Saturday, February 28, 2015

Sermon on Revelation 5 for March 1

Revelation 5:1
In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll[a] that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places.
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I have a lot of interest in World War II.  I’ve read heavily about the Allied effort in Europe, and a few years ago I had the opportunity to travel to Normandy and walk on the beaches where the massive effort to liberate Europe found a foothold.  On those beaches, on D-Day in 1944, hundreds and thousands of soldiers threw themselves against the German wall in a coordinated attempt to take back what the Nazis had stolen by force.
The true measure of an effective war leader is not their ability to draw up a plan that will defeat the enemy.  The way we judge the leaders of the troops is how they are able to adapt their plans when the enemy attacks and everything begins to fall to pieces.  Is the leader able to regroup and refocus the troops so that they are able to maintain their forward momentum and still capture the objective?  Or does the actions of the enemy scramble the carefully laid plans and prevent the troops from reaching their objective?
Today, I want to begin talking about purpose.  I want to talk about overall objectives.  See, I believe that God acts with a purpose.  I believe God has a mission, what you may hear called mission Dei, and that God has been singularly focused on this objective since the beginning of time.  What is God’s mission?  I believe God’s mission is to gather all people to himself.  This is the purpose towards which God has been always acting.  There is a great book called The Mission of God, in which Christopher Wright begins in Genesis and moves toward Revelation, unfolding how Scripture communicates this one singular theme, this Biblical arc in which God is always moving.  From God reaching out to Abraham to God’s calling of the Israelites to God entering into the world in the person of Jesus Christ, this is God’s purpose unfolding in human history.  When human sin threatens to thwart God’s action, God continues to reach out, offering forgiveness and new life, always reaching out and adapting to the human condition.  God’s love is not stopped by human sin.
So here, in Revelation 5, we begin with John seeing the scroll in the hand of God.  One way to interpret this scroll is to understand it as God’s plan for humanity, God’s overarching purpose, which will be fulfilled when the seals have been broken and the scroll is unveiled.  This scroll is, quite literally, what we’ve always been waiting for.
From here, we move on to verses 2-4.
“I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or see inside it. 4 I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or see inside it”
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Here, we move the focus from God’s purpose to human sin.  From the moment Adam and Eve fell prey to the temptation to move beyond the role assigned to humanity, our sin has been rampant in human history.  Sin separates us from God, and sin prevents the grace and love of God from flowing through us and into the lives of others.  Sin is selfish, grabbing up glory for ourselves when we ought to be selflessly laying ourselves down so that others may see the glory of God shining through us.  Sin breaks relationships, between one another and between us and God.  Sin is personal, in you and in me, and sin is systematic, causing breakdowns in how humanity relates to one another.  We see sin in the selfishness of a child, and we see sin in the wars that divide nations and turn citizens upon one another.  We see sin in the breaking of relationships due to addiction, and we see sin in the casual disregard we cast upon the least of these as we seek to accumulate more for ourselves.  Sin is around us, and it is in side us.  Sin seeks to thwart the promises of God.
John, here in Revelation 5, recognizes that the reality of sin threatens the purposes of God.  The scroll of God, the fulfillment of God’s purposes in and for all the world, is sealed, and there is no one worthy to break the seals and free the mission of God in the world.  No one is sinless, and thus sin threatens to conquer. 
Here, recognizing the threat, John weeps.
Here, there is a valuable lesson for us.
See, sin is all around us.  We’ve actually grown used to it.  We grow accustomed to seeing the poor among us.  We’re so used to the reality of war in our world that we tune out the devastation in Ukraine, the refugees in Syria, the despair in Central America, the gang violence in America.  We’re so used to the brokenness that surrounds us that we become immune to it.  I saw it in myself in Chattanooga, when I was constantly bombarded by the poor, that my heart stopped breaking for those who had fallen behind.  I hardened my heart, and in so doing I joined a long Biblical tradition.
When Pharaoh didn’t want to hear God speaking to him through Moses, he hardened his heart.  When the Israelites didn’t want to listen to where God was calling them in the wilderness, they hardened their hearts.  When the people didn’t want to listen to the prophets, when Judas refused to hear the love of his Savior, they hardened their hearts.  They stopped listening to where God was calling them, and God’s purpose could no longer flow through open conduits, but had to find other ways to enter the world. 
In Hebrews we hear the urge not to harden our hearts.  In Revelation, we see John weeping for the ways sin has threatened to prevent God’s purpose from unfolding.
I urge you, brothers and sisters in Christ, do not harden your hearts.  When you see brokennjess and sin in the world, let it break your heart.  Recognize what is happening, and weep for the sin in the world, because in this way, when we feel the impact of sin, we recognize how important it is, and then we can be led into being part of the solution.
What is the solution?
Here, we keep reading:
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’ and ‘King David’s Great Descendant’ has won the victory. He will open the book and its seven seals.”  6 Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne that was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out to all the earth.
7 The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. 8 After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense,[e] which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 Then they sang a new song,
“You are worthy to receive the scroll and open its seals, because you were killed.  And with your own blood you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.
10 You let them become kings and serve God as priests, and they will rule on earth.”
11 As I looked, I heard the voices of a lot of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, 12 and they were saying in a loud voice, “The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise.”
13 Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,
“Praise, honor, glory, and strength forever and ever to the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”
14 The four living creatures said “Amen,” while the elders knelt down and worshiped.
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What is the solution to the problem of sin?
There is only one answer.  Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of all, is the answer.  He, and He alone, can atone for sin.  Only Christ is able, only Christ is worthy, only Christ can make the required sacrifice to repair the breach sin has caused. 
When we try and substitute any other solution, we take the honor that belongs to Christ and try and give it to someone or something else. 
Friends, Christ alone is worthy.  When we go out into the world, we can only begin to work to heal the damage of sin if we listen to Christ and let the love of Christ flow in and through us.  We must fix our eyes on him and his redeeming and saving love, and in doing everything we can to purge sin from our own lives, we allow Christ’s love to flow in and through us to heal us and the community around us. Sin is real, and it is breaking the world, but God will not allow it to thwart his overall purpose, and that is to gather all people to himself.  God longs to forgive, to heal the pain sin has caused, and when we recognize sin’s power and it’s real effect on the world, when we allow our hearts to be broken, we can then begin to join with God in being part of the solution.
God has not called us to sit idly by.  We, whose hearts should be broken by the poverty and brokenness around us, are called to join with Christ in being part of the solution.  Christ sent the disciples into the world to proclaim the truth of God’s redeeming love, and you, too are sent.  The challenge for each of us is twofold: 
Where in the world, in your community, in yourself, is sin breaking through, threatening to thwart God’s redeeming love working in you?
How can you join with Christ, in your worship and in your service, to make your life an effort of co-creating the Kingdom the God here on earth, healing the brokenness and letting the power of the Lamb flow through you, leading you to a life of selfless service, rather than idleness?

