The Vision Of Christ To The Churches
THE VISION OF CHRIST TO THE CHURCHES
Revelation 1:9 - Pastor Kenneth L. Brown 3/4/07
Let Me Tell You About Him
At the time of this extraordinary vision the Christian church was under great persecution by a Roman emperor name Domitian. The Apostle John was the only living disciple of Jesus for Peter and Paul were already put to death. John himself is banished to island named Patmos and according to Rev. 2:13 one Pastor had already been martyred. Fear and discouragement flowed throughout the seven churches and they were rapidly losing their first love, they began to compromise, they became powerless, they were tolerating sin, and had become a bad taste to the Lord Himself. Jesus for this very reason reveals Himself in a dynamic fashion for the vision depicts Jesus as the glorified Lord of the church. So in spite of all the frustration and discouragement the church was feeling at this time, Jesus wanted them to know that He had not abandoned the churches or His promises. The vision of Christ to the churches would encourage and comfort those who were struggling to hold on. And this will uplift us today as well. I want us now to turn our attention to,
I. THE SETTING OF THE VISION
a. John who was an Apostle of Jesus Christ, a member of what is known as the inner circle of the 12 disciples and the author of a gospel and three letters. Yet John doesn’t brag or boast he simply identifies himself as “your brother.”
b. John also identifies himself as a “companion.” This word means partaker in the original Greek. John stresses to the churches that he too was a participant with them in their struggle and suffering.
i. John writes that he was a companion in the tribulation for he had been beaten, boiled, and then exiled from friends, family and country to the island of Patmos.
ii. John was also a companion a partaker with them in the kingdom. This was to let them know that there is some suffering one has to go through while they wait for the coming kingdom.
iii. I know that some of us don’t want to go through nothing but rather you want to or not you will face some trials and tribulations.
c. Like many in the church John also had patience. This word means “to remain under.” It speaks of patiently enduring difficulties and hardships without giving up.
i. And maybe someone here today needs to know that you need to preserver, you got to remain under the weight of your circumstance and endure. You cannot always run from your problems you got to stay under them. It is like lifting weights you cannot build strength unless you stay under the weight. You got to continue to push, pray until something happens all the while you are getting spiritually stronger.
d. Now watch, John says he has gone through all of this in Jesus Christ.
i. Belonging to the kingdom, suffering and patiently enduring trails are all apart of the Christian experience. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will not face hardships because you’ve come to Jesus Christ and started coming to church. The more you live for Jesus the more the enemy will try to destroy you. As soon as you begin to develop you relationship with Jesus the devil will try to wreck your life. Satan has a way of bringing trails and tribulations into your life.
ii. John wanted the church to know that this Christian walk will bring upon grief, pain, and alienation.
iii. There is no such thing as easy Christianity for true Christianity always is in the face of some sort of trouble. You see the bible says Matt. 11:12 “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”. You have to press your way through amidst the temptation of sin, the hurt, the drama, the brokenness, and people who turn on you.
iv. 2 Cor. 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
v. 1 Peter 1:6-8 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” So therefore You got to press!!
e. John says, I was in the isle that is called Patmos, and the reason I was cast on this lonely island was because of the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. My crime I had to tell them about Him.
i. I was banished because I wasn’t a closet Christian. My crime was faithfulness to the Word of God. I shared the Word with boldness, I shared Jesus Christ and it cost me. How many know it will cost you to live for Christ, it will cost you some friends, some family.
