Revelation 4 - A Window in the Waiting
Life has a way of placing us in seasons of waiting we never asked for. A frightening diagnosis, a broken relationship, a prayer that seems to go unanswered. The Apostle John knew this feeling firsthand. Imprisoned on the island of Patmos, isolated and uncertain about his future, he did the only thing he knew to do. He turned to God, and God opened a door into heaven. What John saw through that open door was not a chaotic universe spinning out of control, but a King seated on His throne, calm and sovereign, with a sea of glass, still and clear, spread out before Him. That image carries a profound message: God is not anxious. He is not scrambling. He is seated because the battle has already been won.
In Revelation chapter five, John witnesses something even more breathtaking. A scroll representing the title deed of all creation is held in the right hand of God, and no one is found worthy to open it. John begins to weep, until an elder points him to the Lion of the tribe of Judah. But when John looks, he sees not a lion but a lamb, one that appeared to have been slaughtered yet was standing. This is Jesus Christ, who conquered not through force but through sacrifice. The enemy believed the cross was a victory, but in that very act, sin and death were defeated once and for all. The Lamb took the scroll, and because He has overcome, we can too. As Paul wrote with full confidence, nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus.
Understanding this revelation changes the way we live. When we truly see the King on the throne and the Lamb who was slain, we stop performing for approval and stop trying to carry life in our own strength. We begin to ask ourselves what we are building that will matter in eternity. Every act of forgiveness, every moment of faithfulness, every choice to love someone who cannot repay us, these are the crowns we will one day lay at His feet. The waiting seasons of life no longer feel like prisons when we know that the King is seated, the Lamb has conquered, and our lives carry eternal purpose.
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Life has a way of placing us in waiting rooms we never asked for. A frightening diagnosis, a relationship that fell apart, a prayer that seems unanswered. In those moments, the question is not just "what is happening?" but "how do I hold on?" The book of Revelation, often misread as a roadmap for end times, was written for exactly these moments. It is a window into eternity, and what you see through it will change the way you live.
What Does It Mean to Be in the Waiting?
The Apostle John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. He had been serving God faithfully, and yet He found Himself in chains, isolated, with no clear end in sight. He did not know if he would ever leave. He did not know what was coming next.
Many of us know that feeling. You are waiting for a relationship, a healing, a breakthrough, a prodigal child to come home. Life places us in seasons where we cannot see what is ahead, and the weight of that uncertainty can be crushing.
But in that place of waiting, John did the only thing he knew to do. He turned to God. And God opened a door.
"Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven. And the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, 'Come up here and I will show you what must happen after this.'" - Revelation 4:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
That door is still open. And what is on the other side of it will anchor your faith like nothing else can.
What Do You See When You Look Through the Window of Heaven?
A King Seated on the Throne
The first thing John saw was a throne, and someone sitting on it. This image is not just poetic. It is deeply personal and deeply powerful.
John was living under the authority of the Roman Emperor, a man who controlled his physical freedom, his future, and potentially his life. And yet, when the window of heaven opened, John saw another throne. A higher throne. A throne that no earthly power could rival.
"And instantly, I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it." - Revelation 4:2 New Living Translation (NLT)
Your employer does not control your destiny. Your government does not have the final word over your life. No person in authority over you holds ultimate authority, because there is One seated higher than all of them.
And notice that He is seated. In the ancient world, a king at war would be pacing, directing, fighting. But a king who has won sits down. God is seated on His throne because the battle has already been won. He is not anxious. He is not scrambling. He is at rest, because He is in control.
John also saw a sea of glass before the throne, still and crystal clear. In Scripture, a raging sea represents chaos and things out of control. But before the throne of God, the sea is still. The very thing that imprisoned John, the sea surrounding Patmos, had no power in the kingdom of God.
Whatever feels like it is imprisoning you right now, it has no power before the King who is seated on the throne.
A Lamb Who Took the Scroll
In Revelation chapter five, John sees a scroll in the right hand of God. This scroll represents the title deed of the earth. Whoever can open it holds the destiny of all creation. But no one is found worthy. John begins to weep.
"And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it." - Revelation 5:4 New Living Translation (NLT)
Then one of the elders speaks.
"Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals." - Revelation 5:5 New Living Translation (NLT)
But when John looks, he does not see a lion. He sees a lamb. A lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but was now standing.
This is Jesus. The One who came not to conquer through force, but through sacrifice. The enemy thought the cross was a victory. But in the very act of killing Jesus, the enemy was defeated. Sin and death were conquered once and for all.
The lamb walked into the throne room of heaven and took the scroll. He is worthy. He has overcome. And because He has overcome, you can too.
This is why Paul could write with such confidence:
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow. Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below. Indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39 New Living Translation (NLT)
Not your lack of faith. Not your failures. Not your fears. Nothing can separate you from the love of the Lamb who was slain for you.
Why Are We Tempted to Serve Other Kings?
The danger for many Christians is not outright rejection of God. It is the slow drift toward serving other things. Wealth. Status. Sport. Comfort. These are not inherently evil, but when they begin to demand the time, attention, and devotion that belongs to God, they become gods themselves.
You know something has become a God in your life when it consistently takes priority over the Son of God. When you have seen the Lamb who was slain, when you have truly captured that revelation, nothing else compares. No amount of money, no career achievement, no earthly comfort can compete with the glory of the One who gave His life for you.
What Does It Look Like to Cast Your Crowns Before Him?
The elders around the throne do something remarkable. They take their crowns and lay them at the feet of God.
"They lay their crowns before the throne and say, 'You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.'" - Revelation 4:10-11 New Living Translation (NLT)
These crowns represent the good works, the faithfulness, the perseverance of a life lived for God. Every time you chose to forgive when you had every reason not to. Every time you worshipped through the darkest night. Every time you stood for your faith when it cost you something. Every time you loved someone who could not repay you. These are crowns.
