Well, good evening, it’s good to be with you, and I was afraid I wasn’t going to be up here for a third week in a row, because I had a stomach bug a couple of days ago, and I thought, oh my gosh, I can’t not preach three weeks in a row, so by God’s grace, I got over that and I’m here, so, I don’t know, there’s a weird ringing in the speakers, but no, I’m glad to be here, my kids were kind enough to pass on their little bug to me, so, but I’m good, praise the Lord, small things.

So for our second sermon, we’re going to be in Revelation chapter 9, verses, no, 1, 9 through 20, 9, that’s far off, Revelation chapter 1, verse 9 through 20, Revelation chapter 1, verses 9 through 20.

John writes here, I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, in the kingdom, in the kingdom, in the patient endurance, that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, on account of the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus.

So, Revelation’s a letter, in a sense, because it’s from John, but then, Revelation has letters inside letters, and you get these little letters, these seven letters, from Jesus to these seven churches that John’s supposed to kind of transmit, and they’re inside of this bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, thing, you know, the apocalypse, this revelation that Jesus gave John, and I think that’s, it’s a kind of, well, supernatural, how do you like that? It’s supernatural, but it’s kind of amazing when you think about that, because when you get a letter from someone, that’s special, you know, letters tell you, somebody cares a little bit more than to send a text, or send an email. You know, letters, even before text and email, letters just feel nice, because it means someone, usually far off, was thinking of you, or had something they needed to tell you, and when you read a letter from somebody on the other side of the world, it feels like, just for a moment, they’re kind of there with you, you know, maybe you can even smell them on the page, but just their penmanship, it feels special. So, it’s interesting that we’re getting, in the Bible here, a letter from Jesus, but not like, inspired by, you know, an apostle was told to write this, or felt led of the Spirit, like we say about the whole Bible, but this is, you know, ascended, resurrected Jesus, and He comes back down, and He’s like, hey John, I got some things I want to say to some churches. So, it’s extra special, because it’s the ascended Jesus speaking very specifically to these churches. And He wants to encourage. He wants to encourage them. He wants to meet them where they are. He knows what they need to hear to be His churches, and He wants to encourage them for the future. He wants to encourage them for the future. So, these are letters from Jesus, and I think that’s kind of an amazing thing to say. Jesus has written letters to the churches, and yes, they’re to these seven churches, but they’re letters to us. Do you believe that Jesus is a witness? Do you believe that Jesus is aware of what you’re going through moment by moment? Do you believe that Jesus is very much so aware of what you’re going to go through next week, whether it’s some other trial, or the book of Revelation actually unfolds? Do you think that He knows all that, and do you think He knows how to communicate to you what you need to know to live well for Him? I think so. I think so. So, I want us to see what John has to say about these letters.

John says in verse 9 that He’s their brother and partner, and I think that’s an important distinction, because it’s one thing if you’re an acquaintance, it’s something else if you’re a brother, right? Because it’s an intimate term. It means we have something that bonds us deeper than some superficial, you know, connection. And he says, I, John, your partner, and I think, I like companion maybe a little better, for a synonym there. I’m your companion. We have a common goal. We have a common mission together. One of the worst things you can do if someone is in dire straits, whatever that great adversity may be, especially, you know, like at a funeral, and someone walks up to you in your dire straits, and they say, oh, I know how you feel. Nothing stings more because you don’t know how they feel. Even if you don’t know how they feel, you don’t know how they feel. Even if, let’s say, you had the same family member pass away in your life that they’re experiencing now, let’s say it was a sibling or something. Every relationship is so different, and people are so complex, you don’t really know how someone feels entirely, you know? So the best thing to do is to say, I’m sorry, and I love you. It’s the best thing to do. But John’s able to identify with this a little bit more because he is in a common fight. John is on the same playing field, and he proves it. John says, I’m writing, and I am the John who has been exiled to Patmos on account of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. So John’s not some guy, he’s some academic, and he knows a bunch of stuff about this guy Jesus who lived, and he’s sending out this letter to help people. But he feels very distant. John’s like, hey, I’m there in the trenches, proof, I’m exiled on the island of Patmos. And Patmos was 10 miles by 5 miles, and it was rocky terrain, so he’s not on a tropical island living, you know, his best life. John is in exile. Patmos was used by the Romans to, you know, make a point of their political opponents, people who have offended them politically. It represents some kind of threat to Roman rule. So it’s from that place that John writes.

