The Great Revelation

Welcome to this week's message from the church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

I want you to turn with me this morning in your Bibles to the book of Revelation.

Now, I could tell Sunday school was up a little bit today.

Now, it's just been the introduction.

So let me challenge you, let me encourage you to get up a little bit earlier on Sunday.

You can still sleep in later than you normally do for work.

And come get in a Sunday school class.

They're going chapter by chapter as well.

In fact, Warren Wearsby, the B series, and his title for the book of Revelation is Be Victorious.

And we've got some great teachers.

David's teaching the couples' class.

My wife's teaching the ladies' class, Sylvester, teaching the men's class.

So we have got, it's going to be great.

And you can get the book.

I think we have a few left, but you can purchase it at the Christian bookstore.

So it's going to be awesome.

I'm telling you, if you really want to learn the book, can you imagine spending 45 minutes in Sunday school?

And you'll be here.

I'm not preaching the same thing Wearsby's giving you, Dr.

Wearsby, who was a friend of mine.

I'm doing a lot of study in other theological studies on the book of Revelation, with also my eschatology study when I was in seminary on Revelation.

But I'm going to come from a real, and he does too, he comes from a very practical, but I'm going to tie in what it really means to us individually as and as a church, individually members of a church.

Because that's that's really, I think, one of the places that a lot of people that teach the book of Revelation miss it.

They really teach it more of an eschatological eschatology, the study of the church, and it's a lot more than that.

It's personal, it's futuristic of events that are going to happen, but it's mainly revealing Jesus Christ and what he means to you and me and how we are to live out Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Can I get an amen?

So let me challenge you to get involved this quarter in a good Sunday school class.

There's always coffee, biscuits, uh donuts.

Grab your coffee, get you a biscuit, go into a class.

And I'm telling you, I know David, I've heard so much about his teaching, and I know I'm not bragging on my wife, but I am bragging on my wife.

She's one of the best teachers you'll ever sit and listen to.

I promise you.

If I can get you in there one time, you'll come back.

Revelations, not plural but singular, Revelation.

The book of Revelation.

What a book.

What a savior.

The Bible is one book.

66 books.

Starts in the book of Genesis, ends in the book of Revelation.

Genesis is completed by the book of Revelation.

The threads of Bible history flow through the whole Bible, and they flow into Revelation like the Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

It really does.

It just flows when you look at it.

In fact, what I love about it is in Genesis, we find the entrance of sin.

In other words, hey, the entrance of sin and the curse of sin starts in Genesis 3.15.

But then we see in Revelation, it ends.

There'll be no sin in heaven.

Can I get an Amen?

There'll be no temptation.

Can you imagine not being tempted to sin ever again?

That ought to make a Presbyterian shout.

Amen.

In Genesis, we find the dawn of Satan and his activities, but in Revelation, we see his doom.

Hey, in Genesis, the tree of life is relinquished, but in Revelation it's regained.

In Genesis, hey, death makes it entrance, but in Revelation, it is exited.

Genesis records the beginning of sorrow, but Revelation, we see sorrow is what?

Banished.

Can you imagine as much as you hurt when you lose a loved one?

But if they're saved, you're going to see them again.

Amen.

But there be no sorrow in heaven.

None whatsoever.

In Genesis, Genesis records the commencement of prophecy, but revelation records the consummation of prophecy.

Revelation is a book of prophecy.

At the opening, there is an announcement.

But hey, and at the close, hey, there's an end.

There's a fulfillment.

We see John, the apostle John, testifies at the beginning of the book of Revelation.

But at the end, Jesus testifies.

Boy, is that not good.

Many people have said they are afraid of the book of Revelation.

I had a couple say, I don't want to come.

Well, the wife said, I don't want to hear that.

I said, why?

It scares me.

I said, Well, if you're lost, it should scare you.

Amen.

But if you're saved, it only excites you.

Because of the application for us and what we should be sharing to those that are lost.

In fact, when people tell me they're afraid of revelation, it's kind of ironic to me because people all the time want to know the future.

They go online, pay these unbelievable prices for a psychic to tell you your future.

Folks, can I tell you something about that?

That's dumb.

Amen.

If you're going to do that, would you call my number?

Would you pay the church and let me give you your future revelation?

Because I promise you, it'll be from the Word of God.

It won't be from some psychic or some cards or some weird stuff or Ouija board.

Oh my goodness.

Christians are not to be involved in these things at all.

As Christians, we are not to fear the book of Revelation.

We're not to avoid it.

We're not to ignore it, belittle it, or dread it, but we are to study it because we'll be blessed by it.

And that is what we're about to do.

Here's what I wrote.

It is the request, the book of Revelation is the ninth inning or the fourth quarter of history.

World history, it really is.

No doubt.

We can rejoice as Christians, even though the Lord has not returned yet, for we know that He's going to return for us, and guess what?

And win the victory over Satan.

Folks, I've read the last chapter.

We win.

Amen?

We win, and we need to start living like it.

We know the final outcome of the battle and have been set free from the bondage of sin and loose from the bonds of iniquity and the bounds of Satan.

Oh my goodness.

May we rejoice in his coming and be watching for his return.

This book will be studied.

You may want to write this down.

This book, I'm doing a little introduction, getting you ready.

This book will be studied from a literal, futuristic, premillennial, pre-tribulational viewpoint.

Now, preacher, what does that mean?

Man, those are big words.

I know.

I thought the same thing in seminary.

What does that mean?

