WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:03.399 In the name of Jesus Christ, what a great privilege 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:05.200 it is to be in the presence of the Lord with 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.480 each and every one of you tonight. And especially 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:09.480 for me, a privilege to be here in the adult Bible 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.419 study class. I don't think I've been here like 00:00:11.419 --> 00:00:14.000 a whole year and a half, but I'm usually teaching 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.719 our students, but I'm very happy to be in here 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:19.120 tonight and to share the word of the Lord with 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:21.359 you in the name of Jesus. The Lord bless you. 00:00:21.420 --> 00:00:26.219 You may be seated today. Beginning tonight, but 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:28.679 also over the next three weeks, this will be 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:31.109 a three -part series. we're going to be looking 00:00:31.109 --> 00:00:36.630 at the book of Revelation. And so tonight, next 00:00:36.630 --> 00:00:39.130 week, but then also on the 19th, three weeks 00:00:39.130 --> 00:00:42.689 in a row, a look in that last book of the Bible, 00:00:42.770 --> 00:00:45.429 the book of Revelation, a book of prophecy, and 00:00:45.429 --> 00:00:48.850 of course, a blessing here at Heaven View for 00:00:48.850 --> 00:00:51.890 our adult Bible study class to study that book. 00:00:52.049 --> 00:00:55.289 And then also, we're actually recording these 00:00:55.289 --> 00:00:58.329 sessions. This will be a part of a college class. 00:00:58.979 --> 00:01:02.679 that will be taught in Scotland next year in 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.959 January and so forth for hopefully years to come, 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:08.879 this book on Revelation and end time prophecy. 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:11.959 So I want to say thank you to everyone here at 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.040 Heaven View, but also speaking to the future 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:17.519 for every student of Harvest Bible College, thank 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:20.459 you for serving the Lord where you are, for giving 00:01:20.459 --> 00:01:23.439 your life to the call of Jesus Christ, and I'm 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:25.980 looking forward to seeing you in person in January. 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:29.980 In the name of Jesus. The title of this series, 00:01:30.099 --> 00:01:33.659 we're going to borrow the first five words of 00:01:33.659 --> 00:01:36.859 the book of Revelation. Revelation 1 and 1 begins 00:01:36.859 --> 00:01:41.959 this way, the revelation of Jesus Christ. The 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:45.620 revelation of Jesus Christ. Many other translations 00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:48.579 word it this way. They say the revelation from 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:52.959 Jesus Christ. And yes, Jesus Christ quite literally 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:56.670 spoke directly to John through an angel. But 00:01:56.670 --> 00:02:00.030 it is not merely a revelation from Jesus Christ, 00:02:00.170 --> 00:02:03.109 but this book is quite literally a revelation 00:02:03.109 --> 00:02:07.390 about Jesus as well. And so our goal in this 00:02:07.390 --> 00:02:09.430 series for the next three weeks, the next three 00:02:09.430 --> 00:02:11.810 sessions, is to look to the book of Revelation 00:02:11.810 --> 00:02:16.129 and to use that to reveal Jesus in every detail. 00:02:16.509 --> 00:02:19.370 Because the book of Revelation is not intended 00:02:19.370 --> 00:02:22.849 to mystify the believer. It's not intended to 00:02:22.849 --> 00:02:25.650 confuse us. The book of Revelation is intended 00:02:25.650 --> 00:02:30.909 to magnify Jesus Christ in our lives. The book 00:02:30.909 --> 00:02:33.750 of Revelation is not primarily the revelation 00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:36.990 of end time events. The book of Revelation is 00:02:36.990 --> 00:02:40.389 the revelation of the eternal king. It is the 00:02:40.389 --> 00:02:43.530 unveiling of the identity, the glory, and the 00:02:43.530 --> 00:02:47.009 authority of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the 00:02:47.009 --> 00:02:50.560 flesh. And so in the book... Of Revelation, every 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.759 vision, every trumpet, every judgment, every 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:56.900 element of this book flows from this single truth 00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:01.530 that Jesus Christ reigns supreme. And before 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.810 the book of Revelation is a book about bulls 00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:07.830 and beasts, before it is a book about seals and 00:03:07.830 --> 00:03:10.990 scrolls, it is a book about a throne. And Revelation 00:03:10.990 --> 00:03:14.930 4 and 2 tells us that there is one seated on 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:17.949 that throne, and his name is Jesus. This book 00:03:17.949 --> 00:03:23.129 is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so to 00:03:23.129 --> 00:03:25.750 organize our thoughts, not only tonight, but 00:03:25.750 --> 00:03:28.250 also for the remaining two sessions, we're going 00:03:28.250 --> 00:03:30.610 to split up the book of Revelation into three 00:03:30.610 --> 00:03:34.129 parts that we are calling prepare, persevere, 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:37.629 and prevail. And so tonight we're going to look 00:03:37.629 --> 00:03:41.270 at Revelation chapters 1 through 5 to know how 00:03:41.270 --> 00:03:43.870 to prepare, to know how to be ready for the last 00:03:43.870 --> 00:03:46.800 days. Next week we'll be studying Revelations 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.939 chapter 6 through 18. And we will learn how we 00:03:49.939 --> 00:03:53.099 must persevere and endure through tribulation 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.620 and judgment. And then the following week we'll 00:03:56.620 --> 00:03:59.939 be wrapping it up in Revelations chapters 19 00:03:59.939 --> 00:04:03.000 through 22. And then we will celebrate the fact 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.259 that God's church will prevail. We'll have victory. 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:10.319 We will make it. We have to prepare, persevere, 00:04:10.340 --> 00:04:14.840 and prevail. While they are separate lessons, 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.399 they connect quite well. They are not separate 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.500 ideas. They all go together. The book of Revelation 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:24.139 takes us on a journey. It is linear. It is sequential. 00:04:24.459 --> 00:04:27.839 And the main point is this. If you do not prepare, 00:04:28.339 --> 00:04:32.199 you will not persevere. And if you do not persevere, 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:37.879 you will not prevail. Prepare, persevere, prevail. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:41.579 If you do not prepare, you will not persevere. 00:04:41.819 --> 00:04:44.839 That's why the Bible tells us in Luke 21 and 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:48.779 36, it says to watch ye therefore and pray always 00:04:48.779 --> 00:04:52.139 that you may be accounted worthy to escape all 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:55.300 these things that shall come to pass and to stand 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:59.000 before the Son of Man. Why? It's because preparation, 00:04:59.379 --> 00:05:02.420 in this case it says watching and praying, it's 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:05.939 required to withstand what is coming. We see 00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:09.250 this principle in Matthew. Chapter 25, verses 00:05:09.250 --> 00:05:12.189 3 through 4, it says, They that were foolish 00:05:12.189 --> 00:05:15.750 took their lamps and took no oil with them, but 00:05:15.750 --> 00:05:19.350 the wise took oil in their vessels with their 00:05:19.350 --> 00:05:23.490 lamps. Those who did not prepare beforehand could 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:27.550 not endure until the bridegroom came. But that's 00:05:27.550 --> 00:05:30.110 not it. There's still one more step, and that's 00:05:30.110 --> 00:05:33.069 if you do not persevere, you will not prevail. 