The Revelation Intro
Notes
Transcript
Theme: We are blessed when we see how God views things.
Theme: We are blessed when we see how God views things.
Intro: To me, one of the striking things about reading the OT profits is that the people had no ability to see what God was doing and why he was doing it. We are about to embark on a study about what God said He would do, the options presented to the churches, and a call to hear and see what God was doing and join with Him in that. I often say that ministry is mostly seeing what God is doing and asking what our part is. - Join in? Speak up? Stay silent? Wait? Go? Send? Pray? I can assure you of this, it is always to acknowledge Him and worship Him!
Before we brought Fil on as an Assistant Pastor we spent some time asking him, and asking others, about his view and his life. It was important to know his view of Scripture; his view of core doctrines; his view of ministry; his view of pastoring; his view of small churches; his view of family and fatherhood, and much more.
We do all that background study on a person because we want to bring in someone who fits what we believe, but more important, bring in someone who’s life is committed to our core beliefs.
Today we start a new series in Revelation 1-3. The first chapter is there for us to know God better and in the next two chapters we see more clearly how he thinks. In chapters 2-3 we see “letters from Christ.”
Background of the book
Background of the book
The real author is God.
The real author is God.
It is God telling John what Christ is like
who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Next week we will get into a deeper look at what Christ is presently like. Let me assure you, He no longer looks like a meek man from the town of Nazareth!
God showed John what the churches were like.
7 different churches are chosen to show churches throughout the ages what God sees inside the church. These are not all the churches in existence, but they represent the very things churches must take note of. These were all churches under the Apostle John’s care before he was forced to the Island of Patmos. We don’t know if he was surprised by these things or not.
God showed John what the future will be like.
This church believes the chapters of Rev 4-22 are literal future events. We have done studies on these things before, and we are not covering them again this time. We are more focused on following on from our series on the Church earlier this year.
The human author is the Apostle John.
The human author is the Apostle John.
Declared three times!
Revelation 1:1 (NKJV)
... He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
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.
John stayed in Jerusalem and served as a “pillar” of the church there until sometime after 50 AD, when the first church council met about gentiles coming to Christ through the Apostle Paul’s ministry.
Many, me included, believe John left Jerusalem sometime after that meeting to further minister in churches to the north that had started in Galilee and even Nazareth areas (Samaria and Judea). Many believe that he stayed there with Mary, the mother of Jesus, till her death. He is not mentioned when Paul returns to Jerusalem in 58 AD.
The Paul’s death probably came in the early 60’s. History reported that John traveled to Ephesus after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He was there to comfort and establish the churches as he had done in Judea.
There are copies of letters and notes from people who claim to have been directly discipled by the Apostle John in Ephesus.
During the reign of Domitian, the Roman Emperor after Nero, John was likely exiled to a small baron island SW of Ephesus called Patmos.
Revelation 1:9 (NKJV)
I, John, … was on the island that is called Patmos ...
The purpose of the book
The purpose of the book
1. Reveal Christ
1. Reveal Christ
The Father is still making the Son, Jesus, known.
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
Christ in the present
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Christ’s work of the past
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Christ in the still future
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
2. Reveal the future
2. Reveal the future
The word “revelation” is The Greek word Apokalypsis.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
John has his view of his friend Jesus expanded. (next week’s message)
God has John pen letters to the churches he knew well.
God takes him up and shows John what is to come from chapter 4.1 onward.
3. Reveal Blessings
3. Reveal Blessings
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
This is the first of the 7 blessings found in the book.
There is a blessing for the reader
There is a blessing for the hearer
Because “… the time is near.”
so, Know God, and look for what He is doing!
Conclusion: We are blessed when we see how God views things.
Conclusion: We are blessed when we see how God views things.
As we begin our new sermon series, lets look for the blessings available to us as informed people of God. Be informed about why we have this apocalyptic book. Be informed about what Christ is like today. Be informed about how God views the church - both the good and the bad as well as the blessings. Most of all be informed about the difference studying this book can make towards conforming this church into one that fully pleases Christ Himself. After all, He died to make this church all it should be.
Isaiah 43 says God knows us by name. In today’s passage, John gets a real clear and personal taste of that.
How do we respond to the fact that God knows us by name?
How do we respond to the fact that God knows us by name?
Do we give credit to God for what He has shown us of Himself?
Do we give credit to God for what He has shown us of Himself?
Knowing God and His plans is a blessing. How can you join me in helping others move closer to God by knowing the blessing of living in His plan?
Knowing God and His plans is a blessing. How can you join me in helping others move closer to God by knowing the blessing of living in His plan?