And one day, you will stand before the King of kings and have the honour of laying them at His feet and saying, "It was all for You."
The sobering question is this: what are you building right now that you will not be able to lay before Him? Wealth stored up for yourself? Bitterness held onto? A life lived entirely for your own comfort? Those things will mean nothing in that moment.
But every act of love, every moment of faithfulness, every crown built in the name of Jesus, those will be yours to give back to the One who gave everything for you.
What Happens When You Get This Revelation?
When the window of heaven opens and you truly see the King on the throne and the Lamb with the scroll, something shifts inside you. You stop trying to live the Christian life in your own strength. You stop performing for approval. You start living from a place of love and gratitude, because you have seen what Jesus did for you.
This is not about earning your salvation. It is about responding to it. Grace saves you. Love motivates you. And the revelation of heaven directs you.
You need this revelation. Not just once, but continually. Open the Word. Seek His presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what John saw. Because when you see it, you will live differently. Your head will lift. Your faith will hold. And the waiting room will no longer feel like a prison, because you will know that the King is seated, the Lamb has conquered, and your life has eternal purpose.
Life Application
This week, make a deliberate choice to open the window of heaven in your daily life. Set aside time each day to open your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a fresh revelation of who God is. Not just to read words on a page, but to genuinely seek the face of the King on the throne and the Lamb who was slain for you.
As you go through your week, ask yourself these questions:
What areas of my life have I allowed other "gods" to take priority over Jesus, and what would it look like to surrender those back to Him?
Am I living with eternity in mind? When I stand before the Lord one day, what crowns will I have to lay at His feet from the way I am living right now?
In the waiting seasons of my life, am I looking to the King on the throne, or am I only focused on what I can see in the natural?
Is there someone I need to forgive, or a situation I need to release, so that I can walk in the freedom the Lamb has already won for me?
The door is open. The King is seated. The Lamb has taken the scroll. You do not have to face the waiting alone.
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A discussion guide for this sermon can be found here.
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My name's Adrian, and I'm going to be preaching the word today, part two of our series, talking about how to go through suffering, how to realize that shipwrecks and snake bites cannot stop you in your life. And so today, as promised, we're going to turn to the book of Revelation, the Book of Revelation. And I apologize for all those who were hoping that I was going to tell you all the end times and the date that Jesus is returning. Unfortunately, I don't know that date, and neither do you, and neither does anyone else.
So we're not going to be able to do that. But we are going to get into some powerful stuff. So let's turn to Revelation, chapter four. Revelation, chapter four. And we're going to read from verse one. We're going to read the entire chapter. Who likes reading a bit of scripture? We're going to get. You're going to get two chapters of scripture this morning. So if you've missed your Bible reading today, you're getting it right now. So Revelation, chapter four, verse one. They're not that long. So here we go.
John is on the island of Patmos. Just to give you a bit of background, he's been put there as a prisoner, the Apostle John. And then he sees a vision. He says, then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven. And the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, come up here and I will show you what must happen after this. And instantly, I was in the spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. And the one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones, like Jasper and kane.
And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 24 thrones surrounded him, and 24 elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. And this is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. And in the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes front and back.
The first of these living beings was like a lion. The second was like an ox. The third had a human face, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were Covered all over with eyes inside and out, day after day and night after night, they kept on saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, Almighty, the one who always was, who is and who is still to come. And whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever.
And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, you are worthy, O Lord, our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created, created what you pleased. What a revelation, hey. What a revelation of God. Why don't we pray, Lord, as we come around your precious word today? I pray that you would reveal it to us, God, in a way that doesn't just skim off the surface of our hearts and our lives, but penetrates deep right into the core of our very being, that we would be changed, we would be challenged, and we would be transformed by your word and by the revelation of it.
Holy Spirit, we open our spiritual ears, we open our spiritual eyes. Speak, Lord, for we're listening. In Jesus name we pray. All God's people said, amen. Let it be so. What a powerful scripture today. Have you ever been in a place a bit like John, where you feel alone and isolated and you're just waiting for something to happen, Something bad, something good, destiny, something to be fixed, something to be changed? John was on the island of Patmos. He'd been serving God. He'd been doing something good.
He'd been living his life for Christ. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved. And yet, in the midst of a painful, evil world, the Roman Emperor decided that Christianity needed to be wiped out, that it was worshiping a God, that he wanted to be worshiped instead. And so he made Christianity illegal. And he started gathering up people who were proselytizing it. And John was one of them. And he sent John, John. He killed many of them. But John, he sent to an island. It was out in the outskirts. It was a prison island.
And there was no escape from this island. There's John in chains, shackled, most likely at different times. And he was stuck on this island, able to escape. And in this time of waiting, he sees a revelation. He sees a door open. In a couple of months, we're going to be celebrating a big milestone in our lives, or at least in my daughter's life. She's going to turn 18. She's going to be an adult. I am going to be the parent of an adult child. It's weird, isn't it? Parents, some. You've got this little kid, and then suddenly they become an adult and tell you that they know what they're doing and they can do what they want.
And you're like, I don't know if you can, but that Ella's about to turn 18 in September. And it reminded me of all those years ago on September 28, 2008, on a Sunday night at 7:30 when she was born. And what actually happened was we went into the. Into the hospital at Monash, and Narelle was very brave and had been going through sort of pre labor and having contractions. It was very difficult for me because I had to stand there with her and support her and count the contraction times. And literally, I think the day before, on my birthday, actually, I'd stayed up all night with her.
Poor Adrian. I felt sorry. No, Narelle was going through all of this, and I have great respect for mums who go through labor and then do it again and again and again. And you guys are amazing, and anything can happen. You know, it's quite an incredible process. And we went to the hospital, and Narelle was with the midwives giving birth, but it didn't go according to plan. And so, long story short, we were there for hours. And then the midwife came and said, look, we're going to have to transfer you to the doctors in the other part of the hospital because your baby's under a little bit of distress.
