Oct 11, 2020
Revelation 1:9-20


Download Audio:

Calvary316 Twitter Calvary316 Facebook Calvary316 Square Donations Calvary316.net

Outline:


If you’ve never studied the Book of Revelation before, I want you to know Revelation 2 and 3 is a radical and unique section of Scripture. While the New Testament is largely filled with either historical accounts like the Gospels and Book of Acts or various letters the Apostles sent to either churches or church leaders, these two chapters of the Book of Revelation present for us the only section of the New Testament written by Jesus Himself! 




For example, when Revelation 2:1 opens, “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write” most incredibly it’s the actual voice of Jesus dictating to His servant John what to write down! Since this is the case, not only will we work our way through each letter with care, but this section is so significant and multilayered it demands an introduction unto itself.




Before we continue I need to make a confession… I love the church! I really do! I love meeting Creighton here at the building early on Sunday morning to boot things up and make sure everything is clean and in working order. I love watching as our volunteers show up early to usher, run sound — cameras — or lights, make coffee, lead worship, or teach the kids. I love seeing the sanctuary fill with the bustle of activity, to hear God’s people worship, and the solemnness of this place when we collectively open and study His Word.




I love felt-boards, sock-puppets, and the crafts that teach our kids about Jesus! I love hearing the little ones have fun with the hand-motion sing-a-longs about how much Jesus loves them, how Zacchaeus was a wee little man, or the Books of the Bible. I love watching the kids emerge from their classrooms to show off their psychedelic, multi-colored, outside-the-lines masterpiece portraits of Jesus or some other Biblical scene to their parents.




I love it when I have the opportunity to pray for those in need and I love watching you pray for one another. I love seeing people commune with Jesus by coming to the Lord’s Table or when they take that all-important step in their Christian experience by being baptized. 




I love watching people use their God-given talent in the service of Jesus. I’m so encouraged to be a member of a community of people who come to church looking to serve and not just be served — when a family moves from attending to contributing. I love hearing the exciting stories of missionaries and the work of Jesus taking place in foreign lands.




I love seeing you guys build relationships across a diversity of age and general interests. I’m blessed when I see a group of you take the new family out to lunch after church or when some of the young guys help put a lift kit on the Jeep of an older gentleman going through a ¾ life crisis! While this current pandemic has limited things… I enjoy our potlucks and gathering with a Band of my Brothers to pray and shoot guns on a Saturday morning! 




Along these lines, I so appreciate the opportunities my wife has to get out of a house full of little ones and spend time with her Christian sisters! I’m a geek for Vacation Bible School, community outreach, youth group, and youth events… summer retreats and conferences.




Beyond all of this, I mostly love watching people being transformed by the Gospel… Seeing broken lives or marriages made whole! Watching as people find satisfaction by digging into His Word or being empowered and refreshed through a fresh filling of His Spirit. 




As a pastor, I love witnessing that “ah-ha” moment when the light bulb goes off and a person understands grace for the first time. There is nothing better than seeing a person freed from the burden of self-imposed expectations. I love introducing people to Jesus!




For those of you who don’t know my story, church-life is honestly all I’ve ever known! Some 40 years ago in September of 1980, my Dad started a Calvary Chapel in Stone Mountain when there were maybe a handful of Calvary churches this side of the Rockies. 




His heart was to bring to the Bible-belt a Bible-driven church that taught expositionally and cut out all the traditional religiosity by allowing people to come just as they were. 3 years later on May 29, 1983, I not only became an Adams but an honorary member of Calvary. 




My point is church has always been an essential staple in my life. In many ways, it was so foundational and central that most of my fondest childhood memories are connected to a little building on 2nd Street or their current property off of McDaniel’s Bridge Road where, following college, I worked for a decade pastoring middle and high school students. 




I know what it’s like when church becomes family as your family prioritizes the role of church! I can attest that when a church is operating as she was designed to operate there really is nothing like it in the world! It’s why after Bible College I dedicated my life to her service and why Jessica and I have invested ourselves and our family into Calvary316! 




