1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,100 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives. 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,100 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,100 Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,400 or contact us at my Liberty, Baptist dot org or just look us 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,800 up on Facebook. And now, we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,200 message from God's word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:27,700 What Revelation chapter number 1 is where again we will be at 8 00:00:27,700 --> 00:00:29,100 tonight. Will begin in verse number nine 9 00:00:29,100 --> 00:00:33,600 is my desire to have us finish the chapter and this section 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,500 that we are going to read here in Revelation chapter. 11 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:40,100 Number one commences really the first section of the book. 12 00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:43,300 It's the first and the shortest section of the book. 13 00:00:43,300 --> 00:00:48,800 You'll remember that as we were looking at this book, several 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,900 weeks ago, that we saw in verse number 4, that we were given an 15 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:56,300 outline of what the book of Ation is all about where it says 16 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:59,300 John to the seven churches which are in Asia Grace, be unto you 17 00:00:59,308 --> 00:01:03,600 and peace from him which is which was and is to come. 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,100 That's not the correct verse although he is and was and is to 19 00:01:08,100 --> 00:01:11,900 come that's not the verse. I was looking for, will continue 20 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:13,400 on. I'll get to it in a moment. 21 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,600 But the idea is the Bible tells us that there in the Book of 22 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,400 Revelation, we have things that are past, we have things that 23 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,100 are happening at the moment and things which are to come. 24 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,500 Just as Is the one who was and is and is to come is timeless 25 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:30,700 and we're a look at some of those things here tonight and 26 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:34,300 particularly in verses number nine and on titled this message 27 00:01:34,300 --> 00:01:37,300 the vision commences because from what we have seen before, 28 00:01:37,300 --> 00:01:40,000 we're kind of getting background, understanding of 29 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,600 what the book is about, who is writing the book, who is being 30 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,100 addressed to, and most of all who Jesus Christ is that's what 31 00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:48,000 we've seen all throughout the book so far. 32 00:01:48,008 --> 00:01:51,500 But now the actual Vision itself is going to begin, we're going 33 00:01:51,508 --> 00:01:54,200 to see some of the symbolism that's here tonight and we're 34 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,600 going to To start to unravel some of this but we see just as 35 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,000 I hope that we go all throughout the Revelation and see this, 36 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,200 let's not just symbolism for the sake of symbolism. 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,000 We're not just reading of these Visions just for the sake of 38 00:02:06,008 --> 00:02:08,400 reading them. But there's real application 39 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,400 that is available to us and helpful to us where we are. 40 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:12,600 That's what I want us to see tonight. 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,100 So please remain seated. We're going to read Revelation 42 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:17,500 chapter number 1 or 2. Begin in verse number 9 and go 43 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:21,900 to the end of the chapter. Where it says this, I John who 44 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:25,900 am also your brother and companion In Tribulation and in 45 00:02:25,908 --> 00:02:29,900 the kingdom, and patience of Jesus Christ was in The Isle, 46 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:32,300 that is called Patmos for the word of God. 47 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:35,700 And for that, testimony of Jesus Christ, I was in the spirit on 48 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:39,500 the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet 49 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,600 saying, I am Alpha and Omega the first. 50 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,000 And the last you'll remember, we saw that in verse number 8 last 51 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,300 week with what thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the 52 00:02:49,308 --> 00:02:52,900 seven churches, which are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto 53 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,800 Smyrna and unto pergamos. Amos and unto thyatira and unto 54 00:02:56,900 --> 00:03:00,700 Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto laodicea. 55 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,400 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being 56 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,300 turned. I saw seven golden candlesticks 57 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:10,200 and the midst of the seven, candlesticks, one, like unto the 58 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,700 son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot and 59 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:17,100 Girt about the paps, with a golden girdle, his head, and his 60 00:03:17,100 --> 00:03:20,700 hairs were white, like wool, as white as snow. 61 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:24,300 And his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet. 62 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:28,100 Like Undefined brass as if they burned in a furnace and his 63 00:03:28,100 --> 00:03:30,100 voice as the sound of many Waters. 64 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,600 And he had his right hand, Seven Stars out of his mouth, went a 65 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,000 sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was, as the sun 66 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,100 shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at 67 00:03:40,108 --> 00:03:43,900 his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto 68 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:46,100 me fear. Not, here it is again. 69 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,200 I am the first and the last I am, he that liveth and was dead 70 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,700 and behold I am alive for Evermore. 71 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,300 Amen. And have the keys. 72 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,300 Of hell and of death. And here's the verse I was 73 00:03:56,300 --> 00:03:58,700 trying to reference before but I was getting confused with verse 74 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:02,400 number 4, write the things which thou Hast seen and the things 75 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,000 which are and the things which shall be Hereafter. 76 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,700 That's the internal outline that we have in verse number 19 of 77 00:04:08,700 --> 00:04:12,800 the Book of Revelation verse 20, The Mystery of the Seven Stars, 78 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,300 which thou saw'st in my right hand and the Seven golden 79 00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:18,100 candlesticks. The Seven Stars are the Angels 80 00:04:18,100 --> 00:04:21,000 of the seven churches and the Seven candlesticks which thou 81 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,300 saw'st are the seven churches and over. 82 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:28,900 Number 20, Begins by saying the mystery of the Seven Stars and 83 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:32,000 the Mystery of the seven golden candlesticks. 84 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:35,200 That's telling us, there's a vision and it's also telling us 85 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,500 that there is a mystery to be unraveled. 86 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:40,500 And so it's our desire to be able to unravel this tonight. 