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amen let’s take our Bibles we’re going we’re heading to Revelation this morning but I want you to take your Bibles first and turn to Psalm chapter 34 and as you turn there let me have a word of prayer this morning Lord we thank you for this for this day Lord even for the warm weather the hot weather and I thank you Lord for air conditioning that we can sit in here in comfort and we can read your word and we can listen to your word and we can find out more about what you have revealed especially in a book like Revelation Lord as we move through this book Lord give us Insight uh to who you are and what you’ve done so our worship would become much sweeter and more intimate than ever before and I pray Lord that you would all as the bless the book starts out that if we read the book if we listen to the book and Obey what you written in the book we have a blessing that comes from you that you’re near to us and thank you Lord for that and I pray in Christ’s name amen Psalm 34 before I read that aw toer in his booklet worship the missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church he said the most normal thing moral beings could do is worship because we were created to worship he also said that worship is an attitude a state of mind a sustained act subject to degrees of perfection and intensity he further said you will find four factors in true worship number one boundless confidence in God number two appreciation of God number three Fascination in the things that God does and how he presents himself and then adoration adoring God for all those things you’re learning you cannot worship a being you cannot trust or know nothing about confidence is necessary for respect and respect is necessary for worship see the problem lies in our perception of God we either see him big or we see him small and far too often we have too small of view of God now right here in Psalm 34 I want you to notice something in verse number 1 2 and three it says I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually being my mouth my soul will make its boast in the Lord The Humble will hear it and rejoice and then verse three oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together that word magnify doesn’t mean to make God big you can’t make God big he’s already big but you can see him big that’s what magnify means that the Hebrew word magnify also can be translated become great that we should see God as great sometimes in the church we’re so familiar with hearing about God that we do not see him as great as he is and the next vers is in verse 4-8 of Psalm you see it demonstrated there when people see God as great they tend to practice his greatness in how they interact with him and in so doing not only do they see God great but they get a taste of his goodness notice what it says in verse number four I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears verse vers five they looked to him and were radiant and their their faces will never be ashamed verse six this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles and verse seven the angel of the Lord encamped around those who fear Him and rescues them and then in verse number eight oh taste and see the Lord is good how blessed is the man who takes refuge in him now I’ve been just mentioning the last couple weeks in two messages on Revelation about the person who is blessed by the Lord it is those who hear read hear obey and Obey God’s word concerning who Jesus is and what he does now let’s turn back to revelation and we’re looking at chapter 1 verse number 9 through verse number 20 last book of the Bible so all those verses that I just read really indicate to us that the word of God will bring us to a place where we have a high view of God and if you have a high view of God you will have a high standard of living in other words you will live a holy and a Godly life you will be policing yourself about the things that you know are wrong and sinful in your life and need to be put to death and put be put off you that’s what what will happen to you when you are when you see God great and you you have a high view of God now when we get to revelation we see Jesus Christ to see Jesus Christ as the Apostle John did is truly amazing which we’re going to see this morning yet even John the Apostle John the Beloved Apostle is shocked by the character of Jesus which he got a glimpse of first of all in the Mount of Tri Transfiguration where his not eyes saw something quite amazing there but not to the extent that we have recorded in the Book of Revelation so what’s the situation in Revelation if you look at verse number nine we’re kind of given that because we’re still in the introduction of the book it says there in first revelation 1 verse number nine I John your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and the and Kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus now that is the situation he says that he is their fellow brother and partaker in Tribulation and companion in the kingdom and companion in steadfast endurance that John shares together in the suffering for the kingdom of God and the Church of God all according to the plan and the purpose of God in other words he is saying listen as I live my life I I am waiting for the kingdom of God just as you’re doing but in doing so you will run into persecution he said there I’m on the island of Patmos and he’s there because of the word of God and the testony of Jesus now what’s going on what’s happening in the church at the time of the Book of Revelation at the time this was written there’s a two-fold reason why John was exiled to a small rocky Island used as a penal settlement by the Roman authorities the island of Patmos was a place where offenders were sent to serve their sentences usually hard labor in the rock quaries of and of course the Roman authorities would put him there this island is about 16 M Square I think it’s like 10 mil long and 5 miles wide it’s uh