Redeeming Judgment

Revelations 1

Introduction

Perhaps you remember billboards around last year. "Save the Date! May 21, 2011" A huge advertising blitz made bigger by lots of media coverage all publicizing Harold Camping's prediction that Christ would return May 21, 2011. Turned out he had done the math wrong when he said it was 1994. Oh, also, turned out the May thing was spiritual and invisible, and the world was actually ending October 21, 2011. What's the date today? Oh... well... whoops! Well, "I guess I just don't know when the end would come." Camping admitted to an interviewer.

Where does all this stuff come from? I am about to embark on a sermon series on the first few chapters of Revelations... and I feel the need to explain that a little. Because the associations we have with Revelations are failed predictions and weird imagery. Here's how it starts.

Revelations 1

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which 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 testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Intro to Revelations

Blessed is the one who reads? Blessed are those who hear... who take it to heart? Really?

Revelation is a weird book. Freaky imagery that we don't understand, goofy failed predictions... There are dragons, lakes of fire, horseman that bring death and destruction. It's like Quentin Tarantino meets Michael Bay. It's weird. And so... we avoid it.

Encouragement in trial and persecution

It was probably not so terrifying to its first hearers. First of all, the type of literature, apocalyptic, was a familiar genre in the day. It had its own section at Barnes and Nobles. Much of the imagery was familiar to people of the time, and particularly to regular readers of the Old Testament prophets.

Far from terrifying and weird, the book of Revelations is written as an encouragement to people in trial and persecution. How does that work?

Well imagine you are suffering. You are persecuted. Life is hard and it just seems like everyone is out to get you.

In the face of injustice, you just want to know that someone is going to fix this. When you are wronged, you need to know that someone is going to pay up, make it right, be punished.

More generally, the only way to account for all the suffering and evil in the world is, if, at some point, God makes that ultimate reversal. At some point everything has to be made right, tears are dried, justice is restored, creation is restored... things are fixed.

Suffering people need to know there is an end. The world needs redeeming judgment.

So, blessed are those who hear and take it to heart, the news in Revelation that redeeming judgment is coming. The suffering church needs to hear that.

Does it apply to me?

But I'm not being actively persecuted for my faith!

Well, I was surprised to find, as I studied this book that, most likely, at the time of writing Revelations, there was no official legal persecution from the Roman Empire. There were particular religious people groups persecuting some churches, and we can see those parallels today. Some people just hate Christians.

But some churches' primary struggle was against compromising with the dominant society and cultural ethics. There was social pressure to conform. Now that sounds more like my life. In fact, we should ask: how much of our persecution-free Christianity comes because we have watered down the gospel?

Sometimes we are being strategic about sharing the gospel, sometimes we are just afraid to share the "hard stuff."

They hated the Master (as we are talking about in Sabbath school, won't some hate the servants too?

Some churches, of course, were undergoing active persecution, much of the Christian world is undergoing that kind of active persecution. Maybe you have experienced a taste of that. And, of course, the book holds a huge warning sign that persecution is coming writ large. There was aggressive persecution against the churches, so these prophetic warning came true very soon on the short-term local scale... but they also point towards the ongoing cosmic battle and final tribulation. In this world we will have troubles... and that's a guarantee.

So is Revelations relevant to us? It is written to those under social pressure to conform to society's culture and ethics, and under present and future persecution. That's us.

Do we have trials? Um... yes. Do we face persecution, will we face persecution in the future? Um... yes.

Rev 1:3b blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near

Who is it from?

Who is this letter from?

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

The author calls himself John, and there is good textual evidence and strong church tradition that this is John the apostle, one of the twelve, called John the beloved. Likely he is writing this in his old age, and he writes as a pastor. Old pastors, what could we possibly learn from them? :D

But Revelation is different from most of the books of the New Testament in that it seems to be almost a verbatim transcription of the words of someone else, for the first few chapters, and a vision of what John sees. "Write on a scroll what you see..." And, oh, I love this part. Who is speaking?

The Messenger - Jesus

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

There is rich imagery here that captures all the authoritative figures God has associated himself with throughout Biblical history.

