Archive for the ‘Revelation 4’ Tag
“The Holy Spirit Sets Us Free For Jesus!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Audio Message:
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Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
What if freedom is not what you’ve thought it was? What if it’s not ultimately about control, choice, or independence, but about being set free for Someone?
In this Christ-centered Pentecost Sunday message, Pastor Timothy Brassell proclaims a Gospel that re-centers everything on the living reality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not as abstract doctrine, but as the very life into which humanity is being drawn. At the heart of this message is a defining truth: freedom is not first about what we are free from, but who we are free for. And by the Holy Spirit, we are set free for Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit—though unseen—is not absent. He is the living presence of God, actively drawing us into fellowship with Jesus, opening our eyes to see Him rightly, and freeing us from distorted, “alien” versions of Christ that have shaped much of modern Christianity. This is the crisis and the invitation.
We have often known a Jesus mixed with fear, performance, and self-effort… a Jesus attached to frameworks that subtly place the burden back on us. But the Spirit is now at work to undo what we have learned, leading us into repentance, not as shame, but as a renewed seeing of the real Jesus. And this changes everything.
As John Calvin reminds us: “As long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us.” — Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.1.1
This is precisely the condition the Holy Spirit comes to transform, not by adding something new to Christ’s work, but by bringing us into living participation with Him. Revelation is not ultimately about chaos, timelines, or speculation, it is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 4, what the Spirit shows us is not anxiety, but a throne. The Father reigning, the Son victorious, and the Spirit revealing a reality where all creation is being drawn into worship, peace, and communion.
This is the truth beneath every circumstance: God has already acted in Jesus Christ. The future is not uncertain, it is held in Him.
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit:
Pastor Tim brings this into sharp focus as he proclaims the active, personal work of the Spirit among us.
The Holy Spirit makes Jesus known.
The Holy Spirit guides us into truth. Which is a Person, not a concept.
The Holy Spirit frees us from lies and deception.
The Holy Spirit brings us into real participation with Jesus’ life with the Father.
As James B. Torrance writes: “Christian worship is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s communion with the Father.”
And again: “Worship is not so much something that we do, but what Christ is doing and in which we are given to participate through the Spirit.”
This is Pentecost. Not an abstract power, but the personal presence of God, drawing us into communion. The Spirit does not point to Himself. He reveals the Son, who brings us to the Father. In that movement, we discover what it truly means to be human: To be human is to be free to hear and respond to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. This is not something we achieve. This is something we are being brought into. We participate by grace in the life already accomplished for humanity in Jesus Christ.
Set Free For Fellowship, Not Isolation:
The Spirit sets us free to meet Jesus, not in abstraction, but in real, lived communion.
He meets us in fellowship, where Christ is present among His people.
He meets us in Scripture, where we encounter Him, not just study ideas.
He meets us in real life, where even trials become places of testing and deepening trust.
Even in seasons where the Church feels weak, small, or uncertain, the Spirit is not absent. In fact, those very moments expose what we truly believe, and invite us back to Jesus, not as an idea, but as the living center of everything.
Reflective Moment:
Where might you be living with a version of Jesus that feels distant, demanding, or unclear? What if the Holy Spirit is gently inviting you, not to try harder but to see again… to meet the real Jesus, who has already brought you into His relationship with the Father? What would it look like this week to slow down, open Scripture, or step into fellowship, not to perform, but to encounter?
Pentecost reminds us: You are not left alone. You are not trying to figure this out by yourself.
You are being drawn—right now—by the Holy Spirit into the living communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Watch the full message and see how the Holy Spirit is not only revealing Jesus, but actively setting you free to know Him, walk with Him, and participate in His life today.
“The Revelation is About God’s Love and Freedom!”
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Audio Part A:
Audio Part B:
Audio Full Message:
YouTube Video:
Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
In this deeply hope-filled Gospel message for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Pastor Timothy Brassell proclaims the astonishing good news that humanity has not been abandoned by God, but is being drawn by the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit back into the communion for which we were created. Revelation is not ultimately about fear, speculation, or escape, but about the unveiling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed in Jesus Christ. Revelation 4 becomes a vision of reality as it truly is: all creation gathered around the throne of God, restored to worship, communion, freedom, and life in His love.