in the aan sea about 40 miles Southwest of malius and 70 Mi Southwest of Ephesus at that time so the Book of Revelation comes at a time when it looks like that the church was coming to an end here we have the last Apostle John he’s on an island right he’s confined because of two things because of his preaching the word of God and his testimony about Jesus Christ and that’s why he’s there and it looks like by the Roman authori hey this is the last Apostle the church is kind of like puttering out yeah we we’ll just end him that’s what we’ll do so John was exiled under the reign of Doman now that this is a terrible situation but let me just give you a little bit about this ruler at that time the mission was a strong military leader he repelled it says invasions from many of the cities that would come and attack them and even something later Emperor Emperor said that he with increasing difficulties other Emperors after him couldn’t do what he did in his military might It also says uh is recorded of him that he’s a master builder he’s a clever administrator and he he is someone who governed his Empire with a strong hand but it’s recorded historically that they thought something was really wrong with him in his head he enjoyed catching flies and stabbing them with a pen and he’d like to watch Gladiator flights uh between women and dwarfs or small people and during his Reign he was so suspicious of suspicious of the plots against his life the number of Imperial spies and informers uh increased as did the number of casualties or deaths among the Roman officials in other words he put them to death domian was the first emperor to have himself officially TI titled in Rome God the Lord he insisted that other people hail his greatness with acclamations like the lord of the earth invincible glor y Holy One and thou alone now when he ordered people to give him Divine honors Jews and no doubt Christians bed at that the resulting persecution of Jews is well documented but that of Christians is not in fact flavius Clemens uh Council in ’95 and his wife Flavia were exiled and executed respectively by Dom mission’s order and many historians suspect that it was because they were Christians so then it is no surprise that the Apostle John was exiled for two reasons for preaching the word of God and for testifying about Jesus Christ his person and divine works as Lord and savior and so we are in a day today in our own country where it is becoming increasingly even dangerous to claim that you’re a Christian and especially to give testimony to Jesus Christ just saying to us that it will it may cost us more than we think to be a Christian it may cost us in our day to be a Christian on your job with your family in society with government this has never been like this before it’s increasing becoming difficult to live your Christian Life out with at the same time knowing that if you do trouble’s going to come your way and so we have to be all right with that we really do matter of fact if you look at Revelation look at chapter 6 and verse number n this is what happened happens when people preach the word of God and give testimony about Jesus Christ in verse number nine of Revelation 6 it says when the lamb broke the fifth seal I saw beneath the altar The Souls of those who have been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained and then in Revelation 20 in verse number four the same stuff the same thing is happening there it says then I saw Thrones Revelation 20:4 and they sat on them and judgment was given to them and I saw the souls of those who have been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God and those who had not worshiped the Beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead or on their hand and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years so for these people in the tribulation these are the tribulation s to testify about Jesus Christ and to preach the word of God men almost you’re going to get your head cut off or you’re going to be killed for your faith see are are we willing to live there God gives us the grace to live that way so living for Christ May cost us something even even the Lord told his disciples remember the word that I said to you a slave is not greater than his master if they persecuted me what does he say they will persecute you if they have kept my word with uh they will keep yours also so the admonition for all believers no matter really when you live is to remain faithful to not compromise the truth even when persecution and suffering comes and to remain one that Faithfully perseveres in the faith you just keep going no matter what you don’t throw in the towel you don’t drop out of the race you press on even to the end why why do we do that because Jesus is coming that’s why and we know he’s coming we don’t know when but we know he’s coming that’s why and that’s how John could do it and that’s how all the apostles can do it and that’s how all faithful Christians do it when they know the word of God and why do we do that too because the most faithful witness whoever walked this Earth was Jesus Christ himself and he did that for us so that’s the admonition now let me before I even look at Revelation this morning let me just present some helpful information moving forward in the study of Revelation that’s important for us to know kind of like some housekeeping things number one we know that the author of this is the Apostle John even though he does not mention himself as the Apostle John uh John came to Ephesus shortly after PA Paul’s marom and oversaw the churches in Asian Minor until his Exile so he’s the last living Apostle he’s around 90 90 between 90 and 100 years old he’s old there his audience is the seven churches of asiia minor specifically and the the character of the book is that it is the most prophetic book in the New Testament and Revelation describes the events that close world history as we know it and culminates in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ the major themes in Revelation we’re going to see as we go through it is the return in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and in uh the old test concerning the Old Testament out of the 44 verses in Revelation 278 make illusion to Old Testament that’s a lot and the book draws upon books like Daniel that’s why we read it this morning Isaiah Ezekiel Psalms all those books are drawn into to the book of re Revelation you’re also to see the theme of the wrath of God and then the future work of God that Revelation is primarily intended to describe the end the events that will end world history so then that should be quite interesting to us and we should be uh have our radar up and listen very closely to what the Book of Revelation will say to us also one of the purpose stat statements of Revelation is that John records the Revelation given to him by Christ is also to rebuke Believers concerning sin and to encourage them to hold fast until Christ comes and of course describing again that which will proceed and follow his coming so we see in verse number 19 of Revelation chapter 1 there it’s broken up into three parts it says number 19 part number one would be the things which you have seen in verse number 19 also the things which are right that would be the churches the seven churches the whole church age and then part number three would be verse number 19 and the things which will take place after these things so the the Revelation in the beginning kind of gives us an outline of the whole book and the the four views that people use to handle the Book of Revelation the first one is the predus view and that view maintains that the book describes the first century conditions in the Roman Empire and um it’s usually not taken literally uh that the judgments uh Came Upon Jerusalem in 70 AD and then another group would take the book Revelation as continuous or historical The View treats the book as a panorama of church history from John’s time until the 2 Advent uh finding correspondence between the seven churches and the various epics of church history like Revelation is the a Chron I Le of western church history then there would be the idealist and this view maintains that Revelation depicts the Eternal conflict between good and evil in every age and that the details should not be pressed too much and then there would be the futuristic um handling of Revelation and this is the best approach if you um if one is committed to the literal Dramatical historical literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation but I do think in some ways all those four views are presented somehow in uh The Book of Revelation but not to the extent that they would uh be defined as they’re mentioned so it the futuristic view views the book as focusing on the last periods of world history culminating with the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth and so so Revelation chapters 4-22 speaks primarily of the future and events of the end of History leading into the Eternal State and of course all the views would end with the Eternal State that’s where it all ends so we wouldn’t disagree on that one but usually between uh the Lord’s coming and all the details and texts that people would disagree on but I believe handling revelation uh taking a futuristic view which is a literal hermeneutic of the book handling of the book I believe that’s the best way to handle it and that’s the way I’m going to handle it all right so this morning um the outline of the book is built around four Visions together of course with the interr inter in introduction that I’m dealing with still and then at the conclusion in chapter 22 it emphasizes the centrality of Christ throughout the entire book that is a book about Jesus Christ all right you can’t get around that wherever you go in this book so the first Vision starts in verse number nine and that’s where we we’re going to start this morning and we’re going to look at today the first thing is the exalted Christ unveiled the exalted Christ unveiled so the the first thing we see after where we the situation where John was we see now John is in the spirit on the Lord’s day and we have a prophet under inspiration notice what it says in verse 10 of chapter 1 it says I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet now the Lord’s Day could be reference to Sunday the first day of the week because the Lord’s Day commemorates the rising of Jesus from the dead and it was on Sunday that the holy spirit of God was poured out on the church the day of Pentecost or some say some think that the Lord’s Day put the Apostle John in as a spectator uh to see in in to see the scenes that will take place during the Lord’s day now I believe that the first is preferred because it is the most natural reading and Sunday was already decided as a Christian practice the first day of the week must be dedicated to the Lord so while John was in the spirit as it were lifted up above and beyond the things of time and space he heard a claring call of Jesus that sounded to him like a great trumpet trumpets are significant both in the Old Testament and the New Testament in fact when the law was given it’s recorded in Exodus it says there was thundering and lightning flashing and a thick Cloud upon the mountain when Moses came down with the Ten Commandments and it says a very loud trumpet sounded so all the people who were in the camp trembled God was speaking and everybody knew it and then also in the New Testament we see we when we read a book like Thessalonians for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will R rise first so this trumpet that that he he equates with the voice of God and when the voice of God sounds it will be with the unmistakable Clarity of God’s speaking and what does the voice say to John in verse number 11 here’s the prophet’s Mission saying in verse 11 write in a book what you see and sended to the seven churches to Ephesus to samarina to pergamum to thoy to Sardis to Philadelphia