What can we learn about worship through the book of Revelation?

Question:

What can we learn about worship through the book of Revelation?

Answer:

Before I begin I must humbly submit that I find this book to be most difficult to grasp. I will quote John Calvin who himself did not choose to write a commentary on this book for fear of err. In his commentary on Galatians, Calvin said the following about the interpretation of Scripture: “Let us know then, that the true meaning of Scripture is the natural and obvious meaning, and let us embrace and abide by it resolutely.” He even goes so far as to say “Let us not only neglect as doubtful, but boldly set aside as deadly corruptions, those pretended expositions, which lead us away from the natural meaning.”

I present this merely in humble agreement as to my abilities to understand Revelation in its entirety. That being said we can begin by simply looking at the examples of worship we see through John’s (son of Zebedee (Matthew 10:2)) apocalyptic accounts. Interestingly, if we err and think we may more clearly understand these visions if we witnessed them first hand (as John had) this may not be the case as John’s purpose was indeed to write down what he experienced in order to share it with others (Revelation 1:11) so we should be able to take this account and glean what God had intended for us.

What we see through Revelation (perhaps not coincidentally a vision that occurs on the Lord’s Day) is this constant veneration by all for the …

Your God is too small!

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“Do you know why it is so crucial for us to recover such a respectful understanding? Because a shallow view of God leads to a shallow life. Cheapen God and you cheapen life itself. Treat God superficially, and you become superficial. But hold God in profoundest respect, and it is remarkable how deep the roots of your spiritual life grow.” - Charles R. Swindoll

“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty” - Job 11:7

“Again, our eyes frequently cannot look upon the nature of the light itself  —  that is, upon the substance of the sun; but when we behold his splendor or his rays pouring in, perhaps, through windows or some small openings to admit the light, we can reflect how great is the supply and source of the light of the body. So in like manner, the works of Divine Providence and the plan of this whole world are a sort of rays, as it were, of the nature of God, in comparison with His real substance and being. As, therefore, our understanding is unable of itself to behold God Himself as He is, it knows the Father of the world from the beauty of His works and the comeliness of His creatures.” - Origen

Key takeaway(s):

1. Understanding God’s awesomeness is critical to how we live our Christian life
2. Not understanding the “bigness” of God results in idolatry
3. If we do not have a “big” view of

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Define the nature of sin and discuss its consequences both temporally and eternally.

Question:

Define the nature of sin and discuss its consequences both temporally and eternally.

Answer:

When evaluating sin we must understand it in the context of our humanity. John 8:44 says “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

We can understand that by nature we are objects of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3) and this is so because our father is the devil until God adopts us into His family (Ephesians 1:5). We also understand that since the origin of sin is the devil and our identity is initially found in him we must strive to examine the characteristics of Satan. In the above passage (John 8:44), we can clearly see that the natural implications of our hereditary makeup in the devil is to carry out his desire and inherit his other traits (sin). With this understanding of the origins of sin we can then posit the contrary premise that if our God is our Father than we must “carry out [His] desire” and this would be the opposite of sin. Thus, sin is doing something that is contrary to God our Father’s will  –  in effect aligned to Satan’s desire/will.

Additionally, as we would inherit the traits of the devil (once our father) we would then inherit …

Prayer: The great disappointment

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“Prayer is the breath of faith. Prayer meetings are the lungs of the church.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

“Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing’s shadow. When the sunlight of God’s mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

“When we come to God in prayer, we do not come hypocritically like play actors seeking the applause of men, nor mechanically like pagan babblers, whose mind is not in their mutterings, but thoughtfully, humbly and trustfully like little children to their Father.” - John Stott

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. ” - Psalm 34:15

Key takeaway(s):

1. There are a few items that can result in God turning His ear away from our prayers:
   • Injustice
   • Disobedience
   • Selfishness
   • Pride
   • Sin
   • Lack of faith
2. Praying to an all-knowing (omniscient) God still makes sense as it benefits us in a number of ways
3. Some quick prayer tips:
   • Focus on God - not yourself
   • Find a prayer partner
   • Know His Word
   • Ask the Spirit to help you
   • Seek and serve His kingdom

Overview:

Prayer is arguably the most fundamental of Christian practices and yet it is rarely studied or correctly understood. It is also central to an individual’s walk with God as one seeks to discern God’s will for their life and yet we often lack clarity on some real questions that may cross our minds …

Using I Corinthians, select three of Paul’s different areas of instruction. Describe his teaching in each and make modern day application.

Question:

Using I Corinthians, select three of Paul’s different areas of instruction. Describe his teaching in each and make modern day application.

Answer:

The book of 1 Corinthians, written by Apostle Paul around 53-54 AD, is a collection of mainly corrective rebukes targeted at the gentile church in Corinth. Paul seems to have heard news of some problems within the church, via Chloe’s household (1 Cor. 1:11) and writes this letter to correct some of these problems. Paul covers a wide range of issues from incest, to head coverings, to prostitution, to wisdom altogether addressing no less than 11 different issue areas.

1 Corinthians is laid out in a very logical order that helps us understand the mindset of Paul. As he opens his writings, from 1:10 to 6:20, we see that Paul is addressing the specific concerns brought to him (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19). In chapter 7, Paul then addresses the issues specifically highlighted in the letter from the church in Corinth to him. And finally in Chapter 16 Paul closes with a discussion on false teachings/understandings of the resurrection that may link to how the Corinthians were acting  –  not in accordance with the Spirit. Let’s look at 3 of Paul’s teachings more closely:

1.    Divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 1:10 - 4:21):

• Problem(s): (1) anti-Paul opinions (2) amongst some leaders (3) on the basis of perceived wisdom
• Teaching: Paul begins with a clear view of unity in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2-10) and starts with the idea of where wisdom is found

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