Learning From John on Patmos | Revelation 1:9-11 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Revelation Bible Study Series)

We have now arrived at the entry point of the very first striking

vision in the Book of Revelation.

And this vision is not about catastrophic events, nor is it

about religious or political establishments that have risen

and fallen. It's not about demonic entities

or spiritual domains that parallel our world.

This revelation is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have seen Him before, haven't we?

He has made appearances throughout the Hebrew Scriptures

before His incarnation. He is hinted at in types and

shadows throughout the Old Covenant.

We've seen Him walking amongst us in the Gospels and we even

caught glimpses of Him after his resurrection.

But if you have never read the Book of Revelation before, I can

assure you that you have not seen Jesus like we are about to

see him. In fact, the very one who

narrates it, who is one of Jesus closest followers, had not seen

Him this way before this moment. And I want us to turn there

together in Revelation 1, beginning in verse 9.

If we're not careful, this manifestation of Christ could be

mistaken as a future depiction of His glory at the consummation

of the age. That's not what's happening

here. What we have here is this

description concerning Jesus defines His present exaltation

and His Majesty. And so significant is this

experience that John is led to provide a detailed backdrop

about it. In other words, he wants to tell

his readers and he wants to tell us about the timing of this

experience, the setting, so that we would understand that this

really, really took place. And as eager as we might be to

look at this vision, we're actually going to spend most of

our time considering John's preparation for it, as he now

wants to tell us how and when this took place.

We're going to linger there. So our time together in this

book will be in verse 9 to verse 11.

And let's read it together before we unpack it.

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. I was in the Spirit on the

Lord's Day and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

saying, Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven

churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum and to

Thyatira, and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

Father, we ask, help us with these verses, Open our eyes.

We've been singing it and praying it since we began this

time, and we believe that you will.

And so, Lord, even in these two verses we trust that you have

much to say to us, and we pray that we would have ears to hear

what the Spirit says to the churches.

Lord, we look to you now in faith.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I'm not sure if you noticed it, but this is now the third time

that John's name appears in the 1st 9 verses of the Book of

Revelation. Did you catch that?

It comes up in verse one when he is referred to as God's servant,

and then it appears again in verse 4 where he identifies

himself as a transcriber of the content of this book.

Right? John to the seven churches.

And then in verse 9, he reintroduces himself once more.

Why the repetition? I believe it's because he wants

to make absolutely clear the credibility of the eyewitness

accounts that he's about to unpack.

He wants to let the readers know with absolute assurance that

this is coming from a reliable source.

And so he says it's me, John. And this indicates also that the

churches knew which John was writing to them.

And you and I understand from last week that this is John who

is the same one who wrote in the Gospel of John and the Epistles

with his name on it. But he doesn't reinforce his

authorship in those other writings like he does here.

Right? It's me, John.

It's John, it's John. And again, it's not to say that

the Gospel account is not important or his letters have no

value, but it does say something about the great significance of

the epic prophecy of this book that demands such autographs.

And we looked last week briefly, how he provides so many clues

throughout this book to show and to authenticate that he was the

one who in fact penned it. And the two main ones that we

saw was how he refers to Christ as the Lamb, the Lamb, the Lamb.

That's emphasizing John's Gospel and also the title, the Word of

God, also found in John's Gospel and the first Epistle.

But there are other subtle hints that we didn't look at.

But I'm compelled to provide you at least one more.

So scroll back to verse 7 and let's see it together.

At least one example. Remember when he said in verse

7, behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see

Him, even those who Pierce them, and all tribes of the earth will

wail on account of him. Even so.

Amen. John makes an allusion to the

prophecy in Zechariah 12/10 when he says even those who Pierce

them. That's an identity that belongs

to the Jewish people. And interestingly, there is only

one other place in the entirety of the New Testament where there

is reference to Zechariah 12/10. Can you guess what book it is?

John, when he's standing there and witnessing his beloved

Master, his Lord, his Savior being crucified, and finally he

is pierced. And then he writes this.