00:05:33.790 --> 00:05:38.930 Matthew 24, verse 13, it promises us, this is 00:05:38.930 --> 00:05:41.670 a familiar passage of scripture, he that shall 00:05:41.670 --> 00:05:45.629 endure until the end, he that will persevere 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:48.649 through all of life's troubles, the same shall 00:05:48.649 --> 00:05:52.370 be saved. Salvation belongs not just to those 00:05:52.370 --> 00:05:55.310 who start, but to those that continue, to those 00:05:55.310 --> 00:05:58.269 that endure, to those that finish. He that shall 00:05:58.269 --> 00:06:02.230 endure until the end, the same shall be saved. 00:06:02.770 --> 00:06:05.610 Revelation 2 and 26, it takes it even further. 00:06:05.829 --> 00:06:09.009 And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto 00:06:09.009 --> 00:06:12.709 the end, to him will I give power over the nations. 00:06:12.910 --> 00:06:14.949 That's God promising us that we're not just going 00:06:14.949 --> 00:06:17.290 to survive, but we're going to thrive. We're 00:06:17.290 --> 00:06:19.329 going to prevail. We are going to have victory 00:06:19.329 --> 00:06:23.110 in every area if we will heed the word of God. 00:06:23.670 --> 00:06:27.829 Victory is promised only to those who continue 00:06:27.829 --> 00:06:32.120 faithfully unto the end. And so tonight, we're 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:36.079 going to start with step one. First, in this 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:39.279 journey, we must prepare. Back to Revelation 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.500 1 and 1. It says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:47.240 which God gave unto him. Why? To show unto his 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.620 servants things which must shortly come to pass. 00:06:51.470 --> 00:06:53.910 And so here we read that the purpose of this 00:06:53.910 --> 00:06:57.470 revelation is not speculation about dates and 00:06:57.470 --> 00:06:59.170 symbols. That's not the point of the book of 00:06:59.170 --> 00:07:01.850 Revelation. The point of the book of Revelation 00:07:01.850 --> 00:07:05.529 is preparation for the appearing of our Lord. 00:07:05.790 --> 00:07:08.629 The book of Revelation begins with a great promise. 00:07:09.209 --> 00:07:11.930 This book pronounces blessing on us. It does 00:07:11.930 --> 00:07:15.889 not lead us to fear. It does not lead us to confusion. 00:07:16.069 --> 00:07:18.589 That's not the intention. It promises blessing 00:07:18.589 --> 00:07:21.689 on us if we would do these three things that 00:07:21.689 --> 00:07:24.670 we read in verse three. It says, blessed is he 00:07:24.670 --> 00:07:28.529 that readeth and they that hear the words of 00:07:28.529 --> 00:07:31.889 this prophecy and keep those things which are 00:07:31.889 --> 00:07:34.990 written therein. For the time is at hand. The 00:07:34.990 --> 00:07:38.500 time is near. This verse says that you will be 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:42.500 blessed if you will read, if you will hear, and 00:07:42.500 --> 00:07:46.139 if you will keep the words of Jesus Christ. And 00:07:46.139 --> 00:07:48.519 so today, that's the point of this message. That's 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:52.379 how you prepare. We must see Jesus for who he 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:55.720 really is. We must hear what Jesus is speaking 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:59.579 to his church, and we must obey his word and 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:04.040 commandments. To see, that means that we would 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:09.310 gain revelation. To hear is to receive instruction. 00:08:09.769 --> 00:08:13.810 And to obey is to surrender completely. And this 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:16.329 verse promises us that we will be blessed if 00:08:16.329 --> 00:08:19.449 we will do all three of those things. See, hear, 00:08:19.689 --> 00:08:23.790 and obey. Don't just open your eyes to see. Don't 00:08:23.790 --> 00:08:25.829 just open your ears to hear. But no, open your 00:08:25.829 --> 00:08:28.629 heart. Open your mind to what God is doing. Open 00:08:28.629 --> 00:08:31.050 your mind to what God wants to do in your life. 00:08:31.170 --> 00:08:34.389 And let him reveal himself and his power and 00:08:34.389 --> 00:08:38.679 his glory. In your life. We see quite clearly 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:42.539 who Jesus is. As soon as this book begins. This 00:08:42.539 --> 00:08:49.049 is Revelation 1 and 8. In this verse Jesus. declares 00:08:49.049 --> 00:08:52.350 emphatically his unmistakable divine identity. 00:08:52.570 --> 00:08:55.990 He says, I am Alpha and Omega. He says, I'm the 00:08:55.990 --> 00:08:59.549 beginning and the ending, which is and which 00:08:59.549 --> 00:09:02.809 was and which is to come, the Almighty. These 00:09:02.809 --> 00:09:05.929 are not words of a secondary person in the Godhead. 00:09:06.570 --> 00:09:09.129 These are words directly from God. This is the 00:09:09.129 --> 00:09:13.129 voice of the eternal God himself. Alpha and omega, 00:09:13.309 --> 00:09:15.710 we recognize that as being the first and last 00:09:15.710 --> 00:09:18.350 letter of the Greek alphabet. That means that 00:09:18.350 --> 00:09:21.370 Jesus, as he says, is the beginning and the ending 00:09:21.370 --> 00:09:24.750 of all things. When Jesus says, which is and 00:09:24.750 --> 00:09:27.269 which was and which is to come, he is declaring 00:09:27.269 --> 00:09:30.789 his eternal existence. When he calls himself 00:09:30.789 --> 00:09:33.909 the almighty, that's the same term that you read 00:09:33.909 --> 00:09:37.000 in the Old Testament used for... Jehovah. Jesus 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:40.740 Christ is not part of God. Jesus is God. He was 00:09:40.740 --> 00:09:43.340 manifest in the flesh. He was revealed in glory. 00:09:43.580 --> 00:09:46.919 He's reigning eternally. Colossians 2 and 9. 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:50.379 For in him, Jesus Christ, dwells all the fullness 00:09:50.379 --> 00:09:54.179 of the Godhead bodily. 1 Timothy 3 and 16. And 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:56.960 without controversy, great is the mystery of 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.139 godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:03.289 in the spirit, seen of angels. preached unto 00:10:03.289 --> 00:10:06.309 the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received 00:10:06.309 --> 00:10:09.850 up into glory. This is the revelation of Jesus 00:10:09.850 --> 00:10:12.250 Christ. That's what the book of Revelation is 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:15.169 all about. It's not the second person in the 00:10:15.169 --> 00:10:18.389 Trinity. It's not Jehovah Junior. It's not somebody 00:10:18.389 --> 00:10:20.649 who walked on this earth and has nothing to do 00:10:20.649 --> 00:10:23.669 with our lives anymore. Jesus is God manifest 00:10:23.669 --> 00:10:27.269 in the flesh, and his spirit is here today. That's 00:10:27.269 --> 00:10:30.049 what the book of Revelation is all about. It 00:10:30.049 --> 00:10:34.049 is quite literally the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:10:34.850 --> 00:10:38.889 And so Jesus continues in this chapter to reveal 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:42.929 himself to John. Verse 10, John heard a great 00:10:42.929 --> 00:10:47.110 voice like a trumpet. In verse 11, we read that 00:10:47.110 --> 00:10:49.669 that voice, it's the voice of Jesus Christ, is 00:10:49.669 --> 00:10:53.129 declaring once again, I am Alpha and Omega. I 00:10:53.129 --> 00:10:56.350 am the first and the last. And then in verse 00:10:56.350 --> 00:10:59.570 12, It describes what John did. It said that 00:10:59.570 --> 00:11:04.149 he turned to see. So not only did he hear the 00:11:04.149 --> 00:11:07.750 voice of God, but he turned to see. And when 00:11:07.750 --> 00:11:12.090 he turned to see, when he put action behind what 00:11:12.090 --> 00:11:14.649 he was doing, when he took that step and he turned 00:11:14.649 --> 00:11:18.070 to see, that's when vision, the vision began. 