Revelation: The Christ of Communication

Key Text: Revelation 1:1-8

Key Theme: He is the God who reveals His will to His people.

Join us for our introductory week to our new series on Revelation.

#SpoilerAlert #JesusWins

The Beginning Of The End: The Lion and The Lamb

All stories have a beginning, and almost all have an end. Redemption’s Story is one of the few that will continue into eternity. This study of Revelation closes out our 8 year series by pointing forward to the end of this age and the beginning of the next. It is a celebration of the victory of the Lamb, a highlight of eternity that encompasses the great story of redemption and sees it complete, as sin and death are ultimately done away with—and not content with the bruising they received at the Cross, God will crush with finality his enemies. Redemption’s Story consummates with the eternal worship of the redeeming love of God, shown in perfection through Jesus Christ, at the foot of throne.

For those wanting to meet with others to study this book in partnership with the preaching schedule, a ‘suggested study passage’ is included below. A number of good study methods are out there, but a great one can be found at the RANSOM site here (a printable version can be downloaded at the bottom of the linked page).

Outline and Notes

The following outline is taken from the Holman Reference series, ‘Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Revelation’, by Daniel L. Akin

Week One — Introduction: The Christ of Communication

• Key Passage: 1:1-8

• Key Theme: He is the God who reveals his will to his people

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 1:1-8

Week Two — Vision 1: The Christ of the churches

• Key Passage: 1:9—3:22

• Key Theme: He is the God who rebukes and refreshes his churches

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 1:9-20

Week Three — Vision 2: The Christ of the cosmos

• Key Passage: 4:1—16:21

• Key Theme: He is the God who reclaims the earth for his kingdom

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 4:1—5:14

Week Four — Vision 3: The Christ of Conquest

• Key Passage: 17:1—21:8

• Key Theme: He is the God who repays the ungodly for their sin

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 19:1-21

Week Five — Vision 4: The Christ of Consummation

• Key Passage: 21:9—22:5

• Key Theme: He is the God who reigns for all eternity

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 21:9-27

Week Six — Conclusion: The Christ of challenge

• Key Passage: 22:6-21

• Key Theme: He is the God who requests all to come to him

• Suggested Study Passage: Revelation 22:6-21

Who Do You Follow?

Key Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

Three truths to embrace. One caution to heed.

Refresh My Heart

Key Text: Philemon 17-20

1. The gospel creates one man from two

2. The gospel creates a deep accountability for each other

3. The gospel refreshes us even through the actions of others

For further reading, here is an article Chris wrote on the same topic recently.

The Meekness and Might of Mary: How wonder and curiosity magnify God’s glory

Key Text: Luke 1:26-56

At first glance, Mary’s response to the news of her pregnancy seems not too dissimilar to Zechariah’s. Yet the angel’s response is dramatically different; rather than rebuke, Mary receives a blessing. Something about Mary’s posture before God was different. Mary’s heart was meek, yet her simple belief was mighty. Rather than belittle God, our awestruck wonder and holy curiosity magnify the glory of God. To Mary, it didn’t seem possible, but God was in it, so she sat back in wonder to wait on how he would fulfil his promise. When that happens, when our lives are filled with expectant wonder and curiosity, God gets even more praise.

The Harm And Hope Of Scoffing: Learning a lesson from Zechariah

Key Text: Luke 1:5-24, 57-79

When Gabriel the Angel delivers the exciting news of a promised son for Zechariah the priest and his barren wife, the aged man’s first response was scoffing laughter and disrespectful questioning. There’s harm in that type of response. Laughing at God in disbelief comes with a warning label. But there’s also hope in this story. The story doesn’t end in mute silence, instead, it climaxes in joyful prophetic singing. Zechariah’s hope — our hope — was about to step into our world.

Fighting For Unity

Key Text: Joshua 22:1-34

Unity is a treasure worth fighting for. But how we fight for it, and why we fight for it matters!

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

Join us this week as we explore the fragile gift of Christian unity, and how we can contend well for it.

Inheritance

Key Text: Joshua 13:1 — 21:45

1. What’s the caution?

2. What’s the story?

3. What is ‘inheritance’?

4. What’s the point?

5. What’s the big deal?

6. What’s grace got to do with it?

6 questions to shape our thinking as we consider this significant chapter in Israel’s story.

Resistance and Victory

Key Text: Joshua 9:1 — 12:24

As the dust settles after Jericho’s fall, and the tears dry after Achan’s sin. After the people once again humble themselves under God’s mighty hand and take the city of Ai, all the nations of Cana rise up to stand against the children of Israel.

How do we handle the reality that God’s promises don’t always come easily? Join us this week as we consider what God is teaching us through these battles of resistance that Joshua faces.

The Promise Keeping God

Joshua Series Introduction

The book of Joshua, and particularly the character of Joshua, has often been used as a source of inspiration for many different purposes. Sermons have been preached, and books have been written, on a wide range of topics all drawn from these 24 chapters. Leadership, strategy, progress, courage, conflict resolution — among many others, are some of the topics you’ll find addressed by inspiration from this book. But though his name is used as the title, this book isn’t really about Joshua. Nor is it particularly about leadership, or courage — this book, like every other in the Bible, is primarily about God. In particular, the dominant theme of Joshua is that of a God who is faithful to his own word, and that he is a God who saves!

As a way of introduction, the following clip was played just prior to the sermon starting. This clip was written and produced by the creative team from The Bible Project.

Watch our Read Scripture video on the book of Joshua, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Joshua, after Moses' death, Joshua leads Israel and they settle in the promised land currently occupied by Canaanites.

Chair One: The Lost

“Jesus recognised that people were at different stages in the disciple-making journey, and that was okay. He started where people were and intentionally moved them to a deeper level of growth and maturity. He started with seeker (Chair 1) and then moved them to believers (Chair 2). In time, he challenged these believers to become workers in the harvest field (Chair 3) and, finally, fully trained reproducing disciple-makers (Chair 4).” — Dann Spader

Join us this week as we unpack the context of Chair 1, then explore the ministry principles we need to understand in helping us to take the gospel to the lost of Raymond Terrace and beyond.