Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church

06/02/2026

Kenossee study

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/62261332584351

If anyone is interested here is last nights lesson.

Peter van Waardhuizen | Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church

06/02/2026

Revelation Commentary by Pastor Peter van Waardhuzin

Chapter Four
The first parallel section in chapters 1-3 showed us what spiritual warfare would look like
in the local churches. The spiritual condition and struggles of these seven churches were
not only a reality for them; they also represent the struggles of all the churches that will
exist in this age. What happened in these seven churches has been happening in churches
for the last 2,000 years, and it will continue to happen until Jesus Christ returns.
When we see what Christ commended in these churches, what He criticized in these
churches, the warnings He gave these churches, and the promises He bestowed on these
churches, we see these instructions were not just for those seven churches, they were also
for our church and every church throughout this age. These seven churches are symbolic
and typical of all churches of all time, both in the struggles they have, and in the triumphs
they enjoy.
The great questions that faced each of these seven churches were these:
• Were they being faithful to Christ and the instruction He had given them?
• Were they being lampstands that shed the light of the gospel on the world around them,
or had their light grown dim?
• Were they preaching the truth of the Scripture, or had they let false teaching enter their
church?
• Were they faithfully confessing Christ before the world, or had they given in to the
pressures of persecution?
• Were they living lives of holiness and righteousness, or had they yielded to the
temptation to compromise with the world and its wickedness?
The same questions Jesus set before these seven churches are the questions that have to be
answered by every church.
•
•
•
•
•
We must shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
We must preach the truth of the Scriptures.
We must faithfully confess Christ before the world.
We must live lives of holiness and righteousness.
We need to be faithful to Jesus Christ and the instructions He has given.
Having completed the first parallel section of Revelation in chapters 1-3, we now come to
the second parallel section which consists of chapters 4-7.We see the first coming of Christ
and His saving work in chapters 4 and 5. As the seals are opened in chapter 6, we see the
tribulation and persecution that the wicked cause throughout this age, which then
culminates in the second coming. We see the appearance of the saved in heaven in
chapter 7.
In our last journey through this age, we saw the focus was on the church; but in this
journey, the focus is on the world and its wickedness. Even though we recognize these
parallel sections in the book of Revelation, we must not lose sight of the flow of thought
that transcends them and unifies them.
This book sets forth the spiritual warfare that exists between Christ and His people on the
one hand, and Satan and his people on the other hand.
This book opens with a glorious vision of Christ in chapter 1. We see Him there as the
glorified, omnipotent God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the one
who has the keys of hell and of death. No one and nothing can stand before Him. All must
fall at His feet like John did, in fear and submission and worship. But this almighty Saviour
that was revealed to us in chapter 1, before whom the universe trembles, is also the one
who stands in the midst of His churches.
This exalted, glorified, and majestic Christ loves His church and sends His church out into
the world to invade the kingdom of darkness and to build the kingdom of God. In chapters
2 and 3, Christ speaks to His church and gives her direction for the conduct of her spiritual
warfare. Christ is at the head of the church militant as the church carries out spiritual
warfare in this world to advance and build the kingdom of God. But this battle to advance
the kingdom of God against the forces of Satan is not merely an earthly battle; it is carried
out from the very throne of heaven itself.
Chapters 4 and 5 provide a vision of heaven and the role it plays in this spiritual warfare.
We see the Father sitting on the throne of heaven, and from that throne He gives His Son
the book containing His decrees. As the Father’s decrees are opened and revealed by the
Son, the conflict of the church against the world is unveiled. The enthroned God and His
Son fight with us and for us and assure our victory in the battle as they direct that battle
from the throne room of heaven. This battle to expand the kingdom of God is not merely
an earthly battle that we fight by ourselves. This battle is fought from heaven, and God on
His throne has decreed how it will proceed. He has decreed who will win. The Son in
heaven carries out the Father’s decree contained in the scroll, and in doing so, defeats the
devil and delivers the victory to His saints who are fighting the good fight of faith.
In chapter 4, we see the vision of the throne of heaven and the one who sits on that
throne, who rules and reigns over all the spiritual warfare on earth, and who leads His
church to victory in that battle. In Revelation 4, there is a dramatic shift in the literary style
of the writing.
Chapters 2 and 3 were verbally focused and directed to the ear because each of them
concludes with the exhortation,
“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.”
But beginning in chapter 4 and continuing to the middle of chapter 22, the emphasis
dramatically changes from a verbal focus that is directed to the ear to a visual focus that is
directed to the eye. Dozens of times in these subsequent chapters John says,
“I saw,” and
“I looked,”and
“I beheld.”
Beginning at chapter 4, Revelation becomes a visual picture book, presenting the message
God wants to convey to us in highly symbolic visual imagery. It is important as we shift
our focus to highly symbolic visual imagery that we not get caught up in the details of
these symbolic visual images, but that we focus on the primary message that these pictures
present. We must ask questions such as these as we look at these visual pictures: What is
the main message of these images? What is the big picture telling us? We especially need
to beware of trying to literalize these symbols or make too much of their details.
Chapter 4 is a vision of God the Father sitting on the throne in heaven. The chapter
contains two halves: first, we have the description of God on His throne in verses 1 to 6;
and second, we have the worship of God on His throne in verses 7 to 11.
In the midst of all of our trials we need to keep our focus on the throne. God’s throne is
the centre of the spiritual universe. As John looked upon the throne, we see that God upon
the throne was a God of purity, a God of avenging justice, and a God of saving mercy who
gives eternal life to His people.
Around this throne there were twenty-four elders who represent all of God’s elect from the
Old and New Testament eras. The thunder and lightning and voices from before the throne
manifest the fearfulness of His judgment toward those who would defy His authority and
break His laws. The sea of glass represented the peacefulness and purity that surrounds the
throne of God. We see the description of God on His throne in verses 1-6.
And immediately following we see the worship of God on His throne in verses 7-11. It is
important to see that this worship of God naturally followed the revelation of God. God is
revealed, and worship immediately follows. We see this occurring in both the Old
Testament and in the New Testament. This is what is happening in chapter 4. Whether it is
angels or redeemed people, all who are before the throne give glory and honour to the
God who sits on the throne. They fall down before Him in worship and praise and
thanksgiving—not once, but over and over again.
The more we learn of God, the more we are moved to adore and worship Him.
We need to follow the example of worship set before us in the last half of chapter 4 as it is
exemplified by both the angels and the redeemed saints.

