letters from heaven

For better or worse, the allure of prophecy has long captivated the hearts and minds of followers of Jesus. Since the 1st century, many have claimed to be prophets, carrying God's fresh, new, divine message But what if all that is wrong? What if God has delivered 1 final prophecy to humanity, and has nothing else to say to us? What if this final prophecy was intended to be divisive, promising grace to some & inescapable judgement to all others? Would you struggle to accept it? Or if I convinced you, would you agree this prophecy would be incredibly important? If that is the nature of God’s final prophecy, don’t we need courage & wisdom to proclaim it with love, humility, and boldness? Would you be equipped & willing to proclaim both its promises & its judgment without hesitation, in its entirety? Well, there is a final prophecy from God. He is done speaking. Everything He needs to reveal to us has been revealed. He has in fact given that prophecy that promises grace for His people & judgement for the rest, it’s the Gospel.

Young people have coined a clever term for someone's relentless pursuit or desire for something or someone: "thirsty". This label implies you’re a person who goes to great lengths, even if it' risky or embarrassing, to satisfy your craving. But isn't it hypocritical to single out individuals when, in fact, every one of us is "thirsty" and & "hungry"? This universal thirst & hunger stems from an intense yearning, a spiritual craving, is something we all desperately seek. We all long for true satisfaction, a sense of purpose, success, and peace of mind in our lives. Our profound desire for fulfillment drives us to explore every corner, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit. It is not wrong or sinful to yearn for satisfaction; after all, we were created this way by God. But this world is filled w/enticing propositions & false promises that will never satisfy, only leave us hungrier & thirstier. The enticements of success, religious achievement, material possessions, philosophical wisdom, influential power, addiction, and even the solace of human connections all whisper tantalizing promises of satisfaction. But ask yourself: what has been your experience? Have these things ever truly and fully quenched your hunger & thirst? Have they provided the enduring peace & purpose your hearts so deeply craves? Or... are you still searching? Hoping? Followers of Jesus know something the rest of the world doesn't know that only Jesus can satisfy that hunger & thirst

Imagine being part of the perfect church, one that meets every expectation of Jesus. What would it look like? Does church perfection start with its theology & teaching, or its ability to be loving and accepting? How big an emphasize would the perfect church place on living righteousness & holy or on a strong evangelistic focus? Would the perfect church have massive diversity, filled with different kinds of people, or would it prioritize generosity? What does the worship or music look like in the perfect church? What about its other programs? Children, youth? I have breaking news for you this morning...it's not GraceLife, just in case you were wondering. GraceLife is a wonderful place, but we are far from perfect. What if I told you there is a perfect church? What if I told you there is one, we can learn from, be inspired by as we continue to grow as a family? There is no perfect church today, but today’s passage describes exactly what a perfect church would look like. It describes what God sees, what God is building, what we will ultimately become one day. As we read this passage, watch how its symbols & images reveal the qualities of what a perfect church looks like. John describes New Jerusalem’s stunning beauty that inspired His readers in their churches & it can do the same for us.

Have you ever been captivated, comforted, or awestruck by the beauty of God's creation? Maybe it was a serene mountain vista, a cascading waterfall, a majestic canyon, or a spectacular Siesta Key sunset? Everyone has experienced these moments. Even people who don’t believe in God appreciate the beauty of this world. However, anyone can see our world is far from perfect, plagued by natural disasters, extreme weather, earthquakes. Anyone can see how humanity has left permanent scars on the natural beauty of creation over thousands of years. We have inflicted damage on creation in the name of survival, conquest, greed, and even carelessness. Anyone, even those who don’t believe in God, can also observe the spiritual impact of human evil in the world. As beautiful as creation can still be in those moments, its full of spiritual chaos, immorality, violence, deception, etc. For the unredeemed, this fallen world is sadly all they have and the best they can hope for. This is as good as it gets. But for the redeemed, there is hope for a new world, where we live in perfect harmony w/nature, each other & with God.

Clothes are great, aren’t they? We desperately need them. The right clothes cover a multitude of dietary sins. Clothes can also communicate who or what we identify with: Ethnic groups, nationalities, sports teams, music genres. Clothes can also be a statement about what we believe, they can have slogans, like our GL t-shirts. Its important you wear the right clothes for your destination. You don’t wear a tuxedo to meet someone at Starbucks. You’re not going to wear beach shorts and flip-flops to a formal wedding, that would be disrespectful. There are types of clothes for different events: formal clothes, work clothes, beach clothes, dating clothes, court clothes. Have you ever worn the wrong clothes that lead to a miserable experience, too hot, too cold, to tight, too loose? Have you had the wrong clothes or had a wardrobe malfunction that made you the center of attention for all the wrong reasons? Underdressed? Overdressed? Button popped off? Zipper broke? Have your clothes ever offended someone? For the event we are studying today, your wardrobe choice will be the most critical of your life. Everything rides on it..

