Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives.
The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist
Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us
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message from God's word will be a blessing to you.
What Revelation chapter number 1 is where again we will be at
tonight. Will begin in verse number nine
is my desire to have us finish the chapter and this section
that we are going to read here in Revelation chapter.
Number one commences really the first section of the book.
It's the first and the shortest section of the book.
You'll remember that as we were looking at this book, several
weeks ago, that we saw in verse number 4, that we were given an
outline of what the book of Ation is all about where it says
John to the seven churches which are in Asia Grace, be unto you
and peace from him which is which was and is to come.
That's not the correct verse although he is and was and is to
come that's not the verse. I was looking for, will continue
on. I'll get to it in a moment.
But the idea is the Bible tells us that there in the Book of
Revelation, we have things that are past, we have things that
are happening at the moment and things which are to come.
Just as Is the one who was and is and is to come is timeless
and we're a look at some of those things here tonight and
particularly in verses number nine and on titled this message
the vision commences because from what we have seen before,
we're kind of getting background, understanding of
what the book is about, who is writing the book, who is being
addressed to, and most of all who Jesus Christ is that's what
we've seen all throughout the book so far.
But now the actual Vision itself is going to begin, we're going
to see some of the symbolism that's here tonight and we're
going to To start to unravel some of this but we see just as
I hope that we go all throughout the Revelation and see this,
let's not just symbolism for the sake of symbolism.
We're not just reading of these Visions just for the sake of
reading them. But there's real application
that is available to us and helpful to us where we are.
That's what I want us to see tonight.
So please remain seated. We're going to read Revelation
chapter number 1 or 2. Begin in verse number 9 and go
to the end of the chapter. Where it says this, I John who
am also your brother and companion In Tribulation and in
the kingdom, and patience of Jesus Christ was in The Isle,
that is called Patmos for the word of God.
And for that, testimony of Jesus Christ, I was in the spirit on
the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet
saying, I am Alpha and Omega the first.
And the last you'll remember, we saw that in verse number 8 last
week with what thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the
seven churches, which are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto
Smyrna and unto pergamos. Amos and unto thyatira and unto
Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto laodicea.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being
turned. I saw seven golden candlesticks
and the midst of the seven, candlesticks, one, like unto the
son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot and
Girt about the paps, with a golden girdle, his head, and his
hairs were white, like wool, as white as snow.
And his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet.
Like Undefined brass as if they burned in a furnace and his
voice as the sound of many Waters.
And he had his right hand, Seven Stars out of his mouth, went a
sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was, as the sun
shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at
his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto
me fear. Not, here it is again.
I am the first and the last I am, he that liveth and was dead
and behold I am alive for Evermore.
Amen. And have the keys.
Of hell and of death. And here's the verse I was
trying to reference before but I was getting confused with verse
number 4, write the things which thou Hast seen and the things
which are and the things which shall be Hereafter.
That's the internal outline that we have in verse number 19 of
the Book of Revelation verse 20, The Mystery of the Seven Stars,
which thou saw'st in my right hand and the Seven golden
candlesticks. The Seven Stars are the Angels
of the seven churches and the Seven candlesticks which thou
saw'st are the seven churches and over.
Number 20, Begins by saying the mystery of the Seven Stars and
the Mystery of the seven golden candlesticks.
That's telling us, there's a vision and it's also telling us
that there is a mystery to be unraveled.
And so it's our desire to be able to unravel this tonight.
And I'll be honest with you, this will be one of the easier
prophecies to unravel because the prophecy itself as well as
the answer to the mystery are all found in the same text.
That's not always going to be the case as we go through the
Book of Revelation. But I will say it sets a pattern
for us to understand that the prophecies we see, we don't just
get to interpret, however, we want with whatever we think or
whatever. We feel that is an allegorical,
interpretation of the Book of Revelation, or an allegorical,
interpretation of the word of God, which means that what you
see is not really real, it just signifies something else and the
problem with that type of interpretation, well, there's
many but the main problem is you can fill in the blanks with
whatever you It to be, but I see that the Book of Revelation
tells us when there are these Mysteries.
