What is Jesus saying to His Church?

Who stands in the middle?

Today, we are starting our Summer Sermon Series from the book of Revelation. We’ll be looking at the seven churches from Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. We’ll look at each of the seven churches and the message that Jesus spoke to them and then we’ll show how what Jesus said, still has value for our lives today. That starts next week.

Let’s read

Revelation 1:9–11 NLT

I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

About the Author

I won’t spend much time on this, but I believe that it’s important that we look at who John is before we look at Who stands in the middle.

John was one of the twelve disciples. John one was a son of Zebedee as well as James, his brother. They were known as the Sons of Thunder.

John was the disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter, James, and John were in the inner circle with Jesus. It was John who took Jesus’ mother into his house after Jesus died on the cross.

He was one of the leaders, apostles of the church, and he had spent much time in the city of Ephesus.

The place

John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. These were real places. John wasn’t sitting at his kitchen table dreaming up some figurative names for places that didn’t exist.

This was later in John’s life. Ancient prisons were just temporary holding places until prisoners could go to trial. Once the trial was over, the result could be execution, exile to a penal colony where there was forced labour, or exile to a sparsely populated island. (Lewis Foster, Revelation unlocking Scriptures for you)

Where was Patmos?

It was fifty miles (80 kms) southwest of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea, between Rome and Asia Minor or present day Turkey.

Why was John exiled?

He was exiled because he preached the Good News, the gospel, about Jesus, AND he gave testimony about Jesus.

If you were asked to come and testify at a trial, they would ask you to tell them what you had seen and what you knew about the crime that had been committed.

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (3141. μαρτυρία)

μαρτυρία marturia - evidence given —record, report, testimony, witness.

John was an eye-witness to what Jesus did when He was on earth.

He saw Jesus heal people that were sick. He saw Jesus bring dead people back to life. He even saw Jesus walk on water and he was at the cross when Jesus died.

But there’s still more. He saw the empty tomb. He watched Jesus go up into Heaven.

This is the writer, so I want us to pay close attention to how he reacts when he sees Jesus.

What was he doing on Patmos?

He was worshipping the Lord in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

Many think that this refers to Sunday, the first day of the week.

Psalm 118:24 NLT

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

In the Spirit

John 4:23–24 NLT

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Let’s worship the Lord with everything that we have: physically, emotionally, spiritually. Body, soul, and spirit.

God has made each of us differently. Some love to lift up their hands when they worship. Others shout for joy. Some clap. Still others with songs of praise. All these are biblical. The most important is that we worship God with all our hearts or spirits.

So John is worshipping the Lord and he hears a voice that tells him to write down what he hears and sees.

Let’s read

Revelation 1:12–20 NIV

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Who stands in the middle?

John had seen Jesus on the mountain when they saw Elijah and Moses. Peter wanted to build a shrine for each, but this is what happened.

Matthew 17:5–8 NIV

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

John saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. He was there when Jesus ascended into Heaven.

And yet he turns to hear the voice and is blown away. I’m sure that he’s a little at a loss for words trying to describe what he saw so that the people he was writing to could understand.

I read a book that was called, “90 minutes in Heaven.” The author said that he found it hard to describe the colours he saw because they were so vivid and so brilliant.

What does he see?

Seven golden lampstands

This symbolizes the seven churches to whom John is going to write.

What is the purpose of a lampstand?

To shine light!

Matthew 5:14–16 NLT

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

You, personally are lights, but as we shine brightly together, others will see that we care, that we love, that we are Jesus’ hands and feet. They will give glory to God.

As a church, we are called to bring light to our community. Let’s be asking God how we can effectively bring Jesus to our town.

One like the Son of Man

Jesus was known as the Son of God, but He also was called the Son of Man.

John had never seen Jesus in all of His brilliance.

wearing a long robe

This represents Jesus as our Great High Priest. (Foster, Lewis)

It also represents the majesty of our Lord.

Isaiah 6:1 NLT

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.

a golden sash around His chest

This was part of the priestly garments in the Old Testament. The High Priest had the access and the ability to go into God’s presence and offer a sacrifice for sins. Jesus, died on the cross and has offered a sacrifice for our sins. He gives us the ability to enter into the presence of God.

Hebrews 10:19–22 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

His head and His hair were as white as wool, white as snow

Daniel, was a Jewish leader in Babylon. He was one that God showed visions and gave him the understanding of what they were about. IIn Daniel 7:9 he describes seeing God, the Ancient of Days in a vision.

Daniel 7:9 NLT

I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire,

His eyes like flames of fire

Daniel described what he saw in a vision some 600 years before John.

Daniel 10:5–6 NIV

I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

His feet like polished bronze refined in a furnace

Daniel 10:6 (NLT)

...His arms and feet shone like polished bronze...

His voice thundered like many ocean waves

Ezekiel 43:2 NIV

and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.

He held the seven stars in His right hand

Daniel 12:3 NLT

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.

A two-edged sword came from His mouth

Isaiah 49:2 NIV

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

His face shone like the sun in all of its brilliance

Ezekiel 1:28 NLT

All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.

How will you respond when you experience God?

John fell down as though dead.

Revelation 1:17 NLT

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

Everyone responds differently to experiencing the majesty of God. John, the disciple Jesus loved, fell down at His feet. I can only imagine what we will do when we see Jesus face to face.

Don’t be afraid

Revelation 1:17–18 NLT

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

When we commit our lives to Jesus, we have no reason to fear, because He has power over even death. He died but He is alive forevermore. He will never die again.

He wants us to experience life that never ends. When we die physically, because we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can be with Him in Heaven.

He’s our protector

He have no need to be afraid, because He is among us and He holds us in His hand.

Revelation 1:19–20 NLT

“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Jesus has promised that He will never leave us and He will never abandon us. He cares about even the smallest detail in our lives. As we follow Him, nobody can snatch us out of His hand.

John 10:29–30 NLT

for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

No one can take you out of God’s hand.

Romans 8:35–39 NLT

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus stands in the middle of His Church, His Bride, His body, and He wants you to know that you loves you and longs to have relationship with you.

He is speaking to each of our hearts today and He wants to come in. Invite Him to come in,

Would you pray with me today”

Lord Jesus, I need you more today than I have ever needed you. I ask you to come into my life and to be my Master and Saviour. Thanks for dying for my sins. Wash me clean from my sins, and make your dwelling place in me. In Jesus name, Amen!

If you prayed that prayer, Jesus has come into your life. Be sure to tell somebody. I want to see each of you thriving in your relationship with Jesus.

Amen!