They're getting stressed out, and you're getting stressed, and we just need to calm everything down and put you in the care of the doctors to make sure this all goes smoothly. And so we said, okay, no worries. And so Narelle went into the doctor's thing, and they gave you this gas and a bit of gas to sort of calm Narelle down and make her feel comfortable. And so Narelle, I remember she was like, hey, honey. And she was feeling all happy in the moment. And we were sitting in the hospital room, and I thought, everything's fine.
We just have to wait. And the process will take its time. We've got the doctors here. And suddenly I saw something spike on a screen. And the midwife who was there presses a button, a red button in the room, and this buzzer goes off, this alarm goes off, and within a few seconds. What color was it? Sorry. It was a blue button. I'm very sorry. Narelle remembers the color of the button. It was A blue button. And all these nurses and doctors race into the room. And this is our first child. She's our only child.
We hadn't gone through anything. And they race into the room, and the midwife says, adrian, stand back here. And suddenly they're looking. They're trying to work out what's going on. I said, what's happening? And the midwife said, look, your daughter's heart rate's spiked right up. And we're worried the cords wrapped around her neck. Something's gone wrong. And so I'm like, okay, we're watching. And suddenly they take Narelle's bed, and they're quickly, like, wheel her out down the corridor. And the midwife says, come with me.
She says, adrian, we've got to take your wife and baby into emergency surgery. She's got to have an emergency seizure because we've got to take your daughter out now to save her. And she walks me down the corridor, and she takes me to her room, and she says, you wait in there. And she opens the door. I walk in. There's no one in there. It's a tiny little room. And then she closes the door behind. And there I am sitting in a room by myself while my wife is in emergency surgery. A beautiful moment suddenly turned into a possible disaster.
And you don't know. You don't know what's going to happen in that moment. I remember sitting there. I couldn't call my wife because she's literally out to it in surgery. I couldn't talk to my family because I didn't want to alarm them. They were over in Adelaide at the time, and my church and my pastors, they were in the middle of a church service, so I couldn't call anyone. I was left alone. There was no one there, just me. And I didn't know how long for. I didn't know what was going to happen.
And have you ever been in one of those moments where suddenly life just takes a turn and you don't know whether it's going to be good, bad, or ugly? And you're scared, and you're like, I'm in shock. This is life, brothers and sisters. Life happens to us, where things can happen in a moment, and it's not your fault. It's not your fault. Cancer diagnosis happened. All these things can happen. And we say, what's just happened to me? I didn't see this coming. And so I'm sitting in that waiting room, and there's no one else I can turn to, except I've got myself There.
And I go, well, I don't know what's happening. And so I did the one thing that I have learned to do in my life since I was a kid. And I said, well, God, I believe you're here, and I can turn to you in my time. And so I remember starting to pray. I said, lord, will you protect my wife? Lord, will you protect my daughter? Lord, will you make this all turn out okay? And in that moment, not knowing how long I was going to be there for, I remember these words, this scripture coming to me that have played a part in my life all through.
It was like a little window from heaven, a little window of eternity, just peered through into my heart. And the words came, adrian, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And I went, lord, you're with me. I don't know what's going on. I don't know how long I'm going to have to wait. I don't know what the outcome's going to be, but, Lord, you're with me. I can see it, I can sense it. And Lord God, I hold onto that truth. We all need that. We need to see something in our lives, in the waiting time.
Who knows that life is a waiting time, that life can be like sitting in a waiting room, and sometimes good things happen, sometimes bad things happen. Some of you are waiting for the right partner to come along. You're waiting for the right opportunity to come along. You're waiting for something to open up in your business, in your workplace, in your family. You're waiting for a child to be saved, your spouse or partner to be saved. You're waiting for something. You're waiting to be healed. Healed.
You're waiting for that cancer diagnosis to come back and say, it's gone, it's benign, you're okay. You're waiting for some. Some of us have been in the waiting room, and unlike me, see, I came out and they. A few. About 40 minutes later or so, they. They. The midwife came and she opened the door and she said, adrian, do you want to come and see your daughter? She's been born. And they wheeled her out. She was in a little crib and in a little oxygen crib that she had to be in for three days. And.
But they said she's going to be okay. Okay. She was deprived of oxygen for a bit, but she's going to be healthy and fine, and your wife's okay, too. And that was the news I got that it was good news and everyone was okay. In the end, I got into trouble with my parents because I quickly sent a text and I said, ella Grace Dineen, born at 7:30 on this day, mother and baby doing well. And everyone was like, yeah, this is awesome. And then they came over the next day and they had to go visit Ella in the ICU area with the like, what do you mean everyone's doing well?
There was an emergency, Adrian. I said, well, it's all good now. It's all good now. They're like, adrian, you should have told us. But it all worked out. But some of us have gone in that waiting room and we've come out and it hasn't been good news. And then we have to cope with the waiting of grief and loss and the job that we didn't get, the relationship, the marriage that didn't work out, the son or daughter that didn't get saved yet. And so I want to talk to you today about how you deal with that.
How do you deal with this waiting time? And I want to. I've titled Today's A Window, A Window in the Waiting. Because life can be a waiting. It can be going through good times and bad times, but there is a window from heaven that God wants to reveal. And if you want to get through this Christian life holding onto your faith and holding onto it well, you need to see differently, you need to sense differently. The Apostle John was put on the island of Patmos. And it was hard and it was tough, and he didn't know how long he'd be there for.
He didn't know if he was gonna die there. He didn't know whether he'd have communication again with people. He didn't know. And he did the only thing he knew how to do. He turned to his Savior. He turned to the world, one that loved him and the one that he loved. And the beautiful news is that revelation, my friends, is not there to tell us all the ins and outs of the end times. It's not there for us to decipher and work out everything that the dragon's for and the timing and what's happening in the Middle east and all those things.