When there are these visions that they can be interpreted
through other scriptures in the word of God.
And that pattern is set for us here, Ray and chapter number
one, because he says here is the answer to the mystery of which I
have given you here in the same vision.
And we might get a very easy answer because he supplies it to
us right here in the text. It will always be that way.
But I would, you want us to go through these things here
tonight and make application? As we see that the vision
commences. So, let's go ahead and get right
to it tonight. There's four things on the back
of your prayer Bolton that I want to point out about this
vision for different things. And the first is, I want to see
the seven churches. Number one, I see the seven
churches and this goes back to verse number 11, and it's
interesting. We're going to see the number
seven found throughout the Book of Revelation.
In fact, I was reading just today and I found, you know,
seven is the number of perfection in the word of God.
That's why We saw the seven spirits few messages ago here in
Revelation. Chapter number 1 will see the
seven spirits again in Revelation chapter number four,
not saying there's seven holy spirits but the Perfection of
the perfecting work of the Holy Spirit.
I didn't realize this but did you know the number 7 is
actually found 49 times and the Book of Revelation well that's
seven times seven that ultimate Perfection found the word of
God. There is no mistakes in the word
of God and even down to the He digits that you find not the
verse numbers necessarily because we've supplied those as
time goes on for readability but the numbers themselves that we
find seven churches, seven candlesticks Seven Stars.
These are there for a reason. The Perfection that is they're
all throughout but we go back to these seven churches and this
goes back to verse number 4 where it says John to the seven
churches which are in Asia. So we're reminded that this book
of Revelation is It's addressed to seven specific, real literal
churches that these were the first initial recipients of the
Book of Revelation. Now, these churches are listed
in verse number 11, where it says what thou seest, write in a
book and send it unto the seven churches, which are in Asia that
when it says Asia its talk of Asia Minor, that's modern day
Turkey. Today if you're looking at a map
and the seven churches Our a constellation on a map of Asia
Minor and they are in towns called Ephesus.
Smyrna pergamum has thyatira Sardis, Philadelphia and
laodicea. Now that may not mean a whole
lot to us now but for those of you that read your Bibles which
looking around the room well that's all of you.
If you've read your Bibles you know those seven churches are
going to come into play the next two chapters aren't they?
Because in chapter number two in chapter number three, each of
those churches. Is going to get an individual
message and even more specific than that, there is someone
specific within those churches, who is going to get that
message, which will look at, and the interpretation thereof here
in just a little moment. But chapters 2, and 3 are
totally dedicated, these seven churches, and everything that
follows in the remainder of this chapter helps us to understand
the gravity of these messages that are being translated to
these churches, they need to know the specific message.
And that's being given to their church, but they also need to
know of the end times. Understanding that comes from
Revelation chapter number 4. All the way to Revelation,
chapter 22, to the fact of Heaven itself and what heaven
will be like, God wants them to be addressed with all of these
things. Now, why are these seven
churches important to us today? Well, and it's not because they
still exist because I don't believe they do and it's not
because I believe that these seven churches and chapters
number two and three give us a timeline of church history.
I may get into that a little bit when we get there but there are
some who think that these churches represent a timeline of
church history. I think he got to really massage
the dates and massage these churches to fit them into church
ages if you will. But I think they're important.
Because when we get into chapter 2 and chapter number three,
you're going. Find all the different kinds of
churches. There's a church that's
lukewarm. There's a church that has
Brotherly Love Philadelphia. There's a church that has lost
its first love. There's a church that's allowed
doctrinal heresy to step in in the form of Jezebel there are
all types of different churches that are there.
I believe the find types of churches that are being
addressed in chapters 2 and 3 that are being introduced to us
here in chapter. Number one, are the kind of
churches that you find Anywhere today because there are churches
that are hot for Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for that.
