06AM January 8 Revelation 1 9_16
January 8, 2006—Morning Worship
The “Soon and Very Soon” Series
The Unveiled Christ – Part 1
Eyewitness Descriptions of the Majesty of Christ
Revelation 1:9-16
Intro: I was standing in line at a restaurant the other day & overheard 2 “intellectuals” having a conversation about Creation. One of the men said that, “Evolution explains everything about life as we know it – except where it came from.” He said, “Before you can evolve into anything, you must 1st be.” So in his understanding of the beginnings of life, God created the original ameba & then let it evolve into the world population we have today.
Apparently, this man is some kind of a Deist. Apparently, he believes that God made the initial creation & then stood back to see what would happen. This of course, discounts God’s sovereignty over all things. In that view, God’s role is greatly minimized & if you can continue to minimize God – eventually you’ll eliminate the need for God in your thoughts all together.
Every one has, at some time in life, questioned God. Have you ever faced a problem so big or devastation so great that you began to question God’s power or His purposes or even whether or not God really exists?
The Apostle John lived the end of his life in the midst of persecution so great – that Christians were being tortured & killed daily. Yet, in our text, all of John’s attention was refocused when He received a vision of the unveiled Christ. It had been 60+ years since John had seen the Lord Jesus, but he immediately recognized Him. Remember, the verses we’re about to read contain symbolic language; but they still portray actual & eternal truth. Let’s read our text from Revelation 1:9-16 & discover who John saw.
Revelation 1 9 I, John, both your brother & companion in the tribulation & kingdom & patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God & for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, & I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha & the Omega, the First & the Last," &, "What you see, write in a book & send it to the 7 churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, & to Laodicea." 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke w/me. & having turned I saw 7 golden lampstands, 13 & in the midst of the 7 lampstands 1 like the Son of Man, clothed w/a garment down to the feet & girded about the chest w/a golden band. 14 His head & hair were white like wool, as white as snow, & His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, & His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand 7 stars, out of His mouth went a sharp 2-edged sword, & His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Who did John see? He saw none other than the Lord Jesus Christ &…
1. He Is the Commanding Christ (v. 13b) says, that He was, “…clothed w/a garment down to the feet & girded about the chest w/a golden band.”
- The clothing of Christ describes the Authority of the King!
- In ancient times, this was the recognized apparel of authority, dignity & royalty.
- In OT times, a long robe was the clothing of spiritual leaders of high rank; whether it was the high priest, or a king, a prince, or a judge. – Jesus is all of these!
- Do you see how John saw Jesus? He saw Him as the Commanding Christ!
- If your life seems out of control, remember that Jesus is the King of kings, fully in charge of whatever is going on in your life.
- There’s never been anything that took Jesus by surprise!
- He is the Authority! He is the Sovereign King! He is absolutely in control!
- Now I know you believe that—but there are still situations in life that can make you want to question God.
- There are still times when you are confronted w/something so big that you can’t handle it & seems so devastating that you question what God could possibly be doing in your life!
- Even then, God is in control!
- I’m so glad that God didn’t make all He made & then step back & see what would happen!
- I’m so glad that God is loving & caring & powerful & gracious enough to be involved in the minute details of my life!
- Remember, to God, everything is a minute detail! He’s so much larger than any problem or hurt or worry or pain we could ever experience!
- Jesus is the Commanding Christ &…
2. He Is the Consecrated Christ (v. 14a) tells us that, “His head & hair were white like wool, as white as snow….”
- The imagery of snow describes the purity of the King.
[When I was younger, I used to love it when it snowed. I knew I could stay home from school & play in the snow. & I still love to watch it snow, but now it just makes it inconvenient to get around.]
- But snow is so pure & so white that it hurts your eyes to look at it in the sunlight.
- Jesus is the Light & Jesus is pure!
- He is pure Truth, holiness, mercy, forgiveness, love & grace!
- Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus is the only Man who never had a guilty conscience?
- He’s the only person who never had to confess a sin!
- His purity is from eternity.
- He has never known sin in the sense that you & I have known sin.
- Oh He took our sin upon Himself on the Cross. But that’s not what John is describing here.
- John is describing the bright white purity of our Lord!
- The word translated ‘white’ literally means “bright, brilliant, blazing, dazzling” white!
- It could even be translated “dead white.”
[You may remember from your science classes that white is the absence of all color. & that black is the presence of all color. So when the word of God describes Jesus in terms of color, it tells us He is absolutely pure w/o any mixture of sin.]
- John is describing the way Jesus reflects the glory of God to us, just as the snow reflects the sunlight.
- John is helping us to understand that Jesus reveals the holiness, the purity, the glory of God to all Mankind.
[S. D. Gordon once said that, “Jesus is God spelling Himself out in language that man can understand.”]
