There's been a fair bit of horror news lately.
I think for me the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines flights,
or both flights, but certainly the one in recent times
on the Flight 17, 17th of July,
missile shot it out of the sky apparently.
Still working that one out.
298 people dead.
A number of those are Australians.
That sort of thing puts a sort of a shudder up your spine.
Having flown a number of times in the past,
I couldn't think of a worse way to die really
than to be up there in the sky
and all of a sudden for your life to be gone
or knowing that your life's about to end.
I actually witnessed a plane accident when I was 18.
A plane crashed. A person was killed.
And awful, awful experience to see that.
And it's planted clearly on my mind.
I'll never forget the image of it.
But to be part of something like this
and to see the number of people that were impacted by this,
no one would have seen it coming.
But imagine you could.
Imagine you did, in fact.
Imagine that on the 16th of July,
you got some information on the afternoon on the 16th of July
about what was going to happen the next day.
And what if your wife or your son or your mother
or your brother-in-law or your neighbour or your friend
or some random person that you knew was going to be on that plane?
Or, in fact, not even on that plane,
but on any plane in the vicinity of Eastern Europe?
You knew that someone was flying back from Europe to Australia on a plane
and you got this information that something terrible was going to happen.
Would you not do everything within your power
to use the information that you've received
to help people avoid the destruction that was about to come?
It's pretty obvious.
I would do everything in my power to make sure
that people would avoid that destruction.
And what the Bible tells us
is that something is coming that's infinitely worse
than Malaysian Airlines 17
and every other disaster you can think of.
It's eternally worse.
It will impact every human being.
The Bible describes it as the judgment of God.
It's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
It's judgment.
It's decisive.
It's final.
It's eternal.
And what that information is meant to do for us
is meant to shape the course of our lives now.
And the question I want us to have in the back of our minds
or in fact in the forefront of our minds
as we look into Revelation chapter 1 right now
is what would it look like for God
to become the dominant reality of your life?
What would it be like for him, ultimate reality,
to be the dominant reality in your life?
What would it look like for the things in the Bible,
God's revelation of himself,
to be more real to us
than the things on television or on the internet?
You see, God has revealed himself
to accomplish that very purpose,
that he would become the dominant reality of our life.
God reveals himself
so that we would know ultimate reality.
I fear, however,
that because of what we,
even what we read just now,
was written so long ago
that we've been lulled to sleep
by just the ordinariness of our lives.
We've been lulled to sleep
because one day ticks over to another day,
ticks over to another day,
ticks over to another day.
Our senses have been dulled by the hundredth
of day after day after day.
And so what we need as Christians
is to consistently be coming back,
looking at the scriptures,
reminding ourselves of God
and how he sees things,
how he sees reality played out,
not how we see things.
We need to be convinced as Christians day by day
in the humdrum of life
that Jesus is reigning,
that he is the risen king.
We need to have him speak
to the situations in our church.
We need to know that God is right now,
he is right now in this very moment
on his throne.
He's in control in heaven.
He is worshipped by myriads
upon myriads of heavenly hosts.
We need to see the way that God
is going to ultimately pulverize wickedness.
He will obliterate those who oppose him
and he is setting up his kingdom.
What we need is this book of revelation.
It's exactly what we need.
You see, God has given us this book of revelation
so that we can see him
in all his glorious mercy and justice,
so that we can see that if you've got Jesus,
you are so, so fundamentally blessed
and so that we would live our lives
in worship of him
above everything else.
That's what we've got here in front of us
in this book.
You see, the message of revelation
was essential for these very first recipients
of this letter.
It's written first and foremost
to Christians almost 2,000 years ago
is living in the Roman Empire
and they're facing the biggest nightmare
that you can imagine.
Revelation 1 verse 9 tells us
that John was exiled on the island of Patmos
because of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus.
So John, the guy who's written this,
is representing Jesus
and has got him into a whole heap of trouble.
John's writing to the church,
to the churches from exile.
He's writing from the island of Patmos.
Now you can go to Patmos nowadays,
it's only a fairly small island,
but it's got about 3,000 inhabitants
and it's full of five-star resorts
and luxury villas.
In John's day, it was a prison island,
so he's there smashing stones
without sledgehammers.
And he's there as an old man
sentenced to work in the quarries
because of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus.
That is, what it's saying here
is that Jesus was so real,
so precious to John,
that he would rather be exiled
to a barren prison island
than not represent Jesus.
John is typical, I think,
and what he's experienced here
is typical of the hardship
of many Christians were facing in his time.
