Meditation (on the Word) – Page 27

“BUT If Anyone Does Sin: Finding Hope in Jesus Christ the Righteous” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ²He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Greetings Sojourners!

I had planned to release the next Bible study in our The King is Coming series on Revelation yesterday, but I believe 1 John 2:1–2 is where we need to be today—at least, it’s where I need to be.

When I started doing this five years ago, I never intended for it to become an ongoing thing. The pandemic was in full swing, and I became aware that some members of Christ Community—and others in our greater community—were unable to attend church due to health concerns. Some lacked technology or internet access to livestream services and be spiritually fed. So, I began writing Bible studies and sending them out. I even purchased the justKeithHarris.com site to make it easier to share the studies with folks.

As Covid began to settle into a more “normal” part of life and things started moving again, John Goldwater gave us a challenge during a pastors’ meeting. He asked us to think of something God had moved us to do during the pandemic—something extra to reach out—and to consider keeping it going. These Bible studies are what the Lord has continued to stir in me. Now, have I been as consistent over the past year or so as I would like to be? Definitely not. But my heart to encourage people through the Word of God hasn’t changed. That pastor’s heart—God’s call on my life—is what compels me to write this Bible study today.

So many people are hurting right now (and many of you may have burdens I don’t even know about). But God’s Word is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that [we] may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Revelation 2 and Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus would certainly be good for us and would build us up. But I can’t get 1 John 2:1–2 off my heart and out of my mind.

I feel a deep burden—and a burning desire—to break open 1 John 2:1–2 with you “clearly,” to give “the sense,” and to help you understand “the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). I want to help you see whatever it is in this passage that God’s Spirit desires to open up to you. As I write (and truly, I don’t know how this is all going to turn out), there are a few things I want to share before diving into the text:

We – all of us, myself especially – are sinners.
Even if we are saved, there is still a struggle with sin (and unfortunately, we will fall into sin).
When we sin – again, even if we are saved, there are consequences that must be faced.
However, if you are saved and have been adopted into God’s family, you have an advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous who stands for you when you have fallen into sin and shame. His blood covers sin. He is the God who saves. We never stop needing Him.
If you are reading this and are not saved, He can save you.

Again, my heart is heavy for many of you, and I don’t know exactly how all of this is meant to work together. But I do know this: God’s Word going out is always a good thing. His Word never returns to Him empty; it always accomplishes what He intends (Isaiah 55:11). I may never know how this helps you—but I pray that, according to God’s purpose, it does.

My Little Children (v. 1a)

John opens up this section of 1 John with a term of endearment – a term of love – for these people. By calling them his “little children”, he is not belittling them or making it seem like he sees them as less but rather letting them know that he loves them as a father is supposed to love his children. He is about to tell them some good and bad news and this term of endearment reminds them of their relationship and his love for them.

For me, both at school and at church, I’ve found myself using the word “kiddos” the same way I do with my own children at home. At first, it just slipped out without me thinking, but over the years, it’s become a way to express my care for them—like I consider them mine. It communicates relationship. There’s good news and hard conversations. There’s encouragement, correction, and discipline. They laugh and joke about what’s become my catchphrase at the end of each class—“Good class, kiddos!”—but they always notice if I forget to say it. If I miss it, they’ll ask, “Aren’t you going to say it?” They want to know that, no matter how the class went, I thought it was good. That little phrase reassures them. And even in times when I’ve had to correct them, that word—“kiddo”—still shows up. It reminds both them and me that our relationship remains, through the good and the hard.

Thinking of it that way, I can almost hear John saying with a sigh, “Kiddos, I need you to make sure you’re picking up what I’m laying down: I’m telling you all of this so that you will stop sinning.”

Let that sink in – “so that you may not sin” (v. 1).

How far will you make it with that? How far have you ever made it not sinning?

Yeah, me too.

From a religious standpoint, that might sound like bad news, because we know we can’t do it. The Bible is clear on this. Psalm 14:3 and 53:3 both say, “there is none who does good, not even one,” and the Holy Spirit, through Paul, drives this home in Romans 3:10: “None is righteous, no, not one.” Anyone who honestly looks at their life and compares it to the holy standard of our holy, holy, holy God knows what Isaiah meant when he said, “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). Even what we might think of as righteousness is tainted by sin—those “iniquities” that “like the wind, take us away.” That’s why we can’t earn salvation. There’s no amount of scrubbing, trading, or weighing good against bad that can remove sin or make us righteous. It doesn’t work that way. As we’d say in Mississippi, you either are or you ain’t—and, well, we ain’t. The “wages” of our sin give us what we earn—what humanity has earned since Adam—namely death (Romans 6:23).

That’s more than just bad religious news—it’s bad life news.

But praise God, John didn’t stop there! The next word is only three letters in English (and in Greek), but it’s a powerful word for us: “BUT”. That conjunction takes everything that came before it—our sin, our inability to be righteous on our own—and sets it aside to introduce what comes next. John is honest: he tells these spiritual children he loves that he’s writing to them so they “may not sin.” But he knows they will. He knows because he himself didn’t make it far either. John was a sinner too. And how could he not know that? He had walked in the presence of Jesus. How could anyone be in Jesus’ presence and not be fully aware of their sin?

But more than being aware of his sin, John was aware of his Savior. He wrote that they may not sin—but that when they do, they would look to the Savior. Look at the beauty of that second sentence in 1 John 2:1: “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

That’s good news! Let me show you why.

We Have an Advocate (v. 1b)

Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to understand what John is saying when he writes that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” It’s important to grasp the weight of this biblical truth before we move forward. The word translated “advocate” here is significant. To the native Greek speakers who weren’t writing in a biblical context, this word was used of “a legal advisor, pleader, proxy, or advocate…who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another”^[1], which carries the idea of a defense attorney today. This was someone who came forward to speak on behalf of another, stepping in to represent and intercede.

But this word also has rich biblical meaning. It’s the same word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit, whom He called our “Helper” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit now carries out Jesus’s work in our hearts—He is the One who indwells believers and represents Christ within us. While Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit fills those who are saved, continuing His ministry as our Helper and Advocate here on earth.

That might sound a bit complex, especially since the idea of a defense attorney already makes sense. But Jesus is so much more than just a spiritual lawyer. Just like the Holy Spirit within us knows we are guilty, Jesus knows it too. He’s not trying to work out a plea deal or pretend we didn’t sin. He doesn’t spin the truth or fudge the facts. Jesus was and is sinless, and He will never lie. But here’s the powerful truth: Jesus knows we’re guilty—and yet He stands in for us anyway.

Jesus doesn’t rely on courtroom tricks to win our case. He is, in a sense, both our advocate and our judge. What He does for those He saves is beyond anything a human defender could do—or would be willing to do. He substitutes Himself on our behalf. He takes our place. And when He stands before the Father, it’s His plea, His righteousness, and ultimately His judgment that matters.

But don’t miss this: when the divine gavel comes down, it’s not on us—it’s on Him. The wrath of God due to our sin falls on Him. That’s how it works.

This is huge—monumental. There’s a theological term that’s been used since the Reformation to describe this: penal substitutionary atonement. It may sound like a mouthful, but it means exactly what it says. “Penal” refers to the penalty our sin deserves. “Substitutionary” means someone is taking someone else’s place. And “atonement” means covering sin and making it right. Put it all together, and it means Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sin so that we could be forgiven and made right with God.

And that truth is captured in two key words from this passage: “advocate,” which we’ve just unpacked—and the next word we’re turning to now: “propitiation.”

He is the Propitiation for Our Sins (v. 2)

“Propitiation” might sound like what some folks call a fifty-cent word—or a seminary word—but really, it’s just a Bible word. There’s not a single perfect English word that fully captures it, which is why some translations use phrases like “atoning sacrifice” (NIV, CSB) or “sacrifice that atones for our sins” (NLT). But since the Holy Spirit chose to use this word, it’s one we need to understand—not just for head knowledge, but so we can grasp what God is telling us through it. Basically, the word translated “propitiation” in 1 John 2:2 “is the means of putting away sin and establishing righteousness”^[2], but let me break it down even further.

At its core, “propitiation” refers to the way Jesus took the punishment for our sins and made peace between us and God. It’s the means by which sin is dealt with and righteousness is established. Jesus didn’t just do something to help us—He is the sacrifice that removes our sin (John 1:29).

In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the mercy seat—the top of the ark of the covenant—to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:14–15; Hebrews 9:5). But Jesus did something far greater. He was both the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12–14). His blood wasn’t a symbol on a religious holy day—it was poured out for real, once and for all, on the cross (Hebrews 9:26).

Propitiation doesn’t mean God changed His mind about sin. Jesus, as our Advocate, knows full well the depth of our sin—and we need to understand that Jesus is God. He is holy and has always hated sin. But in His love, God provided the sacrifice Himself (Romans 3:25; 1 John 4:10). He knew we couldn’t save ourselves. He knew we had nothing to offer that could earn forgiveness. The honest and universal plea of humanity is “GUILTY as charged.” Yet through Jesus’ death on the cross—as our substitute—He made a way for us to be forgiven and declared righteous in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21).

This wasn’t just a one-time historical act—it still holds power today. Jesus remains our propitiation. His life, death, resurrection, and ongoing love are what keep us in relationship with God (1 John 3:16; Hebrews 7:25). That matters because Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is constantly accusing believers before God “day and night.” Now, Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), but speaking from experience, he doesn’t have to make things up to accuse me. My sin is real. God knows it. But I’ve been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9).

So when Satan stands before God accusing me, I’m not sitting there alone in shame. I have an Advocate—Jesus Christ the Righteous. I don’t even have to speak in my own defense because Jesus speaks for me. And what He says is powerful and final: I am forgiven. The punishment I deserved has already been carried out—He died in my place. And when the Father looks at me, He doesn’t see my sin. He sees the righteousness of His Son, because I’m covered by His blood.

That’s good news!

Wrapping Up

I hope all of this made sense. All I can really think to say about it is, “Whew! I needed that!” – and that I hope it helps you, dear Sojourner, as well.

One question keeps stirring in my heart as I reflect on everything we’ve seen in this passage: if God loved me enough to do all of that—and to keep doing all of that—for me, won’t He take care of everything else?

The answer to that is easy: a resounding YES.

He loved me enough to save me. He loves me enough to keep me. And He will keep loving me—through my sin, despite my failures, and even in the face of the consequences I bring on myself. Why? Because I belong to Him.

And if you’re reading this and realize that you’re sitting before the divine Judge with no Advocate—if you’re trying to represent yourself—let me gently remind you: it’s unwise to defend yourself in court here on earth, but it’s eternally deadly to try and do it before the holy and all-powerful God of the universe. He already knows the truth: none is righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). Your sin—any single sin—is enough to condemn you.