At the center of this message is the truth that God’s very being is love. The Father sends the Son in the communion of the Holy Spirit to bring humanity back into fellowship with Himself. The Gospel announced in Revelation is not moral improvement, religious performance, or self-help, but the overwhelming good news that, through Jesus Christ, humanity is being drawn back into the life and love of the living God. The cost of that adoption was nothing less than the incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son Himself.
As Karl Barth writes:
“The doctrine of election is the sum of the Gospel because of all words that can be said or heard it is the best: that God elects man; that God is for man too the One who loves in freedom.”— Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2
Again and again, this message calls the Church to return to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the true center of all worship, Scripture, life, and reality itself. Revelation is not merely revealing events, it is revealing Jesus Christ as the center of all things. The Church weakens whenever it becomes centered on programs, experiences, numbers, moralism, or self-help rather than the living God revealed in Jesus Christ.
The sermon also exposes the modern tendency toward what Pastor Tim describes as “moral therapeutic deism,” where God becomes distant, Christianity becomes self-improvement, and faith becomes more about personal happiness than communion with the living God. But Revelation calls us back to reality itself: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit stand at the center of all creation, all history, and all true life.
Pastor Tim also reminds us that Scripture is not primarily information to master, but the place where the living God meets His people. The great question when reading the Bible is not first “what?” or “why?” but “Who?” — Whose book is this? Scripture is the witness through which the Father speaks through the Son in the Holy Spirit to restore our vision and draw us deeper into communion with Him.
And this communion is not abstract. God is not distant from His creation, but actively drawing humanity into His life and love. As Robert Barron writes:
“In his passion to set right a disjointed universe, God broke open his own heart in love. The Father sent into the dysfunction of the world, not simply a representative, spokesman, or plenipotentiary, but his own Son, so that he might gather that world into the bliss of the divine life.”— Robert Barron
This is the freedom Revelation proclaims: not autonomy or self-rule, but the freedom of allowing ourselves to be loved by God and, in that love, learning to love Him in return. Pastor Tim repeatedly calls us to stop resisting the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and instead participate by grace in the life already accomplished for humanity in Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus Christ is risen and reigns even now, Revelation 4 is not a vision of chaos triumphing, but of all creation healed, reconciled, and gathered around the throne crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are drawing humanity and all creation into the joy, peace, communion, and worship for which we were made.
Reflective Moment:
What if the deepest problem in our lives is not simply stress, fear, distraction, or even sin itself, but that we have become disconnected from the living communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Revelation calls us to lift our eyes again to Jesus Christ, the true center of all reality. Where have you been seeking life, meaning, or freedom apart from Him? And what might it look like today to simply allow yourself to be loved by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit?
“Our Father Loves All Creation Through Human Participation!”
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Audio Part A:
Audio Part B:
Full Audio Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
In this theologically rich and powerful message, Pastor Timothy Brassell lifts our vision beyond what we see and invites us into what God has already revealed. In Revelation 4, we are not given a picture of chaos, but of clarity. Not confusion, but a throne. And seated on that throne is the Father, who through the Son and in the Spirit is faithfully holding all creation together in love.
This is the foundation of the gospel: God has not abandoned His creation. In Jesus Christ, He has set everything on a new foundation. Though the world may appear unstable, Revelation 4 reminds us that reality is not defined by what we see, it is defined by who reigns.
Revelation 4 pulls back the curtain and shows us what is most true: all of creation exists before the throne of God, upheld by His will and sustained by His love. The same Jesus who entered Jerusalem humbly on a donkey is the One now revealed as the exalted Lord over all creation. He did not stumble into suffering; He set His face toward it. He chose the cross. And in doing so, He revealed both the heart of God and the true destiny of humanity.
The early church captured this mystery with clarity. As Irenaeus wrote: “The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.” This is not only about what Jesus has done for us, but also about what He has done in us and with us. In Christ, humanity has been taken up into the very life of God. That means our lives now carry purpose, direction, and participation in what God is doing.