Turn with me to John 19 in verse 35.

He who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true and He

knows that He is telling the truth, that you also may

believe, for these things took place, that the Scripture might

be fulfilled. Not one of His bones will be

broken, and again another Scripture says they will look on

Him whom they have pierced. Only in John and that illusion

in Revelation One do we have a connection to Zechariah 12/10,

which again underscores that it was the Jewish people who are

responsible for the murderous rejection of their Messiah.

But then it's brought back up here in Revelation One.

Why? Because the Holy Spirit wants to

remind us that although this people did Pierce their Messiah,

they will one day grieve over their past sin, and they will

lament over having rejected their Savior.

That's a day yet to come where the people of Israel will hail

Jesus as the Anointed. 1 All that to say to the Holy Spirit

really wants us to know that this book comes from a reliable

source. But credibility is not the only

thing that we're supposed to be impressed with.

I believe that the Holy Spirit, by bringing up John in the way

that he introduces himself again, is to allow us to get the

inspiration for humility, not just credibility.

Out of all the things that John could have said about himself,

especially when you factor in that he was very likely the last

living apostle when he wrote the Book of Revelation, what does he

say? How does he relate himself to

these readers? I, John, your brother, your

brother, your brother. Yes, your brother.

I could think of 10 other ways that a man like John could have

introduced himself, but he says this.

We're talking about the same John who not only rested his

head on Jesus bosom, but was given a series of revelations

concerning the last moments of human history.

Think about it this way. Imagine being granted the

privilege of writing and compiling the final book in the

Bible. That's an impressive resume.

John had it, and yet he instinctively writes about

himself to these Christians that are struggling, that are

distracted, that are compromising in many ways, and

he says, greetings, it's me, John, your brother.

One of the marks of a maturing Christian is humility.

One of the evidences that you are growing in the Lord is that

despite the authority, the testimonies or the insight of

the Lord might grant you, you grow in humility.

And a mark of humility is that over time you do not view or

carry yourself as more significant than others,

especially fellow believers. And that was not true just of

John. That is true for every St.

That is truly in the Spirit. And we find it even the life of

the Apostle Paul. And I want you to see it with

me, because humility is not about you despising yourself.

Humility is about you recognizing more and more your

unworthiness and your need for God's grace.

It's this dependency that you walk in.

And John was not the only one who demonstrated it.

He's not the only one who displays what the Spirit can do

in a man who longs to be like Jesus.

If you follow Paul's writings carefully and if you consider

the timing of his epistles, you will discover a certain

progression and how he perceives himself.

It's it's so worth skipping to. And so let's begin in First

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 15. This is believed to have been

written between 53 and 55 AD, one of his first letters.

Some believe that he wrote it from Ephesus, but I want you to

see what he says in First Corinthians 15 verse 9 as a

1 Corinthians 15:9

starting point. Paul says from the least of the

apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted

the Church of God, highlight that I am the least of the

apostles Out of all of them, I'm the lowest ranking one out of

all of them. I'm the least deserving out of

all of them. I am the most understanding in

terms of the grace of God bestowed on me.

Not that the others didn't recognize it for themselves, but

he's trying to make a point here.

I'm the least of all of these other ministers, but he doesn't

stop there. He's only getting started.

But you have to go to Ephesians to see it.

In Ephesians chapter 3, notice what he says about himself.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

Now this is written while he was under house arrest in Rome.

Remember the end of the book of Acts?

Paul went to Rome and he was under house arrest for a few

years, and he wrote 4 prison epistles.

One of them is in the book of Ephesians around 61 to 62 AD, so

a few years after Corinthians. Look what he says here in

Ephesians 3 verse 8. To me though, I am the very

Ephesians 3:8

least of all, Not the apostles, but what the Saints highlight,

that this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the

unsearchable riches of Christ. Never mind the least of the all

the apostles, I'm the least of all the Christians.

