Our confession this week reminded us of the story and trajectory of scripture. We affirmed that we were lovingly created to reflect God’s image in the world:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the beginning you created all things and us in your image. All was love and blessing. Life was covenant and it was beautiful. Our entire existence was defined by you and your word.
We were reminded early this year that we were created for rest, for rhythm, enjoying, and satisfaction. As you read over this first section of our confession, think about what Gospel rest looks like. How is life with Jesus described here?
Especially for children: Being created in God’s image means that there are things about us that show us what God is like. Can you think of some ways that we are like God?
When sin entered the world, our hearts became bent towards self. We feel the effects of living in a broken world and we also acknowledge that we ourselves are broken and changed by sin:
But we traded this for our own way. We started to believe our lives are defined by wins and losses. Often we think that our circumstances are the barometer of your love. When life is hard, we run to methods of getting on your good side. We are so shallow that we think our lives are about controlling outcomes. In sin, we close ourselves off to your way of life.
Because of our sin, we often see God as a means to an end, a way to ensure good outcomes. How has Jesus revealed your own sin to your this week and called you to repentance?
Especially for children: Because of sin, the world is not the way it’s supposed to be. Can you think of some things that you know are broken in the world? How about some ways that sin has changed you?
God does not leave us in our brokenness. Jesus accomplished salvation on the cross and, by his grace, we are a changed people.
Yet your grace breaks through our definitions, our circumstances, and our struggles to show us the true way: We are defined by Christ. Jesus, you went to the cross and died for us that we would die to our way and find new life in you. Holy Spirit, work in us to live in light of God’s goodness. Fix our eyes on Jesus. We long for the day when we will inherit all you have done for us. All is grace. Amen.
Living in light of the Gospel is so much more than pursuing good outcomes. It means that everything in our lives, our successes, failures, joy, and even our suffering is actually bringing us to Jesus. Our hope is in being defined by him. The trajectory of scripture promises a day when all will be made new, heaven and earth will be reunited, and we will find the rest we were created for in Jesus.
Pray: Father, it is only by your grace that we begin to see the depth of our brokenness. Thank you for being faithful by constantly showing us our need for Jesus. As we go about our lives this week, give us hope in the promise of restoration. Help us to see ourselves, our relationships, and our jobs through the lens of the Gospel.
The book of Revelation is intended to be a blessing to the church. Revelation offers encouragement and hope in summarizing our past, present, and future. This week, we heard from Revelation 1 and were reminded that the summary and implications of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are the ultimate subjects of the book:
Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. 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.”
Verse 3 tells us that this book is a blessing. How might Revelation be a blessing to those who read it?
What do these verses tell us about Jesus, who he is and what he has done?
Especially for children: Think back to some of the things you mentioned that are broken in the world. What might it look like for Jesus to restore those things? To make those things new?
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has real life implications. Revelation give us a glimpse into our future, when everything we are will be defined by Jesus. And we have hope that, even now, the Holy Spirit is redefining and restoring us to Jesus.
Pray: You are our beginning and our end, Jesus. Your kingdom is everlasting. You have accomplished salvation through your grace on the cross and, even now, your spirit is working Gospel truth into our hearts. We long for the day when sin will be ripped out of the world and you will reunite heaven and earth. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
As you end your time of reflection, take some time to read and consider these words from Revelation 2. Pray that we would make much of Jesus as we worship together next week.
Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’