I want to be that type of church, that burns hot and burns
brightly for Jesus Christ. I hope that's what we are.
But there are churches that are there just because our
organizations that are there, just for the sake of
organization, they've lost their first love.
They're there because they are a social club or there because
there are supper club or there because they have some other
purpose. But they're not there for the
sake of the gospel and there are Others who are existing in our
striving for the work of the Gospel but they're allowing
false Doctrine to seep in. We're going to look at these
seven churches and we're going to see seven churches in their
types that still exist today. And I believe we'll see that as
we go on and this is why these seven churches are so important.
But going on, as we look at these types that we find here in
the Book of Revelation in chapter number one, we don't
just see the seven churches. But we also see the seven,
candlesticks, the seventh. Those sticks.
Look at verse number 12. It says this and I turned to see
the voice that spake with me and being turned.
I saw seven, golden candlesticks.
Now remember John is being addressed by this great voice.
John is being caught up in the spirit on the Lord day on the
Lord's day and as John hears, a voice behind him, he turns
around. And the first thing that he
sees, Is not Jesus Christ. Now we're going to get to him in
a moment. That's the very next verse.
But the first thing he sees is not Jesus Christ.
The first thing that he sees are these seven golden candlesticks.
So we ask ourselves. Well, what are these
candlesticks? Well, the blessing is, if you'll
remember, we got diverse number 20, we had the interpretation of
exactly what the candlesticks were.
So jump down to verse number 20. Let's look at it again.
It says the mystery of the Seven Stars which thou saw'st in the
My right hand and the Seven golden candlesticks.
The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches and the
Seven candlesticks, which thou saw'st are the seven churches?
Well, really number one, and number two are actually one in
the same, aren't they? I've separated them because
they're separated here in our text and I think it's important
that we do but the seven candlesticks really just
represent in this Vision. Both in chapter number one and
how they're addressed in Chapter 2 and chapter 3.
They the candlesticks represent these.
Seven churches. Now why is this important?
Why does he call them candlesticks?
Well, again, symbolism is important.
Now, you know, you don't need to be a scientist to know this but
candlesticks don't give light on their own.
A Candlestick in and of itself. Cannot give light.
That's just not what a Candlestick does.
A Candlestick has one purpose. As far as I'm aware of.
It holds a candle, a candle, stick serves that purpose to
hold a candle to help give light.
You don't want to just necessarily hold a candle on its
own, the wax could drip. It's just not something you
really want to do, you want to place a candle on a Candlestick.
And that's a symbol of what the Arches to be the church in and
of itself is not the light. We are not the light.
We collectively are not the light, that is not what Liberty
Baptist Church is, Liberty. Baptist Church is not the light.
But what are we to do? We are to uphold the light to
bring light to a dark place. That is what God has called us
do. We're not the light but we're
the Candlestick to be uplifted. So that in a dark place like can
be brought in and can be shown to all who are in the house.
You know, why am I going to the East and police?
But tomorrow, I'm hoping that we can shine a little bit of light
in a dark place. I'm not saying that they, the
police department themselves are dark in the sense that that
they're evil or Wicked. I certainly am not trying to
suggest that in the sense of that, some are trying to suggest
about the police department's of our country today.
But I'll say this, I assume there's many, that don't know.
Jesus Christ their savior because, well, the police
department's filled with people and pretty much anywhere you go
where there's people, there's people who don't know, Jesus
Christ their savior. So what You.
Well, we're to be that Candlestick as the church, we're
not the light, but we want to uphold the light in the school
that District. The schools are a dark place.
When you consider what's being taught and the difficult things
more than ever, what a dark place.
We need Christians to stand up as light in the darkness, to be
able to witness, and to teach, and to preach, to those people.