So what will it take to convince you to turn to Jesus? What will it take for you to see that He loves you, that He died for you, and that He will save you if you simply bow your knee and confess Him as Lord, believing that He is the risen Savior (Romans 10:9–10)?

I know my words are too weak to convince you. But God’s Word is strong enough. Go back and reread the verses. Click the cross-references. Don’t take my word for it—test it against Scripture. I’m not selling anything. I don’t get a prize if you believe. But if you do put your faith in Jesus, oh what a reward there is for you! Know this: if you need me, I’m here. I’m praying for you. But more than that, I write to you, dear Sojourner that you may not sin. But when you do…there is an advocate. His name is Jesus. He is the Righteous One. He is the propitiation for my sins – and the sins of the whole world.

^[1] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[2] Zodhiates.

Songs for Sunday, March 23, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day — Sunday, and I’m excited!

Every week at Christ Community, we gather because the gospel — the good news about Jesus — is true: He really lived, died, and rose again to save sinners and bring us into life eternally with Him. You see, we don’t gather to prove ourselves, check some religious attendance box, or pretend we have it all together. No, we gather because we need Jesus.

There’s more good news: He came to save. This is clearly seen in some of the verses we will read together in worship.

In John 3:16-17, Jesus tells us:

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

And how did He do that? The apostle Paul puts it plainly, saying it is the most important message, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4:

…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, …He was buried, …He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….

This is the most important news, the good news we call the gospel. It is what we proclaim with our mouths and our lives. It is at the heart of everything we sing, read, pray, and preach. Jesus gave Himself for us — not when we are all cleaned up and put together but while we were lost, guilty, and broken.

One of the songs we will sing, “God So Loved”, takes the message of John 3:16 and other passages to give an invitation to come to Jesus. Ponder these words:

Bring all your failures
Bring your addictions
Come lay them down
at the foot of the cross
Jesus is waiting there
with open arms
God so loved the world

If you have never trusted in Jesus as Savior — confessed Him as Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9), we pray that you consider these words today. This is the more important invitation, to come to Him more than coming to church.

We would also like to invite you to gather with us where you will hear this gospel again and again. Even if you have trusted in Him, we invite you to gather with us, praying that your heart might be stirred again by the wonder of His gospel — His love, grace, mercy, and salvation — and respond with fresh joy, worship, and devotion to Him.

This gospel will saturate our songs. When John opens the book of Hebrews, this gospel is at the heart of the book and the sermon. We will read the good news together.

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | John 3:16-21 —

¹⁶“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Song | God So Loved —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, John 7:37-38, John 4:7-15, Matthew 9:10-13, Psalm 28:6, Luke 13:29, John 6:35-40, Isaiah 58:11, Psalm 34:8-9, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 10:11-14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 55:22, Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 2:13-14, Isaiah 40:11, Luke 15:20, John 14:3, Matthew 25:23, Revelation 20:14, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, 3 John 2, Galatians 5:13-16, 1 John 4:9-10, Luke 2:14, Psalm 150, Psalm 17:7

Song | Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) —
Scripture Inspiration: Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 8:1-4, Jeremiah 17:9, Luke 15, John 9:25-29, Psalm 112:1, Psalm 31:5, Ephesians 2:4, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 John 4:18, Matthew 13:44-46, John 8:31-36, Psalm 23:6, Philippians 1:6, Psalm 119:49, Psalm 119:81, Psalm 119:114, 2 Samuel 22:3, Lamentations 3:24, 2 Peter 3:10, Joel 2:31, Revelation 21:3

Scripture | 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 —

³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Song | What He’s Done —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 7:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:7, Matthew 26:26, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 Peter 1:19, John 8:36, Isaiah 53, Psalm 147:3, John 3:16, John 15:13, Romans 8:5-8, 1 John 1:9-2:2, Acts 4:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, Hebrews 2:14, Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Revelation 4:1-11, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 5:12, Philippians 4:8

Song | Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) —
Scripture Inspiration: Daniel 7:13-14, Psalm 51:3-5, Isaiah 7:14, John 1:14, Romans 15:1-3, John 1:4-5, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, John 10:11, Romans 6:6-7, Psalm 103:12, Romans 3:21-26, Revelation 22:20, Luke 23:33-34, Colossians 2:13-14, Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:3-4, Isaiah 53:12, John 20:1, Matthew 28:7, 1 Corinthians 15:16-20, Acts 1:9-11, Acts 2:24, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15-19, Matthew 24:27, Revelation 1:7

Invitation | O Come All You Unfaithful —
Scripture Inspiration: John 1:38-39, Luke 2:8-20, Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-13, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 12:11, Hebrews 9:22, 1 John 4:16-19, Hebrews 4:15-16, Matthew 11:28-30

Offertory | Goodness of God —
Scripture Inspiration: Deuteronomy 6:5, Lamentations 3:22-23, Isaiah 64:8, Psalm 139:16, Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 113:3, 2 Timothy 2:13, Psalm 27:13, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 145:9, Psalm 150:6, Psalm 107:1, 1 Kings 19:11-12, Hebrews 1:3, Isaiah 43:1-3, Jeremiah 23:23-24, John 15:14-15, Psalm 23:6, Luke 9:23-24

Songs for Sunday, March 16, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

Every Sunday, we gather to worship Jesus — the One who has rescued us from darkness and brought us into His glorious Kingdom. We sing to Him and about Him because He alone is worthy!

Colossians 1:13-14 declare this good news:

¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This is the heart of our worship. We don’t sing to check a box or go through religious motions. We sing because Jesus has saved us! He is the One who gave His life to redeem us, the One who forgives our sins, and the One who rules over all things (Colossians 1:15-20).

This Sunday at Christ Community, the substance of our songs and the sermon John preaches will proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord, the only hope for the world.

And YOU are INVITED to gather with us!

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | Colossians 1:13-20 —

¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Song | There Was Jesus —
Scripture Inspiration: Colossians 1:15-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 51:7-8, Hebrews 13:8, John 14:6, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-5, Hebrews 11:9-14, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 23, Isaiah 43:2, Revelation 1:8

Song | Overwhelmed —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 19:1-4, Psalm 139:7-12, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 4:13, 1 Kings 19:12, Exodus 3:1-9, Psalm 37:4, 1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 29:2, John 1:14, Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 4:16, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 8:1-4, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:19-23, Exodus 8:10, Deuteronomy 3:24, Jeremiah 10:6, 2 Samuel 7:22, Isaiah 46:9, Exodus 16:7, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, Isaiah 40:5, Habakkuk 2:14, Romans 3:23, Hebrews 1:1-3, Revelation 21:10-14, Psalm 33:8-9

Scripture | Colossians 2:13-15 —

¹³And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Song | Great I Am —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 73:28, Philippians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 15:54-56, Revelation 5:9-13, Psalm 113:1, Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8, 1 Samuel 2:2, Revelation 5:4-6, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 11:17, Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, Psalm 145:18, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:13-18, Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 119:63, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Isaiah 64:1, James 2:19, Luke 8:31-33, Luke 10:17, Psalm 76:7

Song | Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One) —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, John 19:30, Colossians 2:13-14, 2 Corinthians 4:15, Hebrews 12:28-29, Isaiah 1:18, Jeremiah 13:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 11:19, Revelation 4:10-11, Romans 6:4, Revelation 5:9-10

Invitation | Trust in God —
Scripture Inspiration: John 15:1-11, Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, Romans 11:16-24, Daniel 3:25, John 3:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Genesis 15:6, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 3:1-24, Romans 4:3-8, Galatians 2:19-21, Ephesians 2:4-9, Titus 2:11, 2 Corinthians 1:24, Philippians 1:27, Colossians 1:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Isaiah 45:21-22, Hosea 13:4, Romans 4:21, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 3:9, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Job 15:14, Isaiah 53:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 95:6-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Revelation 21:3-4, Psalm 34:4

Offertory | I Got Saved —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 46:1-4, Zechariah 13:1, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Psalm 36:9, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 61:10, Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 John 1:5-10, Psalm 103:12, Psalm 51:9, Psalm 32:5, Psalm 107:10-16, Nahum 1:13, Isaiah 6:5, James 2:13, Zechariah 7:9, Hebrews 9:5, 1 Peter 2:10, Psalm 25:7, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 85:4, Acts 3:21, Galatians 2:16-17, Romans 5:8-9, 1 Peter 2:1-3, Hebrews 6:5, Colossians 2:13-15, Psalm 25:11, Numbers 4:19, Romans 8:28-30, Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:10-13

“Jesus & His Church: Context for the Letters to the Churches” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

We’re continuing in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming. Today, we will be diving into the context of Jesus’s letters to the seven churches (and to us). Once again, I am thankful for Jamie Harrison and the opportunity to do this study together. This weeks passage is Revelation 1:9-20:

⁹I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet ¹¹saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
¹²Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, ¹⁵his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. ¹⁹Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ²⁰As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.^[1]

Keith Harris:
Greetings, Sojourners,
We’re about to dive into the meat of the book of Revelation, looking here at the background. The cool thing about this, Jamie, that I like is there are places in Revelation that you have wonder Does this symbolize something? or Is this ___?, but if you look at this in a Bible with red letters for the words of Jesus, you notice that in this section Jesus Himself explains what elements like the lamp stands and stars are – He tells us here what they symbolize so we don’t have to wonder.

That’s good news for us because Jesus gave these letters to specific churches – and they even may apply to us today.

Jamie, take it away!

Jamie Harrison:
Alright. Last week, I did say at one point that we were about to pray, and I never did. So I apologize for that and want to start with prayer before we jump in:

Lord, thank You. Thank You for being our Father. Thank You for loving us. We just give You praise. We give You honor. And, Lord, we pray that You would open Your Word to us as we read today and discuss. We pray that it would be only truth that comes out, not conjecture. God, I pray that if anybody is listening and they don’t know You that through Your Word and Your Word only they would come to know You. Lord, we just thank You and give You praise. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

So, let’s start in v. 9. We won’t really discuss v. 9 too terribly much; I just think it’s interesting that v. 9 is one of several verses in the Bible that show that the prosperity gospel^[2] is incorrect. It says,^[3] “I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction, Kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus…” and then goes on to explain where he (John) is because of the “testimony” of Christ. That he’s on an island, and he’s doing backbreaking work everyday.

Keith:
…exiled, imprisoned….

Jamie:
…completely. And an island meaning it’s surrounded by water so there’s nowhere to go except death. He’s there because of this testimony.