00:11:18.730 --> 00:11:22.450 Revelation requires turning away from distraction 00:11:22.450 --> 00:11:26.639 and fixing our gaze upon the Lord. If we are 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:29.159 going to prepare, if we are going to be ready, 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:33.539 we have to see Jesus for who he is. Skipping 00:11:33.539 --> 00:11:36.940 down to verse 13, John sees Jesus in the midst 00:11:36.940 --> 00:11:40.639 of seven candlesticks. And later in this chapter, 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:43.559 he's told that that represents the seven churches. 00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:47.679 This shows God quite literally having an active 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:51.399 presence, leadership, and guidance, and direction 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:54.659 for his churches, for his bride, the church, 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:57.960 even today. John continues to write what he saw. 00:11:58.179 --> 00:12:02.519 And every feature of Christ's appearance is symbolic. 00:12:02.539 --> 00:12:06.460 of his divine attributes and eternal power. This 00:12:06.460 --> 00:12:09.960 is still in verse 13. He says that Jesus had 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:14.080 a garment and golden girdle. This you can draw 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:17.700 a direct line to this being the attire of the 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:21.309 high priest. Hebrews 4 and 14 tells us that Jesus, 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:24.049 this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, Jesus 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:27.929 is our high priest. Verse 15, he was human just 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.529 like you and I are. He was tempted just like 00:12:30.529 --> 00:12:33.169 we are, but he never sinned. And that's why in 00:12:33.169 --> 00:12:36.289 verse 16, the Bible promises us that we can come 00:12:36.289 --> 00:12:40.330 boldly before his throne to seek mercy and grace 00:12:40.330 --> 00:12:43.830 for help in our time of need. Jesus is our high 00:12:43.830 --> 00:12:47.529 priest, and he intercedes on our behalf. He maketh 00:12:47.529 --> 00:12:51.090 intercession. for us, the Bible says. And so 00:12:51.090 --> 00:12:54.490 back to Revelation 1 and 14, John continues to 00:12:54.490 --> 00:12:57.370 write what he sees. He says that his head and 00:12:57.370 --> 00:13:00.990 his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. 00:13:01.330 --> 00:13:04.929 This symbolizes quite literally purity, white, 00:13:05.129 --> 00:13:09.250 but then also it symbolizes wisdom. This description 00:13:09.250 --> 00:13:12.730 matches exactly with what Daniel wrote about 00:13:12.730 --> 00:13:16.429 the ancient of days. Chapter 9 and verse 7, Daniel 00:13:16.429 --> 00:13:19.230 said that the hair of his head was like pure 00:13:19.230 --> 00:13:24.230 wool. This identifies Jesus as Jehovah. It identifies 00:13:24.230 --> 00:13:29.090 Jesus as Yahweh himself. Jesus is God. This is 00:13:29.090 --> 00:13:32.549 the revelation of Jesus Christ. Back to verse 00:13:32.549 --> 00:13:36.730 14. His eyes, it says, were as a flame of fire. 00:13:37.419 --> 00:13:42.139 Nothing escapes God's vision. He sees right through 00:13:42.139 --> 00:13:47.059 hypocrisy. He purifies his people. Verse 15, 00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:51.659 it says that he has feet like fine brass. Brass 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:55.399 in the Bible represents judgment. And since this 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:59.399 is his feet, it's literally saying that his ways 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:03.559 are pure and steadfast. They are steady. It says 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:06.940 that his voice is as the sound of many waters, 00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:10.799 meaning that God's word carries authority. We 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.700 know because we read in the Bible throughout 00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:15.840 that God speaks and things happen. There's a 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:19.799 creative nature just to the voice of God. His 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:23.919 voice is as the sound of many waters. Verse 16, 00:14:24.059 --> 00:14:27.100 John tells us that in this vision, Jesus has 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:30.639 seven stars in his right hand. Later in this 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.379 same chapter, it's revealed to him. That those 00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:37.059 seven stars represent the messengers or the pastors, 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.279 the shepherds, the angels of the seven churches. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:44.299 And he has them firmly in his grasp. Their safety 00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:48.820 rests in his hands. It says that there's a two 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:51.480 -edged sword coming out of his mouth. Because 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.879 the power of his word. And it conquers. It challenges 00:14:55.879 --> 00:15:00.080 us. It brings us closer to his perfect will and 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.960 purpose. It says that his countenance is as the 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:06.419 sun in his strength. Meaning that the unveiled 00:15:06.419 --> 00:15:09.620 radiance of his divine glory is on full display. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:12.919 It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:17.759 is God. We read in verse 17, when John sees his 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:20.779 glory, he tells us that he actually fell on his 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:22.799 face like he was dead. That's what John did. 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:25.320 God had just revealed his glory to him and it 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:27.240 was too much for him. And even in this vision, 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:31.860 he fell down at his feet like he was dead. But 00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:34.820 in verse 17, he tells us that Jesus lays his 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:37.519 right hand upon him and he declares to John, 00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:41.539 I am the first and I'm the last. Verse 18, I 00:15:41.539 --> 00:15:44.779 am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I 00:15:44.779 --> 00:15:48.750 am alive forevermore. You notice here Jesus as 00:15:48.750 --> 00:15:52.210 speaking as both God, he says he's the first 00:15:52.210 --> 00:15:56.210 and the last, and man. He says, I was dead. Only 00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:59.070 Jesus Christ fulfills both of these descriptions. 00:15:59.409 --> 00:16:02.590 It goes on to say that he took, he holds the 00:16:02.590 --> 00:16:05.690 keys of hell and of death. That means that he 00:16:05.690 --> 00:16:09.070 has ultimate authority. Over everything, in every 00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:11.389 realm, the physical realm, the spiritual realm, 00:16:11.450 --> 00:16:13.970 there's nothing that can withstand the power 00:16:13.970 --> 00:16:17.309 and the might of Jesus Christ. The first chapter 00:16:17.309 --> 00:16:21.210 of Revelation establishes that Jesus Christ is 00:16:21.210 --> 00:16:24.529 Lord. The mighty God is Jesus, and it's all in 00:16:24.529 --> 00:16:28.269 Him. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:32.240 The book of Revelation is not to cause you to 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:34.860 be afraid. It's not to confuse you. No, it's 00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:37.259 to give you a hope. It's to give you strength. 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:39.500 It's to let you know. You may not know all the 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:42.120 details. You may not know what the future holds. