“I am the Alpha and Omega”
Pastor Jeff Williams
Good Friday Service, 2003
I’d like to start tonight with a bit a trivia. Can anyone tell me who the first man to step foot on the moon? That’s right, Neil Armstrong. July 19, 1969 was a big day in the Williams household. My father had borrowed a movie camera to film the grainy, black and white footage being sent back from Apollo on the small television in their living room. I also made history that day. Dad turned to see me walking across the room towards him with my hands held high. I was taking my first steps the exact same time that the astronauts were taking their first bounces on the moon’s surface. What a cosmic coincidence!
Now, who was the last astronaut to step foot on the moon? That one is a little more difficult. His name was Jack Smidt. Jack is not as well known as Neil Armstrong, but equally important in the history of lunar landings. When it comes to human beings who have walked on the moon, there is a first and a last.
What does this have to do with Good Friday? Tonight, we come to celebrate the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, The First and the Last” Jesus Christ. For the last six weeks we have heard Pastor Brian preach on the “I AM” statements of Christ. For the last six weeks we have seen God’s Spirit move mightily among our congregation and the sparks of revival start flying. Hearts are being changed, marriages revived, relationships mended, and souls thirsty for God are finding satisfaction in the oasis of His forgiveness and love.
We are tempted to credit human effort for this “wave” of the Spirit’s work. I can attest that no one works harder and presenting the Scriptures in a relevant, faithful way than Pastor Brian. Those of us who lead worship take seriously the charge to provide the congregation with an opportunity to connect with God through music. There are multitudes of volunteers who make the ministries happen that are sold out to the vision of reaching lost people for Christ. But let me make an observation. It is not what we are doing that is causing the blessing of God to be upon our efforts. It is because of what Jesus Christ has DONE that God is choosing to bless our spiritual socks off! It is all about Jesus. And there is no better picture of our Savior in all His glory than in the book of Revelation.
When the youth ask me to teach on their favorite topics, you might me surprised to know that the book of Revelation is their number one request. Year after year, students want to learn about the beast and the dragon, 666, and the lake of fire. When I suggest the book of John or Matthew, they yawn and report that they have been told that Revelation is “cooler.” They are scared to death by what this book teaches but continually try to read it.
Adults are not that much different when it comes to this fascinating account of apocalyptic images. “Armageddon”, the latest installment of the “Left Behind” series is currently number one on the best sellers list. Tonight, I am going to ask you to be courageous and turn in your Bibles to the last book – Revelation. There is no need to be afraid. The Book of Revelation is not a horror story, but a love story. It is exactly what the title suggests – a revealing. It is the unveiling of the central character in the history of redemption. The book is not focused on the what, but the whom of salvation – Jesus, The “I AM.”
Tonight, we want to focus on Jesus. Let’s begin by affirming that Jesus Christ is the reason why are here. That we believe that nearly 2000 years ago, a young Galilean rabbi was nailed to a cross on the hill called Golgotha outside of Jerusalem. We believe that rabbi was the promised Messiah and that His death conquered death, once and for all. We believe that this Friday is “good” simply because it meant the payment for our sins and our opportunity to have a relationship with God. Let’s celebrate that.
Worship Set I
Reciting of the Apostle’s Creed
The Old Rugged Cross
Jesus, Lover of My Soul
God is The Alpha and Omega
In the last song we sang, the lyrics echo our text in Revelation: “Alpha and Omega, You have loved me.” Turn with me to the first chapter of Revelation.
Rev 1:1-8
1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw-that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads 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. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 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 us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Look, 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. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
In His earthly ministry, Jesus built a team out of a bunch of rag tag fishermen and laborers. He chose twelve to be his disciples and out the twelve, He confided and trusted three: Peter, James and John. And of those three, John was His closest companion. John was His best friend and He often describes himself as the “disciple Jesus loved.” It has been about sixty years since the apostle John had seen Jesus. The fledgling church has exploded and the Gospel is being taking farther and farther from Jerusalem. John has seen his fellow disciples die for the cause of Christ. He alone remains of the ones who walked with Jesus.
Because of his preaching, he has been banished to a penal colony on the isle of Patmos, a small island in the Aegean Sea south of modern day Turkey. He is in prison, old and tired, but still his heart burns white hot for Christ. John was given a vision of Jesus in His exalted state. Overwhelmed with the beauty and power and radiance of His Risen Lord, he falls face down at the feet of Jesus “as if he were dead.” What an incredible privilege for this former fisherman turned passionate pastor. He then hears the voice of God booming,
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
To our English speaking ears, this may sound strange. But to the recipients of John’s letter, this would have made perfect sense. Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Another way to say this is, “I am A to Z. I am everything from aardvarks to zebras. I am everything from Albania to Zimbabwe. God is not merely talking letters, He is talking reality. Listen to the prophet Isaiah,
Isa 44:6: "This is what the LORD says-- Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.”
and again in Isaiah,
Isa 41:4: “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD--with the first of them and with the last--I am he."
