3rd Trumpet - Falling Ministry

(Rev 8:2 KJV) And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

(Rev 8:6-11 KJV) And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. {7} The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. {8} And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; {9} And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. {10} And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; {11} And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

From this text today we take our message: Beware of a Falling Ministry. In past messages we have studied the sounding of the first and second trumpets. We have shown you that the trumpet messages are warnings from God, sent through His Ministers to warn you of the impending dangers to your soul. The first trumpet message warns you of growing cold, lukewarm or indifferent to your Lord. The second trumpet message warns you of the dangers of backsliding. The watchman on the wall, your Pastor, is taking the Word of God from the mouth of God and warning you of the impending danger. Now we turn to the message of the third trumpet angel.

Since you have been warned concerning the dangers that face your soul, and your great need to listen to the man of God, you now need to pay close attention because the watchman, the man of God, the preacher can also backslide. And if the ministry backslides and falls away from God, many will fall with him. Hence, the warning to beware of a falling ministry. You are instructed to listen to the man of God and obey him, in the Lord. Or in other words, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are being taught and led in the right way. You should not be so gullible as to swallow everything that is fed to you without making sure that it is right according to the Word of God. It is your responsibility to make sure that your soul is being fed according to thus saith the Lord.

(Acts 17:10-11 KJV) And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. {11} These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Can you imagine sitting and listening to the Apostle Paul and then searching the scriptures to see if he is teaching you correctly? That is what the people of Berea did and Paul commended them for it. They were not going to be so gullible as to swallow whatever doctrines that were handed out to them. No, they were going to search the scripture to see if the beliefs were according to the ________ __ _____. This is one of the great weaknesses of today’s Christian. Many are so weak in their knowledge and ability to search the scripture that you can teach them most anything and they will believe it. I’m sure that is the main reason that our land is filled with the multitudes of doctrines, splits and divisions. That is why sincere Christians have been duped by cult leaders and obeyed them to do such idiotic things as to take their own lives. Satan can do great damage by getting the man of God to fall.

Your pastors need you to search the scripture to see whether the things being taught you are according to the Word of God. They need you to pray for them and hold them up before the throne of God for the devil will work exceedingly hard to cause them to fall from grace. Just because a man is close to God today is no guarantee that he will stay there. There are too many examples in the Bible. Consider David who at one time was after the heart of God and yet he drifted into a lukewarm state and committed great sin. Consider Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived and yet he was led away by his idolatrous wives. Consider Judas who lived in the very presence of Jesus for some three years and yet the scripture tells us that he, by transgression fell.

Our text tells us in verse 10 that there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp. Now why are we saying that this star symbolizes a falling ministry? Let us review a little of what the Bible teaches us. In –

(Rev 1:16 KJV) 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.

(Rev 1:20 KJV) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Remember that John in his revelation is expecting you to remember what he has explained to you in the earlier chapters. That way you understand the messages in the later chapters. He had started out the revelation with the description of Jesus telling us that the Lord holds seven _______ in His right hand. John went on to explain that the seven stars were the __________, or Pastors of the seven churches. Now when he comes to the trumpets being sounded in chapter 8, he simply begins talking about the seven angels. You know that he is talking about the Pastors of the churches and so you understand. Now when he begins to tell you that a great star fell from heaven, you should automatically make the connection that he is talking about a very influential Pastor falling from grace. This is not John’s private interpretation or invention of symbolic language. The Bible often refers to ministers using stars as symbols.

(Jude 1:4-25 KJV) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. {5} I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. {6} And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. {7} Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. {8} Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. {9} Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. {10} But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. {11} Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. {12} These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; {13} Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. {14} And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, {15} To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. {16} These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. {17} But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; {18} How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. {19} These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. {20} But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, {21} Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. {22} And of some have compassion, making a difference: {23} And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. {24} Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, {25} To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.

Here Jude lets us know in verse 4 that he is talking about men that have crept in unawares. He describes the character of these men as being ungodly in the most descriptive terms. Then in verse 13 he calls them wandering _________. Clearly he is referring to ministers that lead people away from holiness and into sinful life styles. Jude goes on to explain to you that you can protect yourself by building up yourselves in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Ghost, by looking for the mercy of your Lord and by keeping yourself in the love of God.

