Introduction

Revelation 19:10 ESV  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• Alright cool, we have been reading through a lot of Revelation… sometimes even whole chapters in a day… but today the Lord had me just speak about this one verse.
  • And man there is a lot of stuff going on in this verse… let’s break it down a little bit… let me start at verse 0 for some context…

Revelation 19:9-10 ESV  And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”  (10)  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”

• So there is an angel talking to John about the marriage supper of the lamb, which we talked about last week.
  • So know John falls down and worships the angel…
    • Maybe John thought the Angel was Jesus…
    • Maybe John thought it appropriate to worship angels…
    • Whatever the case, John was out of line…
    • The angel says “I am a fellow servant of God like you… don’t worship me, WORSHIP GOD!
      • Then He says this powerful and profound line… look again at verse 10 and focus now on the last sentence…

Revelation 19:10 ESV  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
  • Wow that is deep… put that on a coffee mug and sell it on Etsy!
    • For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
      • It sure sounds good… but what does it mean?
• Well, we are going to talk about what it means, then we are going to talk about why it was said… in this mornings message:

• The All-Knowing God Isn’t Silent! Worship Him Alone!
  • And to make things supper easy today, our title is also our points!
    • Point one “The all-knowing God isn’t silent.
    • Point two “Worship Him Alone”
  • Let’s pray and then get into it.

Point One – The All-Knowing God Isn’t Silent

Revelation 19:10 ESV  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• Our first point this morning is that the All-Knowing God Isn’t Silent.
  • And this point comes from that final line in this verse “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
  • To understand what that phrase means “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” we need to understand some terms… namely, we need to understand the terms testimony and prophecy.
• Let’s start with the word “Testimony”…
  •  If you are up with current events and have spent any time on social media you have probably watched some of Johny Depp’s and Amber Heard’s Testimony.
    • What a perfect example of the need of a Savior… here are two people with all the money in the world, married to the most beautiful people in the world… and they are miserable, alcoholic, abusive, and drug addicted. It is so incredibly sad what life is like without Jesus… but non-the-less, as they go to court against each other they are asked to testify.
      • That means, to share their testimony.
  • Now a testimony is something you have seen with your own two eyes and heard with your own two ears.
    • It is an eye-witness account.
    • In court you don’t get to say “so and so told me”, that’s called hearsay, because saying what someone else said about something is not a testimony.
      • Testimony is what you know to be true because you witnessed it yourself.

• So the official definition of testimony is this:
  • A: a solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness under oath.
  • B: firsthand authentication of a fact : evidence.
    • Right, it is your eye witness account, what you swear to be true, what you saw first hand.
• So that clears up testimony, but what about prophecy?

• Well Vine’s New Testament Bible Dictionary puts it this way…

• A.  From the Greek word propheteia meaning: The speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God.
  • In other words, prophecy is literally saying what God tells you or leads you to say.
    • It could be as simple as reading a Bible verse, that is the word of God after all…
    • Or it could be as profound as speaking about future events, like most of the book of Revelation.
    • It could be a word about something in someone’s life that only God knows about, like when brother Eric prophesied that someone needed a car and God provided the car.
    • Or it could be as simple as God using you to speak a word of encouragement into someone’s life… like when God sent me to encourage a man sitting on a fountain who then began to weep and asked “Are you an angel? Because I asked God just now to show me that he is real and then you walked up…”
  • Anytime God says “Say this” and you say it, you are prophesying!
    • Now this message is not about how to prophecy, but if you are curious and want to know more, talk to brother Eric Hartmann who is incredibly gifted with prophecy and he can help or connect you with someone who can help.
• All of that said, I just want you to understand what these two words mean. In laymen terms, once again, they mean:

• Testimony: To share what you saw or experienced firsthand.
  • Prophecy: To speak what God tells you to speak.
• Now that we know these terms we should be able to understand this verse:

Revelation 19:10b ESV  For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• If we plug in our definitions for testimony and prophecy the verse looks something like this:

• …For the [eyewitness account] of Jesus is the spirit of [all that God says].
  • This means that everything God knows, everything God speaks… all of God’s Word, past present, and future… all of God’s knowledge… JESUS TALKS ABOUT IT!
    • Jesus shares what He knows FIRSTHAND from the Word of God.
      • And it’s not hearsay because JESUS IS GOD!
      • And it’s not hearsay because JESUS IS THE WORD!

