Sermon Tone Analysis

John at the Island of Patmos, (Read)

We have been looking at this theme “Divine Encounters” – and it’s all about what happens when you have a moment with God.

(PPT) This is not just any encounter but close encounters of the Divine kind.

We’ve been looking at some well-known stories in the Scripture, a record of individuals who encountered the Lord unique to them and for them.

(PPT) We are not looking at every detail of each account but purely from the perspective of their Divine encounters, things we can learn, principles that we can put into practice to posture ourselves to encounter the Lord.

We saw these individuals they had a moment of surprise visit from God, a face-to-face encounter with the Lord.

I have said this again and again, but I believe it is crucial to our understanding – (PPT) we believe in a personal God, therefore, we must expect personal encounters with Him.

This is essential to relationship, all relationships, especially our relationship with our God.

We saw Moses at the Burning Bush on Mt.

Horeb; Jacob at Jabbok, Gideon at the Winepress; Isaiah in the Throne Room, Elijah on the Mountain; Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration Mount.

(PPT) Today is the last of the series, and we are looking at the encounter of the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos.

It is about Revelation, not the revelation of John but the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

When we read Revelation, we often think it is all about the end times.

In some sense, yes, there is element of end times but it is not primarily about the end times.

Most definitely, from beginning to the end, the book focuses on Jesus, the Son of God. a revelation or unveiling of Jesus Christ, and that is what Greek word apocalypse (apokalypsis) is, an uncovering of Jesus Christ, to reveal what He is really like and what He sees and thinks now.

Now that is rather interesting.

I wonder what the Lord Jesus Christ think of what's going on in the world now.

Or what He thinks of what's happening in the church now.

What He thinks of what's going on in your life right now.

What He sees and thinks what we do with our lives?

This is unveiling, a revelation to John of what the Lord Jesus is like at this moment, and what He wants the church to know.

If there is a central message, I believe it is this: (PPT) we need a new revelation of the Lord Jesus, a fresh disclosure or manifestation of the Son of God to impact a life-changing experience in our personal encounter with the Living God.

I pray that to some degree, this message will bring it closer to you.

Let me share 4 principles, there probably more, but we just look at four for our purpose.

(Pray)

(PPT) First of all: DIVINE ENCOUNTERS ARE OFTEN IN THE CONTEXT OF SUFFERING FOR CHRIST.

We’ve seen some aspects of this in our previous encounters.

Very often, these individuals who encountered the Lord did not begin at mountaintop but in a valley – at the low-point of their life.

Moses, Jacob, Isaiah, Elijah, for example, they all began from a valley of brokenness and weakness, fear and doubt, hardships and struggles, discouragement and disappointment.

Here in , we see the Apostle John identifies with the rest of the believers undergoing persecution and enduring hardships because of their faithfulness in Christ.

(PPT) We read in v.1 - “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker of the tribulation and the kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus”.

Good people do suffer for the sake of Christ.

Many of the believers were going through persecution of all sorts and Apostle John was taken to the Island of Patmos, a prison camp of the Roman Empire, where people were banished to hard labour.

(See PPTS – Map of Patmos Island, Cave of Apocalypse)

So, we are talking about the last surviving disciple of Jesus, and he was described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” – someone very dear to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course, it doesn’t mean Jesus didn’t love the rest of the disciples but it means that Jesus had a special relationship with John.

This is not because John was anything better than the rest, but rather, he was seen to love Jesus more than the other disciples.

His love for Jesus was both loyal and undivided from start to finish!

John had the privilege of seeing certain things the rest of the disciples didn’t experience.

He was there with Peter and James, witnessed how Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from death.

At the Garden of Gethsemane, John again was there with the Lord Jesus in His agony.

As we saw the last time, John again was there at the Jesus’ transfiguration together with Peter and James.

Then, at the Last Super, it was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, rested his head on Jesus’ chest.

If you read the epistles of , & 3, you can describe him as “the Apostle of love”.

Finally, at the cross where Jesus was hung, while everyone forsook Jesus and fled, it was John who was still there.

From there on, it was him who took care of Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother.