Let us pray

Friday, February 27, 2015

Psalm 120

Psalm 120
English Standard Version (ESV)

  At times, it feels like no matter what we do, the world rises up against us.  At times, we feel like every step we take is opposed, like every journey fails, like every potential friend turns into a foe.
  Scripture is not unfamiliar with these difficult times, and God calls us through these challenges into the deeper waters of discipleship, reminding us that he is still sovereign, that his grace is still abundant, that life is still eternal and that hope is still possible.
  Do not let your heart race in fear--trust in the goodness of God, and those who oppose you will eventually fall away, for the faithful shall endure forever in the promises of Christ.

May we cling to God

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Psalm 119:169-176

Psalm 119:169-176
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Here I am, a lost sheep, alone in the wilderness.  Here, I have some choices.
  I can weep in despair, terrified that I have lost my way, that I have run from the shepherd, and I can choose to live my life in fear of all the threatening things in the world that surround me, some of which I know and can see, many others of which I cannot see or even comprehend.
  Or, I can go on in ignorance, believing that I know best and that my shepherd was not guiding me toward good places.  In this state, I may end up lost and in danger, but I won't realize it until it's too late.
  My other choice is to cry out to the shepherd, trusting that he will come running, that he will restore me to good places, that he loves me enough to be near, to watch over, to provide, and to welcome me back.

May we cry out to God

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Psalm 119:161-168

Psalm 119:161-168
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We exist in two realities:  we live as mortals among other mortals, many of whom may present us with difficulties & trials.  This can be a source of strength or discouragement.  At the same time, we live as God's beloved creations, precious in his sight and citizens of the Kingdom of God.
  No matter what is happening in the mortal world, do not let your circumstances affect your relationship with God.  Stand in awe of God, and let his love encourage you, strengthen you, build you up and send you out.  Let God's peace rule in your heart, and trust that the Kingdom of God is near.

