6.1. 48 10.28.2018 King of Kings Revelation 1.1-20

Start:

▾ Start:

Entice: The end of the Bible mirrors the beginning. In the end everything will be good just like it was in the beginning.

Entice: The end of the Bible is a little like the beginning. Everything will be good in the end as it was in the beginning.

▾ Entice: The end of the Bible is a little like the beginning. Everything will be good in the end as it was in the beginning.

• We need Christ to bridge the gap. It is Jesus who triumph's over chaos and crisis to bring us safely to consummation.

• We need Christ to bridge the gap. It is Jesus who triumph's over chaos and crisis to bring us safely to consummation.

• We need Christ to bridge the gap. It is Jesus who triumph's over chaos and crisis to bring us safely to consummation.

• The book of Revelation is about Jesus. It is about Jesus in His Church. Jesus for His people, Jesus against empire. Jesus against evil. Jesus driven by

• The book of Revelation is about Jesus. It is about Jesus in His Church. Jesus for His people, Jesus against empire. Jesus against evil. Jesus driven by compassionate rage and seething with redemptive judgement.

• The book of Revelation is about Jesus. It is about Jesus in His Church. Jesus for His people, Jesus against empire. Jesus against evil. Jesus driven by compassionate rage and seething with redemptive judgement.

compassionate rage and seething with redemptive judgement.

• Engage: The book of Revelation surrounds us and immerses us in Kingdom images. We can smell the incense of heaven and then go back out into the stinking

Engage: The book of Revelation surrounds us and immerses us in Kingdom images. We can smell the incense of heaven and then go back out into the stinking world. We glimpse the glorious pageant around the throne and then are dismissed into a world of corruption and chaos. As we read Revelation the walls around us melt and we join in the heavenly chorus even as we hear the deafening shrieks as a dyeing world shouts it's allegiance to the empire which enslaves it.

Revelation 1:1–20 ESV

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 4 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

world. We glimpse the glorious pageant around the throne and then are dismissed into a world of corruption and chaos. As we read Revelation the walls around us

Expand: Like Genesis the Book of Revelation is about God above and before His creation; now principally known in Jesus the resurrected Savior. Revelation acknowledges that we have been in the "last days" since the old rugged cross gave way to the empty tomb. John constantly sees Jesus in the midst of His Church-

melt and we join in the heavenly chorus even as we hear the deafening shrieks as a dyeing world shouts it's allegiance to the empire which enslaves it.

Expand: Like Genesis the Book of Revelation is about God above and before His creation; now principally known in Jesus the resurrected Savior. Revelation acknowledges that we have been in the "last days" since the old rugged cross gave way to the empty tomb. John constantly sees Jesus in the midst of His Church,

• Expand: Like Genesis the Book of Revelation is about God above and before His creation; now principally known in Jesus the resurrected Savior. Revelation

acknowledges that we have been in the "last days" since the old rugged cross gave way to the empty tomb. John constantly sees Jesus in the midst of His Church,

Jesus...

proclaimed through the Gospel

proclaimed through the Gospel, exalted in worship, risen in glory.

exalted in worship

risen in glory.

Excite: Too much preaching about this book focuses on the bit players and minor plot points. This book is not about the Anti-Christ-it is about Christ. It is not about

Excite: Too much preaching about this book focuses on the bit players and minor plot points. This book is not about the Anti-Christ-it is about Christ. It is not about the rapture-it is about resurrection. It is not about the threat of hell-it is about the thrill of heaven…It is not about the empires of this world-it is about the empire of eternity. The Word. The Lamb. The Ancient of Days. The alpha and omega. The King of Kings. The Lion of the tribe of Judah. Our King Jesus. In a world harried by the ever-expanding ego of empire. In a world threatened by commercialized forces of corruption. In a world turned upside down by unnecessary ugliness we need this Jesus! We need this book! we need this victory!

the rapture-it is about resurrection. It is not about the threat of hell-it is about the thrill of heaven…It is not about the empires of this world-it is about the empire of

eternity. The Word. The Lamb. The Ancient of Days. The alpha and omega. The King of Kings. The Lion of the tribe of Judah. Our King Jesus. In a world harried by

Explore:

the ever-expanding ego of empire. In a world threatened by commercialized forces of corruption. In a world turned upside down by unnecessary ugliness we need

this Jesus! We need this book! we need this victory!

The King of Kings is present in His creation through His Church.

