Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

In 2012, Journalist Rachel Rodriquez reported on a moving ceremony in which 150 people were made United States citizens.

A sense of hope and optimism permeates her interviews with individuals who took part in that ceremony and with other naturalized citizens.

News: Journalist Rachel Rodriquez describes a moving ceremony in which 150 people were made United States citizens.

A sense of hope and optimism permeates her interviews with individuals who took part in that ceremony and with other naturalized citizens.

She records one of her interviews:

One new citizen said, “For me, American citizenship means freedom of expression and to live and work in a free country.…

To be an American is not just a great honor, but also an obligation to do more and reach higher.”

Another said, “In some ways, we immigrants are the lucky ones; we see more clearly the opportunities that this great nation affords all its people.”

Just as citizenship in a new nation grants privileges for those citizens, salvation brings more than forgiveness for sins; it also brings citizenship in God’s kingdom.

Jesus has not simply saved us from judgment; he has saved us for his mission.

The message of the cross is that we who were once rebels can now serve the King.

That is good news!

Jesus has saved us from our sins and even saved us for so much more!

Transition:

This morning has a bit to do about Jesus and His word.

Continuing in Revelation, John is still in the greetings and uses this morning’s verses as if the churches are meeting Jesus for the first time.

John highlights the return of Christ and the sovereignty of God, two realities that would both comfort suffering Christians and challenge complacent Christians.

Scripture Reading:

John began to address the recipients of this letter, a letter that would be sent along the roads through the various cities with the churches to whom John was writing.

After this brief greeting comes a doxology of praise to God that starts in verse 6.

This Doxology, or praise to Jesus, tells us a lot about Jesus.

In fact, a bit of our Christology can come from just these few verses.

Transition:

first, we can start to see Jesus in God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit

I. Who He Is (v.4-5)

This is the Christ John Knew

Jesus told John to write to the seven churches that knew and trusted John and had read his earlier letters.

These were literal churches in literal cities.

The letter was addressed so that it could be read and passed on in a systematic fashion, following the main Roman road clockwise around the province of Asia (now called Turkey).

This is the Christ John Knew

rev

“to the seven churches that are in Asia”

A.The Father.

“Him which is, which was, and which is to come” (v.

4), that is, the eternal God.

YHWH stands above history; He is not limited by time.

These seven churches are addressed individually in - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, but these were not the only churches in Asia at the time.

For example, Troas (), Colosse (), and Hierapolis () also had churches and are in Asia.

B.The Spirit.

These were not the only churches in Asia at the time.

For example, Troas (), Colosse (), and Hierapolis () also had churches.

Why did the Lord direct John to write to these seven in particular?

but why only seven?It is possible that the number seven, as with the other sevens in the book, signifies completeness.

While the seven churches were actual churches, they also represented all churches throughout the ages.

So this leads to asking: Why did the Lord direct John to write to these seven in particular? and why only seven?

It is possible that the number seven, as with the other sevens in the book, signifies completeness.

And while the seven churches were actual churches, they also speak to us today, they likely represent to a certain extent all churches throughout the ages and in today’s word, but more of that to come in the those chapters.

This book makes great use of symbolic numbers.

The number seven is used fifty-four times.

In other portions of Scripture, seven represents completeness.

The fact that the Lord Jesus specifically addressed seven churches of John’s era tells us, as we have already noted, that these churches represent the entire or complete church throughout the centuries.

William Hendriksen writes,

“Seven” is the number of completion and stands for the fullness of the Spirit.

In 4:5, we see that the seven-fold Spirit is symbolized by seven lamps; and in 5:6, by seven eyes.

Christ has the seven-fold Spirit (3:1); the Spirit points to Christ.

As this number seven occurs again and again and is everywhere symbolical of completeness, we may safely take for granted … that it indicates the entire church throughout the full span of its existence to the very end of the world.

Thus interpreted, each individual church is, as it were, a type, not indicating one definite period in history, but describing conditions which are constantly repeated in the actual life of the various congregations.

In addition to the number seven, we will find emphasis placed on the numbers 1,000, 144,000, 666 and others as well.

Each of these has symbolic significance.

John records this for the benefit of the seven churches in Asia and for Christians everywhere, throughout history.

Revelation highlights the unseen realities that these congregations were ignoring.

C.The Son.

We’ll see fuller in the next verse.

So John sends greetings to the churches in Asia Minor as he was commanded to do (v.

11).

He then reviews the wonder of the Godhead, naming each of the Persons of the Trinity

The Trinity—

the Father (the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come), the Holy Spirit (the sevenfold Spirit), and the Son (Jesus Christ)—is the source of all truth (; ; ).

A. The Father.

“Him who is, and who was, and who is to come” (v.

4), that is the eternal YHWH.

YHWH stands above history; He is not limited by time.

B. The Spirit.

“from the seven spirits”

What Seven Spirits, or WHICH seven spirits is he talking about?!?!?

We know it cannot be the seven spirits of the seven churches because John is saying that this letter is FROM the 7 Spirits.

It would be ridiculous (as some claim) for the seven spirits to be the churches’ spirits writing to themselves, so really it is divine spirits.

It cannot be the Angels that are watching over the church because John would have used the word Messengers to refer to the angels as he does in the later verses.

As we saw a moment ago, “Seven” is the number of completion and, likely stands for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

How do we know?

Well, in 4:5, we see that the seven-fold Spirit is symbolized by seven lamps; and in 5:6, by seven eyes.

Christ has the seven-fold Spirit (3:1); the Spirit points to Christ.

C. The last mentioned in the trinity here: The Son.

We’ll see fuller details in the next verse.

These were not the only churches in Asia at the time.

For example, Troas (), Colosse (), and Hierapolis () also had churches.

Why did the Lord direct John to write to these seven in particular?

It is possible that the number seven, as with the other sevens in the book, signifies completeness.

While the seven churches were actual churches, they also represented all churches throughout the ages.

Christ is presented in His three-fold Person as

Prophet (faithful witness),

Priest (first begotten of the dead, that is, highest ranking/privileged of those raised from the dead), and

King (prince of the kings of the earth).

John Calvin expounded on this three-fold ministry of the Messiah.

First, Jesus lived as a faithful witness to the Father and the Father’s plan, attesting to what is true and exposing the lies of Satan.

Doing so, Jesus provides the ultimate example for believers.

The supreme expression of his faithfulness was his obedience unto death on a cross () as a perfect Prophet and as a perfect Priest offering the perfect sacrifice and mediating perfectly.

Second, he is the firstborn from the dead,

What does that mean???!?

The title “firstborn of the dead” for Jesus is of great theological importance