A Glorious Leader

Revelation 1:9–20 (ESV)

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. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

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. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The book of Revelation is a love letter to the church. It is one of the strangest love letter written to the church. He intended to equip the church to conquer the dangers and hardships that would come.

He wanted to encourage the church and to remind them that they have a leader who...

Jesus leads and loves His Church

Jesus is with us and for us. He leads by his presence and through His Love.

As the apostle John was is praying one Sunday he

Revelation 1:12–13 (ESV)

12 ...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.

Jesus later explains these lampstands are the seven churches (20)

Revelation is written to those seven specific churches in Asia Minor in the first century,

but there were more than seven churches in that region at the time (see 1 Peter 1 v 1).

The number seven,

being a number of fullness,

indicates that Revelation is written to all churches, including ours.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2 v 7).

As a lampstand,

each church is to hold up the light of the world: to be a faithful witness to

Jesus and his gospel in a dark world.

But notice the encouragement.

Jesus, the Son of Man, is in the midst of his churches: ALL of them—

the good ones

who has all the doctrine right.

Who are persevering under persecution

The ones who have a good reputation

and the bad ones

The ones tolerating open sin and rebellion.

The ones hurting because of self sufficiency.

And the ones who lack love.

The ones who have compromised with the culture.

In the face of danger,

there is no greater promise that we or the first-century church could hear than this: that Jesus is present with us.

But Jesus is not just with us; he is with us to rule over us, protect us, and care for us and our messengers.

Sanchez, Juan. Seven Dangers Facing Your Church . The Good Book Company. Kindle Edition.

In this encouragement we see several picture of Christ, I just want to focus on two of those illustrations of Jesus who loves and leads His church.

Jesus is the priest who provides for His Church

Jesus is our priest. John describes the figure in the midst of the lampstands as “one like a son of man” (1 v 13).

Revelation 1:13 (ESV)

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.

This is the title Jesus often used of himself in the Gospels.

It comes from Daniel 7:13-14 where Daniel witnessed “one like a son of man” receive a kingdom from the Ancient of Days.

Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

But the son of man is also dressed like a priest:

he’s wearing “a long robe”

and “a golden sash around his chest” (Revelation 1 v 13),

just as Israel’s priests did in Exodus 28:4

Exodus 28:4 (ESV)

4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.

Jesus is the One who finally and faithfully fulfills mankind’s destiny to represent God to creation as a royal priest.

This was the job given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: a job that they failed at miserably.

But here we see Jesus doing it perfectly.

As a priest, Jesus represents God before the world;

he gives us a glimpse of what God is like.

He reveals God’s glory:

Also, in the tabernacle, the priests tended the lampstand.

The priest ensured there was an ongoing supply of oil and that the seven lamps burned to light the way into God’s presence.

This imagery depicts Jesus as a great priest

tending his lampstands,

tending his churches,

tending his people

that they might continue burning with the light of his Spirit,

that they might light the way into God’s presence.

He walks among the churches.

He knows what each church needs for their lamp to burn brightly.

As the risen Christ walked among the lampstands,

He spoke words of encouragement to the congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia,

each according to their individual situations.

To the church at Smyrna,

He declared, “I know your tribulation and poverty, yet you are rich” (Rev. 2:9

Revelation 2:9 (ESV)

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Though this group of believers had little money or resources, they had an unlimited line of credit with the bank of heaven!

If they saw themselves as impoverished, they would behave as paupers.

If they viewed themselves as children of the King, they would step out in confidence and faith.

The important factor was not how much treasure they had, but how much they treasured God.

To the church at Philadelphia,

Revelation 3:8 (ESV)

8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

This congregation faced many problems.

There was a “synagogue of Satan” in their city that was causing them grief.

With little economic, political, or legal clout of their own,

they appeared vulnerable to those who sought to harm them.

Yet Christ promised to provide them unimpeded access to His presence.

Whatever they needed could be found in ample supply on the shelves of His storehouse.

The churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia were well aware of their weaknesses, yet Christ assured them that He would personally walk with them through each specific challenge they faced.