This isn't even in there. Go to first Timothy.

And here in First Timothy we have one of Paul's final letters

before he was martyred. A few brief moments after some

of his prison epistles, we have Paul addressing personal

pastors, one of them being Timothy.

Notice what he says in First Timothy 115.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I

am the foremost. So in the span of a few years,

as Paul's advancing in his walk with Christ, he says I'm the

least of all the apostles. And he says no, no, I'm the

least of all the Saints. And then finally he says I'm the

worst Sinner I know. Question, do you think Paul

walked around in life feeling guilty and condemned as a

Christian? You haven't read Paul carefully

if you believe that. No, instead what you have here

is a man who, as he got closer and closer to Jesus, he was

humbled. He grew in his revelation of the

mercy of God that was required to sustain him and that brought

him in to begin with. That's something that he

accumulated as he advanced, and it obviously impacted the way he

viewed others and treated others.

And so we see here that both in Paul and even in John,

regardless how the Lord uses you, regardless of what he

reveals to you, if the Holy Spirit is really working in you,

you'll be more and more convinced of your need for Him,

and you'll find yourself praying prayers like this.

Lord, I don't deserve this. Lord, I recognize that this is

your energy, that this is your power.

That you've made these opportunities available has

nothing to do with me. And Lord, I realize that apart

from your hand on my life, I will fall apart.

I need you, Lord. I need you, Lord.

I need you, Lord. And the more you discover His

Holiness, the more we'll reflect on your lack of holiness.

And this will not make you again living in a sense of

condemnation. It will make you just appreciate

his grace all the more. You're going to cling to him.

You're going to worship and adore him with greater intensity

as you grow in humility. And I believe John in a subtle

way, shows how he was walking in the same direction as Paul.

I'm your brother. We're the same.

We're equal at the foot of the cross, the same Holy Spirit that

you need, I need. And I believe here this is for

us. But it's not the only thing that

he said. Go back to Revelation 1.

He says, I, John, your brother, not just brother and partner and

partner. Now he's saying I'm a fellow

companion. I'm somebody here who

participates and shares in something with you, but what is

he speaking about? Exactly?

3 things. There are three things that John

says that he is a partner in. The 1st is the tribulation.

The second is the Kingdom. The third thing is the patient

endurance. Now here's an important

qualifier. The tribulation, the Kingdom,

and the patient endurance that he says that he's a partner in

are in Jesus that are in Jesus. Which means what for us?

That you and I who are in Jesus by faith can expect to share in

these same things. There's a particular

tribulation, there's a particular Kingdom, and there's

a particular patient endurance that is ours as well.

It's not exclusive to John or these early Christians.

What does he mean by the tribulation?

He's talking about the general trials and difficulties and

distress that we inherit because of our faith, the economic

turmoil, the relational strain, the persecution, the

difficulties that come because of what you stand for as a

Christian. And so if there's any strain in

any area of your life, because you are in Jesus, you are in the

will of God, we will share in the tribulation.

He's not talking about the final tribulation here again.

He's talking about the general scope of trials and trouble that

we have because we walk with Christ and he's telling these

believers, look, I'm John, yes, the apostle, yes, who's giving

you this final revelation? But I also know tribulation, I'm

there with you. I suffer as well.

I'm not treated any differently. That's helpful for us to know

because if you think for a moment that God loves somebody

more because they have less problems in their family or with

their bodies or their findings, you got it all wrong.

You have Jesus who is declaring these amazing truths and secrets

to John. And yet John says, yeah, but I

still go through things. I still suffer.

But he goes from tribulation to the Kingdom.

What Kingdom is he speaking about?

You know this well, again, you have to connect it to what he

says at the end, A Kingdom that is connected to Jesus.

He says I'm a partner in the Kingdom as well.

And there are two elements of this Kingdom that we all share

in. The first one is the spiritual

reality of this Kingdom, one that we enjoy presently.

You see the moment that you crown Jesus as Lord by faith.

