The Lord of the Candlesticks

Transcription

1 Sunday August 21, 2016 Phone: Pastor David Miklas Message: Book of Revelation 1-5 Text: Revelation 1:9-20 The Lord of the Candlesticks INTRODUCTION: Today as we return to Revelation chapter 1, please follow as I read from verses I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (11) Saying, I am Alpha and 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; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (Now without doing injustice to our text, perhaps you would better understand the word candlesticks by using the word lampstands.) (13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. (14) His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; (15) And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (16) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (19) Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; (20) 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. Again turning your attention to verse 19, to the best of my knowledge the Book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible that contains an inspired outline of the contents. "The Things Which Thou Hast Seen" - Vision of the Son of Man chapter 1. "The Things Which Are" - Messages to the Seven Churches chapters 2-3. "The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter" - chapters Now from the passage before us, let me focus your attention on two areas: FIRST - Notice the Churches are the Candlesticks: In verse 11 we read, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. In verse 20 we read, 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. Page 1

2 It is believed that the seven angels represent the pastors of the seven churches. These seven churches are pictured as candlesticks, each giving light in a dark world. The Gospel of John speaks of Jesus as the light. In John 1:4 we read, In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men. In John 1:9 we read of Jesus, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. In John 8:12 we read, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Candlesticks light our way at night. When Christ was banished from the world; the world was plunged into darkness; however, the candlesticks, representing the churches, have thrown their light on His perfections. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The light is the Lord's, not the churches, and the purpose of the light is to bring glory to the Father in heaven. The responsibility of Christians is to let a lost world see the light of the glory of God. The ultimate success or failure of our ministry and our lives depends upon that focus. Here Christ chose seven representative churches and addressed himself to them. It has been suggested that the listing of these seven churches appear in the sacred record to accomplish at least three purposes: 1. The contemporary purpose: That Christ gave a direct message to seven actual literal churches existing in Asia Minor at that time. 2. The composite purpose: That these messages are meant to be applied by all churches existing in all ages. 3. The chronological purpose: That the characteristics of these churches serve as a prophetical preview of the seven great periods in Christendom from Pentecost to the Rapture. Here is a brief overview of each of these churches. The church at Ephesus in 2:1-8 was known as the "Apostolic Church" from A.D. This church had a program, but it came up short having left its first love. In verse 7 it was commanded to "Repent or be removed." The church at Smyrna in 2:9-11 was known as the "Persecuted Church" from A.D. This was a faithful church in the midst of persecution that needed no commendation to repent. The church at Pergamum in 2:12-17 was known as the "State Church" from A.D. This church tolerated false teachers and soon sank into demon worship. In verse 16 it was told to "Repent, or else." The church at Thyatira in 2:18-29 was known as the "Papal Church" during the time of the dark ages from A.D. Here was a church that was dominated by "Idolatry" and in verse 22 was also told to "Repent of their deed." The church at Sardis in 3:1-6 was known as the "Reformed Church" during the period of the Reformation from A.D. Here was a church that had a name but it was spiritually dead and as such was also commanded to "Repent" in verse 3. Page 2

