CHRIST IN THE MIDST
Illustrations
Years ago a tornado destroyed a little church on the coast of England. The congregation was too poor to replace it. One day a representative of the British Admiralty called on the local minister. The official inquired if his people planned to rebuild. The pastor explained their situation. Whereupon the caller said, "If you do not rebuild the church, we will. That spire is on all of our charts and maps. It is the landmark by which the ships of the seven seas steer their courses."
Dick Halverson, the Chaplain of the Senate, notes:
In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise.
Bible Verses
Revelation 1:4-20
The Seven Lampstands
1. In verse 13 John describes seeing Jesus in the midst of the seven lampstands
2. In verse 20 we are told the seven lampstands represents the seven churches
3. What is the meaning of the lampstand?
a. The lampstand in the temple was made of pure Gold and was meant to give light to the Holy Place
b. The lampstand represents God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit
c. The church is to represent God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit
4. The church is to be the light in a darkened world
Christ in the Midst
The most important part of these verses for the Church is that Jesus is in the midst of the lampstands (candlesticks)
We can learn 3 intentions for the church from this
Lesson from Christ in the Midst
1. The Church is intended to be about Christ
a. With Christ in the midst it shows us that the church revolves around Christ
b. It shows us that Christ has not left and will not leave the Churches alone and without help
c. Church is about Jesus Christ
2. The Church is intended to get its light from Christ
a. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, and it is the task of the church to hold Him forth before the world.
b. Note that Christ stands in the midst of the candlesticks. The churches receive their light from Christ. Unless He stands in the midst of the church, the church has no light.
c. Without Christ, the church cannot be what it is intended to be
3. The message of the Church is intended to focus on Christ
a. The church must see to it that Christ is in its midst, and the church must proclaim the light of Christ to the world.
b. For Christ to be in the midst of the church means that the message of Christ is the very focus of the church.
i. The message of Christ is, of course, the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. He is the very theme of the Scriptures and it was the Scriptures that He Himself proclaimed.
ii. The church must make absolutely sure that the Holy Scriptures are read, studied, taught, and preached among its people and to the community at large.
c. The lampstands were symbolic of spiritual light shining out to a spiritually dark world.
i. Churches are intended to be examples of holiness
Church Today
Unfortunately, the church today is not necessarily about Christ
Many people see it as a social gathering
When asked why he came to church every Sunday one elderly gentleman replied “I come to church so that people will know I’m still alive”
The Church is intended to be about Christ and we have to get back to being about Christ in our lives.
Why Christ?
Why Christ should be the focus of the Church. John shows us Christ’s characteristics; these characteristics show us the reason the Church is intended to be about Christ.
Why Christ? Characteristics of Christ
1. The faithful witness – The one we can depend upon
a. John 3:11 - Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
b. John 8:14 - Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
c. He is the one Person we can depend upon.
d. We can trust what Jesus Christ tells us.
e. Jesus Christ came from God, out of heaven itself, to reveal the truth to us—the truth about God and man and man's world.
f. What Jesus Christ has revealed can be trusted. He is the faithful witness.
2. The firstborn from the dead – First to arise and never die again
a. The words "first begotten" or "firstborn" mean to be the first in rank; to be supreme and preeminent in the resurrection.
b. Of all the people who have arisen from the dead, Jesus Christ is Supreme.
c. It is He who is the Son of God; therefore, it is His resurrection that is the supreme and preeminent resurrection.
d. All other people arise because He arose.
e. All believers shall arise to live with God eternally because He arose and conquered death for us. Because He arose, we too shall arise if we believe that He died and arose for us.
f. Colossians 1:18 - And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
3. Ruler over the Kings of the Earth – Jesus is in control
a. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God's throne.
b. He and He alone has been given the seat of Sovereign rule over the earth.
i. The world may seem chaotic and the problems too enormous to be handled.
ii. But Jesus Christ is in control, and He is able to handle it all.
c. 1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
d. 1 Timothy 6:13-16 - I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
4. Redeemer – He has cleansed and washed us
a. This means that Jesus Christ always loves us.