When you receive His gospel, you essentially submit yourself to

his governance. You inherit, yes, His grace, but

also His law. But you also have his protection

and His power and His Commission.

You and I as Christians are citizens of this Kingdom and we

live under this Lordship. We govern our lives according to

what Christ our King makes known to us day by day until the 2nd

element of this Kingdom is realized, which is what the

material manifestation. And that is to come when Christ

physically returns and He will rule and reign on this earth.

And we as His fellow heirs will also to some measure, rule and

reign, depending on our faithfulness here with this one

life that we get to live. So John says to these believers,

we have a Kingdom. Now, when I was reflecting on

this, I thought I, I pray and really with every message, I

pray that it would make an impact on all of our hearts.

But there's a fear that being Christians here in the West,

really America is a Disneyland of the world may not be moved by

this as much as the original readers would have.

I think about it really as Christians, what do we really

struggle with here in America? What do we struggle with the

with the church. Let me give you a hint of what

these churches struggle with. Go to chapter 2 briefly,

Revelation 210. He writes to one church, do not

fear what you are about to suffer.

Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,

that you may be tested, and for 10 days you will have

tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I

will give you the crown of life. So imagine now next week we come

to church and a third of the people here are missing.

And one of the others comes up to the platform and says, I know

that many people are missing today.

I want to inform you that they're all in prison.

And by next week, we'll know if they'll be here again or they

will die. Go here to verse 13.

Here's another church. Jesus says, I know where you

dwell, where Satan's throne is. Imagine your church was in the

same neighborhood of Satan's headquarters.

We'll talk. We'll talk about this when we

come to the churches in chapter 2 and three.

I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, yet you hold

fast my name, and you did not deny my faith.

Even the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was killed

among you, where Satan dwells. Very likely that Antipas was a

leader in this church. So magic coming to service one

day and learning that one of the leaders has been killed.

He was there last week giving the announcements, but this

week, now he's in heaven. So that's what these churches,

at least most of them, we're thinking about as they gather as

a church. Not the parking situation.

I got to walk extra 5 minutes. That's not what they were

struggling with. No, no, no.

I wonder if the so and so family will be at church today or if

the government got a hold of them as well.

I wonder if Pastor so and so will be in service today because

we've been hearing that in other cities they're coming after

them. So hopefully that gives you some

kind of insight of what it would have meant to these believers.

When when John says we are partners of a Kingdom, no matter

what Kingdom is harassing us now, it it's not an everlasting

Kingdom. You have an everlasting Kingdom.

Whatever the government says about you, the smear campaigns

on the news, that's not your identity.

You're part of a Kingdom. I John, your brother and partner

in the tribulation and the Kingdom.

And lastly, in the patient endurance, now he goes from

identity, right? This is your identity.

This is your inheritance. He goes from identity to

ability. What does he mean by patient

endurance? He wants to let them know that

they have received something for being in Jesus and that is to

remain steadfast regardless of the circumstances that would

challenge your faith, regardless of the impairments you have this

patient endurance. Here's the picture that you have

in. Jesus received a certain energy

that enables you to cross the finish line.

In this race of faith. There has been something that

you have access to now because of your faith, because of the

goodness of God that assures you that you can finish well if you

want to finish well. There's this patient endurance.

There's this strength. And the Saint Paul who told the

Colossians that we've been transferred from this domain of

darkness into the Kingdom of his beloved Son.

Praise, one of my favorite prayers in the New Testament.

He says in Colossians 19, and since the day we have heard, we

have not ceased to pray for you. He's talking to the Colossians.

Then he lists all these things that he prays for.

It's so glorious that he mentioned something at verse 11

of Colossians 1. You don't have to turn there,

but listen to what this mighty man of God prayed for.

Christians said, oh, I've been praying consistently, you

Colossians and verse 11 of chapter one, that you would be

strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.

To what end for all? Endurance and patience with joy.

Notice the connection between his glorious might and it

affecting us to know endurance. But not just any kind of

endurance, an endurance with joy.

