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Tuesday, May 25, 2004 Inside the Cosmic Control RoomBack in March, I heard some teaching by Gary's Paul Barker on Rev ch.4 which for me was quite inspirational. Rev is a book I've not really understood or spent much time in. So, this has sort-of unlocked a little of it for me. Paul is a gifted teacher of God's word who paints word-pictures which are very pertinent and easy to remember. And they give us an understanding in modern-day images we can readily relate to. These are my notes:As humans, we find it fascinating to go behind the scenes in a great place - such as a palace or some other place where we normally only see the end product. For example, on a tour of the great MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), we get to see the player's rooms and the motivational pictures and messages on the walls, and the room where the radio commentators broadcast the game from. Normally, we only see or hear the game itself, the end product of all that's gone on in those places behind the scenes. Rev ch's 4-22 are like a view behind the scene, into the control room of the universe. In Rev ch.4 we go with John, through the door and behind the scenes in the "cosmic control room" ("After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you..."). An amazing invitation to John, to go "behind the scenes". The purpose of Rev is to stir up perseverance in faith, especially in face of opposition, and it does this by taking us into the control room. Who is in charge? Who rules on the throne? God, the real authority. What matters most is not SEEING but hearing and heeding God. In Rev we don't get a picture of God (we are to avoid the temptation to make any image like God). The rainbow around the throne indicates to us that God tempers His judgement with mercy. Throne is a source of thunder and lightening - terrifying sign, but under God's control. A place of awe, majesty, beauty. We were given a picture of one of those grand old chairs with carved animal's paws on it's legs. God's throne has the animals themselves. And heaven is a place full of praise for God ("And the four living creatures ... never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!") Honour to God as creator and for His providence. We see behind the scenes that God reigns on His throne in heaven, not divorced from this earth! The sovereignty and dominion of God. And in this ch.4 we haven't even got to the Son yet! Praise bubbles out and we need to share it. As we grow in understanding of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - this must lead us to praise God. Now Gary, I want to hear Paul Barker finish the remainder of Revelation. You (being a person of some influence) are going to request that Paul does this for us at Belgrave Heights Summer Convention - remember? (actually the two speakers - Paul Barker & Mike Raiter - are both Anglicans!) # posted by geoff @ 1:14 pm 0 comments
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