Although you cherish the precious promises of Jesus, do you ever feel drawn towards promises of this world? I personally struggle with this. But the worlds promises always seem to come w/a caveat, straying from God's people. It seems the world constantly beckons us w/enticing offers, like Satan tried to do with Jesus in the wilderness. But those promises usually require us to spend more time gathering with the world rather than with God’s people. It’s why followers of Jesus struggle, wandering away from the flock, scared we’re missing out we are lured away by this world. So, we try to split the difference. How can we gather with the world AND with God’s people? Best of both maybe? But my personal experience informs me, this time splitting has never gone well and it won't end well in the future either.

The 1,000-year Kingdom of God is an idea not found anywhere else in scripture, only here in Revelation. There are 4 main interpretations of the 1,000-year Kingdom, we won’t name them all here. A Rev Grace Group maybe? Sadly, these differing interpretations have led to significant division & conflict within the church. That is unacceptable. Some go so far as to brand those who disagree with them as heretics. I would imagine this grieves our Jesus. This passage, as the rest of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing, bringing joy & unity among us. So, when studying this passage, those should be our primary objectives. We must have humility & clarity. Have you ever felt powerless over something you can’t control, watching as a scenario plays out You know it will end badly, but you can’t do anything about it? That’s how Satan feels about God’s Kingdom. Even with all his power & rage, He is watching the Kingdom of God advance, spreading throughout this age. He helplessly watches as the church, who he hates, has authority from Jesus to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations.

As a follower of Jesus, would you say you believe in the power of God's Word? If you do, why do you believe in it? If our primary desire, our main goal is to be faithful followers of Jesus, we must understand the power of God’s Word. As a Christian, you likely have some theoretical knowledge of the power of God's Word. You may be familiar with its claims of power in creation, salvation, revelation, conviction, transformation, healing, prophesy, and yes even judgment. When hearing about it, you likely affirm its power with a resounding YES & AMEN! However, have you truly embraced this power in practical ways? Is it more theoretical than impactful in your daily life? If God's Word is as powerful as it claims, shouldn’t it have a significant, undeniable impact on our daily lives? How can we move beyond theoretical understanding to an inspirational, actionable understanding? How can we visualize the power of God's Word, in a way that strengthens our understanding & confidence in it? Today's passage offers powerful insights and inspiration to help us visualize the full power of God’s Word. With a fresh understanding & confidence in the power of God's Word, It can transform how we live in this fallen world.

You ever been invited to a party or event so special to the host, you felt honored just being included on the guest list? The occasion is special, the venue is beautiful, the food will be great, the people attending are precious to you. Maybe it’s a wedding celebration for a close friend or family, a celebration of a milestone, or the gift of tickets for the Superbowl of your childhood team in our home stadium, to see your fav player of all time Tom Brady win another ring. You just know it’s gonna be a great day, a moment in life where treasured memories are made, a day to anticipate. It’s so exciting, so important, you want to be ready so you can enjoy it to its fullest, so even months away you prepare. But your preparation isn’t just about you, its also a way to honor the person who loved you enough to invite you! You want them to know you know you are honored by the invite; you wouldn’t miss it! You make sure you’re ready! You don’t wait till 24 hours before. Maybe you decide to lose some weight, buy the right outfit, book your travel plans. As the day gets closer, excitement builds, you’re filled w/gratitude, you check, double check everything. You are ready! That’s how I was feeling this week as I studied today’s passage & wrote this sermon. You ready? Let’s go!

Can you think of moments in recent history where it seemed like the world system was on the verge of collapse? Can you relate personally to the anxiety of those events or at least empathize with those directly impacted? 9-11 when the WTC towers collapsed, people thought how can we recover from that? But we did. The GFC in 2008, the global banking system was on the verge of collapse. It was bailed out & came back. Just a few years ago we had a global crisis because of Covid-19 and all the lockdowns. In Turkey this week, an earthquake killed 18,000 so far. Turkey will rebuild. But the world won’t rebuild from Revelation 18. As with these and all systemic catastrophes in world history, somehow humanity was able to pick up pieces, move on. Is it possible one day the world system will face a global crisis so broad & destructive it will never recover or rebuild? If it is possible, would that be a good day or a bad day? Is it a frightening thought or a comforting one? Today’s passage is a prophecy about the day the world mourns the eventual catastrophic collapse of every world system that has been built by human hands, under the control the father of lies.