So it's hard with a verse like this to imagine that our great

God expects us as followers of His Son to drag our feet

throughout life miserable because we just want to be

faithful. That's not the image that we

have here is that we would have our shoulders rolled back, our

chins lifted up, not in arrogance, but in boldness and

in trust and faith that we can endure anything with joy because

of His glorious might. We partner in that, we share in

that. And John's reminding these

churches, this is yours. No matter what you're going

through, this is yours. Now, why is John sharing this?

Well, it's obvious, right? It would have brought immense

comfort to these believers. So here they're receiving this

at the introduction of this book, and they're learning.

Hold on. John is saying he's a partner in

the tribulation. And if John is suffering, why

should we complain about ours? And if John is saying here that

he is a partner in the patient endurance, He's not just

suffering, but he's also enduring.

How much more can we if we also are in Christ Jesus.

So again, he's he's reminded me, he's being very pastoral here to

these churches. I'm with you in this.

And here's what we can learn for our own lives.

It's very difficult to see any value in our suffering.

Very challenging. But if there's any gift that

comes from any kind of suffering, based on what I read

here about John, is that if you respond to it in faith, if you

receive it appropriately and allow it to do its work under

God's sovereign care, it will make you and me more effective

ministers. It will.

That's one of the glorious byproducts of it, that it will

make you a better counselor. It will make you a better

instructor. It will make you a better

comforter. It would be very strange for

John to write this from some ivory tower, some Roman resort

untouched by the raging problems that were affecting these

churches. But because he is a partner in

them, I'm sure that it that felt different for these people to

receive such things. He's with us in this.

He knows what it's like. And suffering guarantees you a

certain authority, insight, care.

There's there's something that happens to you and I when we're

forging that kind of a fire that is able to rescue others as they

are trying to endure this kind of suffering.

They they can't seem to to shake free from it.

God uses those who suffer to help others be set free in their

suffering. I believe that's what's

happening here with John. God was very strategic and using

him. Yes, he's an apostle, but he's

an apostle in a certain circumstance with a certain

practical resume that made a greater greater impact and what

he had to say. And so we see here, he says I'm

your partner, I'm your brother. And again, he didn't write this

from an all inclusive European vacation spot.

He reminds him here, I'm your partner, yes, in these three

things. And I was on the island called

Patmos. What And where is the island

called Patmos? Well, you already get the

impression that this is not a good place because he says, I

was on this island on account of the word of God in the testimony

of Jesus. In other words, there's

something about my faith that brought me to this place.

And historians and church fathers tell us that this island

that's still in existence today, by the way, is located in the

Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.

It's about 10 miles long, 6 miles wide.

And we have historical documents that tell us that this was a

place where people were banished by the Roman government when

they were seen as a political threat.

And it was an isolated place. It was a rocky place.

It was a destitute place. It was a miserable place.

And they would have to work there and they would have to

suffer there with labor. They didn't have access to the

world, at least the way you would enjoy and what way you

would want it. So he says here that I'm on this

island, this penal colony. And we, we read here that he was

sentenced there because of what obviously his effect, his impact

with the gospel of Jesus Christ was seen as a problem to the

Roman political institutions and religious authorities of that

time. So they took this man and they

dropped him off here. This is where you're going to

be. And this is where he wrote from.

But something happened on a particular day.

He says, I was on the island called Patmos, but I was also in

the spirit. Did you see that?

I was in the Spirit, Verse 10. Now don't confuse that with what

we read in other parts of the New Testament where we're called

to walk in the Spirit, we're called to be filled with the

Holy Spirit, we're called to keep in step with the Holy

Spirit, something that we must seek to and strive for every

single day. The phrase in the spirit in the

Book of Revelation appears a total of four times, and every

single time it's mentioned, it describes a supernatural

experience that John has. So when he says here that I'm in

the Spirit, that's why context is so important.