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.120 But if you know who Jesus Christ is, you don't 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:47.580 have one thing to worry about. Because Jesus 00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:51.159 Christ is alive forevermore. Because Jesus Christ 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:55.120 holds the keys to death, hell, and the grave. 00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:59.610 That's the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so 00:16:59.610 --> 00:17:04.430 now we can clearly see Jesus for who he is. That's 00:17:04.430 --> 00:17:07.349 what Revelation chapter 1 does for us. But it 00:17:07.349 --> 00:17:10.210 takes more than that to be ready. To prepare, 00:17:10.490 --> 00:17:12.890 our second point tonight is that we must hear 00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:18.170 what God is saying to his church. In fact, this 00:17:18.170 --> 00:17:22.529 is in Revelations chapter 2 and 3. Jesus speaks 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:26.730 through John directly to... He is speaking to 00:17:26.730 --> 00:17:30.569 seven churches of that day. These are the seven 00:17:30.569 --> 00:17:33.869 churches that were represented by the seven candlesticks 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:37.730 in the previous chapter. These seven churches 00:17:37.730 --> 00:17:43.910 are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:48.660 Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each of these churches, 00:17:48.740 --> 00:17:51.240 as you can see on my map here behind us, were 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:54.400 in the far west of modern -day Turkey. Basically, 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:57.099 they're directly beneath modern -day Istanbul. 00:17:57.460 --> 00:18:00.200 All seven of these churches were very close together. 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:03.500 And because this interested me and likely doesn't 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:06.900 interest you, forgive me, but Greece... Greece, 00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:09.900 even though the mainland of Greece is really 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:13.720 just stuck in the very top European side of Turkey, 00:18:13.980 --> 00:18:16.740 it actually, all of these islands, even super 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:19.759 close to Turkey, are Greek territory. And the 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:23.319 Isle of Patmos was actually way closer than you 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:25.079 would possibly think. This map does not show 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:27.960 it, but just basically right off this map is 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:30.000 the Isle of Patmos, which was a Greek island. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.480 But the Isle of Patmos, of course, is where John 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.460 had these visions. When you consider the whole 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:37.920 world geographically, he was not far at all. 00:18:38.019 --> 00:18:40.119 Though he couldn't get to them, he was not far 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:43.119 at all from these seven churches in the far west 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:47.559 of modern day Turkey. Jesus spoke to each of 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:50.589 these churches through John. And the book of 00:18:50.589 --> 00:18:53.910 Revelation was sent to all seven of these churches. 00:18:53.970 --> 00:18:57.349 We skipped over it, but in chapter 1, Jesus commanded 00:18:57.349 --> 00:19:00.650 him. He said, write the things which you have 00:19:00.650 --> 00:19:02.970 seen. Write the things which are. Write the things 00:19:02.970 --> 00:19:05.390 which shall be hereafter. And he tells them, 00:19:05.430 --> 00:19:10.400 send this letter to the seven churches. And John's 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:12.519 letter went directly to these seven churches. 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:16.759 So it's very directly, this letter is going to 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:19.559 these seven churches he is speaking very directly 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:23.059 about. Jesus spoke to each of these churches 00:19:23.059 --> 00:19:27.150 through John. Each message follows the same order. 00:19:27.210 --> 00:19:30.130 It's like the same template that Jesus uses to 00:19:30.130 --> 00:19:33.589 communicate with these churches. Each church 00:19:33.589 --> 00:19:36.789 received a complaint, except for Smyrna, did 00:19:36.789 --> 00:19:39.650 not receive a complaint. Every church received 00:19:39.650 --> 00:19:43.670 a compliment, except for Laodicea. And then each 00:19:43.670 --> 00:19:46.630 church after that received a promise from God. 00:19:46.710 --> 00:19:49.109 If they would choose not just to hear the word 00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:52.220 of God, but also to obey. Quite literally, Jesus 00:19:52.220 --> 00:19:54.720 made them a promise. If you keep this commandment, 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:58.359 if you are successful, if you overcome is what 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:01.140 he says, then this will happen in your favor. 00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:06.200 Jesus used this same pattern seven times because 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:09.380 these were quite literal. They were literally 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:11.660 churches in this time. And he was addressing 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:15.839 actual things that were happening. But we should 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:18.039 recognize before we even studied these churches 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:21.640 that the issues they had going on. the principles 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:24.160 can still apply in churches even today. It can 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.880 still apply in our hearts today. So when we're 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:29.480 reading about these churches, we may not have 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.000 the exact same strengths and weaknesses, but 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.319 some of those principles could apply. So we should 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.940 read what Jesus said to these churches through 00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:39.960 John almost 2 ,000 years ago and recognize we 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:42.680 can draw closer to God because of the word that 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:49.049 Jesus shared with his church. The first... The 00:20:49.049 --> 00:20:52.450 first church in this list is Ephesus. We read 00:20:52.450 --> 00:20:57.309 about them in Revelations 2, 1 -7. Ephesus, we 00:20:57.309 --> 00:21:00.710 will call them the loveless church. When we read 00:21:00.710 --> 00:21:03.569 what Jesus said about the church of Ephesus, 00:21:03.630 --> 00:21:06.670 he basically said that they had labor, they worked 00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:09.170 very hard, they were involved, and they had doctrine, 00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:12.170 sound doctrine, but at some point, they just 00:21:12.170 --> 00:21:14.839 lost their first love. At some point, they just 00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:17.319 started to take things for granted. At some point, 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:19.400 it just wasn't special anymore. And that fire, 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:21.319 that passion they had when they first knew the 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:24.000 Lord, it just wasn't present anymore. That's 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.670 why we call them the loveless church. Jesus calls 00:21:27.670 --> 00:21:32.210 them to repent, and he says to do the first works. 