Sermon Tone Analysis

Textual Idea – John saw a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ as the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Transition with key word: Our text presents three components of John’s vision of the coming King.

1.

The Place of the Vision: Worship – vs.9-10

2. The Person of the Vision: The Son of Man – Jesus – vs.12-17

3. The Possessions in the Vision: Keys to eternity & death, Pastors & Churches – vs. 18-20

Introduction – How do you describe what is actually indescribable?

A few years ago, Cheryl and I had the opportunity while traveling to scoot up to the Grand Canyon for a quick day trip.

I’ve heard people talk about how breathtakingly beautiful it is and how the mix of sun, colors and shadows is just awesome.

Until I actually saw it, the words and descriptions and even pictures just don’t cut it.

It is something you need to experience before you die.

Standing out there on a precipice of the canyon, wind in my face, in awe and wonder of God who created it (yes God created the Grand Canyon via a worldwide flood, not billions of years!); it truly was breathtaking.

A picture is worth a thousand words but experiencing it first hand is something I’ll never forget.

It is hard to describe it so I brought a couple of pictures…

Transition – The Apostle John found himself trying to describe in writing under God’s command what he saw in the book of Revelation.

In our study today, we’ll begin to unpack more of what John saw in his vision.

Our text presents three components of John’s vision of the coming King.

Read Text 4-20

Background – Now at first glance, we would say the place of the vision is this little island called Patmos mentioned in vs. 9 in the text.

The context of how John came to be on this little island is important to understand.

Patmos was a small island in the Aegean Sea, located about 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) west of the city of Miletus off the coast of Asia Minor.

Patmos is about ten miles long and six miles wide at its northern end, consisting of rocky volcanic hills.

John said in vs. 9 he was on this island for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In other words, He’d been faithfully preaching the Gospel and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Savior and the only true God to be worshipped.

The Roman Empire had been fairly tolerant of Christianity for a period of time after Jesus ascended back to heaven.

Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism so the Romans tolerated it, after all, the God the Jews claimed was not visible as the pantheon of Roman idols were.

They viewed this unseen God as basically harmless and powerless.

There was localized persecution in Jerusalem instigated primarily by the Jews against Christians.

The Book of Acts shows us this as the Jews arrest and threatened Peter and John (our author) for preaching Jesus in the temple in Acts 4. In Acts 7, the Jews stoned a deacon named Stephen to death for preaching Jesus.

By Acts 12, King Herod killed James the brother of John and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he set out to kill the Apostle Peter also but God miraculously released him from prison.

By the end of Acts, the Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting execution.

(Dr.

John MacArthur does an excellent job of providing the context):

Religiously, Christians were denounced as atheists because they rejected the Roman pantheon of gods and because they worshiped an invisible God, not an idol.

Wild rumors, based on misunderstandings of Christian beliefs and practices, falsely accused them of cannibalism, incest, and other sexual perversions.

Socially, Christians, most of whom were from the lower classes of society (cf. 1 Cor.

1:26), were despised by the Roman aristocracy.

The Christian teaching that all people are equal (Gal.

3:28; Col. 3:11) threatened to undermine the hierarchical structure of Roman society and topple the elite from their privileged status.

It also heightened the Roman aristocracy’s fear of a slave rebellion.

Christians did not openly oppose slavery, but the perception was that they undermined it by teaching that master and slave were equal in Christ (cf.

Philem.).

Finally, Christians declined to participate in the worldly amusements that were so much a part of pagan society, avoiding festivals, the theater, and other pagan events.

Economically, Christians were seen as a threat by the numerous priests, craftsmen, and merchants who profited from idol worship.

The resulting hostility, first seen in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:23ff.),

deepened as Christianity became more widespread.

Eventually, it was the hostility the Jews displayed against the Christians that led the Romans to recognize Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism.

That identified Christians as worshipers of an illegal religion (Judaism was a religio licita, or legal religion).

Yet there was no official persecution by the Roman authorities until the time of Nero.

Seeking to divert public suspicion that he had caused the great fire in Rome (July 19, a.d.