87 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:42,800 And I'll be honest with you, this will be one of the easier 88 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:47,200 prophecies to unravel because the prophecy itself as well as 89 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,600 the answer to the mystery are all found in the same text. 90 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,300 That's not always going to be the case as we go through the 91 00:04:53,308 --> 00:04:56,200 Book of Revelation. But I will say it sets a pattern 92 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,300 for us to understand that the prophecies we see, we don't just 93 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:04,500 get to interpret, however, we want with whatever we think or 94 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:07,100 whatever. We feel that is an allegorical, 95 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:11,100 interpretation of the Book of Revelation, or an allegorical, 96 00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:13,900 interpretation of the word of God, which means that what you 97 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,400 see is not really real, it just signifies something else and the 98 00:05:18,407 --> 00:05:20,300 problem with that type of interpretation, well, there's 99 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:23,500 many but the main problem is you can fill in the blanks with 100 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:27,300 whatever you It to be, but I see that the Book of Revelation 101 00:05:27,300 --> 00:05:29,000 tells us when there are these Mysteries. 102 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,300 When there are these visions that they can be interpreted 103 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,500 through other scriptures in the word of God. 104 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:37,400 And that pattern is set for us here, Ray and chapter number 105 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,100 one, because he says here is the answer to the mystery of which I 106 00:05:41,108 --> 00:05:43,500 have given you here in the same vision. 107 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,700 And we might get a very easy answer because he supplies it to 108 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:49,700 us right here in the text. It will always be that way. 109 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:52,100 But I would, you want us to go through these things here 110 00:05:52,100 --> 00:05:55,300 tonight and make application? As we see that the vision 111 00:05:55,300 --> 00:05:57,400 commences. So, let's go ahead and get right 112 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,000 to it tonight. There's four things on the back 113 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,400 of your prayer Bolton that I want to point out about this 114 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,700 vision for different things. And the first is, I want to see 115 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:08,300 the seven churches. Number one, I see the seven 116 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:13,400 churches and this goes back to verse number 11, and it's 117 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,700 interesting. We're going to see the number 118 00:06:15,700 --> 00:06:18,700 seven found throughout the Book of Revelation. 119 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:20,900 In fact, I was reading just today and I found, you know, 120 00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:24,100 seven is the number of perfection in the word of God. 121 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:29,100 That's why We saw the seven spirits few messages ago here in 122 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:31,600 Revelation. Chapter number 1 will see the 123 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,900 seven spirits again in Revelation chapter number four, 124 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,200 not saying there's seven holy spirits but the Perfection of 125 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,400 the perfecting work of the Holy Spirit. 126 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,600 I didn't realize this but did you know the number 7 is 127 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,700 actually found 49 times and the Book of Revelation well that's 128 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:51,300 seven times seven that ultimate Perfection found the word of 129 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:52,600 God. There is no mistakes in the word 130 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,000 of God and even down to the He digits that you find not the 131 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,900 verse numbers necessarily because we've supplied those as 132 00:06:58,900 --> 00:07:02,100 time goes on for readability but the numbers themselves that we 133 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:07,200 find seven churches, seven candlesticks Seven Stars. 134 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:11,200 These are there for a reason. The Perfection that is they're 135 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,800 all throughout but we go back to these seven churches and this 136 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,600 goes back to verse number 4 where it says John to the seven 137 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,400 churches which are in Asia. So we're reminded that this book 138 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:30,700 of Revelation is It's addressed to seven specific, real literal 139 00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:37,000 churches that these were the first initial recipients of the 140 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,700 Book of Revelation. Now, these churches are listed 141 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:44,100 in verse number 11, where it says what thou seest, write in a 142 00:07:44,100 --> 00:07:47,300 book and send it unto the seven churches, which are in Asia that 143 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,600 when it says Asia its talk of Asia Minor, that's modern day 144 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,700 Turkey. Today if you're looking at a map 145 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:57,100 and the seven churches Our a constellation on a map of Asia 146 00:07:57,100 --> 00:08:00,400 Minor and they are in towns called Ephesus. 147 00:08:00,700 --> 00:08:06,400 Smyrna pergamum has thyatira Sardis, Philadelphia and 148 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,900 laodicea. Now that may not mean a whole 149 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:12,000 lot to us now but for those of you that read your Bibles which 150 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,700 looking around the room well that's all of you. 151 00:08:14,100 --> 00:08:17,300 If you've read your Bibles you know those seven churches are 152 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:19,500 going to come into play the next two chapters aren't they? 153 00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:23,300 Because in chapter number two in chapter number three, each of 154 00:08:23,300 --> 00:08:26,700 those churches. Is going to get an individual 155 00:08:26,700 --> 00:08:30,000 message and even more specific than that, there is someone 156 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,600 specific within those churches, who is going to get that 157 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,100 message, which will look at, and the interpretation thereof here 158 00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:39,600 in just a little moment. But chapters 2, and 3 are 159 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,900 totally dedicated, these seven churches, and everything that 160 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:47,600 follows in the remainder of this chapter helps us to understand 161 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,000 the gravity of these messages that are being translated to 162 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,200 these churches, they need to know the specific message. 163 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,100 And that's being given to their church, but they also need to 164 00:08:57,100 --> 00:09:04,200 know of the end times. Understanding that comes from 165 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,300 Revelation chapter number 4. All the way to Revelation, 166 00:09:07,300 --> 00:09:10,200 chapter 22, to the fact of Heaven itself and what heaven 167 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,600 will be like, God wants them to be addressed with all of these 168 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,900 things. Now, why are these seven 169 00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:20,700 churches important to us today? Well, and it's not because they 170 00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:23,900 still exist because I don't believe they do and it's not 171 00:09:23,900 --> 00:09:26,600 because I believe that these seven churches and chapters 172 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,900 number two and three give us a timeline of church history. 173 00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:33,600 I may get into that a little bit when we get there but there are 174 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,500 some who think that these churches represent a timeline of 175 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:39,400 church history. I think he got to really massage 176 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,600 the dates and massage these churches to fit them into church 177 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:46,500 ages if you will. But I think they're important. 178 00:09:46,500 --> 00:09:48,800 Because when we get into chapter 2 and chapter number three, 179 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,600 you're going. Find all the different kinds of 180 00:09:50,608 --> 00:09:52,500 churches. There's a church that's 181 00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:54,700 lukewarm. There's a church that has 182 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:59,100 Brotherly Love Philadelphia. There's a church that has lost 183 00:09:59,100 --> 00:10:01,200 its first love. There's a church that's allowed 184 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,800 doctrinal heresy to step in in the form of Jezebel there are 185 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:07,600 all types of different churches that are there. 