It means that the events that take place in this book, now listen to me, will literally happen.

They are going to happen.

A lot of people say, oh, that's just allegories.

That's just symbols.

That's not really going to happen.

Oh, yes, it is.

It is literally going to happen in the future.

They've not occurred yet, but they're coming.

Now the word premillennial means that these events and the second coming of Christ will take place before the millennial reign for a thousand years.

Pre-tribulational means that the rapture will take place before the tribulation.

All that stuff that you're going to get scared of, don't worry about it, you're not going to be here.

I know some would disagree with that, but they have the right to be wrong.

I'm joking, I'm joking.

I'm joking.

I'm joking.

I'm joking.

I'm going to.

There's the mid-trib, my millennial, the ob trib, but but we're taking it from the premillennial pre-tribulational view.

And I'm going to prove that.

Why we feel, or why your pastor and this church feel strongly about the premillennial pre-tribulational views.

This seems to be the most logical way, too, to understand the book of Revelation.

It's really simple when you look at it that way.

Rapture, tribulation, millennial reign.

It's very, very simple.

So let's begin.

Number one, let's look at the presentation of the book in verse 1.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.

He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.

The first thing I want to look at is the presentation of the book.

Notice it says revelation, not revelations.

That's probably my fault.

I don't know why I put an S on when I gave it to Tabitha.

But it's the Greek word for revelation is Apocalypus.

Apocalypse.

Which conveys an idea.

Now watch this.

It means to unveil something, it means to manifest something.

It means to disclose something.

And then I wrote this for application for us in the church.

It is a disclosure of truth or instruction that is hidden.

Let me repeat that.

It is the disclosure of truth and instruction of things that have been hidden.

In other words, we're going to unveil these truths that many of us have not understood.

And I believe God, through his wisdom and his teaching, will guide us to understand and to apply these truths.

Can I get an amen?

So that's what that word means.

The book is all about the appearing and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not in, hey, it is not intended that this book be mysterious or confusing.

It's really pretty simple.

It is the revealing of Jesus Christ and what he wants for his church.

That's what it is.

It really is.

God wants us to understand what this book is about and what we have to look forward to, and also what is the destiny of unsaved men and women so that we will be encouraged to share the good news to those that we know that are lost.

Amen?

Because we don't want them to go through the tribulation.

It is an open book in which God reveals his ready plans, and this would be a good sentence to write.

Damn for what the meaning of the book is.

It is an open book in which God reveals his plans and purpose for the church.

His plan and purpose of the church.

That's why the book of Revelation is so important to study because it gives us the plan and his purpose for the church.

In fact, we'll be looking at seven of the churches in the book of Revelation.

When Daniel finished writing his prophecy, he was instructed.

Watch.

In Daniel 12, 4, he was instructed to shut up the words and seal the book.

But when we get to the beloved John, Revelation 22, 10, hey, it's totally opposite.

Totally opposite directions from the Lord.

He said, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

The source of this book is not John.

The message came from God to Jesus, to the angels, then to John, then to the church.

That's the way the book came.

And that's powerfully seen.

It came from God to Christ, the angel to the John, and then to the church.

It is not the revelation of John, it is a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Can I get an amen?

Number two, look at the purpose of the book.

The presentation of the book, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the book.

And I know I'm looking at Carolyn.

She's been waiting for over a year for this.

The purpose of the book.

God wanted to show us the things which, now notice in verse 1, must shortly come to pass.

Who are his servants.

Now the word servants there is doulas.

It means a, hey, devoted to another.

You are devoted to another person, and that devotion is so strong that you have no regards for what you want.

But you all, hey, all that you are, all that you want to be, all that you think about is being a servant to that person.

It's called, we don't like this word, bond slave.

When you don't care about yourself, but all you do is care about someone else or other people, you are a bond slave.

And because of all the history of slavery, it carries a negative connotation.

I understand that, and I'm again, I agree with, but but brought in the right context of Christianity, you and I want to be bond slaves to Jesus Christ.

That is his purpose for our life.

In other words, we're willing to serve the Lord no matter what the circumstances may be.

Eight times the phrase, are you ready?

Eight times the phrase is used in the book of Revelation.

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.

Those who willingly submit to the will of God will have no problem understanding the word of God.

And the book of Revelation.

None.

Who willingly, if you're willing and obedient, you should eat the good of the land.

But if you refuse and rebel, you should be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1:19 and 20.

Isaiah 1:19

So we see that right here.

The events are going to come.

Look at verse 1.

Shortly come to pass.

The word shortly there is a Greek word in, and then it's another word that they attach to it.

It's in techi, which comes or really forms our English word, tachometer.

And for us car bus, we know what that means.

Tachometer is an instrument used to measure speed and velocity.

The word shortly indicates here swiftness.

Here's what he means.

These events, when they start, will start, hey, will happen swiftly.

Bam, bam, bam, bam when they start.

It's not going to be periodically.

It's going to be like a machine gun.

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.

They're coming.

The events in this book will come to pass swiftly when they begin to unfold.

Listen what Peter said in 2 Peter 3.8.

And by the way, the events in the, you've got to realize, you know, everybody thought they were going to happen then.

You know, back even in John's, he thought it was going to happen in his life when he was writing this.

Paul thought it was going to possibly happen in his life.

But you've got to realize a day to the Lord is not like a day to us.

In fact, listen to what 2 Peter 3.8 says.

But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

God wants us to realize that Jesus Christ is coming very soon.

Can I get an amen?