John knows firsthand the cost of following Jesus. He knows its hardships, but he knows what it looks like at the same time to be faithful. He knows what it looks like to be faithful. And he knows what it looks like to suffer well for Jesus. And so I think if there’s if there’s someone who could shake us up when our Christianity gets sleepy.

When our Christianity gets comfortable. When following Jesus is just kind of a decorative ornament to life on the whole. I think John qualifies. And so John, John will say to us, then I am your brother, I am your partner. In these three things. John’s saying in these three things, we are united in the same cause. He’s experienced it. Here’s the first thing.

If we’re if we’re truly following Christ, if we’re of him, we’re in his church. John says, I’m your brother, I’m your partner in tribulation. He says in verse nine.

In Acts chapter 14, Paul, it says they return to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. And they strengthen the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom.

So you think about you think about Paul and how much he experienced, how much suffering he experienced. You think about John on the island of Patmos. If you’ve done a brief survey of Revelation, I think we’ve all flipped through it, even if it’s freaked us out. And it’s like, oh, I’m going to Psalms, you know, because it’s kind of like we don’t know what to make of it. You can see how much suffering, you can see how much persecution, even martyrdom is there for faithful followers of Jesus. You think about just the current landscape of the world. I sent out an email. In the newsletter several months ago. And if you remember, and it was that Nigerian wife, she was forced to watch her husband get his arms sawed off for being a Christian. Things very much so like maybe what you would read of kind of a horror story from the book of Revelation. Those things happen in the world today. And I think for us, I think if we if we want and we should want to think about this deeply, conscientiously for us, it’s true that I think as Western, modern Western Christians, we’ve enjoyed a long period of peace. I think if you want to just use the general term Christendom, I mean, Christianity has for the most part been a friend of governments for the last, you know, 2000 years in Western society. And I know there’s squibbles inside Protestantism and there’s a Protestant Reformation. I’m not saying that everyone’s been getting along great the whole time. But by and large. By and large, in the West, Christianity has been, you know, kind of the accepted religion. And you and I, at the same time, if you just even if you just read the news, sometimes you can you can take note, can’t you? That we’re kind of on the very tail end of that, aren’t we? I read again this past week about pro-life centers being vandalized. There’s still, you know, no end of stories. You could look up about bakers and florists who are in endless lawsuits, endless tangle of lawsuits because they won’t bake a certain cake or prepare an arrangement of flowers for something that deeply offends their Christian conscience. The Supreme Court just ruled this past week about a high school football coach who seven years ago prayed after the game midfield. So lost. His job. And he’s been in this upheaval for seven years in court. I know conversations I’ve had with some of you. Just the workplace is becoming more and more of an uncomfortable place to be as a Christian. Just things you’re expected to celebrate, things you’re expected to sign off on. So so you say, like, Chad, you wouldn’t dare compare those growing concerns, that kind of social persecution with the stuff. I mean, I don’t know. You wouldn’t compare that with watching your husband get his arm sawn off, would you? No. But I would say if you and I as American Christians buckle under that kind of persecution, could we even imagine we’re prepared for what’s around the corner? If you’re so afraid of a lawsuit or social ostracization or some kind of economic, penalty, you collapse and hide in the corner from what what happens when it’s more than that. And I’m afraid we we we enjoy to our own detriment kind of this America. You know, this is my version of America. No one can mess with my version of America. Look, I’m all for, you know, Christian principles ruling, you know, societies and governments and societies and governments flourish best when Christian principles are at work behind. You know, whatever laws, you know, govern said nation. But the reality is that’s not going to be, you know, the rest of time. That’s not going to be the case in coming decades and centuries. It’s just not. And so you’ve got to really ask your yourself for who am I living and for what am I living? The Christian life’s just not supposed to be a cakewalk.

I think something in our hearts off when we fuss and we get. You know, troubled when when we see persecution at hand, when we don’t dare think, oh, that could be me much worse. Our hearts aren’t broken for people around the globe who experience it like that.

