Underdog-ready
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Intro:
Intro:
I’m an underdog fan. I love a good underdog story. I love when the person who isn’t supposed to succeed wins!
Here in New England - I’m going to gag as these words come out of my mouth - we’ve had the privilege of watching the greatest QB of all time play: Tom Brady.
That tastes awful coming out of my mouth, but hey, truth is truth.
That being said, I really loved watching my New York Football Giants beat Tom not once, but twice in the Super Bowl - both times as underdogs!
I love underdog stories. It just connects with me as a person. Maybe that’s because I feel like I’ve always been the underdog. In school, I was never picked first. Even to this day, I’m never picked first for anything. It’s cool. I’ve come to embrace it. I’m an underdog. I like it. I like it so much that I pass it on to my sons as if it is part of our heritage.
My middle son Kade plays football. He’s a good athlete but he’s one of the smaller kids. Last year was his first year playing,. So, he wasn’t just small, but he was also new. Many times Kade was the underdog. Sometimes, the kids wouldn’t pick him or give him the ball.
Therefore, after many practices, I’d encourage and build into Kade this resolve to “prove people wrong.” I’d tell him, “Lims are underdogs. We aren’t picked first, but we are hard workers and don’t give up. You keep practicing and show the other kids they were wrong for not picking you!” And he did!
By the end of the season, Kade won the “For the love of the game” award. Basically, it was an award for the hardest worker. And this year, the coach already told him he has big plans for Kade. He calls Kade his “Wes Welker.” That’s a smaller football player who made a huge impact on the field. He was an underdog. Kade is an underdog. I love underdogs!
At the end of the season, Kade won the “For the love of the game” award. Basically, it was an award for the hardest worker. And this year, the coach already told him he has big plans for Kade. He calls Kade his “Wes Welker.” That’s a smaller football player who made a huge impact on the field. He was an underdog. Kade is an underdog. I love underdog stories!
Maybe my love for underdogs is also connected to my perspective on faith. I love seeing the impossible happen. Isn’t that a large part of our Christian worldview? But while overcoming the impossible is an important part of the underdog story, there’s another major aspect I’d like to mention...
I’ve found the underdog story also involves “readiness.” Typically, the underdog is “more ready” than their favored opponent. They’ve prepared more. They’ve worked harder. They are ready!
Rocky is always a huge underdog. He’s the street raised fighter who time and time again does the impossible in the boxing ring. But every once in a while, Rocky loses. Most of the time, it’s because he’s not ready. Either he took his opponent for granted; or, even as the underdog, he still isn’t ready for the challenge in front of him. So really, underdog or not, the principle of readiness is important.
Last week, we started our summer sermon series titled “Ready.” And it’s a introductory study of the book of Revelation. And “readiness” is going to be major theme presented in this book.
So far, the apostle John (the one who wrote this book), has briefly presented us with this in his introduction. And as he continues here in chapter one, we’ll see it even more.
If you have your Bible/app, open up to and look at what John says...
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
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. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 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.”
Somebody say, “Get ready.”
In this passage, John is beginning to tell us about the revelation He received from Jesus. He starts by connecting with his audience relationally. He says, “Hey, we’re family and we’re all in this together.” Next, he moves onto to tell us where He is and why is there. Then, he describes his initial experience and what was first said to him.
I believe all this shows us something important: That John was ready to hear Jesus when He spoke.
I see this in two ways:
First, John listened to Jesus.
John listened to Jesus. Before the cross, Jesus said:
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
When Jesus told John that in this life, he was going to face hard things, John listened. And when Jesus said, “Take heart, because I have overcome the world,” John listened. That’s why 60 years later, John can say...
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.
I am your brother and partner in tribulation. John embraced the hard things he was going through. Why? Because he’s some weirdo who likes going through hard things? No! Because he listened to Jesus when He said, “You WILL go through hard things.”
Christianity is not the removal of hard things in our life. That’s hard for us to process here in our blessed country. A country where we’ve had men and women sacrifice their lives for us to have the great freedoms we have, including freedom to worship. Something we are remembering this weekend.
Here’s the thing… while this freedom may be ideal, it isn’t the norm. The norm is what Jesus said, “You will have tribulation.” It was for John (and really the rest of the world). That’s why John says, “your brother and partner… in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus.”
Based on the language, the sense is tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance are all normal parts of living “in Jesus.” They belong together. And that’s why when John also says that he’s been banished to the island of Patmos for preaching the gospel, he’s okay with it! He’s like, “I’m ready.” He’s ready because He listened to Jesus who told him what to expect.
