When you live in Babylon the success of a witness is not measured by the quantity of their converts, but by the steadfastness of their testimony. Revelation 10 and 11.
Suffering Repentance Salvation
Suffering Repentance Salvation: In Revelation 8-9 God's judgment is played out in disaster and suffering, but the goal of it all is life change [repentance] that leads to salvation.
Judgment Rebukes Empire
Rev 8-9: Judgment Rebukes Empire
Revelation is about the Church's relationship to Empire at any time in History. Its message to the struggling Christians in Roman Asia Minor: any human government that sets itself against God and the Lamb will go the way of Rome or Egypt.
This is Us!
The Christians of Asia Minor are battered by Rome's civil religion. Some are giving in and giving up to Caesar worship. They need something to put some steel in their backbone and some faith in their hearts. In Rev7 John gives them two snapshots of themselves.
Closed Doors and Open Doors
FBC Member David Andrianoff fills the pulpit with an encouraging message about moving forward into the unknown of 2021- especially after the unpleasantness of 2020.
Why Is This So Hard?
Sermon: Why Is This So Hard? You'd think God would make things easy for Mary and Joseph since they're doing something so important. But no. Their story is fraught with difficulty...just like yours and mine. And that's not only okay, it's good.
Love All
Love All
Like the Lawyer in Luke's gospel [ch10] we want to set boundaries on just who we have to love. Jesus' answer in a story about "a Samaritan..." blows all our boundaries away.
Give More (Pandemic Style)
Give More (Pandemic Style): God wants to give Himself to us. Jesus is the example of "all in" giving that God intends for us, his people, to follow so we can in the parlance of Advent Conspiracy: Give More.
Link to sermon video
Spend Less to be Selfless
Spend Less to be Selfless
Christmas spending in America topped $1 Trillion in 2019. Advent Conspiracy's Spend Less is an invitation to be selfless- like Jesus.
Link to video of sermon Spend Less to be SelflessSermon transcript link
Worship Fully (pandemic style)
Mourning into Gratitude
Mourning into Gratitude: If absence makes the heart grow fonder, it should also make us more grateful.
Horsemen, Martyrs, and Calamities
link to sermon video Horsemen, Martyrs, and Calamities
What if the strange happenings in Revelation are not future events but portrayals of exactly what the Asia Minor Christians were experiencing at that moment? What if Revelation is about living faithfully for Jesus now rather than a guide for Anti-Christ spotting?
God's Plan, Rooted in His Steadfast Love
Today's video message is a video message from our beloved FBC family members, Doug and Cora Person. Link to Video:
A Tale of Two Visions
I have had two vision experiences in my life. Revelation is John's recounting of a vision he had. Today I'll tell you the story of my little visions and maybe we'll gain some insight into John's big one.
Video of A Tale of Two Visions
UNFORTUNATELY THE AUDIO AND VIDEO DID NOT SYNC ON THIS ONE. APOLOGIES FOR THE TERRIBLE QUALITY.
Link to sermon transcript: A Tale of Two Visions
The Lamb of God
The Lamb of God: The most important key to understanding Revelation- and the practice of our own faith- is found in Revelation 5.
Throne of God
The Throne of God
Rome's patriotic story wants control over all her citizens. But Rome's [or Babylon's] story contradicts God's story. Revelation 4 fact-checks Rome as to who's really has the power.
The Accommodation Situation
Video Link to The Accommodation Situation
The Accommodation Situation
Revelation is written to seven little Christian communities in Asia Minor who are all dealing with [or not dealing with] one problem: accommodating the culture of Rome [aka Babylon].
Link to Transcript of Sermon: The Accommodation Situation
Fake News and Real Power
Rome [aka Babylon] told a pretty story of being chosen by the gods to be the controlling power over all the world. "Fake news!" cries John and Revelation 1 proceeds to show us the True Power behind the universe.
Revelation Introduction
Revelation tends to be either ignored or "hyper-canonized." In truth it is "one of the most extraordinary pieces of literature ever written by a human being" [Ian Paul]. In this message: insights into Revelation's amazingness and its powerful message.
Rome's Beastly Lie
Rome was brilliant at "Branding." Her politics, religion, economics, and civic pride were all blended up in a deceptive cocktail her citizens loved to consume. John's Revelation reveals the Beastly Lie.