He's describing something that happened to him where he's been

transported by the Spirit of God beyond human senses to perceive

something. And so this is an experience

that is not normal. This is something unique.

And this is something that he's telling them so that they can

know that this came from a heavenly source.

I was transported. I was this like an out of body

experience, so to speak. And we read here that though

this was a unique experience, and though we don't have access

or revelations that determine doctrine, don't belong to us

anymore, don't belong to us at all, it's done here with the

Bible. There are still things to learn

from this. Don't you love here, Number one,

that although John is secluded, he is isolated.

He doesn't have the comfort of fellow ministers.

He doesn't have the compassion of his congregation to help him.

God was with him. The Spirit of the Lord was there

with him, and he comforts up, I'm sure.

But we have here the almighty sovereign God who visits John.

Not that he wasn't with him before, but he makes it so clear

that I'm here and I'm going to show you some things.

And it's a blessing for me to know that no matter where I am,

no matter who I am with or who I'm not with, I have God.

I have the Holy Spirit of God, and he's not a thing.

He's not a surge of power. He's a person and he's there.

That's what I take from this. Yes, this is an indication that

something amazing is about to happen, but it's also an

indication that there's an omnipresent God with this man.

But I also see something else. I don't just see the Holy Spirit

surprisingly manifesting himself to John.

I see something in John because he says I was in the Spirit on

the Lord's Day, on the Lord's Day.

There's debate about what John meant by this.

Is he talking about the Sabbath? Is he talking about the day of

the Lord, which is a common expression to describe God's

judgment. You see it throughout the Old

Testament, the day of the Lord. Is that what he's saying here?

The Spirit took me to see the day of the Lord.

Or is he talking about Sunday, the 1st day of the week?

Now most would say John is saying I was in the Spirit on

Sunday because it was customary for Christians in the Holy

Church to refer to that day when Jesus rose from the dead as the

Lord's day. People fight that because they

say you can't get that from scripture.

Fair enough. But what you have is extra

biblical sources of early Christians like Ignatius of

Antioch who in his writings refers to Sunday as the Lord's

Day. It was a practice for believers

to talk about it that way. So it's likely that he is

speaking about being in the Spirit on the first day of the

week when the church gathered. And if he is speaking about

that, then it shows that he was mindful of this special day.

He knew that it was the Lord's Day even though he was in

prison. Check this out.

Shouldn't this challenge you and I to reflect on the value that

we place on the Lord's Day? It should because here you have

a man who is separated from the church and yeah, you get this

indication that he recognized still the significance of this

time. We don't know what he did on the

Lord's Day, but he knew this was when we worship and recognize

and celebrate that Christ resurrected in prison.

He's thinking about the Lord's Day.

How much more you and I, how much more you and I should we

understand with the freedom and fellowship that we get to enjoy,

of the gift of this day, of pausing and taking time out of

our schedules to love and adore and worship Him as a church.

I see a man here who has devotion and it's quite

impressive. He's away from his life, his

comfort, and yet he is. He's there.

I'm mindful on the Lord's Day. Lastly, I see one more thing

with this. When he says that I am in the

Spirit on the Lord's Day, I see God who had a ministry for John,

the most unlikely place, the most unlikely chapter of his

life. You know, it's believed that

John at this point was between 80 and 90 years old, 80 and 90

years old. And as he's here, he's being

used. There are many people who have

different fears about aging. Can I share one of mine to be

transparent when the thought comes to me that if the Lord

tarries, or unless he wants to bring me home early, we all know

where we're headed with these bodies.

Lord, I don't want it to be any limitations in my service to

you. I don't want to be hindered in

any way. And then I come to examples and

observations like this. And then my heart fills with so

much hope. Because here you have John, the

latter portion of his life being visited by the Lord, and Jesus

telling him, I have something for you to do for my church.

What does he tell him to do? Write what you see in a book.

I'm not done with you yet, John. I still have things for you to

accomplish for my glory. Isn't it wonderful to know that

as long as you have breath in these lungs, God still has a

plan for your life? God still wants to use you to

make a contribution to His church.

