Jesus, Like Never Before!
The Revelation of Jesus Christ Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 44:24
0 ratings
· 9 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Ted Williams, at age 42 slammed a home run in his last official time at bat.
Mickey Mantle, age 20, hit twenty-three home runs his first full year in the major leagues.
Golda Meir was 71 when she became prime minister of Israel.
William Pitt II was 24 when he became prime minister of Great Britain.
George Bernard Shaw was 94 when one of his plays was first produced.
Mozart was just 7 when his first composition was published.
Benjamin Franklin was a newspaper columnist at 16…
and a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.
Let’s recognize that age has little to do with ability or for that matter how God can use you…
A preacher came to call on an elderly man one day. Preacher said “at your age you should be thinking about the hereafter.” The elderly man replied, “Oh, I do all the time. No matter where I am—in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement—I ask myself what am I here after?”
Consider John
Consider John
John was in his late teens or around twenty most likely when Jesus called him away from fish to follow Him
He was most likely in his fifties when he penned the Gospel of John
In his mid to late twenties a leader in the church
Thirties and forties he traveled challenging and building up the church
He would pen three more letters in his late seventies
But here he is most likely in his mid-late eighties
Now… in his old age, he is exiled to an island, bare and desolate.
Sent away for preaching Jesus whom he loves dearly
Now exiled to this Island of Patmos… John at his ripe age may have been thinking of the “HEREAFTER”.
John may have wondered if at his age God was done…
Little did John know that on one Sunday morning while sitting on a rock, maybe watching the sea as he sang some beloved worship to his God, pondered the words of his Savior… what would occur!
God was going to use John in a magnificent and powerful way in his old age
And the “HEREAFTER”, would not be thought about, but revealed to him splendidly as Jesus would reveal Himself “LIKE NEVER BEFORE Revelation 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The Purpose of This Book
The Purpose of This Book
As you begin reading John’s letter here you quickly realize that the first 8 verses are an introduction to what will be declared.
It is in verses 1-3 that we see the purpose this is being given
As we looked at last week, the first three words are… “Apocalypse Jesus Christ”
The revealing of or making fully known Jesus the Christ “Messiah”
John let’s us know that what he is going to write is both “from” and “about” Jesus Christ!
THERE IS A BLESSING… for those who do three things:
Read… the herald of this book
Hear… those who listen to what is declared
Heed… those who take to heart, respond in obedience to what is read and heard!
John summarizes this purpose with an odd statement: “the time is near”… live in light that these things are approaching. His coming fro His bride is imminent!… In light of Eternity… this life and even the span of the earth’s life is but a vapor!
The next few verses lets us know the letter is to the church… Revelation 1:4-6
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
An Eloquent Salutation
An Eloquent Salutation
Right away we recognize this is a different letter and as such in this letter John identifies who he is and the recipients…
The Seven churches in Asia… we will learn more of them in weeks to come
Interestingly and encouragingly so… this is to come with and bring “Grace and Peace” to these churches.
Then… in a beautiful descriptive way he shares who this is from:
WHO was, is, and is to come… God the Father
The seven Spirits who are before His throne… Holy Spirit (more in chapter 3)
Then he describes Jesus:
The Christ
Faithful witness
Firstborn of the dead (resurrection)
Ruler of the kings of earth
Loves us
releases us from our sin (reminds us this is by His blood)
One who made us to SERVE GOD... Being a reflection and representation of God to mankind (kingdom of priest)
John cannot contain himself here as he encourages his readers to PRAISE THE LORD!!! (Forever and ever) each praise is capped with AMEN!… a very strong affirmation of what has been declared… Revelation 1:6-8
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Did you notice… the words in red… John concludes this beautiful TRIUNE introduction of who this letter is from with the words of Jesus declaring He is GOD! If you thought Jesus was mighty before just you wait!
John now introduces to us this vision he recieved… Revelation 1:9-11
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
The Vision of Christ
The Vision of Christ
The voice of Jesus Christ as a trumpet… heralding forth His passion for His bride the Church. You will find often in Revelation as we go through that we are told or informed of what things are or what they mean. The things that remain a mystery are not meant for us to know.
Remember this book is meant to be READ and understood…
Earlier John spoke of the seven churches… here they are [slide Seven Churches Map]
Notice the order… most likely the easiest way of travel
These were literal churches in John’s day
To these John shares the vision he had… Revelation 1:12-18
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
WOW! Did you see Him in your mind’s eye!!!???
John grabs his quill, dips it in ink and desperately strives to describe what and who he sees!
The word “LIKE” is used often in this book
John knows it is Jesus but now fully glorified!
John’s response… overwhelmed he falls limp, the awesomeness is overwhelming! In the very presence of Righteousness there is even fear… Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
BUT NOTICE:
The touch of Jesus…The Right Hand, power, prominence yet loving and assuring Jesus speaks and says:
“Do Not be Afraid”…
He states: “I Am”… “I was”… “I Am”… and “I have!”
Now John Jesus says because of this write Revelation 1:19
“Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
The Structure of this Book:
Things Seen Ch-1
Things That Are Ch 2-3
Things That Will Be Ch 4-22
What about the stars and lampstands! You know the things we have seen???… Revelation 1:20 introduces well the seven letters (or love notes) to each of these churches while explaining what we have seen...
“As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Things Seen
Things Seen
No need to guess or speculate… Jesus tells us!
The lampstands (light) are the seven churches
Did you notice it is Jesus who is among them
He is close, aware, he is with you… Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The Stars in His Right Hand are “angels” of the seven churches…?
The Greek word here for “angel” means messenger
The spirit beings that intervene upon God’s direction are called angels and often bring messages from God
However, we do not see anywhere that we are to give messages to these spiritual beings
We will also see that the messenger is charged with wrong and called to repent
Angels are not given messages to repent from a letter written to mankind
The most probable understanding is the messengers of the seven churches or pastors
These would be those who have the responsibility of relaying God’s truth
These are not ones who get divine revelation
This is clarified before we Read, Hear, and Heed these brief love notes that Jesus is sending to His bride…
Regardless if you are young or older
God wants to use this book in your lives
God wants to use you!
My prayer is that as we Apocalypse Jesus Christ...
The way we saw Him today, all he has done, is doing, and soon to see what He will do
From NOW and HEREAFTER… we will see Him in a fuller and richer way than ever before
May that understanding cause us to HEED His words, take them to heart, AND respond in obedience!