ÿþ <html> <head> <title>Welcome to First United Methodist Church, El Dorado, AR,  Our Certain Future: a Study of Revelation. </title><!--- Jan 3, 2010 --> <meta name="description" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. First Church, First Methodist, Methodist John Wesley, Methodist, United Methodist Youth, United Methodist women" /> <meta name="keywords" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. 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It is with deep regret, then, that I must stand before you today and confess the sin of pride. After struggling all week to come up with an appropriate introduction to my new sermon series on Revelation, I opened yesterday s paper to find out that I had to start all over. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> In the off-chance that some of you did not read the paper yesterday, let me simply say that one of the front-page articles was entitled  Sign of the Apocalypse? and discussed how the recent mystery of thousands of birds falling dead out of the sky near Beebe, the unexplained fish kill in Arkansas, and other recent strange occurrences of mass bird and fish kills around the world might well be signs that the end of the world is near. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> This is where my pride kicked in. The AP reporter out of Little Rock actually quoted a professor at some seminary in <i>North Carolina</i> of all places as an  expert in his article. I was offended that I hadn t been contacted, until I realized that I hadn t yet widely advertized my intentions on studying Revelation. I felt better knowing that I would surely have been quoted if only the reporter had known that an expert was so close at hand! </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> That is why today I am excited to be on the radio so I can announce to the world the beginning of this sermon series and place my name in the mix of other experts who can so readily use bird kills and Do-do bird sightings and whatever other strange phenomena might arise to clearly predict when Christ is returning. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Those of you who know of my previous reluctance to delve into the deep mysteries of Revelation will understand that this is not an easy thing for me to do. However, I understand the pride that congregations want to have in their pastor, and so I see this as an opportunity for you to be able to proudly tell your friends that your pastor is finally an expert on something! </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Well, with that confession behind me, let us begin. Will you join me in prayer?... </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> An ancient legend tells of a general whose army was afraid to fight. The soldiers were frightened. The enemy was too strong. Their fortress was too high and their weapons too mighty. The king, however, was not afraid. He knew his men would win. How could he convince them? </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> He had an idea. He told his soldiers that he possessed a magical coin. A prophetic coin. A coin which would foretell the outcome of the battle. On one side was an eagle and on the other a bear. He would toss the coin. If it landed eagle-side up, they would surely win. If it landed with the bear up, they would certainly lose. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> The army was silent as the coin flipped in the air. Soldiers circled as it fell to the ground. They held their breath as they looked and shouted when they saw the eagle. Their army would win. Bolstered by the assurance of victory, the men marched against the castle and won. It was only after the victory that the king showed the men the coin. The two sides were identical. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Though the story is fictional and perhaps even predictable, the point is reliable: assured victory empowers the army. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> The year was about 90 AD, and things were not going well for Christians. The Roman empire was strong and repressive. Persecution of the Christian church had formally begun in 64 AD during the reign of Nero. Now, under the reign of Emperor Domitian, the pressure was even greater. A decree had gone out that all subjects of Rome must bow down and worship Domitian as god. Failure to do so would lead to death or exile. Already most of the apostles had been killed. Paul had been put to death almost 25 years earlier. John, perhaps the last of the apostles, was now in exile, imprisoned on the small island of Patmos in the Mediterranean. For the Christians, things were difficult and hope was hard to find. The enemy seemed too strong. Defeat seemed inevitable. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> That may be the reason God gave to John the great vision recorded in the Book of Revelation. It gave the faithful, beleaguered people of God a privileged glimpse into the final battlefield. They could watch as literally all hell broke loose and all heaven came forth in the ultimate battle of good and evil. Left standing amidst the smoke and thunder would be the Son of God, Jesus, come once as a suffering servant, but soon returning as a commanding king. Satan will be defeated. Christ would be triumphant. Their future was certain. The vision given to John assured the people of their ultimate victory, and thus empowered them to go on. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> We, too, still need assurance of victory. In the tough, uncertain times of life we need to know that God is with us, that God will always be with us, and that we are on the wining side. That s why for the next several months we will be studying the Book of Revelation and its personal message to us. We ll look at the broad themes on Sunday mornings and at the smaller details on Sunday evenings. We will see God and Jesus as portrayed nowhere else. We will come to better understand not only the origins of evil but the consequences and final outcome of the same. We will remember God s original creation and glimpse his final re-creation. Above all, we will see how through Jesus Christ God fulfills his plan for humanity. In the process, I hope you will be strengthened. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> This morning I want to set the stage for what is to come by focusing on the first three verses of this great book. <b><i> The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw - that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Rev 1:1-3 </i></b> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> This book begins with the words, <b> The revelation.... </b> The Greek word is  apokalupsis, from which we get the word  apocalypse. It literally means,  to uncover, or  to reveal. This vision that follows was meant by God to help reveal deep mysteries and to uncover hidden truths. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Apocalyptic writing is a special kind of writing. It tends to focus on future events, and usually paints vivid and mysterious scenes of vast upheavals followed by decisive divine acts. Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah all contain apocalyptic writing. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> What is important to understand today is that the apocalyptic way of writing was familiar to people in John s time. They understood that it was vivid and bold and meant to be seen and felt as much as it was to be heard. We may not understand all the details of this vision, but we will not likely forget them! The details are often vivid and strong, colorful images that work together to tell a larger story. Because of that I will not bog our study down by trying to interpret every image or to tie every detail to some world event, except when there is an obvious connection - like bird kills. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Friends, let us be honest. Preachers and biblical scholars have been trying to interpret Revelation s details for centuries, and their efforts have almost always come to failure. For that reason, let us decide to read this book as simply as we can and whenever possible allow the text to speak for itself. What did the vision mean for the people in John s time, and only then what might it mean for us today? </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> So... Revelation is apocalyptic literature, like many other examples in the Bible, and yet it is completely different in one most important way: this is the apocalypse - or revelation - of Jesus Christ! This surprising disclosure of what was previously hidden comes from Jesus Christ himself and, as vs. 1 clearly states, was given primarily <b><i> ...to show his servants what must soon take place. </i></b> In chapters 2-3 we will see that this revelation was first for the embattled Christians in seven early churches located in Asia Minor. It was meant to encourage and strengthen them in the midst of the dark times they were then facing by being honest about both the hard times and the relief that would soon come. It is only secondarily a revelation to us today. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> This book, then, is a revelation from Jesus through John, to both the early church and to us! It is unique in one other way. It is the only book in the Bible that ends by promising a special curse for those who add or take away from it, and is also the only book in the Bible that begins by offering a special blessing to those who read and study it, and it is this blessing that we will accept as we start this series. <b> Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near </b> (1:3). Good people, our God is powerful and will prevail! Our victory is assured! Our future is certain! Praise be to God! 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