Then, on the day he and Peter heard that Jesus rose from the dead, he and Peter ran to the tomb to see it but John ran faster, and he reached the tomb first, went inside, and he did not see Jesus’ body and he believed!

Yet, this is what I like you to see (PPT) – John’s loyal and undivided love for Jesus did not immune him against suffering and tribulation!

Just because you are more blessed than others do not mean you are problem-free or trouble-free.

Someone says that John’s love for Jesus like this, “it actually kind of qualified him to suffer for Jesus”.

What am I talking about?

I’m not talking about sickness and all sorts of tragedy and things like that.

(PPT) I am talking about suffering for Christ for the sake of righteousness!

Are we to be surprised?

No! John recalled what Jesus said in , “if the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me…because you are not of the world…..the world hates you…If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours”.

Later in , Jesus also said, “in the world”, and I assume it applies to you and me as well because we are still here in the world.

What are we to expect in the world?

Jesus continued, “You will have tribulation”.

However, Jesus also gave us this wonderful assurance, “But take courage, I have overcomes the world”.

Remember this promise whenever we encounter tribulations in this world.

Paul says the same things in ?

He said, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”.

What I am saying is this, if we desire Divine encounters, we have to be prepared for dark encounters.

Read Phil, 3: 10, Paul said, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”., and that’s great, and that’s wonderful Divine encounters, and that’s what we desire too!

But Paul also said, it comes with “the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death”.

This is a package – you can’t have resurrection without crucifixion, you can’t have joy without pain, you can’t have triumph without trial, and you can’t have the crown without the cross, you can’t have Divine encounters without dark encounters.

(PPT) What I am saying is that – Divine encounters, very often, but not always, happen in the situation of suffering for Christ, or suffering with Christ.

I read about the story of Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish Presbyterian pastor, theologian and author.

Around 1600, Rutherford was persecuted for his faith and his expression of his faith and was put in prison.

While in prison, like Paul, he wrote letters to members of his church.

One of those letters ended with these words, “Jesus Christ came into my prison cell last night, and every stone in it glowed like a ruby” That’s wonderful experience – don’t you think so?

However, it happened in a cell, a prison, a time of suffering for Jesus!

You cannot expect divine encounters if you are not prepared for dark encounters!

(PPT) Second principle is THE NEED FOR EXTRACTION FROM YOUR NORMAL ENVIRONMENT.

What do I mean?

I mean that if you desire a Divine encounter, there is a need, a necessity, to be extracted out or be prepared to be removed from your normal environment or your comfort zone.

You look at John - where was he?

He was on the Isle of Patmos, a desolate and deserted island, about 10 miles (16 km) long and 6 miles (10 km) wide.

But could God have given John this vision somewhere else? Yes, He could have!

(PPT) Yet, what I find interesting is that the Lord came to John while he was in a desolate place of isolation – while he was all alone!!

This is the point I want to make.

It was there, alone, living in exile in prison camp, he had a “profound spiritual experience” not while he was living a normal life or in the comfort of his home, This was not a normal situation.

John was forced into it.

He didn’t buy a ticket to Patmos for a vacation.

He was actually banished there as a prisoner “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”.

He was forced to extract out of his normal life and environments and be alone by himself and there he got engaged with God and encountered Him in a real and personal way.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you will be forced into prison cell like Samuel Rutherford or Wang MingDao, or you deliberately locked yourselves into prison.

It doesn’t mean you are to look for a prison cell so you can experience the Divine encounters.

(PPT) What it does mean is that – At times, out of a necessity or a spiritual need, you will have to intentionally choose to extricate yourselves out of your normal environment in order to be with God alone to engage Him and seek Him.

Like what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: “But when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father sees what is done in secret will reward you”.

(Matt6: 6).

Yes, your “inner room”, and that’s where God will encounter you.

You remember Jacob – he was “left alone”, purposely and intentionally, and then all of a sudden, he was wrestling with God.

Where was Moses?

He was at the backside of the desert, alone except for a few sheep, and God came and spoke to Him.

Where was Gideon?

Alone at the winepress, fearful and doubtful, yet the Angel of the Lord came, “O, valiant warrior!”

Where was Isaiah?

He was alone in the temple, and he was transported into the Throne Room of God.

Where was Elijah?