Introduction

Revelation 1:4-8 ESV  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  (5)  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  (6)  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  (7)  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.  (8)  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

• Well church, we are only four verses into revelation and we are already going to get into some deep theology and figurative language.
  • And what you will learn today, and as we go through the prophecy that is Revelation, is that though there are some deep things being talked about… the application to your life… the way you apply it in the here in now, is almost always simple and straightforward.
  • When I say “Open your Bible, read it, and do what it says”, I don’t intend to give you a challenge, or ask of you something difficult…
    • Rather, I think that the charge “Open your Bible, Read it, and Do what it Says” is a simple one that is easily accomplished if we would just chose to do it.
      • You know, one of the easiest things I ever did was skydive…
        • Though I am terrified of heights…
        • It was easy, I was strapped to a professional, all I had to do was fall out of a plane, the professional skydiver did the rest… easy.
        • The hard part was not the act, but the choice! I had to CHOSE to do it…
    • And that is what you will learn as a Christian… Satan tries to make the choice hard… he tries to tell you scripture is scary and will hurt if you try to obey…
      • He tries to talk you out of it, distract you from it…
    • But once you make the choice, once you decide “I am just going to do what the Bible tells me to do” then things become much simpler, because it is no longer us who lives, but Christ in us… the professional doing it all for us… We just have to chose to obey.
• All that to say, there is some figurative language here that we need to unwrap so lets do it… lets dive in… but before we do, let’s pray.

Revelation 1:4a ESV  John to the seven churches that are in Asia…

• If asked “Who is the book of revelation written to” you might answer “The seven churches in Asia at the time” and you would be right… but only partly right.
  • Because Revelation 1:4 certainly says that, and in chapters 2-3 we are going to hear specific instructions to seven specific churches.
• But what about verse 1 that says:

Revelation 1:1a ESV  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place…

• Here it says that the book of Revelation is for Christ’s servants… that would include you and me, it wouldn’t be limited to a few church’s in Asia, right… and even if it was, then that would make the book of Revelation not all that useful to us today, but as we know ALL of scripture is profitable for the believer…
• So what’s going on here, is Revelation for the seven churches of Asia or for all believers… and I think the answer is YES. It’s for both.
  • There were seven real churches that had real issues in Asia that needed to be addressed.
  • But those issues apply to churches everywhere…
    • Furthermore, the number Seven is almost always used in the Bible to indicate completeness…
      • Creation was completed on the 7^th day.
      • Jericho’s walls fell on the 7^th day.
      • The priest of the Old Testament would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice 7 times for the nations sins.
      • 7 days were required to be made completely clean after becoming unclean.
      • The festivals take 7 days to be complete.
      • In fact, the number 7 is found 50 times in the book of revelation and almost always means perfection or completeness.
    • So could it be that the seven churches represent ALL the churches of the world, throughout time since Christ rose again?
      • I also find it interesting that as each of the Seven churches are addressed in the following 2 chapters, their address is concluded with the universal statement “Whoever has an ear, let him hear” meaning “This is for everyone”.
    • And I further find it compelling that after chapter 3, none of the seven churches in Asia are mentioned again.
  • All of this tells me that when John writes to the 7 churches we are to take this both literally and figuratively. 7 real churches AND all of the universal church. This book was written to us.
• But who was it written by?

Revelation 1:4-5a ESV  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  (5)  and from Jesus Christ…

• Well, it was written by God the Father, the Great I AM, who was and is and is to come.
  • Also in verse 5 we see it was written by Jesus Christ, the son of God and God Himself…
• But what is this oddity here… The Seven Spirits who are before the throne?
  • Now logically speaking this is where the Holy Spirit’s name should go…
    • We have the Father, we have the Son… and we have the “Seven Spirits”… huh? I thought we served a Triune God, not a Nonaune God!
  • But, as with the Seven Churches, we can look at the Seven Churches and see the number Seven as perfection… thus we COULD take the seven spirits to mean the Perfect Sprit before the throne. Which makes sense in this context…
    • But as a Biblical literalist, I still found this argument weak…
    • And whenever, church, you are studying scripture and you come to an interpretive struggle like this, let me give you a pro-tip, let scripture interpret it’self…
      • Because Revelation wasn’t written in a vacuum!
    • So, if the Seven Spirits refers to the Holy Spirit then there should be some evidence of that in the rest of scripture… and wouldn’t you know it, there sure is.
  • In Zechariah 4:2-9 the Holy Spirit is referred to as 7 lampstands that, themselves are a part of and make up one lampstand. And that this lamp of 7 in one brings light to the world…
  • But even MORE telling is Isaiah 11:2 which I think makes it really clear:

Isaiah 11:2 ESV  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 the fear of the LORD.

• The Holy Spirit is here is described as:
  • The Spirit of the Lord
  • The Spirit of wisdom
  • The Spirit of Understanding
  • The Spirit of counsel
  • The Spirit of Might
  • The Spirit of Knowledge
  • The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
• That’s seven Spirits! So when we look at the FULLNESS of scripture we see that it is not outlandish to describe the Holy Spirit as seven spirits.
• Thus we have the full introduction to the book of revelation, a book written by a complete God head to the full church that serves that Godhead.
  • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… the complete Godhead…
    • Writing to the Seven churches in Asia, the complete church…
• But what I want you to take away from this message today is how YOU, you as an individual, are described as God introduces this book, this prophecy to us.