You can have a look at those things. But some of that stuff's conjecture. And sometimes if you get too full on it, people get it wrong. I had pastors come in and they'd tell me, me. And they prophesy things or predict things, and then they come back two years later and explain why their prediction was wrong. So I don't want to do that for you today. What I do want to do is what the book of Revelation was written for, to give us a window into eternity. To give God's people. John needed a window into eternity.
And the people he wrote Revelation for needed a window into eternity because they were being persecuted. They were being killed for their faith. They were being told that what they believe was was wrong. They were suffering and going through pain, not just because of their faith, but because of life. People were dying. Their children were suffering. How do you get through? And God said to John, when you seek me, let me show you a window. And he says, a door. I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven.
And a voice said to him, come up here and I will show you. And I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, there is door. There is a window from heaven that is open to you, that if we look through it and we see, it'll hold your faith stronger than anything else. Some of us are caught in the natural world. We're caught in the pain. We're caught in the anxiety. We're caught thinking we have to do this for ourselves. But there is a window to heaven that you can look through, and it will change your life and it will change the trajectory of your life, what you hope and believe and how you see things and how you see eternity.
Do you see it? The truth of the matter is that Jesus, at one point, it is possible to be a Christian and have that door closed in your life. Do you realize this because Jesus said, I'm standing at the door and knocking. And he was knocking to Christians. He's saying, I'm standing here knocking. Will you open the door and let me come in and commune with you? Will you let me show you what I'm doing? Early he'd talked to the church in Laodicea, and he'd talked to them about how they were lukewarm. I think you preached.
Someone preached about it in young adults the other day. Was that you, Adam? Someone spoke about it. Who was it, Justin someone? We're all looking at Tyler. Anyway, we'll discuss it later. We'll have a conversation about who preached it. Maybe it was a dream I had. Someone preached about being Luke. It is possible to be a Christian but be clothed to the eternal nature of God and what he wants to speak into your life. And God doesn't want you to keep the door closed. He wants you to open the door and say, lord, I'm looking into the window of eternity, and that's going to direct my life and give me faith, hope, and love for the future.
And this is what John saw and now I want to look at what he saw. Because this is what you will see when you look through that doorway. When you look through that window, what you will see will be amazing and fantastic. But it's your choice whether you see it. Some of us have our Bibles and they sit closed at home. Do you realize that God wants it as we open? Sometimes it's metaphorical that we need to open our hearts. Sometimes we just need to be practical and we need to open the revelation of God.
We need to open his word and let him speak and let the window of heaven speak into our lives. We got our Bibles closed and we're not looking at them. We got our phones and we're going through emails and we're going through Instagram and we're going through YouTube and whatever in the news. And yet the Bible is sitting on our phone that we can open up and let the Lord shine his light into our hearts of eternity. Amen. This is what happens when you do, friends. This is what happens when you do. The first thing you will see is you will see what John saw instantly.
I was in the spirit and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The first thing you will see when you look into the doorway of heaven, the window of heaven, you will see a throne and a, a king. The throne and king. And what this means to you and I is. John saw he was under the persecution of Caesar of the Roman emperor who had all the power and authority in the known world at the time. He was suffering for his faith. Roman emperor controlled his life. He controlled his physical well being.
He controlled where he was, he controlled his future. But John saw another throne and he looked and God was saying to him, john, you might be suffering now, you're in the waiting time now where someone else is controlling your life. But I am sitting there as a king sitting on a throne in another kingdom high above all principalities and powers of this world. God was saying to John, the government of your day does not control your future. There's a higher power power. Your employer doesn't control your future.
Your parents don't dictate the outcome of the rest of your life, your friends and others around you, your pastor, others around you. No person controls your life. No person in authority over you has the ultimate authority over you because there is one in higher authority that you must see. If you're going to have hope in this world, if you're going to sit in the waiting room and still have hope and faith and joy and the fruits of the spirit. You got to see another throne in another kingdom with another king, and is seated on the throne.
And that is God Almighty, the one who. The elders come around. The elder, 24 elders, some say was representative of the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel and representing the people of God. There are other places the people of God will worship. The angels, millions of them. Worshiping around the throne of God. He is higher than any authority. Sometimes we get upset about what our government's doing, going, they're doing this and now they're doing that. And they haven't fixed the peninsula link road properly.
It's caused me 40 minutes of detours. Go talk to our peninsula church man there. Whoa. Right. But we have this all over. Some of us are dealing with employment issues, interest rate issues, all this stuff, because the government's messing up. They're not in control. There is one higher. There is a higher authority. There is a. When your employer treats you wrong, when your teacher treats you wrong, there is a higher authority in your life. Are you looking to the one seated on the throne? The king of kings and the lord of lords?
And here's the beautiful imagery. He said he was seated. So when a king was at war, when a king was fighting a battle, when a king was in turmoil, they would be pacing a bit like when I preach, they'd be pacing up and down. I'm fighting a war, brothers and sisters. Oh, we're in a spiritual. They're fighting a war. They're dictating. Hey, you go over here. You go over here. Let me look at this map. Let me go over here and look at this. What am I doing? But when the battle was over, when they're like, it's done, there's no more fight to be fought.
There's no more people to conquer. What would they do? They would go and sit on their throne. I'm seated. I'm at rest because the battle is won. And John saw a king seated on the throne. Cause God has already won the victory in your life. He is higher than any power or principality in this world. Amen. Some of us are worried about the devil coming to sift us, trying to rip us off. We're worried, what is he going to do to my kids? What's he going to do to my family future? There is a king seated on the throne that the devil will bow down to and say he has no authority over you.
That's what you claim. That's the first thing you gotta see. Let me give you just one other Thing in this scripture, of all the imagery in this apocalyptic literature that has so much that some of the meaning, we're not sure of it. But one thing he says, in front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. One of the meanings for this would see that. You see, the imagery in the New Testament would be when the sea is roaring, it's a sign that things are out of control. It's nature and the world gonna overcome.
