SeriesRevelation

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 22:6-21 - The Throne, the Lamb and the Spirit

    Sunday, 25 November 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    In this final chapter of Revelation we are drawn to three central images that have been woven throughout the book: the image of God the Father upon the throne, the image of Jesus the Lamb who calls us to follow him, and the image of the Spirit inviting us to come and take freely of the water of life.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 21:1 - 22:5 - New Creation

    Sunday, 18 November 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Many Christians assume that when Jesus returns he will take us to heaven to live with him there for eternity. But these closing chapters of Revelation tell a different story about our final home. God’s final, great act in the drama of redemption is not to transport Christians from earth to heaven but to unite heaven and earth, ushering in a new creation.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 20 - Millennial Madness

    Sunday, 4 November 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The ‘millennium’ mentioned in Revelation 20 is one of the most controversial elements of end-times theology. But perhaps we have made too much of the millennium? In this message Reuben explores various views of the millennium, explains the future condemnation and overthrowing of Satan and God’s final judgement of humanity when Jesus returns.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 19:11-21 - The Judged Judge

    Sunday, 28 October 2012

    Speaker: Andrew Picard

    This passage has been depicted as “The Battle of Armageddon” and it conjures up bloodthirsty images of God’s indiscriminate judgment upon our assumed enemies. However, far from being indiscriminate, this is the judgment of the judged judge who is detoxifying God’s world not on the terms of Imperial Power but Lamb Power.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 19 - Hallelujah

    Sunday, 21 October 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The word hallelujah can easily become a superficial Christian cliché. But this passage shows that hallelujah is the response of God’s people to his future intervention in history of purging evil from the world and uniting his people to Christ. Our expressions of hallelujah in the present are an anticipation of those great events.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 18 - Leaving Babylon

    Sunday, 14 October 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The Empire of Rome had striking parallels to our modern day empire of consumerism. In both cases this passage stands as a warning of God’s readiness to judge the greed and excess of a consumptive society; and it exhorts us to come out of Babylon by adopting practices that subvert the dominant culture.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 17 - The Woman on the Beast

    Sunday, 7 October 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The way in which ancient Rome related to the colonies within her Empire was like that of a prostitute—dehumanising her subjects and using them for her own benefit. Our modern culture is likewise built on selfish relationships. In the midst of a self-serving culture, we are called to follow the Lamb through modelling self-giving love toward those around us.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 16 - Bowls of Wrath

    Sunday, 30 September 2012

    Speaker: Laura Giddey

    People have plenty of views when it comes to judgement and the end of the world. Revelation 16 deals with the 7 bowls of judgment and the infamous Armageddon reference. What did these things mean to the original hearers? What do they mean for us today? And, most importantly, what does the person and work of Jesus Christ have to say about all this judgment talk?

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 15 - Victorious

    Sunday, 23 September 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    What does it mean to live a victorious Christian life? Is it about having a superman-type faith that can fend off temptation with ease and soar above life’s problems? Revelation offers a different view of victorious living, one that is based on the victory of Jesus for us, and which often involves experiencing victory in the midst of defeat.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 14.6-20 - The Dark Side of Love

    Sunday, 16 September 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The topics of hell, wrath, and God's judgement are controversial - sometimes overemphasised, sometimes underemphasied, and sometimes just mishandled. This message explores the themes of God's wrath and judgement in Revelation 14 and what response Christians should have to these disturbing images.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 14.1-5 - Following the Lamb

    Sunday, 9 September 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The people of God are those who ‘follow the Lamb wherever he goes.’ That means following Jesus into our homes, workplaces, and communities, and following him into the deep recesses of our own hearts where there can be divided loyalties and split allegiances.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 13 - The Empire Strikes Back

    Sunday, 26 August 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The beasts of earth and see represented the empire of Rome in the first century and the corresponding system of Emperor worship. But they point beyond their own day to any empire, system, narrative or ideology that seeks to place humanity in the position of God and direct allegiance away from Christ. In response, Christians are called to patient endurance and faithfulness.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 12 - The Accuser of Our Comrades

    Sunday, 19 August 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Satan is not a force, a power or a generalisation, but a personal being who opposes the purposes and kingdom of God. He is our accuser, but has been defeated by the victory of Christ, and no longer has power over the people of God. Revelation 12 shows how we can overcome the accusations of the evil one through sharing in Jesus’ victory on the cross.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 11 - A Witnessing Community