Take it from a guy stuck on a ten by five rock. You get thrown on the island of Patmos for, you know, passively agreeing that there is this once is just Jewish carpenter and he died for everybody. And that’s my religion. You think that’s why they threw him on there? Because he passively raised his hand in a service one Wednesday night?

John’s there because he lived the Christian life.

So I want to say to you to share in the sufferings of Christ is to share in Christ himself. And I would say to you much more. If you don’t share in the sufferings of Christ, you will not share in Christ himself.

How much? Is it worth to you then to share in Christ?

That’s why Jesus says you must die daily. I’ll be honest. You don’t have to be honest. I’ll be honest. I happen to wake up every day a selfish sinner. I wake up every day thinking about me. I don’t wake up every day thinking about losing myself for the cause of Christ. Not right away. I have to constantly. Look to that cross and ask myself, is that really what my life is about? Or is it about something different?

Church in your in your heart and in your mind. Do you desire to are you willing to stand for Jesus, whatever that cost is?

Because if you are willing to, it certainly means that you will own Christ and Christ will own you. You.

That’s why Peter tells us in first Peter chapter four, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But Peter says this thing that seems kind of morbid, doesn’t he? He says, rejoice.

In so far as you share. Not just suffering and pain. It’s not happy. Happy to have strokes. It’s not happy to have painful surgeries. It’s not happy, you know, to to to deal with ailments. It’s not happy to, you know, oh, I’m a Christian. So suffering is great. No. But he says, insofar as you share in Christ sufferings, because if you share in Christ sufferings.

Things for which I’m following Jesus. He says you can rejoice and you can be glad. When his glory is revealed. So friends, when all things are focused towards Christ, everything has its purpose. Nothing is meaningless. Everything is focused on me growing up and knowing Jesus.

Here’s the second thing I want to say. In in John’s partnership or what John says about the partnership, he says we’re partners, we’re brothers in tribulation. But then he says in. The kingdom, the kingdom, no fast, not fast forward, reverse with me all the way back to Matthew. And I know we took a couple of years in Matthew, but I had this running definition, you know, in Matthew that we used and of the kingdom. I don’t know if you remember that, but the kingdom, you know, it’s it’s the spiritual rule and reign of Christ in our hearts, minds and lives. The kingdom of God is the spiritual rule and reign of Christ in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives. You know, what did Jesus, what’s the first thing Jesus said when he showed up to begin his ministry? He said, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, the kingdom of God’s hand. So so Jesus is inviting everyone turn from yourself, turn from your sin. And Jesus will give you a brand new mind to think a brand new heart to love and desire. He’ll give you, you know, a new new purpose in him. You won’t live for. The kingdom of man, you’ll live for the kingdom of God. And it’s a spiritual rule and reign inside of you. And as as more and more of us do this, what do we gather together in these little geographical locations called churches? And as churches, there’s a spiritual rule and reign over the church. And so through the church in this age, you know, the kingdom comes as the spirit moves. And so we’re like little embassies, you know, all over the world, wherever God puts us. Paul says in Second Corinthians, you know, And so the spirit’s doing that. I think sometimes you like look at China and you go, well, I don’t think he’s doing a good job in China or I don’t think he’s doing a good job in the Far East or I don’t know. Wicca is on the rise, you know, and it is. I don’t think what’s going on and we don’t need to worry about is that kingdom advancing the way it’s supposed to advance? Jesus said it’s like the wind blowing, you know, it’s going here. It’s going there. God’s. Building his spiritual kingdom right now, exactly like he wants. He’s never had a setback. He’s been doing it this way since Jesus, you know, got up out of that grave and he’s going to be doing it until Jesus comes back. So you and I are faithfully full of the kingdom. We’re full of Christ. He is my rule and reign right now for what life should be like. The kingdom is here. The kingdom’s here. Because Jesus is here in you and in me.