For me, church is not a building to visit or a service to attend, but a community to plug into! In his book “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands” author Paul Tripp wrote, “The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed.”




And yet, as many of us know all too well, the reality is the church often falls short of her mandate to represents Jesus by being a place of refuge and healing. In fact, a study on the way American Millennials view Christians discovered that 87% see Christians as being “judgmental” and 85% as being “hypocritical.” What a sad inditement of the Church!




During my 37 years spent in the church, I’ve witnessed firsthand how nasty and disappointing church-life can be when people lose sight of the calling and design of Jesus for the church. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say many of you have at some point experienced pain and disillusionment caused in part by the church itself.




Not to get overly personal, but I’ve seen my mom cry herself to sleep over the hurtful things people in the church have said about my Dad, her role in the ministry, or even her kids. As a pastor’s kid and now Senior Pastor I’ve seen how unfair and downright mean people can be to the pastor’s family or for that matter one another. I’ve seen both my parents struggle with the loneliness of the ministry and the difficult task of developing real friendships. 




I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the emotional effects of betrayal when your intentions are unjustly impugned, your calling is questioned, or your leadership challenged by those who claim to be trusted friends and confidants. I’ve witnessed the disappointment that occurs when an elder or pastor falls into sin discrediting them from the ministry. 




The pain is real when someone you’ve invested so much time and energy into unexpectedly decides you’re no longer good enough choosing instead to attend another church. People always say, “Zach, you shouldn’t take it so personally when someone leaves the church.” My response has always been, “How can I not!” It’s a brutal experience when you have to explain to your kids why someone they loved just disappeared from their life.




This summary doesn’t even include the friends who’ve fallen from the faith or stepped back into a lifestyle of sin, the gossip and slander that ruins lives, or the legalistic tendencies that have caused genuine Christ-followers to question the very essence of the Gospel.




Beyond on our own personal experiences, we should be honest church history presents many dark moments: inquisitions, crusades, indulgences, heresy, institutionalism, intolerance, Salem witch trials, dissenters being burned at the stake, slavery, persecution of gays, restriction of contraception, abortion bombings, sexual abuse by Catholic priests, etc.




You see while it’s true church-life can provide the world a taste of heaven, it’s also a reality she can just as easily sour people to the things of God when she falls short of her calling. Barna Group found that 37% of unchurched Americans cite painful experiences with the church or people within the church as the reason they no longer attend.




And it’s this pressing reality why I cannot stress enough how crucial it is that we, as a church, seek to operate as Jesus designed for when we don’t people get hurt, our witness in this world becomes tarnished, and souls are lost in the process!




Which leads me to a question we should all consider this morning… What do we do when the church fails to live up to her mandate? What do we do when we get hurt? Do we give up on her, criticize her, or demean her? Or do we seek to be part of the solution? 




In an article posted a few years ago in “Relevant Magazine” titled, “The Wrong Way to Criticize the Church” Jared LaFitte wrote, “As long as the Church is made up of sinners in need of grace, we'll have issues. And we need mature, wise, careful voices to speak to our issues. But there's a difference between looking for ways to make the Church better and looking for things to complain about. 




Mature, humble criticism is selfless and redemptive; immature criticism is usually self-focused and doesn't generally lead to change. Humble criticism means noticing a problem and articulating solutions instead of looking for problems and wallowing in anger. It means being temporarily disappointed without being permanently disillusioned. 




When I feel tempted toward being jaded, I have to catch myself. I can offer criticism, but I can't allow myself to be constantly jaded about the evangelical subculture — because I'm part of it. As much as I feel tempted to criticize it, I am it. I've sinned and broken promises and lived in inconsistent ways, just like the Christians I can be cynical about. What right would I have to be jaded and leave the Church over one issue when I fail in another?”