Point One– You are Loved

Revelation 1:5 ESV  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

• Church, I want you to always know that God loves you.
  • In every situation, in every moment, you are loved.
    • You are BELOVED!
      • Now this doesn’t mean you are in right standing with God at every moment.
      • And it doesn’t mean God is happy with you all the time.
      • It’s not an excuse for sin, nor is it a get out of jail free card.
  • But it is absolutely a reality. God loves you. We are defined by His love.

John 3:16 ESV  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 ESV  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:16 ESV  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Psalms 86:15 ESV  But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

• Listen to me, YOU ARE LOVED.
  • YOU ARE LOVED.
    • Whether you feel like it or not, you ARE loved.
    • To deny that you are loved is to deny Scripture.
• And I understand that some of you find it hard to feel loved…
  • And you don’t feel worthy to be loved.
    • And the truth is, your not… your not worthy to be loved.
    • But God loves you know the less… because His love for you supersedes your worthlessness.
      • His love is greater than your failures.
      • His love is greater than your weaknesses.
      • His love is greater than your anxieties…
    • That does not mean that your failures, your weaknesses, your anxieties are not real… it just means that God’s love is bigger than them. YOU ARE LOVED.
  • And if you have been denying God’s love to you, then you need to be down here at the altar repenting… repenting for deny the Love of the Father… because God is Love.

1 John 4:7-8 ESV  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  (8)  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

• And when you are done repenting for denying the love of the father, begin rejoice for the love of the father!

Psalms 136:26 ESV  Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Point Two – You are Free

Revelation 1:5 ESV  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

• So as we are described in the introduction of Revelation we are described as being loved, then we are described as being free…
  • Particularly free from sin.
    • Not free TO sin, but free from sin.
  • Because the bible describes Sin as a slave-master… beating us with the whip, treating us like dirt, making us suffer day in and day out with no rest, no hope, no life…
    • And because of Christ’s blood on Calvary we are free from that cruel master, we are free from sin.

Romans 6:6 ESV  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Romans 6:18 ESV  and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

1 John 3:9 ESV  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 John 5:18 ESV  We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

• To be free from sin… to be free from the bondage of sin… and then to go back to your sin…
  • That is a foolish as a slave escaping his cruel master, then latter going back and saying “Hey, can you whip me some more… can you beat me… I just want to work in the field and suffer someone”.
  • To be free from sin and to return is to be sick, really sick…
    • Your stomach is churching because there is bacteria or a virus in there that NEEDS to get out…
    • You get green, you get nauseous… then finally, after heaving for a few moments…your body triumphantly expels the wicked contents of your stomach…
    • You feel better, you feel refreshed… it’s finally out…
    • And then what do you do… you start looking at your pile of vomit… you start desiring it… then you put your face down in it and start slurping it up!
      • THAT’S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU RETURN TO YOUR SIN.

2 Peter 2:20-22a ESV  For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  (21)  For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  (22a)  What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit…”

• If you are continuing to struggle with sin… if you keep going back to your old master… the time to repent is NOW…
  • You need to be up at this altar. Deal with it right now.
    • And if you are dealing with an addiction, something that is physically addictive like pornography, drugs, or alcohol… you need to, as part of your repentance, seek help… so when you are done at the altar you need to go and talk to Pastor Jared, Elizabeth, Mike, or Tina… confess, and ask for help and we will get you into Christian accountability to help you walk in freedom and never return to that vomit.

James 5:16 ESV  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Point Three – You are Called

Revelation 1:6 ESV  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• So church, you are loved, you are free… but you are also commissioned.
  • What do I mean by that… well here in verse 6 we see that we, all of us, have become priests to God the Father…
    • Now to be loved is to receive affection from the father. That is something we receive.
    • To be free is a state of being, no longer slaves to sin, now we are free from sin. To be free is our current state.
    • But to be a priest… that, church, is a job title… not something you are or something you receive… but something you do.
  • There is no such thing as a priest in name only, a priest is a calling, it is a job, it is a commission.
    • Now my question is, are you getting up and going to work in the morning… or are you phoning it in.
• Do you wake up and say “What are today my priestly duties” or are you only concerned with your earthly and fleshly duties… taking care of your job and your home and your finances…
  • Because we are called PRIESTS… that means we are commissioned.

Ephesians 4:11-14 ESV  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,  (12)  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  (13)  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  (14)  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

• What is your calling, dear priest?
  • Are you called ot be an apostle? A prophet? And Evangelist? A pastor? A Teacher?
  • Or maybe you are a saint called to do the work of the ministry…
    • Maybe your calling is to sacrificially give…
    • Or to serve in this area or that area…
      • But you need to know your calling.

John 10:27 ESV  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

• Are you hearing the voice of God? Do you know your calling? If not, this altar is open, get up here… get praying… and listen… I believe God will speak to you!
• And if you have heard your calling before, then that is your calling now, it doesn’t change…

Romans 11:29 ESV  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

• Some of y’all need to repent for running from your calling.
  • And the devil is sitting back laughing because he has convinced you to work in a job you were never called to do.
  • Make the devil shut up this morning, and get to the altar and repent for running from what you KNOW God has called you to do.

Conclusion

Revelation 1:4-8 ESV  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  (5)  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  (6)  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  (7)  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.  (8)  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Preachers commentary says this on this passage:

Let me make a final reflection upon this passage. Notice that in the New Testament world of thought we make discoveries about who we are while we are pondering the revelation of who God is. We discover our own belovedness when we perceive the love of God. When we catch a vision of God’s love for all the earth, we then catch a clear and awesome vision of our task toward the creation as His priests. When we discover that all of history is bounded by the decision of God, we are set free from the need to panic about our own generation; instead, we are challenged to take hold of our time as disciples of Jesus Christ. What we do and say has lasting significance because of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion here

• Gospel Call