Series: Are You Prepared? (Revelation) [#1]
PAY ATTENTION!
Revelation 1:1-20
Introduction:
I want to thank the church for allowing me to take Tharon and Tyler to Scottsdale, Arizona last weekend for the South Western Regional Swimming Meet. We really enjoyed the meet (not the drive), and they did well.
It is amazing how God uses little mishaps to get my attention. In getting everything ready for the boys to go to this meet I had to send in all of their times for each event they were swimming, copies of my coaching credentials, copies of their USA Swimming identifications; make motel reservations; pack clothes, swimming suits, goggles; print a map to the motel, etc…
We left for Scottsdale Thursday morning about 7am and arrived at our motel in Scottsdale around 6pm. Once we got settled at the motel we decided we better go find the swimming pool. This is where I made my first couple mistakes. I asked the motel desk clerk in passing where the pool was and he said it was somewhere close and we couldn’t miss it. So instead of looking at a map with him, I got in the car with the boys and we left. After driving around for an hour we finally found the swimming pool.
Once we arrived at the pool I quickly realized my 3rd mistake. When looking at the meet information, I skipped over the line that read, “Outdoor 25 yd. pool”. Now the fact that the pool was located outside and not inside like we had thought doesn’t seem like a big deal to most people, but to Tyler- who was swimming backstroke, it mattered. See, his goggles were not tinted, we didn’t have sunscreen, we didn’t have our lawn-chairs to sit in, etc…
As I had to go to different places to purchase these things, the American Express commercial rang loudly in my head. “Tinted goggles, $30; Sunscreen, $2; Sunglasses $12; Lotion for the 1st day’s sunburn, $3; Paying better attention next time, priceless!”
This morning I want to ask each of you to pay attention!
Revelation 1:1-8
As you prepare for your final journey you need to pay attention to…
I. Your Supplies
You need to make sure you have…
1.The correct map. I’m sure that most every person you ask where they want their final destination to be will tell you, Heaven; but wanting to end up somewhere and actually ending up there are 2 different things. We must have the correct map- The Bible; not just any other map.
2.The correct reservations. You can attempt to get into Heaven by all sorts of ways (just ask the world); but the only actual way into Heaven is through Jesus Christ.
Once you have the correct map and have made your reservations in Heaven through your accepting of God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then you need to pay attention to…
II. Your Information
Once you are on the right path you need to ask yourself a couple of questions:
1.“What source of information do I rely on the most as I prepare for my trip out of this world?” Christians know that the answers needed for traveling through this life and preparing for Heaven is found in the Bible; but knowing that fact and knowing what the Word of God says is 2 different things. Do you study the Bible as much as you do the newspaper, the t.v., the Sunday School quarterly, the Baptist New Mexican, etc…?
Many Christians and even preachers are afraid of the Book of Revelation. We have made the Book of Revelation out o be a book full of unknowns and speculations; but verse 1-2 tells us that God gave us this book so that we would know what was going to happen. Notice that it says “what” and not “when”.
Not only does it tell us that God wants us to know what is going to happen; but verse 3 tells us that God will bless us for reading it and He will bless us for hearing it and taking it to heart.
2.“Who do I rely on the most as I prepare to leave this world?” Christians know that God is the only person we need to rely on; but is that what we do? Now don’t get me wrong, God uses people and situations to grow us and guide us; but the last time I checked Oprah Winfrey and Teen Magazine weren’t on the list.
I know Christians who rely on what Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura says way before they go to God and find out what His plan is.
God has set up a network for us unlike any other.
Revelation 1:4-20
As you prepare for you final journey pay attention to…
III. Your Network
Look at everything God has put in place for us:
1.“The Ancient of Days”; “He who is, and who was, and who is to come”; “The Alpha and the Omega”; is also God our Father. He has adopted us as His own children and nothing can separate us from the love of God! We can go to Him anytime we need to.
2.This has happened because of the price Jesus Christ has paid for us. Jesus Christ is the faithful witness; the firstborn from the dead; the ruler of the kings of the earth; the First and the Last; the Living One; and He holds the keys of death and Hades. Through the blood of Jesus we can go directly to the Father. We have not just a brother, but a friend in Jesus who understands our challenges and difficulties in life and is there with us as we go through them.
3.Although Christ is in Heaven, He has sent us another comforter, the Holy Spirit. In verse 4 we find that the Spirit of God- The Holy Spirit, is 7 fold. That tells us of the completeness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within every Christian and is who shows us what the Father wants us to do. Scripture tells us that anything we ask for that is in God’s will we will be given. The Holy Spirit within us tells us what God’s will is. Each Christian has been given gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we as Christians are living as we should, the fruit of the Holy Spirit are evident in our lives.
4.Do you get it? God has covered all the bases. And if that were not enough, God has given us the Church. The Church is made up of all believers in Christ and I want you to notice the structure of the Church found here in our text.
Each of these 7 local churches mentioned here were symbolized as a lamp stand. Now notice that the light for each lamp stand comes from Jesus Christ. As long as each church allows Jesus to lead it and refine it; it will be a light to wherever Jesus has placed that church.
Each of these 7 local churches have a star which verse 20 tells us is an angel or messenger. Most scholars believe that the word “messenger” here is a better translation and that this is referring to the pastor of those churches.
Let me sum this point up for you: We have no excuses. We can go to God the Father through God the Son with God the Holy Spirit within us anytime we need to. We have the Word of God, prayer, and other believer’s in Christ. What better network could you find anywhere?
Conclusion:
We must pay attention! Too many Christians have lost their urgency. Too many Christians are acting like Jesus will never come again. Too many Christians don’t use any of the things God has set in place for us. Too many Christians are not prepared. They know where they are going, but they are going to miss out on many treasures in Heaven because they were not paying attention.
Bel Aire, is our lamp stand giving off a bright light to the community of Hobbs, or are we embarrassing our Savior? Bel Aire, we must pay attention!