to Lea so when he saw he was to write and then he was to send what he wrote to the seven historic churches in Asia Minor so John saw the exalted Christ in this verse vision and these churches all these seven churches represent in some way the various types of churches that exist throughout church history and we’re going to find as we start in Chapter 2 you have to ask the question where does our church fit in there like does our church line up with the characteristics in each one of those examples that the Lord gives and he evaluates the church and so John now comes to the place where he meets the Divine messenger and notice in verse number 12 it says then I turned to see The Voice that was speaking with me and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands so John immediately senses the presence of a person speaking directly to him now the first symbol he saw was uh seven golden lampstands and the basic symbol for lampstand was a a candlestick holder or a stand that held an oil lamp and notice here he doesn’t see a light he saw something that held a light or that held a candle or that held a lamp so the lampstand is not made of wood or stone or silver but it is made of gold and gold is a symbol of the preciousness of the thing and the lampstand is that of its mission and the gold as to its value the gold symbolizes the preciousness of each church because we’re going to find out that the lampstands were the churches and of course a lampstand has a job to do another symbol is seven in our passage and there are seven churches there were more churches than that but not all of them mentioned are mentioned and that means that seven is symbolic of the Church of Jesus Christ that constitute that really constitutes not only the seven churches there but also the words the number seven means completion so it represents the entire church and I believe the church from its beginning to its end when God takes it out in the Rapture of the catching away of the church from the earth before the Antichrist comes so he’s talking about the whole Church of Jesus Christ and and whose mission was to be the light so the lampstands are to hold the light so that it will dispel light in otherwise a dark place which is the world that we live in if it wasn’t for the church if it wasn’t for the preaching of the Gospel the world would be a very very dark place even darker than it is now and the church is the one who holds up the light so that light can be disseminated through everybody who would see it and then hear the gospel see the churches of the Lord are lampstands as bearers of his light which is to benefit the entire surrounding of that church and ultimately the whole world they are not themselves the light but they their light is that of Christ’s Spirit who works by means of the word of God making them instruments of Illuminating others by the preaching of the word of God now as John has given the mission there’s something that the Lord does in a very specific way he shows John what no one else has has ever seen you know what he’s so shows John he shows John himself that’s what he does so John’s Vision gives a description of the glorified son and I want you to notice in verse number 13 notice first the position of the exalted Christ it’s described to us in verse 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like the son of man clothed in a robe reaching to his feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash so in this in the vision there is one standing in the middle as if the churches were in a circle and Jesus is standing smack in the middle of the churches and look what we see here one like the son of man now where did that come from that comes from Daniel chapter 7 and verse number 13 where we read this morning I kept looking in a night vision and behold with the Clouds Of Heaven one like the son of man coming and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him the term son of man is an important designation because this term refers to Jesus Christ it is a term Jesus used to link himself to the prophecy of Daniel and then in the New Testament he brings it up in Revelation in almost every case he uses that title to refer to the second coming Daniel records finally in Daniel chapter 8 so he came near and where I was standing and when I he came I was frightened and fell on my face but he said to me son of man understand the vision pertains to a time of the end Daniel was told to seal up the prophecy Revelation it says open up the prophecy so now we have what was going on in Daniel being sealed and now right in our own Bible it’s opened up to us this is what the Lord is doing so Jesus one like the son of man is seen symbolically in the middle of his church Jesus is right in the middle what is he doing he’s walking around in the church he’s working in the church and he’s walk watching the church that Jesus controls in other words the destiny of the churches he is the lord of the church he is the head of the church so watch what he says about the scripture says about the Lord Jesus who’s the head of the church in verse number 13 see now we see the person of the exalted Christ described in verse number 13 of chapter 1 he says and in the middle of the in the middle of the lamp I saw one like the son of man clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash now when you read something like that you have to say who’s that talking about or who wears garments like this well if you look in the Old Testament High priests were garments like this Kings were wore garments like this prophets wore garments like this judges wore garments like this and I believe that all these things symbolize all in the Lord Jesus Christ that he’s all those things he’s Prophet he’s priest he’s King he’s judge that’s who he is and that’s what the picture that John is going to get and then notice it says in verse number 14 his head and his hair were like white like wool like snow and his eyes were like a flame of fire he begins to