The amazing thing, though, about the book of Revelation, I think what John’s pointing us to is this. Our definition of spiritual rule and reign, it becomes bigger and fuller. It becomes bigger and fuller because when Jesus comes back, what’s invisible is going to become quite visible. It’s not going to just be Christians. It’s not going to just be the church. It’s going to be his. As Habakkuk said, it’s going to be, you know, glory covering the earth like the waters cover the sea. In other words, when Jesus comes back, every government and every law, every authority, the whole world will be under Jesus’s thumb. And whoever wants to fuss and whoever doesn’t like that, love that, wasn’t preparing for that, wanted that, they’ll be separated out. So there is this coming kingdom that John says, you’ve got. Not the kingdom, but the wonder of the kingdom is it’s going to become external and physical, too, when Jesus comes back. And when Jesus makes all things new, that’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. And it’s hard to imagine because we live in it. I don’t even like reading news. It’s like I don’t even know who to take serious. You know, you don’t know. That sounds wild. Am I supposed to believe that you have this political bent? You have that political. And just crazy things happening. And, you know, government’s buying up radiation pills now. And it’s so wild, the things going on. And, you know, Russia and the bridge is out. And he’s going to get mad because the bridge is out. And on the home front, you know, we talk about, you know, laws and Roe v. Wade and all this stuff. And and and well, parent playing parenthoods bought themselves a bus. So they’re going on the road now and they’re taking their stuff out. And it’s like, oh, my gosh. Like, can it can it end? And it seems like it’s not going to end. That’s what it feels like, doesn’t it? It feels like it’s never going to end in that that kingdom of the enemy is constantly going to be pushing, constantly going to be pushing, constantly be pushing us. But I want to I want to really press us here on this. I want to press us here on this. Do you let your mind think that the idea of Jesus coming back and new cycles ending, pain, enduring, ending, suffering, ending, sin, ending, lawlessness, ending all disease and hurt ending? Does that does that seem so grand in your mind? You just kind of compartmentalize it.

Or does it feel so far away? It’s like, I’m not going to worry about it. That sounds great and grand, but that’s far off.

But friends, it’s not far off. It’s not far off. And here’s here’s the thing that I want you to see. If you don’t live like Jesus is coming back tomorrow. OK, you’re not going to really let the kingdom be manifested in you the way that God wants the kingdom to be manifested in you. How often do the scriptures say, you know, be prepared, stay awake, be sober, come quickly, Lord Jesus. In other words, the Bible expects you and I to live with. This anticipation that he’s coming back in five minutes, he’s coming back in five minutes, he’s coming back in five minutes. And if I don’t live for the kingdom that way, I’m not going to be prepared for it when it comes. Don’t don’t let your, you know, your fears of what’s going on around you. And don’t let, you know, even I think some just a lack of faith and really believing that’s going to happen when because you’re not going to really see the kingdom of God thrive in you. Now, look again at John. Do you think John was saying, well, that’s wonderful and great and I can’t wait for Jesus to come back? No. What was John doing? John was living like it had already come.

Do you live like a citizen of heaven, though it hasn’t come yet?

If I really believe that the kingdom is in me and if I really believe the kingdom is coming, I’m going to live like it right now. You’re like when you’re in the fourth grade in. You’re supposed to, like, make a paper mache like galaxy with like the hangers, you know, and it’s, you know, it’s like the thing and whatever you tell your mom like the night before I did this stuff, you know, and they’re like, like, what? And you go to the grocery and you buy this stuff. I don’t like the shoe box and you’re making like a scene in the shoe box. It’s like two o’clock in the morning. This was me. Maybe you’re way better. Or you get in college and check. You have this huge paper. You knew all semester you were supposed to work on this thing. And what are you up to? Like four o’clock, five o’clock in the morning? Maybe you didn’t go to sleep trying to get this paper done. Right. All to what? Just turn it in and hopefully get a passing grade. That’s not the point of assignments. It’s not the point. The point of the assignment is to actually learn and grow and change. That’s the point of the assignment. It’s not to just get on by. Keep moving. In a small way, friends, I think that Jesus is telling us the kingdom is coming so that we would let the kingdom change us now. Don’t wait for heaven to show up. The glory of it, the wonder of it. Yeah, that’s that’s that’s not something I can touch now. But the king of heaven and his power ruling and reigning inside of me. Oh, that’s definitely something I can touch. And it’s my choice to live below the faith that he wants me to have so that Christ really rules and reigns in me now.

I don’t, you know, just thinking about this point, I don’t know really what else to do, but just get on my knees. On a regular basis and say, Jesus rule and reign in me now.