We are not simply waiting for Jesus to return. We are living in the “in-between time.” And in this time, we are called to participate. As T. F. Torrance affirms: “Christ has united himself to us in our humanity in such a way that what he has done for us he has done in us and for all mankind.” This is the heart of Pastor Tim’s message: Our Father loves all creation through human participation. What God has accomplished in Christ does not stop with us, it fills us, transforms us, and flows through us.
Revelation 4 shows us a creation rightly ordered around God. The elders cast their crowns. The living creatures give glory. All things exist by His will. Even in a world still marked by sin, suffering, and what Pastor Tim described as the “monsters” of human rebellion, God has not lost control. His covenant still stands. His purpose is still unfolding.
Yet we must also face the reality that we cannot always make sense of what we see. We see suffering. We see violence. We see brokenness that defies explanation. But the call of faith is not to figure everything out, it is to trust the One who is already holding everything together. Revelation 4 does not answer every question; it reorients our vision. It reminds us that above every storm, there is a throne. From that vision flows a renewed calling for the church.
We are being called back to Scripture, to prayer, to fellowship, and to a shared life shaped by the Trinity. Because God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal communion, our lives cannot be lived in isolation. Pastor Tim presses this truth: love grows cold when we withdraw, but the Spirit is drawing us back into relationship.
We are also reminded that we are a kingdom of priests. In Christ, we stand before God on behalf of others. We intercede. We represent His love. We participate in His care for the world, not only spiritually, but in how we live, love, and engage creation itself. This is what it means to be human in Jesus Christ.
Palm Sunday, then, is not just something to remember. It is a call to live. The King has come, not in force, but in humility. Not to destroy, but to restore. And now, as the risen and reigning Lord, He invites us to share in His life and in His mission.
So the question is not simply: Do you believe this? The deeper question is: Will you participate?
Key Takeaways
- God Is Still on the Throne 👑
Even when life feels unstable, God’s rule remains steady, sovereign, and full of love. - Jesus Calls Us to Participate 🤲🔥
We are not waiting passively—Jesus invites us to share in His life and His work right now. - We Are Formed Together 📖🙏🏽🤝
Scripture, prayer, and fellowship are how we live in Christ during this “in-between time.”
Reflective Moment:
Pause and sit with this truth: The world may feel unstable. Life may not make sense. But Revelation 4 reminds us, there is a throne, and seated on that throne is the God who has already acted in Jesus Christ to restore all things.
So today, ask yourself: Am I living as though Jesus is truly Lord over all? Am I participating in His life or just believing from a distance? Am I returning to the rhythms that keep me rooted in Him? Because the King has come…Because He reigns even now…You are not just called to believe—you are called to participate.
Forever held in Christ. Forever invited into His life.
“Our Father Loves All Creation With Human Participation!” Pt 2
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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.
“Our Father Loves All Creation With Human Participation!” (Part 1)
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Audio Part 1A:
Audio Part 1B:
Full Audio Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4 (CSB)
Summary:
On this Fourth Sunday in Lent, Pastor Timothy Brassell invites us into a deeper, often overlooked truth: God takes our humanity seriously, so seriously that He has united it to Himself forever in Jesus Christ. This powerful Gospel-Centered message reframes how we understand both the Christian life and the Book of Revelation. Rather than a book of fear or catastrophe, Revelation is unveiled as a vision of God’s extravagant, unconditional love. A love revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully human.
In Jesus, we see not only what God is like, but also what humanity is meant to be. Christ does not merely act for us; He lives with us and now lives through us by the Spirit. His life becomes our life, and His relationship with the Father becomes the relationship we are brought into.
As has been expressed in the theology of Gary Deddo (paraphrased), “Jesus Christ is not only the object of our faith, but the one in whom we participate by the Spirit.”
Pastor Tim emphasizes that the law of Moses pointed outwardly to what true humanity looks like, but only in Christ does that reality take root in the heart. Through the Spirit, we now participate in the very works of God, not as external duty, but as shared life with Jesus. At the heart of this message is a powerful call: Take Jesus seriously, and therefore take your humanity seriously.
This truth echoes the early church witness of Irenaeus of Lyons: “For the glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God.”
