Forevermore

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. How did this happen? The resurrection, right? I can't even explain how this iPad works to you. Today, we're going to take a story that happened decades later, the book of Revelation chapter 1, where John, who's probably the last of all of the apostles, still alive, an ancient of days in some ways at that point in time, pretty old, and in exile on the island of Patmos for the faith, and how he meets, or better yet, how the resurrected Jesus Christ meets him in that. But now we're going back to Revelation chapter 1, and this is Revelation 1, 9 through 20. We're going to read this now. This is what it says. I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, and the kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that was behind speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun, shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, Fear not. I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, the things that you have seen, those that are, and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. So from this text we're going to focus on three points. It comes up in this verse, Fear not. I am the first and the last, the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. So Christ is risen, hallelujah. Okay, I caught you off guard, didn't I? Okay, this was actually from what we can tell. It's from the first few days after the resurrection through the early church. 2,000 years people have been saying this, so let's try it again. Christ is risen, hallelujah. Christ is risen, hallelujah. So this I'm going to use to make sure that you stay awake. This is an Easter sunrise service. You've gotten to sleep in today. Come on, people. Hey, for Kix this week, I decided to do what I think a number of my students have done. Used open AI to write a sermon here. Yeah, chat GTP. I asked it on this verse, Revelation 1, 17 to 18. What do you got? How many students have used chat? How many have used AI? Of course. Anybody else? Okay, get with it, people. At least not to use it to actually turn in the paper, but just as an outline to see what they would do, right? Well, this actually is what I got as a result, and it's, okay, you determine. This is what came out. Dear congregation. Today we are gathered in the presence of almighty to meditate on the words of our Lord. Jesus Christ is revealed in the book of Revelation chapter one. Okay, I'm not going to read the whole thing. These are these words are not merely comforting. They are transformative. They beckon us to gaze upon the sovereignty and majesty of our savior who conquered death and reign supreme over all things. Don't be afraid. How often do we find ourselves paralyzed by fear? Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of loss. Yet Christ commands us to cast aside our fears, for he is always with us. And then I am the first and the last. These words remind us of the eternal nature of our Lord. And then I am the living one. I was dead, and now I am alive forevermore. Herein lies the heart of the Christian face, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death could not hold him captive. He triumphed over the grave. And then I have the keys of death and Hades. These symbolize Christ's authority over death in the afterlife. He alone has the power to grant life or pronounce judgment. My dear brothers, let us take these words to heart and live in the light of Christ's victory. May the peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. So what do you think? I think I don't have to worry about being replaced anytime soon by artificial intelligence. It's all true, but it's kind of trite, stereotyped. It's mayb...