Revelation: Worship, Unity, and Next Steps in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Revealing Jesus Through Prophecy

The book of Revelation is not merely a forecast of future events, but a revelation of Jesus Christ to His church. This revelation should lead us to a deeper worship and adoration of Jesus, recognizing His power and glory. ([12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QtGFxBVH4&t=750s))

Bible Passage: Revelation 1:1 - "The revelation from 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."

Reflection: How can you deepen your understanding of Jesus through the book of Revelation? What specific aspects of His power and glory can you meditate on today?

Day 2: The Global Mission of the Gospel

The diverse crowd standing before the throne of God in Revelation represents the importance of missions and reaching out to different nations. This serves as a reminder of our calling to spread the gospel to all nations. ([22:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QtGFxBVH4&t=1338s))

Bible Passage: Matthew 28:19 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Reflection: How can you participate in the global mission of the gospel? Can you think of a specific way to reach out to a different nation or culture with the love of Jesus today?

Day 3: Jesus, Our Hope in Suffering

Jesus is the one who determines the duration of suffering, not the devil. This provides hope and encouragement that our trials will come to an end and there is a reward for remaining faithful, even in the face of death. ([34:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QtGFxBVH4&t=2081s))

Bible Passage: 1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Reflection: How can you lean on Jesus during times of suffering? Can you think of a specific trial you are facing and how you can trust Jesus in the midst of it?

Day 4: Taking the Next Steps in Faith

Taking the next steps after praying a prayer on Sunday morning is crucial. This includes reaching out to the church for support in their spiritual journey and scheduling water baptism. This shows the importance of not just hearing the word, but also acting on it. ([45:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QtGFxBVH4&t=2697s))

Bible Passage: James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Reflection: What specific next step can you take in your faith journey today? How can you move from merely hearing the word to acting on it?

Day 5: The Mystery of Revelation

The book of Revelation is difficult to grasp and lacks a chronological order. This serves as a reminder that our focus should not be on deciphering the mysteries of the end times but on preaching the gospel to the whole world. ([56:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QtGFxBVH4&t=3368s))

Bible Passage: 2 Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from trying to understand the mysteries of Revelation to preaching the gospel? Can you think of a specific way to share the gospel with someone today?

Sermon Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor expressing his joy and excitement for the worship set and the presence of the congregation. He acknowledges that it is a bittersweet day as they have reached the end of their walk through the New Testament. The pastor then transitions to the topic of prophecy, admitting that it is not his area of expertise and not something he particularly enjoys teaching. He shares a personal anecdote about being chosen to teach on the book of Revelation and humorously suggests that he may have been chosen because no one else wanted the responsibility. He explains that the reason he is hesitant to teach on prophecy is because he has witnessed respected men of God disagreeing with each other on interpretations of Revelation.

The pastor then discusses the events described in the book of Revelation, such as the seven angels blowing seven trumpets, which bring plagues upon the earth, and the vision of a great dragon, identified as Satan, and two beasts, believed to be the Antichrist and the false prophet. The pastor emphasizes the importance of the book of Revelation and its purpose, which he believes is to lead people to Jesus and to invite others to come to Him as well. He urges those who are not saved or walking in fellowship with Jesus to come to Him without delay, emphasizing that now is the day of salvation.

The pastor also emphasizes the diversity and unity of the crowd standing before the throne of God, consisting of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. This highlights the importance of missions and reaching out to different nations. The pastor expresses anticipation for the moment when salvation is proclaimed by God and the Lamb. The pastor also mentions the angels, elders, and four living beings who fall before the throne and worship God, emphasizing the act of falling as a sign of reverence and worship in heaven.

The pastor then focuses on the worship and adoration of God described in the book of Revelation. He highlights the imagery of the living beings and the 24 elders falling down before the throne of God, laying their crowns before Him. The pastor mentions that throughout the New Testament, there are references to different crowns that believers can win, such as the crown of faithfulness and soul winning. However, the pastor emphasizes that what is even more important than receiving these crowns is the joy of being in the presence of Jesus.

The sermon concludes with the pastor emphasizing the importance of taking the next steps after praying a prayer on Sunday morning. The pastor encourages the congregation to text the word LIFE to a specific number so that the church can be in touch with them and help them in their spiritual journey. The next step mentioned is water baptism, which can be scheduled for the following Sunday. The pastor expresses pride in those who didn't wait and immediately took action.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Sermon Clips

1. "Every nation and tribe and people and language standing in front of the throne and before the lamb. And they were shouting with a great roar. I look forward to that. Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the lamb." [01:14:55]

2. "And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. There's a lot of falling going on in heaven, folks. And they sang, Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen." [01:14:55]

3. "This is more important than having a perfect understanding of Revelation. This is more important." [01:06:30]

4. "Because there's more to it than praying a prayer on Sunday morning. And we want to help you with every step." [01:09:49]

5. "Revelation is given for us to worship... I just noticed worship on top of worship, on top of worship, on top of worship, on top of worship." [01:10:47]

6. "But you know what I'm looking forward to more than that is right after we get all of those crowns, we're going to lay them down. When we see Jesus, we say, we don't need a crown. We got Jesus now." [01:12:44]

7. "Revelation is given to us to come to Jesus and invite others to come to him, too." [01:02:18]

8. "You know what the name of the book is? Revelation of Jesus Christ. It didn't hit you like it hit me. It's like when you see him, when he is revealed to you, no wonder it's seven different chapters, seven different passages, because this is Jesus being revealed to his church." [01:17:22]

9. "I think it's true of just about everybody that's tried to make those predictions and understandings. In fact, if you run into somebody that tells you that they've got the book of Revelation down pat and know what every bit of it is about, I would probably run the other direction from them, okay?" [44:13]

10. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then, everybody say then, then the end will come." (source: [40:36])

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