The inside story from the risen Lord

All right, thanks, Martin.

Yep, great song.

Emma says, me too, for favourite Colin song.

It's great to know that the Lord is not just in and among his world,

but this is his world.

It's a really encouraging thought, good reminder.

So I forgot to say in the hustle and bustle of me changing computers,

we're going to have the Lord's Supper after the sermon.

So if you don't yet, you may want to quickly grab some food

and drinks so that we can share that together.

So, yeah, try and have that ready.

But what we're going to do now is hear God's Word read to us

and then we'll have the kids talk after that.

So we'll go to Catherine for the Bible reading in Revelation 1

and then we'll cross to Don for the kids talk.

Okay.

Hi, everybody.

We're reading from Revelation 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,

who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,

even to all that he saw.

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.

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

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,

the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom,

priests to his God and Father.

To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God,

who is and who was and who is to come.

The Almighty.

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

like 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.

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me

and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands

and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man,

clothes 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 loud 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.

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'm alive forevermore

and I have the keys of death and Hades.

Write, therefore, the things that you've seen,

those that are and those that are to take place after this.

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.

So, after 11 weeks of churching online,

how are you feeling about it?

Perhaps you've been surprised how your thinking has changed

over the 11 weeks.

I certainly have.

So, initially, I was really quite fearful

that we would not even survive going online.

Everything that was familiar and comfortable was lost

in our face-to-face physical meeting.

But at some point, I'm not quite sure when,

but at some point I decided I quite like things as they are now.

And the reason, once I started to think about it,

is because it gives me so much control.

I realized that I can be at church on my terms,

engaging only with the bits I like or think worthwhile,

and then just getting up and doing other things

if I want to at other parts,

and speaking only to people I choose to speak to.

So, now I have changed, and I'm now quite fearful again.

I'm quite fearful that many actually won't want

to go back to physical meeting.

It's quite nice being in control, isn't it?

And doing just what you want.

So, the elders believe that the COVID-19 pandemic

has been a God-given opportunity

to reset our thinking and practice of church.

And so, what we want to do today through this series,

we want to start a church family conversation

shaped by the teaching of Revelation 1-3.

Going online was hard.

It was new territory for everyone.

None of us had experienced it.

None of us knew what it should look like.

And we had to decide quickly what was essential

and what wasn't.

I think resuming face-to-face meeting

will be even harder.

Because we all have experience.

We all have a personal bias

about what it should or could look like.

So, it's another opportunity to have a conversation

directed by God's Word.

So, the question then is,

will we be happy to resume physical meeting

simply by returning to what we've always done?

To what's familiar?

To what's comfortable?

If we do that,

that's actually resurrecting a culture of churching,

which might actually be quite mindless.

Now, of course,

some of our commitments and practices and thinking

may have been really good in the past,

and we need to be fighting for them into the future.

We don't want them to go.

But, likewise,

some of them may have been quite wrong

and need to be abandoned.

Over the next seven weeks,

we're going to zoom into the seven churches,

the letters of the seven churches.

But, imagine Jesus was zooming into our church today.

Of course, we know he is,

but let's just use the imagination for a minute.

What would Jesus have to say

about the shape and practices of our church?

What would Jesus have to say

about the passions and priorities

of individuals within our church?

What are our blind spots

in regard to what Christ calls us to in church?

You know, the things we don't want to do

because of the personal

or perhaps the financial cost.

The things we just don't like to do

because we don't like them.

The points at which maintaining

our personal autonomy

will override what Christ calls us to

as a church.

Those are big questions, aren't they?

They're confronting questions

to ask of ourselves

and to have others ask of us.

Or, again,

is it possible to have a vibrant spiritual life

that is to move closer to God

while only having loose attachment

to this community of Christ's people?

So, the question, in other words,

is what part does God mean

our church to have

in our spiritual growth?

Now, the way you answer these questions

will reflect your thinking.

Not a doubt about that.

But far more important

is what Christ thinks of his church.

And so we need to hear his thinking.

And on that,

let's turn to God's word in Revelation

and see how he answers these questions.

Now, moving into Revelation,

we need to get our bearings

by letting the text speak for itself.

Dave's already taken us well down this pathway

in his introduction.

So, the introduction makes clear,

the introduction to Revelation

makes clear that Revelation

is not a weird,

futuristic writing,

as many suggest today.

It's very plain.

In these first four verses,

how were to approach it?

How were to read it?

Verse one,

as Don said,

it's the revelation of Jesus Christ

which God gave him

to show his servants

the things that must soon take place.

The Greek word is apocalypse.

And that means,

as Don quite help,

it means to uncover

or reveal something

that was previously hidden.

Verse three,

we have this joint communique,

as it were,

from God the Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ

delivered by supernatural inspiration

through John the Apostle.

