Alive Forevermore!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning Church!
It’s good to see each and every one of you out this morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed!
I’d like to say it’s also nice to have some friends (and family for some of you) from Calvary Baptist Church with us this morning.
We’re so glad you all could come and join in with us for our sunrise service this morning!
It’s good when we can gather together with sister churches in the community for the sole purpose of lifting up our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen?
Well, I want to begin this morning by saying this may be the most unorthodox message you have ever heard on an Easter Sunday.
It’s definitely the most unorthodox message I’ve ever preached on an Easter Sunday!
But, this is what the Lord laid on my heart and so I’ve discovered over the years, when God lays something on your heart to preach, don’t question it, just preach it like He gives it to you and He’ll take care of the rest, Amen!
As I was seeking God’s will on what He’d have me preach for this sunrise service the first place He took me to was John’s gospel recollection of Jesus resurrection.
I read through it a couple times and although there are some wonderful and I do mean wonderful messages a Brother could preach on there and to be honest would have loved to, it just didn’t settle right in my heart.
Then I got to thinking about the resurrection and I got to thinking about 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul talks about the gospel of Christ and how our hope is in him and how we have victory in Jesus over death, hell the grave!
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Aren’t you glad this morning we have victory in Jesus?
Man, I tell you…I’d loved to have stopped and preached on that too but the Spirit wouldn’t give me the liberty to do so.
Then, as I began to think about the resurrection I couldn’t help but to think about John’s 1st Epistle to the Churches and I couldn’t help but to think about his opening statements in 1st John...
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
And man does my joy get full when I begin to think about John’s experience!
I want you to think about this for a second and I want you to hear the confidence in John’s writing!
We have heard!
We have seen with our eyes!
We have looked upon and our hands have handled the Word of life!
Can you imagine being the Apostle John for just a moment.
Most believe he was one of the very first disciples to follow Jesus. For 3 & 1/2 years he walked and talked with Jesus. He learned from Jesus. He seen the miracles performed. He watched the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dumb talk, the lepers cleansed, the dead brought back to life! Jesus had become one of his dearest friends!
John was there from the beginning and all the way through the end!
The disciple whom Jesus loved!
And his testimony would be one of such power because of what he was able to experience!
He witnessed the ministry of His Lord.
He witnessed the crucifixion of His Lord.
He witnessed the burial of His Lord.
And He witnessed His Lord after the resurrection and walked with Him and talked with Him before He ascended on high!
John was there for it all and because of that his testimony has always been to me one of the most powerful of all the Apostles.
It’s different when you experience something first hand, Amen.
And John had those first hand experiences we could only wish to have!
But those weren’t all John had which where the Lord sent me next.
John also had a Revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it was this passage of scripture which I’m going to reference next that the Lord settled upon my heart.
If you have your Bible’s with you this morning, please turn with me to the Book of Revelation and we’re going to be looking at Chapter 1.
All weekend I’ve been hearing about the cross and praise God, if it weren’t for the cross not a single person here this morning would be able to be saved but it’s more than just the cross!
Calvary wasn’t the end, Amen!
Calvary was where our sins were atoned for but if it weren’t for Sunday morning we’d have nothing to glory of this morning!
If it weren’t for an empty grave we’d have nothing to set us apart from every other religion in this world!
We’d be just like everyone else worshipping a dead God!
But praise be to God this morning our Savior is ALIVE FOREVERMORE!
He’s alive, He’s alive!
He’s alive and I’m forgiven! Heaven’s gates are open wide! He’s alive!
Amen!
I feel like we get so focused on Christ’s death and crucifixion that we miss the fact that He’s alive, Amen!
And He’s not just alive this morning! He’s alive forevermore!
And I also think we miss the fact of where Christ is at this very moment and the glory He has attained since ascending to His rightful position on God’s right hand.
And that’s what I want to focus on this morning.
I want us to see Jesus as He is right now!
I want us to focus on His majesty and glory!
I want us to see Him for the Savior He is!
High and lifted up! Exalted to a position of authority!
He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and I want every single person to leave here this morning knowing such because that’s the message I believe God has laid on my heart.
I don’t know when the end shall be but praise God I know from His word there shall be an end and we better be prepared for that day.
If you are here this morning and saved, praise God for that! I hope you see through this message your Lord and your God!
And you are sitting here this morning and have never been born again, my prayer is that God will speak to your heart and you will see Him for the mighty God He is and that you will say as the great prophet Isaiah said… “Woe is me for I am undone!”
And I pray you will understand your need to believe upon this man named Jesus and how that only through His precious blood that you can be saved today.
With nor further ado, if you have your Bible’s turned to the Book of the Revelation, Chapter 1, would you say, Amen?
The Vow of the Vision — (Vs. 1-8)
The Vow of the Vision — (Vs. 1-8)
The first thing I want us to look at this morning is the Vow of the Vision that John received.
Look with me at Verse 1.
