The Saviour Of This Broken World Series

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http://www.nec.org.au/index.php/listen-to-a-sermon-series/revelation/

Message

Revelation 1:1-20

The Saviour of This Broken World.

How many of us enjoy reading a good novel?

Now, if you are like me, that novel needs to get your attention within the first 2-3 chapters. If it doesn’t, then I usually don’t keep reading. But of it does, I will just keep reading and reading and reading – sometimes ignoring everything else that is going on. Great stories begin with exceptional opening chapters.

The book of Revelation is a great story.

Not a story in the sense that it is made up fiction.

But a story in the sense that it has a very powerful narrative.

And it has an exceptional opening chapter.

Let me read it for you.

Read Revelation 1:1-20

Did you notice something while we were reading through that chapter?

When Christians think about the book of Revelation they usually think about amazing heavenly battles, and the mark of the Beast and strange visions and seals being opened, and the final judgement, and the new heaven and earth.

Is any of that mentioned in the first chapter?

It isn’t, is it?

The whole chapter pretty much focuses on … well it focuses on Jesus. Right from the opening words that is the case. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place.

What does that mean?

It means that the primary purpose of the book of Revelation is for us to know how Jesus Christ is helping his servants in this broken world.

Some people say that Revelation was a book primarily for the early church – the early church understood the significance of all the visions and symbols because it was being spoken to their culture.

We say things like, “Slap a snag on the barbie”.

We know what it means.

100 years from now the meaning might not be understood.

It is a culture and time issue. Some people see Revelation that way. It is a culture and time issue. The understanding has been lost, and really we have no hope of working it out. This perspective very much takes into account the people who John first wrote to – the original recipients – but it pretty much makes the book of Revelation meaningless to us.

Some people say that much of Revelation is still to take place – everything from chapter 4:1 onwards. What is being outlined here is a seven year period called the great tribulation. These events that we read about are still going to take place and they will take place in a very literal way – so literal that we will be able to tick them off one by one.

This perspective recognises that Revelation is prophesy and it is speaking about things to come. But if most of it is still in the future it is pretty meaningless for us now until we get to that seven year period.

The approach we are going to take is different to bath of these – and it is based on a combination of verse 3 and verse 19

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.

Revelation 1:3

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

Revelation 1:19

The vision which John sees is a vision which connects to the past, and also to the present, and also to the future.

You have seen.

What is now.

What will take place.

When we read … and hear … and take to heart this message we will find that the letter – all of the letter – has application for us today.

Do you hear what I am saying?

Revelation is written because God wants us to be part of the story. God wants us to be involved in the process. God wants us to have active involvement in the way that history unfolds.

And Jesus has done all that was necessary for us to be involved in that unfolding history.

Look at some of the descriptions John uses to describe Jesus.

the faithful witness

A witness is someone who gives testimony to the truth. In this case Jesus has come to tell us God’s big plan.

It involves forgiveness, even though we messed up big time.

It involves sacrifice, even though we created the debt.

It involves punishment of the innocent even though we are the guilty ones.

The witness of Jesus is that we can be part of God’s family even though we totally lived as those who wanted to stand in Satan’s corner.

the firstborn of the dead