00:21:32.490 --> 00:21:35.410 In other words, when you repented of your sins, 00:21:35.470 --> 00:21:37.230 when you were baptized, when you received the 00:21:37.230 --> 00:21:39.269 Holy Ghost, when God turned your life around, 00:21:39.410 --> 00:21:41.869 that love you had for his commandments, that 00:21:41.869 --> 00:21:44.589 love you had for his presence and for his spirit, 00:21:44.750 --> 00:21:49.430 do the first works. Go back to that day. Love 00:21:49.430 --> 00:21:52.430 from the very bottom of your heart. Do not lose 00:21:52.430 --> 00:21:55.589 your first love, because love must precede labor. 00:21:55.829 --> 00:21:58.089 They were doing all these great things. They 00:21:58.089 --> 00:22:01.309 had the best production. They had the PowerPoint 00:22:01.309 --> 00:22:03.349 and the live stream. I don't know. They were 00:22:03.349 --> 00:22:05.609 just doing fantastic in every area. And on the 00:22:05.609 --> 00:22:07.750 surface, you'd be like, man, they're going. But 00:22:07.750 --> 00:22:10.069 Jesus saw their heart, and he knew that they'd 00:22:10.069 --> 00:22:12.470 become complacent. Jesus saw their heart, and 00:22:12.470 --> 00:22:14.329 he knew that that passion they once had, when 00:22:14.329 --> 00:22:17.809 they first believed, was no longer present. And 00:22:17.809 --> 00:22:20.690 that's why we call Ephesus the loveless church. 00:22:21.369 --> 00:22:24.069 The second letter he writes to the church of 00:22:24.069 --> 00:22:27.190 Smyrna. We'll call Smyrna the persecuted church. 00:22:27.450 --> 00:22:30.109 We read about them in Revelation. We're still 00:22:30.109 --> 00:22:33.630 in chapter 2. This is verse 8 through 11. The 00:22:33.630 --> 00:22:36.170 church in Smyrna was very poor in possessions. 00:22:36.369 --> 00:22:38.190 They did not have the production quality, if 00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:39.930 you will, that Ephesus had. They didn't have 00:22:39.930 --> 00:22:42.089 a very big church. They were poor in possession. 00:22:42.349 --> 00:22:45.230 But Jesus complimented them. He said they were 00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:49.430 rich in faith. And so Jesus does not have a complaint 00:22:49.430 --> 00:22:52.869 for them. But Jesus does encourage them to continue 00:22:52.869 --> 00:22:55.930 to endure through suffering. And he promises 00:22:55.930 --> 00:22:58.549 them that if they will endure to the end, they 00:22:58.549 --> 00:23:01.210 will be saved. In this particular case, he said 00:23:01.210 --> 00:23:05.910 that they will have a crown of life. The third... 00:23:06.870 --> 00:23:09.890 that Jesus wrote to here through John in the 00:23:09.890 --> 00:23:12.410 book of Revelation. This is chapter 2, verses 00:23:12.410 --> 00:23:15.670 12 through 17. It's Pergamos. And we will call 00:23:15.670 --> 00:23:18.690 them the compromising or the worldly church. 00:23:19.369 --> 00:23:22.430 Jesus admits to them. He says, you are faithful 00:23:22.430 --> 00:23:25.990 to my name, but you tolerate false doctrine. 00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:29.849 And so he says here that the sharp two -edged 00:23:29.849 --> 00:23:34.589 sword, his word, will judge compromise. Even 00:23:34.589 --> 00:23:38.349 if you just have a true appreciation for the 00:23:38.349 --> 00:23:40.670 Lord. And you know you couldn't do life without 00:23:40.670 --> 00:23:43.250 him. And you're just having a great time serving 00:23:43.250 --> 00:23:45.549 the Lord in every area of your life. But if you 00:23:45.549 --> 00:23:48.609 tolerate false doctrine. If you allow compromise 00:23:48.609 --> 00:23:51.940 and shortcuts in your life. God, quite literally 00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:55.720 here, he's lodging a complaint. This is a very 00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:58.440 big deal. This will keep you from being who God 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:01.200 is calling you to be. This is a lack of preparation. 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:03.539 There's no way to persevere when the world gets 00:24:03.539 --> 00:24:06.980 darker and darker and it waxes worse and worse 00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:09.619 and evil men and seducers not only deceive themselves 00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:11.900 but deceive others. It's going to matter that 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:14.220 you took a stand for truth. It's going to matter 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:16.339 that you made up in your heart and in your mind 00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:18.920 that I'm not going to make an excuse. I'm going 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:21.519 to be everything. that God has called me to be. 00:24:21.579 --> 00:24:25.700 I'm going to stand for truth. The fourth church 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:29.460 that John writes to, the words of Jesus Christ, 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:32.740 this is Thyatira. We'll call them the corrupt 00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:35.819 or the wrong doctrine church. We're still in 00:24:35.819 --> 00:24:39.039 chapter 2 here. This is verses 18 through 29. 00:24:39.869 --> 00:24:42.910 So Jesus says out front, he says that you have 00:24:42.910 --> 00:24:46.049 works of love. He says that faith exists in your 00:24:46.049 --> 00:24:49.690 church, but you have tolerated the false prophetess 00:24:49.690 --> 00:24:54.009 Jezebel. And so Jesus to this church calls for 00:24:54.009 --> 00:24:57.369 repentance and he promises power if they will 00:24:57.369 --> 00:25:00.960 overcome. If they will decide not to be ensnared 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.839 by the doctrines of this world, not to let a 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:06.400 spirit of rebellion to come in their ranks, but 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:09.279 to love God, the word of God, to be submitted 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:11.839 to the plan of God, to be submitted to good Godly 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:14.200 leadership. If they will decide I'm going to 00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:18.099 do the right thing the right way, then God promises 00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:22.259 they will have power if they will overcome. The 00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:25.099 next church is the church of Sardis. This is 00:25:25.099 --> 00:25:27.960 the beginning of Revelation chapter 3. This is 00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:31.180 verses 1 through 6, and we'll call them the spiritually 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:35.539 dead church. So Jesus, the way he words it is 00:25:35.539 --> 00:25:38.059 kind of funny. He basically says, you from the 00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:41.240 outside have a reputation of life. You are lively, 00:25:41.380 --> 00:25:43.779 you're energetic. From the surface, you've just 00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:45.660 got it all going on, and you've just got all 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:47.839 your energy in it, and you're just full of life 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:51.670 and vitality. But I know your heart. I know what's 00:25:51.670 --> 00:25:54.130 going on behind the scenes. And Jesus tells them, 00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:56.670 quite literally, he says that you are spiritually 00:25:56.670 --> 00:26:00.430 dead. And so Christ commands them to strengthen 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:03.069 what remains. The Bible calls it the remnant. 00:26:03.089 --> 00:26:06.089 And to wake up. To come out of sleep, to have 00:26:06.089 --> 00:26:09.049 a passion and a desire and a desperation for 00:26:09.049 --> 00:26:11.809 the things of God once again. It doesn't matter 00:26:11.809 --> 00:26:14.670 if you look like you're full of love for the 00:26:14.670 --> 00:26:18.369 church and full of love for God and his commandments. 00:26:18.609 --> 00:26:20.970 And it doesn't matter if you appear on the outside 00:26:20.970 --> 00:26:24.009 to be just so happy to involve yourself in the 00:26:24.009 --> 00:26:27.309 things of God. God sees your heart. And in this 00:26:27.309 --> 00:26:30.220 case, God says, you're spiritually dead. Even 00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:32.160 if you look lively on the outside, on the inside, 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:35.839 the flame isn't lit anymore. There's no fire 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:39.859 in there. There's no passion in there. This is 00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:43.140 the sixth of seven church that John writes to. