Word of Life Lutheran Church and Preschool

As so many prepare for Father's Day this weekend, we want to say thank you to all the fathers who father in so many ways. The Lord is your strength and guide; may He bless you work and be with you. May you find earthly support from those around you. Amen!

For our preschool families! It's not too late to register your preschooler for our next day camps, "Planet Pancake," starting next Monday, June 22nd. This four-day camp (Monday, June 22nd - Thursday, June 25th) will be an excursion into learning about how God is good and gives us what we need. There will be plenty of opportunities for the kids to make and eat food (especially pancakes!), as well as all the crafts, games, activities and other FUN that make these day camps unforgettable. These day camps will go from 9am-11:30am each day. You can find the registration form at https://wordoflife.net/events. Simply download the form, fill it out and email it back to us at [email protected] or put it in the dropbox outside the front doors of the church. The cost for the week is $30 per child. All preschool age children (3-5) who are potty-trained are welcome. Even if you've just "graduated" from preschool and are off to kindergarten in the fall, you can still come and join the excitement. For more information, you can call Pastor Schoon directly at 630.355.9670. See you next week!

Our regular program for Sunday School, the 630 Oasis, is taking a break for the summer to give our excellent volunteers a rest, and for the next few months, we'll instead have our Super-Sized Sundays, a grand Sunday School time on the first Sunday of the month. Our next Super-Sized Sunday will be the first Sunday in July (July 5th) at 10:15am. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: There will be no adult Bible Study this Sunday, June 14th, but will return next week.

Blog Post Thursday! Invest in your spiritual growth with Pastor Schoon's newest post on what it might be like to meet God in person.
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Would you go on an excursion if you knew it was going to be the most terrifying experience of your life?

Revelation 4:1-11 says: After these things I looked, and behold—a door stood opened in heaven. Then the voice I had heard before, sounding like a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I came to be in the Spirit. And behold, a throne stood in heaven, and One was seated upon the throne. The One seated there appeared like jasper and carnelian stone, and around the throne was a rainbow that gleamed with the appearance of emerald. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated upon them were twenty-four elders clothed in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven blazing torches of fire, which are the sevenfold Spirit of God. Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle soaring in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and all around and within they were full of eyes. Day and night without ceasing they declare: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, the One who was, and who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanksgiving to the One seated upon the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and worship the One who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were brought into being.”

Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all received visions of being in the presence of God combined with His court, and all were troubled, terrified, and overwhelmed.

Sensory overload.

Yet, all, including John here in Revelation chapter 4 become fortified for their ministries ahead after having been in the full presence of God.

When we are fearful in the presence of God, and we should be, God says, “Fear not.”

Most people would like to meet God and ask Him some questions; remember Job? God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind and His presence was much different than I’m sure Job expected. I think we get this idea that the eternal God is going to look like a nice, average Jesus that the disciples followed, but, if Revelation teaches us anything, the glory of Heaven means that the God it serves must be greater and even more absolute.

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God has just got finished talking to the seven churches in the early chapters of Revelation, when He invites St. John to come see the work of eternity. Like the prophets of the Old Testament who saw such things, John is tasked with relating what is in Heaven, things beyond our comprehension, in earthly terms. What we have in Revelation, I believe, is a far cry from the totality of the experience. What seems majestic in his words will be infinitely more majestic, and what seems terrifying will be infinitely more terrifying when we are there for the first time. Yet, in the earthly terror of it, we know that is where we belong.

If we know that we belong there, here are some comforting and powerful reminders for us:

(1) The throne is the center.

Let me put the text of Revelation 4:1-11 down here in paragraph format, not as one block of text. See if you notice anything:

After these things I looked, and behold—a door stood opened in heaven. Then the voice I had heard before, sounding like a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

Immediately I came to be in the Spirit. And behold, a throne stood in heaven, and One was seated upon the throne. The One seated there appeared like jasper and carnelian stone, and around the throne was a rainbow that gleamed with the appearance of emerald. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated upon them were twenty-four elders clothed in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven blazing torches of fire, which are the sevenfold Spirit of God. Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle soaring in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and all around and within they were full of eyes. Day and night without ceasing they declare:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, the One who was, and who is, and who is still to come.”

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanksgiving to the One seated upon the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and worship the One who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were brought into being.”

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John always goes back to the throne in how he describes his experience. It is the center of all that is happening and the focal point of the actions of Heaven. He who sits on that throne is the Almighty, the All-Powerful One, the God of all things. And, because He sits on the throne as the center of it all, He is in control of all things; He sees all, knows all, and directs all things for His glory and good.

When we think of the chaos of this world and how uncontrollable it seems, remember this vision and the other visions of Heaven that those of Scripture have seen. No matter how powerful Satan and his reign seems, the God of glory is and always will be greater, and His purposes will overcome.

(2) Praise language is eternal.

What “holy” means to us and what “holy” means in Heaven may not be fully equal because of the limitations of the flesh, but echoing what is already being said in Heaven is one of the best ways to prepare us for the realities to come. It should be comforting that the chants and songs that we lift to God here are being praised in Heaven continuously. It brings pleasure and happiness to know that we’re doing what we have been called to do in worship.

