Sermon Notes | 4.14.24
Revelation 1:1–8
[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.” (ESV)
Revelation: WHAT IT’S NOT
Revelation: WHAT IT IS
Apocalypse. Prophecy. Letter.
The fundamental conviction of apocalyptic literature is that “things are not as they seem”; there is more to reality than meets the unaided eyes or ears; there is more to the present historical moment than we can deduce. And apocalyptic writing seeks to unveil that unseen reality of the present, to pull back the curtain on the present so that we see what is really going on. – Darrell Johnson
moving from information to IMAGINATION
I do not read the Revelation to get additional information about the life of faith in Christ. I have read it all before in law and prophet, in gospel and epistle. Everything in the Revelation can be found in the previous sixty-five books of the Bible. The Revelation adds nothing of substance to what we already know. The truth of the gospel is already complete, revealed in Jesus Christ. There is nothing new to say on the subject. But there is a new way to say it. I read the Revelation not to get more information but to revive my imagination. – Eugene Peterson
It’s not about what happens next, but what John sees next
it was not written to us, but it is written for us
“Lord, I need this revelation of who you are to do more than simply inform me. I need this revelation to move me. I need this revelation of your eternity and your sovereignty to fill me with the courage to live in light of it. I need this grace and peace to permeate—even define—my life. I need for you to radically adjust my perspective about what is real, what is worthwhile, and who is worthy of my worship.” – Nancy Guthrie, Blessed
Revelation: WHY WE NEED IT
Revelation 1:1-8
A Prayer for Salvation
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”