Listen to this.

I did a, I kind of get caught up in stuff like this when I'm studying.

For this reason, so much space is spent on the second coming of Christ.

I want to get what I found with my online search.

Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there's 260 chapters in the New Testament.

There are 318 references to the second coming.

Did you hear me?

This is one out of every 30 verses speak of the second coming.

One out of 30 verses.

23 of the 27 books in the New Testament refer to the event.

And then one that doesn't, Ephesians, talks about it.

In context.

For eh, watch this.

This is what got me.

For every prophecy about the first coming, the rapture of the church.

Now watch this.

Hey, there are eight prophecies on Christ's second coming.

Wow.

Today we are one day closer to the rapture.

Amen.

It's coming, folks.

And I believe it's coming shortly.

I really do.

Look at number three.

Who penned the book?

Verses 1 and 2.

John.

Who was John?

He was the son of Zebedee, the brother of James, and the disciple whom Jesus loved.

He was sent into exile on the island of Patmos, which was 25 miles off the coast of Asia Minor.

This was a small island about six by ten miles.

It was here that God took John's burden and bondage and turned it into a blessing.

Roman chains bound his body but not his soul.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not good?

They bound his body but not his soul.

John refused to compromise his faithful preaching concerning Jesus Christ.

You could not shut John up.

And I hope through this study, God will start a fire within our heart and within our bosoms that we will not be shut up.

We're not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

For it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

To the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

God grant that.

Don't be ashamed.

I love Psalms 94:16.

Psalms 94:16

Who will rise up for me against evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Psalms 94, 16.

Wow, that's good.

Number four.

The promise in the book.

Look at verse 3.

No book in the Bible has an introduction and conclusion quite like the book of Revelation.

It starts with a promised blessing.

Look at verse 3.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

And then if we turned over to Revelation 22, 7, and it may be up there, I can't remember.

I've gotten so much scripture in my heart and my mind.

But in the last part of the last chapter, it says, Blessed is he that keeps the sayings of this book.

It starts with a blessing, it ends with a blessing.

Don't you?

And I thought, woo.

I thought, what a blessing it would be, and what God means it to be when we get saved.

When we get saved, God wants our life to be a blessing.

He's been mindful of us to bless us.

Psalms 113, verse 12.

Amen.

He's been mindful of the blessing.

And then he wants our life to end with a blessing.

And I know it's still new and the womb's fresh with David.

But I saw that in David Wilson.

When he got saved, he had a blessed life.

And he died.

A blessing.

A blessed life.

What a beautiful picture.

The word blessed.

Are you ready?

Now I'm going to give you something that I saw.

I was digging deep in the minds of the word.

Hey, the word blessed here appears seven times in Revelation.

The same word is used in Matthew 5, which we call the what?

The Beatitudes.

Amen?

The blessings of the Beatitudes.

Well, we see, guess what?

We have some beatitudes in Revelation.

I've never seen this before.

And I started doing a word study on the word blessed.

And here we go.

I don't think I've given you those verses, but you may want to, you've got room there to write them down.

Hey, first of all, the word, hey, number one, it is a blessed challenge.

You and I have a blessed challenge.

Look at verse 3.

Blessed is he that reads, they that hear.

Hey, and keep those things which are written there in, for the time is at hand.

He says it's short.

It's coming.

Jesus is coming.

Now's not the time to be on the sideline.

Now the time's not to be missing church.

Now's not the time to not be serving God.

Now's not the time to be studying the Word of God.

Now's not the time to not be witnessing the Word of God.

Now, now, now, now.

Now.

A blessed challenge.

Notice secondly, a blessed comfort.

Whew! Revelation 14, 13.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.

From henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from the labors, but their works do follow them.

Listen to me, listen to me.

Now's not the time to be on the sideline.

Now's the time to be giving in everything you've got because, hey, listen, when you die, just as my best friend has, your works will follow after you.

This is not the end.

When you die, D.

L.

Moody, Jerry Falwell, his works are continuing and continuing and continuing.

Now's the time to put it in fourth gear.

Pedal to the metal.

He's coming shortly.

Then there's a blessed caution.

Hey, there's a blessed cautiousness.

Look at Revelation 16, 15.

Behold, I come as a thief.

Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth the garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

Oh my goodness.

We don't want to be caught, hey, shameful when we stand before the beam of judgment seat as Christians.

We want to be, hey, hearing the words, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.

One day while visiting a home for mentally handicapped children, Joseph Stowell, the president of Moody Bible Institute back in the early 40s, Stowell mentioned these prints to his friends.

He saw prints of little hands all over the windows.

His friend replied, every morning the little children get up and we have our Bible time and they run to the window and they put their little hands on the window and they start looking and their noses on the window and they start looking up, saying, Is Jesus coming today?

I thought to myself, do we get up every morning and run to the window?

And look up or walk outside and look up.

Jesus, are you coming today?

He's coming shortly.

It's a blessed calling.

Revelations 19, 9.

And he said unto me, right, blessed are they which are called unto the married supper of the Lamb.

And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

I was at a wedding last night for Clay's son Ty, and it was one of the most beautiful spiritual weddings I've ever been.

The pastor gave the analogy of Ephesians 5, the husband and the wife.

Really, the main purpose of that union was to present the gospel.

Are you presenting the gospel?

Are you living every day?

Hey, we have a calling, folks.

Listen, your calling is not just to go to heaven.

Your calling is to be a bond slave, an ambassador, to be a trooper, a soldier in God's army.