As a Jesus follower, do you ever face conflicting voices, calling you in two different directions? One voice invites you to come out of the world, & the other urges you to stay comfortable, within the world’s system. I am not talking about the struggle between righteousness & wickedness. Its more subtle than that. Which would you rather be? One who grapples with the tug-of-war between Jesus and the world every day? Or someone who can live in this world without any kind of tension between following Jesus and loving this world? Some never hear the call to come out of the world. Their whole life devoted to getting the most they can out of it. Others hear some echoes of a call to come out of the world. They do for a while, but always seem to run back. True followers of Jesus will always be caught in this daily fight. That tension is exhausting, but can also be a comfort. It’s a struggle we are called to embrace, and be prepared to face and fight every day. This struggle is some of the best evidence you are a follower of Jesus. It’s a sign of spiritual life.

Some of you may not know this about me, but sometimes…I can be a little bit….dramatic, and hyperbolic. Not too long ago, Laura and I were driving to meet some friends and 41 was a parking lot. As bad as I ever remember. I huffed, shook my head, and verbally expressed my frustration w/the other drivers who don’t drive as good as me. I said to Laura… “We are gonna miss dinner. We’re never gonna get off this road, we’re gonna be stuck here forever.” She looked at me with that wife look. She says “Joe, that's a little bit dramatic, don’t you think?” But do you know the feeling? Have you ever been in a miserable situation that felt like it had no end? We all have felt that sometimes it was annoying, other times it's real suffering that seems to have no end in sight. Compared to the tribulation John’s readers were living through, I can tell you it makes our stuff look different. There’s no doubt the tribulation they suffered under Roman rule probably felt like it had no end in sight. If they were going to endure, they desperately needed to be blessed & encouraged, with fresh wisdom from God. They needed be able to see beyond the living hell of life for a Christian under Roman rule, and see the bigger picture.

I want to start off with a small disclaimer, there is some descriptive language here today. The last 2 weeks we learned there’s a diff between struggling with sin & being fully committed to wickedness. We live in a fallen world; many people suffer from choices they regret, choices many are forced into. God’s purpose for this passage isn’t to shame or condemn people who’ve been sucked into bad situations. This passage's descriptive language is a metaphor for why evil has such seductive power. It pulls back the curtain on that seductive power so followers of Jesus can know what’s really going on in the world. Don’t you ever marvel at this world constantly fighting against your desire to follow Jesus faithfully? Does it seem like this world never tries to make it easy, to help you stay faithful when all it does is make it harder? Doesn’t it seem like the world constantly beckons us to fall in love with life on this earth more than we love the savior? The world system IS seductive. It does feed the lust of the flesh, eyes, & pride. It’s all the unredeemed have to live for. We’re going to need lots of wisdom if we want to resist this world’s seduction. That’s what today’s passage is.

What do you think of when someone mentions “Armageddon”? Is it an ominous, unsettling reaction at first listen? For most people, Armageddon has been assigned a flawed connotative meaning, much like they have with Apocalypse. In our very 1st message, we learned Apocalypse means revealing, not a metaphor for the end of the world. Similarly, most people use Armageddon as a metaphor for a cataclysmic ominous clash between 2 opposing rivals. In sports when 2 great teams are about to face off in a big game, people say, “Man that is going to be Armageddon”. The world uses the term geopolitically to describe a potential massive military conflict between powerful nations. A future global nuclear war, or massive military conflict that threatens global peace or economic prosperity. A war with an outcome in the balance, a conflict that could go either way. We hope when it happened good guys win. As we learned with the word Apocalypse, the world doesn’t understand what Armageddon really means. Armageddon is a symbolic Hebrew word, original to the book of Revelation. It’s a biblical, spiritual, theological concept. Armageddon isn’t merely a future earthly war between 2 sides, an ominous battle whose outcome is in doubt. It’s an act of God. It’s the day God uses His wrath to flush out all the forces of wickedness out of hiding into plain site. It’s something that could happen at any time, an event the redeemed should hope for, long for, anticipate.

Do you ever get frustrated with how the world seems so stubbornly commitment to wickedness & evil? Does it ever seem like the world in general takes pleasure in its relentless rejection of God, and the Gospel? Even if they don’t reject God, they are relentlessly committed to redefining Him in their terms? One example is God’s judgement. Most of the world, even some Christians, want to cancel the idea of the wrath of God. How could God be a God of love and judge people? Why does Evil seem like an uncontrollable weed popping up everywhere, constantly needing to be rooted out? There is a reason for this. The wicked aren’t just wicked because of sins they commit. Aren’t the righteous sinners too? The difference between the righteous & the wicked isn’t sinlessness; it's a full, devoted, passionate commitment to evil. That’s what wickedness is, a relentless commitment to what is untrue, what is evil. That’s what we see in this passage.