So, putting that all together,

what is it?

Well, Revelation is the story

of God's unfolding word

and plan of salvation

in Jesus Christ

and the gospel.

It's the story

of God's unfolding plan

seen from God's perspective.

It's what I'm calling this morning

the inside story.

Now, look at verse two.

Why was it written?

Well, it was written specifically

for the benefit of Christians

struggling to live faithfully

in a hostile world,

including verse nine,

as Don's referred to,

John's own imprisonment.

So, it's meant to benefit now.

It's not some sort of futuristic formula.

And promises, therefore,

verse three,

immediate blessing and comfort

for all who read it

and take it to heart.

So, it's a letter,

but it's more than just a letter.

Look at the introduction

that John gives

in verses four through to eight there.

It's a picture book love letter

from Jesus

to his beloved people.

And his beloved people,

verse 11,

are described

as the seven churches

and the list of them there.

And seven in Revelation

always denotes completeness

or perfection.

So, this is a way of Jesus saying,

I'm writing a love letter

from me

to my whole church,

my complete church,

represented as it is

through these seven churches,

real churches,

in the time

that John was writing.

And when we look through

the way John

brings the introduction

and introduces Jesus to us,

as it were,

through the introduction,

it's easy to feel

the calming influence

of Jesus' reassurance.

Look at the words there

in verses four and five.

It's as if Jesus is saying,

I loved you

before the world began.

I died for you

to make you my special people.

I will always be

a faithful witness of you.

I will never abandon you.

I know your pain.

I know your suffering.

I will come to you soon

and your trust in me,

verse seven and eight,

will be vindicated before all.

Now, we delight to get letters.

We delight to get those

sort of love letters,

those reassuring,

calming words,

calming to us

on paper.

And that's what this letter is.

It's a picture book love letter.

Picture book because there's

lots of images.

A picture book love letter

from Jesus.

Now, with that sort of introduction,

let's jump into the first picture.

And the first picture is

the Lord Jesus Christ

and his church

as seen from God's perspective.

So, come with me

just for a minute

in a bit of imagination

because I think this will help us

get a handle

for what's happening in Revelation.

I want you to imagine

you're a news reporter

and you're covering the launch

of a massive new architectural plan

for the CBD of Newcastle.

So, there you are in the room

and the future Newcastle CBD

is under a large white sheet.

What would you expect

when the unveiling finally happens?

Well, you would expect

multiple aspects

and components to the design

which are integrated

around an existing

key feature of the city.

All these things

would tie together

or unite

or give form

to the overall design.

And you would immediately see

that every part of the design

is important

and interesting

but you can't possibly

write about them all at once.

And so, the designer

helps you

by immediately

directing your eyes

to the most dominant feature

in the design

from which

all other parts

take their shape.

Well, friends,

that's exactly

what happens

in the book of Revelation.

Verse 10 and 11

the Spirit says to John

start writing.

Start writing

as God

starts to roll

back the sheet

and reveal

his word,

his plan

as the inside story

from God's perspective.

And what immediately

captures John's attention

is the centerpiece

of God's plan.

And what is it?

Well, Jesus

and his consuming passion

his church.

In verse 10

John startled

and pushed into work

by a commanding voice.

Get writing, John.

And in verse 12

when John turns

to see

who the voice

is coming from

he sees

verse 12

a circle

of golden lampstands

seven lampstands.

Now that's

Old Testament imagery

symbolizing

Christ's

complete church

represented by

these local

seven local churches.

and in the center

of the church

is none other

than the Lord

Jesus Christ

described here

as one like a son of man

emphasizing again

in Old Testament imagery

his unlimited

power

and wisdom.

Now this is the same

Jesus

that John

introduced us to

in verses 48.

John introduces

us as

Jesus

God's

King

and Savior

Jesus

who controls

every detail

of his universe

sweeping away

with a word of judgment

any who dare

to oppose him.

This Jesus

who ultimately

everyone will

recognize

verse 7

as he truly is.

So John

starts to see

what's at the center

of God's plan

and purpose

for his world

the unlimited

power

and wisdom

of Jesus

but it's

more focused

than that

because his

total focus

of the Lord

Jesus

is on his church

the community

of his

died for

people.

In verse 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.

again

picture language

upon picture language

Jesus

holds

his church

his community

of died for

people

in his hand

securely

and their

object

their purpose

in life

to reflect

his light

their stars

reflecting the light

the beauty

and the hope

of the sun

into

the darkness

of the world

and his

every word

this two-edged

sword

his every word

is designed

to protect

them.

It's a wonderful

picture

of this

unlimited

power and

wisdom

being totally

focused on

and applied

to

and available

for

the community

of his

died for

people.

That's what

Jesus is about.

It's a beautiful

picture and yet

there's another

aspect to the

picture.

