One Word Changes Everything

i want to use as a subject today one word changes everything one word somebody shout one word changes everything one of my sister's favorite shows when we were growing up was school house rock it was an animated programming series of animated musical educational short films for children with themes that included grammar science economics history mathematics and civics and although i don't remember any most of the various themes from the series there is one lesson that is still fresh in my mind after all these years and that lesson was conjunction junction worship thank you scholars hooking up words and phrases and clauses a conjunction is the glue that holds words phrases and clauses dependent and independent together i know you like that dr bustle school teacher conjunctions extend sentences and add nuance scholar writes that conjunctions complete narratives and establish meaning conjunctions point to ultimate outcomes conjunctions like but and however and yet and though because and or are all words that may seem minor but elemental components of meaning making i want to invite you to consider the game-changing nature of a conjunction as we reflect on the text in revelation chapter one specifically verse eight revelation is a kaleidoscope of strange visions symbolic creatures and prophecies that seem mysterious to some and quite alarming to many others thomas g long the band-aid professor of preaching emeritus at candler school of theology at emory university has described the book of revelation as a literary hybrid long asserts that on the one hand this book is an apocalypse a literary form in which the author speaks in visionary fashion giving revelations about the future or the hell of heavenly realm which is depicted in sharp contrast to the present corrupt age and then on the other hand revelation long argues also presents itself as a more general literary type an epistle a letter addressed to seven congregations in prominent towns near ephesus john writes in this epistle during a time when rome was growing increasingly powerful and made life increasingly difficult for anyone following the way of jesus there was pressure to worship the emperor who insisted on being called lord and god and christians who refused to do so were persecuted some had been killed and john had been sent into exile and for those first century christians who were attempting to follow the way and did not necessarily have direct pastoral guidance or oversight it could have been tempting to cave in to the pressure and try to find a way to compromise their faith and assimilate with roman culture but then a letter comes from john and according to tradition john was one of the original there's some debate but there are many who believe that john was one of the original 12 disciples of jesus christ is also the author of this letter exiled by the romans to a small and rocky island between what is now turkey and greece for his word of god and testimony of jesus christ john had a series of remarkable visions about the end of humanity and he employs in this book if you will or this letter courageous choices of words for that time for to make a public profession of faith in jesus christ could potentially place one in grave danger or at least becoming a social or commercial outcast or at worst legally being murdered as an enemy of the well-known roman empire and so it is in the poetic language of revelation that john captures in imagery and symbolic language the awful conditions as they existed in his day and was convinced that they were god's adjudication god's judgment upon a world that had spiraled out of control he described the devastation of the forces of nature running a book a muck and he witnessed the moral corruption that turns humans into beast and destroys a society from within and he saw the catastrophic results of violent conflict and in the face of the mayhem he encourages the church to remain faithful to jesus christ by sharing this vision this revealing that has been revealed to him and he shows them what is to come and what he shows them is a vision of heaven it exists as it exists in a realm that is outside of earthly awareness which is one of the reasons why there's so much imagery and and language that is foreign to us because it's hard to really describe what you can't describe and so language sometimes becomes inadequate to capture what john is trying to describe it so we use metaphor and we use simile and we use imagery to try to describe what the mind really cannot comprehend and it is this vision that john saw that he is attempting to describe that was quite different from their experiences although from all appearances rome seemed to be winning and the church seemed to be losing the view from heaven suggested otherwise can i pause right there and say that again i said rome seemed to be winning and the church seemed to be losing but the view from heaven i wish i had somebody suggested otherwise listen to the words that john spoke again he says to the seven churches in the province of asia grace and peace be to you from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits before his throne and from jesus christ who is the faithful witness the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the king of the earth to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve his god forever this god and father to him be glory and power forever and ever amen these are the words that john speaks in this epistolary letter or letters introduction he speaks as a pastor sending a message with a pastoral purpose he speaks as a faithful witness to all that god has done in christ jesus and he lifts up his entire life as a public testimony because to say that you are a witness carried legal implications