• Explore: The King of Kings is present in His creation through His Church.

Explain: We are called to share in the Redemptive policies of the King of Kings.

• Explain: We are called to share in the Redemptive policies of the King of Kings.

▾ Body of Sermon

1 Reconciliation. vv 1-7

▾ 1 vv 1-7 Reconcilliation.

1.1 Witness

• 1.1 Witness…

1.2 Freedom

• 1.2 Freedom....

1.3 Service

• 1.3 Service….

2 Restoration. vv. 8-16

▾ 2 vv. 8-16 Restoration.

2.1 Extending the Gospel of God incarnate. 8

2.1 Extending the Gospel of God incarnate. 8

• 2.1 Extending the Gospel of God incarnate. 8

2.2 Proclaiming the testimony of Jesus. 9

• 2.2 Proclaiming the testimony of Jesus. 9

2.3 Worshiping in community. 10-13

• 2.3 Worshiping in community. 10-13

2.4 Exalting the Almighty. 13-16

• 2.4 Exalting the almighty. 13-16

3 Resurrection. vv. 17-20

3 vv. 17-20 Resurrection.

▾ 3 vv. 17-20 Resurrection.

3.1 The Kingdom is energized by the power of resurrection.

• 3.1 The Kingdom is energized by the power of resurrection.

3.2 The Kingdom is defined by the paradox of resurrection.

• 3.2 The Kingdom is defined by the paradox of resurrection.(The living one. Dead, but living eternally. Possessing the the keys of death and the grave.)

(The living one. Dead, but living eternally. Possessing the the keys of death and the grave.)

Without resurrection there is no restored creation.

• 3.3 Without resurrection there is no restored creation. Without resurrection there is no reconciliation between God and Man. Without resurrection there is nothing to

Without resurrection there is no reconciliation

between God and Man. Without resurrection there is no message to the Church…

say to the Church…because there is no Church.

because

there is no Church

Shut Down:

▾ Shut Down:

• One of the challenges to interpreting Revelation which is written in Apocalyptic literature is that we have to use our own creative, visualization skills. As a word learner this is very hard for me. It is worth the effort because of the beautiful word pictures. One ends this chapter. The numbers in revelation are of course symbolic. But being malleable they are generally anchored in something concrete. Hence the image of Jesus ruling in the midst of His church pictured as the Son in the midst of the planets. The ancients knew of 7 planets-7 also being a number signifying completion. So John sees this powerful image of Jesus as the center of the cosmos around which the Kingdom of the redeemed revolves.

• One of the challenges to interpreting Revelation which is written in Apocalyptic literature is that we have to use our own creative, visualization skills. As a word

learner this is very hard for me. It is worth the effort because of the beautiful word pictures. One ends this chapter. The numbers in revelation are of course

symbolic. But being malleable they are generally anchored in something concrete. Hence the image of Jesus ruling in the midst of His church pictured as the Son in

• You see, This book is only scary & mysterious & complex when you forget who is being revealed. Jesus. He is the heart of the Apocalypse-He is the key to all of scripture. Like a great symphony or concerto there is one subject though there are many shifts of tempo, harmonics and focus.

the midst of the planets. The ancients knew of 7 planets-7 also being a number signifying completion. So John sees this powerful image of Jesus as the center of

the cosmos around which the Kingdom of the redeemed revolves.

• You see, This book is only complex when you forget who is being revealed. Jesus. He is the heart of the Apocalypse-He is the key to all of scripture. Like a great

• The themes played in this first movement will recur over and over again. We need to listen closely now so that as the images grow in intensity, as the plot thickens, as the danger seems more personal we will still hear the clear voice of our risen Master say…I make all things new. I have the keys. It is finished.

symphony or concerto there is one subject though there are many shifts of tempo, harmonics and focus.

• Once upon a time the beginning and the end was put into a hole with holes in his hands and a hole in His side. He emerged from that hole whole-to make us whole.

Once upon a time the beginning and the end was put into a hole with holes in his hands and a hole in His side. He emerged from that hole whole-to make us whole.

• The themes played in this first movement will recur over and over again. We need to listen closely now so that as the images grow in intensity, as the plot thickens,

as the danger seems more personal we will still hear the clear voice of our risen Master say…I make all things new. I have the keys. It is finished.

• Once upon a time the beginning and the end was put into a hole with holes in his hands and a hole in His side. He emerged from that hole whole-to make us whole.