Revelation: Who is our Lord and Who are We?

This morning is the THIRD part of a series from Revelation 1 that is for the purpose of teaching and reminding us of 2 things:

1. To REMIND US WHO IS THE LORD of Fellowship Bible Church, and...

2. To REMIND US Who ARE WE as Fellowship Bible Church...ie, Who OUR LORD has made us?

And the REASON for these REMINDERS is to put us in THE PROPER place to ask and answer: WHAT SHOULD THE FUTURE OF FBC LOOK LIKE?

WHO IS LORD OF FBC? The Risen, glorified LORD JESUS CHRIST. The One John saw in the vision of Revelation 1.

HE LOOKS LIKE THIS:

Revelation 1:5-7

5 ...Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

AND REMEMBER THAT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING...WHEN JOHN ACTUALLY SAW CHRIST...here was his report:

Revelation 1:12-18

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

THIS IS WHO IS LORD OF THIS CHURCH. Therefore, He has the right and the authority to command us and guide our future...because OUR future is HIS future.

THAT is WHO OUR LORD IS. WE FOLLOW HIM INTO THE FUTURE.

Second: WHO has THIS GLORIOUS LORD JESUS MADE US? WHO ARE WE AS HIS CHURCH? Because as we answer WHO HE HAS MADE US, we understand alot more about WHAT HE WANTS US TO BE DOING.

Three Sundays ago we looked at the first 3 of 5 things we see in Revelation 1 that tell us who JESUS CHRIST has made us to be as His church:

FIRST, HE HAS MADE US TO BE...

1. LIGHTS in the World: the church is a lampstand to shine the light of Christ in this world by shining the light ON Christ in this world. We shine our light by the TRUTH we SPEAK and LIVE.

SECOND, HE HAS MADE US TO BE...

2. SERVANTS: Those who exist to do His will...what HE wants. Like Jesus, we do not come to the world to BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE. We exist first of all for God, and then for others.

THIRD, HE HAS MADE US TO BE...

3. HIS LOVED & REDEEMED: this FUELS the first two...Wow...Jesus has freed us from our sins by His blood...freed from the penalty and power of sin, at the cost of His life, His blood...through His love..He has made us those who NEVER get over that...

This morning, then, we will consider the NEXT CHARACTERISTIC from Revelation 1 of WHO CHRIST HAS MADE US TO BE...

THE FOURTH CHARACTERISTIC:

CHRIST HAS MADE US TO BE PRIESTS TO GOD, Rev 1:6

Revelation 1:6

6 [HE] made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This sounds very much like what Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

What does it mean that Christ has made us to be a kingdom of priests to God?

Let’s look at 4 things:

FIRST: Being PRIESTS means we have SACRIFICES TO OFFER.

Priests offered sacrifices and as you read through the Bible, you can’t miss the many sacrifices and regulations which the priest had to follow for those sacrifices to be acceptable to God.

For example...

Leviticus 1:5-9

5 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Of course, all the sacrifices picture the great final sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Himself: Hebrews 10:10

10 ...we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And this great final sacrifice of Christ the Great High Priest has made us priest...and...

THE NT TEACHES US THAT THERE ARE SACRIFICES WE ALSO OFFER UP TO GOD...

FIRST: The Christian sacrifice of a surrendered life Ro 12:1: We offer ourselves...and this is our worship...

Romans 12:1

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

CHRIST’S SACRIFICE bought US with a price and therefore, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6: our bodies are God’s. THIS IS A DAILY SACRIFICE!

APPLICATION: SUPPOSE you left church this morning and you go out to the parking lot towards your car and as you get near it SOMEONE ELSE opens the door, closes it, starts it up, and drives it away?! Would you say, “Oh, I guess he needed it more. Blessed driving!” I don’t think so! You’d be yelling, “Hey, that’s my car! I paid for that! Stop!” Why would you do that? You PAID for that car and that makes it yours. You have a title to prove it!. 

Brothers and sisters, WE belong to God. Christ paid His life for us...we are His...HE OWNS THE TITLE TO OUR LIVES.

And HE HAS MADE US HIS PRIESTS...SACRED SERVANTS...Aaron’s turban = “Holy to the Lord”...and the first sacrifice we are to offer up to Him every single day is OURSELVES.

And if we offer His ourselves each day as living sacrifices, ALL THE OTHER sacrifices will follow. 

SECOND: As God’s priests we also offer: The Christian sacrifice of PRAISE 

Heb 13:15: we also offer the sacrifice of PRAISE...WORSHIP...

Hebrews 13:15

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

AND REMEMBER: 1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

THIRD: we offer up sacrifices of doing good and sharing, this pleases God...the very next verse...

Hebrews 13:16

16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 

ILLUS:

ON FRIDAY someone shared with me about a member of our church being in Sam’s Club...in front of them was a Somali couple with a cart full of groceries...as they were trying to pay, and apparently new to the US and really struggling with English...the Sam’s cashier was trying to help them understand that they did not have enough money...not even close to being enough...this FBC member was hearing all this and their heart was deeply touched with the immediate need in front of them...compassion welled up...and they stepped up and paid for the considerable remaining amount...this FBC member was being a PRIEST OF GOD...offering a sacrifice of doing good and sharing that PLEASED GOD. 