Jesus would go on the boat and the storm came and they were worried for their lives. And Jesus, what did Jesus do? He came out and said, be calm, be still. And it was still. When we get to heaven, when we see the king seated on his throne, what does he do? You see a sea of glass still. That the things of this world have succumbed and been stilled by the greatness and glory and power of God. The king of all the universe. He is in control. The waves. You know what? John was on an island where the waves and the sea were his prisoner.
And yet God showed him a sea of glass. So saying, in my kingdom, that sea has no power over you. Is that how you look at your life in the kingdom of God? The things that come against me have no power over me. There is a higher king and a higher authority. You gotta see it, brothers and sisters. Cause this is the Christian life. You gotta see with faith the things that can be seen in the natural. And when you do, you live a different life. Your head is lifted high. There's a second thing that happens.
We see a king seated on the throne. And the second thing in chapter five. I'm gonna read you chapter five now because it gets even better. It gets even better. And the second thing we see is. We see a lamb with a scroll. It says this in verse one. Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. And there was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll. And it was sealed with seven seals. Seals. And I saw a strong angel who shouted with a loud voice, who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. And then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. This scroll was like the title Deed of Earth. It was like, whoever controls the scroll can control the world and its death destiny. That if this scroll cannot be opened, it means that evil and death and the enemy controls this world because it was under his dominion. Who can open the scroll and set the earth and the universe free of the pain of sin and death?
Who can do it? And John sees there's no one open the scroll. He starts weeping. But then, verse 5. But one of the 24 elders said to me, stop weeping. Look. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. And then I saw a lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered. Notice that the lion becomes a lamb. A lamb who was slaughtered. But it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the 24 elders.
And he had seven horns and seven eyes which represent the sevenfold spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. Each one had a harp, and they had gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words. You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Every tribe, you get that? Every tribe, every people, every nation, every time. Every single person is covered. And you have caused them to become a kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth. And then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus, worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, they sang blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. And the four living beings said Amen. And the 24 elders fell down and worshiped the lamb. You know what you've just read? You've just read a vision John had of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the lamb that was slain walking into the throne room of God after he had given his life. He had become one of us.
And he gave his life on that cross. And they slaughtered him, brothers and sisters. They put the nails through his hands. They made him bloody on his head. They whipped him. He bled out to death. And he gave up his Life. But that was not the end. Because the Lamb of God, the lion of the tribe of Judah, walked into the heavens and there was the scroll. Who can open the scroll? Who can overcome sin and death in your life? Who can destroy the power of Satan in our life? Who can give us eternal life so that death is not the end?
Who can overcome the suffering of mankind? Who can overcome evil when they've abused you? When the enemy and wars have happened and people have been slaughtered and innocent children have died? Who can overcome this terrible atrocity that has happened in the history of the earth? And it seemed like no one until the lamb that was slain walks in and he takes the scroll. I am worthy. Have you seen, brother? Have you seen? Have you seen the lamb that was slain for you? Have you seen him? Have you captured.
That's who Jesus is. Brothers and sisters, I'm telling you right now, if you capture that, you will die for him. If you capture that, do you know what it shows you? There is a king on the throne, but there is a lamb with the scroll who loves you so much, who loves this word. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. And his son came and sacrificed his life. He didn't conquer the way the world wants to conquer. He didn't conquer through wars. He didn't conquer by being the strong man.
He didn't conquer by being strong enough and powerful enough that everyone must just bow down because they're scared of him. Do you know how he conquered? He conquered through sacrifice. He conquered through giving up his life. The lion became a lamb that the enemy thought was weak, the enemy thought was a loser. The enemy thought they had him. But in the very having of Jesus and killing him on the cross, he was conquering sin and death once for all time. Brothers and sisters, when you realize the truth of that, you get a revelation that says, I'm going to live different.
I've been loved. I've been transformed. I'm living for Christ with all my heart and life. I don't know about you, but there's too many Christians, Christians in Australia that have not got that revelation. But they're calling themselves a Christian and they've closed the door of the revelation. Can I tell you, when you succumb to the ways of this world, when you succumb to following other kings, there are different kings, there are different gods that are asking for your time, aren't they? They're asking for your time.
They're asking, hey, make money. The time of the God of man, Mammon. The Bible calls it, which is the desire for wealth and things for yourself that you give your life to and you serve as if that's the goal. There's another God in Australia I call. I don't know if it's the exact right term, but I call it the God of Sport. The God of Sport in Australia that demands your time, demands your money, demands your attention, demands your children. And then we feel the pressure, don't we, that I must serve this God.
Because if I don't serve this God, then I'll be looked at badly, kids won't be happy or this will happen. And Australia goes, oh, yeah, we must, we must, we must. But I tell you, you know when it's become a God? When we put it before the son of God. There is a lamb that went into heaven and he took the scroll. Sport won't save your kids, Money won't save your life. The car you want to buy, the new house you want to get, the holiday you want to go on. You're super fund won't save your life. There is only one.
And you must lift your eyes and you must see the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords on the throne. How many times have we been tempted to serve other gods when the lamb has taken the scroll and opened it and conquered sin and death for us? I've been through times in my life when I've looked and I've questioned why God is there suffering, why? And we want to blame God, God for it. We want to blame God for the suffering. Why did you give my partner cancer? Why did this happen to innocent children?
Why is this happening? Why did I lose my job? Why did that marriage break apart? Why God? What have you done to me? You got to lift your eyes to heaven. Because it's not God who did those things. It's the enemy. It's sin, it's death, it's destruction. Do you know what God has done? Jesus came that he may conquer sin and death once more and for all. And we might not see the results of it in this life because we're in the waiting room. We're in the waiting zone. But I want to tell you, when you lift your eyes, you see that he's already conquered and there's coming a victory when all those things will succumb to him.