I just want to point out, y’all, that if you’re listening to people preach or whatever, and they’re telling you that if you’re not doing this and you’re not doing that you must not be right with God [regarding your health or your financial status or how prosperous you are on earth]…know that’s dumb.

Keith:
Right. This is John, the gospel writer, the disciple whom Jesus loved. You would think that if there is a prosperity track, he’d be on it. But considering how this is so different, like you said, from the prosperity gospel, how he is in this place that no one would sanely want to be in and he received this treasure, these visions. It’s such a cool thing.

Jamie:
That’s how it starts there. And then it goes into (v. 10) “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet….” And I do think that’s cool. Again, I won’t spend a whole lot of time [on trumpets right now], we will moving forward…, but trumpets were used back in the Old Testament for like a warning, a call to war, and things like that, right?

Keith:
And heralds.

Jamie:
So, this is like a voice saying, hey, you better listen up.

Keith:
It obviously got his attention.

Jamie:
Right. So, here, Jesus gets his attention telling him to write down what he sees and send it to the seven churches, specifically naming them. The seven churches, you know, people try to make some kind of symbolic thing about them being seven of them and this and that, but this really is a logistical thing. These cities were not too terribly far apart. They were all along kind of the main routes where people would travel.

The churches at that time, I guess you could say that they were really the center point of the dissemination of information. Information kind of went from these hubs out to the rest of the world.

Keith:
And you know Laodicea was a sister church of Colossae, and so on.

Jamie:
Right, right. Notice when it says when John looks (in v. 12). This is one of those things – “Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me” – that reminds us that the timeline of Revelation is what John saw next. He hears the voice, turns, and sees (vv. 12-13) “seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man”. Then he goes on to give a description.

At first you look at it and think, well, there’s seven lampstands; what in the world are those seven lampstands? Again, it’s like Keith said earlier, it’s really cool because the Bible always is going to confirm what the Bible says. It’s going to give us the answer if we’re meant to know the answer.

Keith:
If we are meant to know.

Jamie:
That’s correct. And right there in v. 20 of Revelation 1, the second half there, it says, “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” So, literally, when he turned, what he was the seven churches – the seven golden lampstands. And then he sees Jesus. He’s dressed in a robe with a golden sash….

Keith:
That’s the part that really hits me. In this, as Jesus is walking in the midst of them…. We know that Adam and Eve had a very special thing that was squandered there in the garden where God came and walked in the garden with them in the cool of the day, but when Jesus before His ascension says, “and, lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), He is in the midst of His churches – in the midst of the presence of His bride here on earth.

It kind of makes me think He’s disseminating information, like you say, but He had something specific to say to these churches. It’s to us all generically, but to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to all those specifically, He had a word that He wanted those churches, those local congregations to hear.

Jamie:
That’s right. And that being said, I think it begs the question: is Jesus walking through our churches today? I think that’s something to think about. If he’s not the center of the body, then we’ve stepped wrong somewhere.

Keith:
Well, that question kind of builds into: is your church His – or yours?

Jamie:
Yeah, that’s tough.

I saw a clip of a guy preaching the other day, and he said [to his congregation] that he had asked them for a watch a year ago and that they hadn’t bought him that watch yet. He asked why they were still broke and poor and busted – busted, that’s his word, what he said. That’s false gospel and has nothing to do with the Bible. That has nothing to do with anything. It’s supposed to all be about Jesus, and He isn’t at the center, then we really got to do something different.

Keith:
That’s got me thinking about the way that some of these foolish false preachers – the way they talk to their church. That’s not how Jesus talks to His Bride. We’re going to get into these letters and see some tough stuff that He says to them – and thereby us – but, man, it’s for a purpose.

The guy you spoke of called them broke, busted, ignorant, all these things. Jesus – He says to the church at Laodicea (in Revelation 3:17) that they thought they were rich, that they thought they were prospering. He tells them they aren’t looking for Him and that they’re really wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus isn’t trying to bust them down and get a namebrand watch – not trying to get rich off them. The church is rich because of Christ. Or it’s poor and bankrupt without Him.

Jamie:
Amen.

So, let’s jump into the description of Christ here. It says He’s dressed in a robe with a golden sash around His chest – that’s kind of like a high priest, or someone with authority. Jesus is the high priest. So, that’s the idea there.

And then, his hair (v. 14) – the hair of his head was as white as wool, white as snow. His eyes like a fiery flame. That’s a little scary, almost. I mean we know the white represents purity, holiness, wisdom, all these things. But that flame of fire, you know, His eyes like a fiery flame, that one should kind of set us down a little bit – the omniscience of God, He’s all knowing, all seeing. Hebrews 4:13 would be a good verse to look at.

But think about it like this when it talks about these eyes like a fiery flame. What we’re seeing is…. Picture this person that you’ve come into contact with in life that just has the look. You know the parent look, the coach look that has….

Keith:
…gravitas….

Jamie:
That’s it. They just have this look, and it seems to literally reach into the depths of your soul and you feel like you’ve got to look away. You can’t look at them. Jesus’s look here is like that on steroids.

Keith:
I read where a preach said that’s why you should wear a suit and tie. It gives gravitas. Jesus didn’t get His gravitas in this scene because of the sash around His chest or His hair. It’s who He is. It’s His presence.

Jamie:
That’s it. And it is not only gazing into the depths of our soul, but think about it bigger picture: it’s this penetrating gaze into the depths of His church, which is us as individuals but joined together. I think it’s important to bring that out that He is looking at His bride. He is looking at His church like we were discussing earlier. And He’s looking and going, well, they’re doing really great in these areas…look at that endurance…and look at these people what they’re doing for Me…. Then, (as in the case of the letter to Ephesus) He’s like but you’ve lost your first love.

This gaze is extremely uncomfortable and should make us step back and rethink things and lead us to repentance.

Keith:
That’s the thing: lead us to repentance. He’s not tearing them down. He’s not tearing them up. He’s building them up because His people will recant. His people will change and follow Him. If not, then you get the other things He promises….

Jamie:
Right, right – which is nothing good.

So, in v. 15: “His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading waters.” Just kind of think about that for a second – that fine bronze. The alter of burnt offering (in the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament) are covered with bronze, and it’s this divine judgment idea. This divine judgment on the church.

And His voice like the sound of “cascading waters” – think about that for a second. Everybody knows what that sounds like. Like you’re at a waterfall or something and hear that water. Think about it from John’s perspective. He’s on an island. These waves are crashing into the rocks of the island. That’s kind of his background noise all day long. That’s the idea here. This is what it sounds like.

It says in v. 16 that “He had seven stars in His right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth, and His face was shining like the sun at full strength.” Which…let me back up and not get too far ahead of myself. So, we’re going to find out in just a minute that the “seven stars in His right hand” – He tells us in v. 20 – those are the angels of the seven churches, those are the pastors. The right hand of course is considered the hand of might, power, and strength.

Keith:
The word “angel” there (in v. 20) means messenger (and can refer to people as well as heavenly beings – context helping you see the difference). So it’s not saying that these people who have been adopted into the family of God and charged by Him to care for a local congregation have been demoted to angelic beings. He’s saying that they are His messengers.

That’s something to consider, again, when asking whether Jesus is walking in the midst of your church. Is your pastor giving the information from the Word of God that Jesus – the Word of God – has give for His church, or is he giving some other message? That’s a tough question.

Jamie:
It is. To hit on that for a minute, I know when I started preaching I thought I had to have all the right words and say all the right things to get people to come to know Christ – and almost like a play on emotions type of thing, you know? Set the mood just right. All that stuff, right? What I’ve learned as I’ve grown in Christ is, first off, I need to ask forgiveness from some people for some people for some of the stuff I said and did as a “young” preacher, but the fact is that the Word saves (Romans 10:17), you know? If we’re preaching and people aren’t hearing more from the Word than from us, we’ve got it backwards. The Word speaks for itself. The Word builds up.

Keith:
Which is the purpose of having pastors if you look at Ephesians 4.

Jamie:
So, I just challenge you guys as you’re listening: surround yourself with people who are in the Word. Make sure you are in a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church. Not a manipulative thing.

Keith:
And if you listen to this and you’re a pastor. I think that the way our lead pastor at Christ Community (John Goldwater) put it when we were talking a couple weeks ago is that if you win someone with an argument, you’ve got to keep them with an argument. You win somebody with emotion, you’ve got to keep them with emotion. But if you see someone won to Christ, then He will keep them.

So, when we see here that He’s got these stars, these pastors, who He’s got.

Jamie:
That’s it. So, after it tells us about the pastors (stars) being in His right hand, it says that this “double-edged sword” came from His mouth, which we will actually get to later in Revelation when we discuss the final battle. We have a few cross-references for it Ephesians 6:17 and Revelation 19:15. Check those out. But that sword is the Word of God in His judgement, and it’s going to be the Word of God…

Keith:
…Hebrews 4:12-13….

Jamie:
…and that is how He is going to pronounce His final judgment with that double-edged sword – with the Word – coming from His mouth. Again, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ll get there.

It says His face is shining like the sun at full strength. Now, we can’t even fathom this and imagine this because we can’t look into the sun for too long because we’ll go blind.

Keith:
Let us clarify. Disclaimer: don’t look into the sun.

Jamie:
That is correct. Please don’t try it. I tried when I was younger. That’s probably why I squint when I look at things now. Or it just could be that I’m getting old – not as old as Keith, but I am getting old. He is definitely older than I am.

So, looking into His face there, shining like the sun at full strength. Think about this magnificent glory of God – this magnificent brilliance and radiance that’s so glorious it can’t be concealed. It’s shining like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Think Matthew 17:1-13 at [Jesus’s] Transfiguration and what they saw, but this is that on…I don’t even know, right?

Keith:
In person. In it’s fullness.

Jamie:
I always go back to Moses in Exodus 34:29-35 where, you know, he sees the glory of God. But he only sees Him from His back. After seeing Him, though, [Moses’s] face is so bright the Israelites make him put a veil over his face because they can’t handle [the brightness of Moses’s face after his even glimpsing God]. We can’t look on the glory of God. It would kill us. It would legitimately kill us. We can’t handle that.

Keith:
And so to this extent, the Moses example is the moon. Jesus here in Revelation 1 shows the real source of the light on his face. Jesus is light.

Jamie:
And we say all that to say this: when you’re looking at somebody like this – which again we can’t fathom – the One who is about to speak has 100% authority. We know that it’s Jesus who is about to speak. When John sees Him, his immediate reaction is to fall at His feet like a dead man.

Keith:
This is different when you see people in the Bible encounter angels. They cower in fear, but John just fell as if dead. His entire living faculties fail him.

