Sermons on Revelation
Thyatira: The Tolerant Church
In Revelation 2, we read the letter from Jesus to the church in Thyatira, where it was difficult to make a living without belonging to a guild, and guild membership was intimately related to the worship of the patron god of the guild. This put many Christians in an awkward position, and some compromised.
Pergamum: The Church in the Shadow of Satan’s Throne
In Revelation 2:12-17, we read the letter sent to the church at Pergamum, where Satan’s throne is and where Satan dwells. We share much with the context of the church in Pergamum, and the words to them are equally relevant to us today.
The Church in Smyrna
In Revelation 2:8-11, we read Jesus’ words of encouragement to the persecuted church in Smyrna.
To the Church at Ephesus
Join Pastor Dieleman as he explores the words of Jesus to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7
Come, Lord Jesus
Awaiting Advent / Advent; Second Coming / Revelation 22:18–21 I confess the thought of Christ returning soon was something I did not always look forward to. When I was younger I had so many things I still wanted to enjoy. I felt like all the descriptions of heaven that I had heard lacked any of my toys and earthly interests. Heaven seemed a bit boring. Floating on clouds with chubby cherubs was not very appealing. When children are not bored…
The Water of Life
One of the greatest sounds a new parent hears is the sound of their baby crying for the first time. That cry lets us know that our child is alive and breathing. It also lets us know that they are uncomfortable. They want to be close to their mother. They are immediately placed upon the mother’s chest and, if possible, they should begin nursing right away. There is another kind of thirst that all humans possess from birth. However, this…
The Final Judgment
Awaiting Advent / Advent; Second Coming / Revelation 22:10–13 George Orwell’s parody of Communism, Animal Farm, basically provides an outline of how certain dictators have responded to COVID. In chapter five, Napoleon decided to end Sunday meetings where all the farm animals would vote on various decisions. He began making decisions for the farm among a small private committee. Squealer shared the news of this transition with the rest of the animals. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that…
Worship God
Distracted driving kills about 9 people every day in the US. We’ve tried doing something about this phenomenon. Unfortunately, providing more information does not seem to be working. Despite all of the public service announcements, the statistics continue to follow a discouraging trend. Distracted worship is also on the rise in 2020. For anyone sensitive to the spiritual needs that a worship service is designed to meet, attempting to worship from home has been completely inadequate. Then, the numerous restrictions placed…
“The New Jerusalem – Pt. 2” (Revelation 21:22 – 22:5)
The New Jerusalem – Pt. 2 (Rev. 21:22-22:5) I wondered whether we should take a week to consider how the Bible might encourage us during this Coronavirus pandemic. The response from people around the world has ranged from sheer panic to complete indifference. We certainly want to avoid both extremes. We also need to prepare to show compassion to those who are vulnerable and in need during this time. And we cannot allow this virus to become our all consuming…
“The New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:9-21)
The New Jerusalem The New Jerusalem Brad Mills / General When God called Abraham out of Ur, away from his family, he departed with nothing but faith in God’s covenant promise. He did not know where he was going. He did not know the challenges that awaited him on his journey. What Abraham did know was that the promises God gave to him were not going to be fulfilled in his lifetime. He had a perspective that serves as…