A Sermon (#543) Preached By William “Bill” Touchton
Edited By Michael D. Lawson
If you have your Bibles turn with me to Revelation chapter 6…
On the wall in my office is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ that’s based on that verse in John 11 that simply says, “Jesus wept.” And in this picture you see the face of the Lord Jesus up in the heavens overlooking this old sinful world. And every time I look at that picture, I am reminded of that verse in Hebrews that says, “He upholds all things by the Word of power.” He literally keeps this world in tact. He keeps it from falling apart. And I think about that verse by the Apostle Paul when he said, “By him al things consist.” He is the glue that keeps it all together.
In Psalm 33.5, the psalmist said, “the whole earth is filled with the goodness of God…”
This world is – and this world stays – and sticks together – and it is good because He oversees every detail.
But, as you look at this picture on my wall, you will notice that His eyes are filled with tears, and how it must grieve his heart to see the sinfulness of this world, and to know He died on the cross for that sin, and yet this world still rejects Him. In fact, for the most part, this world couldn’t care less about God. They don’t care if He exists or not. And I look at that picture and wonder what it would be like if God turned His back on this old world and walked away, and just left us to ourselves. What would this world be like without God? I want to show you in this passage. Look at verse one and this morning I want to preach on… “A World Without God.”
In Genesis chapter 3, Satan appeared unto Eve and convinced her that she no longer needed God. In fact, he told her that she could be her own god and rule her own world, and since that day, mankind has tried to eliminate God and the idea of God from this world.
In Genesis, Cain killed Abel because he reminded him of the worship of God. In 1 Kings, Jezebel killed the prophets because they reminded her of the Word of God. In Matthew, the Jews and Romans killed the Lord Jesus because he reminded them of the Way of God.
In Acts, the church was born, the Body of Christ, the continuation of His incarnation, the reflection of God Himself, and almost immediately an effort began to destroy and to eliminate the church, and that effort has existed as long as the church has. Because the church is a reminder of the saving work of God.
Mankind has always wanted to live in a world without God. In Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul writes to a group of people who wanted to live in a world without God. He said, they professed to be wise…but became fools when they exchanged the truth of God (His existence) into a lie. They eliminated God from their minds and began to worship the creature of humanity instead of the Creator of Heaven. And the Bible says, “God gave them up.” He abandoned them so they would rule their own world.
Let me show you the results. Romans 1.28-32.
Now listen, when they eliminated God, there was nothing left but ungodliness. When they eliminated God, everything fell apart.
Think with me about what’s happened in this country in the last 25 years…In the early 1970’s a group of atheists got together and wrote what they called “The Human Manifesto”…that document was signed by politicians…judges…professors…school board members…it said, “religion that places God above man does a disservice to humanity. As non-theists we begin with man, not God. We are responsible for what we are, and what we become.”
Our schools bought into that an eliminated God from our textbooks. At that time, the top offenses in our schools were running in the hall, chewing gum, and talking in class. Twenty Five years with no God, now our top offenses are assault, arson, murder, rape, and suicide.
When you eliminate God, all that is left is ungodliness.
Think about our courts. Twenty Five years ago our laws and our judgments for breaking those laws were based upon the Bible and the 10 commandments, but we threw those out. And now…criminals have more rights than their victims…pornographies and pedophiles are protected under the 1st Amendment…and we have legalized the murder of 40 million babies and have committed the most inhumane and horrific holocaust in the history of the world.
But that’s what happens when you eliminate God from the World, and that’s what this passage teaches us.
CONTEXT: Now, when you come to Revelation Chapter 6, the rapture of the church has taken place. The Rapture is that event when God comes and takes his people out of the world. Most scholars and students of biblical prophecy believe as I do, that this event could happen at any moment. It’s God’s next move according to the Bible and could take place before we give the invitation.
If I had never been saved, I would bow my heart, right now, sitting in that pew and say, O God, forgive me. O God save me from my sin.
Listen. At the Rapture, God will remove His Redeemed, but He will also remove the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s what the Bible teaches. During this age of grace, God, in the person of His Holy Spirit is restraining evil. Things are bad, but not as bad as they can be because God’s Spirit, and God’s angels are fighting the fight of evil (there is evidence of that in the Book of Daniel). But after the Rapture, God will remove this restraining power.
Now look at verse 1. After the rapture, the man that the Bible calls the Antichrist will assume control of the world. And we will look at him in another sermon. He is called the Antichrist because he is the opposite of Christ. If Christ is godly, then he’s ungodly. He is everything that Jesus is not.
Now look at the last three words of verse 1, “come and see”…you will find the the same phrase in verses 3, 5, and 7.