2. He not only listened TO Jesus, he continued to listen FOR Jesus.
Although he’s suffering, going through tribulation, patiently enduring - waiting and praying - for God to help him, he’s still worshiping. He’s still spending time with Jesus and saying, “What do you want to say Lord? I’m listening.”
Hard times don’t destroy his faith. In fact, they increase his faith. They heighten his desire to worship. The sense is he is overwhelmed by the Spirit of God as He listened FOR Jesus on the Lord’s day. He was ready to hear what Jesus said next, regardless of circumstance. And it was in THAT moment, that the apocalyptic vision came to him.
And it makes me ask...
Are we ready to hear Jesus?
Are we ready to hear Jesus?
Do we listen to what Jesus has said to us? Not just in obeying His commands, but also living with His perspective. When Jesus says, “In this life we will have much tribulation,” do we believe Him? Even more, are we okay with that? Do we expect it?
Because I think it boils down to this. It’s understanding that our life is found in Christ, not in worldly comfort. Our culture teaches us, “You can [and should] have it all.” But that’s not what Jesus tells us. He says:
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
Luke 9:
The apostle Paul expands on this perspective by adding...
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
That’s not comfort-centered living, that’s Christ-centered living. That’s the life that John lived. How are we ready to live?
2. Secondly, do we listen FOR Jesus? Nothing got in the way of John spending time with Jesus. He was ready to hear what Jesus said next. Are we ready to listen FOR Jesus?
Do we spend time with Jesus?
Do we let things (whether entertainment or trials) interfere with that time?
Do we come here Sunday morning ready to worship and expecting Jesus to speak to us? Because we should. Every time we come to church, we should expect God to speak to us. We should be ready for it!
Here’s something else I want to add. Because John was ready - whether in good times or not - it put him in a position to receive important revelations from God. Think about it, if John doesn’t risk living for Christ during a time for persecution, he doesn’t get banished to Patmos. If John isn’t on Patmos, we may not get this revelation.
What are we missing out on because we’re not ready? Does God have something for us (and for those around us) that can only be had through trials and tribulation.
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
What kind of kingdom work awaits for us through the doors of risk and hardship? Who is not coming to Christ because we too afraid of rejection? Who is not coming to church because we are afraid to be bold for Jesus in our post-Christian culture?
These are real questions that I’m asking myself FIRST!!!!
Let’s get ready! John goes onto write...
Comfort comes later (sufferings can’t compare). Comfort is not bad, it’s just not the highest value. In fact, it’s not really that important. “Deny yourself” means “get rid of your comfort.”
The life I now live, I live for Christ. John agreed with that. That’s why he’s on Patmos.
No persecution, no letter.
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 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. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 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.
What are we missing out on because we are afraid to live by faith/risk?
John’s not only ready to hear Jesus, but he’s ready to respond to Jesus. And rightly so! Just look at this description! As John hears this supernatural voice, he turns to see who is speaking and He sees this glorious picture that He almost can’t describe.
Who is not hearing about Jesus because we’re afraid of people getting mad at us?
Any transformer fans in here? I mean old school transformers? In the original cartoon, there were these Decepticons named the Constructicons. They were pretty fierce fighters that transformed into Construction vehicles. But when they needed to pull out the heavy artillery, they would combine and transform into Devastator.
Devastator was this awesome picture of power that was the result of combining already fierce fighters. That’s kinda like what John does here. If you study the language John combines Old Testament passages (most from the book of Daniel) that describe supernatural beings. And by combining them, he attempts to paint this super-glorious picture of Jesus. It’s the best way He can describe the glorifiedJesus before him.
The vision of the glorified Jesus is:
One like the “son of man” - He is the exalted Savior of the world.
Who is clothed with “long robe and golden sash” - which either refers to His priestly role or His dignified position (or both).
His hair is “white like wool, like snow” - referring to His purity and also identifying Him with the Ancient of Days (God the Father’s name in book of Daniel).
His eyes are like fire and His feet like bronze - symbolizing His holiness and ability to judge perfectly
His voice like “the roar of many waters” - describing His power and authority.
Furthermore, from His mouth came a “two-edged sword,” which further points to the power of His voice and His ability to resolve any problem simply by speaking a “Word.”
And His face was “shining like the sun at full strength” representing His radiant glory!
When John turned around, He saw a magnificent sight! It was the glorified Jesus. And he was ready to respond! That’s why ...
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,
Rev. 1
In the Scripture (and in real life), that’s the proper response of anyone found in God’s presence. Therefore, the question for us today is...
Are we ready to respond to Jesus?
Are we ready to respond to Jesus?
When we hear Jesus speak to us, do we turn towards Him in response? John could’ve ignored Jesus. He could’ve been like, “Jesus, I hear you, but don’t ask me to do anything for you. I’m going through all of this because of you!” Or, he could’ve just wrote off the voice and been like, “I don’t know why I’m hearing voices. I must be trippin!” But he doesn’t. He’s ready to respond.