John 1:1 ESV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 ESV  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

• All this to say that the all knowing God…
  • The God who knows everything…
    • He knows so much that He even has every single hair on your head numbered… He could look at your hairbrush and pluck out a hair and say “This is your 857,000^th hair, it came out in your hairbrush last Thursday at 6:43 in the morning. You were stressing out about a work meeting while combing you hair when it came out… and you were tired because you only had 2.47895 hours of deep sleep the night before…
  • This is the God we are talking about… the God who knows every minute detail of everything ever… past present and future…
  • AND THIS ALL KNOWING GOD IS NOT SILENT! BECAUSE HE SPEAKS… HE TESTIFIES… THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!
    • For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy…
      • That what Jesus shares as first hand eyewitness knowledge to you is straight from the mouth of the all knowing ever present God!

John 12:49 ESV  For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

• Jesus speaks the Word of God… which makes sense since He is God…
  • But we need to understand this… that Jesus speaks!
• Sometimes church, hear this… sometimes we think of the Omniscience of God… that is the All-knowingness of God… we think of it as this inaccessible, unusable, lofty floaty in the cloud idea.
  • Like “yeah, God is all knowing… but what’s the point because we are so dumb”…
  • The point is that not only is God all knowing but God is not silent.
    • HE SPEAKS! HE HAS THINGS TO SAY. AND HE WANTS TO SAY THEM TO YOU!
    • God’s infinite knowledge is not out of this world and inaccessible, it is accessible as much as God want’s to reveal Himself to you.
      • Now God is not going to share everything with you but He certainly is going to share what you need.
        • Be it through His word… which is alive and active… sharper than a double edge sword.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

• This means that God’s word is still useful today, it is alive and active… and it cuts through all the falseness of the world and your own feelings.
  • You can open up God’s word and find hope and knowledge for whatever you are facing today… be it battles with sin, finances, relationships, work… whatever… GOD HAS A WORD FOR YOU AND IT’S WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK.
• So be it the written word of God or the SPOKEN Word of God… because God want’s to speak to you!

John 10:27 ESV  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

• God is speaking, and if you are a Christian you ought to be listening… sometimes through a still small voice, sometimes through a mighty ROAR… God is speaking, and His sheep hear his voice.
• So be it through the written Word or God’s Spoken Word to you know this… THE ALL KNOWING GOD IS NOT SILENT!
  • He is not trying to hide things from you, to the contrary God is trying to REVEAL things to you! That’s why we are going through the book of REVELATION because God loves to REVEAL Himself and His word to you.
    • THE ALL KNOWING GOD IS NOT SILENT. The problem is, for so many of us… we are not listening.
      • Because to listen we have to sit still and be quite… and American’s don’t much like to do that.
• But saints… hear me on this guys… read your Bible and obey… obey the written word… then begin to pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you… then listen… and you will hear the testimony of Christ which is the Spirit of Prophecy… Christ will reveal truths to you that you need in this life to excel in the next… listen and obey church.
• THE ALL KNOWING GOD IS NOT SILENT.
  • Now that brings me to point two this morning… Worship Him Alone.