They were feeling the full force
of the Roman Empire.
According to the Roman writer Suetonius,
the Roman emperor Domitian,
who was the kingpin in the world
at John's day,
was both physically unimpressive
and a moral catastrophe of a man.
He had many affairs with married women
and eventually stole someone else's wife
to be his own.
When his own brother Titus
was hit with a serious illness,
he ordered that he'd be left for dead.
Another bloke,
I think this guy was probably an actor
or some kind of stand-up comedian
or something like that,
made some fairly harmless
but humorous remarks about Domitian.
Everyone thought it was funny,
except Domitian,
so he had him executed.
He seduced his married niece,
got her pregnant.
She then died from the abortion
that he forced her to have.
This moral catastrophe of a man,
that's just some of the things,
I mean, it just goes on from there.
He was sensitive about his baldness.
He had a pot belly, spindly legs,
and he demanded that the whole empire
called him Lord God.
And John is writing to a bunch of Christians
who are suffering extreme hardship
because they refuse to have this man
say,
I am your God.
They refuse to allow Domitian
to be the dominant reality in their life.
Now, many of you would be aware
that Christians in northern Iraq right now
are being severely persecuted
by the militant group called
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,
the ISIS group.
They've issued a decree
offering Christians three options,
either convert to Islam,
pay a special tax,
or be killed.
And you've probably seen it on Facebook.
They've painted a symbol
on the houses of Christians
so that they are identified.
They've painted other symbols
on the houses of other religious groups
they don't agree with either.
And the ultimatum that was given
to Christians was
deadline for it was midday
on the 19th of July.
So choose that.
That's your choice.
Either convert to Islam,
special tax,
which is confiscation of goods in the end,
or die.
That's our brothers and sisters
right now.
That's what they're facing.
And thousands upon thousands
have fled and left everything.
Everything.
And it must be a question
that's in their mind.
Would you not imagine
of where is Jesus right now
in amongst that
if he is the ruler of the world?
And I can only say
that what we've read tonight
would be a word of comfort
and perspective for them
as it should be for us
as it was for these Christians
in the first century in Rome.
The first thing
that this revelation says
that in spite of the terrible
hardship that you're facing,
you are truly blessed.
Your life is one of blessing.
That's the first bit of perspective
they need to see.
They were blessed
because God has given
this revelation of Jesus Christ
about what will soon take place.
They're blessed
because they can see
ultimate reality.
They can see
what truly is.
They were blessed
because God was giving them
perspective and clarity
not just on their present
but in their future as well.
They were also blessed
because of what Jesus
has done for them.
See verse 5.
He says,
To him who loves us.
What a great word to say
in these very first verses.
Jesus loves them.
This is in the present tense.
It's not that just
he loved them in the past
but he loves them right now.
Right now.
And Jesus' love for his people
led Jesus ultimately
to lay down his life for them.
They are blessed
because in laying down
his life for them,
verse 5,
he has freed them
from our sins
by his blood.
You see,
those who sin,
according to the Bible,
deserve to die.
And death
is separation from God.
And Jesus' death
cancels our obligation
to pay the penalty
for our sins to God
so that we might in fact
be reconciled to God
and live forever.
And when you've got that,
you've got everything.
The blood of Jesus
frees people
from enslaving sin,
lust and greed
and pride and anger
and everything else.
The blood of Jesus
breaks the power
of cancelled sin.
We are blessed
because of what we have
in Jesus
regardless of the circumstances.
Verse 6 says,
He has made us
a kingdom and priest
to his God and Father.
That is,
we belong to Jesus,
we are his people
and our allegiance is to him.
We are blessed
because the kingdom
of Jesus
cannot be overcome.
This blessing of love
and forgiveness of sins
that comes from Jesus
is a secure blessing.
No one can take it from you.
Notice who gives it to us.
Verse 4,
From him who was
and who is to come.
Verse 5,
From Jesus Christ,
the firstborn from the dead
and the ruler of the kings
of the earth.
Verse 6,
The one to whom power
and glory belong forever.
Verse 8,
The one who is
and who was
and who is to come.
the almighty.
How good
must John's experience
of Christ be
for him to declare
this blessing.
You know,
don't let this point
miss you.
John is sitting
in a prison cell
as an old man
breaking stones
for a living
and he says,
Man,
how great it is
to be in Christ.
In spite of the way
that Christianity
will not advance
you in the Roman Empire,
in spite of the fact
that knowing Jesus
could cost you
your possessions,
land you in prison
or cost you your life,
you're blessed
if you know Jesus.
