Well, tonight we begin our series in the book of Revelation. You'll be glad to know that you sat for two years through the book of Exodus. Did any of you know that? January 11, 2015, we started that. And some of you are saying that's a long time, I understand. Revelation shouldn't be as long. So, tonight we're going to consider, this is basically just the introduction to the book. I would like to read the first eight verses. So introductions are somewhat challenging but important because they lay the groundwork to help us to understand certain principles and certain themes that are emphasized right at the beginning. I always like to really begin right with the first words of the book and not so much just do background because I believe the first words of a particular book help us do all of that. So the first eight verses tonight of Revelation chapter 1, this is the Word of God, last book of the Bible. the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, but the time is near. John, to the seven churches that are in Asia, grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come. And from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings on earth. To him who loved us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. There is the reading of God's Word. Two scenarios that I would like to begin with tonight as we start our series through the book of Revelation. I want you to imagine just for a moment with me that it got so bad here in the United States that they started requiring that you were no longer able to gather together and to meet and doing what we're doing tonight for worship, to worship Jesus. That this Christianity thing has done and produced nothing but conflict in the world, that it promotes a kind of hate speech and the things that it advances. And the threat came out of the president's mouth that if anyone is caught worshiping Jesus, they will face the death penalty. If you advance any exclusive claims under the name of Jesus Christ, the full force of the law and the full consequence of the law will be leveled against you. In fact, there are certain parts of the Bible that you are not even allowed to read or teach from anymore. You can imagine what's on that list, Romans 1 and other sort of verses. And then imagine that the president said, well, we're not discouraging a different kind of worship. We're not discouraging a different kind of worship, a worship we want that is uniting, A worship we want that promotes humanity, the good of humanity, that doesn't exclude behaviors and condemn them. A kind of church that's a tolerant place, that accepts all, that builds people up and shows allegiance to Caesar. A kind of church that is universally recognized and accepted. A state kind of church that is kept in check so that the people can still have a kind of worship, but just not one that makes Jesus Christ Lord. That's number one. That's the first scenario I come up with. Second one is this. A powerful president ascends to the throne, overturns all this with great swelling words, gives it all back to Christians, makes it a state religion, banishing everything else. Everything is Christianized. Those are two extremes, aren't they? Those are two things we could imagine happening. In both scenarios, think of the confusion just for a minute. Think of the confusion. In scenario one, you would be utterly discouraged, wouldn't you? You would be utterly discouraged, you would doubt whether Jesus is ruling anything. I mean, come on. That would lead to a lot of doubt whether there really is a king that we confess in Jesus. In scenario two, that's a really positive thing that's happened, isn't it? But how easy would it be for this leader to be exalted as a savior, wouldn't it? How easy would this be to confuse people? How easy would this be to have confidence in a prince and a wrong deliverer. Both scenarios could lead to a lot of problems for Christians. Either way, the place in which Christians find themselves in the world is often immensely confusing, immensely and greatly confusing for us. Don't you find that? Hard to understand what is really happening, hard to understand how we fit in, hard to understand how the rule of Jesus fits in all of this and how kings and kingdoms fit in all of this and what's going on. Scenario one is the context of this book. Scenario one is the context of this book. If you appreciate what the main point of this book is, you'll understand that the immense blessing it is intended to be in what is before us an intense spiritual battle that is happening in the present evil age in which we live. That's the goal of this book. It's meant to help Christians think. It's meant to give us perspective. It's meant to show us certain things. And in that regard, I'm going to make a bold assertion here right out of the beginning of our study that this book is not that hard. You say that sounds arrogant. I think it does too. But I'm still going to say it. I don't think it's that hard. You're going to say prove it and I'm going to try. If we can keep a simple principle in front of us as we work through it and keep the simple truth in mind as we work through it, the big picture and the big pictures that are shown to us here, it's going to be immensely helpful because often what we do in looking at the revelation is get caught up in all of the detail, get caught up in things that when we zero in, we miss the whole story, we miss the snapshot that's given to us. And I'll explain that here in a moment. I believe this book was meant to be understood, was meant to be clear, and it was a way of promoting understanding, promoting understanding of certain things that are important that we need to know. So that's the main point, and we need to keep the big point in front of us tonight, the big picture, and that's really all this sermon is doing. Now, that is shown to us here in these opening verses, where we see John is, and if you're taking notes, the way we could break down tonight's passage in these