GraceLife Sarasota GraceLife Sarasota

Have you ever been captivated, comforted, or awestruck by the beauty of God's creation? Maybe it was a serene mountain vista, a cascading waterfall, a majestic canyon, or a spectacular Siesta Key sunset? Everyone has experienced these moments. Even people who don’t believe in God appreciate the beauty of this world. However, anyone can see our world is far from perfect, plagued by natural disasters, extreme weather, earthquakes. Anyone can see how humanity has left permanent scars on the natural beauty of creation over thousands of years. We have inflicted damage on creation in the name of survival, conquest, greed, and even carelessness. Anyone, even those who don’t believe in God, can also observe the spiritual impact of human evil in the world. As beautiful as creation can still be in those moments, its full of spiritual chaos, immorality, violence, deception, etc. For the unredeemed, this fallen world is sadly all they have and the best they can hope for. This is as good as it gets. But for the redeemed, there is hope for a new world, where we live in perfect harmony w/nature, each other & with God.

Clothes are great, aren’t they? We desperately need them. The right clothes cover a multitude of dietary sins. Clothes can also communicate who or what we identify with: Ethnic groups, nationalities, sports teams, music genres. Clothes can also be a statement about what we believe, they can have slogans, like our GL t-shirts. Its important you wear the right clothes for your destination. You don’t wear a tuxedo to meet someone at Starbucks. You’re not going to wear beach shorts and flip-flops to a formal wedding, that would be disrespectful. There are types of clothes for different events: formal clothes, work clothes, beach clothes, dating clothes, court clothes. Have you ever worn the wrong clothes that lead to a miserable experience, too hot, too cold, to tight, too loose? Have you had the wrong clothes or had a wardrobe malfunction that made you the center of attention for all the wrong reasons? Underdressed? Overdressed? Button popped off? Zipper broke? Have your clothes ever offended someone? For the event we are studying today, your wardrobe choice will be the most critical of your life. Everything rides on it..

Although you cherish the precious promises of Jesus, do you ever feel drawn towards promises of this world? I personally struggle with this. But the worlds promises always seem to come w/a caveat, straying from God's people. It seems the world constantly beckons us w/enticing offers, like Satan tried to do with Jesus in the wilderness. But those promises usually require us to spend more time gathering with the world rather than with God’s people. It’s why followers of Jesus struggle, wandering away from the flock, scared we’re missing out we are lured away by this world. So, we try to split the difference. How can we gather with the world AND with God’s people? Best of both maybe? But my personal experience informs me, this time splitting has never gone well and it won't end well in the future either.

The 1,000-year Kingdom of God is an idea not found anywhere else in scripture, only here in Revelation. There are 4 main interpretations of the 1,000-year Kingdom, we won’t name them all here. A Rev Grace Group maybe? Sadly, these differing interpretations have led to significant division & conflict within the church. That is unacceptable. Some go so far as to brand those who disagree with them as heretics. I would imagine this grieves our Jesus. This passage, as the rest of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing, bringing joy & unity among us. So, when studying this passage, those should be our primary objectives. We must have humility & clarity. Have you ever felt powerless over something you can’t control, watching as a scenario plays out You know it will end badly, but you can’t do anything about it? That’s how Satan feels about God’s Kingdom. Even with all his power & rage, He is watching the Kingdom of God advance, spreading throughout this age. He helplessly watches as the church, who he hates, has authority from Jesus to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations.

As a follower of Jesus, would you say you believe in the power of God's Word? If you do, why do you believe in it? If our primary desire, our main goal is to be faithful followers of Jesus, we must understand the power of God’s Word. As a Christian, you likely have some theoretical knowledge of the power of God's Word. You may be familiar with its claims of power in creation, salvation, revelation, conviction, transformation, healing, prophesy, and yes even judgment. When hearing about it, you likely affirm its power with a resounding YES & AMEN! However, have you truly embraced this power in practical ways? Is it more theoretical than impactful in your daily life? If God's Word is as powerful as it claims, shouldn’t it have a significant, undeniable impact on our daily lives? How can we move beyond theoretical understanding to an inspirational, actionable understanding? How can we visualize the power of God's Word, in a way that strengthens our understanding & confidence in it? Today's passage offers powerful insights and inspiration to help us visualize the full power of God’s Word. With a fresh understanding & confidence in the power of God's Word, It can transform how we live in this fallen world.

You ever been invited to a party or event so special to the host, you felt honored just being included on the guest list? The occasion is special, the venue is beautiful, the food will be great, the people attending are precious to you. Maybe it’s a wedding celebration for a close friend or family, a celebration of a milestone, or the gift of tickets for the Superbowl of your childhood team in our home stadium, to see your fav player of all time Tom Brady win another ring. You just know it’s gonna be a great day, a moment in life where treasured memories are made, a day to anticipate. It’s so exciting, so important, you want to be ready so you can enjoy it to its fullest, so even months away you prepare. But your preparation isn’t just about you, its also a way to honor the person who loved you enough to invite you! You want them to know you know you are honored by the invite; you wouldn’t miss it! You make sure you’re ready! You don’t wait till 24 hours before. Maybe you decide to lose some weight, buy the right outfit, book your travel plans. As the day gets closer, excitement builds, you’re filled w/gratitude, you check, double check everything. You are ready! That’s how I was feeling this week as I studied today’s passage & wrote this sermon. You ready? Let’s go!