    Sunday, 5 August 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The two witnesses in Revelation 11 represent the church, empowered by the Spirit, in its role as a witness to the world. We are called to life a life of witness, signposting people to the reality of the kingdom through our words and deeds, and emulating Jesus, the true and faithful witness.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 10 - Eat This Book

    Sunday, 29 July 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    John is told to consume the scroll representing God’s redemptive plan for the world. In the same way, God invites us to consume his word, not just taste it. He wants us to deeply internalise the Scriptures, absorbing them into our being so that we live them out in our lives through becoming part of the story they tell.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 9 - Locusts and Repentance

    Sunday, 22 July 2012

    Speaker: Laura Giddey

    Revelation 9 deals with locusts and riders; terrifying images that are the stuff of nightmares. How do we interpret this passage in light of its original meaning? We will explore the theme of repentance and how we can incorporate this discipline into our own lives.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 8 - When People Pray

    Sunday, 15 July 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    When people pray, something happens. Always. God always acts in response to prayer. Always. He may not act in the way we ask for, or the way we expect, or the way we want him to, or even in a way that we are aware of, but prayer always releases the life-giving, kingdom-creating power of God's Spirit on earth.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 7 - Who Can Stand

    Sunday, 8 July 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Who can stand in the midst of suffering, tragedy, pain and destruction? Only those who are marked with the seal of God. Here we find hope in the midst of our present difficulties, and hope beyond these difficulties as we consider the new creation.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 6 - The Seven Seals

    Sunday, 1 July 2012

    Speaker: Andrew Picard

    The images of judgment in this passage give us a vision of what the world is like when God allows it to go the way we are determined to take it through our obsession with power: into chaos and un-creation. In the midst of this present chaos God calls us to walk in the way of Jesus through suffering with him and exercising faithful resistance to the Empires around us.

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 5 - Lamb Power

    Sunday, 24 June 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The central image of Jesus is Revelation pictures him as a slain lamb. He possesses all power and authority, but he uses that power not to oppress, dominate, control and bully, but to love. How can we become conformed to the image of the slain lamb in our lives?

  • Series: RevelationRevelation 4 - Before the Throne

    Sunday, 17 June 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    This breathtaking vision of God’s heavenly throne-room represents the holiness, glory and grace of God. It is not just a future vision, but a present reality in which we are invited to participate through worship.

  • Series: RevelationRev 3:1-22 - Doing Time in Laodicea

    Sunday, 27 May 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    The Laodicean church is a picture of lukewarm faith. Our faith can so easily become lethargic and apathetic, but God is so committed to our relationship with him that he lovingly disciplines us to refocus us on him. God’s discipline is not comfortable, but is motivated by his love and delight for us.

  • Series: RevelationRev 2:12-29 - Enticed by the Empire

    Sunday, 20 May 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Jesus’ letters to the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira call the church away from accommodating to the Empire and back to faithful allegiance to God. In our modern day empire of consumerism this is a warning we need to hear as our hearts are so easily gripped by greed.

  • Series: RevelationRev 2:1-11 - First Love

    Sunday, 13 May 2012

    Speaker: Laura Giddey

    In this passage we meet the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna who are struggling with quite different issues. What was Paul instructed to say? The Ephesians seem to have lost their first love while the church in Smyrna are being persecuted for their faith. What can these ancient letters to these churches teach us today?

  • Series: RevelationRev 1:9-20 - Seeing Jesus

    Sunday, 6 May 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Jesus appears to John in a vision that communicates a great deal about who he is. This vision reveals Jesus to be the world's rightful king, priest and judge.

  • Series: RevelationRev 1:1-8 - Re-ordering Time

    Sunday, 29 April 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Time is a fundamental dimension of our existence. God is the centre of time—the one who is, who was, and who is to come. Our challenge is to centre our experience of time around him and build practices into our lives that help us mark time in reference to God.

  • Series: RevelationIntroducing Revelation

    Sunday, 22 April 2012

    Speaker: Reuben Munn

    Revelation is not a timetable for the end of the world, or a book of obscure fantasy. It is a timely message given to some first century churches living in the shadow of the Roman Empire, through which God continues to speak today.