Jamie:
I think it’s the expression. When we look at, you know, our wife or I’m going to specify here: if you’re a husband looking at your wife or a wife looking at your husband. When you say, oh, they took my breath away. [Seeing Jesus like this] took his breath.

Keith:
All of it. Here’s the deal, too, though. John knows Him, right? So, the husband/wife analogy is so much clearer because this isn’t John seeing some amazing creature and being afraid. He’s looking face-to-face at Him who died and said “behold, I am alive forevermore” (v. 18). This is a huge deal, especially for John late in his life, outliving most, if not all, the apostles, and now he sees his friend. He sees his Lord. That’s huge.

Jamie:
That’s exactly it. Jesus looks at John and is like, hey, don’t be afraid; I’m the first and the last, the living One.

Check out Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12, but again, some of these things it’s hard to even talk about. The first, the last, the living One. The last time a lot of people that were around and saw Jesus, He was dying on a cross. Not everybody saw Him after He was resurrected.

Keith:
Many did, but not all.

Jamie:
So, He’s declaring Himself [as] the living One. I was dead, but look, I’m alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and Hades. You could have a whole conversation on [these keys]; if anyone ever tells you they have [these keys or any like them], they’re a liar. Jesus has the keys to death and Hades. Jesus has the keys to the house of David (which we’re going to see later on in Revelation).

Keith:
If anyone claims to have something that belongs to Jesus only they are not one of the stars (pastors) of the church. They’re definitely false teachers. They’re wolves who are in sheep’s clothing, trying to look like a pastor but leading to the devil whose goal it is to steal and kill and destroy. So, in the context of this conversation [and looking at the description of who Jesus is and the power He alone claims], any who claim what Jesus alone has is dangerous. They are of their father, the devil, and are a liar like him. They are not to be trusted. They are to be avoided at all costs.

That’s a tough statement to make because when you have conversations like this, people want to say, well, you can’t judge. Well, you judge not lest you be judged. Jesus Himself said they are ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. The devil is prowling like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour, who he can destroy…. You want to avoid what Jesus says avoid, what the Bible says avoid.

Jamie:
You’re supposed to test the spirit by the Spirit. I think that’s where a lot of people – like the video I mentioned a little while ago, the pastor was saying y’all want to buy me a watch. The really disturbing thing about this video – and the dude points it out – there’re people in the background going, “Amen”, “Come on”, “Preach it”, like…get out. If you’re saying “Amen” to that, the spirit that is within you is not the spirit of God, it’s the spirit of man. And that’s what Keith’s saying: we are supposed to test the spirit by the Spirit; we are supposed to look at the fruit that’s coming off the tree.

Look, if somebody’s supposed to be your spiritual leader…. So many are supposedly spiritual leaders who are beating their spouse and doing crazy stuff – like, how can you lead me if you’re not following Christ yourself? The Bible specifically tells us that’s how it’s supposed to be.

I know we were going to go through (and it was actually my idea to try to get through) the letter to Ephesus, but we’re probably at a good place to stop in just a second.

Keith:
I think we are at a good place to stop. And not because we don’t want to get to the letter to Ephesus, but because there’s a reason this part of Revelation 1 is here. It’s not just exposition to help you understand the rest of it. It’s part of the revelation – part of understanding whose the churches are, whose the pastors are – or whose they aren’t.

Jamie:
A good place to end this today is going to be those last three verses [in Revelation 1]. Where we’re starting at the end of v. 17 where Jesus says,

“Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. Therefore write what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

We’ve discussed that already, but I want to go back to the way Jesus describes Himself: “I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Philippians 2:9-11 say:

“For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

I really want to press this home. This whole revelation is about Jesus Christ. This whole revelation is supposed to make us look towards Jesus Christ, and if it makes you look anywhere else, then we’ve got to start over from the beginning. Jesus’s name is the name that is above every name. It is the name. And at His name every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Watch this, now, this is important; we’re going to go to Romans 10:9-13. This is our favorite verse at Christ Community. We make sure we say it every time that we’re gathered together. People often ask and say that they’d like to have a relationship with Christ – how does that happen? Romans 10:9-13 tells us how:

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,^, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Now, let’s put all this together from what we just read in Revelation where Jesus says He’s the first and the last, the living One. In other words, He’s saying I was dead but I’ve come back to life now. That’s the key to salvation. If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead – without this there is no Christianity. Without the resurrection it’s pointless – a waste of our time.

Here’s what I want to point out to everybody listening, ok? Whether you want to or not, at some point in your life, you are going to confess that Jesus is Lord. You are going to confess that He was raised from the dead and He’s alive forevermore.

Keith:
…because you are going to be faced with Him – irrefutable face-to-face evidence

Jamie:
That’s exactly right. And that’s what Philippians 2 tells us. It doesn’t say every believer will confess. It says everyone. Everyone.

Keith:
…on the earth and under it….

Jamie:
And that’s everybody who is, who was, and who ever will be. So, I challenge you to look at these verses, Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord – which means giving everything over to Him, trusting in Him completely to lead, guide, and direct you in the right way. To say that you’re going to trust Him with every little thing that’s going on in your life. And that you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. That’s how to be saved.

Keith:
That’s the faith we talked about – that trust.

Jamie:
That’s it. And, honestly, it’s one of two choices. You can say it because you want to or….

Keith:
…because you have to and it’s out of subjection that the King has come.

Jamie:
And He is coming.

Keith:
I think that’s a good place to stop. I urge you to check out…the Scripture references for yourself, and as we prepare to look at these letters to the churches over the next few weeks, be prepared to examine your own heart – not to be critical but to be biblical.

And we’ll catch you with the letter to the church at Ephesus next week! Thank you and God bless!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 1:9–20.

^[2] A religious belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for faithful Christians

Songs for Sunday, March 2, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is the Lord’s day — Sunday, and I’m excited!

A lot of people just think of Sunday as the first day of the week, but for those who Jesus has saved, it reminds us of that Sunday millennia ago when Jesus rose from the dead. That day secured our salvation and gave us an unshakeable hope. As we gather to worship Jesus tomorrow, that unshakeable hope in Jesus alone is what we are going to sing about!

One of the passages we will be reading in worship, Psalm 62:5-8, reminds us of that hope:

⁵For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. ⁶He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. ⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

David’s words here from Psalm 62 are a powerful reminder to us that, no matter what uncertainties we face, God is our refuge and firm foundation. In a world that is as changing as shifting sand, Jesus alone us unmovable and unshakeable. Our salvation, security, peace, and hope rest in Him. We can trust Him and pour out our hearts to Him always and at all times.

Tomorrow, as we gather at Christ Community, we will lift our voices in songs that proclaim this beautiful truth. We will sing of the steadfast hope we have in Jesus — hope that is not fragile, not fleeting — but firm and eternal. We will raise our voices and encourage one another to trust in Jesus alone. As always, John will open God’s Word and point us to Jesus.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scripture and songs:

Scripture | Psalm 103:8-14 —

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; ¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. ¹³As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him. ¹⁴For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

Song | Grace Wins —
Scripture Inspiration: Romans 3:23, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 5:16-18, Romans 8:1, 1 Timothy 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 9:8, John 1:16, Ephesians 2:7, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Luke 15:11-32, John 4, Matthew 9:27-31, John 9, Luke 16:19-31

Song | His Mercy is More —
Scripture Inspiration: Lamentations 3:22-23, James 2:13, Romans 5:20, Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 40:28, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 145:8-9, 1 Timothy 1:15, Luke 14:21, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Colossians 2:13-14, Psalm 107:9, Ephesians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 2:20-21

Scripture | Psalm 62:5-8 —

⁵For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. ⁶He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. ⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Song | In Christ Alone —
Scripture Inspiration: John 14:6, Ephesians 5:8, Psalm 28:7-8, Psalm 40:3, Ephesians 2:19-22, Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 5:1-8, Joshua 1:9, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Philippians 2:16, John 19:38-42, John 8:12, John 3:19-20, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 6:15-23, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 21:3, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 1:16, Deuteronomy 4:39, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 43:13, Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11, Matthew 16:17-19, Romans 8:35-39, John 10:28-30, Psalm 115:18, Revelation 5:9-13, Luke 9:23-26, Philippians 2:5-11

Song | All My Hope —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, 1 Peter 1:3-6, Acts 2:38, Romans 4:7, 1 John 2:1-2, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 6:6

Invitation | Come Ye Sinners —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 5:27-32, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Timothy 1:15, James 4:6-10, Luke 15:11-32, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 9:51, Luke 22:39-46, Galatians 4:4-5, Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 1 Peter 1:17-21

Offertory | The Truth* —
Scripture Inspiration: John 8:44, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, James 1:23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:16-17, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 147:11, Genesis 1:27, Colossians 3:10, 1 Timothy 1:17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, Romans 8:38-39, Ephesians 3:18-19, Romans 5:7, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 3:31-32, John 10:27-28, Psalm 119:160, Ephesians 6:14, Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 26:3, 1 Kings 19:11-12, Philippians 4:8

*Sometimes we see the need to changing the wording of a song for doctrinal reasons (meaning the lyrics contain theological inaccuracies or fail to align with clear biblical teaching).

In the case of “The Truth”, look at the original lyrics for the chorus:

The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth

Here are the lyrics as we have changed them:

The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I am made in the image of a perfect King
He saved me and changed everything
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth

While the sentiment of the original lyrics is that we come to God just as we are, it is inaccurate to say that He wouldn’t change anything about us. He takes us just as we are, but if He saves us, He transforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2) from His enemies to His friends (Romans 5:10, John 15:15), from far off from Him to brought near (Ephesians 2:12-13), from dead in our trespasses and sins to alive in Christ by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1-8). He takes sinners and gives them new life in Him (Colossians 2:13-14), and — as the lyrics just before it say, “I am made in the image of a perfect King”, we recognize that if God has saved us — again, transforming us from lost in sin to saved by and through Him — He takes the image of God married by sin (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23) and makes us new, creating us “after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:24) by conforming us “to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29)!

If we don’t want to “belong to the lies” and know what it is to belong to Christ, we need to realize that we need Him to change us — that the beauty of Him being willing to accept us in our sin is that He loves us enough not to leave us in it. That’s the truth, and that’s good news!

“Preparing for the Coming King” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

Greetings, Sojourners, and welcome to this week’s Refresh & Restore Bible study!

We’re kicking off a new study today through the book of Revelation, but it’s not going to be a typical study of the book of Revelation. I’ll be going through it conversationally with Jamie Harrison, and we’re calling it The KING is Coming.

Today, we’ll be opening with Revelation 1:1-8 to introduce and open the study:

¹The 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, ²who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. ³Blessed 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.