May God's love encourage you in the midst of whatever trials you may face

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Psalm 119:153-160

Psalm 119:153-160
English Standard Version (ESV)

  May you find life in the love of God.  May your heart's deepest desires be met by the God who breathed life into your bones.  May your spirit rise with the unending joy of the Holy Spirit, who calls you into eternal communion with your beloved creator, who loved you before he formed you.  May you heart's every beat be a reminder of God's faithfulness, and may the world's despair be a reminder that the world is not as it should be, and that we have a God who will one day set things right.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Psalm 119:145-152

Psalm 119:145-152
English Standard Version (ESV)

 The Lord is near.
  Though all else may fail, though it may seem certain that death may enclose us, though fear may encamp, though the world may be coming to an end, though friends may betray us and our bodies may fail us, the Lord is near.
  The Lord is near.  His presence covers you, his peace descends upon you, his love surrounds you, his wisdom flows through you, his love keeps you.
  The Lord is near.
  Fear not, for the God of the universe has chosen to use his power to love you and keep you and save you, and he shall never let go.

May you feel God's presence today

Friday, February 20, 2015

Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:137-144
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We keep getting contrasting pictures of God's righteousness and our smallness, and yet despite the fact that the two seem so far apart, we have a God who reaches out, who reaches down, and loves us as his creations, as his beloved ones, as ones dear enough to him to sacrifice for.  Focus not on ourselves, but rather on the love and grace that God pours out.
  This leads us out.  It leads us out to love as we have been loved, to serve as we have been served, to care for others in the same manner in which we have been cared for.  It's easy to look down on people, to forget about people who may seem beneath us, but we need to remember how much lower we are than God, and God did not regard this distance as too great, but sought to close the gap and bring us back into right relationship.  We should endeavor to close the gaps that form in our own relationships, between us and those who are dear, and between ourselves and those who may not be close to us at all, emotionally, physically or socioeconomically.

  May we reach out and share the great love of God

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Psalm 119:129-136

Psalm 119:129-136
English Standard Version (ESV)

   I think of the disciples, asking Jesus to teach them to pray.  I think of the crowds, following Jesus wherever he went, desperate to hear what he had to say, to see what he might do.  I think of the stories I have heard of the church in China, where people press their faces against the window to see what is going on inside,
  To what length would you go to learn from Jesus, to hear about God, to grow in Christ?  Do we hunger for the Word of God, or just take it for granted, presuming we know enough?  Do we long for God, or think that faith is a nice benefit when things get tough?
 
  May we hunger for God, that our very souls may be nourished by the Holy Spirit

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Psalm 119:121-128

Psalm 119:121-128
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's easy to want what is fair.  From childhood, we complain that things are not fair.  As we age, we recognize the systemic unfairness that seems to tilt the playing field toward those who start this life with advantages and rarely face the same challenges many others do.  We notice how unfair life can be, and all we ask for is for things to be fair.
  Thankfully, God is not fair.  In verse 124, the Psalmist asks for God to deal with him according to God's love.
  This is exactly what God does in Jesus Christ.  He pays for our sin, giving us life when we deserved death.  On the cross, God pours out love upon us, unfairly offering us heaven when we deserve hell.  We get redemption and grace and peace and hope in love, when our sin causes us to deserve condemnation and pain and hurt.  We do not reap what we sow--we receive the benefits that Christ deserves, and Christ receives the punishment we deserve.
  It is not fair.
  Gloriously so.

May we rejoice in the grace of God that covers our sin and gives us beautiful hope that is undeserved

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Psalm 119:113-120

Psalm 119:113-120
English Standard Version (ESV) 

 We have a tendency to be double-minded.  We want to be Godly, but we tend to want something else more.  When it's convenient, we strive for Christ, but when we get caught up, busy & stressed out, we reach for what is easy.  We set our sights lower, seeking comfort and ease, rather than continuing to push towards the narrow way, loving selflessly and serving all.
  This will never change.  Our hearts are wired this way--we long for God, knowing that he alone can satisfy, and yet we are distracted by sin.  Let us not spend our lives abusing ourselves because of our weakness.  Let us instead give thanks for the one who died so that our weakness may not doom us, for the one who loves us despite our faithlessness, for the one who chooses us to love.

May we give thanks for the love of Christ today

Monday, February 16, 2015

Psalm 119:105-112

Psalm 119:105-112
English Standard Version (ESV)

 If you've ever walked in a dark forest, you know how valuable a lamp can be.  Roots and branches and holes and all sorts of other obstacles appear, and if you're not paying careful attention, you'll soon end up prone on the ground, covered in the mysteries of the forest.  Steps should be measured, careful, and only taken with the wisdom granted by the light you are holding.
  Life itself is a walk through unfamiliar woods, passing by new circumstances and unsure of exactly what lies just beyond the scope of light that we can see.  We press on, in some sort of hurry to discover the future (often ignoring the past), and sometimes we do so with such enthusiasm that we blunder beyond what the light reveals.  Lost, having misplaced our footing, we recognize how easy it is to stumble.
  God often doesn't give us extra information.  It would be nice if he did, but instead it's usually step by step, day by precious day.  The Holy Spirit guides us, and if we keep our ear tuned to listen for his voice, perhaps some of those obstacles will be revealed beforehand and we shall manage to avoid them by the grace of God.