In verse 13, the figure is dressed in a robe... with a golden sash... and this is reminiscent of the garments of the high priest.

In verse 15, the bronze glowing feet and voice like the sound of rushing waters, these are images out of prophetic literature, used by both Ezekiel and Isaiah.

The eyes of blazing fire, the sharp, double-edged sword coming out of the mouth in verse 16, these are images used of judgment, also used in Isaiah.

Finally, verse 16, the face shining like the sun in all its brilliance, isn't that a picture, reminiscent of Moses' face glowing after being in the present of God on Mount Sinai.

So you have this figure that captures all the symbols of holiness and spiritual authority: the priestly, the prophetic, the judge, the most holy presence of God.

What is John's reaction. Bam! On the floor. (almost fainted... and then I didn't). "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead." Yesterday I walked upstairs to say goodnight to Dylan. Anna was giving him a bath and didn't see me walk up. When she turned and saw me at the corner of her eye... she flipped out and went all kung fu on me.

Imagine hearing a voice "like a trumpet" turning and seeing this picture. I don't blame John for falling face down. He was terrified.

So, the man says the words God and angels have to say almost every time they appear to human beings. "Do not be afraid." (verse 17).

Of course, immediately after saying do not be afraid, Jesus, for that is who this is, he gives the most awe-inspiring resume. I am the first and last, living One, dead now alive, keys of death and of Hades... but don't be afraid.

This is Jesus, but not quite as John had last seen him, maybe at first John didn't recognize him, because this is Jesus in all his revealed glory. Like the sun shining... hard to look at, a symbol of power, authority and holiness.

Who is Revelations from? Revelations is an encouragement to Jesus' suffering people, from Jesus himself. And he has a message: Jesus' redeeming judgment is coming.

The audience

Who is this message of judgment directed to?

John writes to the seven churches in Asia. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. These are arranged in a counter-clockwise circle, probably convenient for a messenger to take a copy of John's letter one to the next, around the circuit. They didn't have email.

And actually, interesting side note, each letter to one of the churches is directed to the angel of that church.

Does every church have its own angel? That's pretty sweet. As the church grows, does the angel grow or do you get an upgrade? As we grow spiritually, does our angel get wiser or gain extra powers?

Either these letters are addressed to guardian angels of each church, or the angel kind of refers to the collective spirit and spirituality of that group of people, either way, it is the people of the church that are told to read and promised blessing if they listen up.

So Revelations is a letter to those historical churches, but it is also to all churches. In these opening letters to the churches, we are going to hear this pattern over and over.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus speaks words directed at each of these seven churches in turn, but he clearly intends for the lesson to be heard by all churches and all peoples.

Judgment starts with us

Okay, we are most of the way there. Revelation is a crazy book, but ultimately it is the message that Jesus' redeeming judgment is coming.

So Revelations is a book of judgment, and that is a good thing. It is an encouragement to people in trial and persecution to know that there is a victory before them, despite appearances to the contrary.

But here's the funny thing. Jesus doesn't start with, "it's okay, the bad guys are going to get it." He will. Revelation 20:12

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The bad guys are going to get it... but He doesn't get there for quite some time.

Jesus also doesn't start with, "it's okay, you're going to win, and it's going to be epic." He is going to

Revelation 21:1-4

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Beautiful, inspiring vision of our future... But Jesus doesn't start there. He doesn't get there for quite some time.

Verse 1:19 captures his starting point. "the things which are and the things which will take place after these things."

Before we get to this future redeeming judgment and future redeeming victory, we need to have a few words on how things are right now in your church.

Jesus is going to spend the next two chapters with words of judgment about these seven churches and how they are doing right now. You're doing well here, you're dropping the ball here, Repent.

Judgment starts with the seven churches. Judgment starts with us. Before the "they're going to get theirs, and way before the heavenly glory, comes redemptive judgment on the churches.

And I keep saying "redeeming judgment." What is redeeming about judgment? Judgment in the end is all about putting wrongs right, Justice to make up for all the injustice, an end to sin and all the suffering and pain that comes with it. In the end, sure judgment is redeeming, there will be a new heaven and new earth, new bodies and eternal life. That is redemption.