Why are we going through Revelation? What are we hoping to learn when we take all this time to study it closely? Should we treat it as sort of a manual for end times things to watch for to know if Jesus’ return is close? How many predictions, from well-meaning people, about the return of Jesus, based on Revelation have been right? True, Revelation reveals beautiful, inspiring truth about the return of Jesus. But it’s purpose isn’t to help us predict it. In fact, Jesus warned about the folly of trying to predict His return. He said no one except the Father knows. So, if predicting when Jesus will return shouldn’t be our motivation to study Revelation, what should be? In chapter 1, the Spirit revealed those who read it will be blessed. The word means encouraged, inspired to endure and press on. Revelation should be seen as a powerful, inspirational guide, filling in the gaps of what we are waiting & hoping for. Revelation should inspire us to endure this fallen world. Paul says creation itself is groaning for its own redemption. Revelation teaches us how to live with the joy of anticipation so we with joy & confidence, can follow & worship Jesus.

Starting today, the next several weeks are going to be some of the toughest parts of Revelation to read. They are filled with ominous, graphic, & violent symbolism describing the wrath & judgement of God against evil. I believe the purpose of these descriptions of God’s judgment are to encourage believers, not scare unbelievers. I don’t believe John’s motivation was to preach hell fire & damnation, but to say, “Hang in there, Our Jesus is coming!” For some, God may use these sermons to call you, mark you as one of His own. He may do that, and I welcome it. But for the next several weeks, I won’t be trying to “Scare people into heaven”. I want to encourage & comfort you.

In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His church to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel He taught us. That Gospel is a precious message of grace & mercy, but it’s also a warning of judgment for those who reject it. God’s people have always battled temptation to soften the Gospel’s warnings of judgement, just focusing on mercy. The church is under constant pressure to truncate the Gospel, just make it about grace & mercy. That’s because the world doesn’t want to hear what the Gospel says are the consequences for those who reject it. The world will tolerate our proclamation of God’s mercy, but it hates any proclamation about God’s wrath. “I thought God is a God of love? We are all God’s children! I don’t want anything to do with that kind of God” But we can’t be silent about judgement! It’s what convinces us we need the grace & mercy, we love so much! Today’s passage gives us insight into how followers of Jesus should handle this dilemma.

Have you ever heard the phrase “I have good news, and bad news, which do you want first?” Which one do you usually want to hear first? For me, I always say “give me the bad news”. I want to get it out of the way to process it emotionally, physically, and spiritually then hear something hopeful. That’s how chapter 13 & 14 lays out. Its good news and bad news, and John gave his readers the bad news first. Chapter13, revealed how Satan wages war on this earth against the woman’s offspring, God’s people, the church. He weaponizes every government, religion, philosophy, and economic system throughout this tribulation age we live in. In the grand scheme, no earthly government, philosophy, or religion is worthy of our hope, obsession, or our primary allegiance. That’s why chapter 13 was bad news. It reveals that no matter your political preference, its all 666, it's all part of the beast. I confessed a few weeks ago I had too much hope & obsession w/politics, & many of you confessed the same to me. GraceLife has many recovering Republicans, Democrats, Obama-ites, Trump-ites, conservatives, liberals, all kinds. Chapter 14 is the “but here’s the good news”, revealing what Jesus is doing the same time the Dragon dominates this world. It reveals how we will survive this tribulation we’re in and how we ultimately will overcome this corrupt world system.

It’s a bit of a turn of providence that this passage comes the Sunday after election day, though I didn’t plan it. Also, many of you know I don’t like talking politics during sermons ever, but Revelation sort of demands it. It's full of encouragements and warnings about being too invested in this world, it's treasures, it's powers, it's system. Let me start today with some vulnerability about my personal political journey over the last decade. As recently as 8 years, I was too distracted by American politics. My obsession with our government could have become an idol. I had allowed my politics, who I voted for & policies I wanted to get conflated with my view of Kingdom work. Through others, God began to show me how political obsession was compromising my Kingdom loyalty. Passion & energy for the Great Commission was being sucked away by passion & energy for elections & headlines. I confused patriotism with Godliness. I made politics a frontline spiritual battle instead of the Great Commission. No matter your politics, don’t make the mistake of confusing politics with loyalty to the Kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with loving America, political engagement, or working in government but you must keep it in it's place. Here’s why: while government is subject to God’s sovereign plan, NO government makes Gospel it's priority, except one. Today’s passage reveals a sober truth: every government since the fall of Adam & Eve is influenced by evil. Even ones you like.