So much for the use of stars to represent the ministry. You can research the subject further and you will find it supported in several other places. You will find that Jesus was referred to as a star and as the morning star. You will find that Joseph referred to his brothers as stars. The use of stars to symbolize light that you can use to chart your course in life makes sense, especially to the people of olden times. Those that sailed on the open sea relied on the stars to guide them. The wise men that sought our Lord Jesus followed his star and wise men still follow the stars that will lead them to Christ.

In our lesson, John said that this great star fell as a lamp that was burning. What does he mean by that?

(Isa 62:1 KJV) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

Isaiah is telling us that salvation is as a _______ _______ ________. Let’s make the connection – a falling ministry, at one time on fire for God and leading souls to Jesus Christ and now falling away from the Lord. No longer bringing souls to salvation but now bringing souls into condemnation. No longer delivering souls from sin but now leading souls to continue in sin. No longer the light of the world but now a light descending into the earth leading people to live after the flesh rather that leading them to live after the Holy Spirit. No wonder that Jude’s message is so harsh on the wandering stars.

John said that this star fell on the third part of the rivers and fountains of water. Since we know that we are talking about a falling ministry, we must surely be talking about the living water that Jesus taught us about. The falling ministry contaminates the living water and instead of it giving life, it gives bitterness. Let us review the living water.

(John 4:10-14 KJV) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. {11} The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? {12} Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? {13} Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: {14} But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

In this fourth chapter of John the Bible tells of how Jesus sat by the well to rest one day and there came a woman to draw water from the well. Jesus struck up a conversation with her and used the event to teach us about His __________ _________. He tells us that when we drink of His living water, it will become a well of water springing up into everlasting life. He was talking of how we as Christians are filled with His Holy Spirit which flows out of us as a life giving force to all we come in contact with. In –

(John 7:37-39 KJV) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. {38} He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. {39} (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

So Jesus taught us that ___________ ________ comes from His Spirit flowing in and through us. This life is as rivers of living water. We that have that experience understand how it works. We have become temples for the Holy Spirit to use as he directs. We are lights to the world shinning out to all showing that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and now you can be redeemed by confessing your sin, repenting and forsaking it and accepting Jesus as your Lord. If you will drink of His river, you will become a river of life to others. You will become a part of that great fountain of water that flows from your Lord.

(Rev 22:1 KJV) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

(Rev 22:17 KJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

When a minister backslides, what effect does he have on the water of life? John said the waters become bitter and many men die. He called the falling ministry wormwood. The Bible tells us about wormwood.

(Amos 5:4-8 KJV) For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: {5} But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. {6} Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. {7} Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, {8} Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

Amos says that there are those that turn judgement to _________________ and they leave off righteousness in the earth. Instead of accepting the judgement of God, they pervert it and instead of leading the people to live righteous lives, they lead them to live sinful lives. Instead of the water of life being the sweet refreshing, soul satisfying drink it becomes bitter to swallow. And instead of giving life, it gives death. Jesus taught us that righteousness was to be the top priority in our lives. If you leave off seeking righteousness, you are leaving off life.

(Mat 6:33 KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

(James 3:10-14 KJV) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. {11} Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? {12} Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. {13} Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. {14} But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

James wants you to know that you cannot mix _________ with sweetness for if you do, you contaminate the fountain. Beware lest a falling ministry lead you into a life of bitterness and destroy your soul.

(Heb 12:14-15 KJV) {14} Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: {15} Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

The trumpet is sounding, the warning is being preached – there is great danger of your ministry backsliding and falling away from God. You need to pray for your pastors and search the scripture to make sure that you are being taught the truth of God’s Word. Jesus warned you that there would be many false prophets. Jude warns you that they will lead you to sinful practices. Amos tells you that they will leave off righteousness. Jesus tells you that righteousness is the top priority above all else in this life. Check the message by what the Lord teaches you in His word!