A lot of people want to, they get excited about this book and they're sitting here, and you're sitting here and they're watching.

I don't know how many people say they're going to be following us online.

Welcome.

But but but but hey, and you're excited about the study.

But let me tell you, what are you going to do with the study?

Learn and then what?

Do it.

Be ye doers of the word, not hears only deceiving our own selves.

James 1.22.

And then there's a blessed conquest.

Listen to Revelation 27.

Man, I'm about to have a spell.

Oh, a blessed conquest.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.

On such the second death has no power.

Satan has no power, but they shall be priest of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen, that is a blessed conquest.

That is a victory.

Then number six, we have a blessed cherishing.

Revelation 22, 7.

Behold, I come quickly.

Oh, behold, I come quickly.

Blessed is he that keeps the sands of the prophecy of this book.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, hey, what a cherishing moment.

I can't wait.

And then that seventh blessed blessing, a blessed conformity.

Revelations 22, 14.

Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.

I'm headed to the city.

A maker?

Hey, not by man's hand, but by God.

I'm going to the city.

I'm going to walk on the streets of gold.

I want you to find that song, honey.

Somebody's going to sing it for me.

Wish you were here by the kingsman.

Denson, I bet you can find that thing.

Get it for me.

We're going to sing that song.

That's been on my heart ever since I've been thinking about this.

Wish you were here.

Wish you were here.

A bless.

Conformity.

Now there's three prerequisites for you to have those seven blessings.

Hey, you just can't say I want them.

You gotta pay the price.

Hello.

Nothing's free.

I got three amens.

I'm gonna say that again.

Nothing's free.

Gotta work.

Gotta sacrifice.

Gotta give it to you all.

You know what?

You know what I've learned when I'm giving it my all, hey, when I'm giving it my all, it doesn't seem like work.

Because I gotta I gotta purpose, I gotta go.

I gotta reach it, gotta go, gotta press, gotta press, gotta go, gotta go.

I wake up in the morning, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go.

And my wife's as bad as I am.

Gotta go, gotta go.

Can you imagine living with both of us?

Don't try it.

The other day I said, whoa, honey, I'm re I'm trying to slow down.

You she's starting to push me.

I pushed her all these years.

I think she's getting back at me.

She didn't want to get her master's.

She didn't want her die and all that.

Now I'm kind of, I'm gonna just chill up.

Hey, we gotta go, honey, gotta go, go, go.

I created a monster.

All right, here they are.

Look at verse 3.

Blessed is he that reads.

2 Timothy 2.15.

Why do you think we want your children?

Hey, hey, get them, get them uh signed up right now.

Don't let them miss a Wednesday night of a wana.

Study to show thyself to prove unto God a workman that need not be ashamed, right?

The dividing word of truth.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are getting them to read and study and learn the word of God.

That's one of the prerequisites of what God wants.

Do you see that?

Say yes, sir.

Amen.

Secondly, verse 3, here's the word of prophecy.

Listen to what God says.

That's why you want to be in church.

You want to be in Iwanas.

You want to be in Sunday school.

Folks, listen, I don't understand something.

I have a lot of great friends, good friends, that love football.

Auburn football.

Now I know, I know y'all y'all trying to be spiritual this morning.

Because I would have gotten a roar usually with that.

I know y'all like Auburn football.

And I know you love Alabama football.

Auburn fans, I gave you the opportunity.

You didn't do too good.

I know what you're saying, we're more spiritual.

Isn't it amazing?

For the next what, 12, 14 weeks, when it starts, when y'all come in here, you're gonna be talking about that football game hovering a so-and-so.

I mean, that's all I'm gonna hear for the next 12, 14 weeks.

No, that's about everywhere, Carolyn.

Sadly to say.

But it's real bad here.

Pretty bad in Tennessee, too.

Hey, hey, are you ready?

Why can't we get?

When you get through studying this book, you ought, hey, football ought to be way down here.

You ought to be like those little mentally re-hey, hey, hey, children, mentally uh uh not ill, but mentally deficient children that were putting their little hands and nose against the uh windows looking up.

Jesus, are you coming today?

I want you to come today.

Where are our priorities?

We're missing it, folks.

Satan, hey, Satan has disguised and he's putting that that that bait of sports, and I love sports.

I'm as I'm as I'll jump up and holler, not quite as bad as Christie, but I'm close.

Hears the word, reads the word, and then ready?

Verse 3 keeps those things written therein.

Our conduct is to be governed by the truths of this book and the rest of the word of God.

It is not to be a mysterious, confusing book, but instead understood and applied and lived out in our life.

Why?

Paul said it this way Romans 13, 12.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.

It's coming shortly.

Labors are few.

Number five, the prophecy in this book, verse three.

Revelation is a book of prophecy.

Seven times the noun prophecy appears.

Seven times it states the Lord will come.

This book is about the second coming of Jesus Christ.

This truth was not new to John.

He was, he had told the disciples over and over.

Number six.

The partakers in this book.

Now it's gonna get good.

Verses 4, 6, 11, and 12.

Look at verse 4 first.

John to the seven churches which are in Asia.

Grace be unto you, and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne.

Grace and peace come from the Lord Jesus Christ.

He makes all grace abound toward us in all things, so that we have all sufficiency in all things to do the work of the Lord.

His grace is sufficient, his strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Can you say, thank God for the grace of God?

We are to live by Paul said, by the grace of God I am what I am.

It's his grace.