Every death will succumb unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Every pain will suck. That's why James said, count it. All joy. When you go through suffering and trials, you go. That's. I don't read that scripture. Adrian, don't agree with that one. I agree with a lot of the Bible, but I don't agree with that one. Why does he say candidal joy? Cause he's saying, the lamb's already overcome. The lamb's already overcome. The lamb's already overcome. You can do it. Can you see the lamb with the skull? Do you know how much God loves you when you're going through trial?
It's not God punishing you. Get that out of your head. It is not God punishing you when your children are suffering and going through trials. It is not God. But he's the lamb that came to save you. He's the lamb that said. Jesus said, I haven't come from the well for those who are well. I've come for those who are sick. He's not judging you. He's not saying, oh, you better watch out. He's saying, you've been sick. You're sick with sin. You're sick through a world of death and pain. I've come to save you, and I'm the one who opened the scroll.
Look to him and give your life to him and say, thank you, Jesus. Can you see the lamb with the scroll? That's what John saw. That's what you need to say. See? And then the last thing. The last thing. Actually, sorry, I've got one scripture that I've got to give you because it's awesome. Almost. Forget it every time. Because I've done all the scriptures. It's Romans 8. Paul had this revelation. If you. You've all heard this scripture, read it in the light of the lamb with the scroll. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God.
God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today, nor our worries about tomorrow. Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below. Indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. What can separate you from the love of God? What's the answer? What's the answer for your life? Do you believe that? Oh, that's pathetic.
What's the answer? Nothing. Do you believe that? Can the devil separate you? Can the enemy? Can your. Here's what we worry about. Can your fears or worries separate you from the love of God? You can't even separate yourself from the love of. Of God. Get that revelation into you. Some of you feel unworthy because you go, I don't have enough faith. Your faith cannot separate. God says, I have done the work. You just need to receive it and accept it and let my love flow over you. God's love is greater.
The Lamb is greater than sin and death and pain and worry and fear. Not trusting God, having a lack of faith is sin, is it not right? Your sin of a lack of faith can't separate you from the love of God. To celebrate that, saying, thank you God, that even though I haven't had enough faith, you still love me and you still accept me and your grace still covers me. Lord, I come back into your love and I see the lamb that was slain. I see the victor, I see the king and I do what the other elders do. Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
And when I see that, brothers and sisters, do you know what I say if you get that revelation? This is what I want to see in our church. I want to see it in our community. I want to see it across all of our families. Do you know why I want to be in church every weekend? Not because I need brownie points from God, because I'm trying to be a good person, because I've get a revelation of that. I want to keep coming back to serve and worship the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, the son of God who gave his life.
And I want to keep having a revelation of that. I need it for my life to face every single day and every week of my life. Can you see the king on the throne? Can you see the lamb with the scroll? And the third thing I want you to see is the response that happens when people see it and what everything is building towards. We go back to chapter four in this beautiful environment, this throne room of God. It says in verse nine, whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down, worship the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever.
And this is what they do. And they lay their crowns before the throne and they say, you are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you created all things and they exist because you created what you pleased. There's a third thing you see when you see heaven open up, when you see the window of eternity and its truthfulness. You see people around the throne, you see elders, you see others casting their crowns before the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. And I thought about this because we can build a lot of things in this life.
My daughter's studying year 12, thinking about her future, what she going to study at uni. People are young, people are thinking, what are you going to do with your life? We're thinking, what's the point of it all? What am I building towards? Well, I'll look after my family, I build some wealth. The world has a bunch of goals. When you see heaven, you know what your goal becomes? Lord, I'm going to worship you with my whole life. And God, I'm going to do good works, not because I need them for my salvation, but because you've already said, save me.
And because I love you so much that, Lord, everything I do on this earth, I want to do for your glory. And one day I will appear before you and it will be my honour to say, thank you, lamb. Thank you, God, you are worthy to receive all glory and honor. And we say, what have I got to give the Lord? What have I got to give the Lord to show him that I. I love him? And that is when we take the crowns and the good works of this life. And we say, lord, it was for you. It was for you. It was for you. We're saved by grace.
But our response becomes, lord, let my life be for you. Every time I encourage someone, every time I didn't, every time I went through the dark night of the soul, you know when you go through times of depression, depression, you go through times of anxiety and it feels like the fear creeps in on you and you didn't give into it. And you said, I'm gonna still worship Jesus, I'm gonna still hang on, I'm gonna still believe God. There's my crown, Lord, I cast it before you. Every time in your school or university, you made a stand for Jesus and, oh, and you invited someone to church, you told them you're a Christian.
Every time they were telling a rude, dirty joke and you walked away or you said, said, no, not going to engage in that. Lord, there's a crown before you. Every time you loved someone and built into them, one day we'll appear before him in heaven. And my goal is to say, lord, here are the ones, here are the ones that I did my best to pastor, that I did my best to love. Here's the Evas of this world, Lord, I tried to preach and be an example. Here's the Phils of this world, the Gemmas, the Justins, the Alex's and the Fuwers and the Steves and the Kylies, These are Darrells.
When I met and we prayed together and I said, God loves you. I cast it before you, Lord. Here's the time when someone. When my spouse cheated on me and I chose to forgive them. I cast it before you, Lord. Here's the time when my employer did something wrong and I knew it was wrong and I forgave them, Lord. Here's the time I chose to have joy. Here's the time I lifted my hands in worship to worship you. When I felt in the darkest time. These are the crowns. Brothers and sisters, we do not do these things to gain all these rewards for our benefit.
We do them out of love and adoration for Jesus. And one day you will appear before him. And I pray that you will see this truth. You need to see heaven. Why do you live for God? Here's the day I resisted temptation when I could have gone and slept with that person, when I could have looked at that thing and I chose not to. And I said, God, I resist God. Here's the. The crown. I give it before you. There is a day coming when as saved people will appear before the Lord. And I promise you this, you will want to cast your crowns before him.