⁴John 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, ⁵and 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 ⁶and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷Behold, 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.”^[1]

Keith Harris:
Jamie Harrison is with us, and he’s going to talk to us about the book of Revelation. We will be doing this, as I said earlier, conversationally. I am as curious as any to see how this is going to go.

Jamie Harrison:
Same here.

Keith:
So, Revelation – The KING is Coming….

Jamie:
Revelation. I love the fact that you say Revelation and not RevelationS. That’s a common misconception with the book of RevelatioN. If you look, and I’m pretty sure any translation of the Bible, it’ll say Revelation is singular.

I love the way John MacArthur puts it in his Revelation Bible study. He says,

“Revelation depicts Jesus as the risen, glorified Son of God, ministering among the churches as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of Earth as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, as the first and the last, as the Son of Man, as the one who was dead but now is alive forevermore, as the Son of God, as the One who is holy and true, as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as the Lamb in heaven with authority to open the title deed to the earth, as the Lamb on the throne, as the Messiah who will reign forever, as the Word of God, as the majestic King of kings and Lord of lords, returning in glorious splendor to conquer His foes, and as the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star.”^[2]

What does all that mean? That the Revelation is Jesus.

I think it’s important to start off with the fact that the book of Revelation is oftentimes misunderstood as a book of something we’re supposed to guess about and put together conjecture….

Keith:
…a code to break….

Jamie:
That’s right. And draw pictures of what this might be and what that might be.

The book of Revelation is about Jesus. The whole Bible builds up to this book, right?

Keith:
Which is why it’s last in the canon^[3] – because it’s supposed to be.

Jamie:
That’s correct!

A couple of things before we get started, just so everyone knows what we’re not doing in this study. We’re not speculating about whether Jesus might come back on this day or on that day. We’re not debating on which theory is right or wrong. We’re not getting into the whole pre-, mid-, post-trib thing – anything like that; we’re going to present those as common approaches as to when Jesus is going to come.

Keith:
Acknowledge them, but if I remember when we first talked about this, the goal was a verse-by-verse study of the book of Revelation, like one studies the other sixty-five books of the Bible.

Jamie:
That’s correct. I think that’s it.

I think the best approach to the book of Revelation, because so many people that listen to this and so many of the conversations I’ve had with people over the years we’ve been doing this study at our church – if you have pre-conceived notions of anything in the book of Revelation, I genuinely pray that you approach it with the Holy Spirit as our teacher (John 14:26). We must have total dependence on Him. Total. Dependence. On Him.

Keith:
I think this is a good time to reference that as we do these Bible studies, as we seek to be refreshed and restored – not just in the Revelation study but in all of them, this is not self-help; it’s not a magic pill or some sort of sorcery or incantation. The Holy Spirit is your teacher if you have faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation comes by grace through faith in Him alone. If He has saved you, He is your teacher.

If not, we invite you to confess Him as Lord, to believe in your heart that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day, and that by putting your faith in Him by asking – calling out – to Him, trusting that He will save you (Romans 10:9-13, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

If that’s the case, the book of Revelation will be good news. If it’s not the case, there will be several places in this study that will not be good news.

Jamie:
That’s correct. One of the things that has kept coming up in our Bible study at church is that, man, it seems Revelation is full of bad news all the way through, but then, all of a sudden, you know, if you really pay attention every time something “bad” is given, it is followed up by something that’s awesome!

Keith:
The King IS coming! That’s what all the “bad” is going to culminate in – the most awesome.

Jamie:
And He’s coming whether you want Him to or not.

The last thing before we get into it is to talk about the timeline of Revelation real quick, just because a lot of times when you read Revelation, you automatically think: OK, well, we’re reading this in order – you know this happens, then this happens. But the fact is, the timeline of Revelation is what John saw next.

A couple of examples of that is in ch. 1:12 (CSB)^[4], it says,

“Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands….”

So that’s what he saw when he turned. It doesn’t mean it was in order (chronologically) of what he just said. Chapter 4:1, another good example:

“After this I looked….”

So, after what he had just talked about – after he had received the letters to the churches, he looked and there in heaven was an open door. It doesn’t mean that he received the letters and, then, that’s what happened next. This is what he saw next.

Keith:
A timeline for us to plan this all out isn’t part of the goal.

Going back to what you said earlier, the goal is for us to see Jesus Christ revealed – as He revealed this to John.

Jamie:
That’s it. That’s correct. Just don’t get caught up trying to figure out when Jesus is coming. The fact is…we don’t know. And if anyone tells you different, they’re a liar – a false prophet.

Keith:
Because Jesus says it cannot be known (Matthew 24:36).

Jamie:
That’s right. The only inclination we’re given is in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 where we’re told that believers will be able to tell that the tribulation is happening. They will understand it by things that are going on because they’ve read the Bible and they’re filled with the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t mean they’ll know when Jesus is coming. That just means they’ll understand the times that are going on.

Keith:
When you look at a lot of the people who are trying to narrow it down to a date – that’s often for their own glory. You think of Harold Camping who had one date, then other date, and then kind of just goes into relative obscurity because he didn’t get (it right) or the glory he was looking for. It’s about the coming of Jesus, not the one who can pinpoint the date. It’s about Him, not setting up some fruitful and enriching – monetary or otherwise – eschatology^[5] ministry for people who are afraid to kind of twist them or turn them whichever way (2 Timothy 3:6-7, Romans 16:17-18, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Jude 4, Ephesians 4:14).

Jamie:
That’s right.

Now, with all of that being said, let’s jump into it.

Keith:
Sounds good.

Jamie:
So, we started in v. 1. And this is to just reiterate how we started, it says:

“The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place.”

According to v. 1 – let me see how to phrase this – the Bible gives all the answers, right? If you can’t find the answers in the Bible, then the answer is “I don’t know”.

Keith:
Right, and that’s a very good answer because it’s always better – and especially if people ask you, dear Sojourners, something that you don’t know, it’s better to tell them that you don’t know and that you’re willing to seek it out in Scripture than to make something up. (Making up answers) has never served Christ well or built up His Church. So, Jamie and I are fans of “I don’t know”.

Jamie:
Yes, big fan. Those are three of my favorite words actually.

So, v. 1 gives us the answer to this revelation is an unveiling of. Revelation is an unveiling, a revealing, of all these things we are about to read about. There was what these people looked like and these animals look like and all these things – what in the world is that? None of that, in the end, matters. What matters is the unveiling – the revealing – of the revelation of Jesus Christ. We’re given that answer right here at the beginning.

The next thing we find here is the chain of communication. We’re told how it was made known to the rest of us. There in v. 1 it says He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John. Who sent it to the angel? God did. So, God sent the revelation to the angel, the angel gave the revelation to John, and John gave the revelation to us.

Keith:
To the seven churches and then to the rest of us through John.

Jamie:
That is also an important thing to look at because people will say that this was just a man writing this book. Who is he? Why should we believe what he says? We’re told right from the beginning that this revelation comes from the mouth of God, as does all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Keith:
That’s the argument that people commonly want to make. Oh, a man wrote this. Part of the Holy Spirit being our teacher if we are saved is believing that the Bible doesn’t contain God’s Words, it is God’s Word that He breathed out through these people who wrote it down, and He is faithful.

Jamie:
Amen.

Off of that, who is this revelation for? This is written to seven specific churches. Is it for them, us – who is it for? Again, the Bible gives us the answer. Look at v. 3:

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Again, the Bible gives us the answer. Who is this for? It is for those who read it aloud, those who hear the words of the prophecy and those who keep what is written in it.

That’s who it’s for: everybody. If you read it – if you keep it, it’s for you.

Keith:
And, I do think it’s important to clarify since there are so many – you can almost throw a rock in some towns and hit a church that’s “preaching” through Revelation – but so much of it is about their theories and conjectures. It needs to be important that, even and especially with our words, our commentary, our discussion of this, that it’s the words from the Bible that hold the power, that hold the weight.

And you don’t hear that in some of these eschatology, end-time studies. They are promoting their view.

Jamie:
That’s such a big word you used there. What does eschatology mean?

Keith:
Eschatology is the study of the end times – of what is to come.

Jamie: [joking]
That’s for us simple-minded people.

Keith:
I’ve seen over the last few weeks on social media – ads of various big-name, popular preachers – where you can get their fold-out guide to the apocalypse or you can get their timeline where they lay it out and say “This is the only way….” It’s free, but you click on the link and you’re selling a lot of stuff. Jesus’s revelation was freely given – good news and bad news – for the churches, for us to take heed of.

Jamie:
So, we’re not selling this Bible study?

Keith:
No, this is not a money-making venture. That has not been my experience.

Jamie:
Apologies, I thought we were going to get rich quick.

Keith:
No. In fact, I was hoping some money would fall out of your pocket while we were recording – that was my only chance.

Jamie:
Coincidentally, I left my wallet in the truck.

Keith:
So, we digress…back to the revelation.

Jamie:
Here in vv. 4-6 we get to a description of the Trinity. It says,

“John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, Who was, and Who is to come, from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

So, you get this really awesome description of the Trinity here, the One who is, was, and is to come. Obviously referring to God the Father from the seven spirits before His throne, referring to the Holy Spirit. That seven number there, Keith, I don’t know I you want to hit on it or just for our purposes say seven means (represents) fullness?

Keith:
Right. Completion.

Jamie:
That’s right. That’s the idea there. And then, finally, from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. I do think that’s important to talk about real quick. Faithful witness, meaning that if he says it you can take it to the bank. Everything Jesus has ever said – when He was here on earth or things that He’s revealed through His Spirit – has been accurate, has been true. And not only that, He’s a faithful witness because He was there from the beginning.

Keith:
I think that’s very important to say because, a lot of the time we see the word “witness” in the New Testament, it’s the Greek word from which we get our word “martyr”. He was faithful with His life from before the foundation of the world all the way to His incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, and always will be because he’s an eternally faithful witness because He was and is and is to come.

Jamie:
That’s right. John 1 speaks to that. It says in John 1:14:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed His glory, the glory as of the One and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

So, the Word became flesh. Ok, now watch this. John 1:1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

He was with God in the beginning, so John 1:14 tells us the Word became flesh – obviously referring to Jesus – He was there from the beginning. When creation happened, Jesus was there. And don’t get that confused. He wasn’t somebody randomly created along the way.

Keith:
He is God because He wasn’t created.

And don’t expect a explanation of the Trinity here because, well, let’s be honest. If someone could fully explain all of who God is then somebody made Him up. I think it’s C.S. Lewis – what’s that book we read? Mere Christianity. He said the way the Bible presents things is just odd enough that man couldn’t have made it up.^[6] It’s so different – and in some places unexplainable that dome dude didn’t think of it. That’s good news!