You know, when I first got saved, I was excited about many

things. One of the things that I was

thrilled about when I came to church was looking for people

who are crowned with Gray hair. You know, young people, when

they usually come to church, they want to find other young

people. Rightfully so, I wanted the

same. I wanted fellowship with people

that I knew. But for just a small portion of

that Sunday, I love to find people with suits, nicely

combed, hair, a little limp to their walk, a Bible in their

hands because I wanted to know what it's like to walk with

Jesus for decades. So after the service, on a

regular occurrence, I would, I find people get to know their

name and I would just interview them a little bit.

Can you tell me, I mean, how long you been a Christian?

Brother, I've been a Christian since 20 something years old.

Now they're in their late 80s and here you are.

You're still serving, Yes. Still loving the Lord,

Absolutely. Then you hear what they endured.

I lost my wife to this and I lost my child and that, and I

was suffering here. And just faith, faith, faith.

And even in those small conversations, obviously you can

tell the Lord used these seasoned Saints to bless my

faith. There is a unique prayer in the

book of Psalms, many unique prayers, and there's one that

relates to what I'm speaking about.

Now, there's no evidence that John prayed it, but I like to

think he is the fulfillment of it.

Turn to Psalm 71 and notice what the psalmist says in verse 18.

So even to old age and Gray hairs, Oh God, do not forsake me

until I proclaim Your might to another generation.

Your power to all those to come. Many fears that people have

about growing old, being lone, not being able to do basic

chores. You know what the psalmist was

thinking about. Lord, if you're going to allow

me to grow old, I'm asking that you do not forsake me for this

one purpose. I want to testify who you are to

the next generation. Think about that.

That's this guy's retirement plan.

I want to be able to stand before a whole new generation.

And this isn't just limited to preachers.

My brethren, you grandparents, do you have that vision for your

grandchildren? Do you have that vision for the

younger people of this church? That you would carry yourself in

such a way that you would live for the Lord in such a way that

the Lord would use you and moving your life in such a way

that you can bless an entire generation?

Those next in line include that. Please let that dominate your

hopes and your desires for the days to come.

I see John here, an old man, and the Lord recruiting him, saying,

I have something for you to do. They'll bear fruit in their old

age. Do we not read then the Psalms

as well? I was in the Spirit, verse 10 on

the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a

trumpet, saying, Write what you see in a book and send it to the

seven churches. And he lists them.

Let's read them again to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum

and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to

Laodicea. There are significant churches

that we read of in the Bible. There's a church in Jerusalem.

There's a church in Antioch. They played major, major roles

in development of the early church.

Why aren't they mentioned here? What about the ones that we read

of in the epistles? Why these specific 7 churches?

I think there are a few reasons, and there's one main one.

Obviously these churches were strategic.

We read about one where they were in the same neighborhood as

Satan's throne. That sounds like an important

church. And we see here that there are

these geographical concerns perhaps.

But I believe if there's one thing that you should leave

with, it's this. The conditions of these

particular 7 churches are something that are reflected of

the church in every age. So the circumstances of these

churches, the temptations of these churches, all these things

that we find in these seven churches are things that are

relevant to every Church of every period of human history.

And that sacred #7 confirms that he's speaking to the church in

general, though, he is speaking to these specific assemblies.

And when you look at each of these churches, as we will in

the weeks to come, you're going to notice many similarities,

including the way Jesus ends each of them.

He makes this statement. He makes this call.

Let's look at that Revelation 2, verse seven in the first part,

at least he has an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit

says to the churches. He says that to every single one

of these congregations. Notice that he doesn't say he

was an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit

says to the church. Churches, plural, which tells

you and me this, that although this book, the book of the

Revelation, was given to these churches, there are letters

within the letter because Christ is not just concerned about

granting these people detailed insight and foresight of what's

to come in the world. There are practical addresses

for the church to prepare for the return of the Lord.

