The Blessings Of Revelation Part 2 Series

Sermon 2 in the series, “The Blessings of Revelation”

Topic II "The Blessing of Deeds Done for Jesus Christ!"

Thesis: We need to receive a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ daily because it makes the difference whether you will decide to die for Christ daily.

Text: Rev. 14:13 "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

Revelation 1:1 – 8

1The revelation of 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, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads 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.

4John,

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, 5and 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, 6and 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.

7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,

and every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him;

and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.

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.”

Illustration: Perpetua’s story: Perpetua-In A.D. 202, Emperor Septimius Severus disallowed conversions to Christianity. In the wake of that act, severe persecution broke out against Christians, particularly in North Africa. Living in Carthage at the time was a young woman of nobility named Perpetua age 22. She had been arrested for converting to Christianity and going to be water baptized. When she was arrested and placed into prison she was still nursing her infant son. In March of 203 A.D. she was lead into the amphitheater. Upon entrance in the arena she started to sing some of the Psalms. Her and the others where stripped naked and placed in nets. The crowd wanted them clothed so they where given tunics to place over their bodies. The Egyptians unleashed a mad heifer on her that charged her and up ended her. Later a gladiator was sent to kill her. He struck her on the shoulder she screamed in pain then she took the gladiators hand and signaled for him to slice her throat. He did. In the writings about her they tell of a vision she had upon her arrest. …She saw a ladder going toward Heaven. On it before her she saw her pastor ahead of her. (He had been killed by a leopard prior to her killing) She said in the vision he said, ‘Perpetua, I am waiting for you. But take care; do not let the dragon bite you.’ “He will not harm me” She said,” in the name of Jesus.” Slowly, as though he were afraid of me, the dragon stuck his head out from underneath the ladder. Then, using it as my first step, I trod on his head and went up” (Christian History, Issue 27 page12-14)

Introduction: How could someone give up there life? How? Because they had a revelation of who Jesus Christ was, is, and will be. This revelation was not religion. It was not a tradition, it was not a mere knowing about Jesus. It was an intimate relationship with Christ that had changed her life. It’s a life that has been transformed and continues to be impacted daily by having their eyes on Jesus. It’s seeing Christ as a God who is there 24-7. When you can see Jesus in spite of the difficulties then you can do all things through Jesus Christ even the ultimate sacrifice of giving up your life for him.

Once again it’s important to know that Revelation is an unveiling of Jesus Christ to all who are servants in His suffering kingdom. The book is delivered to John in a supernatural way while he is on the Island of Patmos. Here is an important point Revelation is Jesus Christ’s personal vision of himself to us and to all the servants of Jesus in past, today and in the future.

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I. Once we see and experience who Jesus was, is, and will be. We will then have the strength to stand up for Him in the face of persecution.