Vineyard Church of the Peninsula Vineyard Church of the Peninsula

Smyrna – (2 of 7)

As the ‘firstborn from the dead,’ Jesus is literally the victorious, living proof of life after death. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings! He is the Alpha and the Omega, the author and finisher of Salvation, the Lover of souls now his. Now and for all eternity, he stands in enemy-annihilating power and beyond-describing majesty. “[Jesus] is destined to reign as King until all hostility has been subdued and placed under his feet. And the last enemy to be subdued and eliminated is death itself.” (1 Corinthians 15:25,26). The vast scope of Salvation enfolds the whole Church securely in its love-oozing embrace.

Revelation 2:8-11

1. v. 8 – the Lover’s _______________ declaration

2. v. 9 – the Lover’s________________ declaration

3. v. 10 – the Lover’s ______________ declaration

4. v. 11 - the Lover’s ______________ declaration

Ephesus (1 of 7)

Jesus introduced the Kingdom of his Father to as many as he could reach. He demonstrated it through miracles and parables and his own lifestyle and taught all who would listen. He intentionally put himself in harm’s way rather than compromise the purity of his love mission. Driven by that love, he submitted himself to arrest, false accusations, beating, crucifixion and death. He rose triumphant as the ‘firstborn from the dead’ gaining the right to intercede for, and lead, his church-about-to-be-born, then and now.

Revelation 2:1-7

1. v.1 – the Lover’s all-seeing ____________________________________________

2. vv. 2,3,6 – the Lover’s sincere _________________________________________

3. vv. 4,5– the Lover’s ___________________________________________________

4. v. 7 – the Lover’s elaborate ___________________________________________

Jesus’ disciples, after three years of walking with him, watching him teach, heal, and interact with the crowds, often were left befuddled by him. Plus, his miracles! Only Peter, James and John had the rare privilege of being present at his Transfiguration, and they could hardly cope with what they were experiencing. Seeing Jesus alive again after the Resurrection was also beyond their word capacity. Watching him ascend into the clouds stupefied them. What more could possibly come?

Revelation 1: 1-20

1. vv. 1-3 – unveiled ____________________________________ of prophecy

2. vv. 4-8 – unveiled ________________________________ of glorified Christ

3. vv. 9-17a – unveiled _________________________________ of risen Christ

4. vv. 17b-20 – unveiled __________________________ of victorious Savior

Chris Mabey shares on active listening, using the story of the woman at the well as an example of how Jesus intimately listened to people during His encounters with them.

The beaming smile of gold-medal-winning Olympians on the podium is not the picture image immediately following the win. At that moment, they are physically spent, sweating, heart pounding, muscles all screaming in unison. They are simultaneously laughing with relief and crying from release of pent-up emotional energy. They’ve pushed and trained and dieted and ‘buffeted their bodies,’ all for this glorious moment. They’ve arrived. Hope has achieved, for them, a gold medal. And so it is for us. “Our hope [in Christ] is not a disappointing fantasy because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” (Rom. 5:5, TPT).

1 Peter 1:1-16, TPT

1. vv. 1-4 – hope __________________________________________________!

2. vv. 5-9 – hope until _____________________________________________!

3. vv. 10-12 – hope in______________________________________________!

4. vv. 13-16 – hope of______________________________________________!

“ . . . hope is not simply a 'wish' - rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”

R.C. Sproul

The early Church lived an uprooted and overturned life, while the world around them stayed rigidly unchanged, ignorant of the new life Jesus offered. And the old life was seriously threatened by the new, leading to a persecution of those who were learning to obey Jesus’ teachings. The ‘Jesus Rebels’ were confronted within by their old nature and without by Jewish tradition and the Roman-dominated society around them. Encouragement to stay the course, to press in more and more to the liberating, Jesus-with-them-always, truth, was critical.

Romans 8:5-13, TPT

1. vv. 5-8 – Life ________________________________________

2. vv. 9—11 – Life ______________________________________

vv. 12,13 – Life ______________________________________