Title:  God's Battle Plan

Focus:  Revelation tells us what we should do even in time of trouble.  
In addition to being faithful, we should pray, preach, and encourage.

Function:  To motivate the hearers to fight the Christian battle by 
being God focused and supportive of each other.


Intro:
1.  We are at war
2.  Have looked at Satan's tactics
3.  Rev. also gives us visions of what God does and what we should be doing
4.  Focus on two interludes before the 7th seal and also the 7th trumpet


I.  Worship and Pray
	A.  Worship is response to God
	B.  (6:9-11) - Souls under the altar - how long?
		1.  (7:1-4) - Seals on the Church militant (1000 is a unit)
		2.  (7:9-15) - Victorious even in tribulation
		3.  (8:1-5) - Silence in Heaven
			a.  A lot of noise, then total silence.  Why?
			b.  God is listening to the prayers of the saints
			c.  God then responds for his people
		4.  Revelation is FILLED with worship scenes
	C.  Battle plan of God starts with worship
		1.  2 Chr 20:21 - Jehoshaphat's front line were worshippers
		2.  Joshua and the long day (prayer)
		3.  Hezekiah against Sennacherib's Rabshakeh (2 Kng 18)
	D.  We battle everyday
		1.  Satan comes up against us in many ways
			a.  Discouragement, anger, temptations
			b.  Influence of friends, T.V., music, media
		2.  Front line defense is worship and prayer
		3.  Takes focus off self, and onto all powerful God
		4.  Satan can't do much when on knees praying

II.  We should preach the word faithfully
	A.  (10:8-10) - Little sweet and sour scroll
		1.  Message is sweet because word of hope for God's people
		2.  It also word of destruction to the unrighteous
		3.  Must ingest God's word, even when not pleasant
		4.  (11:1-2) - Must examine self, be obedient
	B.  (11:3-12) - The 2 witnesses
		1.  Their activity brings several people to mind
			a.  Zech 4:2,3, 11-14 - Zerubbabel & Joshua
				- Annointed ones
				- Comissioned & empowered by God
			b.  2 King 1:10-15 - Elijah
				- Captain and fifty ordered Elijah to Ahab
				- Fire from Heaven consumed them
			c.  Exod 7-11 - Moses & plagues
		2.  Role of the 2 witnesses is prophetic
			a. They to warn the people to repent
			b.  Like the prophets, they not popular
			c.  God protect them long enough to fulfill mission
			d.  In the end, rise from the dead, then 7th trumpet
		3.  Our role is at times prophetic
			a.  Not that we receive visions and such
			b.  But that we preach the word faithfully to the lost
	C.  ILL:  A man used to talk to mother and brothers
		1.  He was new Christian
		2.  They poked fun and argued
		3.  They excluded calling him on mother's birthday
		4.  But would it do any good to not preach?
	D.  There is a reason we are called the Light of the world

III.  Support and Fellowship
	A.  Several images for God's people in Rev
		1.  Rev 1- Lampstands
		2.  Rev 7 - 144,000 - Church militant
		3.  Rev 12 - Offspring of the woman
	B.  Here it is two witnesses
		1.  2 Denotes companionship
		2.  Jesus sent out in twos
		3.  Early church met in small groups
		4.  2 are better than one
	C.  There are different kinds of fellowship
		1.  Foyer fellowship
		2.  Fellowship in worship (like communion)
		3.  Fellowship in ministry
			a.  This is where we work together
			b.  That is fellowship Jesus had w disciples
	D.  This last one is fellowship of witnesses

Concl:
1.  Lord's Battle plan:
	a.  Worship and prayer (focus on God)
	b.  Ingest God's word, preach it faithfully
	c.  Support and fellowship
2.  Are you doing Battle with Satan?
3.  Need to pray?  Invitation.