NO UNBELIEF ALLOWED

MF Blume
May 22
, 2016


Revelation 1:10-18 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,  (11)  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.  (12)  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  (13)  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  (14)  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;  (15)  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.  (16)  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.  (17)  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:  (18)  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.


His right hand touches John, he speaks to not fear…

1 John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.


What greater love than the DEATH OF JESUS FOR US?

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Before the Lord says anything to John about prophecy and calamities and judgment, we read He appears to John.
•    He appears with many descriptions.
•    And a significant one is the SWORD coming from His mouth.
•    We read of this sword, and then read of his face shining like the sun.
•    Then we read John falls down like a dead man in fear.

We know John fell dead in fear, because we read Jesus respond by saying, “FEAR NOT.”

Notice that the sword coming out of His mouth relates a spiritual message.
•    HIS WORD is a SWORD.
•    That is what the bible means when we read…

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ephesians 6:17 …and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

What is such a blessing to notice is the beginning of Revelation and the end of Revelation have visions that correspond to the beginning of Genesis and man in the Garden of Eden.
•    This Garden is where the problem with mankind started.
•    We disobeyed God.

And the similarity between Genesis and the Book of Revelation is the sword is in chapter 1, and the City with the Tree of life is in Rev 22.

Revelation 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22:1-2  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

•    When God cast Adam out of the Garden he put a flaming sword in the entrance to block the way to the tree of Life.

Genesis 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

•    The sword is in the entrance, just like the entrance into the Book of Revelation, the first chapter, has Jesus with a SWORD in his mouth .

Another New Testament book has the entrance and the sword:

Hebrews 4:1-3  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  (2)  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  (3)  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.


Hebrews 4:11-12  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  (12)  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We ENTER a rest.
•    And a SWORD is there.

But we preached to you before that it is a GOOD SWORD!

There is another picture in the bible of the entrance and a sword.

Joshua 5:13-15  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  (14)  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?  (15)  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

The entrance to the land of Canaan had a sword in the angel’s hand.

There is a common element in the Garden sword, Canaan sword, Book of Revelation sword and the Book of Hebrew sword.
•    They are all in entrances.
•    But more importantly they are necessary and are meant to keep out something that is not allowed in.
•    Hebrews tells us what is not allowed in.

Hebrews 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

We have to BELIEVE in order to enter.

Hebrews 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Unbelief is not allowed in.

And what is it that stands out the most for what we must believe?

Hebrews 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

The gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  (2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  (3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

And notice what JESUS SAYS TO JOHN when the sword is coming from his mouth, and John drops in fear.

Revelation 1:16-18  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.  (17)  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:  (18)  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

He was died, and resurrected, and is now alive forevermore.

THE GOSPEL!

Jesus tells John not to fear.
•    What is fear?

Luke 8:50  But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

So fear is the opposite of faith.

The sword is the word of God that cuts out unbelief, because unbelief keeps us out of the Kingdom.
•    The sword is there to cut away the unbelief.
•    Jesus showed us that His word of the gospel takes away unbelief when the sword of the gospel word says to John Jesus was dead, and is alive forevermore.
•    Why should WE not fear if the Lord was dead and is alive forevermore?
•    IT IS BECAUSE WE DIED WITH HIM!
•    He ever lives to make intercession for us, too!

When we pray for a need, the SON OF GOD IN HEAVEN acts like high priest and intercedes to the Father for us, by pointing Him to His sacrifice on the cross, and THAT IS THE ONLY REASON THE FATHER answers our prayers!

He’s telling John…

Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Notice we read the fact that He died and rose again and now makes intercession for us \.

SO FEAR NOT!

Because we have to get unbelief out, and because the WORD OF THE GOSPEL is what we must believe and not doubt, the sword at the entrance relates this message:

If you DOUBT the work of the cross is the works God is looking for in order to get you to heaven, you’re staying OUT!
•    You have to get any idea of saving yourself out of your heart, or you’re not going in.
•    The sword is a symbol saying, TOTAL FAITH or you’re staying outside.

No salvation by works.

No making yourself good enough to go to Heaven.

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD!

If we think we have to be GOOD ENOUGH, then we are not believing the gospel that teaches only HIS DEATH is what God is looking for.
•    That doesn’t mean you don’t have to be good.  
•    Being good comes AFTER getting saved by the blood.
•    But what saves us is not being good, it is receiving his goodness by the work of the cross.

The sword is indication unbelief must be cut out or no entrance!

And in Revelation, before you ever get through the tribulations and judgments, and enter the New Jerusalem, the sword is in the entrance of Revelation. It’s in Revelation’s first chapter!


SERMONS