And, and I know churches that are able to have Ministries in
public schools. I think that's a wonderful
thing. I would love to be able to
appoint someday. Or we can go into a, no, and
have a students Club about the Bible or into a middle school
and do something like that, we're not at a place where we
can do that yet, but what a wonderful thing to go and Shine
the Light in a dark place, because that's what the church
is supposed to do. We don't just collect our light
here and just keep the light here.
No, we take the light of Jesus Christ out and we tell as many
people as we do. And that's why we have tracks
and that's why we have gospel literature.
That's why we have these type of things because we want to tell
as many people As we can about Jesus Christ, the Candlestick
makes light higher and it makes it more easily seen and where to
lift High the Cross aren't we were to lift High Jesus Christ,
the light of the Gospel. That's why Philippians 2 verses
15 and 16 says that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons
of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse
Nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world among whom
ye shine as lights in the world holding forth the word, Word of
life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not
run in vain either, labored in vain.
Well, how do we shine as lights in the world?
We hold forth, the word of Christ.
That's how we are to be that light in a dark place.
I remember when I was in Bible College, I was a freshman and I
sat in the front row and I, you know, there was not many who sat
in the front row and I just did because I just like to be a
contrarian. And so Baptist, don't sit in the
front row. Hence, but I thought I'd sit in
the front row with a couple other guys, that's what we did.
And I remember one man came to preach.
His name is Randall Moody and he started to preach in and he read
his text and he was done, he closed his Bible and he did
this. That's all he did.
And it was uncomfortable because it's about 30 seconds.
He just stood there with his hand out like this.
And so finally after about 30 seconds I'm looking around.
Nobody else is doing anything. I didn't know if he had suffered
a stroke or what had happened but I just got up and I 400
students there, I got up in front of all of them and I
grabbed the Bible out of his hand and I sat down and he
pulled out another Bible from underneath beneath the pulpit
and put it up. And he says, young man.
I was waiting for somebody to be able to come and grab that Bible
and he preached from this text holding forth the word of life.
And that Bible was a new Bible, which he gave to me, and he
signed it after church and put on the front first responder as
a reminder, to me that I got up and took that Bible when I soon
as I got up, I thought this is a bad idea when everyone was
looking at me and it was a great idea.
I cherish that Bible for many years and so it was a blessing.
Sing but always reminding me. What are we supposed to do?
Hold forth, the word, good things happen.
When you hold forth the word, look, when you don't hold forth
the word, not much happens. You hold it, fourth, you hold
forth, the light. It may not seem like much, but
you never know. Who would ever thought?
I'm good brother, Vince today and, and, and a woman says, oh
yeah. No, I won't come now, I don't
know if she'll come or not, but I know this.
She would never have thought of coming before.
She got a track. And praise the Lord, or I pray
rather that she flips over that track and realizes she needs
more than just a church visit. She did something far greater
than that. She needs Jesus Christ.
As her savior said, she was born and raised Catholic and hadn't
been to church for a while. And I said we would love to have
you to come on. Resurrection Sunday.
And so, what's that doing? It's being the Candlestick and
these churches there in Asia, Minor were to be the seven
golden candlesticks. And what I love about it in
verse number 13, it says an The midst of the sending seven
candlesticks one like unto the son of man, stop right there.
So there are these seven churches, these local churches
are independent churches. Each operates, independently of
one another, that's what the local church I believe is to do
that. We don't need a denominational
hierarchy in the sense that someone from on high tells the
church, how it's to run itself that the church is to organize.
And to be accountable to itself and to most importantly, Jesus
Christ. I believe that's it.
But at Same time, although we are independent, we are
interdependent all one another. And as we do, what God calls us
to do who, dwells in the midst of us, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ. Could I put it this way?
Is the glue that holds the churches together?
That should. So is it a surprise when
churches fight over? Who Jesus Christ is why we have
the splintering that we have today between churches and such,
it shouldn't surprise us at all because Jesus is the one who has
to hold us. All together, by the way, that's
why we don't call the Colts Christians because we don't call
the Mormons Christians, or with it.