64), Nero blamed the Christians for it.

As a result, many Christians were executed at Rome (including, according to tradition, both Peter and Paul), but there was yet no empire-wide persecution.

Three decades later, Emperor Domitian instigated an official persecution of Christians.

The persecuted, beleaguered, discouraged believers in Asia Minor to whom John addressed the book of Revelation desperately needed encouragement.

It had been years since Jesus ascended.

Jerusalem had been destroyed and Israel ravaged.

The church was losing its first love, compromising, tolerating sin, becoming powerless, and distasteful to the Lord Himself (this is described in Revelation 2 and 3).

The other apostles were dead, and John had been exiled.

The whole picture looked very bleak.

That is why the first vision John received from the inspiring Holy Spirit is of Christ’s present ministry in the church.

Vs. 4 - To the 7 churches in Asia (vs.

11) (Show maps)

• Note grace - “Unmerited favor!” & Peace - in a book full of war and calamity; God wants us to experience His grace & be at peace with Him!

This is an important reminder from the Holy Spirit via the pen of the Apostle John Grace & Peace shine brightly through a dark world stained with sin! Rev. ends with the host of Heaven resting in the grace & peace of Almighty God secured for all time by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

Vs. 5 - To Him who loved us - How do we know know He loved us?

John tells us: & washed us from our sins in His own blood!

(Rom.

5:8) “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”

Vs. 6 - Made us kings & priests to God the Father!

By virtue of our faith in Jesus Christ & His provision for sin, John says we’ve gone from the poor house to the palace, from calloused commoners, to caring priests serving our great & glorious & everlasting God!

Vs. 7 - He’s coming back!

1.

The Place of the Vision: Worship – vs.9-10

Explanation – In vs. 9, John tells of both the geographical location (Patmos) of the vision, but the main thought of the place of the vision is found in vs. 10.

John said that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”

What was John doing in the midst of a bleak future, abandoned, left to the elements, wild animals and certain death, separated from the encouragement of other believers and disciples of Jesus Christ?

(Show John on the beach)

On the Lord’s Day, Sunday, John was privately worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ!

That is the place of the vision, during John’s personal communion and worship with his Lord and Master, in John’s dark hour; vs. 10 tells us John heard a loud voice like a trumpet (a trumpet is loud but it’s also an unmistakeable sound) - John knew this voice!

I also find it interesting John put himself in a position to encounter Jesus Christ and hear from Him in worship!

Why do you go to church?

Do you go to just check it off your religious “to do” list?

Do you go b/c you think it will make Jesus love you more?

Do you go b/c it’s good business to be seen in church?

The fellowship, the food - free donuts are nice but that’s not why we come to church!

Do you come expecting to meet with Jesus?

That’s why we come to encounter our Risen Savior Jesus Christ & Hear directly from Him! Well, John encounters & hear’s from the Risen Lord - the Alpha & the Omega (first and last).

Jesus taps old John on the shoulder & appeared to His beloved disciple for one last assignment.

To write a letter to the churches of encouragement as God revealed the future.

That brings us to:

2. The Person of the Vision: The Son of Man – Jesus – vs.12-17

Explanation – Jesus had already told John He is coming again as recorded in vs. 7 and we talked last week of the necessity of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, the first time was in shame, the next appearance of Jesus Christ will be dramatically different.

Notice what John records of the appearance of Jesus.

(Show John turning) He turns to look at this voice speaking to him and John identifies Him as “one like the Son of Man” – The Prophet Ezekiel used this term for the Messiah about 100 times.

It was this designation that was Jesus favorite designation of Himself as recorded throughout the Gospels.

John’s Gospel uses this designation of Jesus 12 times.

John spent 3 years of intimate close fellowship with Jesus, he recognized Jesus instantly; but his appearance this time is different!

Notice John’s description of his appearance, what he sensed in seeing and hearing:

Vs. 13 – Clothed in a garment down to his feet, girded with a golden band around his chest – the robe of the high priest!

Heb.

2:17-18 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”