The Messenger And The Message Series

A. Revelation 1:4-6 (READ)

1. One letter, seven churches.

a. Although for the next seven weeks our study will be taken from the Book of Revelation, this will not

be a sermon series on John’s Revelation.

COMMENT:

Even though I have TAUGHT the Book of Revelation several times, I will not PREACH the BOOK itself—mainly because I prefer to TEACH it in a CLASSROOM setting where people can ask

questions.

b. That being said, I do think it is necessary to give an INTRODUCTION to the book as it relates to our study on “THE CHURCH” beginning with the Seven Churches of Asia.

2. The book is written by a man named “John”, which most scholars believe to be the Apostle John.

a. John at this time is in his middle to late 70’s (maybe even older), and he is the LAST living

APOSTLE—all the others have been MARTYRED.

b. John, however, is not RELAXING somewhere on the BEACH of the Sea of Galilee enjoying his

RETIREMENT, he has been EXILED to an ISLAND called “Patmos” by the Roman EMPEROR,

which I believe to be Caesar Vespasian—the same emperor that destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.

c. Revelation 1:9 (READ and COMMENT)

COMMENT:

The Island of Patmos was a Roman PRISON COLONY where POLITICAL DISSIDENTS and CRIMINALS were BANISHED (PHOTO).

Patmos was a small, barren rocky island that is roughly 10 miles long and about six miles wide LOCATED in the Aegean Sea just a little over 62 miles from the COAST of Ephesus. The Roman historian Tacitus described the sea and the shores around Patmos as “thickly strewn with [the bodies of] exiles … the crags stained with the blood of victims.”

According to Sir William Ramsay, renowned historian, archaeologist and expert on Asia Minor, “John’s banishment would be preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, sleep on the bare ground, a dark prison and work under the lash of the military overseer.”

Whether or not John at his advanced AGE was forced to do HARD LABOR, the conditions of the PRISON ISLAND was far from HOSPITABLE.

B. John tells us that the REASON he is there is because of “the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus”.

1. John as the OLDEST living Christian was still PREACHING the Word of God and telling others about

Jesus Christ.

COMMENT:

All of John’s COMPANIONS—his fellow-Apostles and brother James—had been EXECUTED for PREACHING Jesus, but that did not DETER him from sharing the GOOD NEWS of Christ to anyone who would LISTEN—even if it meant BANISHMENT far from HOME, FAMILY and FRIENDS.

Although John’s BANISHMENT was to SILENCE his PREACHING of the Gospel, God was still using John to get the MESSAGE of the Triumphant Christ out to the CHURCHES.

2. One Sunday—“the Lord’s Day”—as John is WORSHIPPING God, he HEARS a loud VOICE like the

sound of a TRUMPET speak to him- Revelation 1:10-11 (READ and COMMENT)

a. The trumpeting VOICE says to John, “I want you to WRITE a LETTER to each of the Seven

Churches of Asia: “Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

b. These CITIES are located in Asia Minor—modern-day Turkey (MAP). You can VISIT their RUINS

still today.

c. But why SEVEN? Why not 3 or 5 or 10? There were a lot more churches in Asia Minor than just

these SEVEN.

COMMENT:

If you’ve studied the Book of Revelation, you would know that NUMEROLOGY is an important part of the BOOK, with each NUMBER having specific meanings. The number SEVEN is the number of COMPLETENESS. And, therefore, the reference of “SEVEN CHURCHES” could very well

ENCOMPASS the CHURCH as a WHOLE.

Every CHURCH that had been ESTABLISHED since the inception of the CHURCH on the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 33 can BENEFIT from the MESSAGES to these SEVEN CHURCHES—including every CHURCH in the 21st Century—thus, the reason for this SERMON SERIES.

3. But who is the MESSENGER? Whose TRUMPETING VOICE is speaking to John?

a. We know it’s the TRIUMPHANT Christ, but He is unlike Jesus Christ—the Messiah—that we read

about in the GOSPELS.

b. So let’s take a closer look at the MESSENGER and His MESSAGE to the CHURCHES.

MESSAGE:

I. THE MESSENGER

A. Although this is Christ speaking to John, this is not the same Jesus that you and I IMAGINE.

1. When we think of Jesus, we envision the TINY BABY in the MANGER or the LOWLY CARPENTER

going around FEEDING the hungry, HEALING the sick, WASHING feet. Some still ENVISION

Jesus helplessly HANGING on a CROSS.

COMMENT:

What John is getting ready to DESCRIBE is not in the same FORM as the Christ that he faithfully FOLLOWED in Galilee for three years. This is the TRIUMPHANT Christ who is ready to WAR against the ENEMIES of His church.