Jamie:
It is. Amen.

The other part here, of vv. 5-6, that I want to point out is you get this spontaneity of praise that happens. It’s just this seemingly random, you know, we’re getting a description here when all of a sudden he goes into this praise moment where he’s like “the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth”. Think about that for a second. “To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood”. This moment of praise for salvation for being made into a kingdom and priests to God – “glory and dominion forever and ever”. Amen. What I want to point out about this is when we’re going through our everyday life – when we’re going to work, when you’re dealing with whatever, all the issues, all the problems, whatever, we should have moments every day where we stop and for whatever reason it just hits us and we stop and say thank you to Him. Now, I’m not saying you’re in the middle of Walmart and you all of a sudden start shouting and running the aisles and doing all that. That would be glorifying yourself not the Lord.

Keith:
Attention to you rather than Him.

Jamie:
That’s right. What I’m talking about is a moment where you just sit back and you go, “Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Thank you for choosing me. Out of all the people in the world, you chose me.”

Keith:
And those won’t be moments where you’ve done something great. I know when they come in my life that it’s done that is boneheadedly stupid – sin that I know better than to commit, or that I willingly committed knowing full well it was sin, and then it hitting me, the impact that He has freed us from our sins by His blood that…. Was it Romans 5:8?

“…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It’s that realization that I can’t believe He would want to love me. It’s just such a…. It’s that He is praiseworthy. Not because of what He’s done for us, but because He and His character would do something like that for people like us.

Jamie:
That verse always reminds me of that movie about emotions. [Inside Out] In the movie joy and anger and all those things, they’re trying to get back to the headquarters because Riley, the main character is going through puberty or whatever and has moved. She’s about to, you know, her emotions are going crazy – much like my middle school students I work with every day. Anyway, that verse reminds me of that because it says [in Romans 5:8-11]:

“God proved His own love for us, and that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been [declared righteous] by His blood, will we be saved by Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.”

It reminds me of [Inside Out] because there’s all these fake people in their head – it’s an imagination thing – where these characters in her head would like die for Riley…. My point is the Bible [in Romans 5:7] asks how often someone would really be willing to die – even for a just person. Maybe for a good person somebody might die….

Keith:
Somebody who you dearly love and has significance to you personally.

Jamie:
But not some random person on the street who’s done you wrong. That’s the enemy – the language it uses in Romans 5:10-11. We’re talking about the person who hates you – strong word, but hates you and you know they do. Maybe they’ve messed you out of a job or whatever. You know they did something to you. Christ died for them.

Keith:
I mean, that’s the context back in Revelation 1:7 – some of those He is “coming with the clouds” to get will include “even those who pierced Him”. There’s some bad news that there are “tribes of earth” that will wail on account of Him, but just like the Centurion standing at the foot of the cross who was one of the ones presiding over His execution (Matthew 27:54, Mark 14:39, Luke 23:47) said, “Surely this was the Son of God!”

Jesus saves sinners. Prior to coming to Christ, enemies – everyone is affiliated. There’s no unaffiliated random innocent person out in some jungle. All “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There’s enmity between us and God because of our sin, and He, willingly, because of His great love and mercy, died for even me.

Jamie:
And that’s the second half of v. 5: “To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood”.

A couple of cross-references for you real quick – I’d be remiss to not give these. Verse 7:

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes of the earth^,
will mourn over him.^’
So it is to be. Amen.”

Some cross-references for that are Isaiah 19:1, Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34-37, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 28:14, Zechariah 14:17. I just encourage you to go through those and read those because the Bible confirms the Bible. There’s nothing in the Bible that’s not going to be confirmed by something else in the Bible. And, if you’re reading something in the Bible and you think it means something that cannot be confirmed through other Scriptures, you might want to rethink that.

Keith:
And you can look in the footnotes as well as in the parenthetical (in parenthesis) references and check what we say. You don’t need to take our word for this.

I’m not saying we’re not trustworthy. I’m saying we are fallible. We can misspeak and misunderstand from time to time. But God’s Word that is infallible.

Jamie:
Before we finish up, here are some other verses from the spontaneity of praise in vv. 5-6. Y’all check out Revelation 4:9-11, 5:13, 7:11-12; Ephesians 3:20-21; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 24-25. There’s a whole lot more; that’s just some. But as you’re reading the Word every day, there should be this moment where you just stop and praise the Lord. Like, [reading His Word] overwhelms you and His being Almighty.

I think one of the big questions from vv. 1-8 should be whether reading the Word leads to a moment of praise. And if it doesn’t, then we need to rethink and maybe rework why we’re reading the Word (and the way we’re reading the Word). You know, I like to turn my Bible plan on and hit play and listen to it while I’m getting ready in the mornings, but if that’s not leading me to a moment of praise then I need to rethink how I’m doing it because it’s not getting through, I’m just playing it to play it.

Keith:
You’re getting through the Bible, not getting the Bible through you.

Jamie:
That’s it.

Then, finally, the last two verses – what we just read in v. 7 and then in v. 8. I love this v. 8. In it, Jesus says,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega…the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

This is a cool moment. The Lord introduces Himself as the Alpha and the Omega – which means the beginning and the end, the first and last letters (of the Greek alphabet – essentially the A-Z), the one who is, who was, and who is to come. The Almighty.

Now, in Revelation 22:13, Jesus says,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

So, the way Revelation starts is the way Revelation ends, letting us know that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega.

Keith:
Letting us know He is the God who has always been. He is the God who is speaking, and as we’ve said throughout, He is the King who is coming! That gives me chill bumps!

Jamie:
Yeah, and it’s not cold in here.^[7] That’s a Holy Spirit bump, I would say.

Keith:
Don’t miss this as we wrap this study. This is the first of however many it takes for us to get through this.

Jamie:
Hopefully not as long as it’s been [in the church study].

Keith:
As I’ve said, Jamie, it takes what it takes, but the idea here is to keep our focus on Jesus returning, Jesus coming back, because He has promised that He is.

Jamie:
Hey, let’s talk about that for a second – just for a second. In vv. 7-8, talking about He’s coming back and we know He’s coming. We’re told at the end of v. 3 “because the time is near”, and I know everybody looks and they freak out because this was way back then the time isnear. All that means is God’s time frame is near because God’s time frame and our time frame are two different things, ok? You know, just keep that in the back of your mind.

I want you to understand that from the beginning of the Bible in Genesis to the end of the Bible in Revelation, it all leads up to this moment: He is coming, coming as the conquering King. He is coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

And, I’m sorry – I’m going off on a little thing here, but y’all just really think about this for a minute when it says every, single one, I want you to think about all the people around the world. Right? People – we always go to political leaders and stuff, and I was trying not to name drop anybody because, I just don’t like doing that, but I guess I’m about to anyway. But just think of people like Vladimir Putin – who is an atheist, right? Totally against God, and, man, when Jesus comes back, his knees are going to bow, his tongue is going to confess.

I think of – what was the real famous atheist that just died? The science guy in the chair? Stephen Hawking. He was totally against God – and clarified that he was going into nothingness. His knees are going to bow. His tongue is going to confess.

And, again, this has been from Genesis all the way to the end of Revelation. So, here are some verses to check out: Genesis 3:15, Matthew 24:37, Luke 19:13, John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Philippians 3:20-21, Hebrews 9:28, and Jude 14 – again, there are more, but that’s just an idea how from the very beginning in Genesis to the very end in Revelation, the entire Bible leads up to this moment when the King is Coming.

Keith:
And I think that’s a good spot for us to get to today, not timewise but just thoughtwise. Sojourners, while we are recording this podcast, my nine-year-old (at the time) son is sitting in our living room is waiting on someone to pick him up – a friend who has asked him to hang out. And he’s been up there – it’s currently 10:15 in the morning, and he’s been up since before 7:00a in expectation – because it’s something he’s looking forward to. He is not anxious. He’s not disappointed in the wait. There’s an expectation, though.

And so we talk about every knee bowing, what you have to ask yourself is what heart-position is going to accompany your bowed knee. When it says that we know Jesus is coming as the conquering King, are you kneeling in subjection, in recognition that you have been conquered because the King of kings and Lord of lords has won the day? Or are you doing it in worship of the King who you have longed for His return – that He who is on the throne is coming, and there will be a Day when you get to stand before Him? When He pulls you from your knees. When He exalts you as it says in 1 Peter 5:6 by the mighty Hand of God and get pulled into an embrace. That’s the expectation. Or if that’s not it, then we definitely have some soul searching we need to do.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 1:1–8.

^[2] NEED THE EXACT QUOTE/REFERENCE FOR JOHN MACARTHUR HERE.

^[3] Footnote on the canon?

^[5] Eschatology will be defined later on.

^[6] Mere Christianity publication info and actual quote?

^[7] Fun story: it really was not cold the morning we recorded this first Bible study for Revelation. In fact, we didn’t know it but my air conditioner when out while we were recording!

“Paul’s Final Greeting & a Tale of Two Legacies” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

⁷Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸I have sent him for you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, ⁹and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
¹⁰Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions – if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hieropolis. ¹⁴Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. ¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. ¹⁶And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Colossians 4:7-18

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

We have made it – the end of our study of the book of Colossians! I have enjoyed getting to study and write about this letter and hope it has been helpful for you. It is good for us to spend time studying His Word and especially good for us to truly understand that Jesus is indeed over all.

Our passage today is often just tacked on at the end of an expository book study (preacher language for preaching and teaching through a book, verse-by-verse) as a sort of wrap up. But I want us to see that this passage, like all of Scripture, is breathed out by God and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). I think it serves as a good reminder that this was an actual letter to a real church. The church at Colossae – and all of the churches in all of the cities Paul visited on his missionary journeys and wrote to – was a real church filled with real people. Paul’s close to this letter is similar to the rest of his letters as he and those present with him greet the recipients of the letter. There are also specific greetings, similar to how in modern speech, say a phone call to family or friends you haven’t seen in a while might say, “Tell your folks I said, ‘hi’” or “tell Aunt So-and-So I love her”. It’s personal.

At the same time, this letter – and the other letters/epistles in the New Testament – are more. They are Scripture because, as I mentioned above, the Holy Spirit breathed out this letter through Paul. He chose to use Paul’s writing to this church, to these real people, to write to our churches and all the churches in the years between and beyond until Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself. In a sense, these letters are as much from God’s Spirit to His people as it ever was Paul’s to the church and people he cared for in Colossae.

So we are going to look at a couple of the guys Paul mentions at the close of his letter and find some application for our lives. Before we do that, though, I want us to briefly review some big takeaways from our Jesus Over All study of Colossians.

