Measuring Faith: The Call to True Repentance

Today’s gathering began with the joy of worship and the celebration of baptism, a visible reminder of the new life found in Christ. Turning to Revelation 11, the focus was on the vision given to John: the measuring of the temple, the ministry of the two witnesses, and the profound line drawn between those who belong to God and those who do not. The measuring of the temple is both a physical and symbolic act—pointing to a future rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, but more importantly, to God’s claim of ownership over His people and His holy place. Just as a surveyor marks out property, God marks out what is His, distinguishing between those who truly worship Him and those who remain outside.

The two witnesses, empowered by God’s own authority, stand as a testimony to the world. Their ministry echoes the roles of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, and their supernatural signs—shutting the sky, turning water to blood, and calling down plagues—validate their divine commission. Clothed in sackcloth, they call for repentance, not with worldly power, but with the Spirit’s authority that flows from the essence of their relationship with God. Their message is clear: there is one true God, and the world must choose whom it will serve.

The world’s response to these witnesses is telling. When the beast kills them, their bodies are left in the street, and the world celebrates their demise, revealing a culture that has normalized immorality and oppression. Yet, after three and a half days, God breathes life into them, and they ascend to heaven, striking fear into those who witness it. The people give glory to God, but it is a hollow acknowledgment—fearful of judgment, but unwilling to truly repent or change.

This passage presses the need for genuine repentance—a transformation not just of actions, but of the very core of who we are. It is not enough to be sorry for wrongs or to offer lip service to God. True repentance means allowing Christ to change us, to make our lives His temple, and to pursue a life that reflects His holiness. The call is to examine which side of the line we stand on: are we marked as God’s own, or are we content to remain unchanged, hoping to avoid consequences without surrendering our hearts?

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s Measurement Draws a Defining Line God’s act of measuring the temple, altar, and people is a declaration of ownership and holiness. It is not merely about physical boundaries, but about distinguishing those who truly belong to Him from those who do not. This calls for self-examination: if God were to measure your life, would you be found within His claim, or outside, among those who have not surrendered? [44:39]
• 2. The Authority of the Witnesses Flows from Their Essence The two witnesses are not powerful by worldly standards—no political, military, or economic might marks them. Their authority, exousia, comes from the Spirit within and their deep relationship with God. True spiritual influence is not something granted by position or popularity, but is the natural outflow of a life surrendered to God’s holiness. [49:32]
• 3. The World’s Celebration of Darkness Reveals Its Condition When the witnesses are killed, the world rejoices, exchanging gifts and celebrating the silencing of truth. This reaction exposes a culture that has normalized sin and oppression, and that resists the call to repentance. It is a sobering reminder that the world’s applause is often reserved for those who affirm its rebellion, not those who call it to account. [59:55]
• 4. Fear Without Repentance Is Not Enough After witnessing the resurrection and ascension of the witnesses, the people are terrified and give glory to God, but their response is superficial. They acknowledge God’s power out of fear, yet refuse to change their ways or truly repent. Genuine repentance is not about avoiding consequences, but about a deep desire to be transformed at the core by Christ. [64:55]
• 5. The Call to Be Changed, Not Just Sorry It is easy to feel regret for wrong actions or to seek God’s favor with words, but the real invitation is to be changed—to allow Christ to make us new. Repentance is more than sorrow; it is a turning away from self and sin, and a pursuit of holiness through the Spirit’s work. The question remains: do we want to be different, or do we simply want relief from guilt? [69:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [07:34] - Worship and Baptism
• [12:30] - Brian’s Testimony and Baptism
• [25:31] - God’s Name Among the Nations
• [35:22] - Introduction to Revelation 11
• [35:39] - Three Key Elements: Temple, Witnesses, Trumpet
• [36:26] - The Temple and Its Measurement
• [39:17] - Symbolism and Reality of the Temple
• [41:02] - The Abomination of Desolation
• [42:36] - The Meaning of Measuring
• [44:39] - God’s Claim and Separation
• [45:41] - The Ministry and Identity of the Two Witnesses
• [47:16] - Zechariah’s Vision and the Lampstands
• [49:32] - The Authority and Essence of the Witnesses
• [52:12] - The Signs and Powers of the Witnesses
• [55:53] - Elijah, Moses, and the One True God
• [57:08] - The Death and Resurrection of the Witnesses
• [59:55] - The World’s Celebration and Spiritual Condition
• [62:34] - God’s Breath and the Witnesses’ Ascension
• [64:55] - Fear, Glory, and the Absence of Repentance
• [69:04] - The Call to True Repentance and Change
• [70:45] - Invitation to Respond

Bible Reading

Revelation 11:1-13 (ESV) —
> 1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Observation Questions

1. What specific things is John told to measure in the vision, and what is he told not to measure? ([36:26])
2. How are the two witnesses described in terms of their appearance, actions, and the authority they have? ([36:26])
3. What is the reaction of the world when the two witnesses are killed, and what do people do during the three and a half days their bodies lie in the street? ([59:55])
4. After the witnesses are resurrected and ascend to heaven, how do the people respond, and what does the text say about their fear and giving glory to God? ([38:30])

Interpretation Questions

1. What does the act of measuring the temple, altar, and people symbolize about God’s relationship with His people? How does this relate to the idea of being “marked” as belonging to God? ([44:39])
2. The two witnesses are given authority that comes from their essence and relationship with God, not from worldly power. What does this suggest about the source of true spiritual authority? ([49:32])
3. The world’s celebration at the death of the witnesses is described as a sign of a culture that has normalized sin and oppression. What does this reveal about the spiritual condition of the world at that time? ([59:55])
4. When the people give glory to God out of fear after the resurrection of the witnesses, why is this response considered hollow or incomplete? What is missing from their reaction? ([01:04:55])

Application Questions

1. The sermon compared God’s measuring of the temple to a surveyor marking out property, showing what belongs to Him. If God were to “measure” your life today, what areas would clearly belong to Him, and what areas might be left “outside”? ([44:39])
2. The two witnesses’ authority came from their relationship with God, not from position or popularity. In your own life, where do you tend to look for influence or authority? How can you focus more on deepening your relationship with God as the true source of spiritual impact? ([49:32])
3. The world celebrated the silencing of truth and the death of the witnesses. Are there ways you see our culture celebrating or normalizing things that go against God’s truth? How do you respond when you see this happening? ([59:55])
4. The people gave glory to God out of fear but did not truly repent or change. Have you ever found yourself wanting relief from guilt or consequences without really wanting to change? What would genuine repentance look like in that area of your life? ([01:04:55])
5. The sermon challenged us to move beyond just being sorry for our sins to actually wanting to be changed by Christ. Is there a specific area where you have felt regret but have not yet allowed God to transform you? What step could you take this week to invite Christ’s change in that area? ([01:09:04])
6. The witnesses stood for truth even when it made them unpopular and cost them their lives. Is there a situation in your life where you feel called to stand for God’s truth, even if it means being misunderstood or rejected? What would it look like to be faithful in that situation? ([01:02:04])
7. The sermon ended with an invitation to let Christ make your life His temple. What does it mean for your life to be God’s temple, and how can you pursue a life that reflects His holiness this week? ([01:08:07])