God has not abandoned creation. Instead, He has chosen to involve human beings in its care, redemption, and flourishing. In Christ, we are called to rule and serve creation in love, reflecting God’s own heart.
As T. F. Torrance reminds us: “He has made our human nature his own in such a way that in him it is sanctified and perfected.”
Revelation reveals a God who does not withhold love but lavishes it abundantly, even beyond what we can comprehend. This divine love confronts, corrects, and heals, not as punishment, but as the active expression of a Father determined to bring His children into fullness of life. Eternal life, as Pastor Tim reminded us from Scripture, is not merely future existence, it is relational participation in God now:
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.” — John 17:3 (CSB)
Because Jesus has conquered death, we are freed from its fear. We are even invited to participate in helping others face death with hope, dignity, and peace, bearing witness to Christ’s victory in the most human moments of life.
Ultimately, this sermon calls us to see that:
- Revelation is not about fear—it is about love.
- Humanity is not disposable—it is redeemed and glorified in Christ.
- Our lives are not insignificant—we are participants in God’s eternal purposes.
God is not distant. He is actively drawing us into His life, through the Son, in the Spirit, so that we may live fully human lives that reflect His glory in all creation.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
1. Take Jesus and Your Humanity, Seriously 👤✨
- Theme: In Jesus Christ, God reveals both who He is and what true humanity is meant to be. To take Jesus seriously means taking our humanity seriously as well.
- Discipleship Question: Am I treating my life and calling as something sacred, the way Jesus does?
- #TrueHumanity #TakeJesusSeriously #FullyAliveInChrist
2. Revelation Reveals Love, Not Fear ❤️🔥
- Theme: The Book of Revelation is not primarily about destruction, but about the unveiling of God’s unconditional, relentless love for all creation.
- Discipleship Question: Do I read Scripture through fear, or through the lens of God’s love revealed in Christ?
- #GodIsLove #RevelationRevealed #NoFearInChrist
3. Participation, Not Performance 🤝🌿
- Theme: The Christian life is not about external rule-keeping but about participating in the life and works of Jesus through the Spirit.
- Discipleship Question: Am I trying to perform for God, or am I learning to participate with Him?
- #LifeInChrist #ParticipationNotPerformance #WalkWithJesus
4. Called to Rule by Serving Creation 🌍👑
- Theme: Humanity is entrusted with overseeing and serving creation in love, reflecting God’s care and purpose in every detail of life.
- Discipleship Question: How am I reflecting God’s love in the way I treat people, creation, and everyday responsibilities?
- #ServeAndReign #CreationCare #KingdomLiving
5. Victory Over Death—Live and Die Well ✝️🌅
- Theme: Because Jesus has conquered death, we are freed from fear and can live and even face death, with hope, helping others do the same.
- Discipleship Question: How does Christ’s victory over death shape the way I live today?
- #VictoryInChrist #NoFearInDeath #LivingHope
Reflective Moment:
Take a moment to pause and reflect: God is not holding back from you. He is not measuring out His love in small portions. He is lavishing it, pouring it out beyond what you can contain. In Jesus, your humanity has been taken up, healed, and destined for glory. Your life matters. Your participation matters. Every moment matters.
So today, consider this: Where is God inviting you, not just to believe in Him, but to participate with Him? And as you step into that invitation, remember: You are not walking alone.
You are living the very life of Christ—through the Spirit—unto the Father.
“Our Primary God-Given Response to Suffering!”
Filed under: Advent, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, Song, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christ With Us, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God On The Throne, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Heavenly Worship, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Living In Hope, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Revelation 14, Revelation 14: 14-20, Revelation 4, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, The lamb, The Lamb who was slain reigns, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, Worship In Suffering
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4 Revelation 14: 14-20
Summary:
This sermon by Pastor Timothy Brassell confronts one of the most pressing questions of the Christian life: How are we meant to respond to suffering as people united to Jesus Christ? Rather than beginning with explanations, predictions, or strategies for escape, Scripture directs us first to worship. Revelation does not open by explaining suffering away, but by unveiling who reigns in the midst of it.