first eight verses is to simply say that John is showing us the purpose of this book, that John is giving us a blessing and encouragement to read this book, and then he's finally giving us an assurance that this book is intended for us to enjoy. So notice that, the purpose, the blessing, and the assurance. It's all right here in these first eight verses. But let's begin here with the main purpose of this book. And you'll see him emphasizing something very important right in verse 1, where we read the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things which must soon take place. That whole verse explains the revelation. It explains the book. Did you notice the emphasis there? This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Apocalypse is the word which means to reveal. It means to disclose. This is a revealing of Jesus. This book is about revealing Jesus. So that means it's unveiling Christ to us in a very unique and a very special way that's meant to be a blessing. That other books, while they teach us certain things about Jesus and tell us the story, this book has a peculiar goal in revealing Jesus to us. A special goal, and I'll get there. Really important here, you'll notice here in this revealing. You'll notice that it says a chain in this beginning verses here, that God the Father gave to His Son this revelation. The son in turn, in verse 2, sent and gave the revelation in symbols or in signs by the angel to John to the end that he would show his servants what must shortly come to pass. What a great thing to say up front. I'm going to help you to understand. This book is intended to help you understand revealing Jesus to you in a special way what is shortly to come and unfold before you. What I love to observe is John says that up front, that the intention is to show. Don't miss that. That's everything contrary that you've understood about the book of the Revelation. It means that the intention of this book is to cause something to be seen, something to be appreciated, something to be shown clearly to you. It reads like this. the book of Revelation is made to understand very clearly what is happening and what perspective we should have, what is unfolding before the return of Jesus. What a great tie to this morning. That's why I thought it would go well to put the second in line today. The end of verse 3 emphasizes everything that Jesus emphasized in the Olivet Discourse, that the time is near. It is at hand. That has always been a strong emphasis by New Testament writers to live. You are at the door. You are at the gate. It is at hand. Could happen any time. They always maintained an imminent coming of Jesus. Always. So what we have here is a description of the events that will happen to help us understand that important truth that it's near. Things that are unfolding. Things that are happening. things that usher forth the coming of Jesus. John says it's given to reveal, not meant to play games with. It's given what you need to know. I love to say that tonight. It's a different kind of clarity that John is really playing off something that would have meant a lot to Jews. You may not immediately understand the importance of what he's doing here, but I want you to think about something that was said years ago through the prophet Daniel that the Jews were always seeking to understand that something was locked up until the time of the end. Daniel was given a whole series of very difficult-to-understand visions. And you know Daniel didn't even understand them? Daniel didn't get them. And listen to Daniel 12. Although I heard, says Daniel, I did not understand. Then I said, Lord, what will be the end of these things? I don't grasp the visions. I don't get it. I don't understand this stuff that you're speaking with signs and symbols and all of these things. I don't understand it. Daniel said that. And the Lord said, go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed. They're closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified and made white and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall. In those days, the wise shall understand. He anticipated a day when what Daniel saw will be opened up, comprehended, and understood. Unlocked, if you will. I use that word carefully. The words were sealed up, but in the time of the end, God would open them. Well, that's what Revelation is. God, in the book of Revelation, is unlocking and opening for us what Daniel could not understand. So, Revelation is opening up of the revelation of the time of the end to explain what is happening, what Daniel asked when he asked, what shall be the end of these things? And that's what we studied in the Olivet Discourse, and now what we look at in Revelation helps us to see this with, I believe, a lot, much more clarity. But it's important to say, as we begin this, He didn't want us focused on times and seasons. He wanted them in this book to understand the intense spiritual struggle that is happening right now. That's important to the book of Revelation. Deception. Jesus was big on that in the Olivet Discourse. A lot is happening behind the scenes we have to know what satan is doing we have to know where he's attacking we have to understand what this looks like and we are and what we are tempted to do in the midst as a church what we are tempted and how we are tempted to respond in the midst of these attacks jesus is correcting jesus is keeping jesus is helping us to see he was showing them what must shortly take pass, and He's doing the same for us. So let's get then to the main purpose of this book for a minute. What is it? Well, I hope I've given some of that by now, but let me help with this theme. I heard a story somebody wrote about, and I really like this, so I'm ripping it off, but it's a good one. I give credit to this pastor. A group of seminary students were playing basketball in a gym. It's a good sport. Seminary students are fun. Off in the corner was a janitor. Loved janitors. And this janitor