06/01/2026

Revelation 3
by Peter van Waardhuisen:
The church at Philadelphia possesses a distinctive trait that is shared only
with the church at Smyrna, and that is that Christ has no criticism or
correction to offer to this church. Here is a church that is obedient to
Christ in its teaching and its practice. Like the church at Smyrna, it has
been faithful in observing all that Christ has commanded them.
You often hear people say there is no perfect church.
If by that they mean there are no churches with sinless people in them,
then they are correct. There are no sinless people, and in every church, we
will have to deal with individual sin and forgiveness of one another. But if
by that they mean there are no churches that do not displease Christ in
some way, then they are wrong.
By living according to all the instructions given by Christ both in doctrine
and practice, a church may very well be the perfect church—perfect in the
sense that there is no defect in doctrine or practice that needs to be
corrected. Two out of these seven churches had achieved this status of
being thus. They were obeying Christ to the degree that they were
blameless before Him. He had no reproof or correction to offer them.
These, then, are truly churches of which Christ heartily approves. His
message to them was simply: “You are doing fine. Stay the course. Keep
being faithful. I am with you and I will reward you. Just keep on doing what
you have been doing. Do not depart from it.”
That is the kind of church we want to be part of, and that is the kind of
church we should strive to have. It is the kind of church we can have if
both pastors and people fear God and love God and live for God, and if
they strive to follow every instruction Christ gives His church in His Word.
Having a blameless church is not a mysterious process. Having a
blameless church consists of simply obeying the written word of God and
the instructions it contains for what the church teaches and how the
church functions. In 1 Timothy 3:14–15 Paul says to Timothy:
“I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, but in
case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to
conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
There is a way we ought to behave in the church, both in the doctrine we
teach and in the worship and service we practice. Knowing what that
should be, is as simple as reading the Scriptures and following their
instruction without deviation.
The problem is that many want to do church their own way. They want to
innovate. They want to try new things. They want to devise new forms of
worship, new practices, new teachings, new ministries, and new doctrines.
Not satisfied to just keep on doing what Christ has instructed them to do
in the Bible, they have to implement what they perceive to be
improvements so as to keep the people happy and to keep them coming.
This attitude of innovation instead of obedience is the start of every kind of
error in practice and teaching.
The good news is that the church at Philadelphia, like the church at
Smyrna, did not succumb to the voices that called them to depart from the
biblical pattern for how their church should function and what their church
should teach. As a result, this was a church that was blameless before
Christ. Not only were they blameless before Christ, but they were also
warmly commended by Christ and given great encouragement by Him.
Let us pray and strive for that end, that we too would be a church that
keeps God’s Word with perseverance, that we would be obedient to Christ
in both our teaching and practice.

05/31/2026

Today’s Sermon.

Peter van Waardhuizen | Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church

05/31/2026

Today’s Sunday School.

Kevin St John | Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church

05/31/2026

JUNE 6 at 6:30PM a benefit auction will be held for Peter and Zoey.

This will be to cover expenses incurred for the adoption process they are in the midst of!

If you have stuff to donate in person or online, please come and make contact with the guys listed in the link below!

