Your Faithful Reporter

Write This Down: The Instructions of Revelation 1

Once upon a time

When America watched the news, they watched a news anchor man who they trusted to give them an accurate report

Truth:

Those reports always had their worldview framing their report

Fast forward to today

“News” has stopped hiding behind the notion of being “objective”

Equivalent of a “Forum” for opinions

To where the discipline is to just go online and find out for yourself

Focus here is on John

Renowned apostle and writer

Has by this time written his biographical account of the life of Jesus

“Gospel”—“Good news”

Writer of letters to churches

1, 2, 3 John

To now a writer of a book entirely different from that of any other in Scripture

Revelation

Apocalypse

In his Gospel account, John identified himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”

Jn 21:20-24

Here, however, he has changed the description of himself

As he does, we see him now as “The Faithful Reporter”

Revelation 1:2

Revelation 1:2 NKJV

2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

Every Christ follower can be a faithful reporter like John by taking the following steps:

1. Take up Your Towel

John—“servant”

doulos [δοῦλος]

He was the faithful bondservant who pledged his life to the One who gave him that life

He was one whose feet Jesus washed that night before He went to the cross

He was now serving the Lord by serving others

If you are to be a faithful reporter

You must realize that your report is not about you

It’s about Him

It’s about the recipient of your report knowing Him

It’s about making Jesus known

Even if you never get any props for your report

2. Study the Bible

John bore witness to the word of God

Context:

Prophetic context of this book

John knows that he is writing what will be included in the written revelation of God

His finite mind absorbing as much of the magnitude of this truth as was possible

If you are going to be a faithful reporter

Your report cannot contradict what is already known as true

God’s written word

Moreover

The less your report points to the Bible

The less effective your report is going to be

“What do I do/say to make Jesus known?”

Start with what He through the Holy Spirit is showing you in His word

Read-study-meditate/marinate-memorize

Not to impress your friends

But to know Him

3. Sharpen Your Focus

John’s witness was specific

The witness—the testimony—of the Lord Jesus Christ

He will be seeing Jesus in a far different way than he has ever seen Him before

But the focus of this book will not be on John

It will be on Jesus

If you are going to be a faithful reporter

The focus of your report cannot be

On what you have

On what you do/have done

On what others think of you

The focus must be on how

Worthy Jesus is

Needy you are

For Him

4. Share Your Experience

John bore witness “to all things that he saw”

“as many things as he saw”

Idea that as each new scene unfolds

John is writing it down and describing it as best he can

As instructed and empowered by the Holy Spirit

2 Peter 1:20-21

2 Peter 1:20–21 NKJV

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Now What?

John demonstrated for us how we can become faithful reporters of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Take up your towel

Serve the Lord by serving others

Study the Bible

Know what the word of God says

Sharpen Your Focus

Bring your report back to Jesus

Share Your Experience

Your experience is uniquely yours and carries power

Because it is how Christ interacted with you

Must keep in mind

You may be the only Bible some person might ever read

You might be “read” this week

Will that person get a clear reading of Jesus by watching or listening to you?

Revelation 1:2 NKJV

2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.