God's Story Is Our Story: From Acts to New CreationSample

In the first part of the book of Revelation, John tells of the scroll. We are not told what the scroll is. Some have hypothesized that it is a deed to the earth. Some have said it is the judgments that need to come on the earth to purge it of evil. Some have said it is the description of how God's kingdom will come to earth. It is clearly important for God's story to go forward.

In particular, no one is able to open the scroll. No one is worthy enough. John is saddened by this. But, then John is told in his vision that there is one: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, the lamb who was slain. This is Jesus.

The church and the angels fall in worship at his worthiness and tell us why he is worthy. It is because he was slain and by his blood has ransomed people or bought them back from the kingdom of darkness.

In this song, we get a sense of the part of the story we are in. We are called a kingdom of priests. We are to represent God to the people and to represent people to God. We tell others about the kingdom and how they can enter it, but we also pray to God for those people that he might draw them in.

The scope of this kingdom is supposed to spread to every tribe, tongue, and nation. So, our mission is to reach the whole world with the message of God's kingdom. Not all of us can go to another country, but all of us can "go." Who are the people God has brought near us? Who are the missionaries we can help support and encourage to take the gospel to the nations? How can we find ways to pray for God's kingdom to advance around the world?