in those times it meant that the one speaking was not speaking by hearsay it meant that they had witnessed it with their own eyes and so john speaks as a witness who has seen and experienced what really happened and he takes a stand for the truth that's a good word in a post-truth world he takes a stand for the truth of the gospel against the falsehood and the lies and the evil and the misinformation of empire he makes it clear that his purpose is to show the bond servants of jesus christ the ones who hear this letter to show them that the things which must soon take place but he also states that blessed are those who not only read the letter who not only hear the letter but blessed are those who will heed the words of prophecy the word heed means to hear with an intent to obey that blessed are those who hear and read and heed the word of prophecy they will receive the rugged and tested assurance of walking in the path of god's will he refers towards the end of his prologue to god's disclosure of love for all humanity expressed in the life death and resurrection of jesus christ what a precious gift what an unspeakable gift a relationship that is offered to us that overcomes any trial and tribulation that the world can bring this precious gift this unspeakable gift that has been given to us by grace have we been saved not of works lest anyone should both this precious gift this unspeakable gift that offers us a relationship that we might have fellowship with god this precious gift this unspeakable gift and in light of this glorious truth about the triune god who has at infinite cause to himself given us not only everlasting life but given us the highest quality of life that is available zoe life john responds at the end of the prologue which is our passage today with a grand doxology a song of praise to the one who shed his blood and paid the debt in full for our redemption freed us from the guilt and penalty of sin conquered death and gives us new life to all who believe and so as john concludes the prologue with his doxology he breaks into a prophetic description of the coming king in all of his glory here the chapter reaches his climax in revelation chapter 1 verse 8 with a self-revelatory statement by god himself a statement ascribed to the eternal and the almighty one who is who was and who is to come the almighty he describes him as the alpha and the omega the first and the last the first and last letters of the greek alphabet note the coordinating conjunction that adds an additional shade of meaning to the almighty's words i am alpha and omega one word changes everything and is a coordinating conjunction that connects equal ideas and combines two classes of equal rank the almighty doesn't describe himself as alpha or omega but rather alpha and omega are not the first or the last but the first and the last somebody shot one word one word changes everything can i take a moment and advocate for the simple three-letter word the coordinating conjunction that changes everything unlike the oppositional linguistic uses of conjunctions like or which connects by way of separation or limits or viewpoints and perspectives and excludes and isolates the coordinating conjunction and unites and includes and expands our horizons and helps us to embrace others and see our interdependence with them for example there are people who identify as male and female and trans and binary or non-binary and non-binary there are populations that are black and white and other beautiful hues together our nation is comprised of red and blue and now purple states we live in cities and metropolis metropolises and rural areas jesus is savior and lord jesus is king of kings and lord of lords god is the author and the finisher of our faith and we baptize i'm looking for some witnesses in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit one word one word one word one word one word changes everything because and includes and and expands our meaning and our horizons and it is the almighty who makes the distinction in the text that he is not just the alpha and the omega he is not just the beginning and the or the end he is not just the first or the last he is the one who exclusively somebody shout exclusively exclusive ain't nobody else like this man nobody else can claim this kind of title most of us have to be one or the other but god declares that i am not alpha or omega i'm not the beginning or the end i'm not the first or the last but i exclusively god says exist at the beginning and the end this is your place to shout at the same time have you ever encountered anybody that's at the beginning and at the end at the same time he says i'm alpha and omega the ubiquitous omnipresent omnipotent alpha and omega it is an affirmation and declaration of the totality and the completeness of the boundless life of the divine being which embraces everything and transcends everything i am alpha and omega when i was growing up i used to hear the saints say he's so loud how you can't get over him he's so wide you can't get around he's so low you can't go under he is the alpha and the omega god is the complete incomprehensible unfathomable all-encompassing and eternal one god is the source and the finality of all things at the same time somebody shout at the same time one word changes everything he is alpha and omega he is the beginning and the end he is the first and the last all things were made by him and not anything was made that was made all things begin in him and they end in him and the end of the thing is better than the beginning of a thing i am alpha and omega i am the beginning and the end i am the first and the last isaiah 46 and 44 and 6 puts it this way this is what the lord says israel's king and redeemer the lord almighty i am the