When the Bible says here… “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” the word “Revelation” is the Greek word (apokalypsis) and it means something that is made fully known; a full disclosure. It speaks of the unveiling of a thing.
The literal translation is to lay bare or to make naked.
It’s taking something that was hidden and revealing that thing.
And John’s introduction starts out by telling us what this revelation is of.
It’s the unveiling of Jesus Christ!
John’s vision begins by telling us that what we thought we knew about Jesus was only part of the story!
There’s a whole lot more that we didn’t know that we need to know, Amen!
And the best part is…don’t miss this…God wants us to know, Amen!
“Which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto the his servant John.”
Who are God’s servants?
We are, Amen!
This message was originally given to John to share with the servants of this day and time but praise God it wasn’t written just for them!
It was written for all of God’s servants down throughout history of which those of here today and have been born again take part in.
If you’ve been saved this morning you are a child of God and also a servant of God, Amen. And this letter, this unveiling of Christ is just as much for us as it was for the servants of God during this day and time.
Now, look on down at Verse 2.
This phrase “bare record” is one word in the Greek and it refers to giving accurate information about which a person has direct knowledge.
2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This was first hand knowledge!
And then we come to the Vow in the Vision in Verse 3.
Blessed = he that reads, he that hears, he that keeps!
Vs. 4
Vs. 4
Grace & Peace — Don’t miss the order!
You can’t have peace with God without accepting the Grace that God has given through His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
The Visitor in the Vision — (Vs. 9-17a)
The Visitor in the Vision — (Vs. 9-17a)
Vs. 13
Vs. 13
Speaks of Christ’s Rule & Reign
Adrian Rogers — The first time He came, dear friend, He came to a crucifixion, but when He comes again, He’s coming to a coronation. The first time He came, He came to a tree. When He comes again, He’s coming to a throne. The first time they crowned Him with thorns. He now wears a diadem. The first time He came He stood before Pilate and was judged of Pilate. When He comes again, Pilate will stand before Him and be judged of Him. When He came the first time, He came to redeem. When He comes again, He is coming to rule and to reign because He is the risen Christ and He is also, my dear friend, the reigning Christ.
Vs. 14a
Vs. 14a
Speaks of Christ’s Righteousness
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Vs. 14b
Vs. 14b
Speaks of Christ’s Revealing Ability
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, And he seeth all his goings.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
He is the Reigning Christ. He is the Righteous Christ. He is the Revealing Christ.
Vs. 15
Vs. 15
Speaks of Christ’s Redeeming Ability
Brass in the Bible is a symbol of the judgment of God.
In the Old Testament if you will remember, the Children of Israel had sinned against God with their murmuring and God sent these fiery serpents to bite them and people were dying from the bites.
They came to Moses and pleaded with Moses, “we have sinned and spoken against the Lord and against thee. Please pray to God that He will make this stop!”
Moses prayed and God told him to make a fiery serpent and put it upon a pole and when whosoever that was bitten would look upon the serpent, they should live.
So Moses made a fiery serpent and he made it of brass.
The serpent represented their sin and the brass represented the judgement of their sin.
As I began to think about this picture a little further I couldn’t help but to think of the weight of brass.
Brass is much heavier than most other metals and the picture I think Jesus was trying to get John to understand here is this...
Here’s Jesus. He’s righteous. He’s Holy. He’s reigning. He’s revealing and with His feet of Bronze He’s ruling!
Just as the Children of Israel had sinned and must look upon the fiery serpent to find life, we must also deal with the sting of sin and the weight of sin by looking upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith!
And if you will not look upon Him for salvation, the weight of sin shall crush you and cause you eternal death!
Something else that came to mind about brass is that when polished it can become almost mirror like.
When looking upon the feet of Jesus one can’t help but to see his own reflection reminding him of the price of his sin paid on Christ’s behalf.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
And dear friend before I move on I would be remiss if I did not add this in also.
For those who do not know Christ as their Savior, those who have never been born again, those who have rejected Christ as their Lord, the last image they will see before being cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth is a reflection of themselves.
And in that very moment, they will understand that Jesus paid the price for their sins but because of their own rejection of Him they will be sentenced to the lake of fire and brimstone, separated from God for all eternity where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not.
If you end up in hell this morning you need to understand it’s of your own doing. God has made every provision possible for you to be saved.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
If you die lost this morning, you will have to crawl over the cross of Christ to get there and the last thing you will know is that you ended up in eternal damnation of your own doing.
He is the Ruling & Reigning Christ. He is the Righteous Christ. He is the Revealing Christ. He is the Redeeming Christ.
The Victory of the Vision — (Vs. 17b-20)
The Victory of the Vision — (Vs. 17b-20)
Amen — BLB App — The word “amen” is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from teh Hebrew into the Greek of the NT, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word.
It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for believe (aman), or faithful. Thus it came to mean “sure” or “truly” an expression of absolute trust and confidence.