Because I let other things rule and reign me. I let myself rule and reign me. Jesus, I do not of my own accord surrender to that kingdom. I need you to come and realign my heart. And Lord Jesus, just help me surrender to you as king. I want your kingdom to come in my life. I don’t want to live for both kingdoms. You know, one foot in one kingdom, the other foot in the other kingdom. Right. And we try that and doesn’t work. Jesus be. My Lord, be my savior, be my God now and be my God forevermore. Bring your kingdom in me. Bring your kingdom through me.

There’s one more thing on this. He says, I’m your brother. I’m your partner in the tribulation. In the kingdom. And third, the patient endurance. Patient endurance.

Nothing’s so difficult. Well, there probably is something difficult, more difficult, but you’ll understand what I mean. Then trying to lose weight. Patty and I were talking about this earlier. When you want to lose weight, it is the hardest thing to do in the world. I, you know, I work with, I’m the only male on staff at the pregnancy center. And I get those ladies so mad because, you know, I lost about 15 pounds, you know, a couple of months ago. You look great. Oh, how much did you lose? Oh, there’s about 15 pounds. Like, how long did that take you? Like, oh, about eight weeks. And their faces all change. And just utter disgust, you know. You know, why can women not lose weight as fast as men? Why is it harder when you get older? You know, those kinds of, those kinds of things. But why, why is it that way? It’s because weight loss, if you’re doing it in a safe manner, at least, it’s slow. And it’s hard. Very much so. It’s slow and it’s hard.

And the tribulations that the church experiences and has experienced, they’re hard. And they don’t last for like five minutes and go away. And living for the kingdom is hard. To resurrender my heart to Jesus every day. And to have a mindset on the things above. Not on the things below. Like the scripture says. And yet Jesus ascended. And he’s like, all right, I’ll be back. He’s like, you didn’t come back yet.

So if there’s anything like 2,000 years deep, like we need, it’s patient endurance for this race. It’s patient endurance. It’s endurance. In fact, in Hebrews,

it says, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what’s promised. So in fact, if I want to see that day when Jesus comes back and the kingdom is actualized and visualized like outwardly on planet earth, and it’s like, that’s like Jesus king of everything. The only way you’re going to get there is if you have patient endurance.

It’s patient endurance. It’s like, okay, great. But I know me. And it’s like, I don’t have patient endurance. And I stumble quite a bit. And I give up sometimes. And I just, you know, roll over and play dead sometimes. I’m like, wish I didn’t. But in the Christian life, sometimes you just feel like I can’t keep going. And I’m tired and this and that and the other. Here’s the amazing thing about verse nine. Look at it again with me. He says, I’m your brother. I’m your partner in the tribulation. And the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus.

So. If you and I are brothers and partners with this, John. It’s not like some club somewhere. It’s not some family, some family. It’s God’s family. It’s in the body of Christ. So much. So that if you and I are in Jesus, everything that Christ requires of me, he also provides. So if he’s calling me on this impossible task of faithfulness and tribulation to live in the kingdom and it feels impossible and it is impossible. Believe he’s going to provide you and I the patient endurance that we need. And can’t we take him for his word? Because didn’t Jesus patiently endure in his life? Didn’t Jesus overcome every tribulation? And didn’t Jesus himself bring the kingdom? So if Jesus says to me, hey, it’s going to be really hard and I’m going to be Lord of your life. I must be Lord of your life. You don’t have a choice. I am going to be Lord of your life while you’re outside, you know, the bounds of the kingdom in the kingdom of the enemy. I’m going to be Lord of your heart and life in your mind. And when it’s really hard and you want to give up and everything’s pulling at your soul. It’s like. It’s impossible. But Jesus, just as much. He gives you and I the patient endurance we need. To thrive. Not even to like, well, I can like crawl on my knees. Maybe Jesus will give me just enough to crawl on my knees and just stick my finger past the finish line. Like I barely made it.

But no, what does the scripture tells us to do? They tell us to what? Run the race. It can say that because Jesus gives us. That kind of patient endurance. He supplies it because he’s already done it for us in his victory, in his death, in his resurrection.