186 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,500 I believe the find types of churches that are being 187 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:13,200 addressed in chapters 2 and 3 that are being introduced to us 188 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,700 here in chapter. Number one, are the kind of 189 00:10:15,700 --> 00:10:20,900 churches that you find Anywhere today because there are churches 190 00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:23,600 that are hot for Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for that. 191 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,500 I want to be that type of church, that burns hot and burns 192 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:30,300 brightly for Jesus Christ. I hope that's what we are. 193 00:10:30,308 --> 00:10:32,600 But there are churches that are there just because our 194 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,900 organizations that are there, just for the sake of 195 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:37,000 organization, they've lost their first love. 196 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,600 They're there because they are a social club or there because 197 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,500 there are supper club or there because they have some other 198 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:46,000 purpose. But they're not there for the 199 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,900 sake of the gospel and there are Others who are existing in our 200 00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,600 striving for the work of the Gospel but they're allowing 201 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,400 false Doctrine to seep in. We're going to look at these 202 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,100 seven churches and we're going to see seven churches in their 203 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:02,700 types that still exist today. And I believe we'll see that as 204 00:11:02,700 --> 00:11:06,600 we go on and this is why these seven churches are so important. 205 00:11:06,700 --> 00:11:11,000 But going on, as we look at these types that we find here in 206 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,300 the Book of Revelation in chapter number one, we don't 207 00:11:13,300 --> 00:11:15,900 just see the seven churches. But we also see the seven, 208 00:11:15,900 --> 00:11:18,400 candlesticks, the seventh. Those sticks. 209 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:23,400 Look at verse number 12. It says this and I turned to see 210 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,600 the voice that spake with me and being turned. 211 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,500 I saw seven, golden candlesticks. 212 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:35,000 Now remember John is being addressed by this great voice. 213 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,200 John is being caught up in the spirit on the Lord day on the 214 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:45,200 Lord's day and as John hears, a voice behind him, he turns 215 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,700 around. And the first thing that he 216 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:50,300 sees, Is not Jesus Christ. Now we're going to get to him in 217 00:11:50,300 --> 00:11:51,900 a moment. That's the very next verse. 218 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,900 But the first thing he sees is not Jesus Christ. 219 00:11:53,900 --> 00:11:58,300 The first thing that he sees are these seven golden candlesticks. 220 00:11:58,300 --> 00:12:01,700 So we ask ourselves. Well, what are these 221 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:04,400 candlesticks? Well, the blessing is, if you'll 222 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,900 remember, we got diverse number 20, we had the interpretation of 223 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:10,900 exactly what the candlesticks were. 224 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:13,600 So jump down to verse number 20. Let's look at it again. 225 00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:17,700 It says the mystery of the Seven Stars which thou saw'st in the 226 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:21,100 My right hand and the Seven golden candlesticks. 227 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:23,700 The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches and the 228 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:27,600 Seven candlesticks, which thou saw'st are the seven churches? 229 00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:31,700 Well, really number one, and number two are actually one in 230 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:34,000 the same, aren't they? I've separated them because 231 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,000 they're separated here in our text and I think it's important 232 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,000 that we do but the seven candlesticks really just 233 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,000 represent in this Vision. Both in chapter number one and 234 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,000 how they're addressed in Chapter 2 and chapter 3. 235 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,700 They the candlesticks represent these. 236 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,600 Seven churches. Now why is this important? 237 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,400 Why does he call them candlesticks? 238 00:12:52,900 --> 00:12:55,300 Well, again, symbolism is important. 239 00:12:55,700 --> 00:12:59,900 Now, you know, you don't need to be a scientist to know this but 240 00:12:59,900 --> 00:13:02,600 candlesticks don't give light on their own. 241 00:13:04,100 --> 00:13:07,400 A Candlestick in and of itself. Cannot give light. 242 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,100 That's just not what a Candlestick does. 243 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:13,400 A Candlestick has one purpose. As far as I'm aware of. 244 00:13:13,700 --> 00:13:17,900 It holds a candle, a candle, stick serves that purpose to 245 00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:20,600 hold a candle to help give light. 246 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,400 You don't want to just necessarily hold a candle on its 247 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,400 own, the wax could drip. It's just not something you 248 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:31,100 really want to do, you want to place a candle on a Candlestick. 249 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,900 And that's a symbol of what the Arches to be the church in and 250 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:40,400 of itself is not the light. We are not the light. 251 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:44,100 We collectively are not the light, that is not what Liberty 252 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:48,300 Baptist Church is, Liberty. Baptist Church is not the light. 253 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:54,200 But what are we to do? We are to uphold the light to 254 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,200 bring light to a dark place. That is what God has called us 255 00:13:58,208 --> 00:13:59,400 do. We're not the light but we're 256 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,500 the Candlestick to be uplifted. So that in a dark place like can 257 00:14:03,500 --> 00:14:06,800 be brought in and can be shown to all who are in the house. 258 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,800 You know, why am I going to the East and police? 259 00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,800 But tomorrow, I'm hoping that we can shine a little bit of light 260 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,300 in a dark place. I'm not saying that they, the 261 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:18,600 police department themselves are dark in the sense that that 262 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,600 they're evil or Wicked. I certainly am not trying to 263 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,800 suggest that in the sense of that, some are trying to suggest 264 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,400 about the police department's of our country today. 265 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,000 But I'll say this, I assume there's many, that don't know. 266 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,800 Jesus Christ their savior because, well, the police 267 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,400 department's filled with people and pretty much anywhere you go 268 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,300 where there's people, there's people who don't know, Jesus 269 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:39,200 Christ their savior. So what You. 270 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,100 Well, we're to be that Candlestick as the church, we're 271 00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:45,800 not the light, but we want to uphold the light in the school 272 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,000 that District. The schools are a dark place. 273 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,400 When you consider what's being taught and the difficult things 274 00:14:51,900 --> 00:14:53,700 more than ever, what a dark place. 