Christ is King
morning church Good to see you here this morning.
You have your Bibles out. I do encourage you to turn to the Book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1 before we get started for jumping to our Texas by the spirit of God into our your time here. Emily father we thank you for
Thank you for this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the privilege in the honor. It is to Come and be taught by it. or today is we we think about your son being King. We pray that our hearts and our minds would be geared. Interned and moved towards you to the power and the work of the spirit of God. Are we pray the next we turn the Book of Revelation? Look at these first first few verses that we would.
Will be ready and willing to hear you would have to teach us about your son Jesus. about your Dominion more
I just pray that you would.
You speak to me see boiling broken as I am. for your own Glory your son Jesus name
Revelation chapter 1 verse 4 and following
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. In from the seven spirits who are before his throne. And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the first born of the Dead in the ruler of Kings on Earth. Rhubarb sauce, it has Frida from our sins by his blood. And made us priests to his God and Father to him be glory and Dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will whale on account of him. Even so amen.
I'm the alpha. Kenny Omega says the Lord God. Who is who was and who is to come? the Almighty
I was thinking as we were. praying there that
There's this. heavy reality to trying to display for you the magnitude of this statement. The Christ is King.
Something that step to the best of my ability. I will only ever fall short in doing
Christ is King Sunday, which in the liturgical calendar is the last day of the year starting really at the conclusion of today's service will be at where we begin to anticipate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son of God as a baby in a Manger. Who?
The calendar in in what I would call our little experiment as we travel through. We we maybe ask a question one more time before we kind of end this little experiment.
What's the purpose? Why did we do this? What it what is what is the value of liturgical calendar in in the reality is that we did not follow liturgical calendar like any liturgical church would do. We we went back to our normal series instead of following through in a bunch of different times and we kind of just hit the the main High days to high. Holy days of the liturgical calendar is to constantly remind us and drive us back. To understanding it what we do weekend and week out is only ever taking them my new little part of the Grand Story. And as we go through the liturgical calendar is you follow through this this this part this story. What we're doing is we're nearing the story of the Bible is called meta-narrative in theological books. the Grand Story It's the story that defines who we are as Believers and followers of Christ. It's the story that starts in Genesis with God creating all things and ends with final completion and reverting back to his good and perfect creation. It's this big overarching story and if you think about it.
I think there's like a hundred 1198.
I'm pretty sure but it's somewhere in that rain on a big J.
Right side of what we do is supposed to detail of this Grand massive important story.
the story that starts in God's creating your in Genesis chapters 1 & 2 God creates the world and everything in it in and we have this this beautiful reality of Heaven and Earth drilling together in harmony. Genesis chapter two more beautiful a more beautiful picture of God's dwelling with his creation walking.
This is the beautiful picture and this is why I think When God says when God it finishes creation on day 6 before he rests looks at all is great. And he looks at me and he says this is very good.
Then we get to Genesis chapter 3. We get to the fall of Man man reaching out and grabbing the fruit and saying I want to be God.
I want to be like God's that's what the serpent says to become you won't die. You will become like God you will get to make decisions. You will get to be the controller of what is.
The Senators the world and what's beautiful United are driven apart.
complete separation It's only through God's gracious gift of a sacrifice to cover that blemish that there's even a part brought back together.
Lourdes we consider during the. Of Advent. This is the this is the question that we dwell on. What is God going to do about us? This is the anticipation of the the Messiah that we see at the very beginning in Genesis Chapter 3. The Descendant of Eve will will crush the head of the serpent in the serpent will bruise the heel of the descendant. Plan and purpose his creation would be Redeemed by his own son.
But this is the anticipation that we have the excitement again, and again defining and clarifying and showing us more beautiful pictures of this sun to come. Messiah
the Christ of the New Testament
as we anticipate The coming of Christ and what will jump into really starting next week? This anticipation of Christ. We we look to the Old Testament. We see David. She Moses receipt Isaiah. Proclaiming one to come who will take the government upon his shoulders will take the iniquity of man. covered by his blood
There's just beautiful picture at the Incarnation of Jesus is the word. We don't really use in the Protestant Church the Incarnation of Christ. We'll talk about this a lot over. The next couple weeks. Is this idea that that God in creation he created this world to exist in harmony with himself. Is having a nurse knows there's no aspect of heaven and earth. That is not completely under God's complete control that he's he's he has completely days all of it and drive to Department of incarnation of Christ. What happened? We have this very similar language of Jesus walking and talking with his disciples and even at times in the cool of the evening.
his creation bring Heaven and Earth a little bit closer together in the Tabernacle in the temple in the presence of God.
