This week, we confessed together that we live in a broken world:
The world we live in is angry, broken, and cold.
We are exiled pilgrims longing for heaven and earth to be reunited.
It’s easy for us to see that things are not the way they were created to be. Are there situations you are facing right now that make you long for reconciliation?
Just as the world is broken by sin, we also confess that we ourselves are sinful:
Our head often does not match up with our hearts. We are slow to repent, believe, and obey.
The good that we should do, we often do not do. We struggle to love God and love our neighbor.
When we recognize the depth of our sin, we see more and more our need for Jesus. How is the Gospel pushing you to repent and believe?
God does not leave us in our sin. Though we experience the reality of sin every day, we are saved by grace through Jesus and look forward to the day when heaven and earth will be reunited:
Our hope is in our Redeemer. Though we fail, His love is sure. Christ has paid for our every failing. We will be his forevermore. All is grace. Amen.
Pray: Jesus, you are our only hope. In your life, death, and resurrection, we receive grace and new life. This week, help us come to a deeper understanding of our need for you. Comfort us in the midst of confusion and uncertainty and remind us that your love is sure. Give us a desire to love you and love our neighbor.
This week in Revelation 4 and 5, we heard about God’s glory made perfect in Jesus. John writes to the church describing the beauty and majesty that compels us to worship and surrender our lives to God:
4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation is intended to engage our imaginations. John gives us a picture of the totality of God’s creation joining together to worship and give glory to the Creator. John reminds us to stand and take in the glory of our Redeemer, who is the only one worthy to communicate and fulfill God’s plan for the world:
5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
When we are faced with the reality of the Gospel, we are compelled to worship and obey. Because Jesus has done it all, we respond by surrendering our lives to him. The Gospel enables us to engage, sacrifice, and pursue relationship.
What is is that captures your heart? Efficiency? Status? Fear? Where is the Holy Spirit redirecting your heart towards Jesus?
Revelation 4 and 5 ultimately pushes us to see Jesus. The verses we read are captured in the song “Is He Worthy” by Andrew Peterson. As you close your time of reflection, take some time to listen and remember the promise of restoration in Jesus.
Pray: Jesus, you alone are worthy of our praise. You have redeemed your people and promised to work reconciliation and restoration into your world. All things are moving toward you. This week, let our hearts be captured by the Gospel. Help us to worship and obey, knowing that you have accomplished everything.
As we look forward to next week, take some time to meditate on the following verses from Revelation 19. Pray that we would see the beauty of the Gospel and that our hearts will be opened to receive truth.
1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great.”
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.