I'm sure you've heard question, "What will heaven be like?" And while there is much we do not know, what we do know is magnificent and comforting to say the very least! I am therefore quite excited about tomorrow's proclamation based on Revelation chapter 21 on the new heaven and the new earth. The Scriptures reveal some very important insights about our eternal home.

The sermon, however, isn't all about the future. The Lord says that you are -- already -- a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17).

We need to know this, because our sinful nature and the evil one would try convince us that we are anything but new. Instead the sin we commit as well as the sin that is all around us makes us feel used...again, definitely not new! As a result, we are tempted to cower and fear in the face of God's glorious newness. We are tempted rather to live in unbelief, convinced that what is eternally new could never be for us!

But the Lord says in His Word, "I am making all things new!" (Revelation 21:5). How is it that you will not be counted among the evil cowards? How is it that you will be counted as among the glorious ones who did not succumb to fear, but who conquered?

There is much for us to consider in this important message from Revelation 21. Invite a friend to hear this important sermon.

Also: we are gearing up for not one, but TWO new member Sundays on May 5th and May 12th. Thank you for your patience, but in the final analysis we must offer two back-to-back Sundays which will welcome new members both via transfer and confirmation. At this point we have about 10 new members joining, but there may be more! We'll see what the Lord decides. In the meantime, please join me in having great joy for how the Lord is blessing Saint Paul's!

What is most important is the Sunday now before us. Let us gather to receive God's gifts to us in and through Jesus. We will be forgiven again, we will be recipients of God's powerful blessings, and we will have opportunity to encourage one another and all the more as the Day draws near!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

We have to check the sinful idea that God treats that which is used in the way we often do: He doesn’t throw His creation away as if it were trash. Revelation 21:1-2 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… ²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” And then the Lord says as recorded at verse 5: “Behold, I am making all things new.”

One commentator brings out the overall theme of Revelation’s “new”: “The saints of God will bear their new name, Christ’s own name (2:17; 3:12), and sing unendingly their new song (14:3) in a world where God makes all things new (21:5), on a new earth and under a new heaven, in a new holy city, a new Jerusalem. All things are “new,” not merely as more recent in date but as created and designed to supersede and replace the old…new with an astonishing end-of-time newness, unheard-of and wondrous…(Franzmann, The Revelation to John, 137).”

But by definition, this is a newness that does not annihilate the old or first creation. Andrew of Caesarea: “This passage does not speak of the obliteration of creation but of its renewal into something better. For as the apostle says, ‘this creation will be freed from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God [Romans 8:21].’…The renewal of that which has grown old does not involve the annihilation of its substance but rather indicates the smoothing out of its agedness and its wrinkles (Weinrich, ed., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament XII Revelation, 354).”

In other words when Revelation 21:1 says that the first heaven and earth “pass away” or when 2^nd Peter 3:10-13 uses the extreme descriptor of what happens to the old as in being dissolved, these are not about elimination, but transformation. Again, God doesn’t throw away His creation and the proof is in the resurrection of our Lord. His body that was buried, that was used to bear the sins of the world, was resurrected. In other words, the heavenly version of “new” amounts to that which is perfectly restored, where life triumphs over death, and where time will no longer have its aging effect on those who were formerly under the curse of sin (Lutheran Study Bible, 2233 and 1197).

So we are in a good position to begin to answer the question, “What will heaven be like?” The Scriptures give the answer of perfect restoration: the creation without sin; a restored creation that never gets marred by the effects of being used, while at the same time fully enjoyed and fully employed (it won’t be static or stuck in a box). You will get to “use it,” but the new creation will never suffer the effects of sin and will never get old. You will use a new creation that will never show signs of having been used.

Again, our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the best view. He was renewed in glory when He rose. The new heaven and new earth will be filled with God’s people with their new bodies, which will be their old used bodies raised, transformed and glorified…real bodies in a real city in a real heaven and earth in the presence of the real Lord.

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Dr. Espinosa

FIRST, let us rejoice for the wonderful doors for the proclamation of the Gospel that the Lord is opening for us at Saint Paul's. Last Thursday, I preached to 1,500 souls at the largest Lutheran high school in America (Orange Lutheran). The Lord blessed the proclamation. Afterwards, principle Smith said that, "you could have heard a pin drop." I have already been scheduled to come back to do a four-part series on Revelation in the fall.

You can currently hear the sermon (all 2013 sermons are in audio) in our website at www.saintpaulsirvine.com.