Please understand a component of Christianity many people overlook… Loving the church is not an option! It’s simply a truth that if you genuinely love Jesus then you’re going to love the things He loves — and He loves His church! She’s His bride! In fact, it’s always struck me as odd when someone claims to love Jesus but is bitter towards the church. Because we’re a packaged deal, it’s impossible to love me and hate Jessica!




Christian, while you can be upset with the church and even find yourself frustrated by the church, if you love Jesus, you’ll refuse to give up on her for we’re told in 1 Corinthians 12 that “love suffers long… bears all things, endures all things.” In 1 Peter 4:8 we read, “Above all things have a fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.”




Friends, a “go-it-alone, I-don’t-need-the-church, I’d-prefer-my-faith-to-be-private” form of Christianity does not exist and is not an option for the Christ-follower. For better or worse because you are the church you’re either a continuation of the problem or you’re part of the solution, but there is no escaping personal responsibility for how the church operates!




I’m encouraged to know that Jesus understood His church would struggle to operate as He intended. I mean, while it’s true Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He would “build His church so that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” it’s also a reality He handed off the day to day operations to a group of sinners making problems unavoidable!




And this is why I find the first three chapters of the book of Revelation so vitally important and worthy of our consideration. By the time John is given this revelation, the Church is roughly 60 years old. In the course of these years, she’s grown to become a global institution that was uniquely multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and economically diverse. 




One of the great misconceptions of Christianity is that this original Apostolic Church was somehow pure and undefiled. You’ll even hear Christian leaders challenge the modern church by saying we need to return to the way the church was in the Book of Acts. Ugh!




Truthfully, this sentiment lacks any type of Biblical understanding. You see the vast majority of the books of the New Testament were written by Paul or one of the other Apostles specifically to address church communities in utter disfunction. Here’s a general list of the issues they faced: racial tensions, class conflicts, arguments over legalisms, politics, sexual immorality, disunity, heresies, lawsuits between Christians, women bickering with one another, church government, denominationalism, the role of women, etc.




Knowing His church would go through these type of struggles, through this revelation given to John and before He gets to future events in chapter 4, Jesus takes the time to remind the Church of her purpose in the world, provide the Church with a fresh revelation of Himself (which includes His present activity), before speaking to the Church through seven letters about the issues that were limiting her effectiveness.




If we want to be the type of church that is a blessing to the world around us and not a curse, we need to always keep our purpose in focus, our eyes fixed on the Glorified Jesus, and our ears and hearts open to receive the words He has for His Church!




In our setup of the seven letters, there are a few things we need to discuss about chapter 1. Let’s start by looking back at Revelation 1:9, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’”




As we examined last Sunday, John has been exiled to the Island of Patmos by Emperor Domitian. According to his own account, “on the Lord’s Day,” John is caught up in a spiritual state. He immediately hears “a loud voice” (which know to be Jesus) instructing him to “write in a book” the things he was about to “see” and “send it to the seven churches in Asia.” In verse 19, the instructions are specified… “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”




After this John adds… Revelation 1:12, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 




And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.’”




Before specifically addressing each of these “seven churches” based in the ancient cities of “Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea” with a series of seven letters, the first thing Jesus does is to subtly remind the Church of her purpose in the world. Did you notice the very first thing that catches John’s attention? In verse 12, we’re told as John “turned to see the voice” he saw “seven golden lampstands.”




In the inner chambers of the Tabernacle and later the Temple, the light was provided by a single golden lampstand that had seven branches. This piece of furniture was known as the Menorah. Symbolically, the Menorah served to illustrate how the Nation of Israel had been called and commissioned by God to be His light of revelation unto the world.