Jesus is the one to whom I travel to see, but he’s also the friend that walks with me along the way. How about that? Jesus. Is the one to whom I travel to see. Yet. He’s hand in hand, side by side with me every moment, every moment, all along the way. It made me think about that old song you sing in church. What a friend we have in Jesus. Because that song, it says, oh, what a peace we often forfeit. What a needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God. In prayer. And as Jesus is here and he says, fall on me, depend on me, trust in me. If you need strength. Jesus, make you strong. You need wisdom. Christ to make you wise. You need to resist sin. Jesus has the power to do it. Friends, whatever you need, Christ in himself has ample supply. For you, don’t starve yourself of it. Turn to Christ when you’re driving down the road. Turn to Christ when you’re sitting at the desk. Turn to Christ in every situation and cry out, he will be your supply.

Jesus is ruling and reigning over us because he’s our king and we’re in his kingdom. But are you? Are you surrendering to his spirit so that he can be your guide and help along the way?

He’s with us moment by moment.

That’s why letters from Jesus sounds like such a good thing. Because he’s not some guy who’s heard about my plight. He’s not some distant friend who’s just checking in. He’s Jesus. He’s deeply aware of my need. To remain faithful in tribulation and faithful in his kingdom. And he gives me the patient endurance. He knows what I need. And I think that would be good. I could put a period there. Great sermon. But John doesn’t do it, so I can’t do it. Okay? I think it just gets better. It just gets better.

Because we go from hearing from the writer to John turns around and he gets to see. The author.

Verse 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. And I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches. To Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia.

And to Laodicea. And to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice. The voice that was speaking to me. And on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. And his feet were like burnished bronze and refined in a furnace. And his voice was like the roar of many waters. And his right hand was like the roar of many waters. Right hand, he held seven stars.

From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. And his face was like the sun, shining in full strength.

John turns around because he hears what’s like a trumpet. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a trumpet, especially up close. It’s loud. It’ll blow your eardrums if you’re right up on one. It’s something that can’t be ignored, can it? Can you take a nap if somebody’s playing trumpet in the room? You cannot. You cannot ignore that voice. You must turn around to see it. Everyone must.

And he says he sees in the midst of golden lampstands. So Jesus is standing in the lampstands around him. He sees, he says, one whose light is the light of the world. He sees like a son of man. Now that title is not accidental. This is the same son of man who was presented before the ancient of days in the book of Daniel when Daniel’s getting these very similar images that John’s getting. And that son of man in Daniel chapter 7 is God’s Messiah, God’s Savior. And he sees this son of man dressed in long robe and a golden sash. This is very similar to the God… the garments that the priests would have wore in Exodus. So you’re seeing someone who by his garb is royal and holy in his ability to go to and from the presence of God. This is not just some man. It’s someone who can enter the presence of God as only a priest could. But then we’re told also that this son of man, he has white hair. Now in Daniel chapter 7, it was the ancient of days. The days who had white hair. So if Jesus has white hair too, it means that Jesus is of the same kind, quality, and essence as the ancient of days.

And he’s got eyes. It’s like a flame of fire. He sees all. He knows all. He penetrates all. All.

He’s quite aware of everything going on.

He’s got burnished, bronze feet. There’s a bronze altar in the Old Testament. So is he saying Jesus is pure? Is bronze? Is he talking about strength?

It’s just this majestic vision of Jesus. And again, we get his voice coming this time as the roar of many waters. This powerful thing that cannot be ignored.

So it was enough to think about Jesus riding me. He’s not giving me a letter. But how much more comfort do you and I get when we turn around and we see, that’s my friend.

That’s my friend. He sees all. He’s equal with God. He can go into the presence of God. There’s no one and nothing like this Jesus. But there’s more.

There’s more. There’s more. It says that, this son of man in his right hand, he holds seven stars, and from his mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword, and his face, it’s like the sun shining in full strength. So Jesus, you know, you think about Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. What Jesus speaks is a sure thing. In the same way that the word created the galaxies and the planets, and whatever Jesus says, whatever God says goes. It goes in the same way Jesus’ judgments will stand. Jesus will speak and it will not be stopped.

In Jesus’ face, John says it’s just glory. It’s just glory and it’s greatness. And in verse 17 it says, I fell at his feet as though dead. Fell at his feet as though dead. And you think, was John being dramatic? No. This is what happens. When the unholy encounters the holy. This happened to Paul on the Damascus road. This happens to Daniel in his vision. It happens any time that God makes himself known. And it takes in these instances, God touching to say, I’m not here to destroy you. I’m here to help you get back up. And that’s what this friend does.