But who likes to be judged now? That's harsh, mean, nitpicky, obnoxious, arrogant... we say judgmental with all bad connotations.

What if we called it, corrective feedback. Well sure, that sounds good, as long as it's not judgmental. It is the same thing.

In the workplace, if someone gets fired and they don't know why, that's poor management. What usually is supposed to come first? Corrective feedback, or judgment by another name. Judgment is the comparing of your present behavior to the expected standard. Every quarter, I am supposed to have a review like this at work. How am I meeting expectations. That kind of judgment is redemptive because it gives me the chance to correct my behavior.

Likewise in the family. I don't make up rules, never tell the kids, then punish them when they break a rule I have never communicated to them. Instead, I give them redemptive judgment when they do something wrong or stupid and make sure they know it is wrong or stupid. "Don't body slam your sister off the couch." Then they do it again, they get punished, but even that punishment is redemptive judgment. I am training them up to be the kind of people who know not to body slam sisters off of the couch.

Before we get to future redeeming judgment, we need some present redeeming judgment.

Jesus's redeeming judgment is coming... and it starts with us.

A study in how churches go wrong... and right

We have this cosmic somewhat-terrifying Jesus with some "corrective feedback," some redeeming judgment for these seven churches. These are historical churches that really had these issues, but I also think they capture a cross-section of how churches throughout time go wrong and, for a couple, how they go right.

Ephesus: loss of passion

Pergamum: immorality and sin in the church.

Thyatira: compromising with sin and career sinners

Sardis: fake but dead inside. You may fake all the symptoms of a healthy church, but you aren't fooling God.

Laodicea: lukewarm, wishy-washy, uncommitted, spectator Christianity.

These churches need redemptive judgment, or some of them, Jesus says, they won't be considered churches at all anymore. Repent! Because you are on a very scary downward trajectory. You don't want to be this kind of fired!

Good news for the prepared

Smyrna: doing great in a tough situation, stick with it!

Philadelphia: rockin' it, enduring

I had tests in college I looked forward to, because I had studied up, I was fully prepared. I had tests I absolutely dreaded because I knew I was unprepared.

This is where Revelation starts, and this is where I am going to preaching from whenever I get the chance this coming year. Imagine that cosmic Jesus turns and says to you, I would like to say a few words about how Next Step Christian Church is doing. We need a little redeeming judgment.

Jesus's redeeming judgment is coming... and it starts with us.

Application

As a church, there are many sense in which we are tied together. We are covenanted together. In some ways we are judged together. We are making it together, responsible for one another.

When I get to this point of "application" in a sermon, I am always asking myself, "What does this mean to me?" And by that, I mean, what does this mean to Dusty, the individual. Are we personally responsible to God? Absolutely. In our culture we major on this aspect. But there is also a large sense of corporate responsibility, strong in the culture of the early church, where we are responsible to God as a body. Jono's okay, but Dusty's not, and Jono isn't 100% ok because Dusty's not 100% ok.

Revelations, especially these messages to the seven churches, really sit at that group, corporate level. I am considering you as the local church, the Body of Christ (it's Jesus, so it's his body), how are you doing?

We are judged as a church. Does that mean if a church is terrible, everyone is doomed? No, in fact, Jesus says about the church in Sardis, things are pretty bad, but there are a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. Those few are worthy, they'll be in the book of life. Still... this is more about a fully God-pleasing life, and your church life... all of the lives in your church, are an integral part of that.

We are a family. We are a body. We are Christ's body, and He has a few things to say about how His body is doing here in Thornton.

In almost every message to every church we hear this formula: "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (2:7) and then there is some promise: eating from the tree of life, no second death, hidden manna, new secret name, authority over nations, sitting on throne with Jesus.

Starting next week we will hear Jesus' redeeming judgment on the church at Ephesus.

As we look at the message to Ephesus, and at each church, we will be listening for Jesus' words, "to the angel of the Next Step Christian Church in Thornton, CO."

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.