first and i am the last and apart from me hit me with your good ear there is no other god y'all don't know when to shout i i don't know what kind of god you're worshiping i wonder what kind of god you're singing to what kind of god you pray that's good news on a sunday morning to know that the god that you serve exists apart from any other little god he says i am alpha and omega i am the first and the last i am the beginning and the end and apart from me there is no other god can i tell you what that means for you it means that you have access to somebody that's in a class all by themselves in other words you serve a god for which there is no competition you serve a god for which is in a class all by himself he is there is no comparison he is a god without peer and that's a good place for you to take 30 seconds or three seconds and give god an alpha and omega praise because one word changes everything speak of god as alpha and the omega lifts the restrictions did you hear what i said i said when you speak of god as alpha and the omega it lifts the restrictions now that ought to help somebody in here today because some of you are living with restrictions some of you have been given restrictions but when you consider who you're in relationship with that you're in covenant with a god who has no restrictions for god is not only the beginning but also the end not only the first but also the last the one word that changes everything proclaims the all-inclusive entirety of god's sovereignty and power the god that rules the beginning of history hear me with your good ear is ruling the end of history in other words when you read the book you already know how the story is going to end and even though there are some in between stuff that makes us bite our nails and causes us to wonder how things are going to end be encouraged my brother and my sister because you're not serving a god who starts a thing but you're serving a god who will bring it to completion look at somebody say can i shout now or do i have to wait he is the alpha and the omega extreme opposites to emphasize that all that lies in between one word somebody shot one word one word changes everything coordinating conjunction suggests everything that is in between and that's good news on a day like this that's good news in a climate like this that's that's good news in a season like this can i tell you why i'm preaching this because some days it looks like evil is winning matter of fact most days come on here it looks like the devil has already won some days i just want to get in the bed and close the curtain some days in fact i've stopped looking at the news i can't take it no more because nothing but bad news nothing but hatred nothing but animosity nothing but strife nothing but corruption nothing but conflict and partisan bickering nothing but mean spiritedness nothing but incendiary rhetoric nothing but hate speech nothing but an absence of love and care for neighbor nothing but violence and senseless killings nothing but arguments over mask and who gonna wear masks and who can't wear a mask or who ain't gonna wear a mask nothing but cruelty and massacre and mass killing and tragedies and fights over of a mask and oppressive policies ah but the writer in revelation declares that we have a reason to rejoice that in the midst of all this mess there's a beginning and there's an end and he is not either or he is and both oh i wish i had somebody that could just shout about the fact that this god that we serve is not one or the other but he is and both in other words in the final analysis god is sovereign over everything nothing happens outside of god's will nothing happens outside of god's sovereignty that in the end god will fulfill god will perfect god will accomplish the thing that concerns us but not just what concerns us god's going to get glory and you know that makes me shout because what i understand is that it's not just about what i want but it's also about god's glory that at the end of the day god's gonna work everything out for the good of them that love god and for those that are called according to his purpose in other words the alpha and the omega seated on the throne of history is past and present he's future and past therefore there is no need to fear in spite of everything that's going on in between oh if you can't shout about what's going on in the world just think about what's going on in your world and all the stuff that's going on in the in between but the truth of the matter is is that you don't have to panic you don't have to panic you don't have to be afraid because the battle has already been won alpha and omega is already seated on the throne him in which a good ear he's not getting ready to be seated he's already seated on the throne did you hear that this was a vision that john saw of things as they were in heaven not as they're getting ready to be but somebody ought to preach to yourself and said this is how it is right now the battle has already been won the alpha and the omega is already seated on the throne and heaven's perspective is glorious i've stopped by to tell somebody who is on the verge of giving up i stopped by to tell somebody who is wondering if it pays to serve jesus i stopped by to talk to somebody who is wondering does it make a difference to try to still live holy and try to still live right i stopped by to tell somebody that the past and the present and the future is in god's hand because one word changes everything he says i'm alpha and omega i wish somebody could help me preach this i'm the first and the end at the first and the last i'm the beginning and the end which suggests that he is lord over all but not only is he lord over all but he is lord over time the entire universe is under his jurisdiction the