So, to be a Priest of God through Christ means that I live in a way that offers everything I am and do up to God...it is offering it all to Him, EVERYDAY, because He owns it...my body, my soul, my praises, my good works...

THIS IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER AS I GET UP IN THE MORNING...”Lord, I am Yours today. Empower me by Your Spirit to live as a sacrifice...As Your Priest I offer MY OWN SELF TO YOU!”

SECOND SACRIFICE:

BEING PRIESTS MEANS WE PRAY...WE MAKE INTERCESSION FOR OTHERS

Aaron would burn incense in the tabernacle daily...a physical OT picture of prayer...it would apparently burn there all day...incense without ceasing...

Exodus 30:7-8

7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.

This incense was a picture of our Prayer to God for others, intercession, according to Rev 5:8, where golden bowls of incense are the prayers of the saints...

This is our ministry, our calling, as Priests of God...to bring people to God in prayer, the incense of intercession...

NEVER QUIT PRAYING FOR OTHERS...for UNbelievers’ repentance and salvation...for the perseverance of suffering brothers and sisters in Christ...because those prayers go right up to the THRONE OF GOD, where Christ always intercedes, and those prayers ARE HEARD...YOU ARE PRIESTS of GOD and this is your ministry!

THIRD: BEING BELIEVER-PRIESTS MEANS WE GUARD AND TEACH THE TRUTH...

Priests were guardians of God’s Truth...

They were trained in the teaching and application of OT law Mt 2:3-6...

EG:

Matthew 2:3-6

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

AS NT believer-priests, we also are called by God to guard and teach His truth...

2 Thessalonians 2:15

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Jude 1:3

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Contend - to strenuously struggle for...

We are to hold to the Bible and defend its truth and teach its truth and look at life and respond to questions through the TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE. It is sufficient for knowing and pleasing God in every way. As God’s priests we HOLD TO HIS WORD...period.

Another MEMBER of our Fellowship was sharing with me how at work recently there was a problem being talked about, and they suggested that the Bible should guide how they think and respond to it. This FBC member got a bit of a snicker from co-workers, who were also believers. But this FBC member was simply doing their job...being a PRIEST of GOD, who holds out the Word of God as God’s answer to EVERYTHING!

By the way, a day or so later, a co-worker shared with this person that they had a problem come their way with someone and they remembered this FBC member’s words the day before, and so responded to the problem with the Word of God...

AS PRIESTS OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST...WE ARE TO FAITHFULLY AND ACCURAELY HOLD UP AND HOLD OUT HIS WORD TO OTHERS.

FOURTH: BEING BELIEVER PRIESTS MEANS WE SHARE THE GOSPEL OF ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST...OR REJECTION APART FROM CHRIST...

Priests declared people clean or unclean...ie, whethere they were acceptable to God or not...

Leviticus 13:2-3

2 “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean.

JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES THAT THEY WERE TO pronounce forgiveness...OR withhold forgiveness to others...

This DOES NOT MEAN people are in any way forgiven because we say so, like even some present day pseudo-priests do...but we ANNOUNCE what God has already said about forgiveness in the gospel and no forgiveness apart from the gospel...

John 20:21-23

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

This can probably be more clearly translated, because they are perfect tense verbs, like this: “If you forgive the sins of any, they have already been forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, they have already been withheld.”

So, for example, we share with someone Jesus’ words in John 5:24...

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

So we tell that friend or family member that if they hear Jesus’ word to come and believe in Him for forgiveness and they truly turn to Him for that forgiveness, they will be forgiven...they ARE forgiven, according to Jesus’ word. And what we have shared with them, as PRIESTS (and evangelists) of God, has already been done in heaven.

Brothers and sisters, these are weighty, weighty responsibilities and privileges we have as Believer-Priests of God through Christ. But they define WHO HE HAS MADE US TO BE...

1. WE offer SACRIFICES...first ourselves...then worship and our good works

2. WE offer INTERCESSION...we PRAY for others, lost or saved...all the time, because God hears and will answer

3. WE offer THE TRUTH...we live life and answer others needs and questions with the SCRIPTURES...always...because they are always sufficient...

4. WE offer the GOSPEL, announcing to others God’s accpetance and forgiveness in Christ if they trust Him, or God’s rejection that is already true of them apart from Christ.

And as we think about our future as a church...THIS IS WHO CHRIST HAS MADE US TO BE in our future. And it will help us to think what HE wants us to do as we think about who HE has made us.

THE FIFTH CHARACTERISTIC:

THOSE CALLED TO SUFFER, Rev 1:9

Revelation 1:9

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

TRIBULATION: thlipsis: pressure: SUFFERING & AFFLICTION because we are Christ’s...

-eg: Rev 2:9-10: tribulation and suffering EVEN TO DEATH..

IN THESE VERSES Christ has HE KNOWS His people’s tribulation and suffering

See John 16:33

NOTE: Paul says suffering produces ENDURANCE (Romans 5:3) and Jesus said that by our endurance we would save our souls (Luke 21:29). How does this affect the way you view suffering?