This Jesus

is so

awesome

so

confronting

that he's

not to be

messed with.

Look at verse

17.

As soon as

John even

gets a glimpse

of this

awesome Jesus

he collapses.

He just

cannot

stand

in front

of this

person.

How's it

going to go

from here?

Well

look at the

tenderness.

This same

Jesus tenderly

helps John

back to his

feet.

Not just

helping him

back to his

feet but

speaks to him

reassuringly.

Fear not.

Get on

with the

job that

I've set

you to

do.

Get on

with the

job of

writing down

the inside

story as

I peel

back the

layers and

let you

see the

world and

God's

purpose from

God's

perspective.

Friends,

the message

is simple

but profound

in all

its imagery.

Viewed from

God's

perspective,

it is the

Lord Jesus

and his

church that

is central

to God's

purpose in

this world.

Put it in

different words.

I don't think

it's too much

to say that

nothing is

more important

to Jesus

than his

church.

Put it in a

couple of

questions.

What was

Jesus doing

when he

came into

this world?

Well, if you

go back

through the

Gospels,

it's very

clear that

Jesus came

to establish

and build

his church.

Then we

ask, well,

what's Jesus

doing now

that he's

returned to

heaven in

all his

glory?

Well,

Revelation

tells us

he is still

building his

church.

He's totally

focused on

building and

protecting his

church.

The base

of operations

for Jesus

has changed,

but the

operation

remains the

same.

And woven

into all

that imagery

is our

identity.

If you look

at verse

20,

as for the

mystery of

the seven

stars that

you saw in

my right

hand,

the seven

golden lamp

stands,

the seven

stars are

the angels

of the seven

churches,

and the

seven lamp

stands are

the seven

churches.

Now,

verse 20

is a sort

of strange

verse.

There's an

intense

cluster of

imagery.

For what

purpose?

Well,

it actually

shifts the

spotlight onto

Christ's

church.

So far,

it's been on

Christ himself

in the center

of the

church.

Now,

it spotlights

or highlights

the church

itself.

It's a

transition

verse into

chapters two

and three.

Now,

the word

angel here

in verse

20 is the

word messenger.

So,

to be honest,

it's not

entirely sure

how we

should read

this imagery

in all

its detail.

It may

be the

completeness

of Christ's

church,

including the

leaders or

the pastors

of those

churches.

In other

words,

the angels

might be

the pastors

of the

church.

Or,

it may

be imagery

that speaks

of the

importance

of Christ's

church,

so that

even the

heavenly

beings,

angels,

taking the

angels at

face value,

are tasked

with guarding

and protecting

Christ's

church on

earth.

Now,

I favor that

second option

personally.

I think it's

an easier way

to go with.

It means there's

lots we don't

understand,

but what it

does give us

is that sense

of importance.

Even the

heavenly

beings are

reflecting

Christ's focus

and sense of

importance in

the church,

because they

too have been

assigned to

guard and

protect Christ's

church on

earth.

Either way,

it doesn't

really matter.

Either way,

the focus

moves to

Christ's

church on

earth,

the community

have died

for people,

his renewed

resurrection

community that

we saw in

John's gospel

just a few

weeks ago,

a community

already greeted

so warmly

in verses

48.

And what

does the

spotlight

emphasize?

Well,

it emphasizes

our identity.

Now,

hear this

really,

really carefully.

We,

as Christians,

are not

simply part

of the

church.

We're not

simply

involved in

church.

We are

the church

of Christ.

How so?

By virtue

of being

in Christ.

When we're

converted,

when we come

into Christ,

we come

into church.

We are

the church

of Christ.

The two

are inseparable.

The connection

is inseparable.

And here's

how it works.

You see,

God's

purpose,

contrary to

what we

often think

these days,

God's

purpose was

never simply

to save

individuals.

His purpose

was always

to save

individuals

into a

new kingdom,

a new

community

of people

reflecting

the character

of their

king and

savior,

reflecting

their high

priest,

Jesus.

Friends,

we are

defined by

our relationship

with God

through Jesus.

We're

defined by

being in

Christ.

We are

defined as

the church,

the resurrection

community of

the Lord Jesus

Christ.

Now,

let's get

some enormous

confronting

implications.

We should

never allow

ourselves to

think of

church as

a responsibility.

that is,

we should

never allow

ourselves to

think of

church as

something

Christians

have to

do or

have to

be involved

in.

Church is

what defines

us, the

resurrection

community of

Jesus, who

by identity

reflect the

light of

Jesus into

our dark

world.

So,

we pursue

the implication

of this.

well, it's

no surprise

that the

Lord Jesus,

the head of

the church,

that like

the Lord

Jesus, the

head of

the church,

we also

are to

have one

consuming

passion,

and that

is to

reflect

Christ's

passion for

his church.