But now notice something.

Have you ever wondered about what seven spirits are?

Ho ho! I didn't see a lot talked about that.

Oh, they mention it.

They say, oh, well, that's probably referring to Isaiah 11.2.

And the spirit of the Lord, look at 11, 2, Isaiah 11.2.

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

The Spirit of God is sevenfold in his character and imputation of spiritual attributes in our lives.

In other words, what are we seeing?

Again, we see God's completed number, God's perfected number, seven blessings.

Now we see God's seven, hey, applications of instruction of God's wisdom in this one verse.

You can't skip that verse.

It's unbelievable.

It's revealing, it's unmasking what the Holy Spirit is to us.

For example, the Spirit of the Lord.

It's the nature of Jesus Christ.

It's talking about his righteousness.

Because he's righteous, you and I, hey, have the privilege of having his imputed righteousness when we get saved.

Can I get an amen?

Number two, it's the spirit of wisdom.

You know what that is?

The ability God gives us to make right decisions.

Is that not good?

Hey, you know what wisdom is?

It's the ability God gives us to make right decisions.

God gives wisdom.

Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2, 6.

Thirdly, hey, the spirit of understanding.

You know what that is?

The ability to understand the difficult things.

The Holy Spirit helps us understand the difficult things.

And one of the ways he does that is what?

Romans 8.28, you know it?

What do we say?

We know all things work together for good.

It's that understanding.

Number four, the spirit of counsel.

You know what that means?

The ability to give good and wise advice.

Man, that's good.

Every decision you make, you want wise and right advice, don't you?

Well, listen to what Proverbs 8.14 says.

Counsel is mine and sound wisdom.

Counsel is mine and sound wisdom.

I have strength.

The Bible says in Proverbs 8.14.

Then it's the spirit of might.

You know what that is?

The power to do God's will.

Not only will God show you his will, he'll give you the power to do his will.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6.10.

And then, hey, the spirit of knowledge.

You know what that is?

A lot of people get that confused.

The ability to know beyond human comprehension.

Now let me give you a great example we've just experienced.

I think there were four deaths last week or three in here, but we've all lost loved ones, close ones.

And some we don't understand that, right?

Okay?

That's beyond our comprehension, isn't it?

But see, when we have this right here, oh man, this is so good.

When we have the spirit of knowledge, the ability to know beyond human comprehension, here's what that means.

That means even though we don't understand it, we know that all things work together for good.

To them that love God, to them who are called accord to his purpose.

Amen.

His purpose.

We know we may not understand it, but we know.

We have that ability.

Why?

Through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Be careful.

Be careful for nothing, but in all things, through prayer and supplications with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus beyond your comprehension.

That's good, preacher.

And you'd have missed that.

You'd have just skipped over that verse.

The spirit of the fear of the Lord.

You know what that is?

The seventh attribute?

The ability to respect and reverence the Lord with your life.

That means you're not going to listen to stuff that doesn't honor him.

You're not going to go to places that don't honor him.

You're not going to fellowship with people that don't honor him.

You're not going to do what does not honor him.

You say, well, that'll cut out a lot of my fellowship.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Cut out a lot of my watching TV.

Hallelujah.

What I listen to.

Hallelujah.

Whether you eat or drink, whatsoever you do, you what?

Do all to the glory of God.

Then look at verse 6.

We've also been made kings and priests.

He hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

As kings and priests, we have the authority in our message.

The word of God.

Hey, you kings and priests, folks.

Next time you want to go out there and show yourself, remember who you are.

Amen.

Remember, you're kings and priests.

You can't do what.

Hey, you can't go out there and act like the devil when you're a king and priest of God.

Hello.

Come on.

Can't do it.

Can't do it.

Can't do it.

Remember who you are.

Next time some one of your buddies is saved, or or one of your sisters starts acting like nah, nah, nah, saved.

Hey, remember who you are.

Remember who you are.

Next time you want to get mad at your wife, remember who you are.

Hello.

Can I get an Amen, ladies?

Remember who you are.

I know I shouldn't have said that.

Christians are to be leaders in the world, not the followers of unsaved.

Can I get an Amen?

You know what Peter says?

Listen.

Oh, I'm very few people use this verse because they don't understand it, but now you understand it.

It's in reference to kings and priests.

You know what he says?

You also are a lively stone.

That's why I'm not going to be a part of the dead church.

I'm not going to be a part of anything dead.

No.

Somebody said, aren't you afraid that, hey, that the fanatics get out of hand?

You know what I say?

It's a lot easier to cool down a fanatic than it is to raise the dead.

Amen.

Give me the fanatics anytime.

But you're a lively stone.

Built up a spiritual house.

Hello.

Spiritual house.

Holy priesthood.

To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Then, verse 11.

John proceeds to list the seven churches.

And I'm not going to take time to deal with, even announce them because we're going to preach each one of them.

Save me a little time.

But notice again the number seven.

Notice the number seven is used.

Now watch.

It is a number of completion or perfection.

God completes his work in cycles of seven.

Is that not good?

Watch this.

Let me do a little bit more of my research.

Ready for this?

Seven colors make a perfect light spectrum.

Seven colors.

Seven musical notes are on a scale.

There are seven days in a week.

There were seven feasts of Jehovah in Leviticus 23.

In Revelation, the number seven appears 49 times.

Wait, what's seven times seven?

You think that's a coincidence?

Absolutely not.

Hello.

After naming the seven churches, now notice verse 12, John saw seven golden candlesticks.

