Key Truth: We are to witness to God’s merciful and gracious longsuffering for the life of the world and minister to the suffering of the world amidst His restrained judgments.  

Introduction:

What role does God’s judgment play in the Redemptive Story?

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and God’s Mercy:

Revelation 6:1-8

“(The Four Horsemen) are the result of human sin; and it’s significant that, out of all the apocalyptic disasters he could have chosen, John has at this point omitted the natural ones, like earthquakes, and included only those in which human agency has a part. The point is that, just where sin and it effects are most in evidence, the kingship of the Crucified is to be seen, turning human wickedness to the service of God’s pupose.”

G.B. Caird, The Revelation of Saint John

Where is the grace and mercy in Jesus’ unleashing of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

The Martyrs’ Cries and the Gracious Longsuffering of God:

Revelation 6:9-17

“Revelation’s visions of judgment symbolize God’s penultimate (next-to-last) rather than ultimate (final) activity in human history. That is, judgment is a means to an end; the goal being eschatological salvation, the creation of a new heaven and new earth in which realizes its true raison d’être as a reconciled peoples flourishing together in the presence of God and the Lamb.”

Michael J. Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly:
Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation

How should we respond to the suffering of the world as a result of their sin and rebellion prior to God’s final judgment?

Application: 

Revelation 6 teaches us that:
-God’s unfolding judgment is restrained and merciful in His longsuffering for the life of the world
-we should respond to the suffering of the world by lovingly inviting them to join the beloved family in Christ as a reflection of God’s grace

Baptism

Benediction:

Revelation 7:15-17