October 9, 2014
THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS . . .
Revelation 1:1–8
Lauren Heger
Central Truth
Have no fear! God, who is sovereign over all creation that ever was, is, or will be, will conquer evil!
Key Verse | Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
Revelation 1:1–8
Prologue
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants 1 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant later in this verse the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail 2 1:7 Or mourn on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Dive Deeper | Revelation 1:1–8
When asked to complete the phrase "the only thing we have to fear is . . . ," most Americans would respond "fear itself." But for those whose hope is in Christ, the Bible teaches there is NOTHING to fear when your trust is in the Lord. Even reading the Book of Revelation is not as intimidating as it seems! Plus, no other book in the Bible gives a promise of blessing for reading it and obeying what is written in it.
It is an interesting thought, "nothing to fear." I would tell you I believe that to be true, that I trust in the Lord God who has come before me and stands behind me, the God who created and knows every hair on my head and has a perfect plan for my life. But why do my actions sometimes look so different? Why do I worry about the future -- "What's the next step in my career? Will the high school girls I disciple make God-honoring choices? Will I be single forever?" Why is it so hard to trust that God is sovereign?
John, who had plenty to fear (he was the only disciple not martyred for his faith), delivers Christ's message of love, power, justice, and hope in the following chapters of Revelation. In reading his opening remarks, I am reminded of a couple of truths. First, the time is near for the Lord to return to earth. Second, it is Christ's blood that saves, not my performance. Finally, when the Lord returns, everyone will recognize Him, both those who believe and those who spent their whole lives mocking Him. Which will you be?
Come along as we dig into Revelation, but know that in the end, God wins!!! Now I know I do not watch a lot of movies . . . but I think that's when you call for a Spoiler Alert! Rest assured, God's Word is true, good will conquer evil, and those who believe Christ died as payment for their sins have nothing to fear. Our prize is in heaven, where we will spend eternity with Him!
Discussion Questions
1. What is it that you fear? What changes would come from trusting the Lord with that fear?
2. God is the Alpha and Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. He was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. Is He the Alpha and Omega of your life? How do you honor the One Most High?
3. Though we do not know when, John writes that the time is near for Christ's return. Are you ready? What are you doing to grow the kingdom until that time comes?