Now the candlesticks were lamps, lampstands, or menorahs, which symbolize the seven churches.

The responsibility of every church and Christian is to be a light bearer.

Can I get an amen?

I love what Paul said.

He said in Ephesians 5, 8, for you once were in darkness, but now you light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

We're to be walking ambers for God.

Wow.

And look at number 7.

The person in the book.

Verse 5 and 8 and 13 through 18.

I won't take time to read them, but I'm going to read them to you as I go through them.

The Lord Jesus is no longer a baby.

The Lord Jesus is no longer a baby in a manger.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen, the first time he came, a star.

A star marked his arrival.

But the next time he comes, oh, heaven will be lit with his glory.

Oh, the first time he came, gifts were brought to him by wise men and shepherds.

But the next time he returns, he'll bring gifts and rewards for his own.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen, the first time he came, there was no room for him in the inn.

But the next time he comes, all earth won't be able to contain his glory.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first time he came, only a few attended his rival.

But the next time he comes, every eye shall see him, every knee shall bow to him.

The first time he came as a baby, but soon he'll come as King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 19, 6.

This is not a baby anymore.

Three things.

Verse 5, look at his dignity.

And from Jesus, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, and to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

Now watch.

Three things.

Jesus is the faithful witness who was faithful unto death.

He's the first begotten of the dead.

Look, he was the first to be raised from the dead and never die again.

And then he is the Prince of the Kings.

Each of these titles describes the threefold office of Jesus Christ.

He's telling you who he is in his office.

Prophet.

That's the faithful witness.

Priest, the first begotten of the dead.

King.

The prince of the king of the earth.

Guess what?

I went back to the scripture again.

I got excited about this seven.

He's a seven-way king.

He's a seven-way king.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen.

Hey, he's the king of righteousness.

1 John 2.29.

He's the king of heaven.

Daniel 4.37.

He's the king of the Jews.

Matthew 2.2.

He's the king of Israel.

John 1.49.

He's the king of all the ages.

1 Timothy 1.17.

He's the king of glory.

Psalms 24:7.

Psalms 24:7

And he's the king of kings and the Lord of Lords.

Revelations 19, 6.

He's a seven-way king.

Amen.

Ha ha!

Can you think?

Can you tell?

I'm just a little excited.

I need to work on my enthusiasm.

I can't help it.

Got the king help it.

He is the king.

Now let me ask you, is it the king of your life?

Is the king of my life?

Second thing, look at his deity.

Verse 11, verse 8 and 11.

I am the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning, the end, the verse.

Hey, saith the Lord, which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty.

Verse 11, saying, I am Alpha, Omega, the first and the last, and what thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.

And then he names the seven churches.

The word Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet.

Omega is the last letter.

Now the word alphabet comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.

Alpha beta.

From the alphabet, you form words, and guess what?

Jesus is the Word.

Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He is the only alphabet you can use to communicate with God and reach God.

The only.

There's no other way.

The only language God understands and accepts is the language where the Son, hey, acknowledges the Alpha and all in between Omega.

In other words, what that means, I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Before anything was, I was, and after everything will be, I still will be.

Now, are you ready?

Listen, let me say this.

He is the final goal or destination in which all life is moving, either to be saved by him, judged by him, or ruled by him.

Paul referred to the Lord as the mark he was pressing for.

I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in and through Christ Jesus.

The world began with the Lord and will end with him.

Genesis 1.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

In the end, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Revelation 22, 21.

It started with God, it's going to end with God.

Genesis ends in Revelation.

Are you ready?

Can you handle it?

Genesis 3.17, the ground's cursed.

Revelation 22, 3, there's no more curse.

Genesis 3.17, daily sorrow.

Revelation 21, 4, excuse me, no more sorrow.

Genesis 3.18, thorns and thistles.

21, Revelation 21, 4, no more pain.

Hey, Genesis 3.19, death returns us to dust.

But in Revelation 21, 4, no more death.

Listen, hey, Revelation 3.15, Satan opposing.

Revelations 20.10, Satan banished.

Genesis 3.24, man kept from the tree of life.

Revelation 22, 14, he's given access to the tree.

Genesis 3.23, banished from the garden.

Revelations 22, 14, free entry to God's city.

Hey, Genesis 1.4, division of light and darkness.

Revelation 21, 25, no more night.

There's a song, no more night.

Genesis 1.10, division of land and sea.

Revelation 21, 1, no more sea.

Genesis 1.16, sun and moon created.

Hey, Revelation 21, 23, no need of sun and moon.

Genesis 2, 8 and 9, man is prepared, is a prepared garden.

Revelation 21, 2, man is a prepared city.

Genesis 2, 12, gold in the land.

Revelations 21, 21, gold in the city.

Genesis 3, 15, Redeemer is promised.

Revelations 5, 9, and 10, redemption is accomplished.

Wow.

What a savior.

Folks, do you see it?

The beginning?

The end.

Satan just thought he had won.

But see, I read the last story.

We win.

That's what I meant.

I was going to give you that comparison.

I read the last chapter, the last book.

We win.

Christ is the Alpha and Omega.

Hey, here's the question.

Is he the Al?

Hey.

The Alpha and Omega of your life.

Is he the Alpha or Omega of my life?

Verse 8, he's the Almighty.

You know what that means?

Powerful word there.

It is applied to Jesus.

It's used 48 times in the Old Testament, but it's applied to Jesus here.

It is the Hebrew word.