- So Jesus is the Commanding Christ & the Consecrated Christ &…
3. He Is the Comprehending Christ (v. 14b) tells us that, “…His eyes [are] like a flame of fire.”
- Jesus' fiery eyes refer to the foresight of the King. It refers to His all seeing vision.
[In the Christus Gardens in Gatlinburg, TN, there is what is reported to be the most photographed sight in all the Smokey Mountains. It is a marble sculptured head of Christ that is sculptured in such a way that the eyes appear to “look” directly at you, no matter where you stand or from which direction you see the sculpture.]
- Jesus has vision that penetrates.
- We would say today He has something akin to X-ray vision.
- Jesus cannot be deceived.
- He sees every minister, notes every member, observes every ministry, and views every motive w/perfect, crystal-clear, penetrating vision.
- There is nothing that can be hidden from His sight.
- He sees all things & understands the motives behind all our actions & reactions.
- He sees the hidden desires; He grasps the unspoken thoughts; He’s well aware of every attitude & every feeling you could ever express.
- Since Jesus came to be a man, He knows what it’s like to walk in your shoes.
- Jesus knows the difficulties you face; He knows the sorrows you experience; He knows the temptations you bear; He knows the pain you endure!
- Jesus comprehends everything; He understands everything; & He knows everything there is to know, understand or comprehend about your life & this world b/c He created all things!
- Jesus is the Commanding, the Consecrated & the Comprehending Christ &…
4. He Is the Condemning Christ (v. 15a) tells us that, “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace….”
- From His fiery eyes John looks down to see Jesus' red-hot feet, glowing like burnished metal in a fiery furnace.
- This refers to the severity of the King.
- His feet glowed to indicate the fire of the Final Judge.
[In ancient times, kings sat on elevated thrones so that those being judged were always beneath the king’s feet. The feet of kings came to symbolize their authority to judge.]
- So John sees the feet of Jesus glowing w/red hot wrath waiting for the time to judge.
- & there will be no escape from the wrath of God when Christ's burning feet return.
- When Jesus came the 1st time, people would sit at His feet to hear His teaching.
- They would sit at His feet to worship. They would sit at His feet in adoration.
- But when He returns, the feet of Jesus will not be the place of worship or teaching or adoration—the feet of Jesus will be metering out God’s wrath!
- John is trying to describe, in complete detail, the Person of the risen Christ.
- This is the same Jesus that John saw on that 1st resurrection morning, & John immediately recognized Jesus; both then & now when he sees Him in this vision.
- But Jesus is seen here, in this vision, in the glory of the Godhead.
- & it’s as if John wants to look but at the same time doesn’t want to see.
- This image of the risen Christ is almost too much for John b/c he knows that judgment is coming & that people are not ready & that souls will be eternally lost!
- That would have broken John’s heart & it should break ours as well!
Ezekiel 33 11a [God says,] As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way & live.
- If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, then neither should we!
- We should be concerned for their souls b/c Jesus is coming & He will condemn unbelivers!
- Jesus is the Commanding, Consecrated, Comprehending, Condemning Christ &…
5. He Is the Communicating Christ (v. 15b) tells us that, “His voice [was] as the sound of many waters.”
- This voice refers to the integrity of the King.
- This was the same voice that had calmed the storm, that taught His disciples, & that called everything into existence.
- Elijah heard the still small voice of God & we still hear it today as we read His word & His Spirit speaks to our hearts.
- But one day--& it may be soon—His still small voice will be heard no longer & the powerful sound of the voice of God will be heard world-wide!
- Jesus' voice is still as powerful & loud as the day of Creation; His voice can be heard over the roar of the most powerful waterfall.
- At a time when so many voices are being raised against Christ, we can be assured that one day they will all be silenced.
[The new NBC program called “The Book of Daniel” is about a preacher who is addicted to pills; who has an alcoholic wife; a homosexual son & a drug dealing daughter. Preacher Daniel sees Jesus at various points during his day & has conversations w/Him in which Jesus is portrayed in a very flippant manner. The whole thing is distasteful & dishonoring & the station manager of NBC6 says he doesn’t think that the program belittles Christians or portrays Christians in a bad light!]
- You can say all you want against me & there probably will be very few consequences.
- But when you speak against Christ – those consequences compound exponentially!
- The coming Christ won't endure beatings again!
- The coming Christ won’t endure persecution again!
- The coming Christ wont’ endure crucifixion again; He’s coming as the King of kings & Lord of lords to judge, to rule, & to reign eternally!
- But not only that, but John also saw the sovereignty of Christ b/c…
6. He Is the Controlling Christ (v. 16a) tells us that, “He had in His right hand 7 stars….”
- The 7 stars Jesus holds refer to the sovereignty of the King.
