If there were ever a ranking system dedicated to complex words, prolepsis

would be in the top five. Prolepsis is the thought or image of something

describing a situation that hasn’t happened yet. For instance, one

proleptic statement is, “dead man walking.” The person walking isn’t

actually dead but the sentence insinuates he’s headed somewhere and will be

punished for some past act. He’s alive but proleptically dead. This sermon

will break this concept down, for we need it to truly understand Revelation

7.

If there were ever a painting contest for the most vivid set of scripture,

Revelation 4 has to win. It is quite ornate and poignant. It, undoubtedly,

paints the picture that whatever our future holds with God, worship will be

an essential component if not the whole thing. This sermon gives weight to

the powerful pronunciation of corporate worship.

Our future is God’s past. Wolfhart Pannenburg made this concept famous over

the last 75 years, and it is one I can’t shake. God steps into God’s own

past and paints for us a future. In other words, our future is God’s past.

We’ll break this deeply confusing thought down together with the help of

Revelation 1. Holding this thought helps us see the telos more clearly.

When the stone rolled away, Jesus defeated death. When he stepped out of

the grave, he overcame the darkness that tried to bury him. And at that

moment, the world changed forever. Since that moment, we’ve felt and seen

and experienced God’s light that causes us to see more light. This light

matters. How we choose to reflect it matters too.

The death of Jesus is worst day in human history. It was our attempt at

snuffing out the light God brought into the world, for it is the day we

kill Jesus. Hear Pastor Nate reflect on how humanity did her best to

extinguish God’s light.

We have betrayed. We have been betrayed. We feel the loneliness betrayal

brings. Betrayal seeks to put out the light that Christ brings. Hear how

Jesus reconciles betrayal and ushers in love.

The Triumphal Entry matters. Jesus comes shining a spotlight on all things wrong with where humanity has gotten. Instead of a stallion, he rides a donkey. Instead of an army, he has women and disenfranchised men. He challenges the religious order. He critiques the Temple system. He turns over tables. He argues with priests. He quotes scripture to scribes. He reframes for the political leaders an understanding or blessing and God. In other words, he shines a big spotlight into the city. But they weren’t ready to see it.

Sometimes scripture paints a picture that words can’t quite articulate. In

John 12, Jesus eats at Martha and Mary’s house and a lot unfolds at this

meal. Lazarus is there, eating. Martha is there, serving. Judas is there,

critiquing. Mary is there, anointing. Jesus is there, teaching. What

unfolds is the perfect dichotomy for us to see what happens when some

people choose to go back to the start and others don’t. For those who do,

their actions change. For those who don’t, their sins remain.

When we’re lost out on the wayward road of sin, we develop quite a taste

for an “us vs. them” mentality. We divide people, compare people, and judge

ourselves by these standards constantly. This life is exhausting and

sinful. But when we return to the start, our thinking changes. How we

perceive others shifts. Instead of constantly seeing them as a threat, we

see them as Christ does, “a new creation.” Our mind gets reprogramed and

everything that was old becomes new.

Returning to the start means we’ve embraced the journey of earnestly

seeking a life of spirituality. What happens in our soul is quite amazing

when this journey is made. Even in the face of tragedy and pain, our soul

learns what it means to “sing in the shadow of God’s wing” because we know

“God’s right hand upholds us.” In short, getting back to the start

transforms us, and our soul mirrors King David’s in Psalm 63.