was reading the Bible. And these wise, all-knowing seminary students pulled a Philip. This guy's reading the Bible over there. This janitor needs some help. And so they walked up to the janitor and said, do you understand what you're reading? And he goes, yes, I do. What are you reading? The book of Revelation. You understand that? Yep. Shocked, they looked back at him and they said, tell us then what it means. He responded, Jesus is going to win. That's it. That's the book for you. For all the boys and girls here tonight, you just unlocked all the codes to the book of Revelation. There you go. I gave it to you. Jesus is going to win. Isn't that great? That's the heart of this book. That's what this book is about. That's what this book is showing you. Jesus is going to win. He wins the battle. Revelation is a giant picture book. It's not a puzzle book. It's a picture book in a certain kind of way. A picture book telling us an overall story that there is a great cosmic battle going on behind the scenes. That Satan is the grand architect and leader of all of the forces of evil. that he is assaulting and destroying and using the kings and the kingdoms of the world, turning them what we call beastly, I'll explain that all as we go, to fight against Jesus, to fight against his bride in the earth. All of the symbols and language is used to describe this battle. And Revelation is telling us very plainly and in an encouraging way that God is ruling history and that he will win this great battle and bring history to its appointed end in His Son. He's going to win. The simple point, that's the simple point that Revelation is showing us. And how does Revelation then do that? How does it unfold that for us? That's why I said, introductory sermons, you have to lay some groundwork. It's just the way it goes with this book. You can't read this book like you do any other book. You sit down, you read a book, and we read history books a certain way. read and we read from point A to point B. We read the book. But that's not Revelation. Revelation is not meant to do that. It's capturing cycles for us. There are seven cycles in this book full of visions in these cycles that are helping us and taking us into heaven to look at the world from heaven's perspective. That's chapter 4 where John has to go up and look and look down, if you will imagine a theater and there's a there's a long curtain and all you see is what's in front of you and you're watching this great drama unfold and there's all sorts of things happening but but but you don't know in the middle of this drama what's what where really this is turning and how it's going but in the middle of the the play it is it is really discouraging this is this looks really bad. This is the worst kind of narrative, the worst kind of thing you've seen. You see no way how the good guy's going to win. Imagine that scene for a minute. Then imagine that you're lifted up and you're lifted up above the curtain and you're able to look down at this and then you're able to look what's going on behind. And you're seeing all sorts of stuff you never knew was going on. You're seeing why certain actors are behaving the way they did. You didn't realize that some of them were wearing some pretty good masks, but you're seeing now the actors. You're seeing them change. You're seeing what they're doing. You're seeing scenes change, scenes unfolding. Often, these things aren't clear to us as we're looking at history and as we're looking at the times in which we live. And so we're easily duped by false actors. The story seems to be developing and the narrative and the way things are unfolding in a certain way. And you get really discouraged as you look out at all of this. This doesn't look good. This doesn't look good at all. I mean, look at us. We're this weak group in the earth. Is there really power in any of this. Nothing looks like victory. Nothing looks good. Nothing looks like we're winning. Now imagine chapter 4 just as an example as it begins. After this I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which he had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, come up here and I'll show you. See? Come up. I'll show you what's going to take place. Let's look at this from an entirely different perspective. Let's look at this from a heavenly perspective. Let's look at this from my perspective. And so you're lifted up above the curtain and now all of a sudden you're getting a really clear picture. That's what Revelation is intended to do for you. Children, young people might have read Tolkien's novels and The Lord of the rings and, you know, how is this little hobbit ever going to get that ring into that volcano, right? I mean, there's just no way this little guy's going to do it. Ah, but if you could see the trees coming, right? If you could see the things that are happening, how the earth is rising to help. If you could see all the things happening behind the scenes that are working together so that that hobbit gets that ring into the volcano. That's going to be really encouraging. That's Revelation. Jesus is lifting us up behind the scenes to show us how history is unfolding and what's happening. And here's the result of what's being sovereignly conducted in heaven. There is a master architect back there. There is a ruler to all of this. And the real point to Revelation is to say tonight that things are not as they seem. Very important. They're not as they seem. What is happening before you in the world, or at least as it appears, and that it seems like we're being crushed, and it seems like we're losing, that's not the last word. That's not how it's going to go. That helps us with everything. That helps us with how we view the church, that helps us with worship, that helps us across the board. And so these series of visions that are before us in Revelation are saying, helping us to enter into a kind of another dimension, describing our world with heavenly symbolic language. That's what makes