What’s interesting is that what John sees in his vision was not the Menorah, but instead “seven” individual “golden lampstands.” Because John lacked an Old Testament reference point, in order to avoid any confusion as to what these “seven golden lampstands” represented, in verse 20, Jesus tells John “the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” 




While each “lampstand” served the same purpose of providing light, unlike the Menorah, the lamps themselves were all independent from one another. While in the Old Testament the world came to the Temple to encounter God, in the Great Commission, Jesus flipped this on its head by sending the Church out into the world. One commentator explains the difference, “God had but one church of the Jews, but many among the Gentiles.”




The symbolism of the “lampstands” is significant because, before He says anything to them, Jesus reminds these seven churches that their foundational purpose in this world was to be a vessel whereby His Light would shine out into the darkness. 




In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Then in Matthew 5:16, He adds, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”




British theologian and commentator Adam Clarke made this important observation, “A lamp is not light in itself, it is only the instrument of dispensing light, and it must receive both oil and fire before it can dispense any; so no Church has in itself either grace or glory, it must receive all from Christ its head, else it can dispense neither light nor life.”




Following a reminder to these seven churches as to their purpose in the world, Jesus then provides a fresh revelation of Himself which includes His present activity. In verse 13 John tells us, “In the midst of the seven lampstands” he saw “One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” 




Last Sunday we spent ample time unpacking this description of the Glorified Jesus. And while I don’t want to belabor this point, I can’t overemphasize how important it is we not only keep our purpose as a church in focus but that we never ever lose sight of Who it is we actually follow! Guzik observes why this description is important for the Church writing, “In our modern pictures of Jesus, we like to think of Him as He was, not Jesus as He is.” 




Jesus may have been meek and mild, but we must never forget His present strength and power. Jesus may have presented Himself as a Suffering Servant, but now He’s the King of Kings. The Lamb of God sacrificed for our sins has become the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! Alexander the Great once said of the critical importance of leadership, “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”




This morning I want to unpack two details of this revelation of the Glorified Jesus we only briefly touched on last week. In verse 16 John notes how Jesus “had in His right hand seven stars.” Then later on in verse 20, He explains these “seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” Again, last Sunday I noted how the word “angel” doesn’t refer to an angelic being, but likely the human representatives of each church — the pastors.




It’s worth pointing out the “right hand” represented authority. In a sense by holding the pastors of these churches in his hand Jesus had granted them a position of authority, but one that comes with an incredible measure of accountability. While it’s true Jesus is the head of every church, He extends His authority through human representatives. James 3:1, “Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”




The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon makes an interesting observation… “What do you see in Christ's right hand? Seven stars; yet how insignificant they appear when you get a sight of his face! Who can see seven stars, or, for the matter of that, seventy thousand stars, when the sun shineth in his strength? How sweet it is, when the Lord himself is so present in a congregation that the preacher, whoever he may be, is altogether forgotten!” 




Not only does Jesus have these pastors in His hand, but notice from John’s vision where Jesus presently resides! He sees Jesus is “in the midst of the seven lampstands.” Jesus is in the midst of the seven churches! Even when the church proves to be dysfunctional as many of these seven were, because of His love for His Church, Jesus had not bailed or given up on her! Additionally, I must also point out that if you want to find Jesus the best place to look for Him is in His Church. It’s where He hangs out!




Take note of Jesus’ activity “in the midst” of His Church… Based upon John’s description of Jesus as “One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band” we know He is fulfilling the role of High Priest by tending to the lamps (His Church) in order to maximize their brightness.




Amazingly, 11 times in the Book of Hebrews Jesus is referred to in His resurrected role as being our great “High Priest.” This is significant for it means Jesus is not only “in the midst” of His church, but He’s actively tending to the lamps so that they can continue to shine brightly. As High Priest, this not only requires Jesus to honestly evaluate each lamp but that He act when necessary. You see there are times He needs to add oil (Holy Spirit), trim the wicks (pruning), and in more extreme cases replace the lamp if need be.




Understand… Before Jesus said anything to these seven churches, He wanted to first remind them of their purpose and to make sure they understood Who it was that would be doing the speaking. Not only does Jesus have the authority to evaluate, criticize, and address any issues within His church that are of concern to Him, but out of His love for them and His role as High Priest it was His prerogative to do so!




