May 9, 2010 Introduction Esther Yang asks us to “Please write to my mother in prison.” Esther is the 28-year-old daughter of Pastor Yang Xuan and his wife Yang Caizhen. They are leaders of a large network of house churches with a large church building in Linfen, a city of 4 million in Shanxi province in China.
Like 1st Pres, it was founded over 100 years ago. Today, this now illegal church has about 50,000 members. On Sunday, September 13, 2009, more than 400 Chinese officials stormed the grounds of the Linfen Fushan Church, destroying buildings and injuring more than 100 church members. Ten weeks later, Esther’s mother was arrested, convicted and sent to prison along with 10 other church leaders. She was sentenced to two years at a “re-education” labor camp. Her father was sentenced to three-and-a-half years. His whereabouts are unknown. This morning Pastor James and I are beginning a 6-week sermon series on Revelation, the last book in the Bible (by the way, the proper reference is Revelation, not Revelations as I hear so often). The apostle John is writing Revelation from his own prison (exiled for life on the island of Patmos off the west coast of modern-day Turkey in the Aegean Sea. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation is written in “apocalyptic” form (unveiled, uncovered, revealed), a type of Jewish literature that uses spectacular, symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution. Let’s face it: it can be difficult to believe in God when we see on screen or experience in our own lives the destruction, devastation or despair that evil brings. We can think either that God is good but unable to deal with evil or that God is indeed all-powerful but doesn’t care. As suicide bombers explode or developing missiles threaten, as ground forces dig in and get ready for a potential blood bath, where is God? And why do we pray? As cancer closes in to end a human life or as a wheel chair carries you or someone you love into the strangeness, the smell, the seeming hopelessness of a nursing home, where is God? Why would we pray? Christians have always wrestled with problem of evil, its presence and power in the world and in our lives. It’s a harsh reality. From 81-96 A.D. Emperor Domitian ruled the Roman world with sheer terror and cruelty. He carried out a systematic persecution of Christians who would not declare that “Caesar is Lord.” As Caesar-worship became a major component of Roman civic religion, followers of Christ refused to adulterate their conviction that “Jesus is Lord,” our basic confession of faith. So they were arrested, beaten, tortured or killed. Claiming Jesus in many parts of the world today brings similar persecution. Just ask Esther, her family and her church. I. The Revelation from, of, about Jesus Christ John begins with a clear, unveiled, direct reminder: the revelation of Jesus Christ. First, Jesus is “the faithful witness.” Just as Jesus never faltered when he was challenged or rejected, even when he suffered and was put to death, so too are his followers to bear witness to God’s truth in the world. John urges the seven churches to follow the example of their Lord. Secondly, Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead.” Still in the Easter season, we rejoice in the Resurrection. However, the persecuted church always faces the possibility of martyrdom. And everyone eventually faces the reality of mortality. Death troubles us. In war, by accident, through disease, young or old, for self or a relative or a stranger, death bothers us. John reminds the people that Jesus was the first to be raised to a new and imperishable life. Death has no further dominion over him. And so it is promised to all who trust in the Lord by faith. By confessing our need for Christ, by turning from our sin, and by receiving forgiveness in Christ, salvation in the Lord is the assurance that we have even in the midst of the world’s crises or our personal struggles. The New Testament letter Hebrews proclaims it: “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (that’s Hebrews 9:27-28). And thirdly, Jesus is “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” John sees in this vision, this revelation, Jesus directing the affairs and destinies of nations. For his realm, the kingdom of God is wider than the Roman Empire; greater than Iran or Iraq, Al Qaida or the Taliban; greater than Russian or China; greater than the United States of America. Over the centuries, governments democratic or dictatorial have sought to crush the church, but Jesus Christ is King of kings. Human political leaders try to neutralize or dominate the lives of Christians, but Jesus is Lord of lords. Who would have guessed that the struggling Christian movement of the first century would outlive the Roman Empire? Who would have guessed that between 1910 and 2010 that believers in the Two-Thirds World would far outnumber believers in the West? Regimes in China and places like Iran and Sudan have martyred many Christians. As we pray for our suffering sisters and brothers in Christ, we yet know that the Lord of history calls us to look beyond to his ultimate plan. As we come before the Lord in worship today, Jesus also comes to us as he did to John. Our Savior places his hand on us and says, “Do not be afraid. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and hell” (that’s Revelation 1:17-18). II. The Revelation to the Church So John writes to the seven churches (and to us), “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ… To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood… Look, he is coming… and every eye will see him.” Along with “the seven spirits before the throne,” John sees “seven golden lampstands” and “seven stars” in the right hand of the brilliant Risen Lord. This number “seven” denotes perfection or completion or fulfillment. It clues me into the idea that Revelation was written not only for the actual seven historical churches by name, but also for the whole church in every age and place. We will read portions of this letter in the coming weeks. In it the Lord will give us images of hope and judgment to encourage us and help us hold onto our faith even in the face of our struggles. In my times of deepest brokenness, Revelation reminds me of God’s great compassion. The Bible often tells how God loved us so much (past tense) that he sent his only Son that we should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). But here in Revelation 1:5, John writes of the one who “loves us” – present tense. As we read and preach through a few amazing passages of Revelation, the Lord wants us not simply to be fascinated or interested in end time prophecy; God wants us to let the truth of Christ penetrate our lives, deepen our faith, and strengthen our commitment to follow him no matter the cost.
Conclusion Today on this Mother’s Day, I will put in the mail this postcard to Esther’s mother. It was provided by “The Voice of the Martyrs.” It reads in Chinese: Dear Yang Caizhen, We are praying for you, your family and the other prisoners. We are also praying for your release soon! Please know that we care about you very much. God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you (and I will sign it from friends in Salt Lake City, USA). Let us pray together.
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