The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Likely, by the time the John was given his revelation by Jesus, all the other apostles were dead.  Most if not not all of them were probably martyred.  Since the time of Nero around 67 AD, Christians were frequently persecuted and likely being killed in the ways described in the book of Hebrews:
11:37: They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.

It was very difficult for Christians as they waited for the return of the Lord.

The revelation given to John was NOT to scare people into being good or living holy lives.  The believers needed hope.

Read Revelation 1:1-3
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

 What do you think of when you think about the book of Revelation?

Jesus gave it to believers as a blessing.

• Blessed is the one who reads it aloud!
• Blessed is the one who takes it to heart

Don't be afraid when you hear the words of Revelation.  Be excited.  We don't live in dread of Jesus.  We eagerly look for Him to return.

WHO IS THIS JESUS?  Read Revelation 1:4-8 for clues.

1. a faithful witness of what is to come
2. the firstborn from the dead
3. the king of kings
4. the one who loves us
5. the one who freed us from sin by his blood
6. who made us priest to serve God
7. the one that will come in the clouds
8. the one everyone will see
9. the one who was pierced
10. the Alpha and Omega, who who is, who was, and who is to come

 In Revelation 1:9-11, John describes being deep in prayer listening to the Holy Spirit in his life.  Jesus came to him in a vision.  The vision was a message for churches that existed in John's day.  But, it was also for the churches and people today.  The churches in the 21st century have the same strengths and weaknesses as the churches in the first century.

Read Revelation 1:12-16 for a small glimpse of the awesomeness of Jesus:

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

If you saw Jesus in his glory, how would you respond?

 John said, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead."  
When the prophet Isaiah had a similar experience in Isaiah 6, he ALSO thought that he was going to die.  When we are in the presence of God, we realize how sinful we are.

What is one thing that you can do this week to show more reverence for Jesus.  Do we reflect his glory to others?

Jesus did not come to condemn us as believers, instead Jesus said,

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

What does it mean that Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades?
 
The seven golden lampstands are the seven churches that Jesus is speaking to in the first few chapters of Revelation.  As we read the book of Revelation this month, remember that it was written to you to give you hope.

If you are not a believer, if your friends are not believers, the book of Revelation should be scary.  We can't sugar coat the Gospel and hope everything turns out ok in the end.

2 Peter: Anticipation - He's Not Slow To Keep His Promises

When you have to wait for something a long time, do you start to believe it will never happen?

• We think God is being slow... ACTUALLY... God is patient
• We question the words of Jesus... ACTUALLY... his words have already been fulfilled
• We believe the teaching of scoffers... ACTUALLY... fire is being stored up for their judgement

What is a scoffer?
 
Read 2 Peter 3:1-4
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

What were the scoffers saying?  How does it relate to our lives in the 21st century?

Our HOPE is not in this world.  So when anyone tries to destroy our confidence in the return of Jesus, they are destroying the foundation of our salvation.  If Jesus said he would return, but doesn't,  how can we believe anything else he said is true.

Have you ever broken a promise and lost the trust of someone?

Read 2 Peter 3:5-7
5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

What are two evidences that God's words can be trusted?

Atheists often try to treat the creation account and the worldwide flood of Noah as myth.  Peter is saying that these two events in history are examples where God spoke and his words were fulfilled.

• God spoke all creation into existence
• God told Noah a hundred years before it happened about the flood.

No one was around to be impatient with God while he created everything, but think about how Noah must have wondered if it was ever going to rain.

THE LORD'S PATIENCE
2 Peter 3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

As we talked about in 1 Thessalonians, Jesus said "I'll be back".  For some people, his return will be like a home invasion.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

To be ready, we should live holy and godly lives.  How do we do that?

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

I went to Walmart last night to get a toothbrush.  While there, a homeless person asked if a I could spare a dollar.  After I gave her a dollar, she asked for another.  When the new heaven and new earth appears, there will no longer be people suffering.  No will suffer because of their own weaknesses, the failings of others, or unfortunate circumstances.

We need to do our part to hasten the day of Jesus' return.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Big Ending
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior so you can show yourself ready for his return.