ii. John was guilty. I wonder if you could be accused of such a crime? Could somebody find you guilty of being bold for Jesus Christ and the Word of God? Far too many Christians aren’t bold enough but yet they want heaven. They want the blessings from God but will not boast about God. But I know that there are some real Saints in the house today who don’t mind telling somebody what Jesus has done for them. Let me tell you about Him,
1. I was lost but because of Him I am found.
2. I was headed to hell but because of Him I am going to heaven.
3. Let me tell you about Him. My family is torn apart but Jesus kept me together.
4. Let me tell you about Him. My money ran out but Jesus kept my lights on, Jesus paid my rent.
5. Let me tell you about Him. My friends left me but Jesus stood by my side.
6. Let me tell you about Him. When I wanted to give up, Jesus kept on showing up.
THE VISION OF CHRIST TO THE CHURCHES
Rev. 1:10-11
Pastor Kenneth L. Brown 3/11/07
Christ Reveals Himself for the purpose of building up the church who at this time was suffering persecution because of their faith. Many in the church were losing heart, forsaking their beliefs, and tolerating sin. Jesus wants the church to know that He has not left them. Jesus brings John a Word and it comes to John when he himself is exiled to Patmos alone and abandoned. Now isn’t interesting that Jesus will come to you with a Word when you feel alone and abandon. What unfolds prior to the vision of Christ is worth our careful consideration. 1st let us consider the fact that…
I. John was In the Spirit on the Lords Day.
a. John received his vision while he was in the spirit. Now we hear this term in the spirit often by people and some how it has taken on a different meaning from what John here is conveying to the churches. For when many today use the term “in the spirit” they equate it with emotional feelings such as shouting and weeping for joy as being in the spirit. John experience was nothing we will ever experience. John was awake, alert, full of his senses, mind was clear, eyes focused and ears open. While under the Holy Spirit’s control John was taken/transported outside of time and space and receives a vision of Jesus and future events.
b. This would not be the 1st time some one was transported by the Holy Spirit for it happen to Ezekiel in chp. 8.3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem… It happen to Philip after he baptized a eunuch turn to Acts 8:30-40
c. Now take note when John received his vision. He received it on the Lord’s Day. This is not the terrible day of the Lord which is known as judgment day but rather John received his vision on the first day of the week Sunday.
d. John who prior to being exiled to Patmos would no doubt spend time with fellow Christians on the Lord’s Day in order to have communion with Jesus in corporate fellowship. Now he is separated from having communion with his brothers on the Lord’s Day, but now he is having one on one communion with Jesus Christ on the Lord’s Day. If you avail yourself to the Lord the Lord will meet you anywhere.
II. John heard the trumpeting voice of the Lord.
a. The vision begins after John hears the voice of the Lord. Jesus voice is described as a loud trumpet. Not that Jesus voice was a trumpet but that is sounded like a trumpet. John compares Jesus’ voice with a trumpet because the sound of a trumpet when blown draws attention. And Jesus wants to draw John’s attention to write the vision that is about to be revealed to him for the seven churches. In the military the trumpet sound has the commanding authority to wake you up and it also can send you to battle. Jesus’ voice is seen as having the same commanding authority.
III. John was commissioned to write & deliver the vision to the churches
a. This is the 1st of 12 commands given to John to write what he has seen. But there was one vision John could not write which was in 10:1-4.
b. However this vision Jesus commands him to write all that he sees for the benefit of the seven churches.
c. The command to write is in the present tense, this indicates that John had to continue to write until the end of the vision.
d. John not only had to watch and write the vision but the written vision had to sent to the seven churches that were geographically positioned in the shape of a half-moon circle beginning with Ephesus and the Lord set this up wonderfully because Ephesus was the closes church near the island of Patmos and each church was on a Roman postal route so the written vision could easily reach all seven churches.
e. Seven as I have noted is the number of completion and what John wrote was not only for the seven churches of his day but also for the universal church, for us today. Jesus did not give His message to John for himself, but for universal church
f. This vision of our glorious savior Jesus Christ was given to bless and edify each believer in those seven churches in order that their faith could be built up.
g. The powerful purpose of the vision is for us today, to bless and edify us as believers so that we too can have our faith built up.
h. We like the seven churches in John’s day are facing all types of struggles and hardships, we get down at times because of sorrow and pain, and we get weary and tired.
