The Revelation of Christ – Part 1: Introduction

The Revelation of Christ – Part 1:

Introduction

HOFC - Pastor Bruce A. Shields

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SERMON INTRODUCTION

The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of Christ, is the most difficult book in the bible.

Because of this fact, many avoid it or ignore it altogether. Some fear lack of understanding, others afraid to misinterpret, which I guess it is better to avoid than dive in and get it completely wrong.

Many times, when a new believer comes to me for direction, they want to jump right into Revelation and find out what’s to come.

This is equivalent to deciding one day to learn Mandarin and sitting down to author a novel in Chinese that very same day.

Or, a kindergartener learning how to count, and then trying to calculate quantum mechanics calculations.

The words in Revelation have caused much debate on rapture, judgment, even some who claim John was writing about the events in his day in code rather than Jesus Christ revealing to him about the coming events and Judgment.

A special blessing is promised to those who read Revelation.

Although it may be a difficult book, we could all use a special blessing, reading this is good for us all, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will take the Revelation of Christ in small portions and gain understanding, little by little.

SERMON SERIES

THE THINGS THOU HAS SEEN – Things that were

Part 1 – Introduction

Part 2 – The Theme, the Vision

THE THINGS WHICH ARE – The Church Age (Age of Grace)

Part 3 – Ephesus The Backsliding Church

Part 4 – Smyrna The Steadfast Church

Part 5 – Pergamos The Immoral Church

Part 6 – Thyatira The Careless Pagan Church

Part 7 – Sardis The Dead Church

Part 8 – Philadelphia The Favored Church

Part 9 – Laodicea The Church God Hates

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment

Part 10 – The Throne of God

Part 11 – The Living Creatures (Various Angels)

Part 12 – Heavenly Worship (As it is in Heaven)

Part 13 – The Sealed Book (Various Books)

Part 14 – The Lion and the Lamb

Part 15 – The First 6 Seals

Part 16 – The 144,000 Jews

Part 17 – The Tribulation Saints

Part 18 – The Seventh Seal

Part 19 – The First 4 Trumpets

Part 20 – The 5^th Trumpet

Part 21 – The 6^th Trumpet

Part 22 – The Mighty Angel

Part 23 – The Two Witnesses

Part 24 – The Seventh Trumpet

Part 25 – The Woman and the Dragon

Part 26 – Manchild

Part 27 – Michael

Part 28 – Overcomers

Part 29 – Persecution

Part 30 – Antichrist

Part 31 – The Lamb

Part 32 – The Angels

Part 33 – Armageddon

Part 34 – Seven Vials

Part 35 – The Temple

Part 36 – The First 3 Vials

Part 37 – The 4^th, 5^th & 6^th Vials

Part 38 – Three Unclean Spirits

Part 39 – The 7^th Vial

Part 40 – The Great Whore

Part 41 – Babylon

Part 42 – Babylon’s Fall

Part 43 – Praise

Part 44 – The Second Coming

Part 45 – Armageddon

Part 46 – Satan

Part 47 – The Millennium

Part 48 – Satan

Part 49 – Great White Throne Judgement

Part 50 – New Heaven and New Earth and New Jerusalem

Part 51 – The Holy City

Part 52 – The Light & New Jerusalem

Part 53 – Alpha & Omega

Part 54 – Blessed

Part 55 – Invitation

TODAY’S SERMON

Introduction to the Revelation of Christ

SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

       I.            GREETINGS AND DOXOLOGY

a.      Prologue

                                                             i.      Revelation 1:1-3 “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

                                                          ii.      It is Jesus Christ’s Revelation TO John

                                                       iii.      God “gave it to Him to show His servants what must take place SOON”

                                                        iv.      The Lord is speaking through His angel He sent to John (vs. 1) it is the Lord’s messenger, not Jesus Himself.

1.      We know this because in Revelation 19:10 John fell at his feet to worship him, and he responded, “Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

                                                           v.      Blessed is the reader! Vs. 3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

b.     Greetings

                                                             i.      Revelation 1:4-6 “John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

c.      Doxology

                                                             i.      Revelation 1:7-8 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
  [Daniel 7:13] and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
[Zechariah 12:10] So shall it be! Amen.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

   II.            THE JUXTAPOSITION OF GENESIS & REVELATION

a.      The First Three Chapters are of Most Importance

                                                             i.      The first three chapters of Revelation establish the Church in the age of Grace, the Church age, right now.

                                                          ii.      It also establishes Christ as the Head of the Church

                                                       iii.      And in Jesus’ letters to the seven churches, He explains what He loves, likes, dislikes and hates about them.

b.     Comparing the Beginning to the End

                                                             i.      In Gen the Earth is created, in Rev it passes away

                                                          ii.      In Gen Sun and Moon appear, in Rev they are no longer needed

                                                       iii.      In Gen the garden is home of man, in Rev a New city is home to nations

                                                        iv.      In Gen marriage of first Adam, in Rev a marriage of the second Adam

                                                           v.      In Gen Satan is revealed, in Rev he is doomed

                                                        vi.      In Gen introduced sobbing and suffering, in Rev all tears wiped away

                                                     vii.      In Gen the curse received, in Rev “there shall be no more curse”

                                                   viii.      In Gen man driven from tree of life, in Rev tree of life returns

c.      Why these Books are where they are at in the Bible

                                                             i.      God is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end and everything in between.

                                                          ii.      He is the Great “I am”

                                                       iii.      He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow

                                                        iv.      The author of Time and all creation

                                                           v.      Genesis is the beginning of everything and Revelation is the conclusion

                                                        vi.      Genesis reveals the problem between us and God, Revelation reveals the coming Judgment

                                                     vii.      Everything in between reveals history, prophecy, fulfillment, promise, and solution to the problem.

III.            CLUES TO UNDERSTANDING REVELATION 

a.      A Right Understanding from Context

                                                             i.      Chapter 1 is “The things which you have seen, the things which were, the Lord Jesus as the Glorified One.

                                                          ii.      Chapter 2&3 is “The things which are, the church age, the age of grace”

                                                       iii.      Chapter 4-22 is “The things that SHALL BE”

1.      This revealing the fact that it is a book of prophecy, and not a “coded” message for the events taking place in John’s day.

2.      John was 92 and in prison at the time of this revelation.

b.     The Church and Revelation

                                                             i.      After Chapter 3, the church is not mentioned on earth again.

                                                          ii.      Somewhere between Chapter 3-4 the rapture takes place

                                                       iii.      Chapter 4-22 is all about Tribulation and the terrible scene which unfolds before final Judgment

c.      The Law of Recurrence

                                                             i.      The Law of Recurrence is returning to a story again and again to give additional particulars. This is what John does.

                                                          ii.      After giving an account of the beginning of the Judgments on the earth, and the final victory of the Lord Jesus in Chapters 4-11, he returns again to the subject in chapters 11-16, and again in 17-22.

                                                       iii.      It is most important to keep this law of recurrence in mind when reading Revelation.

CONCLUSION

It will take just over a year of Sunday’s to complete this series. I look forward to reading it to be blessed, and hope you look forward to hearing it to be blessed as well.

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