describe the Lord Jesus Christ that one somebody who had a long robe on the longer their robe was the more Authority they had Jesus has the robe down to his feet so he has the ultimate Authority and then it tells us here that had his hair and his head th this means that it’s not only saying that there’s old age included here not of course symbolically that this is no young one he is the Ancient of Days he is the one who has honor and dignity he is absolutely exalted to the highest place that there is and having his hair and had mentioned like this means that he has absolute and total wisdom it is the wisdom of Eternity and the maturity of steadfastness of age remember Jesus is the god man and so therefore he understands the human part of what someone goes through and here through the times he has obtained uh wisdom but he is also God he knows all things and the one he is the one who is always ancient because he is before all things so included in that is his his Purity his Antiquity his majesty his authority and then notice the next thing in verse number 14 and his eyes were like a flame of fire that means he is absolutely omniscient he is using eyes to syb symbolize he knows you he knows all about you he knows his church he knows all about what’s going on in the church he knows the condition of the church because he’s right in the middle of it and his eyes are piercing and penetrating full of righteousness to the one who sees exactly what’s going on on you cannot pull the wool over the Lord’s eyes cuz he knows exactly what’s happening then in verse 15 it mentions his feet his feet were like burnished bronze when it has been made to Glow in a furnace now bronze and Brass represent symbols of judgment and sin his feet also represents that of a king sitting on his throne ready to judge irresistibly ready to judge and impartially ready to judge if anyone will judge fairly it will be Jesus Christ he goes he has all the records he has all the wisdom to do that and remember one day at the great white Throne judgment they will be standing before Jesus Christ people will be resurrected standing before the Lord and the Lord’s going to open the books and he’s going to to say okay let’s see how your life went but for those who know Christ that’s not going to happen because Jesus took your penalty he paid the price for your sin he washed your slay clean you are now made pure in the presence of God but Christians will be judged on their works not for salvation but how they lived after they became a Believer that’s in Corinthians the word of God teaches us that so anyone being condemned by this one who sits on the throne will either fall at his feet or Bow Low before the feet of a king meaning that it’s a picture of the destructive force that the King has to those he’s judging and then notice in verse number 15 it mentions his voice that this one speaks as one who has absolute Authority his voice is not just loud but it has force it has finality it has a command about it in other words you better listen when he speaks I I believe when Jesus actually speaks as a glorified Christ you must listen there’s no way that you can not listen because his voice it says in verse number 15 his voice was like the sound of many Waters I don’t know if you ever been to Niagara Falls youever been up to either on the New York side or the Canada side right when you’re by the falls you can’t even talk to someone next to you it’s roaring and the steams being heaped up all around you it’s it’s a it’s a amazing to see it if you never see it you need to see it maybe this summer that’s your vacation Falls impressed even partially to deafen people who stood around it by the Roar of its Waters and you see when you hear preaching of God’s word you are hearing the voice of God and when you hear the voice of God it is speaking of the voice of his will if God has complet and finally spoken in his son which he has from Hebrews who has unique Supremacy over all things and finally uh in that we must follow absolute with absolute trust and obedience and must be it must be given to him ongoingly for the rest of our Our Lives it really brings us to worship and if not if obedience and Trust trust is not given to Christ then the consequences are bound to be awful instead of blessing of the word of God it is exchanged for Terror that the voice of Christ rises above the babble of the world and in solemn Majesty makes itself heard when Christ speak people must listen to him and then back to revelation 1:1 16 his in his right hand he held Seven Stars so his his possession and protection of the messengers of these churches the Lord protects them and His Hands protect them and then notice in verse 16 and out of his mouth came a two-edged sword so Jesus speaks authoritatively to his churches but remember it’s not only the churches he’s going to speak to in Revelation it’s going to be the rest of the world and his word is razor sharp this two-edged sword means that it cuts both ways and can even slice one in half that his word is effective it is sent forth to save those who believe and condemn those who do not believe the word of God is always going out to do those two two things to save or condemn that’s what the word of God does and the word of God can be very can be very effectively and ACC accurately diagnose your spiritual Vital Signs and unmask you for who you really are so the word of God is piercing the sword enters in with ease and is able to penetrate to the very innermost core of the heart the of your being and one thing is definitely clear that the word of God can cut through the defenses lay Bear all the inward most thoughts and intentions and secrets of the heart either to make changes or make it impossible to avoid God’s righteous judgment so God Almighty is perfectly aware and can deal with us and all people not according to what we appear to be but according to what we really are and what he knows us to be see there’s no getting around what Christ sees there’s no getting