275 00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:57,700 We need Christians to stand up as light in the darkness, to be 276 00:14:57,700 --> 00:15:01,800 able to witness, and to teach, and to preach, to those people. 277 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,300 And, and I know churches that are able to have Ministries in 278 00:15:05,300 --> 00:15:06,900 public schools. I think that's a wonderful 279 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:07,900 thing. I would love to be able to 280 00:15:07,900 --> 00:15:10,100 appoint someday. Or we can go into a, no, and 281 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:13,900 have a students Club about the Bible or into a middle school 282 00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:15,600 and do something like that, we're not at a place where we 283 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,700 can do that yet, but what a wonderful thing to go and Shine 284 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:21,600 the Light in a dark place, because that's what the church 285 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,900 is supposed to do. We don't just collect our light 286 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:25,900 here and just keep the light here. 287 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,500 No, we take the light of Jesus Christ out and we tell as many 288 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:32,800 people as we do. And that's why we have tracks 289 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,300 and that's why we have gospel literature. 290 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,900 That's why we have these type of things because we want to tell 291 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:42,500 as many people As we can about Jesus Christ, the Candlestick 292 00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:47,000 makes light higher and it makes it more easily seen and where to 293 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,800 lift High the Cross aren't we were to lift High Jesus Christ, 294 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,600 the light of the Gospel. That's why Philippians 2 verses 295 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,400 15 and 16 says that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons 296 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:01,100 of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse 297 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:05,200 Nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world among whom 298 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,000 ye shine as lights in the world holding forth the word, Word of 299 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,600 life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not 300 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,500 run in vain either, labored in vain. 301 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,400 Well, how do we shine as lights in the world? 302 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:18,300 We hold forth, the word of Christ. 303 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,400 That's how we are to be that light in a dark place. 304 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,000 I remember when I was in Bible College, I was a freshman and I 305 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,300 sat in the front row and I, you know, there was not many who sat 306 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:31,000 in the front row and I just did because I just like to be a 307 00:16:31,008 --> 00:16:33,200 contrarian. And so Baptist, don't sit in the 308 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,900 front row. Hence, but I thought I'd sit in 309 00:16:36,908 --> 00:16:39,700 the front row with a couple other guys, that's what we did. 310 00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:41,100 And I remember one man came to preach. 311 00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:45,100 His name is Randall Moody and he started to preach in and he read 312 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:49,100 his text and he was done, he closed his Bible and he did 313 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:53,300 this. That's all he did. 314 00:16:54,500 --> 00:16:57,800 And it was uncomfortable because it's about 30 seconds. 315 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:01,900 He just stood there with his hand out like this. 316 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,300 And so finally after about 30 seconds I'm looking around. 317 00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:10,000 Nobody else is doing anything. I didn't know if he had suffered 318 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:15,700 a stroke or what had happened but I just got up and I 400 319 00:17:15,700 --> 00:17:17,900 students there, I got up in front of all of them and I 320 00:17:17,908 --> 00:17:22,400 grabbed the Bible out of his hand and I sat down and he 321 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,800 pulled out another Bible from underneath beneath the pulpit 322 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,099 and put it up. And he says, young man. 323 00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:30,200 I was waiting for somebody to be able to come and grab that Bible 324 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,800 and he preached from this text holding forth the word of life. 325 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:38,200 And that Bible was a new Bible, which he gave to me, and he 326 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,100 signed it after church and put on the front first responder as 327 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:46,300 a reminder, to me that I got up and took that Bible when I soon 328 00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:48,700 as I got up, I thought this is a bad idea when everyone was 329 00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:49,900 looking at me and it was a great idea. 330 00:17:49,900 --> 00:17:54,200 I cherish that Bible for many years and so it was a blessing. 331 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:57,000 Sing but always reminding me. What are we supposed to do? 332 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,000 Hold forth, the word, good things happen. 333 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,300 When you hold forth the word, look, when you don't hold forth 334 00:18:03,300 --> 00:18:07,600 the word, not much happens. You hold it, fourth, you hold 335 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,600 forth, the light. It may not seem like much, but 336 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,400 you never know. Who would ever thought? 337 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,700 I'm good brother, Vince today and, and, and a woman says, oh 338 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:17,700 yeah. No, I won't come now, I don't 339 00:18:17,700 --> 00:18:19,400 know if she'll come or not, but I know this. 340 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:21,200 She would never have thought of coming before. 341 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,500 She got a track. And praise the Lord, or I pray 342 00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:27,800 rather that she flips over that track and realizes she needs 343 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,400 more than just a church visit. She did something far greater 344 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,000 than that. She needs Jesus Christ. 345 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,300 As her savior said, she was born and raised Catholic and hadn't 346 00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:38,300 been to church for a while. And I said we would love to have 347 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:40,800 you to come on. Resurrection Sunday. 348 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,200 And so, what's that doing? It's being the Candlestick and 349 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:48,000 these churches there in Asia, Minor were to be the seven 350 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,400 golden candlesticks. And what I love about it in 351 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,200 verse number 13, it says an The midst of the sending seven 352 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,500 candlesticks one like unto the son of man, stop right there. 353 00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:00,800 So there are these seven churches, these local churches 354 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,300 are independent churches. Each operates, independently of 355 00:19:04,300 --> 00:19:07,200 one another, that's what the local church I believe is to do 356 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:08,600 that. We don't need a denominational 357 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,200 hierarchy in the sense that someone from on high tells the 358 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,300 church, how it's to run itself that the church is to organize. 359 00:19:16,300 --> 00:19:20,900 And to be accountable to itself and to most importantly, Jesus 360 00:19:20,900 --> 00:19:22,200 Christ. I believe that's it. 361 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,400 But at Same time, although we are independent, we are 362 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,600 interdependent all one another. And as we do, what God calls us 363 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,100 to do who, dwells in the midst of us, Jesus Christ. 364 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,300 Jesus Christ. Could I put it this way? 365 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,400 Is the glue that holds the churches together? 