Silent auction 'Peter and Zoe Benefit Auction' hosted online at 32auctions.

05/31/2026

Book of Revelation commentary by, Pastor Peter van Waardhuizen

Chapter Two

The book of Revelation is Jesus Christ’s final Word to His church. We must never forget that the
book of Revelation is a church epistle. It is a letter written to these seven local churches, and by
extension, to every local church that will exist after them. It is evident from these opening chapters
that Christ’s focus is on His church. The goal of Christ is to encourage, strengthen, purify, comfort,
and challenge His churches.
The book of Revelation speaks to God’s people throughout the period between Christ’s first and
second coming. The issues facing the seven churches of Asia Minor are ones that God’s people
must face until Jesus Christ comes again.
While the book has prophetic elements and uses apocalyptic imagery, it is not a book that predicts
the future with the kind of specificity people mistakenly seek. Revelation tells us that God’s people
will face the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet—a mock Trinity composed of the satanically
empowered state and its self-deified leader.
Yet despite all the hardship this unholy trinity inflicts on the people of God across time, Jesus
Christ will deliver His people in the end. All Christ’s churches are engaged in spiritual warfare, and
if they are to overcome and triumph in that warfare, we must heed the message of these letters to
the seven churches. These letters tell us what Christ thinks of His churches and expects from His
churches.
We know that Christ loves His church and gave Himself for it on the cross. Knowing that Christ has
an intense focus, concern, and love for His church should cause us to listen very carefully to what
Christ has to say, and to gladly respond to the directions He gives.
Although Revelation is not often thought of as a “practical” book, it is one of the most practical
books in all the New Testament.
This book is God’s final word to His people, and it ties up all the loose ends in redemptive history.
In fact, a great blessing is promised to those “who keep the words of the prophecy of this book”
Revelation 22:7, while those who add to or take away from it are threatened with covenant curses,
verses 18-19: “I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If
anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. And if
anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from
the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
When seen in this light, Revelation is very practical, not because the vision given to John by the
angel maps out the course of human history with great specificity, but because Revelation makes it
abundantly clear to God’s people that despite the ebb and flow of human history, Jesus Christ and
His church will triumph in the end.
The book of Revelation was given to God’s people to make a critical point: Jesus Christ will destroy
Satan and all his followers. Jesus will establish a new heaven and earth, and the Lamb and His
people will reign forever.
Knowing the final outcome of redemptive history is intended to give God’s people great comfort in
times of trial, as well as to motivate us to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
But we will secure these blessings only if we read this book in the right way and for the right
reasons. We must keep Jesus Christ—not speculation about current events—as its central focus.
As we see in the letter to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2, Jesus is speaking to a church that
in many ways is quite impressive. Jesus praises the believers in Ephesus for their hard work. This is
not a church that is lazy or passive.
Jesus also commends the Ephesian believers for their stand for God’s truth. This is a church that
knows the Word of God well, and they are strong in doctrine and in biblical teaching. That is why
they are not able to bear with those who are evil and why Jesus says to them in Revelation 2:2, “‘I
know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot bear with those who are
evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found
them to be false;’”
Jesus praises the believers in Ephesus for their endurance and for how they are bearing up for His
name’s sake as well as not tolerating those who are evil. At the time that the book of Revelation
was written—at the end of the first century—Christians were facing horrible persecution and even
death from the Roman authorities because they honoured Jesus as Lord and refused to ascribe the
same title to the caesars. It is indeed praiseworthy that under such difficult circumstances, the
Christians in Ephesus were patiently enduring and continuing to confess the name of Jesus Christ.
But then Jesus says in Revelation 2:4–5: “But I have this against you, that you have left your first
love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at
first. But if not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, unless you
repent.”
It is great to serve the Lord and to stand up for God’s Word, but what the Lord desires even before
all of that is that we deeply love God. We must strive to love the Lord with all our heart, soul,
mind, and strength, and to repent when we fall short. In Deuteronomy 4:24, God’s Word says: “For
the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
Because of who God is and because of what He has done for us through Christ’s work on the cross
and in His sinless life, He deserves our very first and highest love. Jesus must always be kept at the
centre of our focus and our love.

