Revelation 1:1-8, 22:6-21
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gavehim to show his servants what must soon take place.He made it known by sending his angelto his servant John,2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of Godand 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.
Greetings and Doxology
4 John,
To the seven churchesin the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to youfrom him who is, and who was, and who is to come,and from the seven spirits[a]before his throne,5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,the firstborn from the dead,and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves usand has freed us from our sins by his blood,6 and has made us to be a kingdom and prieststo serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b]
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mournbecause of him.”[c]
So shall it be! 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.”
John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me,“These words are trustworthy and true.The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,sent his angelto show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon!Blessedis the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feetof the angel who had been showing them to me.9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal upthe words of the prophecy of this scroll,because the time is near.11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon!My reward is with me,and I will give to each person according to what they have done.13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,the First and the Last,the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gatesinto the city.15 Outsideare the dogs,those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus,have sent my angelto give you[a]this testimony for the churches.I am the Root and the Offspring of David,and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spiritand the bridesay, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:If anyone adds anything to them,God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.19 And if anyone takes words awayfrom this scroll of prophecy,God will take away from that person any share in the tree of lifeand in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these thingssays,“Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.Amen.
Let us pray,
As I read through our text this week, I think the good news it offers us is that revelation is ultimately a book about Jesus. About who Jesus is, about how Jesus relates to creation, and about how we are to respond to Jesus’ action in our own lives. Revelation is not about how to predict when the world is going to end. We did not choose to preach on this text this summer because we think the coronavirus pandemic is a sign of the end of the world. Instead we think that Revelation is a profoundly hopeful book. It is a book that bears witness, though albeit strange signs and metaphors, to God’s sovereignty over all of creation.
Revelation teaches us that God, made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, is in absolute control of all things. While we will face trials and tribulations, God will ultimately be victorious. God is actively working to restore creation to its intended glory. Because of God’s love for all of humanity, God has the first, and God has the final, say in all of creation. We hope that when life feels overwhelming this summer, we too can find comfort in God’s sovereignty in the midst of uncertainty.
If the good news of Revelation is that God is in absolute control of all things, this gives us great freedom to be flexible in the midst of trials and tribulations. One area where we find ourselves being flexible right now is in the way we ‘do church.’ My small churches have resumed in-person worship. Alan’s church is experimenting with a hybrid model of virtual and outdoor worship services. Charissa’s churches are continuing to meet virtually. Freed from the constraints of the way we’ve always done things, the three of us are able to collaborate to breathe new life into our virtual worship services. We each bring different gifts to the table. Alan challenges us to look at the text in new ways. Charissa produces our videos. I make sure that we meet regularly and get our information to each other on time.
This pandemic has taught us that the church isn’t the building. But the church is her people supporting one another in whatever is going on in the world around them. As we prepare to go from this place, I encourage you to spend some time this week reflecting on what it means for God to be in control of your life. Here is what I found when during my reflection time:
If God is in control, then…
I can be flexible with how I worship.
I can embrace opportunities for virtual connection and collaboration.
I can clarify essentials routines and rituals from inessentials.
I can be open to the movement of the Spirit in my life and community.
I can let go of the things that exist outside of my control.
Friends, Charissa, Alan and I are excited to collaborate with you this summer as we do a deep dive into Revelation. We hope that you will follow along with the Revelation reading plans I have (printed in the back of the sanctuary/delivered electronically). If you have questions about what you’ve read, we encourage you to bring your questions with you to Thursday afternoon Bible Study. We’re looking forward to learning what Revelation has to teach us during this strange and unique moment in our history.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.
Amen