The Revelator...Revealed, Part 2

When I read Revelation chapter 1, I'm comforted because I see my God. I see him as I've never seen him before. And it gives me great comfort to know that he's in control. I don't have anything to worry about because he's bringing about his purposes, he's going to accomplish his will. And as I read this, I'm encouraged, as I'm sure the people in those seven churches. We were encouraged. After John received that vision, we saw last week his reaction to the Revelator. We want to go back to that and look at that this evening and move from his reaction to the revelator to number two, the reassurance from the revelator.

And then our responsibility before the Revelator. Those are our three points. You can follow along in your notes. Hopefully you'll take some notes and learn some things this evening as we once again look at Revelation chapter 1.

And we want to begin by looking at the reaction to the Revelator, and that's in verse number 17, the first part.

It says, and when I saw him, I fell at his feet as a dead man. I want you to notice the reaction on Patmos and then the reaction.

In the past from others. But first of all, here on Patmos, here is John exiled all by himself. And here he is. And he receives this glorified vision. It must have been something. It was out of this world, but it must have been absolutely astounding to this man. But he was so overtaken by the vision of the glorified Christ, it says that he fell on his face. As a dead man, great fear overcame this great apostle. And you'd think that John, who knew the Lord so well, because he ministered alongside of him.

Would have an almost friendly kind of exchange with his Savior. But it helps us to understand the superficiality of today's Christianity. as we look at God and treat Him with such friv and treat Him on such a plane that is so superficial.

That's because we haven't grasped the glorified Christ. That's because we haven't come to grips with who He is. Because if we did, the only proper response would be to fall on our face before him and recognize our sinfulness because we saw his holiness. You see, as you go through the Bible, I want to take you back into the past. Because as you go through the Bible, what happens? You see, people, when they see the glorified Christ, real Their sinfulness. Job 42: Job said, My eyes have finally seen thee.

I have heard of you with the hearing of my ear. But now my eyes have seen thee. Therefore, I what? I repent. In dust and ashes. I repent. Why? Because, Lord, I deserve to die. I deserve to be death. Why? Because of my sin. He too saw a sin, and Job was the most righteous man on the face of the earth. You see, these aren't just average Joe B Christian walking down the street. I mean, we got Ezekiel, we got Isaiah, we got Daniel, we got Paul, we have Manoah. We have Job, the most righteous man on the face of the earth.

These are great men of God who have nothing. To say, but fall on their faces before the living God. Even in Matthew 17:6, when the Lord was on earth, he unveiled his flesh. For a moment on the Mount of Transfiguration. And the disciples there, it says in Matthew 17:6, they too fell on their face. That's all, that's the proper response. You see that? John had the proper response. What else was he going to do? See, we had this idea that we can go into the throne of God and stand there and just have a great communication with God Almighty.

Because we think we're pretty good. And yet, when these people saw God, it was a totally different picture than what most of us give today. In terms of what the scriptures say is the truth, I'm not sure that we have understood the vision of Revelation chapter 1 until we have John's response. I don't know what your response has been, but I'm not sure that we really grasp this vision until we fall on our face before him with fear in our hearts. See, but Pastor, we're Christians, man. We're not supposed to have fear in our hearts.

Really? Who told you that? God didn't tell you that. Read Psalm 130, verse number 4. There is forgiveness with thee. There is forgiveness with thee. God grants forgiveness. Are you ready for this? That thou mayest be feared. Do you know why God saves you? So you might fear him. That's why. 1 Peter 1:17, conduct yourselves in the fear of God. 1 Peter 2:1, honor all men and fear God. Ecclesiastes 12, 13, fear God and keep his commandments. Proverbs 23, 17, be in the fear of God all day long. Proverbs 28, 14, blessed is the man that fears always.

You want to be blessed? You want to experience the blessing of God? Understand that we are to live in the fear of God always. Is it any wonder that our churches in America are as superficial as they are? Because the glory of the Lord is not being preached. And when God's glory is not being preached and emphasized, people don't know how to respond properly or respond biblically. John understood what it meant to fall on his face before God. That's the reaction to the Revelator. Which leads us to point number two: the reassurance from the Revelator.

And boy, this is really good. He says, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Do not be Afraid. Boy, that's great, man. The Lord touches them like the Lord touched Isaiah. And the Lord says, do not be afraid. In Matthew 17, the Mount of Transfiguration, the Lord touched. His disciples. It's the touch of comfort. It's a familiar touch. John had experienced it sixty-five years earlier. The point being is that when you're overwhelmed by God's holiness and all you see is your sinfulness. God at that point reaches out and touches you as you've never been touched before.

And that is just so good. The command is really, John, stop fearing. Stop it, John. There's no need to fear. Because of who I am. A command given by God, first of all, to Abraham in Genesis chapter 15, verse number 1.