05/31/2026

Book of Revelation commentary by, Pastor Peter van Waardhuizen

Chapter 1:

Sadly the book of Revelation is probably the most misunderstood book in the Bible. Because of all
the false teaching surrounding it and surrounding eschatology in general, many tend to shy away
from it. But to do so is to miss a great blessing:
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things
which are written in it, for the time is near.”
—
Revelation 1:3
Another reason why people shy away from the study of eschatology is that it seems so complicated
and confusing. But, in reality, the eschatological system of the Bible is very simple. There is the age
we are in now, and there is the age to come that will occur after the second coming of Christ. It is
really just that simple. The Bible teaches us about this age and it teaches us about the age to come,
and that is all there is. There is this world, and there is the world to come.
These two ages are distinguished and divided from each other by the second coming and the Day
of Judgment. There is the age from the creation to the second coming which is called this age or
this world. The second coming and the final judgment occur, and then there is the age and the
world to come, which is the eternal state of the new heavens and new earth.
The Bible opens with the book of Genesis, where we see the original creation of the world and
humanity. The book of Genesis describes the work of the devil, which brings about the fall of
humanity in the Garden of Eden and the depravity and curse that fell upon creation and all
mankind as a result.
As we read the early chapters of Genesis, it seems that Satan has triumphed and has destroyed the
work of God. However, we see God promises in Genesis 3:15 that He will send the Seed of the
woman who is Jesus Christ to crush the devil and his works. He will restore the paradise that has
been lost, He will redeem the souls of fallen men, and the devil and his works will be destroyed.
As the Bible unfolds, we see the progressive defeat of Satan as the plan of God is slowly but surely
developed over time.
The book of Revelation records the conclusion of that plan, the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ,
and the final defeat of Satan.
Genesis tells us about the beginning of sin and paradise lost. Revelation tells us about the defeat of
sin and paradise restored. Genesis tells us about the work of Satan established. Revelation tells us
about the work of Satan destroyed.
It is for this reason that the book of Revelation is such a great comfort and encouragement to the
believer. It is a declaration of how everything is going to turn out in the end. It tells us that Jesus
Christ wins and His people win, and that Satan and his followers, both demonic and human, suffer
everlasting defeat and destruction in the lake of fire.
We are specifically told in Revelation 1:3 that the purpose of the book is to provide a blessing to
all those who both hear and keep its teachings. At the end of the book Jesus says:
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this
book.”
—
Revelation 22:7
He repeats in 22:7 what He said in 1:3. From the start of the book to the end of the book, the
purpose is the same. The purpose is that the people of God would be blessed.
This whole book is about the struggle against the forces of evil. It opens with a description of this
struggle.
“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance
which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the witness
of Jesus.”
—
Revelation 1:9
John is exiled on the island of Patmos because of persecution by the Roman Empire. Jesus comes
and reveals the content of this book to John as he suffers because He wants John to be blessed.
This book is full of help and comfort for persecuted and suffering Christians. Satan is a relentless
foe of the people of God, and he stirs up his followers to persecute them mercilessly. The church is
constantly struggling against the forces of evil. The purpose of this book is to comfort and
strengthen and encourage believers, and to assure them of ultimate victory in their conflict against
Satan and his followers.
This book opens with a glorious revelation of Christ in chapter 1. We see Him standing in the
midst of His churches and saying to them,
“I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever
and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
—
Revelation 1:17-18
Revelation 17:14 states regarding the forces of evil: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and
the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and those who are
with Him are the called and elect and faithful.”
It speaks of the fact that though the forces of evil are going to assault us, Christ is going to triumph
over them, and we who are with Him will triumph as well. Christ ensures our victory.The book of
Revelation declares in its closing chapters that Satan and the beast and the false prophet are all
cast into the lake of fire. Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. And all those who served
Satan and persecuted the church are cast into the lake of fire.
But the people of God will have a totally different destiny. God will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people, and God Himself will be their God.
Revelation 21:4 says, “And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer
be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed
away.”
The theme of Revelation from start to finish is that Christ is with His church
—
His people
—
when
they battle the forces of evil, and He will ensure their victory. Even though the battle is long and
difficult and painful from our perspective, and some Christians are martyred, the outcome is not in
doubt. Christ wins, and His people win.
This book is specifically directed to the churches of Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, this book
is addressed to the churches (1:4, 1:11, 22:16). The church is the sole institution Christ left on earth
to do His work.
Christ expects every single believer to be committed to and involved in a local church. Christ’s
work is always done through local churches. Revelation makes this clear.
Local churches are the focus of His concern and the object of His care, because Christ is in the
midst of His church. Christ is in the midst of His church because the local church is the New
Covenant temple. It is made up of living stones with a universal priesthood that offers up spiritual
sacrifices that are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Christ is in the midst of His church because
the church is the spiritual Temple of His special presence on earth. The local church is God’s
institution for getting His work done on earth in this age. It is through the local church that He
builds His kingdom, proclaims His glory, and preaches His gospel.
Therefore, we see that Christ’s great concern in the book of Revelation is for the purity of His
church, the doctrine of His church, the suffering of His church, the protection of His church, and
the victory of His church.

05/31/2026

JUNE 6th!!

If you have something to donate, please get in touch with the contacts listed in the link attached!

Silent auction 'Peter and Zoe Benefit Auction' hosted online at 32auctions.

05/17/2026

Today’s Sermon.

Peter van Waardhuizen | Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church