And that's

what Revelation

2 and 3

is about,

and we're

going to

see that

over the

next seven

weeks.

We're

going to

look at

each of

these

churches

individually.

And with

the same

commanding

voice,

Jesus speaks

to his

church.

He speaks

to the

churches

in chapters

2 and

3.

What does

he have

to say?

Well, just

very, very

briefly, and

we'll dig

into the

details over

the next

seven weeks.

He demands

that his

church reflect

his own

character in

terms of

witness,

purity,

and maturity.

That is,

he demands

that his

church reflect

his own

character,

both in

proclaiming

and modelling

the mind

of Christ.

As he is

the faithful

witness to

us, back

to chapter

1, verse

5, so

he demands

his church

should be a

faithful witness

to him as

king and

saviour in

God's world.

As he is

pure and

holy, so

he demands

his church

should aspire

to be pure

and mature

in action,

demonstrating

truth and

unity.

Remember,

so that

repeatedly

through

John's

gospel,

truth and

unity within

the church

and before

the watching

world.

Friends,

therefore,

it is never

enough to

say we are

Christians.

We need to

demonstrate

that we are

Christ.

and as we

demonstrate

that, then

we are the

church

reflecting the

passion of

Jesus into

his dark

world.

We'll see

over the

coming weeks

that Jesus

knows all

about the

external trials

as people have

to face daily.

They're in the

middle of serious

persecution from

the Roman

authorities at

this particular

time.

And Jesus

is well aware

of that.

We'll see

that as we

look into

these letters.

But here's

the rub.

Jesus sees

an even

greater danger

facing his

church.

Something even

more dangerous

than persecution

and loss of

life.

What's that?

Well,

Jesus sees

the danger

of compromise.

Compromise on

the inside,

in attitudes

and desires

and thinking

which drive

their actions.

So at one

point in

chapters 2

and 3

as Jesus

speaks into

his church,

at one

point he

doesn't hold

back.

He's

confronting

and exposing

bad attitudes,

wrong desires.

He's calling

out shallow

displays of

loyalty,

lacking true

substance in

the heart.

And friends,

over the next

seven weeks,

we need to

make sure that

we are in

a position

to hear

his word

speak to

us and

speak to

our heart

and that

we are

willing to

have Jesus

speak to

us and

speak to

our hearts.

Otherwise,

nothing will

change.

But at

another point,

Jesus speaks

into his

church,

offering words

of encouragement

and hope,

and he calls

his people to

press on in

truth and

unity,

in spite of

genuine

hardships in

this world.

words of

encouragement

and

encouragement.

And friends,

we need to

make sure we

hear both

equally,

words of

encouragement,

but words of

confrontation and

exposure also.

And there's

another thing we

need to be

aware of.

We need to

be aware of

reading Jesus'

words to the

seven churches

comparatively.

So our

temptation, I

think, is

that we'll

identify with

the circumstances

or failings

of one

church and

then dismiss

the other.

So in other

words, we'll

try and see

G-E-C-N as

one of those

seven churches.

But that's

not how they're

to be read

because they're

typical, they're

representative, so

we should read

them as

representing the

typical sin which

might pop up in

any church at

any time,

including ours,

in 2020,

unless we stay

focused on what

we're meant to

be as Christ

Church.

There's a real

problem if we

read them

comparatively.

And what will

happen if we

read them

comparatively is

that the level

of passion we

are aiming for

will be one

we set for

ourselves.

And it'll

work because

we'll allow

ourselves to

feel good about

ourselves relative

to other

churches.

Well, we

might have this

particular sin

that we need

to deal with,

but boy, we're

sure not guilty

of those things

that those other

churches were

guilty of.

And so we

set the bar

according to

how we think

we're performing

in relation to

other churches.

Rather than

looking for the

bar of Christ's

passion and

his demand for

unity and truth

and authentic

living as

Christians in

community.

It's Christ's

word that needs

to inform and

direct and shape

our conversation

moving forward

as a church.

But let me

leave you with

this thought as

we begin to

transition back

to physical

meeting.

And it's

two options

for asking

the question.

Each option

reveals something

quite severe.

Here it goes.

Here it goes.

Do you ask,

where does

God and the

church fit into

my life or

work or

leisure?

I'll repeat

that.

Do you ask,

where does

God and the

church fit into

my life or

work or

leisure?

When the

real question

should be,

how does my

life reflect

Christ's passion

for his church

as the

defining point

of my

existence?

existence?

How does

my life reflect

Christ's passion

for his church

as the

defining point

of my

existence?

Well,

friends,

I hope the

conversation opens

up over the

next few weeks

directed by

God's word.

But in the

meantime,

thank you very

much for

listening to me.

Back to Dave

again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.