REVELATION, Part 5 // “Judgement and the Lamb”

Damascus Road Community Church | www.damascus.com July 5, 2020

Richard Fredericks, Ph.D. | Adult Pathway Pastor

SERMON NOTES:
The Sermon on the Mount ends with a startling one-two punch of
a statement and a story. They are unsettling, because they are both
warnings aimed, NOT at the irreligious world—but at us—at those
who claim His name:
“Not everyone who says to Me: ‘LORD, LORD,
will enter the Kingdom…, but only the one who does the will
of My Father who is in heaven!”
Matthew 7:21
Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine—and puts them
into practice—is like a wise man who built his house on the Rock.
Matthew 7:24
I love the NIV translation: “puts them into practice.”
How do we become more like Christ? By choosing to follow day by day
by day. By continual conscious practice.

Those who continually try to take the next right step with Jesus are those
He knows well at the end, those alone who have built on the Rock.
Or not:
But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them
into practice is like a fool who builds his house on sand.
Matthew 7:26
Notes
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One life stands through all the storms of life—right into eternity. The
other, also religious in its outward appearance, is swept away and gone
forever. The difference is not in what we profess, but Who we follow.

What does this have to do with judgment and the Lamb in Revelation?
Everything. Revelation pictures judgment over and over again—six of
its seven sections include scenes of the final judgment—and the issue is
the same:

Did we truly determine to grasp—and practice—daily following the way

of the risen Lamb; or was the idea of Jesus, throughout our life, simply a
comforting box, set to the side to be pulled out as needed, while we
passionately pursued and defined our lives by other affections, groups
and loyalties?

Jesus never simply says: Believe I lived and died and rose again…done!
It is always, always, followed immediately by His call: “Now…follow
Me.”

They have washed their robes and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:14-15 [GIFT]

They follow the Lamb—wherever He goes.

Revelation 14:4 [CALL]

We follow the Lamb—wherever that takes us; whatever the cost.

The Bible is clear. Revelation is equally clear. We will all stand before
the judgment seat of God. All of us. God will judge our lives because our
lives will show, however tough our struggles, however many our failures
or successes, who we chose truly to be on the throne of our lives. It will
be clear.

Notes
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Judgment is never God deciding how He feels about us.

He loves us. He proved how far His love will go on Calvary. Judgment is
rather the God who loves us showing how much He also respects us,
respects the true desires and affections and loyalties of our hearts—how
much He respects and honors the daily choices we make.

Who we wanted as our real hero—the mirror or the Messiah?

Two options: the second death—or truly waking up one morning in the
now completed home we have been building with Jesus in our hearts for
years.

Choice is ours. Choose well…

Revelation 1:5-7
“To Him:
• who loves us, and
• has freed us from our sins by His blood, and
• has made us to be a Kingdom and priests to serve His God and
Father…

Notes
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 SMALL GROUP RESOURCE PAGE
Each small group is different.
Feel free to adjust and use what best fits your group.

WARM UP:

• What is your favorite July 4th celebration memory?

ENGAGE:

• There are six depictions of final judgment in Revelation; ending with the
final one that goes on for three chapters! Read and discuss at least two of
the first five together:
a. Revelation 1:5-7: 3 aspects of salvation: loved, freed, made…
b. Revelation 6:12-18: LAMB is both judgment-bearer and Judge
c. Revelation 11:16-19: “destroy those who destroy the earth…”
d. Revelation 14:14-20: the end comes when
e. “the harvest of the earth is ripe”
f. Revelation 16:17-21: Babylon is given the full cup of God’s wrath
g. Revelation 17-20: the final exit of Satan, sin and death.

APPLY:

• Discuss together the idea that judgment is never determined by how much
God cares for us, but rather by God honoring the true choices of our hearts
to build our lives around self or the Savior.
• READ and discuss Matthew 7:21-24. How shocking is this passage to
you? Why? Does it challenge any assumptions you have?
PRAY:
• Ask the group for prayer requests and spend some time in prayer for each
other. Pray for peace in our nation.
GOING DEEPER:

• Join us on YouTube for Richard’s Q&A time on Tuesdays at 7PM.

• If you have children or youth, engage them with our curriculum online.
• Find out all the ways you can stay engaged and connected at
damascus.com/events

This week’s message insert is available through the YouVersion

Bible App. In the app, click on MORE, then EVENTS, and search
for Damascus Road Community Church. Or scan this QR code to
open the insert directly. Follow along and take notes all in the
YouVersion app – and don’t forget to click on SAVE EVENT!