There are times that the priest would go in and they would walk on this Holy Ground unworldly, and it would just simply die. It's time with David spring the Covenant the Ark of the Covenant which is a representation of the presence of God back to Jerusalem in it. And it one of the three she brings out of the presence of God is too great to be felt in the broken world. And yet God the Incarnation of Christ comes into the world. Brings this reality a little bit from Christmas. Mr. We live in this reality of of the self walking amongst men. And having dinner seem a little bit closer together.
And then we get to what we call Lent. And it will charge of a calendar sentence. As we look at ourselves we go. There's nothing.
My sins in my failures in my mistakes in my Brokenness. the two great there too vast
It's not the end of the story the end of the story.
Somehow it's not at this point.
Jesus goes to a cross.
East Jefferson you dies into the hands of the people who created.
because his goodness is
beyond measure
What time is naproxen church then? We we stop maybe stop at Eastern. So that was nice Easter Sunday comes and goes. And it's exciting. Happy joyful in that day and then the next week go right back into our normal routine this year. We spent time in the Easter season Easter season, I think is is 7 weeks long and we spent time and welt on what I mean now to be rescued by the blood.
and when that. Of time with what's called Ascension Day in Christ ascends into heaven Then begin the age of the church in after Ascension Day here at Christ Church. We went back to what is called ordinary time.
Creative time between the Ascension of Jesus and what will study today? Is the church age? one question What are we to do?
Call Wright's 13 letters in Eustis. Actually a lot of a lot of his letters he says this is what you do and this is what you don't do. We dwell on that and really most of church life is is bathed in the Epistles. In the letters that the apostles wrote to the church trying to explain and understanding about what exactly it means to be to be covered by the blood of Jesus.
I like to I like to pose a thought for you for just one minute. Before we jump into our texts morning. Want you to think about something? Book of Revelation is probably arguably the most highly talk about book. debated every single person in this room has an opinion about it. Even if your opinion is, I don't really know you still think about it.
Pastors and preachers and theologians. Everybody writes books about it because it's fascinating
Revelation has a message I think for the church is. so important
What's unfortunate? Is it at this present time? We almost have no chance at fully understanding.
We live 21st century America. Hopefully that's not.
Free to worship God how we please whatever God we choose. We have to protect us from a government official coming to the store in arresting a harming us or even murdering. This is a privilege that we have in America many nations around the world have. But many did not. The first Sunday of November was the National Day of Prayer for the persecuted Church. You said one time of year reminder that the church is not all free. Jesus in the gospels, he told us something very interesting that I think sometimes we forget when we get into a place of comfort. Jesus says that the world is going to hate you because the world first hated me.
Do we know why the world hates Christ? in fact Christ is in fact, it's one and only God. And yet on Earth today, there's somewhere around 7.5. billion
7.5 is billion people on Earth and every single one of us every single one of us at some level thinks that we are God of something hard life.
So everybody knows that stands in direct opposition to the entirety of scripture for when he suffered and died on the cross. Because Christ stands and says alone. Reign and Rule
You do not. Genesis chapter 3 what is what is seats eight and say what is a serpent say?
in what did we all do in response to that statement in our lives When You Reach Out It sounds right.
We live in a time that has been unprecedented for its length of non-prosecution.
I don't think perhaps a smarter person would argue this point, but I don't think there's ever been a. We're so many Christians have been so free from persecution. of any
If we truly believe the scriptures and we truly believe that the world will hate us because it first aid price then we should know not think we should know that eventually.
A lack of persecution. I think many of us who are observing. Look at the news. We might already think it's coming personally think the first real pain violence is going to come to the church in America sooner to this point now that it is to the end of my life.
That's not a prophetic statement. That's just my own observation. Persecution is going to come to this church is going to come to the church the church that exist.