Seven times it was given to Isaiah in John chapter 12, verse number 15, when the Lord came into Jerusalem. Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming. Seated on a donkey's colt. And Christ comes to John and tells him, You no longer need to be afraid, John. Because of who I am. And he reassures John. And the reassurance he gives John is the reassurance that we need to have. That when we respond to God properly in fear, this is what He does. He touches us, He reassures us, and He moves us on to greater service for Him, as we will see at the close of our time together this evening.

Me. If you want to be moved to greater service for God, you need to see him for who he is. Let him touch you. And upon that touch comes the reassurance that he gives. And this is powerful. Four things I want you to notice.

Number one: his unfathomable eternality. What's he say? I am the first and the last and the living one.

Upon receiving the touch from the Lord God, he hears those familiar words: E, am, I am. I am. John heard those words in Matthew chapter 14 when Christ calmed the sea, when he said, Behold. I am. Stop being afraid. So John had heard those words before. From the great I am. Who is the I am? That's a personal name for God. That's the name God gave Himself when Moses came to Him in Exodus chapter 3. It's his redemptive name. Who am I going to say sent me? Moses cried. And God said, You tell him, I am.

Sent you. I'm the Redeemer of all men, and I will redeem my people. The great I am is the one who is sending you, Jesus Christ. Touches John amidst his fears and says, John, there is comfort here. There is comfort because of who I am. I am the first.

And the last, I am the Living One. The Living One. He says, I'm God. I am God. John:, I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the one who gives life because I am the living one. Be comforted because of who I am. Let the churches know who I am because their comfort will come from he who is from everlasting to everlasting. The one that never wears out. The one that never gets old. The one who was always there. And point number two: his unimaginable humility.

Look what it says. It says, I am the first and the last and the living one, and I was what? Was dead. You say, wait a minute, if he's a living one, how can he be the dead one? What does that mean? What kind of reassurance does that give to John? It's unimaginable humility. Something that we have a hard time grasping. The text literally says, I bec de. The living God, who could never die, humbled himself and became man that he might become dead. God did not cease to live, but the man Jesus Christ.

Died. Remember the phrase over in 1 Peter 3:1? Dead in the flesh, but al in the spirit. When Jesus Christ came to earth, he enra himself, he enfleshed him. That he might take on the form of a man, in order that he might be able to experience what you and I experience, in order that he might die. You see, because he's God, he can't die. But when he became a man, That man could die, and that man would die for the sins of man. It's an unimaginable humility. Something that we have a hard time grasping, that the Son of God in all of his glory would lay those attributes aside, come down to where we are, tabernacle among us.

Feel what we feel. Experience what we experience. Be tempted at all points as we are tempted, that he might be the redeemer of our souls. That's the living God. That's the one who became dead. He was put to death in the flesh. Than'o, which means to die. We get our English word phan, which is the study of death. We know that he died. Read John 19, 31 to 37. It confirms the fact that Jesus Christ him died. But the text says that he was made alive, 1 Peter 3:18, in the Spirit. No article there in the Greek.

That means his spirit was always alive. His flesh died, but his spirit, the part of him that was God, was always alive. That's important to note. Because we need to understand that Jesus Christ Himself was fully God, and yet he was also fully man. And Peter makes the contrast between what happened to Jesus Christ in the flesh and what happened to his sp. Jesus Christ Himself abolished death. It's a word that means to make inoperative. That does not mean that death doesn't exist. No, death exists.

But through the death of Jesus Christ, what he did was take the power out of death, take the sting out of death, and he removed that from the believer. So that the believer would understand that death is no longer a dreaded enemy, but a welcomed friend. I wonder if you welcome death as a friend. Most of us don't like to look at it that way.

But that's the way Jesus Christ would welcome it. That's the way John would welcome it, I mean, Paul would welcome it. For to me to live as Christ and to die is what? The pits. That's not what he said. To die is gain. Folks, I'm afraid that a lot of us as Christians. Fear death more than we fear God. And that's a problem because that robs me of my joy. That robs me of what God has for me. You see that? And Christ says, John, I know you're up in age.

You're almost 80 years, you're in your 80s. You're almost 90 years old, John. And I know you're going to die, but I'm alive forevermore. I'm the living one. I have immortality. And guess what, John? So do you. You have immortality. Because if you die, All it does is pass you on to the better life. That you might live forever with me. John, you're immortal as I now am immortal. Your flesh is going to die, but your spirit will live with me forever. And one day you'll have a new body because I will resurrect that old body and I will create it brand new.

And that's the reassurance. No matter what we go through, we real that it's God Himself who is the Living One, who is alive. Forevermore. It says in John 14, because he lives, we shall live also. We shall live also. And so Jesus says, Fear not, John, because death was unable to hold me.

The stone, the seal, the soldiers, and Satan could not keep me. In the grave. Because I am the first and the last.

I am the living one. I became dead, John, for you. I did what no one else could do for you, John. And yet, behold, I am the Immortal One. I am the Living One. Undeniable immortality. And that was passed on to John. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is so p. In our lives. And then, fourthly, unquestionable sovereignty. He says, I have the keys to death in Hades. Death and Hades are synonymous, but to make a distinction, death is the condition, Hades is the place. Death, as you recall, is separation.