366 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,200 That should. So is it a surprise when 367 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,600 churches fight over? Who Jesus Christ is why we have 368 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,900 the splintering that we have today between churches and such, 369 00:19:47,900 --> 00:19:51,900 it shouldn't surprise us at all because Jesus is the one who has 370 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:54,400 to hold us. All together, by the way, that's 371 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:59,200 why we don't call the Colts Christians because we don't call 372 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,100 the Mormons Christians, or with it. 373 00:20:01,100 --> 00:20:04,900 Jehovah Witness Christians, because they don't believe in 374 00:20:04,900 --> 00:20:08,200 the Jesus Christ, the son of man that we see here that holds all 375 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,700 the churches together, in fact, that term, son of, man, I think 376 00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:14,000 I may have mentioned some of this Sunday night when I was at 377 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,100 a visit with brother Vince on Saturday, we're trying to visit 378 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:19,700 somebody in the Jehovah Witnesses, come up and they said 379 00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:22,400 Jesus Christ is the son of man. I said yes. 380 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,900 He's the son of man, I said, but is he the Son of God? 381 00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:30,900 And the guy goes like this. When he kind of bent over like 382 00:20:30,900 --> 00:20:34,100 that they wanted to recognize Jesus Humanity. 383 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:38,000 Which by the way, he was 100% God but they don't want to 384 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:43,200 recognize his deity. That he was 100% God. 100% God 385 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,700 100% man. He thought it not robbery to be 386 00:20:45,700 --> 00:20:49,600 equal with God it tells us and so that's why we have to have 387 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,900 the right view of Christ because he is the one that is Dwelling 388 00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:54,700 in the midst of all the churches. 389 00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:58,400 So number two, we see the seven golden candlesticks number 3. 390 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,300 I also see this tonight, I see the Seven Stars, the Seven 391 00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:04,600 Stars. Look at verse number 16 and he 392 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,700 had in his right hand, and this is the son of man that he had in 393 00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:10,500 his right hand Seven Stars. Then out of his mouth, went a 394 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,300 sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun 395 00:21:13,300 --> 00:21:17,400 shineth in his strength, will address the less the rest later. 396 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:20,000 But the beginning of verse 16 it says and he had in his right 397 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:26,000 hand, Seven Stars now Once again, we have symbolism and 398 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,200 then once again verse number 20 gives us the answer to this 399 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,800 symbolism. However, there's still a little 400 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,700 bit of a mystery that remains so we see there are the Seven Stars 401 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,800 what or who are the Seven Stars drop again to verse number 20, 402 00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:42,800 where it says this The Mystery of the Seven Stars, which thou 403 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,400 saw'st in my right hand and the Seven golden candlesticks, the 404 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,200 Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches. 405 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:53,700 Are we go? The Seven Stars or the seven 406 00:21:53,700 --> 00:21:58,200 angels, but here's the question. What are the seven angels. 407 00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:06,700 Pastor and Angel is an angel, well, that is true. 408 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:13,200 An angel is that angel, but I would Point a couple things out 409 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,500 to you about that. Starting in verse number 2 or 410 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:20,900 chapter number to each of the seven letters are not actually 411 00:22:20,900 --> 00:22:24,600 addressed to the seven churches. That's a common misconception 412 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,000 that something that we often repeat because we've heard that, 413 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,900 I may even repeat that. Sometimes, just out of, I use 414 00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:34,100 the term a laziness in the way that I'm trying to present it. 415 00:22:34,100 --> 00:22:37,300 These letters are not actually presented to the seven churches. 416 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,000 Look at chapter 2 verse number one. 417 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:45,200 Look at what it says unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus 418 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,000 and we could continue on and we could see which each of the 419 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:50,900 churches, this is going to repeat itself. 420 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,300 So these letters are not actually written to the 421 00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:56,800 churches. They're written to the angel of 422 00:22:56,808 --> 00:22:59,700 the churches, which causes us to ask this question. 423 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:05,600 Is God giving Specific Instructions to Guardian Angels 424 00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:10,100 for each Church. I'm not saying that couldn't be 425 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:13,400 the case. I'm saying is I read Revelation 426 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,100 Chapter 2 and 3. I have a hard time fitting that 427 00:23:16,100 --> 00:23:19,500 in to exactly what I see there. That God would need to give 428 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:22,100 instruction and some very specific instructions to 429 00:23:22,100 --> 00:23:26,600 Guardian Angels of each church. But here's what I know about the 430 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,300 Angels, the Stars, Daniel chapter, 12 tells us that those 431 00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:35,600 who turn some to righteousness, or as the stars of Heaven, the 432 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,500 word Angel literally means. He's a messenger. 433 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:44,700 So who would be the most likely candidate in my opinion of who 434 00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:49,100 these Seven Stars are? I believe it would be clear. 435 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:55,400 And most logical that these angels are the pastor's of these 436 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,800 seven churches. They are The Messengers for the 437 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,200 church. They are the ones being held 438 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,400 accountable for the leadership of the church. 439 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,100 They are the ones that need to be given instruction in how they 440 00:24:06,100 --> 00:24:08,000 lead the church. Now listen, I'm not going to get 441 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,700 an argument. Someone if they think that it's 442 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:12,500 an actual angel, I could understand why they would. 443 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,700 But I also believe this, interpretation of them, being 444 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,200 the pastor's of the church has gives these letters. 445 00:24:20,300 --> 00:24:23,400 These seven letters coming up in the next chapters, some 446 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,300 additional weight and heft for us knowing that there are some 447 00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:32,400 real accountability for the pastors and Leadership of each 448 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,400 individual church. And it's amazing to me sometimes 449 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,800 that those who covet leadership and those who really They want 450 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,500 leadership, but they don't think about the responsibilities of 451 00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:44,200 leadership, they only think of the rights that come to 452 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,700 leadership, and there's a real responsibilities here and the 453 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:50,900 angels of the churches, these pastors, I believe in chapters 2 454 00:24:50,900 --> 00:24:53,800 and 3 have some pretty heavy things late at their feet. 455 00:24:54,700 --> 00:24:59,700 But I believe that these Seven Stars are the Seven Angels or 456 00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:03,500 the seven pastors, the seven messengers of these seven 457 00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:06,700 churches and I think that will become quite important to us as 458 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:09,900 we go through and help. Because be accurate and how we 459 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,800 Pro tray these letters. But also understanding how we 460 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,900 frame, how they are important for us today. 