i. But when we are taught the Word of God from the book of Revelation it is designed to lift us up, build us up, and strengthen our faith for we get a glimpse of the greatest vision ever known, the vision of Jesus our King of Kings, the vision of our conquering Savior, the vision of our redeeming Redeemer, and the vision of our new Jerusalem,
THE VISION OF CHRIST TO THE CHURCHES
“Jesus is in the midst” Rev. 1:12-13a
Pastor Kenneth L. Brown 3/18/07
The vision of Christ to the churches is given as a reminder that Jesus is in the midst. It serves to empower those who make up this God ordain organism. God church is a organism and not an organization. It is an organism for it grows spiritually and numerically, anything that is alive feels as an organism it feels for there are moments of great joy as well as pain. This is why Jesus wanted to reveal himself through a vision so that the churches would know he is in the midst, despite pain and suffering Jesus is in the midst. At the beginning of the vision John had his back to the voice that was speaking to him. The power of this voice that sounded like a trumpet that commanded him to write to the seven churches caused John to turn to see the voice that was speaking to him. And as John turned notice what John saw…
I. JOHN SAW SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS
a. Now the seven golden lampstands are identified for us in verse 20 as the seven churches. Seven is completion and so this represents all churches in general throughout church history.
b. Why the symbol of lampstands? Jesus Christ said according to John 812 “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
c. Lampstands were used to light rooms at night. The lampstands symbolized the churches as the lights of the world go to Phil. 2:15.
d. Therefore we who make up the church have a task, a God ordain assignment to represent Jesus Christ in world that is filled with darkness.
e. This world is in a dark place despite the lights on every corner, lights in the home, and the 24 hour lights of Las Vegas. This darkness is spiritually darkness. And all sin is done in the darkness of spiritually wickedness.
f. Men hate the light and love darkness for the bible says in John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
g. This light was Jesus Christ and Jesus is not loved, this world loves darkness more than it loves Jesus Christ. They rather kill others rather than die to self, they rather rob than to repent, and they rather cuss Christ, than to confess Christ.
h. The lampstands were made up of precious valuable gold. We who make up the church are precious in the sight God and of great value to Him. We are so valuable to Jesus that He was willing to purchase us with His own blood, turn to Acts 20:28.
i. When a goldsmith molded lampstands he would first have to place the gold in the fire. This process was to rid the gold of any impurities. Those impurities are called dross and it rose to the top of the gold and the goldsmith would then remove the dross until it was pure.
j. The bible says in 1 Pet 1:7 “That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
k. God allows us to go through the fire in order to remove the dross of sin out of our lives. It is said that the goldsmith will not remove the gold from the fire until all the dross is gone. How does he know when to the dross is gone? When he can see his reflection.
l. God will remove you from fire when he can see the reflection of Jesus Christ in your life. This is the only way that you can shine forth the Light of Christ in a dark world.
II. WHAT JOHN SAW IN MIDST OF THE SEVEN LAMPSTANDS
a. According to verse 13a John saw “one like the Son of Man.” Jesus stands right in the midst of the lampstands. This is where we as believers in the church receive our light from Jesus who is right here in the midst of us.
b. Jesus Himself promised that His presence would continue in the church, Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” In Hebrews 13:5 Jesus promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
c. With those type of promises that Jesus is in our Midst there should be no doubt, no lack of joy, no pressure, and no fear. For we can stand firm with the psalmist when he said, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
d. Now unless Jesus stands in the midst of the church, the church has no light and no strength. It is our responsibility to maintain Jesus Christ in the midst. Keep this in mind when things go bad in our life due to sin or trails Jesus does not run from us we run from Jesus.
e. We who make up the church must be light bearers but far too many are hiding the light of Christ, you won’t witness, you act churchy in church and worldly when you get out of church.
f. Our lights must stay lit and bright and it must never be hidden. For the bible says in Matt. 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can not be hidden.
g. You have to live your life in such a way that your life itself is a testimony to the saving power of God. Folk ought to see something about you that causes them to notice that there is something different about you. Then you can share Christ with them.