Hades is a place where those who are separated from God go. Keys give one access. Keys give one authority, give them the power to open and to close. And Christ says, I have unquestionable sovereignty.

Because I hold the keys, John, both to death and to Hades. I decide when one dies, I decide where one d, and I decide where one lives, because everything revolves around me. Unquestionable sovereignty. The Holy God in the form of the living, glorified Christ. Reaches down, touches John, and says this: John, I have determined your destiny. You belong to me. I've paid the price for your sins. Nothing can happen to you. No one can harm you unless I allow them to, because I have unquestionable. Sovereignty.

Jesus Christ, because he's risen from the dead, controls all things. Isn't that true that while he was on earth, he proved that authority? He did it in Matthew 9 when he raised Jairus's daughter. He did it in Luke 7 when he raised the widow's son at Nain. He did it in John 11 when he raised Lazarus. And of course, in John 11:2, he said, I am the resurrection and I am the life. And he would say that if I give you my life, If I give it to you, that you might take it, I will raise it up again. Because he holds the keys to death and Hades.

The implications of that are far-reaching. Far reaching. As I sat and talked with Ben Enrique this evening about the condition of his wife as she laid there recuperating, not having woken up from surgery yet. I talked about the destiny of his wife and his destiny. And you know, as well as I know that Betty and Ben Enrique are a dear, dear couple who love the Lord tremendously. But he realizes the sovereignty of God is unquestionable. And he realized that everything happened in God's timing. That his wife won't go home to be with the Lord unless God says it's time.

And he's ready to rejoice. His wife said to him yesterday before she had an operation, she says, if Jesus decides to take me home to be with him tonight, I'll be looking for you. Isn't that good? I'll be looking for you. I wonder if that's your attitude about death. More than likely, it's not. I don't mean that in a condemnatory kind of way, just that most of us don't like to think about death. But do we look at it from the standpoint of God's perspective?

Here is the living God of the universe who has unquestionable sovereignty. He holds the keys. Nothing happens. No door opens unless he opens it. No one else can open the doors. He holds the keys to death and the Hades. He said in Matthew 28:18, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. I have all authority. Nobody can question my authority. No one can doubt my authority. I have it all. 1 Peter 3:2, angels and authorities and powers have been subjected to Him. And over in Ephesians chapter 1, verse number 20, it says these words.

About the power of Christ, which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority, and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age. But also in the one to come. And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him as head over all things to the church. That's Christ. He has unquestionable sovereignty, unquestionable authority, because he is the king of the universe.

So he says, John, fear not. Don't be afraid. No need be. Why? Because I am the first and the last, the living one.

I became dead. But behold, I am alive forevermore, and I am the one who holds the keys to death in the Hades. Point number three, the responsibility before the Revelator.

Verse number 19, Revelation chapter 1. Reads as follows. Write, therefore, the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. Christ says, okay, John, get up.

Get up off your feet, John. It's time for you to do something. I have a specific responsibility for you, John. And that is, you need to communic the Christ. I am commissioning you to do one thing, John, to write these things down. Write down Therefore, the things which you have seen. What are those? The things that you just see? Of the glorified Lord of the universe. You write these things down, John. And then you write down the things which are. And that's in verses chapter 2 and chapter 3. And then he says, you write down the things that are going to take place after these things.

That's chapter 4 down through chapter 22, verse number 21. John, you have a duty. John, you have a responsibility. This is what you need to do. You need to get up, you need to write, because people need to see what you saw. People need to read what you saw. They need to understand where you are coming from. They need encouragement. They need comfort. And this will give them what they need. Because, what I'm about to tell you and what I'm about to reveal to you is going to be so all-encompassing, so over, you need to understand it.

But it's all based off of this chapter, what you have just seen, and who I am. John was given a commission. And there's a similar challenge to you and me, is there not? Revelation chapter 1, verse number 3. What to say? It says, Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near. Here's the point. Any man, any woman, boy, girl, who has experienced God, who has seen God, who has experienced the touch of God. Has the exact same duty that John has.

And that's to pass it on to other people. John had to pass it on. He couldn retain it, he couldn't hold on to it. It wasn't for him and God only. He had to let other people know what he had experienced. He had to let other people know what he had seen. He had to somehow relay that encouragement to other people so that they might be comforted. Our responsibility as we read, as we hear, and as we heed God's Word, once God's Word grips you, You can't hold it in. You got to tell somebody else. Testify to the things that you have seen and heard, and you will learn.

Let me ask you a question. If you don't want to tell other people about Jesus Christ and who he is and what he's done, don't come anymore on Wednesday nights. Don't come. Because if you come, you will hear. And if you hear, you will see. And if you see, you will be gripped. And the responsibility will be yours to tell other people. And you won't be able to help not to, because Jesus Christ will compel you from the inside out. So, unless you're willing to tell other people, don't come anymore, because God's going to change your life, He'll transform it, He'll do for you through this study what He will do for you.

More than any other study. Guaranteed. Let's pray.