Talk

The Reigning Christ in the Midst of His Church

Louie Giglio

April, 14, 2024

Continuing in week two of All Consuming Fire, Louie Giglio focuses on three truths: Jesus is in the midst of the Church, reigning Jesus looks different, and because of Him, we can live without fear of the future.

Key Takeaway

God is in the midst of the Church, consuming our fear of the future.

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 1:9

Where is God? In the midst of the Church. Connection between Christ and His bride. (Ephesians 5:23)

We are not all free-agent followers of Jesus—He sees us as a part of the collective.

We are still His people, His church, His bride. And right now, that’s where He is...not in the midst of random people, but in the midst of the churches.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Colossians 1:18

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Revelation 1:12-16

Reigning Jesus is not the same as the man from Galilee.

The theological mystery is that Jesus is fully God and fully man. So you can take Him by the hand and access everything His incarnation affords and all He embodies. But He is in a new state.

Reigning Jesus is...

High, not low. See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

Glorious and majestic vs. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2

A household name vs an uncommon name, I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. Revelation 19:11-13

Son of man vs a man. In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Unquestionable vs Challengeable.

Reigning vs serving.

Fully revealed vs obscured in parables.

Calling the shots vs taking the blows.

Awe-inspiring vs intriguing.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:25-29

Everything that can be shaken will be consumed.

What’s getting consumed?

Our fears about the future.

Are you looking? I heard, I looked, I saw.

Are you ready?

Are you confident? It’s going to get darker before it gets lighter. We know how it ends.

Will you stay faithful “in the Spirit” today and tomorrow?

“

"Our future has been written and we have a reigning king, and because of Him, and only because of Him, I can face tomorrow."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

Have you made space for the Church in your life? Why or why not?
Read Ephesians 5:23. How has this verse impacted your view of the Church?
Read Isaiah 53:2. Then, re-read Revelation 1:12-16. How has reading these verses shifted your understanding of the change that Jesus underwent?
What key differences are most evident to you between the Jesus you read about in the Gospels vs the Jesus you read about in the book of Revelation?
The book of Hebrews says that everything will be shaken. If your life were shaken right now, what would be left?
Are you fearful of the future? What part of the future scares you most?
Read 2 Timothy 1:7. Does this truth ground you? Why or why not?
If you were to analyze your life right now, could you truly say that you are seeking God? If not, what is keeping you from Him?
If Jesus were to come tomorrow, would you be ready? Are you confident knowing how things will end?
What does it look you stay faithful “in the Spirit” today and tomorrow?

Scripture References

Prologue

1The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed 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.

Greetings and Doxology

4John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

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, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”

and “every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him”;

and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”

So shall it be! Amen.

8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of Christ

9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said:

“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said:

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels

of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

9Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

2He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

13“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

14He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

29for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.