i. He loves us today just as He has loved us in the past.
b. The word "washed" means to be loosed, set free, and released from sin.
c. Jesus Christ took our sins and died for them.
i. He had lived a sinless and perfect life as a Man upon earth. Therefore, He was able to present Himself as the Ideal and Perfect Man before God.
ii. He was able to die as the ideal and perfect sacrifice.
iii. He was able to take our sins—the guilt and the judgment of our sins—upon Himself and bear the punishment for them.
iv. He was the Ideal and Perfect Man; therefore, God is able to accept His death as the ideal and perfect sacrifice for sin.
d. The point is this: Jesus Christ died for our sins. He actually took our sins off of us, removed them, and died for them.
i. Therefore, we are free and loosed from sin.
ii. Sin has been removed from us.
iii. We stand before God free of sin and acceptable to Him.
iv. But remember how: by the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. It is the shed blood of Christ upon the cross—His dying for our sins—that frees us from sin.
e. Galatians 1:3-5 - 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen..
f. 1 Peter 1:18-19 - knowing that you were not redeemed with [g]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
5. Exalted us – Made us Kings and Priests
a. 1 Cor. 6:2-3 - Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
b. 2 Timothy 2:12 - If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
c. By kings is meant a kingdom, a rule, some authority and responsibility that involves overseer ship, management, supervision, and governing.
i. Believers shall rule and reign with Christ. We shall oversee and administer the affairs of the universe for Christ throughout eternity.
d. By priests means that we have open access into God's presence any time.
i. Believers no longer need human priests or mediators.
ii. Believers are now to offer their own prayers, praises, worship, thanksgiving, and offerings to God.
6. The Alpha and the Omega
a. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega.
i. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega the last letter.
ii. That is, Jesus Christ is the beginning and the ending of all there is.
iii. He began all things and He shall end all things.
iv. All things find their purpose, meaning, and significance in Him.
v. If he is the beginning and the end, we can trust that he can give us eternal life.
b. John 10:28-29 - And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
7. Who is and who was and who is to come
a. That is, He is eternal and unchangeable. Today He is the same Person He has always been, and He shall always be the same Person.
b. This is a great message for man.
i. Jesus Christ loves us all; He loves us as much as He loved those who lived when He first came to earth.
ii. His love is unchangeable. But remember: so are His justice and judgment. If we trust Him, we shall know His love; if we reject Him, we shall know His wrath.
c. Hebrews 1:10-12 - “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”
8. Almighty
a. The word means the All-Controller, the All-Ruler.
i. He is the One who controls all things and rules over all things in the whole universe.
ii. This means that Jesus Christ possesses all power: He is omnipotent, able to do anything. He controls everything: the universe and every being within the universe. He controls the atoms, protons, neutrons, and electrons of space and matter. He even controls every circumstance, event, and happening throughout the universe.
b. Jesus Christ is the Almighty.
i. This means a most wonderful thing: no matter what a person goes through, if he belongs to Jesus Christ, all things will be worked out for his good.
ii. Jesus Christ will control the circumstances and twist them to the good of the believer. Nothing can snatch the believer out from under the control of Jesus Christ.
c. Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
d. Hebrews 1:1-4 - God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Church is:
1. The church is intended to be about Christ
2. Church cannot exist without Christ
3. He is calling all of us to His side today
4. He wants us to be His light to a dark world
5. Before we go any further with Church, we have to understand Jesus and have Him in our midst.
The Final Message
1. In closing today, I want us to see John’s reaction to understanding and seeing Jesus
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
a. John immediately fell down at the feet to Jesus
b. When was the last time you did this, when was the last time you honored and feared Christ for who He is and what He has done?
2. The good news is this
a. When we do this, Christ is there for us.
b. He laid His hand on John and told him not to be afraid.
3. We don’t have to be afraid, we have hope because:
a. Jesus loves us
b. Jesus is alive
c. Jesus holds the power over sin and death.