Conversely, the people in Laodicea

were smug about their self-sufficiency.

To them Christ declared,

Revelation 3:17 (ESV)

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

That’s a strong reprimand!

Laodicea was a prosperous city, with many affluent citizens.

The church evidently was carrying out ministries without seeking God’s direction or provision.

As a result, they had grown self-confident and prideful.

Like so many churches today, they focused on their activity and neglected their relationship.

In fact, the church members had become so distracted that Christ alerted them He was knocking on their door, seeking fellowship with them (Rev. 3:20).

I truly believe that if we will turnaround like John , we will see that we will see jesus supply every need that we require to do his will for our church.

Once God has our congregation in a position where we constantly needed His provision, we will began to experience it, often miraculously, on a regular basis. what ever that need is God will supply it.

God always funds his desire for the church. He always gives his servants exactly what is needed to accomplish the Job they are called to. weather it be money, perseverance, or leadership.

Secondly and lastly....

Jesus is the messenger who speaks to His Church

Revelation 1:14–15 (ESV)

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.This language

This description is from the book of Daniel, remember there are more quotes and illusions form the OT in Revelation than there are verses.

Daniel 10:5–6 (ESV)

5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Now, it may be tempting to think Daniel has just encountered the pre-incarnate Christ.

But keep reading Daniel 10, and you soon discover this heavenly figure needs help from Michael, another mighty angel.

So, it’s more likely that this is a heavenly warrior in God’s army; and this heavenly warrior reflects aspects of Christ’s own glorious, warrior-like appearance.[iii] But what’s the significance?

This heavenly warrior was a messenger , see in Daniel at the end of verse 15… and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

whose Much like the glorious messenger in Daniel 10,

Jesus comes to disclose heavenly realities.

That’s what the angel did for Daniel. The angel disclosed that the conflicts on earth are connected to a greater conflict in heaven.

So also in Revelation:

Christ reveals that our conflicts on earth are connected to a far greater conflict in heaven.

What you see with your eyes isn’t all there is. He comes as heaven’s greatest warrior to say, “This is what the battle really looks like; and this is how I have conquered.”

We are creatures of convenience. We love to find formulas that work and apply them everywhere we can. This helps to simplify our lives, and that's not a bad thing. But God does not limit himself to a formula.

We should not wait for an audible voice form God.

We should not put out a fleece expecting God to answer pur questions with silly tests.

I-know one who has said that I know How will want me to sell my house if i find a house that has only satined trim and cabinets, that is not on a well or septic, plus enough storage and a garage.

In Scripture, when God speaks He is always up to something. God speaks to us through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church. When He speaks he has a purpose in mind

So how will we hear from God.

The Word of God must be our Guide. The pattern I see in scripture is that God may not tell us everything we at first, but God will tells us what we need to know to begin to make adjustments and make the first step of obedience.

Our task before making those decisions is to continue doing what we already know what God wants us to do, The Spirit is our teacher.

So as a church we must wait on the Spirit of God to reveal our path forward. He is our teacher.

He teaches as we listen through the study of the word, we must respond and change when we hear and learn something new.

As we pray together, we will see how he uses the Word to confirm that our obedience is correct.

We will be directed to to see what God is already doing around us and join in.

The Spirit will also use the experiences and wisdom form those we call family in this church to direct and confirm God’s plan and purpose to us.

Jesus speaks are we ready to listen?

The key to knowing God’s voice is not a formula, nor a method that we can follow. Knowing and hearing God’s voice comes from in intimate love relationship with God.

That is why those who do not have a relationship (those who do not belong to God) do not her from Jesus.

John 8:27 ESV

27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.

We do not seek a word from God to prove he is real so we can have a relationship with him.

Rather, as we seek to develop an intimate relationship with him, we will hear him speak to us (James 4:8).

James 4:8 ESV

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Are you ready to hear fromm God.

Whats will hinder it.

You lack of relationship with Him?

Your pride?

Your sin?

Your business?

Your apathy?

Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.