bible says that the heavens belong to god but the earth he has given to the children of humanity in other words he's the pancrea he's the he's the pantocrator somebody shout pantocrator that's a fancy word to suggest that he don't report to nobody he got no boss god has no supervisor he doesn't say yes to anybody because he is lord over all the earth the emperor was the autocratter or the other crater which was applied to an individual he was unrestrained by superiors he was a self-ruler but thanks be to god that there is somebody that can handle the emperor his name is jesus he's alpha and omega he is unrestrained he has no equals he has no peers he reports to nobody he is lord of all all hell the power of jesus name let angels prostrate forward bring forth the royal diadem and crown him king of kings lord of lords and lord of all can i get some in the sanctuary in your home take a minute think about all the mess that you're in right now but use your sanctified imagination and thank god that it ain't going in like this we read the end of the book and the book says that we already won all of the earth shall bow down every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess am i in the right church that jesus is lord jesus is the first and the last the beginning and the end alpha and omega king of kings and lord of lords he is lord over the nations all dominion belongs to god and every eye is going to see him every knee is going to bow every tongue shall confess that he is lord he is king he is alpha and omega can you open your mouth and give god some praise that god is still running the universe that this is still god's world and that it ain't over yes sir until god says it's over for god is lord over time god is lord over the universe god is even lord over the emperor he's gonna have the last word not just concerning the earth but here's your shout out he's gonna have the last word concerning your life do i have any company that can get excited that the one i feel my help now who has begun a good work somebody say a good work shall perform it the lord shall perfect that which concerneth me i wonder do i have anybody that can give god some praise that the alpha and the omega has everything under control he is the one who was who he is and who is to come i don't know about you but when i think about that i get joy down on the inside cause i realize that as bad as it looks i realize that even though it looks like heaven is losing and the devil is winning i realize that as bad as it looks like the church is losing and the church is losing and evil is winning i've got revelation that tells me otherwise and that's enough for me to shout about i don't have to wait till the battle is over i can go ahead and shout now i wonder can you get in practice i wonder can you take 30 seconds i wonder can you give god glory i wonder can you shout out the possibility that it ain't going like this we've been may endure for a night but joy joy joy joy comes in the morning shout yet yes yeah somebody shot one word somebody one word changes everything conjunction junction what's your function hooking up words phrases and clauses conjunction junction how's that functioning i'll get you there if you're very careful he's alpha and omega the beginning and the end the first and the last he's my joy and my shield he's my rock and my salvation he's my light and my soul he's my keeper and my weight maker one way yeah one word [Music] you want to clap your hands you oughta give him glory you want to shout say one word change is my situation one word changes my struggles one word changes the disappointment one word changes the outcome one word changes the result one word shifts the trajectory one word changes the things one word turns it around and it ain't over until god says it's over shall yay i dare you to give him glory i dare you to shout i dare you to clap your hand i've been through hell and have water i've had many tears and sorrow but through it all i've learned how to trust in alpha and omega the first and the last the beginning and the shouty air yeah yeah come on put your hand together come on say i gotta feel it everything's gonna be all right everything's gonna be all right cause one word jesus told me be all all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right copy all right all right all right i got a feeling we are right you ought to just tap yourself and say it's going to be all right come on tap yourself and say it's going to be all right i'll be all right because it's going to be all right jesus is the alpha glory bigger than space and time transcends time transcends space no point in history or the universe is inaccessible to god even this foolishness that we're living with right now this passive genocide that's taken place in the earth this deliberate almost deliberate taking of lives with this foolishness about wearing masks and not to wear masks when it's clear that masks help to save lives we might as well call it what it is it's passive genocide it's killing folk but even with all of that even god even this season even this madness even this insanity is not inaccessible to god remember that the lord over history remembering that god is god over history the god is the beginning and the end the first and the last puts everything in perspective and it ought to put it in perspective for us when we're dealing with challenging circumstances when we're living in the in between spaces puts it in perspective because nothing takes god pass the prize nothing nothing rare would be the community or the congregation or the individual who's working for god who is not faced with difficult challenges the death of loved ones obstructions in what one's field one feels is god's plan setbacks and preaching the gospel yet