it a little challenging. And that's why we struggle with Revelation. Early Christians may not have struggled with this as much as we do because they understood genres and they understood the difference of John is we're not reading a historical book here we're not reading history book we're not reading gospels we're not reading letters we're reading apocalyptic language that is giving us symbols to help us and and and all sorts of symbolic language to help us understand reality John is is explaining history using symbols so as we enter this world of symbols. And by the way, this may be very helpful for children. I was thinking that the other day. That children may really, and pray for me that I do well with this. This may be a great blessing for children to be able to hold on to concepts this way. But He doesn't want us standing back tonight and saying, oh, as we've done, especially in the Reformed world, it's too difficult for us. Can't be understood. No. That is not the attitude I want you to take, says the Lord. I want you to notice what I'm going to do for my servants in this book. Here's the encouragement. Here's the blessing, verse 3. This is the blessing now. So you've considered the purpose, Jesus is going to win. Here's the blessing of the book. Notice the encouragement he gives right out of the gates to read this. And this was read in church services. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near. Did you hear that? He just attached a huge blessing to those who will give themselves to study and hear and listen and keep this book. That's pretty motivating. A blessing, a peculiar kind of blessing. He knew that people would view this book wrongly. He knew that people would see it as a scary book. He knew that people would see and unprofitable for daily life. He knew that anyone who wants practical religion will never think too much of the book of Revelation. And he's saying right up front, you're dead wrong about this book. I'm saying and attaching a blessing to those who read this book and study and understand this book. So don't be afraid of it. Revelation was meant to have a very practical goal for you that we would keep the things written and hear the things that are written and see Jesus as we should because He's coming soon. So notice the blessing here. Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come. And from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler. This just is a powerful statement, an encouraging statement, a ruler over all of the kings of the earth. Hear it? The book comes as a letter to the seven churches. So it was a circular letter to the churches here that we're going to go through soon. But it was specifically addressed each of these seven churches that are of Asia Minor who represent the church of Jesus Christ in this present age. Jesus has something to say to His churches. Jesus has something to say to you in the midst of all of this. He knows the situations intimately of all of His churches that bear witness of His name that are His churches in the earth. He knows all their peculiar situations. He knows all their struggles. He knows that every particular church has certain struggles in this overarching struggle that we're in. And he speaks individually to them of how they can be faithful as churches in their own settings as they wait to enter the New Jerusalem. So he's essentially having, it's important up front, this context that tells us that Revelation is intending to answer the struggle of the church in this present age. So important. We have so much struggle, don't we? We have so much discouragement. We have so much complexity. It doesn't seem like we're going anywhere. Compromise, departure, apostasy. I mean, you just go through it and it's constantly, oh, here we go again. Another fight about this and another fight about that. I'm encouraging you. This is what this is about. It's universally accepted. This book was written in the reign of Domitian around the year A.D. 85, the author being the Apostle John. The churches in Asia Minor were about to face one of the greatest persecutions of the day. It was an awful time in history for Christians. Persecution was impending. They had taken stands against idolatry, against pagan worship. They had held to the exclusive claims of Christ. But what was known as the second great persecution was upon them, was right upon them. That's this book. In the Roman Empire, peoples were expected to worship the emperor as God. There was a pantheon of other gods, but the sole right of worship was claimed by the emperor. Domitian was one of the worst persecuting emperors. In fact, we know that he claimed divinity and addressed himself as God and Lord. Imagine that. The hatred for Christians was stronger than ever at this point when this book came. In fact, John is used as an example here to make this very point where he says in verse 9, I, John, your brother and companion in this tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was on the island of Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Patmos was a small island off of the west coast of Asia Minor, and we have evidence that it was a Roman prison settlement, like an Alcatraz. Here is this great apostle in his old age banished from the empire and now persecuted and John himself banished there by Domitian for refusing to recognize Caesar as Lord. Think of this situation. I mean, what a situation. Imagine if our president claimed divinity, cast down Christ, demanded our worship. If not, you will either be executed or hauled off to Guantanamo. That's this. What a moment, huh? All these spiritual forces and all this darkness is at work assaulting the churches in an uproar against the church. The beast has risen up against her. And you'll notice here that Jesus is now about to address His churches to deal with this and encourage them. John was an example to them, and now He's going to speak to them saying, don't compromise in the midst of this. We'll get to all