It’s a very unusual phrase in the Greek language and it means, or could be translated, “go and see to your business.” it’s not a phrase that God would use or say to his people, but it is a phrase that he speaks to the Antichirst and His people. And what God is saying is, “Go and take care of your business apart from me.” God is saying, “I am going to leave it with you.” and he walks away.
Now watch. There are several judgments revealed in this chapter, but they are judgments of man’s own making. God simply allows them to happen.
Now, let me show you what happens in a world without God.
1. Peace will be removed.
v. 3,4 – “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say come and see. And there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
Now listen, when the Antichrist comes on the scene (many believe his is alive right now) the world is in a state of chaos. The rapture has occurred and millions of people are gone. He comes and says I can give us world wide peace, and the whole world lines up behind him. But there will be no peace, because the Bible says He (Jesus) is our peace, and when you eliminate him, there can be no peace. And John says, “they will kill one another.”
A. Bloodshed in the system: Can you imagine what it will be like when this one man takes control and then tries to assemble his cabinet, there will be wide spread assassinations throughout the system, trying to get into a place of power. There will be bloodshed in the system.
B. Bloodshed in the streets: Everything will be like the Los Angelas riots. Murder will take place in every street. In our world today, there is a murder every 24 seconds, but in that day, they will happen so frequently, they will not even be able to count them.
When you eliminate God, you eliminate peace. Why? He is our peace! So peace will be removed.
2. Poverty will be replete (widespread) (v. 5,6)
A. A lack of funds: In verse 5, the rider has a balance, that’s an indication that the world’s economic balance will be altered. There will be a depression like the world has never seen, and I think America will lead the way to that depression. The primary cause.
Think about it, right now, we spend $1.67 for every dollar we take in. Larry Burkett says we owe so much to the Japanese now that if they demanded payment in full, we do not have the money to repay it.
Now watch, at the rapture, God takes his people. Christian people pay their bills, they pay their taxes, they give more to society and take less than any other group of people. But when you take them away, you take money your economy has need of and everything falls apart.
Poverty will be widespread. He gives us the power to get wealth, but when you eliminate God, you eliminate that power. So there will be a lack of funds.
B. A lack of food: Verse 6 says “a measure of wheat for a penny…3 measures of barley for a penny.”
A measure is the smallest amount of food a person can eat and still survive. Like one of those Weight Watchers meals!
A penny was a day’s wage.
It will take a full day of labor to barely feed one person. Think about the children who can’t work, the elderly, the handicapped…
There will be widespread famine, but that’s what happens when you eliminate God. God gives us the ability and power to obtain wealth. He causes the food to grow.
3. Pain will be released (v. 7-8)
During this 3 and a half year period, A quarter of the world’s population will die. Listen, between 500,000 and one million people will die every day. They will die in 4 ways.
A. With the sword. If you speak out against the system, you will die. If you embrace Christianity, you will die.
B. Hunger.
C. Pestilence/Disease. Several years ago I studied healing in the Bible. Here’s what I learned. Healing is of God. He may employ: miracles…medicines…the ministry of prayer. But all healing is of God. But God is gone!
D. Beasts. “or hungry animals.” This is probably rats. This will be the normal cycle…death…disease…rats…
In the 14th century, the Bubonic plague killed 1/3 of all the citizens of Europe. And this disease was spread by rats. Rats today consume more than a billion dollars of food. When you eliminate God, everything falls apart.
Is there no hope?
4. Program of Redemption
During this time of hell on earth, there will be many people saved. How? The soul winners are gone. The restraining power is gone. But not the redemptive power. And I believe through the silent witness of the Bible, those who have had no opportunity to be saved will find a copy of the Bible, will look for answers, and turn to Jesus. How will they hear? The Bible. There are more Bibles being printed today than ever before.
You say, Well great, I’ll just wait, if it takes place as you say – Then I’ll get saved.
Oh no. There will be many people saved, but not you. Because you have had your chance.
Listen, when these people accept Christ, they will die…cut their heads off immediately…That John sees the souls of them…
Here’s what God knows, if you don’t have the wisdom and the guts to bet saved during this time of grace, then you surely won’t have the guts to get saved knowing it’s going to cost you your head.
And the Bible says we will believe a lie.
5. The Proud Resistance
These people see what it’s like, but they don’t repent. God will send an earthquake so powerful that it moves every island, every mountain, stars will fall to the earth. With this earthquake God literally tries to shake some sense into them. Wake up! Wake up! But they won’t respond. Listen, it only gets worse.
Voltaire said, “I wish I had never been born.”
Jay Gould said, “I am the most miserable man on earth.”
Lord Byron said, “Grief is mine and mine alone.”
But Jesus said, I have come that they may have life! (John 14.6)
Jesus is your source of peace.
Jesus supplies your needs.
Jesus is your source of protection.
He’ll take you out before hell comes to earth.
He waits…will you come?