The Great Battlefield's

The rebellion - scene three: They will attack God and his people. Revelation 20:9a "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:"

The result - scene four: They will be destroyed. Revelation 20:9b "and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Satan will be cast into hell forever. Revelation 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." God never tolerates rebellion or sin in any form and all those who go against God will be punished.

15. 
    The Adjudication: Act Fifteen
    

1. 
   The examination - scene one: All the lost are brought before the judge. Revelation 20:11-12a (11) "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;" Every unsaved person will be here at this event. No one shall escape this judgment, unless they get saved. There is no reason for anyone to be here with the gift of eternal life that is offered to us by Jesus. Judgment is certain so make sure you are saved before it is too late.
   
2. 
   The evidence - scene two: Adjudication is the final judgment in a legal proceeding; the act of pronouncing judgment based on the evidence presented. Revelation 20:12b "and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
   
3. 
   The enforcement - scene three: The penalty for rejecting Jesus as their savior is now given and implemented. Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." There is no other way of salvation so turn to him today if you are not saved. Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." You have a choice you can meet Jesus as savior or judge, which one would you prefer.
   

16. 
    The Alleluia: Act Sixteen
    

1. 
   The grand event: The marriage supper of the lamb. Revelation 19:9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
   
2. 
   The guests of the event: Will be the Old Testament and tribulation saints.
   
3. 
   The glory of the event: The Lord Jesus Christ and his bride (the church) will celebrate their wonderful union. This will be a great time and will occur during the millennium.
   

17. 
    The Attainment: Act Seventeen
    

1. 
   The place - scene one: The New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:15-16 (15) And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. (16) And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." The size of the city: from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic coast of America to Colorado. It would also extend 1,500 miles into the atmosphere.
   
2. 
   The people - scene two: Only for believers who have put their faith in Jesus. Revelation 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
   
3. 
   The praise - scene three: There will be much singing and rejoicing in heaven and it will be a great day! Think about being with the Lord Jesus and all the saints. The heavenly choir will be magnificent as we sing praises to Jesus. If you are not saved then please settle the matter right now. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
   

Lesson Eleven A Time For Action

Text: James 5:7-9

(7) "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (8) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (9) Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."

Introduction: This has been a very enlightening series on end time events. Now that you have learned all these things and have been challenged, what will you do with what you have been taught. It was not given to satisfy your curiosity, but to sharpen your focus, service and to take us to a deeper walk with God.

Illustration: A certain amount of permanent dissatisfaction with one's talents is probably a healthy thing. Those who are totally satisfied with their work will never reach their potential. The great pianist, Paderewski, achieved tremendous popularity in America. Yet, said Paderewski, "There have been a few moments when I have known complete satisfaction, but only a few. I have rarely been free from the disturbing realization that my playing might have been better." The world considered Paderewski's playing near perfection, but he remained unsatisfied and kept constantly at the job of improving his talent. 

Bits & Pieces, November, 1989, p. 16.

Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain. The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things as they might be. "Good enough" becomes today's watchword and tomorrow's standard. Complacency makes people fear the unknown, mistrust the untried, and abhor the new. Like water, complacent people follow the easiest course and that is downhill. They draw false strength from looking back. 

Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, p. 15.

1. 
   The Encouragement
   

1. 
   Encouraged to be patient: (v.7) It is similar to the word longsuffering. Sometimes when we are wronged it is hard for us to be patient or act in Christ-like manner. We need to move forward with the right spirit. To practice this is to be patient according to the scriptures. Jesus could have called for help on the cross and been delivered. However he moved forward in the will of God and was very patient. Hebrews 12:3 "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. and prayed for his enemies." Jesus also prayed for his enemies in Luke 23:34 "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." That prayer is answered every time someone gets saved.
   
2. 
   Encouraged by the promise: The promise of the return of Jesus can be a great source of encouragement in difficult times.
   

• 
  It is a definite promise: (v.7) There is no room for doubt in this verse. The Lord will come as he has promised and it is getting closer every day. Consider the phrase "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James is telling us that the rapture can happen at any moment and we can count on this promise. Since it is a sure promise we should look for it and be ready for his coming.
  
• 
  It is a delightful promise: (v.8) This will bring comfort in trials. When James was writing to believers in verse 8 they were suffering persecution and going through difficult trials. We get comfort from God and then we learn to share it with others who are in distress. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (3) "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." By the grace of God we can rejoice even when going through difficult times.
  
• 
  It is a discerning promise: (v.9) We need to exercise good judgment and live right. The fact that Jesus could come at any moment should be a great motivator for us to live right. Many people have no concept of Jesus coming back and their lives are a sad reflection of that fact. For those Christians who have been taught well and are in a good bible believing church, they are very accountable for their life and actions. It is sad that so many Christians ignore the plain warning of scripture and allow their lives to be distracted by the meaningless things of this world. James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
  

2. 
   The Exhortation
   

Hebrews 10:23-25 (23) "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1. 
   Our consistency: (v.23) We are not to waver in our testimony. They are being exhorted not to compromise and to stand strong. 2 Timothy 1:13 "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." God is faithful and he will help us stay strong if we lean on him. We live in a day when Christians try to walk close to the world and justify their involvement in worldly activity. We need believers who will take a clear stand for the truth.
   
2. 
   Our consideration: (v.24) To stir up fellow believers. Provoke - "To move; to incite; to stir up; to induce by motives" (Webster's 1828 dictionary) Think about others and how you can be a blessing to encourage them to move forward in their Christian life. This is not the time for complacency, but the time for action. Paul exhorted Timothy a third generation Christian not to be complacent. 2 Timothy 1:6 "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."
   
3. 
   Our commitment: (v.25) No doubt there is reference to the coming destruction of the temple by Rome, but also as we see the application of the soon return of our Lord. The rapture can happen at any moment. We should be faithful in our walk, in our worship, and in our witness. If we fail to be faithful in church we will fail miserably in all those areas. Exhort Christians, this is for everyone in the church, not just the pastor. Be concerned about others and get your head out of the sand and see what is going on around you. John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
   

3. 
   The Expectation
   

Luke 12:48 "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

1. 
   The responsibility: If you are saved, have a copy of the bible and have been taught sound doctrine you are highly accountable. We like to boast of what we know and where we go to church. We are only advertising how responsible we are before God. God has greatly invested in us and he is expecting a return on that investment.
   
2. 
   The requirement: You and I have a holy obligation to live and share what you have been taught. Do not ignore this as you will give account at the judgment seat of Christ. If things are not right then repent today. This is not a time to play church. We have far to many social clubs in America that call themselves churches. They focus on entertainment instead of evangelism and edification. Christians in our modern age of complacency need to awake out of their apathy and get busy for God. Romans 13:11 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."