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:47.140 This is the church of Philadelphia. Chapter 3, 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:50.319 verses 7 through 13. And we'll call them the 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:53.079 faithfully, or contrasting it with Sardis, the 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:57.220 spiritually alive church. Philadelphia has a... 00:26:57.529 --> 00:27:00.170 I would say comparatively a small complaint. 00:27:00.329 --> 00:27:02.509 They don't have a perfect, you know, straight 00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:05.470 A's report card, but they are very close. Jesus 00:27:05.470 --> 00:27:07.869 says you have a little strength. But in the same 00:27:07.869 --> 00:27:10.549 sentence he says, but you've kept my word and 00:27:10.549 --> 00:27:13.769 you've not denied my name. You've kept my word 00:27:13.769 --> 00:27:16.109 and you've not denied my name. So even if you 00:27:16.109 --> 00:27:17.390 have a little bit of strength, you've got to 00:27:17.390 --> 00:27:19.069 figure that out. You've got to figure out how 00:27:19.069 --> 00:27:20.589 to be strong in the Lord and in the power of 00:27:20.589 --> 00:27:23.619 his might. I'm still quite pleased with you is 00:27:23.619 --> 00:27:25.319 what Jesus says because you've kept my word. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:27.299 You've held to the truth and you've not denied 00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:29.980 my name. In a world of people trying to get you 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:31.960 to compromise and trying to get you to sell out, 00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:34.180 you may just have a little strength, but you've 00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:38.720 not denied my word. You have not denied my name. 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:42.819 You have kept my word. And so Jesus promises 00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:45.680 them that he will open doors for them. Jesus 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:48.099 promises that he will preserve them. He says 00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:50.940 literally that you will have a place in God's 00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:54.490 temple. And then the very last, we did not save 00:27:54.490 --> 00:27:56.210 the best for last in this case. We saved the 00:27:56.210 --> 00:27:59.109 worst for last. The seventh church is Laodicea. 00:27:59.210 --> 00:28:01.910 This is Revelation chapter 3, verses 14 through 00:28:01.910 --> 00:28:06.269 22. And we call them the lukewarm church. The 00:28:06.269 --> 00:28:10.170 church of Laodicea was self -satisfied. The church 00:28:10.170 --> 00:28:13.910 of Laodicea, we could say they were spiritually 00:28:13.910 --> 00:28:18.380 blind. They were complacent. The church of Laodicea 00:28:18.380 --> 00:28:21.460 just took a move of God for granted. Jesus said, 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:25.519 you are not hot, nor are you cold. And he literally 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:27.900 says, I would rather you be hot or cold. I would 00:28:27.900 --> 00:28:29.720 rather you just decide today I'm going to be 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:31.920 on fire for the things of God, or I'm not going 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:34.119 to even be moved a little bit. But you have found 00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:38.119 just the perfect medium. And Jesus said, I will 00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:40.980 spew you out of my mouth. That's God speaking 00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:43.000 to his church there, but also these principles 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:48.500 can apply in 2025. We cannot be complacent. We've 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:50.619 got to pick a side. You're either on God's side 00:28:50.619 --> 00:28:52.940 or you're not. You have to stand up and stand 00:28:52.940 --> 00:28:56.160 for truth and say, I'm going to be on fire for 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:00.559 the things of God. It's amazing to me that Jesus 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:04.039 literally said, instead of pretending, why don't 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:06.619 you just go ahead and drop out? Why don't you 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:08.680 just go ahead and give up? Why don't you just 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:10.400 go ahead and make it obvious to everybody that 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:13.650 you don't care? I'd rather that. Then just enough 00:29:13.650 --> 00:29:15.849 to get by. Just enough to check it off the list 00:29:15.849 --> 00:29:18.309 every Sunday. Just enough for everybody to think 00:29:18.309 --> 00:29:20.569 you have it all together. But inside you couldn't 00:29:20.569 --> 00:29:23.109 care less. That's why we call them the lukewarm 00:29:23.109 --> 00:29:25.829 church. And that's the one church, they got no 00:29:25.829 --> 00:29:30.289 compliment at all. Because Jesus literally was, 00:29:30.470 --> 00:29:33.750 it seems almost frustrated by what they did. 00:29:33.890 --> 00:29:36.930 He literally said, I would rather spew you out 00:29:36.930 --> 00:29:40.380 of my mouth. I'd rather you just completely run 00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:42.960 the opposite direction than pretend because God 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:46.299 wants authenticity. God wants us to have a sincere 00:29:46.299 --> 00:29:51.500 heart for him. But Jesus concludes the letter 00:29:51.500 --> 00:29:54.460 to Laodicea, and he tells them, even them, he 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:56.900 says he's standing at the door knocking. He wants 00:29:56.900 --> 00:30:00.740 restored fellowship. It's not his will that you 00:30:00.740 --> 00:30:03.880 would go away. God wants you to be on fire for 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:07.940 him. God wants you to draw closer to him. We 00:30:07.940 --> 00:30:10.759 recognize, of course, that hearing means more 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:14.059 than listening. Not just in one ear and out the 00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:18.180 other, but hearing implies obedience. Back to 00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:21.740 Revelation 1 and 3, that combines reading, hearing, 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:25.920 and keeping into one act of surrender to God. 00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:30.599 Those who see his glory and hear his correction 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:35.039 and obey his commands are the ones that are truly 00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:40.289 prepared. for his coming. And so after these 00:30:40.289 --> 00:30:42.650 letters to the churches, that concludes now chapters 00:30:42.650 --> 00:30:46.230 2 and 3. We go to chapter 4, and this is verse 00:30:46.230 --> 00:30:50.329 1. John, in his vision, is invited to come up 00:30:50.329 --> 00:30:52.809 hither, come up here with me, is effectively 00:30:52.809 --> 00:30:55.750 what Jesus said to him. And John reports that 00:30:55.750 --> 00:30:59.230 he was immediately in the Spirit, and he sees 00:30:59.230 --> 00:31:03.200 in verse 2 a throne. That was set in heaven and 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:05.960 one sat on the throne. Notice that there is one 00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:09.599 throne. There is one king. Verse 3. The one on 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:13.140 the throne appears, it says, like a jasper and 00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:17.259 sardine stone. He is quite literally radiating 00:31:17.259 --> 00:31:20.519 the colors of purity. And sardine represents 00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:24.380 sacrifice. It also tells us that around the throne 00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:27.759 is a rainbow. This is a symbol of mercy we know 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:30.500 about in the Bible, but it's surrounding majesty 00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:35.140 and holiness. Verse 5 tells us that lightning, 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.900 voices, and thunderings proceed from the throne. 