Balancing Ministry N' Work

1.      Setting the stage a.       God the Father is sitting on His throne holding the scroll. b.      24 elders and 4 creatures are praising God constantly. c.       The Holy Spirit is there in the form of 7 fiery torches. d.      John thought no one could open the Seals on the scroll. e.       But… then Jesus appears.                                                     i.      Not in His glorious form described in chapter 1.                                                   ii.      He appeared as a slaughtered Lamb.                                                 iii.      He took the scroll from the Father’s hand. f.       Revelation 5:13 - All of Creation praised Jesus. 2.      The Seals of Revelation. a.       When:                                                     i.      Not the day or time that no man can know, but more of in what order do these events play out? b.      Daniel 9:27                                                     i.      The ve

1.      The stage is set. a.       Last week we transitioned from the letters given to the seven churches by Jesus through John, to a glimpse of heaven. b.      The Father’s throne.                                                     i.      Made of fiery red stone – wrath of God.                                                   ii.      Crystal clear representing his perfect holiness.                                                 iii.      Surrounded by a beautiful rainbow – God’s promises. c.       Twenty-four thrones                                                     i.      With OT and NT elders sitting upon it. d.      Seven fiery torches are the different ministries of the Holy Spirit. e.       A sea of glass. f.       Four creatures Lion, Ox, Man, and Flying Eagle – convey who God is. g.      We saw that those gathered, the elders and the creatures, gave constant praise to our God. h.      The stage is set for what comes next. 2.      Revelation 5:1

1.      Quick Refresher a.       We have looked at John and his vision of Jesus walking among 7 golden lampstands. b.      We have reviewed verses that describe Jesus in all of His resurrected Glory!                                                     i.      Eyes of fiery flame that sees the truth.                                                   ii.      A double-edged sword coming out of His mouth that prunes away sin and brings judgement to those who reject Him.                                                 iii.      His face shines as bright as the sun at full strength. c.       We were reminded that Jesus loves us and meets us where we are at. He bends down and touches us because He knows we cannot reach up to Him. d.      Then there was a lot of great ‘stuff’ in seven letters that Jesus wrote through John.                                                     i.      Love God                                                   ii.      Hold true to the Word of G