"God Was God, God Is God, And God Will Always Be God"

Revelation 1:4-8 “God was God, God is God, and God will always be God.”

1. John writes to the seven churches in the Province of Asia

• He say Grace and peace to you

• He also says grace and peace come through Jesus Christ vs 4

• He tells them who Jesus is . He is the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and he is the ruler of all the earth

• He says that Jesus freed us from our sins by his blood

• He say we are to serve God

• John gives us insight on what is to come 7Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

2. John then describes God as 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

3. Let us consider the God of ages past the God who was

• God of the ages past brought the Hebrews out of Egypt,

• God of the ages past promised Abram he would be the father of many nations and he was

• God of ages past allowed Joshua to overthrow Jericho as they marched around that city and the walls fell down

• The God of ages past brought Justice 4He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

4. WE looked at the God of ages past now let’s look at “God who is”

• Paul writes in his farewell address “God is Love” 11Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

• The Chronicler writes “God’s Love endures forever”, Jeremiah says his love is “an everlasting love;”

• God is love he even loves the wicked “. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Does he not search for the one lost sheep while the 99 are safe in the fold” does he not search for the lost coin, for the lost son

5. We looked at God who was, and God who is, now let us consider the “God who is to come” 7Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him,

• Luke writes , "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

• Scripture says he is coming at an unsuspected time at hour which no one knows as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be at the coming of the son of man

• He is coming to judge the world 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

• He is coming to bring salvation , 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

• If God is coming back then we should be Letting God arise in us

• Letting God arise in our church, Let God arise in our neighborhood.

• Let God arise in our job, Let God arise in our family, Let God arise in our world.

W. H. Griffith-Thomas, wrote the following to some young preachers

Think yourself empty, Read yourself full, Write yourself clear, Pray yourself keen, Then enter the pulpit

And let yourself go!

Will you let go and let God be God in you? If you will, God can. But if you won't, God can't. Church “let yourselves Go” God is the alpha and omega the beginning the end God is, God was, and God is to come.

God was God, God is God, and God will always be God.