00:31:38.700 --> 00:31:41.900 And in front of it burns seven lamps of fire. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.819 And that, the Bible tells us, represents the 00:31:44.819 --> 00:31:48.579 sevenfold spirit of God. Seven is the number 00:31:48.579 --> 00:31:51.099 of completion, of perfection. This quite literally 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:54.799 represents God's complete and perfect power. 00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:58.920 Verse 8 tells us that there are four living creatures. 00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:02.079 And they cry day and night at the top of their 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:05.200 lungs. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:08.960 was, which is, and which is to come. Verse 10 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:12.200 says that 24 elders fall down and cast their 00:32:12.200 --> 00:32:15.079 crowns at his feet. They declare in verse 11, 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:18.440 thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:22.259 honor and power. For thou has created all things. 00:32:22.500 --> 00:32:24.680 And it goes on to say, for your pleasure, God. 00:32:25.130 --> 00:32:27.529 have you created it, but they were created for 00:32:27.529 --> 00:32:30.730 your pleasure. All of creation is here to bring 00:32:30.730 --> 00:32:34.990 you great glory. All worship is centered upon 00:32:34.990 --> 00:32:38.390 the one sitting on the throne. And when we read 00:32:38.390 --> 00:32:41.589 that, we recognize that that affirms the absolute 00:32:41.589 --> 00:32:45.789 deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. This is 00:32:45.789 --> 00:32:50.349 the revelation of Jesus Christ. Going to chapter 00:32:50.349 --> 00:32:55.059 5, this is verse 4. John weeps. Watching this 00:32:55.059 --> 00:32:58.200 vision because he recognizes that there is no 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.200 one, not one that's found worthy to open the 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:05.380 sealed book of redemption. But there's an elder 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:07.720 there that tells him in verse five, weep not. 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:12.880 Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed. 00:33:13.480 --> 00:33:17.720 So he was he just was told it's a lion of the 00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:20.990 tribe of Judah. And so John turns to see, and 00:33:20.990 --> 00:33:23.930 he's expecting to see a lion. But in verse 6, 00:33:24.029 --> 00:33:26.630 he doesn't see a lion. It says that he sees a 00:33:26.630 --> 00:33:30.930 lamb as it had been slain. The conquering lion 00:33:30.930 --> 00:33:37.589 is the redeeming lamb. That's two images of the 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:40.490 same Lord. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:33:40.970 --> 00:33:44.329 The lamb stands in the midst of the throne, not 00:33:44.329 --> 00:33:47.529 beside it. This means that the Lamb and the one 00:33:47.529 --> 00:33:50.390 on the throne are one and the same. Jesus is 00:33:50.390 --> 00:33:54.009 the King. Jesus is our Savior. Verse 9, it says, 00:33:54.190 --> 00:33:57.589 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book. For 00:33:57.589 --> 00:34:01.410 thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by 00:34:01.410 --> 00:34:05.990 thy blood. This is the very heart of the revelation 00:34:05.990 --> 00:34:09.570 of Jesus Christ. The Creator became the Redeemer. 00:34:09.670 --> 00:34:13.690 God himself took on flesh and shed his own blood. 00:34:14.269 --> 00:34:17.409 For our salvation. That's the revelation of Jesus 00:34:17.409 --> 00:34:21.250 Christ. In fact, in the book of Acts, chapter 00:34:21.250 --> 00:34:25.969 20, verse 28, Jesus says, feed the church of 00:34:25.969 --> 00:34:29.389 God, which God has purchased with his own blood. 00:34:29.630 --> 00:34:34.050 The book of Revelation demands from us a threefold 00:34:34.050 --> 00:34:38.750 response. Number one, we must see him clearly. 00:34:39.610 --> 00:34:43.530 John saw the Lord in glory. And the churches 00:34:43.530 --> 00:34:48.110 were called to behold him once again. Every vision 00:34:48.110 --> 00:34:51.949 of Jesus Christ that we have read and every vision 00:34:51.949 --> 00:34:53.969 that we will read throughout the entire book 00:34:53.969 --> 00:34:57.590 of Revelation reveals another aspect of God's 00:34:57.590 --> 00:35:01.469 deity and his dominion. If we will see him clearly. 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:05.880 That is how we will restore worship in our hearts. 00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:08.960 That is how our faith will be strengthened. When 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.079 we see Jesus as the almighty God, that's how 00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:14.940 we are unmoved in a world that is shifting and 00:35:14.940 --> 00:35:18.500 shaking at all times. The Bible says that in 00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:20.099 the last days, it's only going to get worse. 00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:22.420 There's tribulation. There's judgment. But before 00:35:22.420 --> 00:35:24.800 all of that, we have an opportunity to prepare. 00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:27.659 And part of preparing is seeing Jesus for who 00:35:27.659 --> 00:35:31.440 he is. If our perspective is on God and his unchanging 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.679 nature, if our perspective is on God and his 00:35:34.679 --> 00:35:37.860 ability to be anything we need him to be all 00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:40.780 at once because he's God, if we have that perspective, 00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:44.380 that allows us to be prepared. for what is to 00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:46.159 come. That's the first step, to be prepared. 00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:49.420 But how do you prepare? Firstly, you have to 00:35:49.420 --> 00:35:53.119 be able to see Jesus for who he is. But also, 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:56.500 we read this in Revelation 2 and 3, we need to 00:35:56.500 --> 00:36:01.039 hear Jesus closely. Repeatedly, the Bible says, 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:06.639 he that hath an ear, let him hear. Hearing involves 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:09.159 discernment. It's not just the action of hearing, 00:36:09.300 --> 00:36:13.039 but literally taking that information and thinking 00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:15.840 about it and meditating on it, discerning it. 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:19.719 The same voice that spoke to John still speaks 00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:22.619 through the word of God. It still speaks through 00:36:22.619 --> 00:36:25.920 the spirit of God today. Hearing demands that 00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:29.369 we silence every competing voice. Whether that's 00:36:29.369 --> 00:36:32.610 the voice of tradition, maybe. Maybe it's a voice 00:36:32.610 --> 00:36:35.670 of fear or doubt. Maybe it's a voice of compromise. 00:36:35.710 --> 00:36:39.030 Any kind of distraction. We need to hear Jesus 00:36:39.030 --> 00:36:42.530 loud and clear. And that involves silencing all 00:36:42.530 --> 00:36:45.090 of the competing voices. That involves silencing 00:36:45.090 --> 00:36:48.289 every distraction in our life. We have to listen 00:36:48.289 --> 00:36:52.719 intently for the call of Jesus Christ. And that 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:54.960 third step, if we're going to prepare, it's not 00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:57.000 enough just to see and not enough just to hear, 00:36:57.119 --> 00:37:00.380 but we must obey his word and his commandments. 