SECOND, I'm excited to announce our next NEW MEMBER SUNDAY which will be Sunday, May 12th. This is Mother's Day...is there any better way to start this day than to celebrate the gift of our moms in God's house receiving Word and Sacrament? Please let me know if you would like to be received on May 12th.

LASTLY, one of my goals during this sermon series in Revelation is to obliterate the idea that Revelation is a scary, esoteric book. It isn't! It is rather an amazing presentation of our Savior's victory over sin, death, and the power of the evil one. His victory is yours as you were joined to Him in Holy Baptism and continue to abide in Him through the Word and His precious body and blood.

Tomorrow we will look at this concept of tribulation in Revelation 7 and then proclaim our Lord's response to our tribulation through His blood as the Lamb and through His protection as the Shepherd. I'm very excited about this proclamation and I pray that you will be there to be lifted up, further equipped, and blessed by Christ's powerful Word!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

Many things seem to be better, not worse, but there are other things which should catch your attention:

1. In our world today, would you say that it is easier or more difficult to protect marriage in the sense of staying together?
2. In our world today, would you say that it is easier or more difficult to protect the unborn?
3. In our world today, would you say that it is easier or more difficult to defend biblical and traditional marriage in the sense of maintaining biblical sexuality?
4. In our world today, would you say that it is easier or more difficult to hear the true saving Gospel proclaimed?

There are many things in our world today that are not better and while it is true that the Church since the first century has considered herself to be living in the end times, I would not be surprised if we aren’t already living in Satan’s little season...maybe we are, maybe we aren’t, but there is one thing we do know:

The tribulation that you go through as a child of God is important to you – and oftentimes very much perceived as “great” to you – and if it is important to you, it is important God.

            We also know this, Acts 14:22:

“…through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

This word is not the word for persecution in the more direct sense: dioko, but is the particular and unique word: Thlipsis = also translated as “trial,” “affliction,” and “distress.” All of these other words help us to understand what is encompassed in the word “tribulation.” A trial is a hardship which causes you strain, an affliction is something upon you which causes you to suffer, and distress represents the emotional turmoil within you as you go through these things. On account of sin coming into the world and our own sinful rebellion against our Heavenly Father, we go through tribulation. As you can see, I’m presenting tribulation both in the sense of external causes upon us and internal causes within us (this is the biblical gamut).

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa

It is a great joy to be preaching on the book of Revelation at this time in accord with our Church Year readings. Last week I preached on Revelation chapter 1 in which we got to see the significance of "seven" especially as it pertains to all of us, the Church, the bride of Christ. Tomorrow, we are on Revelation 5, and we are still discussing seven, but this time especially in regard to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

The wondrous description of Christ in Revelation 5 includes the words "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain." And because of our Savior's "worthiness" there is a 7-fold ascription of praise. We are looking into its meaning and its significance in our lives.

In the process we continue to show that God did not give Revelation so as to scare you, but to comfort you and to increase your confidence that you are secure and in the victory of Christ, the Lamb who was slain!

Please invite a friend, neighbor, or co-worker to divine service tomorrow morning. Come and receive Christ's Word and Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins!

Worship is at 9:30 am.

Refreshments and Fellowship at 10:45 am.

Bible Study and Sunday School at 11:00 am.

Parish Council Meeting (in Conference Room) at 12:00 pm.

Confirmation at Pastor's house at 2:00 pm.

Rejoice in the Lord always!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

“Worthy is the Lamb” (Revelation 5:8-14)

Rev. Dr. Espinosa

            Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! As I warned you last Sunday: don’t let anyone try to convince you that the book of Revelation should be treated as a scary book. This book is about the victory of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ over everything that stands against His Kingdom and His Kingdom people, all of you! This book is about the victory of our Savior Jesus over sin, death, and the power of the devil. This is why Revelation -- when properly interpreted -- is extraordinarily comforting!

 

         What lends to the mishandling of this unique literature (genre) called “apocalyptic” is that too many popular teachers assume that the book is primarily about future events. And while there are indeed some future events, the emphasis is not future, but what has already been accomplished by our Savior Jesus!

 

             Revelation repeats in celebratory fashion – in a circular; over-and-over again approach – the great victory that Jesus has already accomplished! The Bible is written this way and reflects more of an eastern way of thinking over and above a western way of thinking. The 7 seals (Revelation 6f.) and 7 trumpets (Revelation 8f.) and 7 bowls (Revelation 15f.) are cyclical presentations of sin and death which have been overcome by the triumph of Jesus Christ (even while the great last Day is included in these cycles).