around the fact that the word of God is powerful and when it goes out it will not come back void it will go out and accomplish all the the purposes of God that he intended to do now people don’t necessarily believe that but if they don’t believe it they will believe it one day see the key is do you believe it are you holding to that because the power of His word is also given to blast his foes it says in Revelation 2 verse number 16 and he says he he Wars against those who do not repent with the sword of his mouth that’s how he does it now one of the most amazing things in this description of Jesus Christ is this last one in verse number 16 it says and his face was like the sun shining in full strength well wait a what’s the admonition in scripture No one who sees God the face of God will live John’s living John hears what’s going on here see the to to see the face of God in the Transfiguration the face of Jesus Christ Shone like the sun and here the glory of the Lord Jesus is unveiled in all its majesty and it all its Splendor it’s as the Sun at noon too intense for mortal eyes to behold but if one is in the spirit on the Lord’s Day lifted above their normal circumstances he’s able to see the face of Jesus Christ now this is quite different than any part of the Bible he displays his glory to John and then his glory to the churches so what is the Beloved apostle response to such a betrayal of Christ what would your response be if you saw Christ in this way well the appearance of such awesomeness and Brilliance of the manifestation of the exalted Christ unnerved John all he could do if you notice in verse 17 and when I saw him I felt fell at his feet like a dead man and I don’t know about you you know there’s books written about you know I I went to heaven and I spoke with Jesus and Jesus met me in my bathroom when I was shaving and all that kind of stuff that’s not true if you meet Jesus you will be on your face because you have met the most awesome being person that you will ever meet in fact if you did a little bible study of falling on your face you will find that those who saw Jesus pre-incarnate glory in the Old Testament you know what happened to Abraham Genesis chapter 17 he falls on his face when God speaks to him you know what happened to manoah when God spoke to manoah and his wife both of them on their face before God thinking that manoah the husband is thinking that God’s going to kill us now because saw his face of course he didn’t because he was giving them Revelation on what they’re to do Ezekiel sees and hears the voice of God what does he do he falls on his face trembling Daniel he sees God he falls on his face the disciples in Matthew 17 verse number 6 that was the great that was the Transfiguration of Christ remember Peter James and John went to see Jesus and then his face it says shown as the sun so bright and then Peter says oh this is a good place for us to be we should be I’m going to build these little thing and before he he just got snuffed out because he didn’t know what he’s talking about uh then it says there and then the cloud overshadowed them and a voice says this is my beloved Son whom I am well pleased listen to him and when they heard that voice the Bible says that the disciples heard and they fell on their face and were terrified what is amazing about this in Revelation and what John saw is that they saw in the Old Testament Jesus pre-incarnate glory in the New Testament they got a glimpse of his glory for just a short period of time here John saw Jesus in his post Resurrection Glory that is completely different that means the way Jesus would come before his people is now different that in our resurrected bodies we will be in in the presence of God we will Behold Him we will be people who will worship Him from the depths of our soul and that’s going to be a great day when that happens but even now as Christians we are to Worship the Lord in the right way and have a high view of God and if you don’t have a high view of God after reading these passages of scriptures then you may have to check yourself because now the Bible tells us about the works of the exalted Christ portrayed and verse number 17 the second part of the verse says and when I saw him well I fell on uh when I saw him I fell at his feet like a dead man and he placed his right hand on me saying do not be afraid I am the first and the last now wow what does he do here what’s his work comforting his ministers his right hand of of authority is laid on John and is it a Touch of a rough person no it’s a gentle touch and then it’s a personal acknowledgment to John to say who he is and what he has to complete because of who he is and he says to John John I’m the same one that walked with you on the earth I’m the same one except you see me differently because I’m glorified so remember my hand when remember you when you laid down my chest during the Lord’s table he says there gently don’t be afraid and then the personal acknowledgement of who he is and what he has completed notice the second part of verse number 17 I am the first and the last look at verse number 18 and the living one I was dead and behold I am alive forever more and I have the keys of death and Hades that Jesus says to John John I’m the god of old I’m the God who spoke to the prophets the God who starts and finishes I am the Lord of creation and of all history I have Sovereign control over all things and over over all dominions even the Dominion of death and Hate that’s who I am John so the Book of reev Revelation actually connects the actual possession of the keys of death and Hades with Jesus victory over death where it says down in verse number 18 of chapter 1 and the living one and I was dead and behold I’m alive forever more to have the keys to death in Hades is to possess Authority over their domain who has that Authority no one has that Authority except Jesus Christ he’s been given that Authority see death claims the body Hades or Hell claims the soul and