It is hard for us to truly understand the implications of this truth. God is the beginning, He is the end. No one created God and He has no birthday. He “was, is, and is to come.”
Listen to Moses,
Ps 90:1-2: Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Often children, and sometimes adults, will ask the question, “Where did God come from?” When you say that He has always been, you see their little brains start spinning.
On Tuesday afternoon, I sat in a park with a high school student as he struggled to understand how God has always been.
Even the greatest thinkers in the world have struggled with this. Aristotle proposed there must be a “First Cause.” Something, or Someone, that by which everything else is made and owes its existence to. He also proposed that the “First Cause” would necessarily have to also be the “Last Cause.” He interestingly said that this “Unmoved Mover” would be motivated by love. He was so close to the truth. Even Voltaire the unabashed atheist stated that he could not dream that “the watch exists and has not a watchmaker.”
God is everything! He is the reason we have our existence and He is the reason we can have hope. Acts 17:28 says it better than I can:
Acts 17:28: ’For in him we live and move and have our being.’
Jesus is The Alpha and Omega, therefore Jesus is God
I want you to look with me at four other verses in the book of Revelation. First, skip down a few verses to verse seventeen:
Rev 1:17-18: Then I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Rev 2:8-9: To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
Rev 21:6-8: “He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Rev 22:12-13: "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Each time these phrases are quoted, they are spoken by Jesus Christ. Again and again, as Pastor Brian has shown us these last weeks Jesus claims the Divine mandate by exclaiming “I AM.” This is the most holy name of God and by saying, “I am the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate, the Good Shepherd, the vine, the way, the resurrection and the life, and the alpha and omega” Jesus is emphatically defining His Divinity. These verses shout that Jesus is eternally co-existent with the Father. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega.
At the very beginning of my walk with Christ, I was involved in a college ministry. We would gather at someone’s house and the worship leader, Brad, would lead us in worship. I want to teach you this very simple song that affirms that Jesus was exactly who He said He was.
Worship Set II
Alpha and Omega
You are Holy
Jesus as the Alpha
My brother is a youth pastor in Florida and is fluent in reading Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. I remember a time when we were in college that a woman knocked on our door and asked to come in a talk to us about her religion. This particular cult does not acknowledge the Divinity of Jesus and does not accept that He is the Second Person of the Trinity. My mother told her we were not interested but my brother came flying out of his room with a Greek new testament. He invited her in and immediately turned to John chapter 1 and asked her to read it for him. She read:
John 1:1-2: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was [a] God. He was with God in the beginning.”
Mark opened his Greek new testament and read the verse in Greek, emphasizing the fact that the Greek says that the Word was God, not a god. She simply began to pack up her things and said, “Well, that’s your translation.” As she left, I can still remember my brother following her down the driveway saying, “Kai Theos en ha Logos” again and again. The Word was with God and the Word is God!
* Jesus is the Alpha of History
Echoing the first words of Genesis, these verses tell us that Jesus Christ is God. And He is the beginning of all things, the Alpha. He was there at the beginning of the world.
John 1:3-4: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
He created everything. Everything is held together by His power and majesty. His mighty work of Genesis is just as evident as His glorious return will be.
* He is the alpha of our salvation:
John 3:16-18: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Until the first Good Friday, the human race was lost and separated from God because of our sin (see Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23). Jesus began the final act of redemption by dying on the cross. You must start with Christ. At the cross/at the cross/where I first saw the light/and the burden of my heart rolled away/it was there by faith/I received my sight/and now I am happy all the day.
* He is the alpha of our resurrection:
Rev 1:4-5: “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Col 1:15-19 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”
Rom 8:28-29: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
What a strange figure of speech – “first born from among the dead.” This is what English teachers call an oxymoron. Birth and death were inescapably joined on the cross and at the empty tomb.
Jesus is first in priority. These verses are not stating Jesus was born or was a created being. He was the first to conquer death and provide us with living proof!
Jesus was not the first to be executed on a Roman cross. In fact, there is a good chance that he was not the first person executed on that particular cross. He was not the first person to come back from the dead. Remember Lazarus (see John 11 and 12) and the young girl that Jesus Himself raised (Luke 8:49-56). And do not forget that Elijah brought his landlady’s son back to life (I Kings 17:17-24).
Jesus was the first to defeat death.
1 Cor 15:55-57: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
He was born for such a battle. He was born to die for you and me. By defeating death, the ultimate consequence for our sin, He opened the door to Heaven for us all by being the first to rise permanently. We shall be raised as well.