Jehovah Witness Christians, because they don't believe in
the Jesus Christ, the son of man that we see here that holds all
the churches together, in fact, that term, son of, man, I think
I may have mentioned some of this Sunday night when I was at
a visit with brother Vince on Saturday, we're trying to visit
somebody in the Jehovah Witnesses, come up and they said
Jesus Christ is the son of man. I said yes.
He's the son of man, I said, but is he the Son of God?
And the guy goes like this. When he kind of bent over like
that they wanted to recognize Jesus Humanity.
Which by the way, he was 100% God but they don't want to
recognize his deity. That he was 100% God. 100% God
100% man. He thought it not robbery to be
equal with God it tells us and so that's why we have to have
the right view of Christ because he is the one that is Dwelling
in the midst of all the churches.
So number two, we see the seven golden candlesticks number 3.
I also see this tonight, I see the Seven Stars, the Seven
Stars. Look at verse number 16 and he
had in his right hand, and this is the son of man that he had in
his right hand Seven Stars. Then out of his mouth, went a
sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength, will address the less the rest later.
But the beginning of verse 16 it says and he had in his right
hand, Seven Stars now Once again, we have symbolism and
then once again verse number 20 gives us the answer to this
symbolism. However, there's still a little
bit of a mystery that remains so we see there are the Seven Stars
what or who are the Seven Stars drop again to verse number 20,
where it says this The Mystery of the Seven Stars, which thou
saw'st in my right hand and the Seven golden candlesticks, the
Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches.
Are we go? The Seven Stars or the seven
angels, but here's the question. What are the seven angels.
Pastor and Angel is an angel, well, that is true.
An angel is that angel, but I would Point a couple things out
to you about that. Starting in verse number 2 or
chapter number to each of the seven letters are not actually
addressed to the seven churches. That's a common misconception
that something that we often repeat because we've heard that,
I may even repeat that. Sometimes, just out of, I use
the term a laziness in the way that I'm trying to present it.
These letters are not actually presented to the seven churches.
Look at chapter 2 verse number one.
Look at what it says unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus
and we could continue on and we could see which each of the
churches, this is going to repeat itself.
So these letters are not actually written to the
churches. They're written to the angel of
the churches, which causes us to ask this question.
Is God giving Specific Instructions to Guardian Angels
for each Church. I'm not saying that couldn't be
the case. I'm saying is I read Revelation
Chapter 2 and 3. I have a hard time fitting that
in to exactly what I see there. That God would need to give
instruction and some very specific instructions to
Guardian Angels of each church. But here's what I know about the
Angels, the Stars, Daniel chapter, 12 tells us that those
who turn some to righteousness, or as the stars of Heaven, the
word Angel literally means. He's a messenger.
So who would be the most likely candidate in my opinion of who
these Seven Stars are? I believe it would be clear.
And most logical that these angels are the pastor's of these
seven churches. They are The Messengers for the
church. They are the ones being held
accountable for the leadership of the church.
They are the ones that need to be given instruction in how they
lead the church. Now listen, I'm not going to get
an argument. Someone if they think that it's
an actual angel, I could understand why they would.
But I also believe this, interpretation of them, being
the pastor's of the church has gives these letters.
These seven letters coming up in the next chapters, some
additional weight and heft for us knowing that there are some
real accountability for the pastors and Leadership of each
individual church. And it's amazing to me sometimes
that those who covet leadership and those who really They want
leadership, but they don't think about the responsibilities of
leadership, they only think of the rights that come to
leadership, and there's a real responsibilities here and the
angels of the churches, these pastors, I believe in chapters 2
and 3 have some pretty heavy things late at their feet.
But I believe that these Seven Stars are the Seven Angels or
the seven pastors, the seven messengers of these seven
churches and I think that will become quite important to us as
we go through and help. Because be accurate and how we
Pro tray these letters. But also understanding how we
frame, how they are important for us today.