In a broad overview… As we work our way through these seven letters beginning next Sunday, you will notice they all follow the same general pattern. Each letter will be addressed to the “angel of the church of _______” (the pastor) and will close with the admonition, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”




Between these bookends, at some point in each letter, Jesus will commend what He finds commendable (the exception to this will be Sardis and Laodicea), condemn what He finds condemnable (the exception to this are Smyrna and Philadelphia), emphasize a relevant aspect of His person, before providing the necessary instruction and warnings.




In order to unpack the fullness of what Jesus articulates through these seven letters, you need to understand there are basically four ways each letter should be viewed: First, there is no question Jesus is writing to an actual local church located in each of these seven ancient cities! As we will see in the coming weeks, the substance of each letter will include distinct references to unique issues and circumstances particular to a group of believers living in those cities towards the end of the 1st century. 




Secondly, we can understand that through these seven letters Jesus is relaying a message to every church throughout all time — including our church. All throughout Scripture the number seven signifies completion. As I mentioned last Sunday, the Apostle Paul would write to only seven churches as well: Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colosse, Phillipi, and Thessalonica. Additionally, Jesus would give only seven Kingdom Parables. 




The idea is that while Jesus was writing to individual churches, in choosing seven, He was in effect addressing every church throughout all time. In fact, each of these letters closes with an admonition specifically for “the churches” — plural. In many ways, Jesus will use these seven letters to highlight and articulate the various pitfalls every church needs to caution against if we’re wanting to be the church He’s called us to be! 




Thirdly, it would appear in choosing these specific seven churches Jesus was also writing to the Universal Church with each letter addressing a different time-period or movement within church history! Not only did Jesus choose seven, but it’s significant He chose these seven leaving out larger churches in the region like Colossi, Miletus, or Troas. There was something about each of these Jesus could use to speak prophetically.




In line with this point, the structuring of Revelation 1:19 (which provides the outline for the book itself) seemingly supports this idea. Before addressing the future, Jesus told John to “write the things which are.” Beginning with the Day of Pentecost and continuing to this very moment, we find ourselves in what’s presently known as the Church Age. In addressing seven local churches I believe Jesus was prophetically addressing His church as a whole.




While we’ll get into this in more detail with each of these letters, here’s a quick overview. Ephesus: Post-Apostolic Church. Smyrna: The Persecuted Church. Pergamos: The Byzantine Church. Thyatira: The Roman Catholic Church. Sardis: Protestantism. Philadelphia: The Missional Church. And Laodicea: The Apostate Church. It’s worth pointing out the last four not only overlap but will continue up to the Tribulational Period. 




To recap… In each letter, Jesus is writing to an actual church, every church, and movements through Church History. Finally, Jesus is writing to you. As we get into our study, you will notice each letter closes with the same invocation, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Though each letter is addressed to a local church, it’s clear the message was intended for a much larger audience (“to the churches”) with the application for each individual hearer. Note: A church does not have an ear to hear with!




In every letter Jesus will address something in that local church, there will be something applicable in each for every church, as well as something relevant for a church movement; but, in the end, each letter will contain a particular application for you and me individually!




In closing… I hope you love the church. I hope you love the people Jesus loves! I hope you know Jesus and His Bride are a packaged deal. And if you don’t because you’ve been burned in the past, it is my honest prayer your time at Calvary316 will renew that love… That our church provides everyone who walks through that door a taste of what heaven will be… That we can be the church as Jesus intended the church to be! 




And yet, if we’re to do this we must keep our purpose in focus (we are nothing more than a lamp Jesus uses to shine His Light into the world), as such we must keep our eyes fixed on the resurrected Jesus (we are led by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who’s presently in our midst), and we must keep our ears open to receive and apply the things Jesus our High Priest wants to share with our church through each of these seven letters!

Links:

No Additional Links.