in the scope in the scope somebody said in the scope in the bigger picture somebody said in the bigger picture and the wider lens we are assured that the god of the universe is working everything out for our good matter of fact can i just go on and say it's a past tense reality he's already worked it out because we've read the end of the book and we know that the dragon does not win the imagery that john uses for the forces of evil the demonic energy that seems to be wreaking havoc upon our world when we read the end of the book we know that the dragon does not win that evil has already been conquered thank god for the communion table evil has already been conquered the devil has already been put to an open shame spoil prowess and principalities rulers of darkness of this world spiritual wickedness in high places it's already done but revelation does also say that when they discovered that they had been defeated they made war on the saints and so even though we have the victory we also live with the tension of the in between time we live with the tension of the not yet the yet and yet the not yet it's already done but we have yet to experience the full manifestation but knowing that god has already had the last word gives me perspective because god has already adjudicated in our behalf so what do you need to do be steadfast iba shoko and unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord can i tell you why cause your labor is not gonna be in vain one of your days you're gonna hear him say servant well done you've been faithful over a few things coming up higher i'll make a ruler over a minute one word changes everything one day we're gonna hear and we're gonna stand before the ancient of days crown him king of kings and lord of lords but until then stay with god stay with god somebody just put that in the coming i'm going to stay with god i need to say that to you because a lot of days you want to walk off from him a lot of days you want to leave god because you look at all this madness and you say god where are you in the words of the ruby god i know you see this but even though god sees god doesn't seem to be saying anything but i want to tell you stay with god cause the record is we've already won lift your hands now the record is we already have the victory the record is that we must stay in the struggle until the end stay with him trust god keep standing always abounding in the work of the lord for as much as you know your labor is not in vain in the lord and if you have not chosen god i need to tell you i don't want to be on the wrong side of history i want to get to the end and find out that i missed it y'all ain't saying nothing to me i don't want to get to the end and when i wake up i find out i'm waking up in a in an existence perhaps not a place but in an existence that is antithetical to everything i anticipated eternity is too long to be in a space that you didn't anticipate but god let you live you both shall know he lets you live one more son so you can get it right he let you live one more sunday so that you can make a decision to give god your yes so today i don't know who i'm talking to i know i'm talking to somebody cause all of us are tired all of us are worn out i was i was listening to the medical professionals share transparently the other night on the webinar about the fatigue and the discouragement how difficult it has been to try to help people who don't really even want to be helped i know you tag i know you frustrated i know you disappointed i know you're sick of this foolishness i know you're tired of the insanity but the word is that it ain't gonna end like this hallelujah i said ain't gonna end like this i said it ain't going in like this it ain't going in like and if you know you're gonna be on the winning side you ought to give him a praise right there i said you ought to give him a praise right there you ought to give him a praise right there you ought to put a hand a clap a clap a praise on it right there that it's not gonna end like that because he's alpha and the omega he's the ubiquitous omnipresent omnipotent he's in the beginning and in the end at the same time he's here when you get started but he's already there before you get there i don't hear nobody said he waited on you while you in between trying to navigate all this foolishness but he's willing you holding you up sustaining you with the right hand of his power so that you won't grow weary in the day of adversity so that you won't collapse in the day of adversity so that you won't grow weary in well doing because in due season you shall reap if you do not lose heart i don't know about you if i didn't have a relationship with the god of the universe the god who is the alpha and the omega i'd make that decision right now you got a lot of options you have a lot of options in this virtual environment you have a lot of options for pastors you have a lot of options for churches but i can say this and i'm not bragging i just know it to be the truth no pastor gonna love you like i do there may be a few i know a few but there are not many that's gonna love you like i do they're not many churches are gonna love you like we love so if you need a church home first of all if you need jesus even if you don't become a member here if you need jesus if you want to be on the right side of history we'll take information send you where you want to go just do it today the day you hear my voice jesus says hard not your heart the music minister sings and the church prays the doors of my father's house are open [Music] you

Channel: Christ Missionary Baptist Church

Views: 162

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: r5OrS0F4K30

Length: 41min 27sec (2487 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 15 2021