So what do we see? We see the seven candlesticks.
We see the Seven Stars. We see the seven churches.
And number four, we see the son of man.
We see the son of man. And getting back to what I just
mentioned. A few moments ago, I do want to
remind you when you see the term son of man in the Bible, it is
not diminishing or denigrating who Jesus Christ is.
It is not a diminishment of his character to call him the son of
man. There's a lot of reasons for
that Colossians 2:9 says this, for in him dwelleth all the
fullness of the godhead bodily. From that term godhead, the
Trinity that we talked about before that work godhead is
what's used for the trinity in the Bible in him dwelleth all
the fullness of the godhead bodily.
He's 100% God. Jesus is referred to as the son
of man, 88 different times with in the New Testament.
Aunt and guess who referred to himself?
The most is the son of man. Jesus himself.
And so it is not a problem. It's not problematic for us to
use this phrase, son of man, or to find this term.
Son of man here in our text. In fact, the term son of man, I
believe actually shows who he is and shows the side of his
Humanity, but yet at the same time, identifies him as God
because I remember back in Daniel chapter 7 and I won't
make you turn there tonight for sake of time.
But back in Daniel chapter 7, it talks of the Ancient of Days.
And when it talks to the Ancient of Days, you'll see a lot of the
same characteristics. The same attributes that you see
in these verses that we just read.
But it says this and Daniel 7 verse 13 and 14, I saw in the
night visions and behold, one like the son of man came with
the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days and they
brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and
Glory and a kingdom that all people Nations and languages
should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting
Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that, which
shall not be destroyed. Who else could that be than
Jesus Christ? There is no one else you could
use those terms for than Jesus Christ and he and Daniel chapter
7 is being called the son of man so I believe it's important that
he's called son of man here in Revelation chapter 1 and the
reason why is it's establishing that link between Daniel and
revelation. There's a reason we started in
the Book of Daniel a year before we even went to the Book of
Revelation is because the link between the two books is strong
and understanding divisions between the two books is helpful
to us. Whether it's the son of man,
whether it's the 70th week, whatever it may be, it's
important. But we see here that the son of
man is prominent here and just like last week we saw his
attributes and I won't reap reach those, but we saw his
great attributes last week this week.
We see an emphasis on his appearance.
But what I find interesting about it is even in his
appearance, it speaks of his attributes because each of his
appearances gives us a little bit more of an understanding of
who he is. Look at all the things that it
talks about. Starting in verse number 13, it
talks of his attire. It talks about the fact that he
was clothed with a garment down to the foot and Girt about the
paps with a golden girdle. He had this this outer clothing,
as well as at an undergarment that would cover much of His
upper torso and depending on who you read, he's clothes either as
a priest or a judge. And I'll be honest with you,
either one is fitting. Either, one is fitting when
you're looking at the character Jesus Christ.
What about his head and his hair.
It talks about the fact, in verse number 14.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow. That matches the description
that we find in Daniel chapter 7 of the Ancient of Days as well
as the son of man. His eyes.
It says, were as a flame of fire and of course, the flame speaks
of judgment as he sees all Hebrews 4:13.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his
sight? But all things are naked and
open under the eyes of him to whom we have to do meaning.
This The Eyes Of God are upon all the eyes of God seal and his
eyes that flame speaks of the great judgement that Come his
feet. It says, or like unto fine
brass, as if they were burned in a furnace again that brass
speaks of righteousness and judgment, not just judgment, but
righteous judgment makes me think of the Brazen altar.
You going all the way back into the Old Testament.
The Tabernacle his feet are like fine, refined brass his voice.
It says in verse number 15, as the sound of many Waters,
Ezekiel 43 Verse 2 says, and behold.