John must think
it is better
to stand right before God
by faith in Christ,
forgiven and free
of all of your sin
than it is
to have all of the
Roman Empire
bow to you.
John must think
that there is life
after this life
in which the rewards
for those
who belong to Jesus
will be superior
to all the pleasures
of sin
in this present world.
This must have been
an enormous comfort
to John
sitting in the island
of Patmos.
But it's also
a comfort
for the Christians
in the Roman Empire.
and ultimately
for us as well.
The voice that he heard
in verse 10
says in verse 11,
write on a scroll
what you see
and send it
to the seven churches.
And so this vision
John is about to get
in the next number
of chapters
is meant not just
for him
sitting in the island
of Patmos
but for us too.
The point of writing
it down
is to transmit
to us
the same kind
experience
that John
has in seeing
Christ.
John
God has
graciously
given John
this vision
of the supremacy
of Christ
and all of history
being in his hands.
And he writes it down
so that we might
see it too
and so that we
would be comforted
as well.
He appears
to John
and says
write in a book
what you see
and send it
to the seven churches.
John gets the vision
we get the book
about the vision.
That is
God wants to come
to us as well
through his word.
He wants us
to seek him
in his word
and know him
by his word
and gaze upon him
steadily through
his word
so that we
would know
how blessed
we are.
This is a revelation
for imprisoned
John
for persecuted
Christians in the
Roman Empire
and for our
brothers and
sisters right now
in northern Iraq
and for us
sitting right here
with our
senses dulled.
for us
sitting right here
who are suffering
for those who
are tired
and weary
and running
out of steam
and confused
and disheartened
and disenfranchised
and insecure
despite the
circumstances
you need to know
how blessed you are
if you are in
Christ
knowing how
blessed you are
we are called
here
to treasure
Jesus
to make him
the dominant
reality in our
life.
Let's have a look
at what John
saw in verse 12.
John turns
to see the voice
that was like a
trumpet in verse 10
and what he saw
was seven golden
lampstands and
Christ in the
midst of them.
Notice down to
verse 20
at the end of
the chapter
for an interpretation
of what the
lampstands are.
It says the
mystery of the
seven stars
that you saw
in my right hand
of the seven
golden lampstands
is this
the seven stars
are the angels
of the seven
churches
and the
seven lampstands
are the seven
churches.
So the vision
of Jesus
that John
gets is
Jesus
among his
churches
among his
people.
Christ is
standing
amongst his
churches.
He's not
merely over
the churches.
He's not
distant from
the churches.
He's in the
middle of the
churches.
And John
saw according
to verse 13
one like a
son of man.
In Daniel
chapter 7
verses 13
and 14
the term
son of man
or one
like the
son of man
refers to
a great
ruler.
This is what
it says in
Daniel chapter
7.
In my vision
at night
I looked
and there
before me
was one
like a
son of man
coming with
the clouds
of heaven.
He approached
the ancient
of days
and was led
into his
presence.
He was
given
authority,
glory and
sovereign power.
All peoples,
nations and
men of every
language worshipped
him.
His dominion
is an
everlasting
dominion that
will not
pass away and
his kingdom
is one that
will never be
destroyed.
And so what
John saw
when he saw
this one like a
son of man
standing in the
middle of the
lampstands,
he means that
he saw someone
who stands
over the top
of his kingdom
with all
dominion,
glory and
kingdom power.
It will be
an eternal
kingdom.
kingdom,
someone with
authority over
all nations,
all peoples,
who would
rule forever
and ever
and nothing
can touch
his kingdom.
The one who
stands among
the churches
is the one
who received
from the
ancient of
days,
God himself
dominion and
glory and
kingdom,
rule and
power and
authority in
heaven and
on earth.
That pretty
much matches
this figure
that John
saw in
verse 13.
The son of
man was
dressed in
a robe
reaching down
to his feet
with a gold
sash around
his chest.
The robe
here is similar
to the picture
of the Old
Testament robe
where the
priest wore.
The gold
sash around
his chest
shows two
things.
It's up here
around his
chest,
it's not
around his
waist and
it's gold.
The fact
that it's
gold shows
that his
priesthood is
a highly
valued priesthood
and it is a
great priesthood.
Jesus is not
only the son
of man from
Daniel chapter
7 who
receives
everlasting
dominion over
all nations
and people,
he is also
the final
high priest
who brings
all the
priestly work
of the
temple to
the end.
There's no
more need
to sacrifice
any animals
to get right
with God.