1 Cor 15:51-57: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Jesus as Omega
Jesus is not only the beginning, (the alpha) He is also the end.
* He is the end of the priesthood and sacrificial system:
Heb 1:1-4: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
The priests’ job was never done and no priest was allowed to sit down as long as they were on duty at the Temple. Jesus “sat down” at the right hand of God. His work was finished! (see John 19:30; Revelation 21:6).
Heb 7:23-28: “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”
* He is the end result of our faith:
Heb 12:2: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Here we see the idea again. Jesus is the beginning and end of our faith. He is everything. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, our faith grows and His passions become our passions. Turn your eyes upon Jesus/look full in His wonderful face/and the things of earth will grow strangely dim/in the light of His glory and grace.
The Paradox of Good Friday
To John, Good Friday sure seemed to be the end. How disappointing it must have been to watch the events unfold. The long awaited Messiah, stripped, beaten, and tortured, and nailed ruthlessly to a cross and left to die. This was not the way it was supposed to end. The problem with the disciples is they didn’t know this was not the end, but the beginning. These events were the beginning of a weekend that would echo throughout the universe. He was forsaken for our forgiveness. He was condemned so we could be accepted. Our Suffering –Servant Savior died on a cross so we could live forever with Him.
Worship Set III
All in All
You are my King
Communion
The night before the cruel crucifixion, Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, initiated a new covenant by the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood.
1 Cor 11:23-26: “or I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
At the table, we remember the battered body and His splattered blood. But we also affirm a very powerful truth. Jesus is coming back! This is the whole theme of the Book of Revelation. Let’s celebrate the bread and the cup with the wonderful knowledge that we serve a returning King. The elements will be passed out and we will take them together. You do not have to member of Pontiac Bible Church to participate but you do need to be a Christ-follower.
“The Unveiling” by Michael Card Track 2
Obey Your Thirst
Recently, Sprite has come up with some clever television adds that end with this directive, “Obey your thirst.” What are you really thirsty for tonight? Listen to Revelation 21 again:
Rev 21:6-8: He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. H who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Are you thirsty? Obey your thirst! Jesus says that He is the oasis at the end of your desert journey. Some are thirsty like that. You feel David’s passion request in your heart:
Ps 42:1-2: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
There are some of us who want to thirst like that. We want that white hot intensity, that passion for the heart of God. We are thirsty for living water that can satisfy.
• The water is free. No hoops to jump through no fees to pay. It wouldn’t matter – you can never hop high enough for God’s holiness! The Apostle Paul explained this way: Eph 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
• He calls us over comers. John 16:33: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus has over come so we too are called to overcome: Rev 12:11 states triumphantly: They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
• You can become a child of God. John, ever the evangelist, wrote in the first chapter of his Gospel: John 1:12-13: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” At times John becomes overwhelmed with the thought that God has given us the opportunity to be His children: 1 John 3:1: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
But there are others that are not thirsting after God. You see people around you and are perplexed by their passion. Your heart is hard. You are satiated with their sin.
Listen again as the list is read:
Revelation 21:8: But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Some may say, I don’t practice magic arts or I haven’t murdered anyone lately. These behaviors are merely symptoms of a heart that has sought refuge in sin instead of the Savior.
Jeremiah said of this condition:
Jer 2:13: "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Have you forsaken the only source of satisfaction? Have you been trying to satisfy yourself with the things of this world?
Luke 9:23-25: “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”
STOP! Here is the question of the night. It may be the question of your life. Is He everything to you? Is He more than just a story? Is He the alpha and omega of your life? Or have you some where, some how lost your first love?
We are going to conclude this service with a song and video that communicates that kind of passion. Just as I took my first steps as the astronauts were landing, you can take another step in your spiritual journey tonight. During this time, we are going to open the front of the auditorium as an altar. If you want Jesus to be your everything – the air that you breathe, the water you thirst for, the ground beneath your feet – we are going to ask you to take a step of faith and come and kneel here and publicly affirm your desire for Christ to be the Alpha and Omega of your life. There is something about responding to the Spirit that can solidify your decision in your heart. Some of you will take those baby steps, others of you will cry out to God right where you are.
Lord, we hunger and thirsty for Your righteousness and claim the promise that only you can truly satisfy our souls. Forgive those of us who are so prone to wander, Lord we feel it, prone to leave the one we love. May Your Holy Spirit have His way right now.
“Everything to Me” - Avalon track 4 Jesus video cued and in the VCR start at the same time.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, look full in His Wonderful Face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Prayer/Dismissal by Pastor Brian
Post-Service Music: Play “everything to me” again.
