Sunday, February 28, 2010

 

Ron Drabot -  Announcements
3/21  Remember the Poor service, Mike Dames preaching
pray for Chili, Earthquake 8.8 yesterday, at least 147 dead so far; no disciples reported dead yet but haven't heard from everyone
new rotation of teachers starts next week
Next Sunday at Halton
3/14 - Bruno preaches here, Ron will be in Syracuse
3/7; 4/4; 5/9; 6/20 Congregational services at Halton
Ron honored Zak, Tim and Isaac - behind the scenes, carrying equipment, doing sound

 

Communion
he has been reading in Judges   Judges 2:16-19
Bruno's analogy - we are like roaches are, so lowly compared to God
Like we would hug roaches, give them life
it's disgusting,  7 times in Judges, God reached out to the Israelites and helped them
we mess up all the time too
redeemers weren't just in the Old Testament;  we have one too, Jesus will never fail us
Matt 18:21-22  forgiving your brother 70 times 7
God has absolutely forgiven them (our brothers), it's about us getting reconciled with God
1 John   He showed us what love is

 

Ron Drabot -
additional announcements: 
Remember Kevin & Tyra West in your prayers, their family is going through challenges with parent's health on both sides.
Jaxon McClary born to Stefanie -- 8 pounds 13 oz; 22 inches long
Saturday classes for women in March for National Women's month - at the church office; them, "Get a Grip"  

 

Read Revelations chapters 4 -7

Chapter 1 - a vision of Jesus Christ
apostle John trying to bring encouragement to the disciples in the 1st century that are going through tribulation - torture, persecution, suffering, because they believed Jesus was the son of God and would not say the Emperor Dominition (the Beast) was Lord
We might get laughed at or ridiculed, but they had intense suffering in the 1st Century
We must have a vision of how great God is, we need a great dream of what God can do in our lives

 

Chapters 2 & 3 charge:   challenges to the 7 churches in Asia Minor

 

Revelations was written symbolically so the Romans wouldn't know what it meant.  300-400 references to the Old Testament in Revelations.
People still want to look at this as yet to happen, but they wouldn't be encouraging to the 1st century disciples

 

Chapter 4 - scene in heaven instead of earth
Rome is the powerful nation of the world, Domitian, emperor on the throne.  Now have a vision of God on his throne, how awesome and powerful he is.  Don't get caught up in all the details.  
Jasper - precious white stone - represents pure & holy
Carmillion - precious red stone - represents judgment
rainbow - hope, God would not destroy the world again, a promise
God will take care of his people
24 thrones and 24 people  - 12 represents God's people; 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles.
24 = 12 + 12  all of God's people in both the old and new covenants
vs. 5  thunder and lightning - God's power
vs. 6  sea of glass - separates us from God until judgment, soon you will be with me
Read the following:
Ezekial 1:10
Psalm 80
Is 6
creatures of God -- all of creation
man = intelligence    ox = strength   
the rest of Chapter 4 is praising God

 

Chapter 5
the scroll has the judgments of God on Rome
seals -- protected
John is seeing all this - like seeing Avatar to the 100th degree
nobody has the authority or power
they wept because no one could open it
vs. 5  lion of the tribe of  Judah
Jesus descended from Judah, he is the only one
he is compared to a lion, a lamb, a king -- he is the true Lion King
7 = sacred, perfect
sacred, perfect horns = authority, power
sacred, perfect eyes = sight
sacred, perfect spirit = the spirit of God
incense = prayers of the saints
vs. 9  Jesus purchased people with his blood - every nation, every people
vs 10  were in the kingdom now, not in the future

 

God's kingdom consists of all people -we don't understand how incredible the kingdom of God is, even with all the problems we hae
To take all peoples, all nations -- black, white, Asian, Latino, very young, young marrieds, middle of the road and sweet as wine
all people represented
taking it higher; all nations, all backgrounds becoming friends
racial stuff, age differences, challenges
music, for instance, some want more band, some want less band, some want more gospel, some want less gospel
worship of all kinds - every one has to give and take
"I only like it my way" - that doesn't work
CHALLENGE:   love all of God's people; love every aspect of the worship.   We are part of something really unique.  Reach out to people who are not like you in church.    

Chapter 6 -- Jesus opens the seals, setting the stage for the judgments of God

1)  white horse -- Rev 19:11  Jesus riding out on the white horse, bent on conquest for His people   JESUS CHRIST

2)  red horse -- take peace, slay   sword - Greek is "macharia"   also used in Matt 10 -- didn't come to bring peace but a sword --  RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION  -- There's going to be a battle
not everyone is excited about you being a Christian -- changing your life and character
religious persecution - you have to go through this

 

3)  black horse - scales, weight    ---ECONOMIC HARDSHIP
basic food to feed yourself - earnings in one day -- all the money you made in one day went to food; you are going to go through difficult economic times.  They didn't have the mark of the beast, the emperor, so they couldn't buy in the marketplace.  

4)  pale horse  - death & Hades  -- DEATH
sword - different word in Greek used here
all different ways you are going to die - famine, plague, sword

5)  souls of the disciples already killed- MARTYRED DISCIPLES
they are getting away with murder down on the earth; more will be killed
We think we will be free from sufferings as a Christian, we must endure it, enjoy it, not escape it
Phil 4  joy;  triumphant life
our job is to love every person to the end because if we don't, they will spend eternity in hell

 

6)  earthquake, sun turned black   symbolic of judgment
GOD'S JUDGMENT ON THE ENEMIES OF GOD
Old Testament -- read:   Is 13: 6-13;  Is 34:1-10; Zeph 1:14, 15; Hos 10: 8  New Testament -- read:  Luke 23:26-30 
God is going to judge an enemy; same descriptions in these passages when he judged the nations and people
God judging the enemies of God

 

7)  144,000 - the people God is going to protect
12 = his people
1000 = complete
all of God's people will be saved
they will get through this time  and will be victorious
It doesn't mean they won't suffer or be killed
praying for the disciples in Haiti, they've lost homes, economic hardship, lost lives, suffering and hardships
what we've sent them is a drop in the bucket
they aren't turning on God but baptizing
the whole church went down in the earthquake but the baptistry remained

 

Dt 8  God will test us, he wants to find out what is really in our hearts
many of us say we will change, serve, obey later
Jesus gave to the very end, he loved us to his very last breath
God calls us to faithfulness to the end.  
God put his seal on us so we could make it to the very end