May the light lead us, and may we be patient enough to follow

Friday, February 13, 2015

Psalm 119:97-104

Psalm 119:97-104
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I didn't know much about marketing 8 months ago.  Now, I know quite a bit about marketing and how to position a product to aim for a certain target segment.  I learned this because I was willing to listen to someone with experience and knowledge of the particular field.
  The same is true of almost anything we learn.  When we trust the knowledge and expertise of those who know more about a subject than we do, we are then able to absorb that knowledge and grow our own small areas of expertise.  If we refuse to acknowledge that they know more than us, however, our stubbornness prevents us from learning & growing.
  The question, then, is whether or not we trust that God knows more about life than we do.  Do we trust that God can guide our feet and our hands and our words and our hearts and our minds to lead us toward a faithful and rich life, defined not in the specific ways the world defines 'goodness', but rather rich in love and grace and wonder and awe?  Do we trust God to lead us forward and protect us, to sustain us, to challenge us and give us life?  Can we humble ourselves, accept his teaching and his law, and learn and grow?  Or will our stubbornness prevent us from gaining from the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit?
  It is a choice to make daily, but choosing to follow the wisdom of God that we find in Scripture will lead us deeper into a faithful life, and over time that will reveal itself, I believe, to be rich in blessings and grace.

May we read God's Word, taking it in and letting it shape us

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Psalm 119:89-96

Psalm 119:89-96
English Standard Version (ESV)

 God is supreme.  God is eternal and faithful and true and wondrous and just and powerful and mighty and brilliant and loving and gracious and righteous and peaceful.  God made the earth, and it continues to exist because God sustains it.  God will exist forever, and nothing can come into being or fall out of being without his knowledge.  God is all-knowing and all-seeing.
  To this God, the Psalmist, and we, can say:  I am yours.
  To this God, our voices can sing, save me.

  And God does.
  God sees us.  God loves us.  God saves us.
  Not because he needs us, but rather because God desperately longs for us to live in the eternal peace and joy that only he can provide.  Everything else may disappoint us, betray us or fall away, but God wants us to set our feet on the solid rock of his truth.  From all the forces that oppose us, God wants to deliver us, to set us free, that we might grow into the people God made us to be.

May we read God's word and marvel at his love

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Psalm 119:81-88

Psalm 119:81-88
English Standard Version (ESV) 

 In the movies, they like to show people dangling by their fingertips, bodies exposed to some long fall, the risk of death imminent unless the actor or actress can summon enough strength in their fingers to pull themselves over the edge and save the day.
  In real life, we find ourselves clinging to God in such desperate situations, hopeful that God's grace will be sufficient to see us through whatever we are facing, ever hopeful that we shall endure this challenge by God's strength so that we may enjoy the final triumph of God.
  While it is a good thing to cling to God in such moments of despair, I believe it would do us well to cling to God in the times before we are dangling over the edge.  Consider it a way of life that will help your grip strengthen, that your life may be so formed by a cling to God that in those moments of fear, your relationship with God may be a source of hope and strength, and your body will be automatically programmed to turn to God.

May we enjoy our dependence on God today

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Psalm 119:73-80

Psalm 119:73-80
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Think of an ambassador.  They live in foreign countries as representatives of another country.  They are a constant reminder of a far-off country, serving as a conduit for those who want to reach out, for one reason or another, to that country.  Even in the midst of daily life, such as shopping for groceries or putting gas in the car, they are a representative of another way of life.
  In that way, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ.  The dichotomy between worlds is not so clear, but we are called to live in such a way that represents our citizenship in God's kingdom.  Now, there is much that is good and Godly about this earth, and even those who do not proclaim Christ as King are still God's beloved creations, unique and wonderfully made in the image of God, but we still have a role to play that points to God, that serves him in the midst of daily life.  Some will see us and target us because of our faith.  Some will see us and perhaps express their feelings about God to us.  In all these things, we are to love as we have been loved, selflessly reflecting the glory of God, in the hopes that the Holy Spirit works through us and touches the minds and hearts of all.