3 The church at Philadelphia in 3:7-13 was known as the "Missionary Church" during the period from A.D. Here was a faithful church that God set before an open door with no rebuke to repent. The church at Laodicea in 3:14-22 is known as the "Apostate Church" during these last days from 1900 until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This church is so self-satisfied, Jesus is standing on the outside knocking to be let in, and in verse 19 He likewise commands this church to "Repent." As you read Revelation 2-3 you will note some similarities of each letter to the churches. Each letter begins with a description of Christ. Each letter ends with encouragement during their time of persecution to become overcomers. Each letter contains this statement, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. In five of the letters, Jesus tells them to Repent. Repent or else was Christ s last admonition to the church. In the book of Acts we discovered the normal "Spirit-filled" church had genuine WORSHIP, PREACHING, FELLOWSHIP and EVANGELISM. Christ was being exalted and souls were being saved. But in Revelation chapters 2-3 we see the churches NOT IN REVIVAL, but IN NEED OF REVIVAL! The greatest need of the church today is not more members, buildings, numbers or money. The supreme issue is REPENTANCE and REVIVAL. The church and the individuals of that church need nothing less than a new beginning, including obedience to God, breaking of heart, and falling down before the Lord of the Candlesticks. SECOND - Notice the Lord of the Candlesticks: The first and foremost important thing which John saw in his Patmos revelation was a vision of Christ Himself. Let me remind you that the book of Revelation is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the person from the prophecy, for without the person there could be no fulfillment of the prophecy. "Christ is not incidental to its action; He is its chief subject." Revelation 1-3 speaks of Christ as the exalted priest ministering to the churches. Revelation 4-5 shows Christ in heaven as the glorified Lamb of God, reigning on the throne. Revelation 6-18 pictures Christ as the Judge of all the earth. Revelation 19 shows Christ returning to earth as the conquering King of Kings. Revelation reveals Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, and His Bride, the church, in the glorious heavenly city. In Revelation 1:12-16 John experienced the presence of Jesus as we shall see Him some day. Every stroke of the Spirit's brush has a meaning. In verse 13: John saw Him in a long flowing robe that speaks of His Greatness. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 6:1 I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train (robe) filled the temple. In verse 13: The golden girdle (sash) across His chest is a symbol of His Righteousness. Here He is clothed in majesty. Isaiah said, in Isaiah 11:5, And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins (waist). Page 3

4 In verse 14: His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow refers to Christ s Antiquity, His dignity that speaks of wisdom and experience of character. In verse 14: His eyes like a flame of fire speaks of His Omniscience. In Hebrews 4:13 we read, Neither is there any creature that is not manifest (hidden) in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. He looks into the deepest depths of the soul, penetrating every thought and motive. In verse 15: "His feet were like brass glowing in a furnace Brass (or bronze) represents Judgment. The feet of brass signify the time when He will put all His enemies and every evil power beneath his feet. The foes of Jesus will be utterly crushed. In verse 15: "His voice was like the sound of rushing waters." This is not a quiet stream, but a booming Niagara Falls! Jeremiah was given this prophecy in Jeremiah 25:30, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. An old expression puts it this way: "It was so loud my teeth rattled." The sound of His voice will shake the corners of heaven and earth. In verse 16: "In his right hand he held seven stars." The right hand represents Authority. Jesus is described in the Scriptures as sitting on the right hand of God. In verse 16: Out of His mouth came a sharp "double-edged sword," an instrument of warfare. In the book of Revelation, the two-edged sword is the weapon of our Lord battling the forces of evil to a final victory. In verse 16: If John had looked directly into the face of the Lord, he might have been blinded, for his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. The face of the Lord is the central feature of His person - it represents everything that He is. Everything fades in light of its brilliance. Hopefully, you have been sitting here listening and perhaps thinking, What does all this have to do with me? Let me answer that by drawing your attention once again to the Lord of the Candlesticks who is walking in the midst of the church. Notice again in verse 8: We are speaking of the one who is, the Alpha and Omega mentioned in verses 8 and 11. Since Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the Last, Christ is, in other words, to be everything from A to Z. We are speaking of the one who is and who was and who is to come. This conveys the idea of an eternity of existence; that is Christ existed BEFORE any specific point in time and will continue to exist AFTER time gives way to eternity. We are speaking of the one who is the almighty, the omnipotent, all-powerful one. In I Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul declared "For I delivered unto you...that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures." If I were to ask you this morning, Do you believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and by faith trust Him as your Saviour? For the most part, I would hear a resounding YES! In I Corinthians 4:5 Paul declares, "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake." If I were to ask you today, "Do you believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ?" Again, for the most part I would hear the reply in the affirmative. But if I were to ask you, "Is Jesus the Lord of all you are and all you have? I believe I would experience a very revealing and perhaps disturbing answer. Page 4