(3) What we see in the throne room becomes/is expensive on earth.

Think of all the anecdotes of people trying to take their money with them into death. Ancient kings believed the afterlife would be a place where their lavish lifestyles would be continued after they died because of what they were buried with. People hoard because they think it’ll affect their standing in eternity.

But what does the Bible say and how does it influence what we do today?

Imagine pulling a wagon full of gold bricks into Heaven, an earthly value beyond comprehension, only to discover that the road you’re walking on is paved with it, as far as the eye can see. That value you’ve spent your life believing you’ve needed suddenly plummets as the expanse of Heaven is opened to you.

The reality is that God and Heaven are compared to what we find valuable (Revelation 4:3, 6). Jesus talks about wisdom as a … pearl? The gift of Heaven and salvation as a … pearl? Ezekiel 28 describes the Garden of Eden in the language of precious stones and Revelation 21 wraps the new Jerusalem in that same type of imagery. In Exodus 28 the high priest wears twelve precious stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and remember, we are a “royal priesthood… a holy nation” for God.

We value what is scarce, but the economy of Heaven proclaims that what is eternal is infinitely greater in value than a few pearls or a warehouse full of gold. Heaven’s imagery directly or indirectly affects how we view what is temporary. Jesus says store up “treasures” in Heaven, but it ain’t the benjamins He’s talking about.

The question we should ask: if the pavement in Heaven is this glorious, what must the King be like?

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Some people enjoy being terrified (for a few moments), but I don’t think they understand what a daytrip into the true presence of God would initially be like. Worship should prepare us for that day when we will stand in the presence of God as well as the daily meditations to open our longing for where we belong. There’s a lot out there that helps us anticipate what will one day be the eternal reality we receive. Amen.

Blog Post Thursday! Invest in your spiritual growth with Pastor Schoon's newest post: Deliver us from guilt.
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Guilt can be an endless loop, yes?

John 1:29-34 says: The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

We live in a world that can feel defined by guilt. We never measure up to the people we idolize, we live in fear that we’re replaceable at our jobs, and we feel marked by the sins we commit.

We need deliverance.

Lord, deliver us from the endless loop of guilt.

When John the Baptist sees Jesus, does he see a man who might act as infinite judge? Does he see a Messiah who is there to gather a precious few of His choosing for salvation? No, he makes the defining statement: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin OF THE WORLD.

What can the Lamb of God do for you? Can He deliver you from guilt if He takes away the sins of the world? Does He take away just the painful ones or all of them?

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Here are definitive attributes of the Lamb of God as related through the words of John the Baptist in this text:

(1) Jesus was important before John the Baptist was baptizing.

John gives us the idea that he knew the Messiah was coming and was building His message before anyone else would/could notice. God gave John the Baptist insight into Jesus and how important He was and would be.

The coming deliverance of Jesus was announced at His birth. He is and would be the Savior of the world. The Deliverer delivers.

As you read through the life and ministry of Jesus, notice how often Jesus is compassionate and loving, especially to those who must have felt the burden of the religious system upon them. Jesus delivered hope long before the deliverance of the cross.

(2) Jesus’ prophetic power was noticeable and significant.

The Spirit remained on Jesus; I don’t think that’s insignificant in the details that John provides.

The anointing of the Spirit was one of the defining factors in the Old Testament of prophetic and powerful ministry. If God’s Spirit was upon you, you were set apart.

The Spirit was sent to rest on people often for a specific purpose, season, or crisis, and it empowered them to do something they could not do otherwise. Because it remained on Jesus, the Spirit was with Him fully and permanently in ways those of the Old Testament could only hope to have.

Othniel delivers Israel from oppression by the power of the Spirit in Judges 3:10. Gideon delivered the people from fear by the same Spirit. Jephthah delivered through Spirit-empowered leadership. Samson delivered through supernatural strength. Moses delivered through patient prayer and direction. Joshua was a man “in whom is the Spirit.” King David had the Spirit “rush” upon him. The prophets, filled with the Spirit (Micah 3:8) delivered with the truth.

This is the legacy of Spirit-born power Jesus fulfilled and that we receive.

(3) Jesus takes as much as He gives.

Behold, the Lamb of God, who TAKES away the sin of the world.

Yes, Jesus takes as much as He gives. He takes away all that sin, all that guilt, and all that pain. He gives instead, the grace of God.

People accuse God of taking away all the fun, joy, and good stuff, but, in reality, God takes the worst of humanity and gives the best of God. May He continue to take, and take, and take, and take.

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If Jesus is the Son of God who also happens to be the Lamb of God, then deliverance has always been His plan. The Israelites experienced it in Egypt and the realization of it has been given to the world for countless generations and continued countless generations to come. Once John the Baptist saw certain things, he knew Jesus was the Messiah. May the world continue to hear and believe the same. Amen.

Women's Bible Study tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3rd, at 7pm. All ladies are welcome, even if you're not a member of Word of Life. This is a great opportunity to connect with other women looking to fellowship and grow in God's Word. Word of Life is at 879 Tudor Drive in the Brookdale neighborhood of Naperville.

Great 630 Oasis Sunday School yesterday at Word of Life. The kids talked about the repercussions of destroying God's Word and how God will bring it back to us.