The Job
Write This Down: The Instructions of Revelation 1 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsCIT: Because John was in the right place (in the Spirit) at the right time (on the Lord's Day), he was in the perfect position to clearly hear and understand his assignment: write down what he is about to see
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Communication
Never more convenient to communicate than today
With anyone
Anywhere
At any time
Technology in 2021 has made communication more of an issue of preference
Phone call
Text
Message
Mail
Wouldn’t it be great if that was the issue when it comes to God communicating with us?
We could just get a text, call, message, mail
And He would just give us our orders
Our job
Take all the guesswork out?
Usually on our mind when we want to hear from God
We want to know what He wants us to do
We want Him to do what we think we need Him to do for us
Problem
He doesn’t need our work
He wants us
He wants to continue to restore us and bring us back to the original design
Which was to be in His image
To know Him more deeply, more intimately, on a spiritual level
In today’s passage, the Lord Jesus does not need John in order to get this revelation of Himself out to the world
But He chose John
So that John would come away knowing the Lord better
Therefore…John got the job
That job:
Write This Down
Write This Down
Revelation 1:10-11
Revelation 1:10-11
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
The Lord has spoken to people in the Bible in all sorts of different ways
Appearing as an Angel/Messenger
Burning Bush
Still, small voice—humming
Now, a voice as loud as a trumpet blast
But this is how the Lord would be revealing Himself to John
How John would learn about his new job
The Lord wants to use you
For work that He will do through you
He will reveal that to you
Via His Holy Spirit who lives in you
How can you know your job?
Every Christ follower can more clearly receive his/her assignment by following John’s example:
1. Be in the Right Place
1. Be in the Right Place
John was “in the Spirit”
Ecstatic state?
Word ἔκστασις (ekstasis)
Ac 10:10; Ac 22:17
Translated “trance”
He was actually in personal worship
Seeking God’s face
In that position
He was taken out of that immediate awareness of his own physical presence
He was keenly aware of
God’s presence
God’s power
God’s voice
Danger here
Understand this in terms of some sort of metaphysical jiu-jitsu
“slain in the Spirit”
“centered”
“contemplative”
Think that if you just conjure yourself into such a position
That you too will see visions
Taking this completely out of context
What we do get from this
John put a priority of seeking God
To worship
When we put a priority onto our own worship
To seek God
We will find Him
Starting point:
Always the Bible
2. Be in the Right Time
2. Be in the Right Time
on the Lord’s Day
Not “Day of the Lord”
Most likely first day of the week
Emphasis on Lord’s resurrection
Early church historically met together more than one time a week
Encouraged to assemble together
He 10:25
Thus the other days of the week are good days to assemble together for the purpose of corporate worship as well
So when is the right time?
When you are ready
Personally
Corporately
3. Be in the Right Condition
3. Be in the Right Condition
Listening
“I heard”
“a loud voice as of a trumpet”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega”
“the First and the Last”
“Write down what you see”
“in a book”
“send it to seven churches”
All three in place
Then John received his job orders
Now What?
Now What?
Yes, the Lord is working
Yes, the Lord wants to involve YOU in that work
Yes, the Lord will invite you to that work
Giving you a job
Keys to discerning that Job
Be in the Right Place
Be in the Right Time
Be in the Right Condition
What happens in the absence of this
When we don’t take the time to seek the Lord’s face—His presence—in worship
We don’t receive any clear directive as to what the Lord is doing and how He wants to involve us
We develop this mindset that we have to do something…for Him
So we do something…and nothing comes of it
And we wonder what happened...
We blame others
We grow frustrated
We quit
Or...
We “settle” for whatever happens because what we are doing makes us feel good about ourselves
“Look what I/we are doing for Jesus!”
We grow dull in our worship
We stop yearning for Him
We stop searching in earnest for where He is at work
John received a job the results of which will last for all eternity
So could the job the Lord has…for you
Join us
As we do what we know we must do
Know Jesus
Make Him known