that. Remain strong in undivided allegiance to your Christ. Don't be seduced into idolatry. Everything we've learned from Exodus, don't be seduced into false teachings. Vivid contrast will be given to show us this, that the devil is trying to seduce the church away and pull out many. He's doing this and working overtime to do it. And it's in the midst of this, as we open up this book, that this beginning blessing comes to us and it says, in light of all of this, this book is written to be a blessing to you and to encourage you in this. You need this. I know you need this. Grace to you. Peace to you. From who? From Him who is and who was and who is to come. We should always remember in times of severe hardship and severe trial God has pronounced a blessing of grace does it for you every week I keep you in my grace and I want you to know that I am your king notice how in the midst of all of this pronouncing a blessing and encouragement he wants to assure them that he's coming for them behold he's coming with clouds every eye will see him even those who pierced him all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him even so amen I am the Alpha and the Omega says the Lord who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty why is that so important I want to close with this thought him who is and who was and who is to come why is he saying that If you could hear that with Jewish ears, it would have meant a lot more. That's a direct tie to Exodus 3. Moses was in great fear of going to Pharaoh. God's people were in captivity. That strong nation, that strong people persecuted them, hurt them, cast them down. Remember what he asked, remember what he asked to Pharaoh and when he asked, he said, who do I say sent me? What do I say to Pharaoh and to the Israelites? He said, I am who I am. You remember that verb means to be, meaning I will be who I will be. The Jewish Targum paraphrases it this way. This is why, this is really encouraging as I learned this this week. I am who is and who was and who I will be. I am who is and who was and who I will be. Tie that back to everything you've learned in Exodus now. The name is given, the Lord's delivering name right out of the gates of the book, just before His people are taken and delivered. And you can grasp Revelation with this great principle that he's putting together the language of the Old Testament. I use that for a reason. The language of the Old Testament to show it now all in fulfillment in Jesus. Everything you've learned. There's a reason we laid a foundation going through Genesis and Exodus. It so much helps now to come to this book. You're going to find it all here. I am the one who delivered Israel from Egypt. I will be the same to you. And I will bring all things to fulfillment in gathering you into the land, in the new heavens and the new earth. The Lord is saying to His church, out of the gates, what He said to Israel of all. I am your king. I am your God. I love you. I've washed you in my blood. I mean, that's right here. I've washed you. That's all the deliverance that we learned about when he pulled them out of Egypt and plundered the Egyptians at the sea and drowned them in the midst of the Red Sea. Guess who goes into the sea at the end of this book? Satan and his hordes. It's all here. Israel passed through the sea and the Egyptians were drowned. God drowns the devil and his angels in the lake of fire and there's no more sea. In fact, we will be gathered around a sea of glass like crystal. no more opposition. And then we get to sing on the other side of deliverance. As they sang their song of Moses, we sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously, the horse and the rider He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my salvation and my song. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing, For he was slain and has redeemed us to God by his blood. So like Egypt was defeated, all the tribes will mourn when he comes. And this is where Revelation begins. The Lord is reminding hurting, struggling Christians of his gospel. Picture it this way. Revelation describes us in the wilderness, delivered, heading home. And all along the way, Satan and his armies hit us all along the way. There are the Amalekites striking from the rear. There they all come. There they hit. There are the locusts. There are the demonic hordes coming at us. And Revelation's message on the way in the wilderness is don't lose heart. No matter how bad things get, no matter what we see in the world, no matter how hard this conflict is, no matter how much the saints seem trampled underfoot, no matter how much it looks like we're losing the battle, the Lord is saying, you're not. I'm king. I'm ruling. I have the victory. I am the Alpha and the Omega. I'm the beginning and the end. I am the one who is and who was and who is to come. And I'm coming for you. Behold, He comes with clouds. Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the earth shall mourn. The victory is His. The one who loved you enough to die for you. If we know that love, then we will give ourselves to hear this book, to receive the blessing of this book, where Jesus says to you tonight, Surely I am coming quickly. And we all should say together, come, Lord Jesus. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for helping us in the introduction to this book tonight and giving us some things to work with, but such a beautiful introduction. No way did we do justice to such a beautiful introduction of encouragement to a church in struggle, to a people in struggle. But Jesus is going to win. And You've pulled back already for us the veil. You've taken us behind the curtain and shown us the victory that is ours in Him. May that encourage us not to lose heart, but as Revelation will also teach us, to pray. For our prayers come up like bowls of incense before the throne and You receive them. Thank You for blessing us today in Your worship. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.