00:37:01.019 --> 00:37:03.360 Back to the book of Revelation, the first chapter, 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:05.039 we read this at the beginning. This is verse 00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:07.639 3. It tells us when you're reading this book, 00:37:07.719 --> 00:37:11.800 blessings are on you if you read, if you hear, 00:37:11.980 --> 00:37:16.000 and if you keep. Revelation is not fulfilled 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:19.300 in the mind alone. It's fulfilled in your life. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.239 Actions speak louder than words. If you truly 00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:27.139 receive a revelation of who God is and God's 00:37:27.139 --> 00:37:28.920 plan for your life, that is not just going to 00:37:28.920 --> 00:37:31.320 be something you follow away in your brain. It's 00:37:31.320 --> 00:37:33.440 going to be something that informs your everyday 00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:37.719 decisions. Actions speak louder than words. Obedience 00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:40.260 to God's command, whether that be repentance, 00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:43.829 it could be holiness. It could be faithfulness. 00:37:43.909 --> 00:37:47.710 That's what God says prepares the church to stand 00:37:47.710 --> 00:37:51.449 before him unashamed. It's obedience that is 00:37:51.449 --> 00:37:55.329 the true expression of revelation. If you truly 00:37:55.329 --> 00:37:58.690 understand who God is and truly understand his 00:37:58.690 --> 00:38:01.469 will for your life, just the natural byproduct 00:38:01.469 --> 00:38:04.789 of that, the natural response is a life of surrender 00:38:04.789 --> 00:38:08.690 and obedience. When we truly know who God is, 00:38:08.750 --> 00:38:13.199 we will gladly submit. To his word. I invite 00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:17.019 you to stand tonight all across the room. At 00:38:17.019 --> 00:38:19.420 the close of the letters. This is back to the 00:38:19.420 --> 00:38:21.460 letters to the seven churches in Revelations 00:38:21.460 --> 00:38:25.460 2 and 3. This is at the very end of the letter 00:38:25.460 --> 00:38:27.519 to Laodicea. Which was that church that received 00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:31.300 not one compliment. They flunked the test. But 00:38:31.300 --> 00:38:33.480 Jesus still extends an invitation to them at 00:38:33.480 --> 00:38:37.099 their worst. And if it's good enough for them 00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:39.920 in that moment. for him to extend an olive branch, 00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:42.239 if you will, to extend an opportunity for mercy 00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.960 and a second chance, an invitation for communion 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:47.179 and fellowship, then I believe it's good enough 00:38:47.179 --> 00:38:54.000 for us. This is Revelation 3, verse 20. Jesus 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:56.579 tells them, but I believe he's telling us today 00:38:56.579 --> 00:39:01.579 as well, wherever we stand. Behold, Jesus says, 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:06.000 I stand at the door and I knock. If any man hear 00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:10.760 my voice, And open the door. I will come into 00:39:10.760 --> 00:39:14.760 him. And I will sup or dine with him. And he 00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:19.630 with me. This is not the voice of a distant deity. 00:39:19.929 --> 00:39:23.929 This is not a voice of a God that's unreachable. 00:39:24.309 --> 00:39:27.349 This is not the voice of a God who is unaffected 00:39:27.349 --> 00:39:30.929 by our concerns and our cares. Jesus very much 00:39:30.929 --> 00:39:34.269 cares for us. Jesus very much is near us. It 00:39:34.269 --> 00:39:38.530 is the same voice of the Lord whose, the Bible 00:39:38.530 --> 00:39:41.349 says, his eyes were like fire, his hands hold 00:39:41.349 --> 00:39:45.269 the stars. The almighty God has stooped down. 00:39:45.690 --> 00:39:49.190 to knock on the door of the heart of his own 00:39:49.190 --> 00:39:52.750 church. And in these last days, Jesus is still 00:39:52.750 --> 00:39:56.449 calling his people to open the door again, to 00:39:56.449 --> 00:40:00.090 restore intimacy, to renew their first love, 00:40:00.250 --> 00:40:05.090 and to walk in obedience. The one, Jesus Christ, 00:40:05.349 --> 00:40:09.050 who revealed himself to John, now reveals himself 00:40:09.050 --> 00:40:13.070 to every believer who will see and who will hear 00:40:13.070 --> 00:40:17.510 and who will obey. Jesus is the Alpha and the 00:40:17.510 --> 00:40:20.889 Omega. He is the first and the last. He is the 00:40:20.889 --> 00:40:23.909 living one that was dead but is alive forevermore. 00:40:24.110 --> 00:40:27.469 He is the Lamb on the throne. And his voice still 00:40:27.469 --> 00:40:30.090 speaks to us today. Fear not. I've got it all 00:40:30.090 --> 00:40:32.550 under control. I want communion and relationship 00:40:32.550 --> 00:40:35.210 with you. That's the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:40:35.530 --> 00:40:38.150 Not just who you read about in the Bible. Not 00:40:38.150 --> 00:40:40.369 just at the very beginning of human history. 00:40:40.489 --> 00:40:43.269 But even at the end. Even long after we've left 00:40:43.269 --> 00:40:45.940 this earth. God desires. communion and relationship 00:40:45.940 --> 00:40:48.920 with you. He's knocking on the door. He wants 00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:52.099 to come in. He wants to have relationship, but 00:40:52.099 --> 00:40:55.039 it's up to you today if you will open the door 00:40:55.039 --> 00:40:59.300 and dine with him. We must prepare ourselves, 00:40:59.420 --> 00:41:03.579 not with speculation, but with revelation. That's 00:41:03.579 --> 00:41:06.119 the point of this revelation. We must prepare 00:41:06.119 --> 00:41:09.300 ourselves, not with fear, but with faith. God 00:41:09.300 --> 00:41:11.260 wants to give us strength and faith and assurance. 00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:13.639 That's what the book of Revelation is all about. 00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:16.539 We must prepare ourselves not with compromise, 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:23.579 but with consecration. We should prepare with 00:41:23.579 --> 00:41:26.900 consecration until the day that we see Jesus 00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:30.579 face to face. And so how do we do that? We must 00:41:30.579 --> 00:41:34.320 see Jesus for who he is. We must hear what he 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:37.619 is saying to his church. And we must obey his 00:41:37.619 --> 00:41:41.139 word and his commandments. It's not enough to 00:41:41.139 --> 00:41:44.719 know. To be able to see Jesus for who he is and 00:41:44.719 --> 00:41:46.460 know that he's the one knocking on the door. 00:41:46.719 --> 00:41:48.719 And it's not enough to hear him knocking and 00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:50.519 not enough to hear his voice saying, open the 00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:52.579 door. We can have relationship and communion. 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:55.559 But no, you have to obey. You have to open the 00:41:55.559 --> 00:41:57.900 door. And that's what I'm urging each and every 00:41:57.900 --> 00:42:00.699 one of us to do tonight. These altars are open. 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:03.079 Will you come today and will you do your very 00:42:03.079 --> 00:42:07.699 best to get as close to God as you can? Would 00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:09.840 you come today and in your heart and in your 00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:13.019 mind, would you open that door to anything and 00:42:13.019 --> 00:42:16.739 everything that God wants to do? That's the revelation 00:42:16.739 --> 00:42:22.460 of Jesus Christ. The mighty God is Jesus. Jesus 00:42:22.460 --> 00:42:25.139 is the mighty God in Christ. He's anything and 00:42:25.139 --> 00:42:29.980 everything you need him to be. But God still 00:42:29.980 --> 00:42:32.639 requires that you open your heart, that you open 00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:35.619 your mind, that you open your life to surrender 00:42:35.619 --> 00:42:39.579 to him. and to surrender to his will and his 00:42:39.579 --> 00:42:43.420 purpose for your life. Let's pray today with 00:42:43.420 --> 00:42:43.800 passion.