Point Two – Worship Him Alone

Revelation 19:9-10 ESV  And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”  (These are the true Words of God, so this angel is Prophesying, sharing the Words of God) (10)  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• So the angle is prophesying… sharing the word of God… and John begins to worship him…
  • But the angel is like “NO! It is Hearsay from me! I am only sharing what I have been told. This prophecy is not my testimony, it is the testimony of JESUS… WORSHIP HIM!
  • Now the question is… whom do you worship?
    • Whom do you worship…
      • We can tell based on whom you bow down to and whom you listen too.
• Now most Christians don’t struggle with bowing down to false idols… but it does happen a lot, especially in the Catholic church.
  • Marry is not God, do not worship her.
  • The saints are not God, do not worship them.
  • The church is not God, do not worship it.
  • Your pastor is not God, do not worship him.
  • That big time evangelist you love is not God, do not worship them.
  • The gifts are not God, do not worship them.
  • Your kids are not God, do not worship them!
  • Your spouse is not God, do not worship them!
• Do not bow down to anyone but Christ Jesus… don’t bow down to anyone but God.
  • Now that should be fairly self evident, I hope I don’t have to convince you of that fact…
    • To worship means to show honor and respect and to put above everyone else…
• So a better questions is “Who do you respect more than God… who do you honor more than God?”
  • Some of y’all respect politics more than God…
  • Some of y’all respect the news more than God…
  • Some of y’all honor your children more than God…
  • Some of y’all honor your wife more than God…
  • Some of y’all put your work before God…
  • Some of y’all put your education before God…
    • And church, it’s not hard to see… it is evident from what you talk about, what you spend time on, what you post of Facebook, what you are passionate about.
• And now the question must be asked… WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO MOST?
  • Fox News is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • CNN is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Joe Biden is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Kim Reynolds is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Your school is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Your job is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Q Anon is not the spirit of prophecy.
  • Facebook and twitter are not the spirits of prophecy!
• Now I am not saying that you can’t listen to some of these about what has ALREADY happened… hindsight is 20-20 after all…
  • But you know what is not 20-20? FORESIGHT…
  • Foresight is like 20-200 which I am told vision you can have…
    • No one EVER get’s the future right.
      • We were all convinced Hillary Clinton would win by a landslide.
      • We were sure Trump would win a second term.
      • The earth was supposed to be destroyed by global environmental disasters in like 1999, and 2005, and 2020… the “experts” always get it wrong.
        • Fox news gets it wrong, cnn gets it wrong, your crazy uncle Jethro get’s it wrong.
        • BECAUSE ONLY GOD KNOWS THE FURUTE.
        • ONLY JESUS’ TESTIMONY IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.
    • So listen to Jesus.
      • Let your hope be put in Him.

Isaiah 46:8-10 ESV  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,  (9)  remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,  (10)  declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

• Now, you know who is REALLY not the spirit of prophecy? YOUR HEART!
  • Don’t listen to your heart… it is a liar.
  • Don’t follow your heart… it is blind.
  • Don’t trust your heart… it is wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

• Don’t listen to your heart… LISTEN TO GOD.
  • I wonder how much money has been lost in casinos because people listen to their hearts…
    • It’s going to land on red, my heart just feels it…
    • OK Buddy, enjoy bankruptcy!
  • But really… listening to your heart is a recipe for disaster… because your heart can not testify of all that God says… the testimony of your heart is not the spirt of prophecy…
  • But the spirit of your heart is the testimony of wickedness!

1 John 3:20 ESV  for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

• Our heart lies to us… our heart tries to bring us down… as Christians it still tries to condemn us… but if we would listen to the Word of God instead of our heart we would KNOW there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus…
  • So when we want to get down… we listen to the all knowing God.
  • When we want to be anxious… we listen to the all-knowing God.
  • When we want to be afraid… we listen to the all knowing God.
  • When we want to do that really dumb thing that God says is sin but our HEART really want’s it… we listen to the all-knowing God… not our wicked and desperately sick heart.

Conclusion

• Let me conclude with this…
  • We are going through the book of Revelation… a book about things that will happen in the end times… and all of it is the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the spirit of prophecy…

Revelation 1:1-3 ESV  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,  (2)  who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  (3)  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

• Let me urge you church… there is BLESSING in reading the Word of God, because it is prophetic testimony…
  • It is sharper than any double edged sword.
  • It is living and alive.
  • It comes straight from the mouth of an all-knowing God.
    • God knows what you need today… and He wrote it in this book.
    • God knows what you need tomorrow… and He wrote it in this book.
    • God knows everything you will ever need for any situation… and He wrote it in this book.
      • DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS BOOK. DO NOT IGNORE IT.
      • Read your Bible every day…
        • Rebuke the lies of the enemy and the lies of your heart.
          • Lies like “You don’t have time to read the Bible every day”.
          • Lies like “The Bible is boring” or “It’s too hard to understand.
          • Lies like “I am to tired to read the Word of God”.
            • REBUKE THOSE LIES. Read the word of God every day… and I would encourage you to START the day with the Word, Give God an opportunity to speak to you about that day through His word.
    • Open your Bible, read it, and do what it says!
    • And don’t stop there! Pray! Pray always! Pray without ceasing! Pray… and listen! And God will begin to speak to you… and unlike FOX NEWS, HIS WORD NEVER FAILS!
      • Read, Trust, Listen, Obey! Worship God and God alone… And then you will be walking alongside Jesus who’s testimony is the spirit of Prophecy!
• Gospel Call