The glory of the god of Israel came from the way of the East,
and his voice was like a voice of many Waters and the Earth
shine with his glory. The Psalms also speaks of the
Great Mighty voice that God has. And I related a few weeks ago to
the fact that we just gone and I agra falls and heard the
deafening sound of the water and that was just from a great
distance. Let alone some of you have been
on the Maid of the Mist or one of those vessels that goes right
near the water. I can't imagine what that would
be like, but that's like the voice of the father and the
voice of Christ. Still, we see that right here.
His right hand at talks of in his right hand, the Seven Stars.
Well, who is being held there? Those pastors, I believe are
held in the hand of God, that he is holding them, who hold the
Candlestick. So, who is in the hand of Jesus
Christ, the pastors and the churches.
He's in the midst of them and he's holding them all at the
same time. What a great stability and it
says the right hand, which in biblical times would have been
The hand of power that in his hand of power, he has the
churches close to him. It talks of his mouth, it says
and it says in his mouth was a sharp two-edged sword.
Well, Hebrews 4:12 for the word of God is quick and powerful and
sharper than a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing
asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and Marrow and is
a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and it
talks of his countenance and his countenance was, as the sun
shineth in his strength and Through the Mount of
transfiguration and think of the connection to his glorified
countenance and his strength. That's we see that when he no
longer, when he lays aside, that Humanity that he had were were
he did hunger and he did thirst and he did have physical needs.
The fact that we see his countenance as the sun shineth
in strength that glorified nature that he has Jesus Christ.
I mean we don't even have a glimpse.
Moses just saw A glimpse of God and it was more than he can
handle. Can you imagine what that is?
And so we see all of that here. And what's the cumulative effect
of all of this? And particularly of the son of
man verse 17? And when I saw him, I fell at
his feet as dead and he laid his hand, right?
Upon me saying unto me fear not. I am the first and the last he
repeats it again. I am he that liveth and was dead
and behold I am alive for Evermore, amen.
And have the keys of death and hell.
I've heard people say, well, Heaven.
I'm going to give Jesus a big hug or I'm, I get to heaven.
I'm gonna give Jesus a high five.
Well, you may get to that point, but I tell you before you do
anything, you and I will fall on our faces before God.
Because when we recognize him for who he is, the first thing
is not going to be giving him a fist bump like hey we made it.
Here we are. No, I don't see that anywhere in
the word of God when we see him this Glimpse we have here is
overwhelming if you're really to dwell on it.
And when we stand before, For our creator.
Our Savior, well we stand before him.
We won't stand before him every knee will bow.
Every tongue will confess and here is John who lay before him
as dead. By the way you see John get
nearly to that position with the angels and the angels have to
tell him hey John get up. I'm not God, get up.
I'm not worthy of worship. If we see just that glimpse of
Heaven, through the Angels, how much more.
So, would it be with the Man, what an amazing thing that is.
So we look at all these things. The church has the candlesticks,
the stars, and most importantly, the son of man.
And so we ask ourselves this question.
Why is this portion of the chapter?
So important. And this is what I want to just
give you as a concluding thought tonight.
We'd raw courage in the fact that the son of man is the one
who upholds, the church and upholds.
The congregation. We should draw Courage.
In the fact that it's The son of man, that holds the churches,
and the congregation's right there in his hand.
It's God. Who strengthens us?
It's God, who upholds us? It's God, who gives us
Authority. It's God, who gives us power.
It's God, who gives us purpose here in the church.
We can be more than conquerors through Christ as a church.
And even in times and Seasons where it seems like church
doesn't work anymore. And even in a society where it
seems like church doesn't work anymore.
And even when we hear churches, Has talked about the fact that
church doesn't work anymore. I see this that God has given us
a pattern, and the son of man has us right there in his hand.
It's not just that he has our Salvation in his hand because
remember, that's the case, but that he has us as a church.
Right there, we're never more secure than we are in his hands.
