooner bring the moon 
down into your front yard than to shut the mouth of the Apostle 
Paul when it came to gospel preaching. For I determined to know nothing 
among you except Christ and Him crucified. God forbid that I 
should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by 
whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. That's 
the kind of attitude and the mentality that we ought to adopt 
and imbibe. Young people and children, it 
isn't cool to reject Christ. Young people and children, it 
is righteous to hold the faith of Jesus. We don't know what's 
coming in the future. You don't know how many of your 
liberties are going to get taken away. You don't know what kind 
of benefit and privilege you may enjoy in the coming weeks, 
months, or years. You need to hold the faith now. 
If God has provided liberty, if God has provided a blessing, 
use this time to prepare so that if it comes to pass that these 
liberties are threatened, you are holding the faith still. 
I guarantee you, you will never hold the faith in a time of persecution. if you ain't holding it in the 
time of liberty. Why would you? What's Daniel 
do? What's Daniel do when it is a 
prohibition against worshiping the true and living God? He opens 
his window and he prays as was his custom. We say, at least 
pull the shade, Daniel, so they don't see you. He says, I've 
done this every day, three times a day for my entire life. I don't 
care one whit about this prohibition. I am going to pray to my God. That's what the Lamb, the fair 
army of the Lamb does. They hold the faith of Jesus. And then the final, we have ten 
total, they will have eternal rest. Verse 13, blessed are the 
dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit. that they may rest from their 
labors and their works follow them. Again, a fitting and an 
encouraging word to the church under trial, to the church under 
difficulty, to the church under affliction. This is the promise, 
excuse me, held out by God to his people that they may rest 
from their labors and their works follow them. Blessed are the 
dead. who die in the Lord from now 
on. Gill says, to die in the Lord is to die interested in 
him, in union to him, which union is not dissolved by death and 
which preserves from all condemnation at death or at judgment and secures 
the soul's immediate entrance into happiness and the resurrection 
of the body at the last day. And therefore, such must be blessed. Praise God Almighty that that 
is what is in the future. Praise God Almighty that 599 
is going to be realized in each of our lives. The bride eyes 
not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not 
gaze at glory, but on my king of grace. Not at the crowning 
gifteth, But on his pierced hand, the land is all the glory of 
Emmanuel's land. That's our future. That's our 
hope. That's where we're heading. And 
that ought to cause us to imbibe these characteristics with, as 
one brother often prays, a spring in our step. We ought to be a 
hope-filled, happy, joyful people as we pursue that heavenly bless. If you do not know the Lord Jesus 
Christ tonight, do not take this list and say, I have to go out 
and tell the truth. I have to go out and be blameless. 
I have to go out and be spiritually chaste. No, you have to look 
to Christ. You have to believe the gospel. You have to look to the one who 
lived, who died, who rose again, the one who alone redeems through 
his precious blood. Look to Christ, believe his gospel, 
and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for this, your holy word. We thank you for this contrast. between the followers of the 
beast and the followers of the Lamb. We thank You, God, that 
by Your grace You've numbered us among this fair army. We thank 
You, God, that by Your grace You've redeemed us through the 
precious blood of the Lord Jesus. We pray that this Gospel would 
run swiftly and be glorified and that a multitude would believe 
and be saved. God, go with us now. Watch over 
Your people and grant us the grace to bring honor to You in 
this world. And we pray through Christ Jesus 
our Lord, Amen.