And he expected that what was written to Ephesus would also be

read in Pergamum and what was said to Smyrna.

The Laodiceans would read and what the Laodiceans received

personally would also be attributed to thy Tyra.

So he's speaking to the churches.

There are lessons in each of these churches that these seven

could share in and no different for us here today.

So as we go through this, especially chapter 2 to three,

here's what we have to understand.

Christ is speaking to Maranatha Bible Church every single time.

And here's what we have to ask ourselves, questions that were

addressed there and then for us. Have we lost our first love?

Are we so caught up in the mechanics of ministry that our

hearts are not in it really for the Lord anymore?

Are we more passionate about calling out false teachers?

Did you see so and so said this from the pulpit?

Did you see what this ministry is doing?

But we don't really have worship towards Jesus Christ.

Are we willing to hold on to our faith even unto death?

Are we tolerating false teaching?

Are we allowing people in our church to teach things that they

shouldn't be teaching? Do we have a reputation of

seeing God do wonderful things and living so passionately for

the Lord while still being spiritually dead today?

Are we lukewarm and unfazed by it?

This is what Christ is preparing to speak to the churches.

Not just these seven historical real places, but of all time.

But it's more than that. It's more than that.

Lest we think that Christ is just speaking to us in general,

lest we think that he's just speaking to the leaders of these

churches, go back to Revelation 27.

Notice what he says in the beginning.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

churches. What's the first part that's

singular? That's personal.

That's to the individual member of the church.

So it's not just us thinking, OK, what is the church saying or

what is Christ saying to the church?

This Is Us receiving from Christ personally.

What is he saying to you? Have you lost your first love?

Do you entertain erroneous teaching?

Do you rely on your past spiritual vitality while you are

shriveling up in your soul day by day?

Are you lukewarm and OK with it? He who has an ear, let him hear.

And as we go through these churches, what we're going to

realize is as much as he is confronting these congregations,

he's going to hold every member of the church accountable.

So it's not just in bulk. He's going to look at every

member, say what about you? In other words, with every

letter that we read, Christ is going to grab us lovingly by the

shoulders, look us in the eye and say, are you listening to

what I'm saying? Are you hearing me?

I'm I'm talking to you. Well, John heard something said

I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying write what

you see in a book. And here's what's so

interesting. He hears this voice.

These are the first recorded words of Jesus in the Book of

Revelation. And what happens in verse 12?

Then I turned to see the voice and what that was speaking to

me. And on turning, I saw 7 golden

lampstands. We know that voice is Jesus, but

when John turns to see the voice, he doesn't see Jesus, at

least at first. He sees 7 golden lampstands.

That's not on accident. How is it that when Jesus speaks

and John turns, he doesn't see Christ right away, but he sees

these symbols? Well, you have to come to church

next week to find out. Let's pray together.

Lord, how we need you. How can we retain all these

things without your help? How dangerous it is to take a

sermon like this and make it into a lesson instead of an

appeal. So Lord, with the weakness and

the limitations that we have from the pulpit down to the Pew,

we pray that You have mercy on us and that You would take these

truths and apply them in our hearts and drive them into our

hearts and change our hearts only the way You can.

We thank You for what You've said.

Give us ears to hear what the Spirit says to us.

Help us grow in humility. Lord, help us rely on You day by

day. Help us remember that we are all

partners in the tribulation, the Kingdom, the patient endurance.

And help us, O Lord, be eager to you be used by you all the days

of our lives. And for those who might have

wasted many years, may they hope and trust that You have

something for them now, that it can change, that you can use

them. We all want that Lord, as long

as we have breath and what we pray for your special strength

and grace in each of our lives for that purpose, that we might

tell of your might to a new generation, that we may declare

your gospel to a dying world. So Lord, make this church

strong. Help us, oh God, even as we are

ready to see a vision of Christ next week, may it change us.

We give you all glory and thanks together in Jesus name, Amen.

Let's stand and worship the Lord, shall we?