461 00:25:16,100 --> 00:25:17,900 So what do we see? We see the seven candlesticks. 462 00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:21,300 We see the Seven Stars. We see the seven churches. 463 00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:24,400 And number four, we see the son of man. 464 00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:28,900 We see the son of man. And getting back to what I just 465 00:25:28,900 --> 00:25:31,700 mentioned. A few moments ago, I do want to 466 00:25:31,700 --> 00:25:35,700 remind you when you see the term son of man in the Bible, it is 467 00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:41,500 not diminishing or denigrating who Jesus Christ is. 468 00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:48,200 It is not a diminishment of his character to call him the son of 469 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,200 man. There's a lot of reasons for 470 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,000 that Colossians 2:9 says this, for in him dwelleth all the 471 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,000 fullness of the godhead bodily. From that term godhead, the 472 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,700 Trinity that we talked about before that work godhead is 473 00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:02,700 what's used for the trinity in the Bible in him dwelleth all 474 00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:04,600 the fullness of the godhead bodily. 475 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:09,100 He's 100% God. Jesus is referred to as the son 476 00:26:09,100 --> 00:26:12,200 of man, 88 different times with in the New Testament. 477 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:15,200 Aunt and guess who referred to himself? 478 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,000 The most is the son of man. Jesus himself. 479 00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:23,300 And so it is not a problem. It's not problematic for us to 480 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:28,100 use this phrase, son of man, or to find this term. 481 00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:32,900 Son of man here in our text. In fact, the term son of man, I 482 00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:38,400 believe actually shows who he is and shows the side of his 483 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,700 Humanity, but yet at the same time, identifies him as God 484 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,800 because I remember back in Daniel chapter 7 and I won't 485 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,300 make you turn there tonight for sake of time. 486 00:26:46,300 --> 00:26:49,600 But back in Daniel chapter 7, it talks of the Ancient of Days. 487 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:52,700 And when it talks to the Ancient of Days, you'll see a lot of the 488 00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:56,300 same characteristics. The same attributes that you see 489 00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:58,100 in these verses that we just read. 490 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,800 But it says this and Daniel 7 verse 13 and 14, I saw in the 491 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,700 night visions and behold, one like the son of man came with 492 00:27:05,700 --> 00:27:08,600 the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days and they 493 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,200 brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and 494 00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:15,500 Glory and a kingdom that all people Nations and languages 495 00:27:15,500 --> 00:27:18,200 should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting 496 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,500 Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that, which 497 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:23,500 shall not be destroyed. Who else could that be than 498 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:25,500 Jesus Christ? There is no one else you could 499 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:29,100 use those terms for than Jesus Christ and he and Daniel chapter 500 00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:33,700 7 is being called the son of man so I believe it's important that 501 00:27:33,708 --> 00:27:36,600 he's called son of man here in Revelation chapter 1 and the 502 00:27:36,608 --> 00:27:41,100 reason why is it's establishing that link between Daniel and 503 00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:43,600 revelation. There's a reason we started in 504 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,700 the Book of Daniel a year before we even went to the Book of 505 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:50,700 Revelation is because the link between the two books is strong 506 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:55,000 and understanding divisions between the two books is helpful 507 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,600 to us. Whether it's the son of man, 508 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,500 whether it's the 70th week, whatever it may be, it's 509 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:02,800 important. But we see here that the son of 510 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,700 man is prominent here and just like last week we saw his 511 00:28:06,700 --> 00:28:09,400 attributes and I won't reap reach those, but we saw his 512 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,100 great attributes last week this week. 513 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,600 We see an emphasis on his appearance. 514 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,600 But what I find interesting about it is even in his 515 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,000 appearance, it speaks of his attributes because each of his 516 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:25,200 appearances gives us a little bit more of an understanding of 517 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,200 who he is. Look at all the things that it 518 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,300 talks about. Starting in verse number 13, it 519 00:28:31,300 --> 00:28:34,600 talks of his attire. It talks about the fact that he 520 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,800 was clothed with a garment down to the foot and Girt about the 521 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:42,000 paps with a golden girdle. He had this this outer clothing, 522 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,700 as well as at an undergarment that would cover much of His 523 00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:50,900 upper torso and depending on who you read, he's clothes either as 524 00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:53,900 a priest or a judge. And I'll be honest with you, 525 00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:56,800 either one is fitting. Either, one is fitting when 526 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,700 you're looking at the character Jesus Christ. 527 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,600 What about his head and his hair. 528 00:29:01,100 --> 00:29:03,500 It talks about the fact, in verse number 14. 529 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:06,900 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as 530 00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:09,500 snow. That matches the description 531 00:29:09,700 --> 00:29:13,300 that we find in Daniel chapter 7 of the Ancient of Days as well 532 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:16,400 as the son of man. His eyes. 533 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,600 It says, were as a flame of fire and of course, the flame speaks 534 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,700 of judgment as he sees all Hebrews 4:13. 535 00:29:24,700 --> 00:29:27,800 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his 536 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,900 sight? But all things are naked and 537 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:35,300 open under the eyes of him to whom we have to do meaning. 538 00:29:35,300 --> 00:29:41,600 This The Eyes Of God are upon all the eyes of God seal and his 539 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:46,100 eyes that flame speaks of the great judgement that Come his 540 00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:49,300 feet. It says, or like unto fine 541 00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:54,000 brass, as if they were burned in a furnace again that brass 542 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,200 speaks of righteousness and judgment, not just judgment, but 543 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,100 righteous judgment makes me think of the Brazen altar. 544 00:30:00,100 --> 00:30:02,000 You going all the way back into the Old Testament. 545 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,500 The Tabernacle his feet are like fine, refined brass his voice. 