As we explore this final letter called Revelation, we are wrapping up our journey through The Story. We started in the garden in Genesis and we end in the garden in Revelation. The Tree of Knowledge and now the Tree and River of Life. As we wrap up our journey through the bible, we wrap up with one of the most confusing books of the bible. So I recognize many us have different understandings of this letter and the implication for the Christian life and faith. For those of you who participated in Sunday school, know I share a different perspective than Randy does. For there has been a vastness of movies that depict the ?end times? based on one way of interpretation of the book of Revelation. Yet, there are many different ways to interpret the symbolism of this last book in the bible. And although we could probably have a great time today talking through our many different understandings of Revelation, today I am going to share some of my learnings through preparing for today with some background information of Revelation. With this understanding and looking at the overarching theme of this book, I pray we will all continue to think about what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ in our time and place based on the vision God has for the church now. I invite you to pray with me over the sermon. Let us pray.
I shared with you a few weeks ago that I enjoy writing notes to people. And I wrote a ?letter? to the Church of Wintergarden. Revelation is also a letter. It is a letter to the 7 churches of Asia and it is a letter that is supposed to give the people hope for the immediate future. I have a stack of books right now that I am reading through and really enjoying uncovering the hidden story in this letter. Which has really surprised me! It is a letter that has received much criticism since it was written and mailed. Leaders of the gatherings of these faith communities would have received it, understood it, and shared it in its entirety. Not everyone would have agreed with the words written, but known the importance behind them. But when we read this letter, we don?t always receive it well, definitely don?t understand it, and share it only in bits and pieces. So as we explore the overarching aspects of Revelation, know that we are going to go into this whole book in more depth. I was planning on jumping right into that, but I have so much more reading to do to prepare, that I want to take a break from a series for the month of May, and then jump into Revelation over the summer. But here are some really important things to know about Revelation:
1. Revelation is supposed to be read in its entirety in one sitting and in front of the whole assembly.
2. From the moment it was written, Revelation has been a controversial letter.
3. This is a letter written to people that John knew and for whom he felt a pastoral responsibility. The letter is a substitute for the personal presence of the prophet John and his voice is made present and real through the letter even when he is absent.
4. The imagery of Revelation, which seems pretty crazy, weird, and bizarre to us, is mostly taken from images familiar to those who were accustomed to hearing the Bible read in worship services of the ongoing People of God.
5. The structure of the letter moves from being the assembled congregation, to hearing the hope about the Messianic banquet, to a Eucharistic celebration. Our section today is during the part about the Messianic banquet.
6. This letter was written to specific Christians in a specific place, time, and situation. It was not written to us. Just like Paul?s letter to the Corinthians was not written to us, this letter to the seven churches of Asia was not written to us.
7. In order to understand the letter to the churches of Asia, we need to understand what was happening in the original situation. Remember, those who would have received this letter even 100 years after it was written had to be reminded of the historical context the letter was written in. And so do we.
8. This letter was written to offer hope for the people who it was written to all those years ago and a message of hope for us today.
Now that we have a basic framework for issues and concerns around Revelation, I am just going to do a brief history lesson. ?Asia? is the name of the Roman province located on the western coast of present day Turkey. The apostle Paul and his co-workers established congregations during the mid-first century in this region. There was a catastrophic war in Palestine that led to many Jewish and Jewish-Christians immigrants and refugees into Asia. Judaism was also undergoing a clarification of its own identity and a restructuring of its institutions. For up until this time, Jewish and Jewish-Christians were all under the umbrella of Judaism. But during the reconstruction, there became conflicting claims about who could really be a Jew. The Christians in Asia were caught in the conflict. John is responding to the crisis that is happening and is doing so after 70AD and probably had written the letter around 90AD.
Also during this time, there was increasing social and political pressures and tensions between the government and Christianity. The church was in a transitional and vulnerable situation where they were trying to figure out what it meant to move forward in faith, understand their identity, and move forward with new leadership. The question that seemed to be on their minds was the following: What did it mean to be Christian, to try to follow Jesus as Lord, in such a place and time?
Due to various wars, a troubled empire, tyranny and death, famine, and more, Rome was in a place of high crisis and the Christians were often the subject of social and economic discrimination, constant tension, and harassment-maybe even mob violence and plundering of property. Which continued to force the Christians to ask, ?Who are we??
As I have read through the material, as I have written these words, and as I just shared them with you, I am able to think about what is happening in our country and around the world. When I was reading through the historical context, I don?t know how much has changed for our sisters and brothers across the globe. All of these things seem to still be happening in our world and we still need to figure out what the best response is as Christians. And I think the church in the United States is in a similar place of transition and vulnerability in our core identity with one another, those in our community, and with how we engage the trouble that is happening around the world. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let?s get into the passage for today.
John had written specific and overarching messages to the seven churches of Asia. Overall he had similar messages to send to the churches. Here are three examples:

To the church in Pergamum: Rev. 2: 13, 14 ?These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live?where Satan has his throne.Yet you remain true to my name.There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.? False prophet, adultery, idols, sexual immorality. John is encouraging them to listen to the Truth. This church is worshiping other gods and following the ways of sin. Their priority doesn?t seem to be in godly ways, but in ways that fill them immediately. These are still true words for the people of God today.
To the Church in Sardis: Rev. 3: 1-3 ?I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.? John is challenging the people because he believes them to be spiritually dead?they might be the group of Christians that go through the motions, yet don?t live out their belief in the risen Lord very well. These are still true words for the people of God today.
To the Church in Laodicea: Rev 3:15-16?I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm?neither hot nor cold?I am about to spit you out of my mouth.? Begin a lukewarm gathering of believers might be the hardest thing to be called. These are still true words for the people of God today.
As John wrote all of these churches, he encouraged all of them to repent and prepare for what was immediately coming. John wanted everyone to be able to experience the hope, love, and healing power of Jesus Christ. John also wanted everyone to be gathered together around the Tree of Life and the River of Life. John?s ultimate desire for the church, the gathering of people who believed in God, is with us through every beginning and every ending and is present with us now as well as in the eternity. He also reminded them that these words were trustworthy and true. Just like us, we need that reminder when things are hard, challenging, hurtful, painful, difficult, etc.
Now I don?t know about you, but I believe the church and Christians are still doing the same thing. And I think the church then and now struggles with whom they are to be in their community. The question that the people would have been asking when the letter was written was ?What did it mean to be Christian, to try to follow Jesus as Lord, in such a place and time?? and ?who are we?? are still very valid today. I think the leadership of every church needs to be asking the same question.
So as you think through our journey through the bible, know that The Story is integral to our lives and our walk through the bible is truly just beginning. Just as the early Christians had a choice in how to believe and who to follow and how to live out their lives, so do we. We now get to choose how we will live out the greatest story ever told. Over the course of the next week, it is my prayer that all of us can reflect on what it means to be Christian in a community where it might not be a priority and how we go about our daily lives showing people what it means to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This passage from Revelation reminds us that there is so much more to come-in our present life and in the life to come-for all who believe and trust in God. God?s mercy is truly from everlasting to everlasting. May we be the bearers of this news to those in our neighborhood and community, and offer words of hope and healing like John was during his time when things were unknown about what the future would hold. The Story truly now begins. What part are you going to play? Amen.

Then I saw ?a new heaven and a new earth,?for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ?Look! God?s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ?He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death? or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.?He who was seated on the throne said, ?I am making everything new!? Then he said, ?Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.?