In Revelation 4, John, exiled and suffering, is invited to “come up” and see reality as it truly is. What he sees is not chaos, but a throne. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are revealed as sovereign, radiant, and unshaken. Before the seals are opened, before judgment unfolds, and before suffering intensifies, heaven is already filled with worship. This vision reorients the Church: our suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. God reigns, and His rule is exercised in covenant faithfulness, holiness, and love.
Central to this vision is Jesus Christ Himself. The risen and ascended Lord is not distant from human pain. As the Father’s suffering Servant, Jesus entered fully into our broken world, bore our suffering in His own body, and overcame it through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Now, by the Holy Spirit, He meets His Church personally and presently in suffering, not merely as comforter, but as the victorious God-Man who strengthens us to endure and to hope.
As Pope St. John Paul II writes with profound clarity: “In the Cross of Christ not only is the Redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed.” — Pope St. John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris
Suffering, then, is not meaningless nor abandoned by God. In Christ, it has been taken up, transformed, and caught up into God’s redemptive purpose. This is why Revelation consistently calls the Church not to speculation or fear, but to faithful endurance rooted in worship. Worship is not denial, it is alignment with reality as God defines it.
Revelation 4 also shows the Church represented around the throne, crowned, clothed in white, and secure. Even while the Church on earth suffers, the Church in heaven worships. Together they testify that God holds creation, history, and redemption firmly in His hands. The chaos of the world does not negate God’s reign; it reveals our need to see beyond appearances and to trust the One who “was, and is, and is to come.”
Jürgen Moltmann captures this deeply Christ-centered hope when he writes: “God allows himself to be humiliated and crucified in the Son, in order to free the oppressors and the oppressed from oppression and to open up to them the situation of free, sympathetic humanity.”— Jürgen Moltmann, The Crucified God
This powerful sermon ultimately calls the Church back to the center: worship as participation in the life of God. Worship is where suffering is held honestly before God without despair. It is where fear loosens its grip, where hope is renewed, and where the Church learns again to trust the throne that stands unshaken.
In suffering, we are not abandoned. We are invited to look, to worship, and to endure with confidence. The Lamb who was slain reigns. The throne is occupied. And the God who meets us now will bring all things to their perfected end.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Worship as Our First Response 🙌👑
- Theme: Scripture reveals that worship, not fear or control, is the primary God-given response to suffering. Before history unfolds, heaven is already anchored in praise.
- Discipleship Question: When suffering arises, what does it look like for you to turn first toward worship rather than anxiety or self-reliance?
- #WorshipInSuffering
- Christ Meets Us in Our Suffering 🤍✝️
- Theme: Jesus Christ has fully entered human suffering, overcome it, and now meets His Church by the Holy Spirit in every trial.
- Discipleship Question: How does knowing that Jesus has suffered with you and for you, reshape the way you face hardship today?
- #ChristWithUs
- The Throne Still Stands 🪑🌈
- Theme: Revelation 4 reminds us that even when the world feels unstable, God remains seated on the throne, ruling in faithfulness and love.
- Discipleship Question: What fear or uncertainty are you being invited to surrender in light of God’s unshaken reign?
- #GodOnTheThrone
- Hope Between the Now and the Not Yet ⏳✨
- Theme: Christ strengthens us now by His Spirit while drawing us toward the fullness of His final appearing, where suffering will be fully undone.
- Discipleship Question: How does holding both Christ’s present help and future victory shape your endurance today?
- #LivingInHope
- Joining Heaven’s Worship 🌍🔥
- Theme: The Church on earth is invited to participate in the worship already taking place in heaven, finding renewal, courage, and peace in God’s presence.
- Discipleship Question: What practice of worship could help you more intentionally align your daily life with heaven’s reality?
- #HeavenlyWorship
Reflection Moment:
Take a quiet moment to imagine the scene of Revelation 4. An occupied throne. Unceasing worship. Light, holiness, and peace surrounding the One who reigns.
Now, hold your own suffering before God, without rushing to fix it, explain it, or escape it. Allow yourself to hear heaven’s song echo into your present moment. Let worship re-center your heart. Trust that the God who reigns above all things is also near to you, holding your life securely in His redeeming hands.
“Know The God Who Is Here And Is Coming!”
