Trinity and Humanity

Audio Part 2A:

Audio Part 2B:

Full Audio Message:

Scripture: Revelation 4

Summary:

In this deeply pastoral and theologically rich message, Pastor Timothy Brassell continues his Lenten journey through the Book of Revelation, calling the Church to unlearn fear-based readings and rediscover the book as a revelation of God’s triune love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At the heart of this sermon is a needed reorientation: Revelation is not primarily about destruction, but about participation in God’s love through Jesus Christ. Pastor Tim reminds us that Jesus Christ is the key to understanding all of Scripture, and especially Revelation. The unveiling is not chaos for chaos’ sake, it is the unveiling of Jesus as both fully God and fully human, revealing that humanity itself has been lifted into God’s life.

A central theological truth runs through the whole message: God has made His life our life, and our life His life in Jesus Christ. As Thomas F. Torrance writes, “Jesus Christ has made our human life his own, that he might make his divine life ours.” The early church confessed this same mystery when Athanasius wrote, “For He became man that we might become god.” Pastor Tim makes clear that this does not mean we become God by nature, but that in Christ we are brought into real participation in His life.

From there, the sermon presses into a powerful reminder: grace is not a concept, it is a Person. Jesus Christ Himself is God’s grace, living and active in us through the Holy Spirit. Through Him, we are not merely forgiven, but transformed, empowered, and drawn into His ongoing life and mission.

Pastor Tim also reframes how we hear Revelation. Instead of beginning with fear, he asks us to begin with love: Do you see how much the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love you? Revelation 4 gives us a throne-room vision of worship, sovereignty, and peace in the middle of a chaotic world. The 24 elders and living creatures show that all creation is ultimately gathered around the throne of God, giving glory to the One who is worthy.

The sermon also helps us understand that Revelation speaks through apocalyptic language, symbolic, not merely literal. Pastor Tim compares it to coded language, like that used in the Underground Railroad, meant to communicate truth faithfully in dangerous times. These symbols are not meant to confuse believers, but to strengthen them with hope: God is in control, evil will not win, and Christ’s people are called to endure with courage.

Even in the midst of chaos, Pastor Tim emphasizes that God is not absent. He is overseeing, redeeming, and working all things toward His purpose. In one of the sermon’s most memorable lines, he reminds us: “What matters more than your brokenness is Jesus’ fixedness.” That is why our lives matter now. As N. T. Wright says, “What you do in the present… will last into God’s future.” Our participation in Christ today is not wasted, it is caught up in God’s eternal purpose.

Finally, Pastor Tim brings the message into the present by naming some of the “beasts” of our own day: loss of meaning, isolation, consumerism, and the decline of embodied community. In response, the Church is called not to retreat from the world, but to participate with Christ in redeeming it through worship, witness, love, and real community. Even when the Church feels small or weak, it remains central to God’s purpose for the sake of the world.

Reflective Moment: 

Take a moment to pause and reflect:
Have I been viewing Revelation through fear, or through the lens of God’s love?
Do I see myself as merely forgiven, or as someone sharing in the very life of Jesus?
Where is God inviting me to move from observation into participation?

Because of Jesus, you are not outside of God’s plan, you are included. Because He lives, you are not alone in the chaos, He is present within it. And because of His love, your life right now matters in His eternal purpose.