546 00:30:07,500 --> 00:30:12,600 It says in verse number 15, as the sound of many Waters, 547 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:15,200 Ezekiel 43 Verse 2 says, and behold. 548 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:18,800 The glory of the god of Israel came from the way of the East, 549 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,600 and his voice was like a voice of many Waters and the Earth 550 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,900 shine with his glory. The Psalms also speaks of the 551 00:30:24,908 --> 00:30:28,800 Great Mighty voice that God has. And I related a few weeks ago to 552 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,300 the fact that we just gone and I agra falls and heard the 553 00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:34,300 deafening sound of the water and that was just from a great 554 00:30:34,300 --> 00:30:35,600 distance. Let alone some of you have been 555 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,100 on the Maid of the Mist or one of those vessels that goes right 556 00:30:39,100 --> 00:30:41,000 near the water. I can't imagine what that would 557 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,500 be like, but that's like the voice of the father and the 558 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:47,300 voice of Christ. Still, we see that right here. 559 00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:51,700 His right hand at talks of in his right hand, the Seven Stars. 560 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:55,300 Well, who is being held there? Those pastors, I believe are 561 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:59,400 held in the hand of God, that he is holding them, who hold the 562 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:03,200 Candlestick. So, who is in the hand of Jesus 563 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,500 Christ, the pastors and the churches. 564 00:31:05,900 --> 00:31:08,600 He's in the midst of them and he's holding them all at the 565 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,800 same time. What a great stability and it 566 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,200 says the right hand, which in biblical times would have been 567 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:18,500 The hand of power that in his hand of power, he has the 568 00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:22,600 churches close to him. It talks of his mouth, it says 569 00:31:23,300 --> 00:31:27,900 and it says in his mouth was a sharp two-edged sword. 570 00:31:27,900 --> 00:31:32,100 Well, Hebrews 4:12 for the word of God is quick and powerful and 571 00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:34,900 sharper than a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing 572 00:31:34,900 --> 00:31:38,000 asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and Marrow and is 573 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,700 a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and it 574 00:31:40,708 --> 00:31:43,300 talks of his countenance and his countenance was, as the sun 575 00:31:43,300 --> 00:31:45,900 shineth in his strength and Through the Mount of 576 00:31:45,908 --> 00:31:49,900 transfiguration and think of the connection to his glorified 577 00:31:49,900 --> 00:31:54,600 countenance and his strength. That's we see that when he no 578 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:59,300 longer, when he lays aside, that Humanity that he had were were 579 00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:05,500 he did hunger and he did thirst and he did have physical needs. 580 00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:08,400 The fact that we see his countenance as the sun shineth 581 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:12,300 in strength that glorified nature that he has Jesus Christ. 582 00:32:12,300 --> 00:32:13,600 I mean we don't even have a glimpse. 583 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,800 Moses just saw A glimpse of God and it was more than he can 584 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,100 handle. Can you imagine what that is? 585 00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:23,600 And so we see all of that here. And what's the cumulative effect 586 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,100 of all of this? And particularly of the son of 587 00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:30,100 man verse 17? And when I saw him, I fell at 588 00:32:30,100 --> 00:32:33,300 his feet as dead and he laid his hand, right? 589 00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:37,200 Upon me saying unto me fear not. I am the first and the last he 590 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:39,800 repeats it again. I am he that liveth and was dead 591 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,000 and behold I am alive for Evermore, amen. 592 00:32:42,300 --> 00:32:44,400 And have the keys of death and hell. 593 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:45,800 I've heard people say, well, Heaven. 594 00:32:46,100 --> 00:32:48,900 I'm going to give Jesus a big hug or I'm, I get to heaven. 595 00:32:48,900 --> 00:32:50,500 I'm gonna give Jesus a high five. 596 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,200 Well, you may get to that point, but I tell you before you do 597 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,300 anything, you and I will fall on our faces before God. 598 00:32:56,300 --> 00:32:59,400 Because when we recognize him for who he is, the first thing 599 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,200 is not going to be giving him a fist bump like hey we made it. 600 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,000 Here we are. No, I don't see that anywhere in 601 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:10,200 the word of God when we see him this Glimpse we have here is 602 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,900 overwhelming if you're really to dwell on it. 603 00:33:13,500 --> 00:33:17,100 And when we stand before, For our creator. 604 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,400 Our Savior, well we stand before him. 605 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,700 We won't stand before him every knee will bow. 606 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:29,700 Every tongue will confess and here is John who lay before him 607 00:33:29,700 --> 00:33:32,500 as dead. By the way you see John get 608 00:33:32,500 --> 00:33:36,700 nearly to that position with the angels and the angels have to 609 00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:40,200 tell him hey John get up. I'm not God, get up. 610 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,600 I'm not worthy of worship. If we see just that glimpse of 611 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:46,400 Heaven, through the Angels, how much more. 612 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:50,500 So, would it be with the Man, what an amazing thing that is. 613 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,400 So we look at all these things. The church has the candlesticks, 614 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,000 the stars, and most importantly, the son of man. 615 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:57,800 And so we ask ourselves this question. 616 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,100 Why is this portion of the chapter? 617 00:34:00,500 --> 00:34:03,000 So important. And this is what I want to just 618 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,900 give you as a concluding thought tonight. 619 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,800 We'd raw courage in the fact that the son of man is the one 620 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,000 who upholds, the church and upholds. 621 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:16,100 The congregation. We should draw Courage. 622 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:21,000 In the fact that it's The son of man, that holds the churches, 623 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,199 and the congregation's right there in his hand. 624 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:25,900 It's God. Who strengthens us? 625 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,699 It's God, who upholds us? It's God, who gives us 626 00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:30,600 Authority. It's God, who gives us power. 627 00:34:30,699 --> 00:34:33,000 It's God, who gives us purpose here in the church. 628 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:38,100 We can be more than conquerors through Christ as a church. 629 00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:41,199 And even in times and Seasons where it seems like church 630 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,199 doesn't work anymore. And even in a society where it 631 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:45,699 seems like church doesn't work anymore. 632 00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:49,800 And even when we hear churches, Has talked about the fact that 633 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,500 church doesn't work anymore. I see this that God has given us 634 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:57,600 a pattern, and the son of man has us right there in his hand. 635 00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,800 It's not just that he has our Salvation in his hand because 636 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,100 remember, that's the case, but that he has us as a church. 637 00:35:03,100 --> 00:35:06,100 Right there, we're never more secure than we are in his hands. 