- The stars are the angels or messengers of the churches.
- The risen Lord holds in His very hand this moment His church, His people, & His servants.
- This church is not my church, your church, or our church; this church is His church.
- Jesus Christ is sovereign in all things & He is sovereign in His church.
[Being a Baptist Church, we have a democratic form of governance. That means that we vote, by majority, to make decisions that affect the whole church. But just b/c a majority of our people think one way, does not mean that that is the will of God! We can take as many majority votes as we want—but that doesn’t mean that we have followed the leadership of the Lord! This is God’s church – not the majority’s church!]
- That means that I cannot get on my ‘high horse’ & stand in front of you & say whatever I want to say!
- My words fall on deaf ears – but God’s word penetrates the hearts of all who hear!
- It’s His church & we should submit to His Lordship & His Sovereignty over every aspect of our lives & the entire life of this church!
- God is absolutely, firmly, completely, 100% of the time 100% in control! Nothing ever surprises Him; nothing ever occurs to Him; nothing will ever shock Him off His throne!
- John saw Jesus Christ as the Sovereign of His church & he saw that…
7. He Is the Conquering Christ (v. 16b) tells us that, “…out of His mouth went a sharp 2-edged sword….”
- This deadly 2-edged sword refers to the power of the King.
- One of these days the Lord Jesus is coming to do battle w/the nations of the world; His weapon will be the powerful Word of God.
- When confronting great problems in your life, what weapons are you using—money, medication, manipulation?
- If Christ will use God's Word one day to conquer the world, why would anyone think it is insufficient for today?
[As you know for many years there was a struggle in the SBC & BSC of NC as to the inerrancy & sufficiency of God’s word. Thank God that those who believe the Bible have had a stronger influence than those who don’t. & that’s b/c Jesus said that not 1 of the smallest letters or not 1 of the smallest accent marks would fall from the word of God until all had been fulfilled!]
- God has the power in His Person & in His word to accomplish His will.
- His word always accomplishes what He sent it forth to do!
- The power that spoke Creation into existence will be the same power that speaks destruction to the nations!
- When we stand together w/the Lord, we fight from the position of victory! I can tell you now that God has never been defeated; will not be defeated; nor can He ever be defeated!
- Our God is an awesome God! Great in power! Wonderful in His ways! Majestic in His Person! Marvelous in His mercy & perfectly just in all He does!
- He is the Conquering Christ &…
8. He Is the Compelling Christ (v. 16) says that, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
- Finally, John sees Christ's face shining w/the glory of God; this refers to the glory of the King.
- Once that face was marred & spat upon; once that face had blood running down it; once that face wrenched in pain; but here that face shines in the full resplendent glory of God: unveiled, unmasked, & unobstructed!
- W/our human eyes we can’t look directly at the sun in its fullness. It hurts our eyes & if we were to do it long enough, we’d go blind.
- W/our human eyes we can’t look directly at the Son of God in His fullness. The purity, the holiness, the righteousness, the grace would blind us!
- We can’t even comprehend God w/our finite minds—surely our human eyes are no different!
- But nonetheless, Jesus calls us to Himself—the express image of God, shining in all the brightness of His glory & we are compelled to come!
- I thank God for drawing me to His side! I thank God for drawing you! I thank God that He’s still at work in the hearts & lives of people all over the world!
- He is the compelling Christ who has given us instructions to go out into the highways & hedges & compel people to come in to the family of God.
- When we lift up the radiant, glowing, glorious, Son of God, He will draw people to Himself; He will compel them to come; He will radically & graciously save their lost souls & He will use us to do it!
Conclusion: John had become so preoccupied w/Christ that although his circumstances had not changed, his outlook had; his despondency had lifted; his view had cleared. What vision of Christ are you missing b/c you’re so preoccupied w/yourself, your problems, or your circumstances? In the midst of your problems, turn around. Focus on Christ. Why? When you’re preoccupied w/the Savior, there is no time to fret over your problems.
Invitation: Where is your focus today? Is it on a particular situation you face? Is it on what you perceive to be a great problem? Is it on the circumstances that surround you? Or is your focus on the one & only, true, living God, revealed in Jesus Christ?
Has God spoken to you today about the eternal destiny of your soul? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal love relationship? Have you ever come to the place in your life where you repented of your sin & place your faith in Jesus as Lord & Savior? If not, we invite you to do so today! Would you come to Jesus in repentance & faith?
Or maybe God has spoken to you about a wrong perception of Jesus. Maybe you’re not honoring Him w/your life as you should. Maybe you’re not following Him as closely as you should.
If you sense God speaking w/you today about any matter, whether its salvation, baptism, becoming a member here, or any other matter—would you come seeking Him & His direction?
Hymn 198 At the Name of Jesus