Everything you've done for the Lord, every good work, everything that you did to love someone else, I cast it before you, Lord. I surrender it to you. Can I tell you you this. There's going to be some that get to heaven, and the grace of God covers us. But we'll realize I wasn't. I had the door closed. And we'll be going, oh, no, what did I do? Did I. Did I. Did I live my whole life for myself? Did I live my. And we'll look behind and there's a bunch of money sitting there. There's a house. There's a house.
There's some. There's a bunch of riches. That means I can't cast that before the Lord. It means nothing. I promoted myself. I held onto unforgiveness and bitterness. I can't. Oh, if only I'd seen this before. That's my fear for people. Honestly, that we're living our lives and we're not seeing the light of eternity in the waiting. We're in the waiting room of life. But God's given us a doorway to see. And if you will see it, then you'll say, you know what, God, can I ask you this? What are the things.
What are the crowns that you're building for yourself now that when you appear before Jesus, you can't throw them at his Feet, you'll want to throw them out in the. Out the back window. Go, go. Oh, I don't want that. Quick get. I don't want that one. When you have a revelation of Jesus, you say, lord, my life is not my own. You know, this is why I love our church. Because people, you know, when you're volunteering, you know, when Etienne was here, he doesn't want me to, but he said. He goes, oh, Adrian.
He goes, I'm a bit tired this morning. He goes, I had a wedding last night. He goes, I forgot to put in my unavailabilities, so I'm rushed it on. He goes, I didn't want to let the team down. I didn't want to let the team down. So I'm here, I'm going to serve his business. Like 7 o', clock, 7:30 this morning. Serving, serving. See, he doesn't do that. He goes, adrian, you've just taken my crown because you've given me accolades in front of everyone. No, that's not true. But you know what? One day, you know why he did it?
Because he loves you and he loves God. And one day, that crown, he will be before the Lord and say it was all for you, Lord, you can do that right now. Oh, you can do that right now. Wouldn't it be beautiful to say, lord, everything I do, the world might not appreciate it, but you do. Why should I forgive someone in this life when there's nothing in it for me? You know why? Because that's a crown you're going to give before the Lord. There's another crown, crown I'm going to give before the Lord.
Lord, if you can forgive me, I can forgive the person who hurt me. Lord, if you can give your life for me, I can make some coffee for someone. I can give into your house. Lord God, I can go and reach someone in need. Lord God, if you can forgive and give your life for me Even when they poisoned you with words and destruction and abuse, I can hold on to you when I feel like rubbish inside your crowns. Brothers and sisters, can you see the crowns? That's the motivation. One day I'll appear before the King of kings and Lord, it's all for you, it's all for you.
Here's my life. Can you see it? Can you see it? How would you live? Can I ask you this? How would you live differently with that revelation in mind? If God showed you what it he showed John? If you saw that, how would that impact your life? Because that's a challenge to me. I think It's a challenge to all of us. It's the opportunity we have, a window in the waiting that'll change your life, that'll change your perspective, that'll reframe how you view everything. The Lord is for you. He. He is the King.
He's won the victory for you. He's died on the cross for you. He has the victory for you out of his love. And one day you get to, in love and grace, appear before him and not go, oh, God, I'm so sorry. I didn't do this, I didn't do that. No, no. You get the opportunity to say, you're forgiven, you're loved, you're accepted, and you go, lord, I lived my life for you. I sowed love because you loved me. It is my honour to worship you. Lord, here's my life. That's what I want to do, that's what I want to guide people to do.
And it's tough. I don't say it's very tough, guys. In this world, it's very hard. In this world, especially in Australia, we live in a very comfortable world. We've got everyone around us telling us to live for ourselves and do it for yourself. And you need this revelation to live different. So we're going to pray, we're going to ask the Lord to come and speak to us. Us. So many times in my life, God's shown me a little window, a little peering into heaven. I saw it when Ella was born a few years ago.
I went through my own season of depression and people would call it a midlife crisis in my 40s, the sight going, what have I done with my life? Was it useful? Was it worthy? Did it make a difference? Where's my future? What do I believe? Is it real? Is it true? God, what about the suffering of the world? And I went through inner turmoil, some people call it, I said, the dark night of the soul, where depression grabbed a hold of me. Hopelessness tried to grab a hold of me and say, nothing really matters.
I remember in that time, struggle, struggling through and trying to preach and hold on to what I knew. But I remember going and praying at different times, saying, God, you got to do something, because I can't keep going on like this. I'm in the waiting. God, will you break through? Will you show me? I'm in a waiting zone. I'm going nowhere. What are you doing? I remember one time, it took a couple of years. Sometimes the waiting time is a while. And I went and I was praying one time again, the devil is in the back of my ear, telling me to give up.
It's not working. You heard that voice, give up. It ain't working. Ain't gonna change. It's not worth it. I went and I prayed to the Lord and I said. I told him what I heard. I said, God, I said, I don't feel your presence. I don't know what's going on. I'm depressed. I can't keep leading your church like this, God, the people don't deserve that. My pastors and leaders, they don't deserve that. You got to do something. But I don't know why. And as I'm praying, a little window, a bit of light from a window from heaven shot through.
And I felt the Holy Spirit say these very simple words to me. And it is one of the most profound things I've heard because it was so real to me. Because it was heaven. It was God, the spirit of God, speaking to me. He said this to God. I can't. I don't know how I'm going to go on. And these words in my heart came, but you're still here talking to me. And it was, like, right in. And I don't know how God. I don't know how God does it, but he has a way of opening up the eternity to you. And those simple words, you know what they said to me?
The devil's trying to destroy you and take your faith, the thing that you've held onto your whole life. And yet you still believe in me. And I'm still here. Son, I told you I'd never leave you nor forsake you. You. I've been telling you that your whole life, and I'm still here. And I tell you what happened. That little slither of light turned into that window opening all the way. And I felt the rays of God's love. And I started. I was on the beat. I started bawling my eyes out. I felt the fire of God.