Nine Takeaways from Our Previous Bible Studies in Colossians

Each of these takeaways come from early Bible studies in our Jesus Over All study and serve to help us wrap our minds around the whole book in context. Let’s dive in.

Jesus is enough, and His gospel transforms lives (1:1-14).

Paul reminds us that Jesus is sufficient to save and especially against all false teachings. When He saves people, His gospel bears fruit of that salvation in their transformed lives. This is the kind of growth we should seek after, and it should drive us to pray, rely on God’s power, and exhibit gratitude for our redemption in Jesus.

Jesus is supreme over all creation and reconciles sinners to God through His blood on the cross (1:15-23).

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He is both Creator and Redeemer, holding all things together. His being preeminent as well as the Savior who sacrificed Himself for our sins forms the foundation for our faith, securing our hope in Him alone and calling us to believe what His Word says about Him.

God can use suffering to strengthen His Church, and His Word is the foundation for spiritual maturity (1:24-2:10).

Paul’s endurance for the gospel challenges us to view our own trials and difficulties as a means of growing in Christ. If we are rooted in Him and His truth, we will – through His power and Spirit – be able to stand firm against deception and grow in our faith, walking in Him with gratitude and confidence.

Jesus frees us from spiritual captivity and forgives sin through His victory on the cross (2:8-15).

False teachings seek to deceive us, but Jesus seeks to give fullness of life and freedom. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus cancels the debt of sin and triumphs over the forces of evil, securing an eternal salvation that cannot be taken away.

True faith rests in Christ alone, not human traditions of religious practices (2:16-23).

The equation is simple: Jesus + nothing = everything! Paul warns against adding rules and regulations to the gospel, reminding us that only Jesus can save. False teachings want distort and confuse, but they lack the power to bring any true or lasting change.

Believers are called to set their minds on Jesus and live for His Kingdom (3:1-4).

Having been raised with Jesus, our focus shifts. We no longer need to be distracted by things on earth because our eyes (and lives) should be focused on the eternal hope of Christ in glory. Our identity is not wrapped up in earthly things but hidden in Christ. This means that our lives should reflect Jesus’s rule over us – He is Lord, after all.

Be killing sin in your life, or it will be killing you (3:5-11).

Sin in our lives needs to be put do death, reminding us that Jesus’s redemption frees us from sin’s power. Being born again in Jesus means living as new creations and calls us to cast off our old selves and embrace being renewed in His image.

Christlike character leads to unity, love, and peace in the church and is exhibited in worship that exalts Christ, is rooted in His Word, and overflows into real, every-day life (3:12-17).

As God’s chosen people, we are called to put on compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and love. These are more than mere actions because they are fruit of having new life in Jesus. They are part of our worship of Him. Worship, then, is more than personal preference because it is shaped by His Word, instructing our hearts and all we do in His name – every word, song, and action.

Every aspect of life – home, work, and speech – should reflect Jesus’s rule in our hearts (3:18-4:6).

We see here again that Jesus saving us is to impact our real, everyday lives – how we live in all aspects of our lives. Whether in our families, jobs, or conversations with people, those Jesus saved are to live in a way that honors and points to Him. Walking in wisdom, speaking with grace, and serving others faithfully are a few ways Paul uses to show how our lives are to display Jesus’s lordship in all things.

One Final Takeaway: Learning from the Lives and Legacies of Mark and Demas (vv. 10, 14)

All of the people mentioned in this last section mattered to Paul. He wasn’t idly name-dropping or merely recognizing acquaintances. These were men who were involved in Paul’s ministry or had specific messages for the Colossian church. The emphasis in Colossians 3:1–4:6 on how being in Christ should impact real life was not just religious talk—it had shaped Paul’s life, and it was shaping the lives of those he wrote to as well.

Tychicus and Onesimus (vv. 7-9) hand-delivered this letter to the Colossian church. They had additional information about Paul’s circumstances and were sent to serve and encourage the believers.

Aristarchus, Mark, and “Jesus who is called Justus” (vv. 10-11) were with Paul in his imprisonment. They were the only Jewish believers remaining in Rome with Paul, ministering to him and taking part in the kingdom work happening from his prison cell. Paul says that they were “a comfort” to him, and they sent their greetings to the Colossians.

Epaphras (vv. 12-13), the Colossian church’s pastor, also sent greetings. Though he was on mission in Rome, ministering to Paul, he was still “struggling” for the Colossians in prayer, asking that they “may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (v. 12). Paul testified to his continual labor in prayer, not only for his own church but also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis (v. 13).

Luke, “the beloved physician” (v. 14)—who would later write the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts—also sent his greetings, along with Demas.

Paul extended his greetings to the church at Laodicea, particularly to Nympha and the church meeting in her home (v. 15). Though this letter was addressed to the Colossians, it was meant to be read in Laodicea as well. Paul also had a specific word for a Laodicean believer named Archippus, encouraging him to “see that [he] fulfill the ministry [he had] received in the Lord” (v. 17).

These were real people whom Paul loved and cared about. He wanted them to know that, which is why this final section was written with great effort in his own handwriting, even as his hands were bound in chains (v. 18).

So, what does this mean for us? Paul didn’t mention any of you dear sojourners who I care about today. There were no personal greetings to future churches in yet-undiscovered or unsettled regions of the world. What are we supposed to take from this?

I’m glad you asked.

Our final takeaway from this study in Colossians is to consider the lives of two men Paul mentioned in this section: Mark and Demas.

Mark, also known as John Mark—the writer of the Gospel that bears his name—had a complicated history with Paul. That’s why Paul included specific instructions that the Colossians should welcome him. Mark’s cousin, Barnabas, had been Paul’s partner in his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3), and Mark had joined them. But after facing hardships, Mark abandoned the mission and returned home (Acts 13:13). Paul took this seriously. So, when Paul and Barnabas were preparing for their second journey, Barnabas wanted to bring Mark again (Acts 15:37). Paul disagreed, believing it was unwise to take someone who had withdrawn from the work (Acts 15:38). Their disagreement was so sharp that Paul and Barnabas parted ways—Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas and continued elsewhere (Acts 15:39-41).

Yet here, years later, we see Mark restored. Not only was he no longer a liability, but he was one of the few Jewish believers standing with Paul in his imprisonment. The same man who had once quit now endured alongside Paul in even greater trials. God had grown and matured him. The Holy Spirit had worked in him, and Paul recognized that. Paul wanted the Colossians to know that Mark was no longer the same man he had once been—he was to be welcomed as a fellow laborer in the faith.

Then, there was Demas.

We don’t know Demas’s backstory, only that at the time Paul wrote to the Colossians and to Philemon, Demas was counted among his fellow laborers (Philemon 24). Paul took seriously those who ministered alongside him, and Demas had been part of his team. Like Luke, he had the privilege of sending greetings to the churches.

Yet, by the time Paul wrote 2 Timothy—his final letter, written as he awaited execution—Demas had abandoned him. But unlike Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus, who had left to serve elsewhere (2 Timothy 4:10-12), Demas had left for another reason: he was “in love with this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).

Read that again. Paul was on death row, awaiting execution, and Demas deserted him—not because of a call to another ministry, but because of love for the world. This wasn’t just a personal disappointment for Paul—it was recorded as Scripture, meaning the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write it (2 Timothy 3:16).

But in that same chapter, we see something else. Paul, who had once written Mark off as unfit for ministry, now told Timothy, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).

What a contrast!

Wrapping Up

I suppose this is where we try to bring everything together, but in truth, the contrast between Mark and Demas does much of the work for us. Their lives illustrate the heart of what we’ve seen throughout Colossians—Jesus is over all, but will we live as if that’s true?

Both of these men participated in ministry and mission. Both walked alongside Paul. Both had moments where they turned away. But what set them apart was not just their failures—it was where they turned afterward. Mark, despite quitting early on, was restored. He grew. The same gospel that Paul proclaimed in Colossians transformed him, matured him, and drew him back to faithfulness (Colossians 1:6). By the end of Paul’s life, Mark was a trusted and needed partner in ministry (2 Timothy 4:11).

Demas, however, loved this present world. That love pulled him away. We don’t know how his story ended, but we do know that he abandoned Paul in his greatest hour of need (2 Timothy 4:10). And that leaves us with a question: when trials come, when the cost of following Christ feels too high, when the comforts of the world beckon—who will we be? A Demas, in love with the world? Or a Mark, restored by the grace of God?

The entire book of Colossians has pressed us to consider the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ. We have seen that Jesus is enough, that His gospel transforms lives (Colossians 1:13-14), that He holds all things together (Colossians 1:17), and that His rule should be evident in our everyday lives (Colossians 3:17). We have been reminded that true faith rests in Christ alone, not in religious performance (Colossians 2:16-17). We have been challenged to put sin to death (Colossians 3:5), to walk in wisdom (Colossians 4:5), to love and serve in His name (Colossians 3:12-14), and to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2).

So, as we conclude, the real question is this: Do we believe it? Is Jesus truly over all in our lives—not just in theory, but in how we live, work, worship, and relate to others? When hardship comes (Colossians 1:24), when the world entices (Colossians 2:8), when following Christ requires sacrifice (Colossians 3:3-4), what will our response be?

I don’t know your story, but I do know this—God is faithful. He is patient. He is at work in you just as He was in Mark, just as He was in Paul, just as He has been in all who are His (Philippians 1:6). The same Jesus who rules over creation rules over your life (Colossians 1:18), and He is able to strengthen you, sustain you, and keep you until the end (Jude 24-25).

Sojourners, it has been a privilege to study Colossians with you. I pray, like Epaphras prayed for the Colossians, that you “may stand mature and fully assured in the will of God” (Colossians 4:12). May we live as people who truly believe that Jesus is over all. And may He be glorified in our lives, both now and forever.

Songs for Sunday, February 16, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and that’s good news!

Lord willing, we will gather together Sunday morning as a faith family and worship Him. We will lift our voices in song. We will submit our hearts to His Word preached. We will give Him our focus and praise.

It’s good practice and preparation for when we stand around His throne and worship Him together one day.

It’s a beautiful shadow of the substance that is coming when we see our King face-to-face and pour out our hearts in grateful praise for who He is and all He has done.

Sunday is good news for the believer because it points us back to that first resurrection Sunday when Jesus walked out of His borrowed tomb, risen just as He had promised.

Sunday is good news because it points forward to the day (not necessarily a Sunday on the calendar) when He will return and gather His bride – His Church – to Him.