Jesus says I have the keys to these domain I can open and shut them I have a plan of how history concludes and eternity begins that’s who I am now this is important to know before you get into the rest of the Book of Revelation and it was important for John it’s important for us if you skip this you miss a lot of what’s going to happen next and so once he sees that and once he understands who Christ is now in his glorified State that’s why he’s not supposed to be afraid because if you notice in verse number 19 it says here’s your mission it says therefore write the things which you have seen and the things which are and the things which will take place after these things that’s the three-fold division of Revelation so John he sees Christ he’s comforted by Christ he sees the exalted Lord and now you think he’s motivated to do the job I think so if nothing will motivate you this will motivate you and so what Jesus does actually uh for John and for those who read and hear and obey the word of God is he interprets for John to those who hear read and Obey this Revelation and notice what he says in verse number 20 as for the mystery of the Seven Stars which you saw in my right hand and the Seven golden lampstands now not only does he Comfort his ministers not only does he interpret for those who are obedient to him but now he shows us that he is the one who controls his ministers and the church because the son of man is standing ing in the middle of the seven churches and has the Seven Stars in his right hand and that is that this star of this church he’s saying and the star of that church and the and then of course the star of the other churches they’re all in my hand so what are the Seven Stars well it tells us right in verse number 20 it says the Seven Stars are the angel angels of the seven churches and the Seven lampstands are the seven churches so if you just think about it and I’ll mention that more next time is that Jesus is walking amongst his church and you’re going to find out in the seven churches what he does with them is he evaluates them them he lets them know what he’s pleased with and what he’s not pleased with and when he says to the church I’m not pleased with you he also says this repent of the things that I’m not you’re I’m not pleased with in your life and get it right so you can receive the blessing now the word angel of course means messenger one who was sent I I believe that it’s talking about a human being like an elder a pastor a leader of a church of a local church and so why are these letters addressed to messengers of the churches what you have is this that Jesus is holding the leaders of this church in his his hand and he he speaks through them to the church it’s like a little theocracy every church is based basically a little theocracy when Jesus Christ is the head and speaks through the human leadership of that church he is holding the stars of the church and thus controls the churches so see when you think about the word of God you’re finding out in the word of God that we have to be very careful that when we are organizing the church and leading the church we are doing it in a Biblical way not letting the culture press upon the church where we’re making decisions because of what the culture is doing or because what the the state is doing or because of what the government’s doing no we do it because this pleases Christ that’s why we do it he is holding the stars of the churches and thus he controls the churches so in the next two chapter 2 to chapter 4 Jesus Walks among his churches as Lord who seeks to amend their virtues and even more than to expose their faults however Christ loving evaluation of his churches must precede the day of Judgment of the world and why is that because of what’s written in First Peter judgment first must start at the house of God so God evaluates his church first and judges them first before he moves judgment to the world this is it says this in 1 Peter 4:17 for it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God and if it begins with us first what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God so after reading after hearing this introduction in Revelation it should cause us to have a higher view of God than we had before and move us to real worship that includes boundless confidence in Jesus an appreciation of Jesus and what he has done on our behalf a Fascination about Jesus that he even reveals himself this way to those who are his family and that he it brings us to adoration we fall down too and adore him in worship for all the great things he has done so it it is not a time it’s not a time to fear Jesus is the first and the last we don’t have to fear life it is Jesus who who’s alive forever more he’s the resurrection of life and we don’t have to fear dying because Jesus holds the keys to the grave and death and if we know him as Lord and Savior we have victory over the grave amen so that’s just an introduction let’s pray Lord thank you again for such an awesome book for the privilege Lord to be able to have the word of God in our hand to be able to read need it to be able to hear it and Lord even the privilege that we have to obey it thank you Lord we do want to be people who have a high view of God and because we have a high view of God we have a high standard of living that our living portrays Holiness and godliness we know it’s not portraying Perfection but the direction of our life and so we thank you Lord for the truths found in this first chapter of Revelation Lord as we move forward Lord continue to increase our understanding of who Jesus is what he is has done and what he is doing and Lord even strike even fear in our heart to tremble when we are confronted with your character because of how awesome you are and how great you are and Lord there is no one like you there is no one like you never was never will be you are the Lord of lords and the king of kings and we bow before you this morning in worship and I pray in Christ’s name amen let’s