Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Last week we finished the book of Revelation.

It has been a two year journey through one of the most fascinating books of the Bible.

We have one week left of our Advent series.

Instead of starting something new I though we’d cap off this year’s advent series with a final exploration of the book of Revelation under the theme of this week’s candle: PEACE.

The fourth advent candle is referred to as the “Angel’s Candle.”

(week 1 = prophet, week 2 = Bethlehem, week 3 = shepherd)

It is of course referring to the announcement of the angels in Luke 2:8-14.

There announcement culminates with a promise of peace.

Luke 2:13–14 (CSB)

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

As I reflect on this “angels candle” and the announcement of the angel my mind kept going back to the book of Revelation and role that angels play in the book of Revelation.

Angels show up all over the place in the book of Revelation.

Countless numbers of angels show up to worship God in heaven.

(Rev 5:11)

They retrain the four winds of God’s judgment on the earth.

(Rev 7:1)

They sound the seven trumpets of God’s judgment.

(Rev 8:2)

They fight evil along side of Michael the archangel.

(Rev 12:7-10)

They preach the Gospel throughout the earth.

(Rev 14:6)

They announce the fall of Babylon the Great.

(Rev 14:8)

They judge the wicked in the presence of Jesus Christ.

(Rev 14:10)

They participate in the Great harvests of judgment and salvation.

(Rev 14:17-19)

They pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath.

(Rev 15-16)

They reveal the great Harlot, Mystery Babylon.

(Rev 17:1)

They call the birds of the air to feast on God’s judgment on the earth.

(Rev 19:17)

They bind Satan to the abyss to 1000 years.

(Rev 20:1-3)

They reveal and participate in the glory of the final heaven.

(Rev 21:9-10)

But do you know what the first angel in the first verse of the first chapter of Revelation does?

He gives John a message of Grace and peace for the churches.

Let’s read it together because it will serve as our preaching text this morning.

Revelation 1:1–5 (CSB)

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he saw.

3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.

4 John: To the seven churches in Asia.

Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Notice the flow of the text.

God the Father gives Christ the son a “revelation” of what will soon take place.

Jesus communicates that revelation to his servants through one of his angles.

John, receiving that revelation from that angel, testifies to the seven churches in Asia.

What are the first words that John relays from that Revelation?

Grace and peace.

In other words, Jesus has shown me what is going to soon take place and has called me to share those things with you.

But the words that I’m about to share are words of grace and peace to you.

Most people, when they think of the book of Revelation, don’t think of “peace.”

For many, the book of Revelation is associated with fear or confusion or controversy and debate.

So in this final sermon on the book of Revelation I’d like to help us “Remember Revelation” as a book of God’s grace and peace to us.

Just as that Bethlehem angel announced grace and peace to those shepherds.

So also does God’s angel announce grace and peace to us.

Jesus, through the words of John who received this vision from this angel - wants his church to know something about who he is and what he’s promised to do.

What are those things?

In summary fashion, I want to place them under the following headings.

How we see the future.

How we see this world.

How we see our suffering.

How we see our Lord.

As we “remember” the truths of the book of Revelation it will drastically shape the way we see these four things.

In in remembering revelation we can experience God’s grace and peace in our life and our church.

Seeing The Future

The first thing we need to remember so that this book might be a means of God’s grace and peace to us relates to how we see the future.

We must remember that Revelation was not written to promote fearful speculation.

It was written to promote hope-filled sanctification.

It’s not a book for us to debate the nuances of shadowy figures/governments in the future.

It’s a book to motivate joyful obedience to Christ in the present!

So many people, especially young people (myself included) have distanced themselves from studying the book of Revelation because it sounded too confusing and unrealistic.

I certainly didn’t want to wade into all of the debates because most people who have an opinion on Revelation have a very STRONG opinion and think you should share the same.

I was afraid it might create all sorts of division in our church family as we worked through this book.

How wrong I was!

I think the Lord accomplished in our hearts what he desired to accomplish in the hearts of those first century believers.

They were struggling with a culture that had turned hostile and godless.

They had friends and loved ones who were selling out and compromising on their Christian convictions.

They had political leaders and government that was growing increasingly authoritarian and cracking down on their religious expression.

They were experiencing in a BIG way what we are starting to see increasing signs of in our day.

So Jesus writes to them to encourage them and remind them of who HE IS and why HE is so much greater than the false promises of this world.

The point of Revelation is that Jesus is coming soon.

The application is NOT therefore to compare your timelines and eschatology charts and fight one another on the particulars of the timing.The application is to live a holy and godly life as we together wait on the Lord.

This is the consistent theme around the second coming of Christ in the NT.

Peter says the same thing in his letters.

2 Peter 3:11-13

2 Peter 3:11–13 (CSB)

11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming...

Skip down a few verses 2 Peter 3:17-18

2 Peter 3:17–18 (CSB)

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position.

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Revelation will become a book of God’s grace and peace in our life when we allow it’s truth to promote hope-filled sanctification instead of fearful speculation.

Seeing The World