Sunday gatherings are good news in the present because they represent His grace and mercy toward people who still have the opportunity to turn from their sin to Christ, confessing Him as their Lord and King. But there is coming a day when the opportunity to call on Him will be over. This is why the Scriptures urge us to be mindful of the time and call with urgency for people to repent and turn to Him. Look at how the prophet Isaiah put it:

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

Similarly, Paul said,

“Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

God will not wait around in His “divine forbearance”, passing over “former sins” (Romans 3:25) forever. He is coming. That’s what He said at the end of Revelation, isn’t it? “And behold, I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:7). But look at the way He said it the final time in Revelation 22:12-13:

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

He’s coming and doing what? Could “bringing…recompense” mean what it says? Simply put: yes.

So, the urgency of seeking the Lord while He may be found is underscored – underlined – highlighted and bolded for emphasis. Those who call upon the name of the Lord, those who confess faith in Him and submit to Him as Lord and Savior do not receive the just recompense for their sin because Jesus took that wrath and punishment on their behalf. But for those who have not, the full weight of the wrath of God awaits. It’s a startling prospect. I would definitely categorize that as not-good news.

It does not have to be though. There is grace enough for all who come to Him.

Jesus doesn’t end His revelation with the bad news. He also offers an invitation. “Come” say the Spirit and the Bride. “Come” says those who have heard the Word of God and responded to Jesus in faith. Those who are thirsty can come and receive from Jesus the “water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17).

So, I echo that invitation to you, beloved: “Come”. Or as Philipp told Nathaniel, “Come and see” (John 1:46). Come, and meet with Jesus. Come, and lay your burdens down. Come, and call upon Him while He is near. Simply, come.

This is not about coming to church but coming to Jesus. This is not about religion but extending an invitation for relationship. This is about the God of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords, extending an invitation for those who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him (Matthew 11:28).

As I said earlier, Sunday is coming and there is an opportunity to gather and worship Jesus. Won’t you come and join us? Won’t you lift your voice with ours? There’s no time like the present.

Just know that YOU are invited. YOU are wanted. YOU are welcomed.

Come on.

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | Revelation 19:11-16 —

¹¹Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Song | King of Kings —
Scripture Inspiration: Proverbs 4:19, John 3:19-21, Ephesians 2:1, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 5:17, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:31, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 2:7, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, John 1:14, Psalm 136:3, Matthew 28:18, Revelation 19:16, Matthew 13:24-52, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Isaiah 53, John 3:16, Romans 5:6-10, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 2:14, Titus 2:14, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Matthew 27:52-53, Luke 15:7, Acts 2:1-4, Matthew 24:35, Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11

Scripture | Revelation 4:8-11 —

⁸And 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!”

⁹And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Song | Worthy of It All —
Scripture Inspiration: Revelation 4:10-11, Revelation 7:9-17, Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, Revelation 5:6-13, Romans 11:36, Malachi 1:11

Song | Holy, Holy, Holy (Jesus Reigns) —
Scripture Inspiration: Isaiah 6:1-7, Revelation 4:5-11, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Genesis 17:1, Revelation 1:8, Psalm 59:16, Psalm 86:5, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 John 4:19-20, Job 36:26, Psalm 48:14, Psalm 90:2-4, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 22:13, John 3:20, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 92:15, Philippians 2:10-11 (Help/guidance from Scripture with the doctrine of the Trinity: Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Baptist Faith and Message (2000), Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 2), Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry)

Scripture | Revelation 5:8-14 —

⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Song | Revelation Song —
Scripture Inspiration: Revelation 5:6-12, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 4:8, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:5, Revelation 5:13, Revelation 17:14, John 15:5, Psalm 33:8-9, Revelation 4:2-3, Revelation 4:5, Luke 5:17-26

Invitation | Forever Reign —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 73:1, Nahum 1:7, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16, John 1:4-5, John 8:12, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 2:24, Deuteronomy 33:27, Luke 15:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, Proverbs 3:15, Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:6, Philippians 4:4, Habakkuk 3:18, Psalm 13:6, Job 23:11-12, Psalm 16:2, Romans 1:19-20, Colossians 2:9-10, Matthew 28:20, Psalm 138:1, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9-11

Offertory | It is Well with My Soul —
Scripture Inspiration: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, John 14:27, John 16:29-33, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14-15, Colossians 3:15, 3 John 2, 1 Peter 5:8, Psalm 66:8-12, Acts 14:22, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:5-9, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 94:19, Luke 12:22-26, John 3:30, Philippians 4:6-7, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Colossians 2:14, Philippians 1:21, Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25, Philippians 3:20, Mark 13:26-27, Acts 1:11, Revelation 1:7, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 21:1-4

“Preaching Truth to Yourself When Your Soul is Downcast” from Psalms 42 & 43 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:5-6a, 11; 43:5

Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 are deeply connected, forming a single lament that expresses the struggle of a soul longing for God in the midst of despair.

Psalm 42 opens with vivid imagery: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (v. 42:1). There is a beautiful hymn based on this image, but for those who are crying out to the Lord, it is often anything but beautiful. Picture a deer being hunted, running from a hunter or predator, panting and out of breath and seeking a cool stream to provide sustenance and relief. Such is the plight of the sons of Korah in these psalms. They are spiritually thirsty, longing for the presence of the living God (v. 42:2), yet instead of refreshment, they find themselves overwhelmed by sorrow, being fed by tears (v. 42:3) and haunted by the taunts of people mocking their faith by asking “Where is your God?” (vv. 42:3, 10)

This spiritual turmoil is compounded by distance from the place of worship or from the joy accompanying better times of leading God’s people in His praise and worship (v. 42:4). They remember what it was to joyously lead God’s people in worship at His tabernacle but now feel cut off and alone. The lament deepens as they describe being overwhelmed by waves of suffering, described a waves of the sea crashing over them (v. 42:7). Yet, even in their distress, they cling to this foundational truth: “By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me” (v. 42:8).

Psalm 43 continues their cry for deliverance, shifting from lament to pray to God for vindication. They plead for God to “send out [His] light and…truth” to lead them back to worship at His altar, where they may rejoice in Him again (vv. 43:3-4). But there is beautiful solace to be found in their refrain found in vv. 42:5, 11 and 43:5 that not only asks their own souls “why” they are “cast down” and “in turmoil” within themselves but points to the refreshment they know their panting souls will receive by saying, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

This refrain teaches us the discipline of preaching the truth to ourselves in the face of despair. Instead of passively listening to their own troubled thoughts, they preach to their own souls, reminding themselves of who God is and where their hope must rest. This does not change their circumstances but points them to the God who provides hope in the midst of circumstances. He is faithful. He provides rest. He provides solace. He IS their hope.

Seeing Jesus in Psalms 42 & 43

These psalms find their fulfillment in Jesus, who fully experienced the anguish of a downcast soul. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus echoed the sons of Korah when He said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). On the cross, He endured the mockery of His enemies jsut as they did (vv. 42:3, 10; Matthew 27:39-43). Yet, even in His suffering, Jesus fully entrusted Himself to His Father’s will and endured the full weight of God’s wrath against sin – our sin – that we might never be truly abandoned.

The sons of Korah longed for God’s presence, and through Jesus, that longing is ultimately fulfilled. Jesus Himself is the “light and truth” that leads us to God (v. 43:3; John 8:12, 14:6). He is Emmanuel, God with us, who will never leave nor forsake His people. And because of His resurrection and promised return, we can confidently hope in God, knowing that no matter our circumstances we too will “again praise Him” (v. 43:5).

Reflection

Can you identify with the sorrow and despair found in Psalms 42 and 43? If so, I hope you see the promise of hope and relief found in Jesus. He bore our shame and sin and adopts us into His family.

There is coming a day when the tears that flow ever so easily here in this fallen world will be wiped away for the last time by His nail-scarred hand when He comes to dwell with His people – where death will be nothing more than a fading memory – where there shall be no more “mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

In the meantime between that promise and its fulfillment, there is a lot of despair and downcast souls and pain and sorrow. There is a lot of panting for streams of relief. But, oh, there is so much hope to be found. May we not be left in the question of why our souls are downcast but let us preach the beautiful truth of the psalmists refrain: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God”!

Here’s a song inspired by Psalm 42:

The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.

Won’t you take the challenge?

“From Betrayal to Blessing” from Psalm 41 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

By this I know that You delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But You have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in Your presence forever.
Psalm 41:11-12

Psalm 41 is a psalm of both confidence and lament, showing David’s trust in God even as he faces sickness, slander, and betrayal. It begins with a blessing on the “one who considers the poor” because the Lord will deliver him in “the day of trouble” (v. 1). David knows that God sees and cares for those who show mercy, and he clings to this truth as he cries out to God for grace and healing (v. 4).

David’s suffering at the hands of his enemies is worsened by the betrayal of a “close” and “trusted” friend, one who he once shared meals with (v. 9). His foes whisper in the shadows about his downfall, waiting for him to die and be forgotten (vv. 5-8). In his distress, David prays, “O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that i may repay them!” (v. 10). His hope doesn’t rest in his strength as he clearly has none and cannot overcome his foes on his own. His only hope is in God’s strength and faithfulness; he trusts that the Lord will uphold him and not allow his enemies to triumph over him (vv. 11-12).

The psalm ends with a beautiful doxology (formula for praising the Lord) that we can echo today: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and amen.” (v. 13) This shows that, despite his suffering, David praises the Lord and exalts His name and that no matter what, God’s justice and mercy will prevail.

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 41

Psalm 41 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the true and greater King. David’s words about the betrayal of a close friend in v. 9 are quoted by Jesus in reference to Judas Iscariot (John 13:18). Judas, who had walked with Jesus and shared meals with Him, turned against Him and handed Him over to His enemies.

Like David, Jesus was surrounded by those who whispered against Him, mocked Him, and plotted His demise (vv. 5-8, Matthew 26:3-4). Yet, unlike David, Jesus did not pray for deliverance from death but submitted to His Father’s will and plan by willingly enduring betrayal, suffering, and the cross for our salvation. Though His enemies thought they had triumphed, God raised Him up in victory (v. 10), exalting Him to His rightful place at the Father’s right hand (Philippians 2:9-11). And through His resurrection, Jesus secured ultimate healing, restoration, and vindication for all who have faith in Him.

Reflection

For those who have faced betrayal, affliction, or opposition, Psalm 41 offers a reminder that God sees, sustains, and vindicates His people. It is tempting to try and vindicate ourselves or to give up in the face of overwhelming circumstances, but Jesus has made a way for us. He endured so that we may have eternal life, leaving us with the reminder that this world is not all there is. For those who have confessed Him as Lord and believed He is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9), He saves not only from our sin but forevermore!

Even when we are afflicted, betrayed, or opposed, God remains faithful. He will sustain us. Follow the example of David in Psalm 41, and trust that the Lord delights in His people – that He delights in saving us.

Won’t you take the challenge?