Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 5 February 2023
I have a dream
Scripture References: Revelation 21:1-8, Psalms 6:1-10, Genesis 3:17-24
Gathering Growing Going
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CloseThe future seems so amorphous, and so contested. Some people offer this vision, others offer that vision, and then more say that it cannot be known, so just live now. God gives His people a vision for the future that is rooted in His promises in the past, that deals with the very real events we experience daily, and which affirms the certainty of what we can look forward to. Revelation is the statement to God’s people that Jesus – regardless of their circumstances – is the King of all, loves His mob, has dealt with their sin, and has their future assured. In a world filled with rival empires to God, in a world where Christians are actively persecuted and marginalised, in a world where God himself is actively challenged, God’s people need this reassurance about the certain rule of Jesus. This reassurance enables them to persevere. This perseverance is towards a future that God Himself has promised – and has achieved so certainly that it is immovable. And it is a future that is good beyond our comprehension!
Scripture References: Revelation 21:1-8, Psalms 6:1-10, Genesis 3:17-24
Related Topics: Life | More Messages from Bernard Gabbott | Download Audio
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
The book of Esther recounts a period where God's people are in exile, aliens in a foreign land. Sounds like our time doesn't it? Even when God seems absent, He is at work. The great reversal of power at the heart of the universe has already taken place. Jesus won victory over death on the cross and in His resurrection. Satan the great enemy of God and His people, has been defeated. We wait in the now but not yet. Waiting for the Lord Jesus to return and give His people relief and rest. But as we wait, we share the good news of the gospel, call people to faith in Jesus, faithfully endure persecution, knowing that our deliverance is assured.
We love a turning point. Whether it is a story or a football game. Hope dawning at the darkest time. Where is the great turning point in Esther? It could be our memory verse, when Esther is persuaded by Mordecai to act to save her people. It could be when the king looks with favour upon Esther and holds out the golden scepter to her. It could be when Haman is forced to lead Mordecai through the city mounted on the king’s horse and proclaims that he is the man the king delights to honour. They are major events in the story of Esther. They are turning points of a sort. But the writer of Esther points us to another event. That looks so trivial.
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