Verse 5
says that
Christ freed
us from
our sins
by his
blood.
You see
this priest
is so
great that
he gave
his own
blood once
and for
all.
For the
sin of
all
humanity
so that
we might
be reconciled
to God.
He stands
among the
lampstands,
he stands
here by
us today
as one
with authority
and everlasting
dominion,
the one
with final
decisive
forgiveness
for our
sins.
Then John
sees in
verse 14
that his
head and
his hair
were white
like wool
as white
as snow.
And this
is remarkable
because Daniel
chapter 7,
you know,
when John
gets his
picture of the
one like a
son of man
in verses
13 and
14,
a few
verses
further,
earlier than
that,
God the
father is
described in
verse 9,
as I looked,
thrones were
set in place
and the
ancient of
days took
his seat.
His clothing
was as
white as
snow and
the hair of
his head
was white
like wool.
people.
In other
words,
John is
describing the
son of
man in
terms used
by God
himself.
And so
you put
this picture
together with
the next
thing that
John sees
in verse
14,
that his
eyes were
like blazing
fire.
You see,
the eyes of
this son of
man were
not the
clouded eye
of fading
glory.
These
eyes have
eyes of
sharpest
clarity and
purity.
they miss
nothing that
happens in
the universe
and they
are exploding
with energy.
You see,
we all know
the drooping
eye that's
about to go
to sleep.
You know,
you're trying
to stay
awake to
finally get
the end of
the movie
and the
plot line.
Or the
resentful eye.
Or the
grumpy eye.
Or the
half-shut eye
with a scowl
and a bad
mood.
We know
the eye that
is alive with
wonder and
excitement.
hope and
expectancy and
energy.
Jesus' eyes
here are
described as
flaming fire.
What we
see then is
hair as
white as
snow and
eyes like
fire.
You've
got to
know today
2,000 years
after John
saw this
vision that
Jesus is
not tired,
he's not
burnt out,
he's not
fatigued.
His eyes
are aflame
with a
flashing fire
of inexhaustible
energy and
hope.
He sees
everything that
has been
and everything
that will
be.
Nothing
takes him
by surprise
that when
Jesus thinks
about his
plans for
you and
for
Paul's and
for Australia
and for
Christians in
northern Iraq
and the
nations of
the world,
beyond this
day, he is
not hesitant,
he is not
tired, he
is not
bored.
his eyes
are aflame
of fire
with utter
exhilaration
and passion
and enthusiasm
for the
work that
he intends
to do.
His
enthusiasm
for his
mission
is as
bright today
as it was
2,000 years
ago when
John saw
this.
Notice
also the
bronze feet
in verse
15,
they are the
feet of a
glorious and
mighty conqueror
and again in
verse 15 is
the voice of
the sound of
many waters.
It's just a
picture of
raw power,
the thunder of
the voice of
authority and
then there is
this right hand
with the seven
stars and a
sharp sword
coming out of
his mouth and
his face,
shining with
the sun in
all its
brilliance.
What do you
do when you're
confronted with
such power and
majesty and
splendor and
just sheer
awe?
verse 16,
verse 17,
when I saw
him I fell
at his feet
as though
dead.
I fell at
his feet
as though
dead.
This is the
resurrected,
glorified Christ
and the person
who's writing
this, the
person who fell
at his feet
as though
dead is
John.
Just a
matter of
decades
earlier,
John was
Jesus'
best mate.
John was
the guy
when the
moment of
quietness was
there, Jesus
would gather
John with
him.
John was
the one who
leaned on
Jesus and
had a nap.
Sam doesn't
do that for
me.
Not even
on a long
flight.
That's how
close John
and Jesus
were and
John sees
Jesus here
and he
falls down
as though
dead.
I am not
worthy to
be in your
presence.
This Jesus
is not to
be trifled
with.
He's not
to be
treated
with
disdain.
Domitian
might be
the emperor
of the
Roman Empire
but he's
a librarian
compared to
Jesus.
And to
John's
immense
relief,
his once
best mate
leans over
to him.
The judge,
the king,
the majestic
eternal ruler
places his
hand on his
right shoulders
and speaks
words of
comfort to
him,
do not
be afraid.
See,
this is a
word of
comfort for
Christians
struggling in
this world.
Do not
be afraid.
This is
astounding
words of
comfort for
a prisoner
of the
Lord
Jesus.
This
Jesus
stands with
his people
suffering
terribly in
Iraq right
now and
from this
word you
can say
do not
be afraid.
