Revelation 5
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- Written by: Adam Cetrangolo
GOD’S IN CHARGE, SO GET WITH THE PROGRAM audio (4MB)
Some of you here may know that up until the end of 2008, Heather and I were living on the Gold Coast, where we had been for four years. I was working as a full-time Lay Pastoral Worker in the Catholic Church and Heather was in her second last year of formation for ordained ministry. And I was thriving in my work but wrestling with the possibility that God might be calling me to ordained ministry too.
Rev 4
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Throne Room of Heaven audio (4MB)
I applied for ordination in 1988 - in another diocese from this. When I went for the interview to see if I was acceptable, one of the questions I was asked was “What is God like for you?” It’s a good question, isn’t it? What is your image of God? Now I have an idea that the answer I gave wasn’t the right one because they ended up telling me to come back in a year’s time to ask again. Or perhaps it was the right one but not the one that most of them thought was right. It’s very easy to get a mixed up view of what God is like, isn’t it? Popular views of God change with the popular culture. I think if you asked many Christians in the west today their answer would be something along the lines of “God is a God of love” or “God is my friend” - “my mate” as one of our kids songs puts it. Or God is the all-loving, ever-patient, longsuffering parent who’s just waiting for us to come back to him. All of those ideas are true of course. God is all of those things. But none of them sums up his nature sufficiently. What we find in our passage today is so far beyond anything I just mentioned that it’s likely to blow your mind.
Series: 66: Revelation
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Revelation
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Vision of a Transcendent God |
Rev 1:1-20 |
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The Throne Room of Heaven |
Rev 4:1-11 |
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Vision of a Redeeming God |
Rev 5:1-14 |
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Seven Seals: Persecution and Vindication |
Rev 6:1-17; 7:1-4,9-17 |
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Trumpets of Chaos & Destruction |
Rev 8:6-13 |
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Rage against the Church W |
Rev 12:1-17 |
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The Eternal Gospel |
Rev 14:6-20 |
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Destruction of Babylon & The Beast NC |
Rev 17:1-14 |
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All Hail the Lamb |
Rev 21:1-22:5 |
Rev 1:1-20
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
7 Stars and 7 Lampstands audio (4MB)
Today we begin a series on the book of Revelation. You may be aware that this is not an easy book to follow so let me give you a short introduction. The first thing to understand is that this is not a work of history, though it is firmly rooted in the history of the Church since Jesus Christ. It’s not wisdom literature like the psalms or proverbs. It is a letter, but not like any of the other letters you may be familiar with. It’s what’s called Apocalyptic. If you’d lived in the first century when John was writing this you’d understand exactly what that meant, but since you don’t, let me try to explain. Apocalyptic writing uses strange, often fantastic, imagery to describe what might happen in the future. The closest thing we have to it today would be science fiction/fantasy literature. But even that doesn’t really explain it because what we find here isn’t a linear story. It uses picture language, but the picture is moving. Someone has described it as mobile metaphor. Sometimes it’s like we’re looking at the same scene from multiple vantage points - the same characters and events pop up but the picture is different each time.
But let’s look at how the letter begins. He writes: “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.” This is a message from God via Jesus Christ who sends an angel to John so he can pass the message on to us. And it’s a revelation. That is, it’s the unveiling of something that was previously hidden.
Matt 5:1-12
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Blessings of God’s Kingdom audio (2MB)
I wonder did you see or hear all the discussion on Australia day about what it means to be Australian. We have a quite a few people here who didn’t grow up in Australia. I wonder what they think it is that makes up the Australian Character? You might like to ask them later over lunch. It’s interesting to think about what makes Australians different from those who grew up in other places - Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa. But we’re not going to do that today. We’re going to think about what makes us different as members of the Kingdom of Heaven. Here in Matthew 5 Jesus outlines the sorts of characteristics that are to be found among those who are members of God’s Kingdom.
But first notice the setting. At the end of ch 4 we have a picture of large crowds coming out to hear Jesus and to be healed by him. He’s surrounded by these people. Ministry opportunities everywhere. But then in ch 5, Matthew tells us that when he saw the large crowds he withdrew to the top of a mountain and his disciples came to him. That begs the question, doesn’t it, why does Jesus leave centre stage and withdraw with just his disciples? Why give up the opportunity presented by this huge crowd and limit himself to a few disciples? Well, the answer is that he isn’t on about the centre stage. He’s come to prepare a people to live in God’s kingdom. He knows that this small group of disciples are capable of changing the world if they get their lives on track.
So Jesus withdraws, just far enough away that only those who really want to hear what he has to say will follow. Matthew points out that he goes up a mountain because he wants us to recall Moses going up Mt Sinai to receive the law. The law taught the people of Israel how to live and now Jesus is teaching his disciples how to live.
Jesus Christ Superstar
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- Written by: Heather Cetrangelo
Matthew 4:12-25
Jesus Christ is a Superstar.
By chapter 4, Matthew has finished telling us all the background, about who Jesus is, where he was born ..
Now Jesus is a grown up. He’s left his home in Nazareth, and it’s time to launch his big mission to save the world … and Matthew puts him on centre stage, with his name in big Broadway lights …
As if to say, ‘Come and see the show. Jesus Christ Superstar. The greatest show in the world!’
And then he adds rock music, flashing lights and glitter falling from the ceiling. Have a look, you’ll see it all in chapter 4 (v15-16) …
“The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light” and, more accurately than your translation there .. “the ones who sit in the land and darkness of death, on them a light has risen.”
The land of death … is the world we live in.
… Matthew paints a picture of this dark place where the crowds gather in, and then he adds big lights, spotlight on Jesus. Everyone who he touches gets healed, and he travels from town to town and his fame grows.
Jesus Christ is a Superstar. You could almost make a musical out of it.
John 1:29-42
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Behold the Lamb of God audio (2MB)
I like John the Baptist. He’s such a contrast to the dominant model of the celebrity today. I assume you’ve noticed how important the cult of the celebrity is today. When celebrities speak it’s all about them. It’s just assumed that everyone is interested in what they’re interested in. Whether it’s some prince getting married or a princess having children or Oprah at the Opera house we’re all expected to watch with bated breath for what they’ll do or say next.
John the Baptist was certainly a celebrity. Matthew tells us about him. He appears in the wilderness telling people to repent. He wears “clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” This is code: John appears dressed like Elijah. His message is like that of the Old Testament prophets - a call to the nation to turn back to God. He’s clearly a celebrity.