In Christ,

Pastor

p.s. the 6th annual Catechism Convocation for the People in So. Cal. with our special guest Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod was a complete success! There were over 250 in attendance and we had a congregational contingent of about 20. I was given the privilege of moderating and being a presenter for our youth. Throughout the day, I was reminded of how grateful I am for my own little paradise, the congregation at Saint Paul's Lutheran Church of Irvine!

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! The Easter season continues until the day of Pentecost on May 19th. Let us continue the celebration!

Tomorrow is the 2nd Sunday of Easter and the sermon is based on our epistle from Revelation 1:4-18. The number is seven is mentioned four times. There are seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lampstands, and seven stars. And when it comes to the book of Revelation that's just the tip of the iceberg as the number seven is mentioned a total of 54 times! What's with all the sevens? Tomorrow's sermon will cover the reason and the meaning...and I believe that you'll find it not only very interesting, but very comforting since the number seven is representative of YOU, the people of God! Invite a friend!

Most importantly, you will receive the body and blood of our Risen King and in this Holy Sacrament, you will be fed and nourished with the forgiveness of sins!

Also, the parish council looked at a potential new property yesterday. There are some strong points about it, but we are trying hard to weigh all of our options, one of them being the creative possibility of our own prefab modular building that might enable us to remain in Irvine, etc. We are praying, asking for wisdom (James 1) and seeking the Lord's guidance.

Here is an excerpt from last Sunday's sermon:

“Seven” (Revelation 1:4-18)

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa

            Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! And it might surprise you dear Christians that the risen Christ, our Savior Jesus, is described magnificently in a book that is so controversial in Scripture: the book of Revelation. In spite of its challenges, do not let anyone use Revelation to scare you because even the seemingly scary stuff (that represents evil) is described as conquered by Jesus for you! If certain authors and teachers treat it as a book of doom and gloom; as a book of terror and threats, then see through these false teachers because this great book is about the victory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ over sin, death, and the power of the devil. Furthermore, Christ’s victory in Revelation is not – contrary to popular presentations of Revelation – primarily about something in the future that is yet to come, but rather it is a victory that has already been accomplished! From our epistle today based on Revelation 1, Jesus who conquered death for you said in this vision given to St. John the apostle at verses 17-18: “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.”

            But Revelation does more than demonstrate the power and victory of our Resurrected Savior. It also teaches about your new life in Him; about living as His people filled with His life! And part and parcel of what teaches about your new life in Revelation is God’s use of the number seven.

In Revelation, the number seven is all over the place! “The number seven occurs fifty-four times. The book is addressed to seven churches, represented by seven lampstands. There are seven stars symbolizing seven angels of the churches. There are seven spirits of God represented by seven lamps. Further, there are seven seals and a Lamb with seven eyes and seven horns. Seven angels blow seven trumpet-blasts. Seven other angels pour out the contents of seven bowls full of the final seven plagues. Seven thunders utter voices. The beast out of the sea has seven heads. There are seven mountains, seven kings, and so on. This number seven indicates completeness.” (William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991. 42)

The note that the number seven indicates completeness is a good way of looking at the use of seven as a symbol in the special kind of literature that Revelation is (namely apocalyptic which is characterized by a lot of figurative language and a lot of symbols; Revelation is – after all – a vision). But again seven as completeness is cool. Think of the creation: God created the heavens and the earth in six days and he rested on the seventh day. The seventh day reflects upon the completion of creation. Furthermore, when Exodus 20 compares the regular week to the creation week, we relate to what Moses is saying: all of this is about a complete week. We can say this morning, “Congratulations that by the grace of God, you completed another week this past week!” Last week is now complete. Seven is about completeness!

But before I get into the text, why does the Bible even contain this kind of code-language? What’s the point in doing that to begin with? These are important questions and please be encouraged to know that there are important answers to these questions. John the apostle was writing Revelation from an island – a very small island in fact called Patmos – where he was exiled for preaching the Gospel.

The other apostles were martyred for the faith. John was also persecuted, but he was exiled. The point, however, is that the early church -- even at the point in which John was writing Revelation -- was already being persecuted. So in order to spread the Word of God and to network the people of God in the Church, John wrote in code language that has peculiar characteristics that amount to a special literary genre called “apocalyptic.”

But the really awesome thing is that sometimes symbolism helps us to understand things better anyway! And the number seven which was code for God’s completed work is also a number for you. You are complete dear Christian.

Let us rejoice in the Lord's boundless love for us!

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Pastor Espinosa

p.s. we apologize that our site went down for a few days over last weekend...we're back!