It is. hopefully Wish channel that truth it will hate us. How many many people have claimed that America is a Christian Nation? It's not. I'm sorry. If you disagree with this statement the First Amendment of the Constitution demands that freedom of religion is written into the Constitution. Define it's what the experiment was. Before America, there was no such thing as a non religious and non-religious state every nation every state that existed was a religion first and then the state America. So let's do something different. Let's make the state not a religion. So I definition we are not a Christian Nation.
inform any many years Christians worthy the vast majority And so therefore we looked like a Christian Nation. But I ask you one one more question to prove. My point is God the president. Is Christ the president of the United States?
Even the most Christian of our leaders would argue that point.
Eventually, we will experience persecution of why does this matter? Question, why does this matter until feel this weight of persecution? We will never understand Revelation like it. It's meant to be Revelation this is why more than other days and more than more than other times. We look at scripture. It is such a burden to me to say I'm going to try to show you what it means for Christ as you can because I can't not until we truly see.
I can say imagine it all I want it. You just can't. You can read books. Watch videos you can under you can understand it, but only to a point.
John is the author of this this letter and that's what it is for damas. It's a tad it's at its core. It is a letter now. It's a other stuff that comes a little bit later. But all we will see today is the letter form. John said he's the author of this of this letter. Most people think this is the Apostle John some people think it's the Elder John. It doesn't necessarily matter. One of the reasons why they don't think it might be. It's probably not that this is written somewhere in the early nineties probably 9091. And John would have been older than expected.
People have lived a long time before and I think John the Apostle is probably the author but again, it doesn't really matter. What matters is when it was written. Like I said likely 90 or 91 under the reign of emperor domitian. Church history is the bringer of the second persecution. The second persecution is persecution under King Nero or Emperor Nero look like Child's Play. Nero was burning Christians at the state Gardens to better himself domitian killed Christians because he hated person and why did he hate Christians because he hated
Just put Christians death. You don't have fancy stories of burning at the burning Christians at the stake in the gardens.
persecution Waits The Book of Revelation down
because it's the only thing that truly makes us grass this one very important question. Why are we still here? Now we live in a in a relative state of comfort it around our homes. We sit in this church and go. This is all right. because for most of us
it's okay to live our lives. It's okay to it's okay to walk around.
We don't see her by saying I don't see her knee standing up here and say I'm a Believer in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior that somebody will eventually come to my home whenever I'm here at work to take my wife and kids.
They did. Was changes the mentality of how we live our lives. Not as Christians, are we still here then?
more importantly
Is this the right thing to do?
Aren't we? don't you think that there would be just a
perhaps as we Proclaim Christ pretty soon my wife. I love my kids to go. Maybe I was wrong.
pretty serious question
question did the Book of Revelation answers?
Is Christ truly? raining Ruin, it. Don't look like it.
Again, maybe in our 21st century American mines it kind of does. Seems like wickedness and evil have been in some sense. corralled put in the first century. Most powerful man on Earth said I want all Christians put to death. and all chances at all possibilities
so why we can't fully understand that we can try.
We look at we look at what John is is saying here. He says John to the seven churches in this is who he's writing to you when I can.
Just grace to you and peace.
Grace the gift freely given to us undeserved of us on warranted unmerited by our Our Lives the gift of Christ on the cross. the gift of salvation
and peace We don't get that right.
Yeah, we see on the news every from time to time people who hate. I'm not worried about it. Josh says
Grace be yours New Testament, we experience God grace we experience God for Shalom. Peace. the whole idea of bringing bringing comfort Not fairness necessarily but in some sense.
Grace and peace to you from from him
Who is to come I love this? Zeus Zeus He was and he who is John. This is my favorite things that the early church did they said yours to say?
Christmas is a pagan holiday in the Christians. They went. No, it's not everything. We're taking it back.
Zeus isn't the one who is
and he alone.
From the seven churches are the seven spirits that are Before the Throne of God. This could be the seven angels that are later mentioned. I think it's probably something the angels are in a lot of ways representative of the work of the spirit of God. We're not going to talk any more about that. From Christ the faithful witness the first born of the Dead. in the ruler of Kings owner Let me ask you a question. How many people many rulers on Earth today? Which would give Christ the credit for being there alternate?
either in word or In Deed Did you get anybody?
Jesus says I am.
Maybe we don't quite understand this because this is what the emperor's do. IGN first, they said you can be Kings of the the region but you're not you're not the paint.
Everything is under me and everybody went okay.