How do we respond when God speaks to us during prayer, through His word, or even in the still small voice that comes in seemingly insignificant moments in our life? Are we ready to turn towards Him?
And, how do we respond when we realize we’re in His presence? Let’s examine how we have responded so far during our time together at church. How have we responded during the time of worship? How have we responded during the time of prayer? How have we responded in our giving? How are we responding during the teaching of His word? Are our hearts ready to respond? Because like John, we are in Jesus’ presence right now!
Jesus said...
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Matt 18:
There are at least two of us here. That means… Jesus is here! That glorious being John described is here with us now.
Now, somebody might be thinking, “Oh pastor, you can’t use that verse here. That’s talking about Jesus being present in the context of church discipline.” And you’d be right! But I think it has a broader application. And I think it’s applicable here especially when we look at what John said about Jesus...
Look at this. I love this...
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 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.
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.
Now, let’s skip ahead and couple of verses and read that Jesus tells John that...
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.
What does this mean? If the golden lampstands are the churches and the seven stars are the angels (either the supernatural beings that guard the church or pastors of the church). And Jesus holds the seven stars in His right hand. And He is found in the midst of the golden lampstands. That means, once again, that Jesus is right here with us. He is found among His church. We are in His presence, right now!
Therefore, how do we respond? Are we ready to respond? Maybe you don’t know how to respond… start with what John did. Bow down in humble worship. Don’t overlook the privilege we have as Jesus’ church. We GET to be in HIs glorious presence. We need to be ready to respond. Good things happen when we are ready to respond to the risen Christ. Look what happens to John!
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, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Rev. 1:17-19
When John was ready to respond, Jesus gives him supernatural purpose. To have the “right hand” laid upon you symbolized an anointing, an empowering, to go forth on a special mission.
Then Jesus tells John, “Fear not!” In the Greek, it is literally, “Stop being afraid!” Why? Because Jesus goes on to describe Himself in language that communicated this: I am in complete control.
How many of us need to hear that word over our life today? That Jesus is speaking to us, “Stop being afraid because I am in complete control.”
And then Jesus gives John instructions:
Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
Now, some see this verse as an important key to understanding Revelation. Not only was God giving John instructions on what to do (to write!), but also outlining the “revelation” He was giving John.
The “things you have seen” may refer to this initial vision of Jesus that John has seen.
“Those that are” may refer to chapter 2 & 3. The seven letters Jesus will write to the present churches.
And “those that are to take place”… pay attention… “after this.” With the phrase “after this” being a shift in this book when the events of the vision are “future” (the end times). Coincidentally, starts with the phrase “after this.” Many see this as the point where John begins to describe the last days, which are yet in the future (even our future).
Whether you agree with this interpretation or not, the fact is Jesus gave instructions to John to write down everything He will see in this apocalyptic vision. And I think it’s applicable to us in that when we live “ready,” God will give us our next step.
Because God’s not trying to make following Him complicated. He wants us to understand His Word, His will, and our purpose.
Isn’t that what shows us?
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.
God’s like, “I know this is a little bit mysterious, so just in case you don’t get it - here’s what it means.” I want you to understand.
God is ready to explain things to us, if we’re ready to listen and respond.
How do we react to Jesus
So, are we willing to trust Him?
Anoint/empower
Remove fear.
Fixes your perspective (Shows you who’s in control).
Gives you instructions.
Gives you all you need to know.
So, are we willing to trust Him?
Response:
Response:
God’s not trying to make it complicated to respond to Him. He wants us to know His plans for our life. He’ll explain it, if we’re ready to listen and respond.
Call the worship team up. As we close I want us to think about that...
In many ways, we are underdogs. Even though Christ has truly won the victory, in many ways, it feels like we underdogs here in the world. So, if we’re underdogs, let’s embrace it. And if we’re underdogs, let’s be ready. That’s what John teaches us by his example.
We going to stay ready, so we don’t have to get ready. If you stay ready, you aint gotta get ready.
So, let’s be ready to hear whatever Jesus says.
Let’s be ready to see whatever Jesus sees.
Let’s be ready to do and change whatever Jesus asks.
Let’s be ready to go or stay or wait.
Let’s be ready even if it’s hard and requires sacrifice.
Let’s be ready for whenever Jesus comes back!
Even our church is an underdog… Be ready. God has a plan and mission for our life. For our church. For people who don’t know him - part of this letter is for people to hear and respond, be like I want to be ready to Jesus coming back. Take care of that today.
We going to stay ready, so we don’t have to get ready. If you stay ready, you aint gotta get ready.