And what does Jesus say to John? He says, fear not. I’m the first. I’m the last. That only belongs to God in the Old Testament. And I’m the living one. I died. Behold, I’m alive forevermore. And I have the keys of death and Hades.

Jesus says, John, it’s me. It’s the resurrected Christ. And I’ve defeated sin. And I’ve defeated death. And death can’t hold you. Hell can’t hold you because it couldn’t hold me. If you’re in me, I’ve got the keys and you’re free. Fear not. This is our friend speaking to us and showing us just how powerful and wonderful and in control he is. And it’s that Jesus doing what? Standing in the midst of the lampstands. Now, why is that significant? Why is it? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why is it that significant that Jesus is standing in the midst of the lampstands? If you go down to 20, Jesus, this doesn’t happen but like this time in the book of Revelation, but we get the cheat sheet for what it means. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. You see what John got to see? He got to see, he nodded Jesus who was far away. He saw Jesus, his friend, his Lord, his King, his God. Where? Right where John was. Right where we are. He’s in the midst of us. Ruling and reigning and caring for us. Jesus is right here. So what do lampstands do?

Just modern language. What do light bulbs do? They give light. Friends, why can we be sure that we’re going to keep giving off light? Because Jesus is right there in the midst of us in all his power, in all his glory. Fear not. That’s Jesus’ letter to you and to me as long as we go on this straight and narrow tour with him.

The seven stars in his hand, just to make mention of what that is, now that’s one of our funny things that gets debated. But the seven stars, it says, are the angels. And so the Greek for angels is angelos. So we have options here. One being heavenly beings. Another being human leaders. Or a fourth, and this is the most popular, is it’s the personification of prevailing spirits or characters of the church. So it would be like a symbolic way of saying Jesus has in his hand, every church and like kind of the culture, the prevailing spirit of that church is in Jesus’ hand. I don’t like that. Here’s why. Angel means angel means angel means angel. The Bible is already confusing. Let’s stop giving more symbols to symbols. That’s entirely confusing. So I believe, and I don’t have a bajillion verses. There are a few verses that talk about, you know, the idea of guardian angels. But this seems to me to be a heavenly representation of the idea of guardian angels. You know, these different angels who are for more or less, you know, you know, they’re accountable for, they’re overseeing these different churches. If it means, well, it’s just a way of talking about the seven churches, or if it does mean there are these angels who are kind of messengers between these churches and Jesus, and they’re kind of overseeing spiritual warfare around these churches, whichever it means, take note that earlier it said those seven stars are in Jesus’ hand.

They’re in His hand. So friend, we can be sure that from the heavenly places, Jesus is watching over us, and we are in His hand. We’re in His hand. Fear not. Jesus wrote you a letter, and He said, I’m really awesome, and I’m right here with you, and I’ll be with you to the end. Let’s take encouragement from that to keep faithful to Him through everything, through everything, and with joy. Amen. For we shall see the kingdom with our eyes, if we see it with the eye of faith now. Amen.

Father, Your Word, if we would slow down long enough to actually read it and observe it, it is too wonderful for us. Lord, Your promises are so precious, and Your truths are, just so amazing. Your love is unending, God, and Your Word, Lord, it takes us deeper into who You are and into Your goodness.

So Lord, we just ask that

we would respond to Your Word with faith and obedience, that we wouldn’t just identify as Christians, but we would live the victorious life in Christ Jesus. And that victory isn’t some earthly, temporal gain, but that victory is the gain of the fullness of Christ in us. It’s the gain of heaven. It’s the gain, Father, of You. So, Lord, we thank You for this sure victory. We thank You for our friend, Jesus. We thank You that He is… our King. We thank You that He loves us more than we can understand and know. That He spilled His blood, and He’s here now in the midst of us. He’s here in the midst of us. Oh, Lord, thank You. Thank You for the presence, the abiding presence of Jesus. Oh, Lord, let us ever know we live in it. We can’t get out of it. We are surrounded by Your goodness. We are surrounded by Your love. Oh, thank You, God. Words can’t express what You’ve done for us. Who You are to us, Lord. Just bless Your name. And it’s in Christ’s name. Amen.