Filed under: Advent, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Good News Celebration, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Advent, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Choose Relationship, Christ Came, Christ comes now, Christ Is Coming, Christ will come, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God who comes, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Revelation 4, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Wake up to Christ, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
This first Sunday of Advent invites us to awaken from spiritual sleep and lift our eyes to the God who is both here and is coming. In This powerful sermon, Pastor Tim reminded us that time is not a dull, repetitive cycle but a purposeful, forward-moving story shaped by God’s self-revealing love. As Karl Barth writes, “God’s revelation is His self-unveiling, in which He speaks for Himself and acts for Himself; in which He makes Himself known.” Advent is this unveiling. God showing Himself, not staying hidden, not remaining distant, but revealing His heart through Jesus Christ.
Using the imagery of a spiral staircase, the sermon teaches that we are all moving either upward toward Christ, or downward away from Him. There is no neutral place in discipleship. To face Jesus in trust is to ascend by grace; to turn away is to drift downward. This sober picture is intensified by the reality of human fragility, the certainty of death, and the nearness of Christ’s return. We are closer to His final appearing today than we were last year, last month, or even yesterday.
Advent also calls us to understand the one coming of Christ expressed in a three-fold way:
- Christ came in the Incarnation.
- Christ comes now in the Holy Spirit.
- Christ will come again in His final, glorious Advent.
This is not confusion or contradiction, it is God’s relational, dynamic way of revealing Himself. As T.F. Torrance beautifully puts it, “God does not remain at a distance but draws near to us in His incarnate Son, making Himself known within the fabric of our human existence.” This nearness is not metaphorical; it is the very heartbeat of Advent.
Pastor Tim also helped us understand biblical “separation from God” not as God’s absence but as our relational refusal. God is present everywhere, sustaining all existence, even in the depths. Hell itself is not the absence of God. Hell has to do with rejecting a relationship with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit God…And we know that separation from God is not something God chooses for people…Hell is the natural consequence of rejecting the relationship God continually offers.”
Advent calls us to reject our double-mindedness, embrace the God who is making Himself known, and respond with trust, repentance, and love.
As Advent begins, the message is clear:
Wake up. Lift your eyes. Receive the God who is here and coming. And invite others into this urgent, beautiful relationship while there is still time. Christ is coming soon and HIS PROMISE is our hope.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Wake Up to God’s Presence 👁️🔥
- Theme: Advent shakes us from spiritual sleep, reminding us that God is already near, closer than our breath, and calling us to renewed awareness.
- Discipleship Question: Where have you grown spiritually sleepy, and how is Jesus inviting you to wake up to His presence?
- #WakeUpToChrist
- Time Is Moving Toward Christ’s Return ⏳👑
- Theme: Time is not a repeating cycle but a God-directed story moving toward the glorious return of Jesus.
- Discipleship Question: How does remembering Christ’s soon return shape your priorities this week?
- #ChristIsComing
- The Spiral Staircase of Discipleship 🌀✝️
- Theme: We are always moving, either upward toward Jesus by grace or downward by neglect; there is no neutral ground.
- Discipleship Question: Are you facing Christ in trust, or drifting downward in self-reliance?
- #StepTowardJesus
- The One Coming of Christ in Threefold Advent 🌟🕊️✨
- Theme: Christ came in the Incarnation, comes now through the Spirit, and will come again in glory. One God revealing Himself in three relational ways.
- Discipleship Question: Which aspect of Christ’s Advent: past, present, or future, do you need to reflect on more deeply this season?
- #GodWhoComes
- Relationship, Not Distance, Defines Salvation ❤️🔥🤲
- Theme: Separation from God is never His absence but our refusal of relationship and Advent calls us back into His embrace.
- Discipleship Question: Who in your life needs the hope that God is always present and always pursuing?
- #ChooseRelationship
Reflective Moment:
Take a quiet moment and allow the truth of Advent to settle into your heart: the God who created you is nearer than your own breath, and yet He is also the One who comes, revealing Himself, drawing near, and inviting you into relationship. Let this season lift your eyes above routine and awaken your spirit to His presence. Hear His whisper: “I am here. I am coming. Stay awake to Me.” Trust His nearness, embrace His coming, and let hope rise in you again.