Revelation: A Vision of Hope
All Sad Things Untrue
May 23, 2021 • Brian Watts
All of us have life experiences that have awakened in us a sense of longing for home. Revelation 21-22 looks forward to the home that God has for his people, a home we sometimes glimpse in moments of joy and that our hearts ache for in sadness, the place where there will be no not yet but only now, the place where all sad things become untrue.
Victory!
May 16, 2021 • Brian Watts
The book of revelation is a book about the triumph of Jesus and his church. As the book nears a close we see the climatic picture of the victory of Jesus and His people. Revelation 20 shows us the restraining of Satan, the victory of God’s people, the return of the King and the destruction of all evil.
Two Invitations
May 9, 2021 • Brian Watts
You have probably received an invitation to something: a birthday party, a graduation party, a wedding. Anytime you receive an invitation, you have the opportunity to accept or decline. Revelation 17-19 involves two invitations. One invitation is to a great wedding feast at the end of history in the Kingdom of God with Jesus. The other invitation is from the great prostitute and she is inviting us to be satisfied at the table of this world. Both invitations promise joy and satisfaction but only one can deliver.
Justice is Coming
May 2, 2021 • Brian Watts
Jesus is coming and with him, a kingdom of justice. No evil or injustice will go unpunished. We want a God like this, one that isn't indifferent to the suffering and evil in our world. The problem is that we are part of the mess. So God is patient in bringing justice in order to give people everywhere a chance to repent. This section is a call to be awake that we might enjoy God's coming Kingdom of justice and not be crushed by it.
Right now Counts Forever
April 25, 2021 • Brian Watts
The late theologian RC Sproul used to say: right now counts forever. Revelation reminds us that this world is not all there is; there is eternity and heaven and hell. Revelation 14 calls us to live now in light of eternity because "our deeds follow us."
Cosmic War
March 28, 2021 • Brian Watts
CS Lewis once wrote, “There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.” There is a cosmic battle being waged throughout history. Revelation 12 reminds us that we are in a battle, and it reveals our enemy and his tactics. But more than anything, Revelation calls us to rejoice because the victory has already been won in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Trumpets are Sounding
March 21, 2021 • Brian Watts
A trumpet is loud; it stands out. Throughout history trumpets have been used to make announcements and to get people’s attention. You see trumpets all throughout the Bible. Trumpets were used in battle, they were used to announce victory, and a trumpet will blast at the end of history at the return of Christ. Revelation 8-11 is about trumpets and they are warning us, calling us to action, and reminding us of victory.
Who will be left standing?
March 14, 2021 • Brian Watts
You are most likely familiar with the phrase: the last man standing. Or the last person standing. The idea is that everyone else has been disqualified or eliminated but there is one person still standing. Its a statement of victory. Revelation 7 is about standing. The people of God are pictured as standing before the throne of God at the end of history. We live in a world filled with dangers that threaten our faith. But God seals his people and preserves them through the trials of life that they might stand in the end. Who are those that are left standing and how can this chapter help us be among those standing in the end?
Signs of the End
March 7, 2021 • Brian Watts
In Revelation 6, we see the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse bringing pain, devastation and death. Revelation shows us that these are signs of a greater judgment coming at the end. These signs are meant to wake the world up, rouse the church to action and even give us hope.
Who's on the throne?
February 28, 2021 • Brian Watts
In this message we encounter the predominant image in the book of Revelation: the throne. Sometimes the world seems like it is spiraling out of control and we are often discouraged or filled with worry, but Revelation shows us that God is on the throne. He is at the center of the universe and He alone is worthy to be at the center of our lives.
Facing Danger
February 21, 2021 • Brian Watts
The book of Revelation reminds us that there are dangers all around us. We face dangers that threaten to derail our faith and destroy our lives. And we face an enemy in Satan who uses a myriad of attack strategies to discourage us, pull us away from Jesus and render us ineffective. The churches in Revelation 2-3 faced the dangers of compromise, complacency and discouragement. We face the same dangers today.
Look so you won't be afraid
February 14, 2021 • Brian Watts
The two most mentioned commands in the book of Revelation are look (behold) and do not fear. Revelation was written to help us see so that we won’t fear. And the book opens with a vision of the beauty and grandeur of Jesus. The key to living fearlessly is seeing Jesus.
Things are not always as they seem
January 31, 2021 • Brian Watts
Things are not always as they seem. On the outside, it seemed to the early church that Rome was in power, that evil wins the day, and that following Jesus is not worth it. But things are not always as they seem. Perhaps you are filled with fear, perhaps the world seems to you that it is spiraling out of control, perhaps it seems that evil wins, perhaps it seems that following Jesus is not working out. But things are not always as they seem. The book of Revelation is a vision in which God pulls back the curtain to let us see what’s really going on in history. The world is not spiraling out of control but instead God is on the throne. Evil doesn’t win the day; justice will reign and judgment is coming for the enemies of God. Jesus has conquered and is conquering. Revelation is given to us to help us live boldly in a world that often opposes us and seduces us because Jesus is on the throne and He wins.