h. Jesus is in the midst and He is walking amongst us as we proclaim the truth of His Word, study the scriptures, and proclaim the gospel to others.
i. Some might ask why do you church folk have so much joy? Our joy comes from the fact that we do not serve a dead martyred religious leader. No we serve a living Savior who is in our midst who indwells in lives of those who make up His church. Turn to someone and say Jesus is in the Midst because He is alive in me!
j. Our joy comes from the fact that Jesus is in our Midst leading us when life tries to make us lose our way.
k. Our joy comes from the fact that Jesus is in our Midst empowering us to live for Him day in and day out, And because Jesus is in our Midst we can stand with Paul and say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
OUR RESURRECTED HIGH PRIEST
Revelation 1:13 - Pastor Kenneth L. Brown 4/01/07
When John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day he heard the voice of the Lord as a loud trumpet. When John turned to see the voice that spoke to him we noted last time in our study that he saw 7 golden lampstands and in the midst of them was the Son of Man. This is our resurrected savior Jesus Christ. But what is so remarkable is how he saw Jesus. John saw Jesus resurrected and glorified exhibiting the three offices of His Kingly ministry as prophet, priest, and King. As our resurrected Savior Jesus is a prophet for He proclaims the Word of God to us, and he will speak of things seen, things which are, and the things that will take place (v.19). As priest, Jesus gives us access to God presence and makes us acceptable to God. As King, Jesus rules and reigns over all the affairs of the earth, He has power to protect and provide to those who love Him. This is who we have today as our resurrected Savior and for a brief moment I want to talk about the benefits of one of his offices and that being the office of our resurrected High Priest. In verse 13 John saw Jesus clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band (sash). The word garment in the Greek is enduo and it means robe. And this robe is described just like Aarons robe in Ex. 28:3 and Lev. 16:4 because the High priest wore a golden band (sash). Now let me say this that the High priest band was interwoven in gold and Jesus’ is band is all gold. Now here are a few benefits of having Jesus as our resurrected High Priest.
I. JESUS IS ABLE TO SAVE FOREVER BECAUSE OF INTERCESSION.
a. Heb.7:25 – able to save, the word save in the Gk. Sozo means to preserver or to ensure salvation , and in its context of this verse it means that Jesus is able to ensure our salvation by preserving us by sanctifying us. Well how long can he keep this up? The text says to the uttermost, which in the Greek is pan-tel-ace and it means completely or forever, and since Jesus is Our resurrected High Priest Jesus is able because v.25 since always lives to make intercession for them. He lives to intercede for our salvation!!
b. This is why Romans 8:33-34 says this” who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
II. JESUS ALLOWS TO US COME TO GOD BOLDLY.
a. Heb. 4:16 – Because Jesus died and rose up from the dead He satisfyied God’s wrath against us. So now we who are born again believers have access to the presence of God. God does not hear sinners and unless you repent God will not hear your prayers.
b. Blessed be that Jesus has made a way for us to have a right relationship with Our Heavenly father so that we can Come as the verse says. We can come, we don’t need a preacher, priest but you and I can come. Come in the Greek means to draw near and we who love the Lord can draw near God in prayer.
c. But not only that we can come boldly. This does not mean with arrogance but the word boldly means with confidence. And with that confidence we can come any time of the day or night to go to the very throne of God and obtain (lambano means to take hold of) mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
III. JESUS IS A MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST.
a. Hebrews 2:17 – Jesus is merciful to man and faithful to God. As our resurrected High Priest He showed us mercy by dying on the cross for our sins and He was faithful to God to propitiate for our sins. That word propitiation means atoning sacrifice that turned away the wrath of God directed against sinful man.
b. Look at v. 18. Then lets go to Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
c. As our merciful and faithful High Priest Jesus is able to sympathize with us in all of our struggles, our sorrows, our trails, our pain, and our temptations.