Are you ready?

Shaddai.

Shaddai.

And it means the sufficient one.

It means the one who satisfies.

Can I get an amen?

He's the only one that satisfies.

Let me tell you, you can't be satisfied, hey, with money, with sex, with drugs, with alcohol.

You can't be satisfied with anything but Jesus.

Psalms 107, verse 9.

Psalms 107:9

He satisfies the longing soul.

He fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Can I get an amen?

Woo! Yes.

It's the same word.

The word Almighty, the Greek word meaning the one of all power, is translated omnipotent.

That's what it means.

The Almighty, powerful God.

And look at C, his description.

His deity?

His dignity?

And now his description.

Verses 13 through 16 and verse 18.

In the midst of the seven candlesticks.

The candlesticks are the churches.

Christ is the center of the church.

You know what that means?

Christ is to be the center of our lives.

Can I get an amen?

When you see the candlesticks, they're always in the center of the church.

Because he's the light of the world.

A light that's set on a hill, what?

Cannot be hid.

So we see that beautiful picture there.

Beautiful.

And he is, hey, not only that, he is found constantly in the center and in the middle position because why?

He's the mediation.

There's one God.

Hey.

One God, one man.

And the mediator between God and man is who?

Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2.5.

Now look at verse 13.

One clothed like the Son of Man.

Is not a, now this is not a grotesque creature.

The title Son of Man appears eight, are you ready?

Eighty times in the four Gospels and the book of Acts in reference to Christ as King of the coming millennial kingdom.

Verse 13, he's clothed with garments down to the feet.

This was the typical clothing of the high priest as they ministered in the holy place in the temple.

Jesus is what?

Our high priest.

Hebrews 4, 14, saying that we have a great high priest that has passed into the heavens.

Jesus, the Son of God.

Let us hold fast his profession.

Look at verse 13.

Girded about the breast with a golden girdle.

You know what that refers to?

A symbol of strength and authority.

Look at verse 14.

Head and hair, white like wool, as white as snow.

This speaks of the ancients, the ancientness and the righteousness of God.

Listen to what Daniel called it.

The ancient of days.

Then look at the other in verse 14.

Eyes like flames of fire.

In the Greek language, this reads, eyes that shoot fire.

Eyes that shoot fire.

It indicates he was angry at something.

You know what he was angry at?

Chapters 2 and 3 reveal his anger.

He was angry with the sin and the apostasy of the seven churches.

He was angry with the church.

Why?

Because it was sinful and lazy and wasn't doing what God had called it to do.

It was not being that, hey, that light that set on a hill that cannot be hid.

Yes.

The Lord's not pleased when we're not what we ought to be.

Can I get an amen?

Let me repeat that.

The Lord's not pleased when we are not what we ought to be.

And then feet like bronze.

Bronze speaks of judgment.

The Lord is not only the judge of the church, he's the judge of the entire world.

Then look at verse 15.

Voice like the sound of many waters.

The sound of Niagara Falls is a deafening roar if you've ever been there.

The voice of the Lord will be a roar at judgment.

Had seven stars in his right hand.

Verse 16.

These stars are angels or messengers.

Out of the mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.

The word of God is described as a two-edged sword, Hebrews 4, 12.

There's no defense against the word of God.

Hallelujah.

Let me repeat that.

There's no defense against the word of God.

It's quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

It will accomplish where he sends it in Isaiah 55, 11.

Then look.

Countenance as the Son, John's response to the glory of Christ.

Look at verse 17.

The fall down as a dead man.

Are you ready for this?

When you come into the presence of the real awesome glory of God, let me tell you what's going to happen.

You're going down.

Remember in the garden?

When all that 600 soldiers came to get him.

Thought he was a swordsman instead of fisherman.

Cut Malchus's ear off.

Somebody said, Boy, he was a great swordsman.

Cutting the guy's ear.

He wasn't aiming for the ear, he was aiming for the head.

And Jesus turned and he said, I am.

Bam! They all hit the ground.

You come into his real presence, folks, and his real glory, you're going down.

You're gonna honor him, you're gonna bow before him, you're gonna call him king.

Amen.

And then verse 18.

I am he that liveth the dead, and behold, I'm alive forevermore.

Amen.

And have the keys of hell and death.

Woo! Hey, you know what he's talking about here?

Now nobody deals with this either.

All right, but I got to.

Give me another five minutes.

We'll make it.

We'll make it.

Woo! You know about you through the whole first chapter.

That's unbelievable.

Now watch, watch.

Men for centuries have sought the key to life and death.

But Christ holds it.

Watch this.

Jesus has the key to hell, Hades.

Now watch the word Hades.

Hmm, you're gonna love this.

I'm gonna explain it to you.

Now, hey, wake up.

Listen.

A lot of people get nobody's asleep.

Hey, hey, no, I don't want you to get confused about it.

A lot of people mess this up.

It's so simple.

Now watch.

Men for centuries, all right, have sought the key to life, but now watch what Jesus says.

Jesus says, hey, I hold the keys to Hades.

I hold the keys to hell.

Now, the word Hades is a New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew word sheol.

Both of these words describe the abode of departed spirits, people that have died.

Okay?

When Jesus died on the cross, his body went to this place called Hades.

Now watch.

Ephesians 4 9.

Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

Corruption.

In other words, where did he descend to?

Hades.

Now watch.

This is good.

There are two parts of Hades.

One area was a place of torment and fire.

This is where the wicked and unbelievers went after death.