Someone
greater than
ISIS is
here.
The
encouragement
here is
that despite
how it
looks,
Jesus is
with his
church,
he's in
Iraq,
he's right
here with
us right
now as
the son
of man,
the one
with power
over all
that is,
seen and
unseen,
the one
with everlasting
dominion and
glory.
He is the
great high
priest and
he has put
away your
sins once
and for
all.
He is the
great and
wise ancient
of days and
yet his
eyes are
aflamed with
the fire of
youth and
energy and
hope and
exhilaration for
his unstoppable
plans for you
and for his
church and for
his world and
for his
universe.
gaze upon
Jesus and
let his
royal power
and his
priestly
forgiveness and
his fiery
hope fill
you with
confidence
afresh that
treasuring this
Jesus and
making him
the dominant
reality in
your life
is not a
vanity.
It is never
a vanity to
throw your
lot or
everything behind
this Jesus and
with this
Jesus.
You see the
most significant
feature of this
passage is the
overwhelming glory
of Jesus.
He is risen,
he is indestructible,
he is unconquerable,
he is Lord and
as such he
summons forth
obedience and
allegiance and
worship from his
blessed people.
Jesus is to be
worshipped, he is
to be obeyed
because of his
surpassing worth
and power.
And John intends
this book of
Revelation to
produce a radical
change in
perspective for
us, for
everyone.
Is your gaze
consistently upon
Jesus?
Do you preach
this gospel to
yourself every
day and remind
you that you
are so blessed
regardless of
the circumstances
in your life?
That you are so
blessed because of
Jesus.
Are you
announcing to
everyone who
will listen how
blessed it is to
know Jesus?
Are you calling
people to taste
and see that this
Lord is good?
Do people see it
in your life,
in your values,
in your priorities,
in your attitude,
and your
perspective,
that Jesus is
the dominant
reality of your
life?
Let me read to
you something that
was written.
So, John gets
this revelation,
sends it to the
churches in Rome.
Let me read
you, to you,
how the
Christians in
Rome responded
to this
revelation.
This is one
writer reflecting
on the
Christians at
this time of
enormous
persecution.
They loved
everyone, but
by everyone
they are
persecuted.
They are
unknown, yet
they are
condemned.
They are put
to death, and
yet they are
brought to
life.
They are
poor, and
yet they make
so many rich.
They are in
need of
everything, and
yet they are
bound in
everything.
They are
dishonored, and
yet they are
glorified in
their dishonor.
They are
slandered, and
yet they are
vindicated.
They are
cursed, and
yet they
bless.
They are
insulted, yet
they offer
respect.
And when
they do
good, they
are punished
as evildoers.
And when
they are
punished, they
rejoice as
though they
are brought
to life.
And so
Christians were
punished daily.
And so
Christians, when
punished, daily
increase more
and more.
don't miss
what that
quotation
communicates.
These
Christians live
in a way that
says that
knowing and
treasuring Jesus
is better than
everything.
It's better
than freedom
from persecution.
Knowing and
treasuring Jesus
is better than
avoiding martyrdom
by denying
him.
Knowing and
treasuring Jesus
is better than
money and
status.
Knowing and
treasuring Jesus
is better than
fame.
Knowing and
treasuring Jesus
is better than
doing evil to
avoid persecution
from criminal
governments.
You see, when
Christians joyfully
embrace Jesus
as the dominant
reality of their
lives, through
difficult times
especially, it
causes their
numbers to
increase.
When Christians
treasure Jesus
by joyfully
showing by their
lives that
knowing God
is so
immensely good,
others want to
know such a
God.
Is Jesus
the dominant
reality in
your life?
And do
others see it?
Let's pray.
Father God,
we pray that
you would help
us to see
Jesus.
Give us a
glimpse of
his majesty,
of his worth.
earth, we
ask that we
would be a
church that
lives out what
we say that we
exist for, to
know, to
treasure, to
represent Jesus.
Help us with
pray.
Give us such a
glimpse of your
glory and your
purposes that he
might become the
dominant reality of
our lives.
grace.
We pray for our
brothers and
sisters in Iraq,
right now and
in many other
places in the
world, where
they are not
dulled to the
senses of what
the cost is in
following you.
Father, we pray
that you would
pour out your
spirit upon them
so that they
might see Jesus
in all his
splendor, that
they might feel
his hand upon
them.
they might hear
the words from
your word by
your spirit to
their hearts,
their minds.
Do not be
afraid.
We ask it for
your glory.
Amen.