Mld talk heritage Day gwc friday 23 sept 2022 Revelation 7: 3,4; 9-10, 13-14, 17
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MLD talk heritage Day GWC Friday 23 sept 2022 Revelation 7:3,4; 9-10, 13-14, 17 Today we celebrate Heritage day and we all take pleasure in the fact that we are one family here at GWC though this family is drawn from a diverse body of people. We are a unity in diversity. People everywhere long for this, but we have it in great measure because of who God is and what he has done for us through his son Jesus Christ. 1. the first thing to note is theme of salvation. 7:10. The big thing that life is all about is getting to know God, and if you get to know him you will know him saviour. Even the name Jesus means Yahweh saves. Life is not about having a job, earning money, having a wife or husband, having children, about building a name for yourself, about study and qualifications…all of which are good things. However, Life is first and foremost about knowing God, and you know that you have found Him if you can say: Salvation belongs to God and to Jesus who is the Lamb. And this is the key to our unity too. We are one people because there is only One God who saves us only one way – through the Lamb. Notice that everyone in this great multitude at this Revelation Heritage Assembly all say the same thing: 7:10. So that’s the 1s thing 2. The 2nd thing to note is that the Cross of Christ is the key. 7:9,14 The picture has people dressed in white robes. You and I by nature have dirty clothes. We are soiled and polluted by sin and rebellion against God. We were born polluted which was what Jeiwsh circumcision was supposed to teach: human nature is at its source polluted and the sinful part needs to be cut away. You need to have your old self put off, and a new self put on. But how can you and I have our sinful nature cut away? Cutting our bodies cant do it? Religion cant do it. Church cant do it. Religious rites and ceremonies cant do it. Baptism cant. There is only one way to become acceptable and sinless in God’s sight – only one way! There is only one way to change your dirty clothes and make them spotless and white. That is by washing them in the blood of jesus! Quite a picture! The death of Jesus on the cross (to shed blood means you die) can take your sin away… and has taken your sin away. Are you from a Xhosa background and youre a Christian? Then you have been dressed in white robes! Are your from a Gikuyu background and youre a Christian? Then you have been dressed in white robes! All who have come to God through Christ have had their sins forgiven and they are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 3. The 3rd thing to note is the focus on Christ 7:17, 10 What language do you speak? What culture do you come from? What interests me in these verses is that our distinctions and differences are outshone by the glory of God and the Lamb. The focus is on the One who saved us. One Cross, One lamb, one Shepherd, One God. But what language will we speak in heaven? There was a taste of heaven on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they all spoke in tongues. Acts 2:5-12 “5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”” Long ago at Babel (in the book of genesis) God brought about a confusion of languages. But now in Christ he removes this confusion. Through the Holy Spirit in heaven we will all be able to speak whatever language and understand whatever language. Will we all speak our home languages in heaven? In my view I think the answer is yes! Will our cultures all be represented there? I think the answer is yes! However, all the many languages will no longer present any barrier but instead be a blessing and we will speak and hear them with full understanding. We will be fully indwelt by the Spirit who is the Lord of language. But the focus will not be on us. It will be on Christ. It will be on the wonders of God achieved by the Lamb. 4. the 4th thing to note is that The Church is safe (I had previously said: the church is the Israel of God ) 7:4, 9 The people of god in the Old testament and the many people from every nation are all one people of God. He heard the number in 7:4 and then he looked and saw all the people 7:9. We are the 144000 which is a symbolic number: 12x12000. The number 12 is the number of God’s people: 12 tribes and 12 apostles. John wants us to read the Book of revelation and see that the full total of Israel and all God’s chosen people were always to be one people, and will forever be on people assembled around him. The tribulation oif Rev 6, and Rev 8-11 is interrupted by rev 7. God has always had one people in view. Not two peoples: Israel and the church. They are one people and can be called the 144 000 (7:4) or the mutlides (7:9). He has always had in mind to save us and we shall all be together in glory 7:17. The same Lamb of 6:1 is the Lamb who protects us 7;17 Download 15.64 Kb. Share with your friends:
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