I felt the spirit of God. And I saw heaven. Heaven was opened again to me. And I said, jesus Christ, you are the lamb that was slain. I will serve you with my whole life. And you know what? I walked back from that moment. I walked back from that moment, and something had changed in me. The waiting was over. And I said, God, I'm not letting go of you. Devil, you tried to destroy me, but God has got me because he is on the throne of my life. And I will cast my crowns before you. You know what? One day I will be before heaven.
I'll say, lord, Lord, you know, when the devil tried to wreck me, here it is. I'm still here. I held on to you. Thank you, Jesus. Some of you going through a hard time, some of you feel like giving up. Some of you feel like you failed. He's got you. He's got you. He's got you. You don't have to feel it in the moment. Hang on and ask God to show you a revelation of eternity. You need it. You need it. You need it. Christians, it's time to not start, not try and live the Christian faith in your own strength.
You can't do it. You can't try and be a good Christian. You need a revelation of heaven. You need a revelation of God. And when you have it, then you live for him because it's all you can do. Amen. So let's bow our head and close our eyes. Holy Spirit. We're here because we love you, Lord Jesus. We're here, God, right in this place. We're going to declare the goodness of God in this place. And I'm going to give you an opportunity to declare with the angels, with the elders, with all of those around heaven's throne.
Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. He is the one, His Savior, his Lord. And some of us in this place. Right now you're going through a difficult time. Right now, I want you to lift your hands out to the Lord. Right now you're going through a different. You're in the waiting zone. You're in the waiting zone. But the Lord says, I'm with you son. I'm with you, with your daughter. Hold on and let me show you eternity. Let me show you my throne. Let me show you the King sitting on his throne. Let me show you who I am, the Lamb that was slain.
Let me show you that one day, everything you've done, you'll throw your crowns before me. It's all worth it for me, Lord. I pray for them, Lord, lift them up. Let them know your grace and your goodness and your guidance in Jesus name, Lord, I pray for those who need you as Lord and savior. Maybe you're in this place and you've been far from God. You've been living in sin. Maybe you've never given your life to Jesus, but today you want to. Let's say this prayer together. Dear Jesus, you're the Son of God and you died for me.
I believe in you. Thank you Jesus for forgiving me. Thank you for being Lord and savior of my life. You are the Lamb that was slain in Jesus name I pray. Amen Amen. Here's what we're gonna do, Church. We're gonna stand to our feet and we're gonna sing the words of this song. Holy, Holy. And I want you in this few last moments to say, God, give me a fresh revelation. Give me a fresh revelation of your goodness. Heaven before me. Let me see it, Lord. Let me walk out of this place, God, with fire in my bones.
In Jesus name Thank you, Lord. Almighty. Hallelujah. God be pray never. Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty Holy all of heaven now will never fall Jesus glory Hallelujah. Now and ever more Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty me All of heaven now and ever more. Hallelujah God be pray now and never know. Jesus, Jesus only Jesus the name of the worthy to be pray Jesus only Jesus Forever glorified Forever Lifted high God, holy, holy. Hallelujah. Now and more. Jesus only Jesus the name above all names so worthy to be pray Jesus only Jesus forever glorified Forever Lifted high thank you.
Come with eyes closed in this place. Let me pray for you. Thank you, Lord, that you've chosen your people. Each one of us in this place is loved by God. So loved by God. See, the devil wants to condemn, but Jesus came to set you free. And Lord, I pray today that each one of us, Lord, no matter what we're going through, no matter what we're facing, that we would redeem. You can reject the devil's lies over our lives, that we're not worthy, that we're being judged, that we're not as good as someone else because of what we're going through.
Maybe some of us are here and thinking that we're better and we've got it all together, Lord, that we would reject that lie too. And, Lord, we would hold on to this beautiful fact that the Lamb came, Jesus came and surrendered and sacrificed his life to give us life. And we would receive it freely. And we would walk in that revelation. And then we would walk out of this place and say, lord, I'm gonna cast my crowns before you, Lord God, everything I do, let it be unto the Lord. In my job, in my family, in my workplace, in my church, everything I do, let it be unto the Lord.
Give us your strength, Holy Spirit. Flow through your people, Anoint them, empower them. And let us live lives that are worthy of heaven's call on us. In Jesus name, I pray all God's people said, Amen. God bless you, church. We love you. Let's go and have a great rest of the day and weekend. Sam.
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What is this sermon actually about?
In "Revelation 4 - A Window in the Waiting," Ps Adrian opens Revelation chapters 4 and 5 to show that even in life's hardest seasons of waiting, God is not anxious or out of control. He is seated on His throne, and Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, has already won the victory. It is a message of hope for anyone facing uncertainty.
Do I need to know the Bible to follow along?
Not at all. Ps Adrian explains the background and walks through each passage step by step, so whether it is your first time opening a Bible or your hundredth, you will be able to follow.
What does it mean that "Jesus is the Lamb who was slain"?
It is the heart of the Christian message: Jesus did not conquer through force but through sacrifice. By dying and rising, He defeated sin and death, which is why the Bible says nothing can ever separate us from God's love.
I am in a waiting season right now. Is there a place for me here?
Absolutely. This message is for exactly that. Whatever you are walking through, you are welcome to come as you are and find people who will walk alongside you.
Where and when does Connect Christian Church meet?
We have locations across Frankston, Cranbourne, Mornington, Rosebud, Hastings and Grantville, with services on Sunday mornings and evenings and a Friday night gathering. Visit connectchristian.church for service times near you, or come and see our team at the Get Connected desk after any service. We would love to meet you and pray with you.
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Revelation 4:1-2
"Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.' And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it." (NLT)
→ Read Revelation 4:1-2 on Bible.com
Revelation 5:5-6
"But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, 'Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.' Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders." (NLT)
→ Read Revelation 5:5-6 on Bible.com
Revelation 5:12
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." (NLT)
→ Read Revelation 5:12 on Bible.com
Romans 8:38-39
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NLT)