The Joshua Victor Theory

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. As we have been surveying the book of Revelation these past weeks, you’ve probably noticed that it is a very visually descriptive book. John witnessed glorious visions of heaven and earth, all of which he was instructed to write down. Sometimes the descriptions seem to flow like a stream of consciousness, as though John were grasping at a multitude of images to try to relate what he was seeing. Things too glorious and wonderful to fully put into words. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then thousands of words fall short to describe the glory. But, on the other hand, we shouldn’t think that John was grasping at straws and at a loss for what to say. On the contrary, inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit, John’s descriptions are highly intentional and specific. They borrow from and point us back to many rich Biblical pictures and prophecies, found in the Old and New Testament. Today’s chapter, Revelat...

Aloha, there is no written manuscript for the sermon this week. You can still find the audio on http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com  Sermon Talking Points Read sermons at:    http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com Listen at:   http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com 1.        Reread Daniel 12:1-3. If you have time, read the entire 12 chapter book, and notice how it begins with historical narratives, the well-known stories, and gradually shifts into more and more prophetic visions. Look at chapter 9 in particular, how Daniel lead his people in prayer and confession to God. How does chapter 12 expand the vision and prophecy of the book for all peoples, not only Israel? 2.        From an earthly perspective, the people of Israel were caught in the middle of massive empires competing for dominance of the Middle East. The Babylonians, Persians and Medes, Greeks, etc all had their turn...

Last week we talked about worship and the reason why we do what we do. We reviewed the order and purpose for the first half or more of the worship service, called the Service of the Word. We talked about the theology of worship, and how worship is like a “W”, not an “M”—because worship begins and ends with God and His gifts that flow down to us, and we return our thanks and praise to Him. Worship is not an “M” because it does not begin or end with, or center around me—but is initiated and sustained by the blessings of God’s gifts. Carrying that same thought into our teaching today, we are going to look at the second part of the worship Service, the Service of the Sacrament. In the Service of the Word God serves us through Jesus’ words, which give eternal life. In the Service of the Sacrament, God serves us through Jesus’ body and blood, given in the Lord’s Supper. Before we dive fully into discussing the Service of the Sacrament, let’s pause and look at three items you should al...