May we serve faithfully today

Monday, February 9, 2015

Psalm 119:65-72

Psalm 119:65-72
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Bad things are bad, right?
  But what if they're good?
 
  Bad things happen throughout our lives.  The Bible is littered with heartbreaking stories, and our entire human history is checkered by pain and grief.
  Here, the Psalmist is grateful for affliction, for it caused him to draw closer to God, to learn God's law and to follow God more closely.  The Psalmist is grateful for the long-term relationship with God, even if there was short-term pain that caused him misery and grief.
  In the same vein, it's important for us to recognize that our relationship with God is eternal, and God will never let us fall from the clutches of his victorious right hand.  God loves you, and God wants you to grow towards him.  There will be times in which we question whether God is still with us, and there will be times when we wonder what God is doing.  The consequences of our own and others' poor choices will affect us, but God will not abandon us--rather he will walk with us each and every day, helping us grow in faith and giving us understanding and power to endure, faithfully, that we might one day dwell with him in joy and peace forever.

May that peace of God guard your hearts and minds today

Friday, February 6, 2015

Psalm 119:57-64

Psalm 119:57-64
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Would you get up in the middle of the night just to offer thanks and praise to God?  (These past few months, I'm usually up at midnight anyway, but I'm not praising God--I'm more often wondering why I have so much work to do.  So I don't get extra credit, I think!)
  Is your heart set on God?  Do you recognize all that God has done in the past.  The breath you just took was a gift of God.  The last beat of your heart was a gift of God.  Even if there is never another, or if the next is surrounded by the pain and trouble life often finds, God has given so many rich and wondrous gifts to us.  God has given us these, and also forgiven our very sins, the deep pains we cause to the heart of God.  So many gifts, poured out on you.  At the cross, we catch a glimpse of the fullness of God's love, as he lays down his life for a relationship with us!  This is what God gives.  This is how much God loves you.
  We need to think on these things, to let our hearts dwell on these things, that they might shape us into the kind of people who seek discipleship with all our hearts.

May we focus on God today

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Psalm 119:49-56

Psalm 119:49-56
English Standard Version (ESV)

  God keeps his promises.
  Other promises that are made to us will fail us in the end.  Products make promises they can't live up.  People end up disappointing us.  That job we thought would fix everything doesn't.
  But God keeps his promises.
  The God who promised to walk with us through every valley, through every single moment of our lives, this God will be faithful, even if everything else in life falls apart.  Don't give up, because God will still be there, strong and true to the end, and beyond.

May you be buoyed by the faithful love of God

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Psalm 119:41-48

Psalm 119:41-48
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I like to think I'm a pretty resourceful guy.  I can come up with solutions to all sorts of problems.  Throughout my life, I've been able to work my way through a number of challenges.  I've had a lot of help, but I have also dug deep when necessary.
  However, to think that I can devise a solution to the evil in the world is folly.  I know that I am not capable of fully defeating the temptations that try and turn me from God.  I give in, time and time again, for my own human strength is not enough.
  But God's steadfast love draws us through.  God gives us the necessary strength to endure, to stay faithful, to remain close to him, and trusting in him will see us through each and every challenge.  We may not always come out exactly like we had imagined, but if we cling to God he will walk with us through every valley and help us keep our eyes fixed on the goal of the life to come.

May we answer our enemies out of the steadfast love we have been given

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Psalm 119:33-40

Psalm 119:33-40
Common English Bible (CEB)

  Do you ever become impatient?  Do you want a situation resolved now, not later?  Do you want to know now, not sometime in the future?  Do you want to be there, rather than dealing with the mess here that you have to wander through in order to get there?
  It's hard.  It's hard to wait, to grow slowly, to take baby steps when we want to leap to the conclusion.
  But God calls us to walk faithfully, to live step-by-step, to trust him through the process, rather than just in the conclusion.  We learn about God, about how to glorify and honor him, about how to serve and praise him.  We learn slowly, and we accumulate wisdom over a lifetime.
  We want it all now.
  But trust in God.  Your life is a growing process, and we are called to faithful endurance in Christ.

May we take a single step today

Monday, February 2, 2015

Psalm 119:25-32

Psalm 119:25-32
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  Where there is death, God brings life.  Where there is despair, God brings hope.  Where there is darkness, God brings light.
  There is learning required to live this out.  We have to learn God's ways, to learn how and where to look for the presence of God.  We have to train our hearts and minds to pursue God with all of our hearts.  This is a lifetime's effort, but the rewards are eternal.

May you see hope today