638 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,300 We'll find out the Church of Philadelphia Jesus is, is 639 00:35:09,700 --> 00:35:13,100 addressed as the one who opens doors that no man can close and 640 00:35:13,100 --> 00:35:14,700 closes doors that no man can open. 641 00:35:15,700 --> 00:35:20,200 What a wonderful blessed thought that is but we should have 642 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:24,600 confidence because if he is the one that we go in his name that 643 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,600 we have all confidence, all authority and I'll use this 644 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,200 example, I'll be done maybe, you know, I'm on the commission of 645 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:35,200 disabilities here in town and I've gone through training 646 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,100 Community Access, monitoring training, camp training, and I'm 647 00:35:39,100 --> 00:35:44,500 able to go into businesses and to look and find Ada and aab 648 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,300 violations. 8, Has the federal handicap law and a b is the 649 00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:51,500 state handicapped law. I'm able to, if need be to go 650 00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:55,000 into a business and do. So I very rarely in the four 651 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,800 years I've been on the commission actually needed to do 652 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,900 so, but there was one restaurant in town that needed to visit and 653 00:36:01,300 --> 00:36:04,500 we drew straws through zoom. And apparently I was the one 654 00:36:04,500 --> 00:36:08,100 that got the straw to go and and do the lookout. 655 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:12,600 I went in. And I greeted them and I when we 656 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,800 go to something like this, we don't go as people that are 657 00:36:14,808 --> 00:36:16,400 trying to find people or anything like that. 658 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:18,800 It's about education and about those kind of things. 659 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,700 It's the way it should be quite honestly, not going in and 660 00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:25,300 trying to be punitive, but I remember going to this 661 00:36:25,300 --> 00:36:27,900 restaurant and I went in, it was near closing time. 662 00:36:27,900 --> 00:36:30,100 I tried to not go too busy time. I try to make sure that it was a 663 00:36:30,107 --> 00:36:32,600 time that would be more convenient for them because I 664 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,500 wasn't super comfortable doing this, but I went in and I 665 00:36:35,508 --> 00:36:39,700 remember that I was actually kind of nervous going in and 666 00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:40,900 trying. Explain these things. 667 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:44,600 But I ended up saying I'm from the commissioner disabilities, 668 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,800 and it still doesn't register. Because a lot of people don't 669 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,200 understand what the commissioner disabilities is. 670 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,200 I found their people who work at Town Hall. 671 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,400 The don't know what the commission of disabilities is, 672 00:36:53,700 --> 00:36:57,200 but I took my card and this is not my card from the town 673 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:58,800 because I couldn't find it today, but it is a 674 00:36:58,808 --> 00:37:01,800 representative of the card on the card with my name. 675 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,500 Commissioner disabilities is the town seal. 676 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:08,000 You know what's amazing is that once I showed the town, seal, 677 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,000 all of a sudden, something clicked in the head, oh, come 678 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,600 over here, look at this, do this. 679 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:16,500 And what can we do over here? How can we make this, right? 680 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:21,500 And I kind of felt, hey, well, alright, move it right now 681 00:37:22,300 --> 00:37:25,300 forthwith, you know? So no, what's it quite like 682 00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:27,900 that? But the idea is, is the seal 683 00:37:28,100 --> 00:37:31,800 gave me Authority. I went in and all of a sudden, 684 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:36,200 well if you don't listen to me there's a whole group of people 685 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:42,600 that stand behind the seal that are represented by knee and it 686 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:46,100 would be best if you just you know go along with this or even 687 00:37:46,100 --> 00:37:48,400 if you don't go along with it that we do it in a way that 688 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,500 benefits everybody. And I found that just by showing 689 00:37:50,500 --> 00:37:55,900 that card it really made a big difference Do you realize that 690 00:37:55,900 --> 00:37:58,800 sometimes we think it's a - when we go in the name of Jesus 691 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,100 Christ himself? I name, the name of Jesus 692 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:02,100 Christ. What do people think? 693 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:04,300 Do you realize? That's where our Authority is. 694 00:38:05,500 --> 00:38:09,400 Our Authority. Is in the son of man. 695 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:14,700 That should be what we lead off with, not what we bury. 696 00:38:15,900 --> 00:38:19,000 Now, we have to be careful. What if I win it to the farmer's 697 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:19,500 daughter? Whoops. 698 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:21,400 What if I went into a restaurant? 699 00:38:23,100 --> 00:38:28,900 But if I went in and acted the fool, It's possible, isn't it? 700 00:38:30,300 --> 00:38:33,000 It's possible if it's me it's I realize what I'm asking you to 701 00:38:33,008 --> 00:38:36,700 answer, it's possible that I could act the fool or not 702 00:38:36,700 --> 00:38:38,400 represent the town. Well you know what they can do. 703 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,800 Take it away. There's a mechanism. 704 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:45,700 Someone could be taken off the town board if I don't represent 705 00:38:45,700 --> 00:38:49,200 the town. Well, I'm remove say Pastor. 706 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:50,900 You don't find that in the Bible? 707 00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:53,600 No, I don't talk about someone's salvation getting taken away, 708 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,800 but you will find later on. The Christ says this, if I was 709 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,400 to paraphrase Loosely, you need to shape up as a church. 710 00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:03,900 I'm going to take away your candlestick. 711 00:39:05,700 --> 00:39:08,800 Meaning this that they would lose their Authority as a 712 00:39:08,808 --> 00:39:11,300 church. If they do not operate in the 713 00:39:11,300 --> 00:39:14,400 way that God had called them to operate. 714 00:39:15,300 --> 00:39:22,400 So going in the name of the son of man doesn't give us a blank 715 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,500 slate to do whatever we want to do. 716 00:39:25,300 --> 00:39:29,600 We go in the name of the son of man and we operate as the son of 717 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,300 man would have us to be. In the lightness, of the son of 718 00:39:33,300 --> 00:39:36,300 man, as far of a lightness as we are. 719 00:39:37,100 --> 00:39:42,800 But yet, to show to uphold that light in a dark world. 720 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:47,100 When I see that I'm in his hand, When I see this church is in his 721 00:39:47,100 --> 00:39:48,600 hand, gives me a lot of confidence. 722 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:54,400 Not Cockiness confidence that if we stay in him and do what he 723 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,100 asks us to do, he will uphold us as he upheld go Stars. 724 00:39:59,300 --> 00:40:03,100 Those candlesticks, those pastors those churches he still 725 00:40:03,100 --> 00:40:05,300 in the business of doing that today. 726 00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:09,000 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 727 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,800 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 728 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:15,300 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 729 00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:19,600 know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty, Baptist Dot. 730 00:40:19,700 --> 00:40:22,900 Word, or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred 731 00:40:22,900 --> 00:40:26,600 Washington Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord 732 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,900 bless you as you grow in his word. 733 00:40:19,700 --> 00:40:22,900 Word, or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred 734 00:40:22,900 --> 00:40:26,600 Washington Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord 735 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,900 bless you as you grow in his word.