So what Jesus says he says look. The faithful witness to the firstborn of the jetty in the first one to die in Ray and I am the ruler of Kings on the earth. I am Christ the King.
It's a statement.
To him who has freed us from our sins by his blood. That's made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father to him glory many ever and ever.
she sometimes we get caught up in our
Earthly life
we think that the government is about Earthly sins Jesus
I am ruler. I am Rainer.
I bought you with My Precious Blood. I made you into my key difference between God's kingdom what it'll be mine. God says that's not how this work in Sac kingdoms are made by borders are made by people. I got called his people out from its the nations of the world. Without the permission of those who are around him that are of the Earth. But it was only cord for his own purposes. He made us priests Proclaimers. Stewart's of God's message and be glory and Dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Go back to that question. What are we doing on this Earth? rewrite wrong
Is he coming back?
church history that kind of how to twist the way we think about the return of Jesus Jennifer century
at the earliest Believers are like Jesus coming back now. mhrc soon
You're still saying in the first century. They're still going wait a minute price.
Blow after blow hammers them down. They starts ask question. Isn't he? Isn't he? Maybe maybe maybe not. Crisis old he is coming. He's coming and everyone will see him. Even those who pierced him and all tribes of the Earth. Will what? whale cry because of him
to this is what the weight of Revelation is really about.
persecution
to be defeated
It's very easy to look at life situations and say perhaps I was wrong.
It's understandable at the least.
Christ confirms again and again in scripture and price as shown himself to again and again Be The God Who Reigns and rules? even from a distance impart
it says I will come.
Not only will I come my full but I will come in all-wheel. Those who follow Christ will rejoice.
And those who have rejected him. persecute him to hate his church who have harmed his church will cry on the count of seeing you. Dutchess Prine, I just be sad. But we'll mourn.
now again This means very little to us. Because we don't understand true hatred.
It almost seems a little to think that other people have persecuted us formed because of their wicked. Sometimes we can justify our sympathy for Shay arrogantly in by the way extremely food that I have more merciful than God. No, you're not.
even so
yes. judgment will happen and yes, there are times when we look at the judge in the doggy say
But isn't God who alone has the right isn't it? Again us reaching out to the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and saying I am one of you
verse 8
I wish I wish there was some way to emphasize this more. But God speaks.
God speaks in work work flute into the magnitude of of who this God is whenever he says the Lord Almighty down the Old Testament when you saw or not Lord Almighty the Lord God. In your chest when you saw Lord God with that what that really was is the is the Divine name of God followed by the general name God Yahweh Elohim. is very rarely used in the Old Testament and it's only ever used in moments of extreme reverence to denote the fullness of who God is And it's Greek form. We see and hear the fullness of God in the most and of in the very most we could possibly grasp his existence. He says I am the Alpha and the Omega.
Alpha and Omega the first letter and last letter of the Greek alphabet to be like him saying I am the a
It's a figure of speech in the ancient world that said I am everything. I am the completeness of all things not only in mind the completeness of all things, but I am
and the first in the last later on in the book on the first and last
who is who was and who is to come? John says it earlier on God's path. This guy's D is and was and is to come not Zeus was this is reminiscent of what it what exactly it means for God to be named in Hebrew means I am who I am.
God stands firmly on this one, very important truth alone is God and King.
Alone is God and King? the Almighty
this is a war term. I think it's used like four times in the New Testament. extremely rarely
The Book of Revelation is a book about the final victory of Christ. Is we live our lives here on this Earth? We asked ourselves again and again and again as we experience the pain and the turmoil truly in ultimately in control and God himself definitively says
Alpha and the Omega the beginning in the end he is and he was is Victor.
Christ is King.
death he frees us from the bond of sin. He makes us his kingdom. He gives us our purpose. He Reigns and rules
We buy our needs to him because he is good. He is just he is merciful Bond major. He is gracious.
Heavenly Father
Oregon
jaquae
you who were and two are and you are yet to be.
rpr
humbled by
your scope
your majesty
you're too minion.
Father I pray that our hearts. Feeble and small and finite as they are would be able to comprehend. no small part
your goodness
your power your rule your rain.
And we would Proclaim together as a congregation. As we will one day fully know it that you are King.
You working of Our Lives? You are king of this are.
It's in your precious and holy and Sovereign son's name Jesus.