5 My friends, the "Lordship of Jesus Christ is the touchstone of our faith." The word Lord means master, ruler, sovereign over all. This is the question I ask, Is Christ Lord of your life? The Lordship of Christ was the initial confession of the church. In Romans 10:9 we read, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." When a Jewish convert in the early church said, "Jesus is Lord," he meant that Jesus was God. When a Gentile believer said, "Jesus is Lord," he meant that Caesar was no longer his god. Today, churches are filled with baptized believers who are living double lives. Fearing the Lord in church on Sunday but serving their own gods during the week; drawing nigh to God with their mouths and honoring Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him, calling Him Lord, Lord, while they do not what He says. I ask you, Is Christ the Lord over the Green Street Baptist Chapel? Again, before you answer, remember that the Greek word for "Lord," "Kurious" means master, ruler, and sovereign over all. The Lordship of Christ is the authentic confession of the Christian. Paul told the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31, "Believe on the LORD, Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Salvation does not offer a cafeteria line where we choose Christ as our Saviour and pass up His lordship, or we take what we want and leave the rest. Now days we have created an artificial distinction between trusting Christ as Saviour and confessing Him as Lord. We have a lot of people who have "accepted Christ as Saviour' in order to miss hell and reach heaven, who seem not at all concerned about making Him Lord of their lives. My friends, we have only one option: either we receive Him as Saviour and Lord or reject Him. Once we receive Him, our option ends. We are no longer our own, but bought with a price. We belong to Him. He has the first word and the last. He demands absolute loyalty. He has a right to it. The author of a hymn wrote, "Love so amazing, so divine, DEMANDS my soul, my life, my ALL." Thank God, our eternal salvation is a free gift. The gift of God is eternal life. It is not cheap, for it cost God His Son and the Son His life, but it is free to all who want it and believe. However, when we become believers we become disciples, and that will cost everything we have. Interestingly, the word "Saviour" is used only 24 times in the New Testament, while the word "Lord" is found 433 times. What dows that suggest to you? The Word of God knows nothing of this strange variety of Christians willing to take Christ as Saviour, but unwilling to confess Him as Lord. He is not only Saviour of your Soul; He is Lord of your life. When you asked Christ to be your Saviour you might have been standing or sitting. However, when you recognize and acknowledge Him as Lord as John did in Revelation 1:17, you will be on your face as one dead! Page 5

6 The Lordship of Christ was the confession of the church. The Lordship of Christ is the confession of the Christian. The Lordship of Christ will be the ultimate confession of creation. In Philippians 2:9-11 we are told that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. If that is going to happen one of these days, let me ask you a very solemn question, "WHY NOT DO IT NOW?" "Why not make Him Lord of your life now?" I am talking about Lord of your life. I am talking about Lord of your possessions. I am talking about Lord of your time. I am talking about Lord of your talent. I am talking about Lord of your treasure, and I am talking about Lord of OUR CHURCH. His Lordship covers everything of life. The heart of revival is making Jesus LORD. The Lordship of Christ was the confession of the church. The Lordship of Christ is the confession of the Christian. The Lordship of Christ will be the confession of creation. Coming back to our text found in Revelation chapter 1, we need to face the Lord of the Candlesticks calling the church to repentance. We are dealing now with the crucified, risen, ascended, glorified, coming Lord before whom John fell as dead. In verses we read, And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. In the Gospel we have Christ, the crucified, buried and risen. In the Acts we have the Christ who said, "Ye shall be witness unto me..." In the Epistles we have the Christ of our Christian experience. In Revelation we have the sovereign Lord, who is moving around the church to inspect it. Still saying, "Come unto me and I will give you rest." Still saying, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel," and now Giving us His last word, "Repent or else." We have a lot of Sunday morning Christians, who sit with folded hands listening to a message, who need to be aroused from their stupor by a vision of the flaming Lord of the Candlesticks. SEVEN times in these messages to the churches he says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear." Some of us have ears...period. "Hearing we hear not." Oh, God grant us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches! And eyes to behold the Lord of the Candlesticks bidding us "Repent...or else." It is about time you and I got our eyes off the preacher, off the programs, off this group or off that group to realize: What is missing from our midst is a real genuine "Holy Spirit revival;" What is missing is our single focus on the Lord Jesus, and What is missing is this church on our knees before Him as the sovereign LORD. Page 6

7 It is about time we stop playing church and today fall before the Lord of the Candlesticks: The one who is saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last..." The one who is saying, "I am He that liveth, and was dead, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen!" *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon The Lord of the Candlesticks right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA Privacy policy: your address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at Page 7