We'll find out the Church of Philadelphia Jesus is, is
addressed as the one who opens doors that no man can close and
closes doors that no man can open.
What a wonderful blessed thought that is but we should have
confidence because if he is the one that we go in his name that
we have all confidence, all authority and I'll use this
example, I'll be done maybe, you know, I'm on the commission of
disabilities here in town and I've gone through training
Community Access, monitoring training, camp training, and I'm
able to go into businesses and to look and find Ada and aab
violations. 8, Has the federal handicap law and a b is the
state handicapped law. I'm able to, if need be to go
into a business and do. So I very rarely in the four
years I've been on the commission actually needed to do
so, but there was one restaurant in town that needed to visit and
we drew straws through zoom. And apparently I was the one
that got the straw to go and and do the lookout.
I went in. And I greeted them and I when we
go to something like this, we don't go as people that are
trying to find people or anything like that.
It's about education and about those kind of things.
It's the way it should be quite honestly, not going in and
trying to be punitive, but I remember going to this
restaurant and I went in, it was near closing time.
I tried to not go too busy time. I try to make sure that it was a
time that would be more convenient for them because I
wasn't super comfortable doing this, but I went in and I
remember that I was actually kind of nervous going in and
trying. Explain these things.
But I ended up saying I'm from the commissioner disabilities,
and it still doesn't register. Because a lot of people don't
understand what the commissioner disabilities is.
I found their people who work at Town Hall.
The don't know what the commission of disabilities is,
but I took my card and this is not my card from the town
because I couldn't find it today, but it is a
representative of the card on the card with my name.
Commissioner disabilities is the town seal.
You know what's amazing is that once I showed the town, seal,
all of a sudden, something clicked in the head, oh, come
over here, look at this, do this.
And what can we do over here? How can we make this, right?
And I kind of felt, hey, well, alright, move it right now
forthwith, you know? So no, what's it quite like
that? But the idea is, is the seal
gave me Authority. I went in and all of a sudden,
well if you don't listen to me there's a whole group of people
that stand behind the seal that are represented by knee and it
would be best if you just you know go along with this or even
if you don't go along with it that we do it in a way that
benefits everybody. And I found that just by showing
that card it really made a big difference Do you realize that
sometimes we think it's a - when we go in the name of Jesus
Christ himself? I name, the name of Jesus
Christ. What do people think?
Do you realize? That's where our Authority is.
Our Authority. Is in the son of man.
That should be what we lead off with, not what we bury.
Now, we have to be careful. What if I win it to the farmer's
daughter? Whoops.
What if I went into a restaurant?
But if I went in and acted the fool, It's possible, isn't it?
It's possible if it's me it's I realize what I'm asking you to
answer, it's possible that I could act the fool or not
represent the town. Well you know what they can do.
Take it away. There's a mechanism.
Someone could be taken off the town board if I don't represent
the town. Well, I'm remove say Pastor.
You don't find that in the Bible?
No, I don't talk about someone's salvation getting taken away,
but you will find later on. The Christ says this, if I was
to paraphrase Loosely, you need to shape up as a church.
I'm going to take away your candlestick.
Meaning this that they would lose their Authority as a
church. If they do not operate in the
way that God had called them to operate.
So going in the name of the son of man doesn't give us a blank
slate to do whatever we want to do.
We go in the name of the son of man and we operate as the son of
man would have us to be. In the lightness, of the son of
man, as far of a lightness as we are.
But yet, to show to uphold that light in a dark world.
When I see that I'm in his hand, When I see this church is in his
hand, gives me a lot of confidence.
Not Cockiness confidence that if we stay in him and do what he
asks us to do, he will uphold us as he upheld go Stars.
Those candlesticks, those pastors those churches he still
in the business of doing that today.
Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of
Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing
to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us
know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty, Baptist Dot.
Word, or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred
Washington Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord
bless you as you grow in his word.
Word, or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred
Washington Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord
bless you as you grow in his word.