The rich man died and went to the tormented part of Hades.

Are you with me?

Everybody say, uh-huh.

Are you with me?

Okay?

The rich man died and went to this area.

Now Luke 16.

The other area is called paradise of Hades.

Or it's called Abraham's bosom or paradise.

And was separated by a great divide or guth.

This is where the righteous dead were comforted.

This is where Jesus went, not to the area of fire.

In other words, for all the Old Testament saints that died in the Old Testament, they went to paradise.

They went to that safe place in Hades.

You with me?

Now let's read Luke 16 and watch.

Luke 16, 23 through 26.

Notice the verses about Hades, the area of torment.

And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.

That's the rich man.

Seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and coo my tongue, for I'm tormented in this flame.

That's the tormented part of Hades.

But Abraham said, verse 25, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest the good things, and likewise Lazarus receiveth things, but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there's that great guff fix.

There it is.

So that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Hades, the heir of paradise, Luke 23, 43.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today they shall be with me in paradise.

Know what he told the thief on the call cross?

You're going with me to paradise.

I can't wait to get to heaven.

I want to ask the thief.

What a ride.

Then he took a ride down.

You talking about a roller coaster.

Get everybody! We're gone.

And ever since then, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Are you ready for this?

To be absent from the body.

We're not going to no safe place.

Right where they all are.

Can I get an amen?

Can I get an amen?

And let me fill in the other two blanks.

And I'm through.

Woo! Man, that's good.

Number eight, the perception of Christ.

Basically, we talk here on verse 7 about the clouds.

Everywhere you see clouds in the Old Testament, it kind of represented God guiding Israel.

And then, 1 Thessalonians 4, the clouds.

He's coming in the clouds to rapture his church.

Can I get an amen?

Woo! Yes.

And then number nine, the prison and persecution of John, and that's pretty simple.

He was exiled to the island of Patmos, the king at the time.

How did you pronounce his name, honey?

Domenton?

You don't remember?

I think it's Domenton.

He was the first Roman emperor that really killed, went after the Christians.

And killed, I mean, just for 15 years tormented him unbelievably.

So he thought he was he was doing, you know, tormenting and getting rid of the Christians, especially John, when he put him on the island of Patmos, but instead he blessed him and he wrote the greatest book ever written for the future and the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Powerful.

And then the last thing, the plan of the book, verse 19 and 20.

Look at this.

By the way, let me tell you what I saw about that.

We're almost through.

And I wrote this to me because I I've been here so many times.

About to miss the most important.

Thank you, Lord, the star.

Let me tell you my own personal life.

I have found since I've been called into ministry.

Sometimes I have found that the great blessings come to me in some of the most unexpected ways.

John was not expecting to be blessed on the island of Patmos.

It was a horrible island.

The stuff there that went on, the beating, it was horrible.

Just do a study and you'll see it.

In fact, I thought about Paul's thorn.

If Paul had not had the thorn in the flesh, it was a channel for more grace from God.

John's tribulations in the end brought double blessings in his life.

Job's tribulations in the end brought double blessings in his life.

Joseph's trauma in the pit brought in the Joseph's trauma in the pit of prison brought him to second in command in the palace.

Wow.

And then Paul's turmoil in the dungeon of Philibi led to the opportunity to praise the Lord and salvation of the jailer and his family.

So sometimes our blessings come from unexpected situations.

Can I get an amen?

And then the last thing, here it is.

Look at verse 19 and 20.

Wow, this is so good.

Here's the purpose.

He laughs lines it in the last two verses.

Write these things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Here it is.

Three things.

The past, the things that thou hast seen is chapter one.

The present, the things which are.

We'll see that in chapters two and three.

And then the future, the things which shall be hereafter.

Chapters four through twenty two.

And the the question about the stars there, the seven stars are angels.

Some believe they could have been the pastors to the church because they proclaimed.

I think they're angels.

And let me tell you why.

Angels are assigned to all nations, Daniel 10, 13.

Angels minister to us, Hebrews 1.14.

Angels, hey, Christians have angels assigned to them.

Are you ready?

Matthew 18, 10.

And angels are present in church services.

Listen to this, Benji, and are concerned about the progress of the church.

Hebrews 13, 2, 1 Peter 1, 12.

Wow.

So I close with this.

Men have constantly proven their stupidity.

2 Peter 3, 3 and 4, knowing the first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lust and saying, Where's, hey, where is the promise of his coming?

Hey, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue and they were from the beginning of the creation.

You know what the people say?

This is ridiculous.

Y'all reading a fairy tale book, it's not gonna happen.

Hey, they've been saying that for over 2,000 years.

It ain't gonna happen.

It's just a fairy tale.

Hey, is that not stupidity?

Yes.

But let me prove that.

Are you ready?

The editor in charge of business books from Princeton Hall stated in 1957, I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best of the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year.

How stupid.

Western Union said in 1876, this telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a meaning of communication.

The device is inherently of no value to us.

David Cernoff urged his associates to invest in the radio in the 1920s.

Here is their response.

The wireless music box has no imaginable, hey, commercial value.

Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?

Lord Kevin, Kelvin, president of the Royal Society, said in 1895, heavier than air flying machines are impossible.

Okay, folks.

Listen to me.

If you're saying this is not gonna happen, I got news for you.

It's going to happen.

And it's gonna happen shortly.

Are you ready?

Are you ready for this end?

It's coming.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at TheChurch at CW.

Need prayer or more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at cw dot com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.