Latest / The Daily Word / September 2 – A Gospel Bigger Than Us
Transcript
- Cory Barnes: Hello there, it is September second, Pastor Jenny here, and we are continuing in our life journal plan in Revelation chapter seven today. How you doing for my fellow Revelation readers out there, if you've been following along, are you mind blown yet? Are you reading today and thinking, Pastor Jenny, what in the world could I have possibly gotten from this passage today? As perhaps I did when I first read it and I thought, Lord, I know that I'm a pastor and I'm supposed to be extra in tune with your word. But what in the word? What in the word? What in the world are you wanting to speak to me today through your word? Because I gotta be honest, I'm not sure it's jumping off the page for me today. But when I did that and I prayed that prayer. I humbled myself and I took a second pass through. I did sense the Lord highlight something for me. I want to share that with you today. So Revelation chapter seven, starting in verse nine, it says this after this, now remember John's writing this revelation that Jesus gave him. After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language. Standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb, they were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands, and they were shouting with a great roar, Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb. So Revelation chapter seven, ver just two simple verses, nine and ten. And as I read that, I was really just taken aback. And reminded of the vastness and the greatness of the message of the gospel. That it really does go beyond not just the scope of my vision and my world, but it goes beyond, of course, of my nation, my tribe, my people. It goes beyond my language as stated here, but it really goes beyond my timeline. Just a quick Google search. will reveal to you that just in the last century alone, over six hundred languages have gone extinct. you know, if you look up what are are there tribes that have gone extinct, it's kind of a hard, tricky thing for historians to nail down. But I got to thinking there have to be people groups that literally existed and no longer exist. it's harder to determine because of course Course with culture, people will absorb into other things, so they don't really quite know how to define that. But you kind of narrow the search, you'll find things like you know, in America, there are 120, roughly 120 Native American tribes that no longer those specific tribes no longer exist. And why do I bring up statistics like that? Because as I read this particular scripture today that says Where John writes, after this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation. Get this, from every nation, and tribe, and people, and language. I'm thinking about those languages that no longer exist. I'm thinking about those tribes that no longer exist. Someone from those places are represented. In this crowd. Because the reality is that the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, is meant to go into all the world. And Jesus is clear until everyone has heard He's not coming back. He will not return. And when He does return, everyone will confess that He is Lord. And so as I read today, I'm reminded that the gospel is definitely way bigger than I am. It's way bigger than my. timeline, my time period. It's much bigger than of course I or we can carry alone. and it's meant to go into all the world. So I'm stirred up with new passion, with new zeal, and I'm reminded that just as they were singing, salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb. It's not my job. It's not your job to do the saving. God alone Does the saving. But Jesus did commission his disciples to go, go into all the world and make disciples go, tell them about the good news of who I am, spread the gospel, spread the good news. So be stirred up, be encouraged. May we be going into all the world and sharing so that as we do come. To this moment in time that John saw where people, a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb were singing and shouting, salvation comes from God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb. What a beautiful picture of the moment that we will all as believers will get to. We're gonna get to experience. But in the meantime, what are we doing? With today to help advance the kingdom of God right here on earth, just as Jesus prayed. Lord, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. And so with that, let me pray over you today. Lord, we thank you so much for your word. We thank you that it is useful for teaching. It is useful for correcting. It is useful for reflecting, for showing and stirring us up. And so, Lord, as we meditate on your word today, as we meditate on the vision. That you gave John, Lord, visions of the future. Lord, we thank you that you can help us to see the future that you want us to grab a hold of and to step into with you. Lord, we thank you that you have invited us into your mission, the great co-mission, to be co-laborers with you. And so, Lord, as we step in and be choose to be on mission with you, Jesus, help us to see those in front of us today that don't know you. That haven't heard the good news, that haven't experienced the saving grace of salvation that comes from you and you alone. Lord, help us to be carriers of the light, to love those in front of us. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.