The fulfillment of God's Timeless Love

Introduction

Years ago as a chaplain with University of Kentucky healthcare…I led spirituality groups for adolsecents on the in-patient behavioral health unit.

My goal was to make those spirituality groups explore what gives their lives meaning and purpose and have them think through the meaning of life.

I’m not sure I always accomplished my goal but I remember one session I would often lead about “rites of passage” . The idea was to get them to think about thier own lives and their current struggles as a rite of passage…preparing them for life ahead.

I showed them two video clips…one of a native american coming of age ceremony for adolescent girls…and one of Marine corps boot camp.

We compared and contrasted how each “rite of passage” had its own challenges and difficulties…but with perseverance and support…they came out on the other side a changed person…even recieving a new name…a new identity.

One as a young woman in the eyes of her tribe

The other as the title Marine.

Neither title is achieved without ‘earning it’ by going through their particular rite of passage. Each new identity…connected with part of their purpose in life.

Writer and philosopher Thomas Carlyle is quoted as saying “A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder - a waif, a nothing, a no man.

Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work... as God has given you.

So I ask you all now…what’s your purpose in life? What is your prupose as a Christian?

Recap

Here’s quick recap of this month’s focus on “The timeless love of God.”

Today we focus on the fulfillment or the purpose of God’s amazing…timeless…love.

God’s prupose in sharing His love with us…is to change us! To bring us to faith…to mold us more and more into the image of Jesus Christ…who was the embodiment of love.

Rev. 1.

Today we get a type of book-end to are series on the timeless love of God.

We started this month speaking of God as trinity…in eternal loving relationship within God’s-self…we close the month with the same reminder...

Revelation 1:4–5 (ESV)

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

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

We see here a trinitarian expression…God…who in Exodus introduces himself as “I am”…is expressed here by the one who is…who was…and who is to come…

Then John says the seven spirits before the throne…seven is the number of wholness or completness. Some commentators see this as representing the Holy Spirit…

Then John describes the Lord Jesus…the faithful witness…firstrborn of the dead…the ruler of the kings of the eartrh.

Father-Son-Holy Spirit...

Why is this triniatarian persepctive important here?

Becasue...John says that grace and peace…flow from the one who was, is and yet to come…(God the Father)

The seven spirits before the throne (God the Holy Spirit)

the Faithful witness (God the son…Jesus Christ)

Grace and peace flow from God…and is extended to you and me.

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Remember…John was writing this letter at the end of the first century…The church was in trouble in many ways…Christians were marginalized and oppressed in many ways…they were outcasts and scapegoats…

There was real and present danger for the Christian in the Roman Empire...

So John starts his letter with a reminder of God character.

The truth that God is changeless and all-powerful God from whom all blessings…all grace..and internal/eternal peace…flows..

As William Barclay wrote “In the terrible days in which he was writing... John stayed his heart on the changelessness of God, and used the defiance of grammar to underline his faith.’

Having stability in volatile times... is important for perseverance.

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Trials and Tribulations

The pressure and trials of the church in John’s day (and our day)…might be considered their personal “rite of passage”…for Christians…that challenges us to keep the faith through difficult times.

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Spirituality group: Rite of Passage

native american come of age ceremony / Marine Corps boot camp

New identity / new name

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And like the native american ceremony or the marine bootcamp video I showed those adolsecents...

…Christians too…will receieve a new identity…a new name.

Look at what John says next.

Revelation 1:5–6 (ESV)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John has now reminded us of the grace and peace from the triune God…and reminds his readers that Christ loves them and that love trnasforms their identity...

Remember last week’s scripture 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

John picks up on this truth…and adds that Christ…who saved us…literally released us from our sin-debt…has MADE..

…which literally means , to produce, construct, form, fashion

…has made us…formed us into a kingdom…and made us priests.

Did you know you are a kingdom and a priest? It says it right here.

As baptized believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior…we are already God’s kingdom on eartrh…we don’t and never will fully make the kingdom a reality…Christ will do that unequivally when he returns…but through faith…we are his kingdom here and now…as Jesus said “the kingdom of God is at hand.”

And as part of that kingdom…we share what we have recieved…God’s grace…God’s peace…and God’s love.

In Exodus 19:6…God says

Exodus 19:6 (ESV)

and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

John is saying that is precicely what you are now!

Closing

Gerhard Krodel offers this of the christians of John’s day:

“Their present kingship and priesthood are hidden by tribulations, yet the hour will come when they shall reign with Christ (20:4–6). The new Jerusalem will have no temple and no special caste of priests functioning as intermediaries between God and the people. For the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb shall be its temple and his people shall worship him (21:22–22:5). Just as Israel’s exodus resulted in the promise of a kingdom for Yahweh and a priesthood of the whole people unto God, so Christ’s death has already resulted in a kingdom on earth over which God and Christ reign and a kingship of those who are priests. Already now the church is a priestly community and an alternative kingdom to Caesar’s idolatrous empire.”

I like that. We…as Christians…are an alternative kingdom to that of Ceasar’s empire…for us that would be the United States empire...

God…through the love of Christ…who freed us from our sins by his blood…has transformed you and me.

Oh…we might not always be aware of this change…in fact…it may come about little by little…we beomce a little more loving....a little more like Jesus...

But when we believe and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior…we are forever changed…we are his kingdom of earth…we are his priests…his ambassadores of love.

Remember two Sundays ago...

Romans 13:8 ESV

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Go and be priests of Christ’s Kingdom…love God…love one another…be an alternative to the divisive and warring factions around the world.

And my God’s grace and peace fill your heart…

Thanks be to God…AMEN.