Fear Not!

[0:00] So we'll turn now to our reading. As I say, Paul is going to be preaching to us this morning from the book of Revelation, starting a new series. And so our reading this morning is the whole of Revelation chapter one.

[0:14] This book of Revelation, although written down by John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, is a revelation given to him by the Lord Jesus. So it is its words from the Lord Christ himself, which John is to pass on to the churches.

[0:30] Revelation chapter one. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.

[0:43] He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

[0:55] Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near.

[1:06] John, to the seven churches that are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth.

[1:28] To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

[1:42] Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.

[1:56] Even so. Amen. I am the alpha and the omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come. The almighty.

[2:09] I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos. On account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

[2:24] I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches.

[2:36] To Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me.

[2:50] And on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

[3:03] The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze refined in a furnace.

[3:15] And his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand, he held seven stars. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.

[3:27] And his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, fear not.

[3:42] I am the first and the last and the living one. I died and behold, I am alive forevermore. And I have the keys of death and Hades.

[3:53] Write, therefore, the things that you have seen, those that are, and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.

[4:13] And the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Amen. This is the word of the Lord. And may it be a blessing to us this morning. Well, good morning.

[4:29] And please do have Revelation open in front of you. Revelation chapter one, which Edward was reading for us earlier. It can be easy to become unduly downhearted in the Christian life, can't it?

[4:56] It can be easy to think things are not going well. To look at how things are going in the world, in our country.

[5:06] To notice a declining church in our country. To hear about Christians persecuted around the world. To feel ourselves under increasing pressure on a whole range of social and moral and legal issues.

[5:22] Personal hardships that make life tough. Amidst all of that, all that's going on around us, all that we see and hear and feel, we can be tempted to fearfulness.

[5:36] We can fear how things are going and where things are going for the future. But listen to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[5:46] Speaking to his disciples, the recorded of Matthew's gospel. And Jesus says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

[5:58] Jesus Christ is at this very moment sitting at the Father's right hand, ruling over the cosmos. He is at this very moment building his church.

[6:10] And one day he is going to return and bring to completion all that he began in his earthly ministry. That is where things are going.

[6:22] That's what's really going on. Jesus is in control. He is in charge. And he is determining the destiny of history. And a friend of mine was saying the week, we need to learn to read the world by what Jesus says.

[6:38] And not by what we think or how we feel or what the world around us tells us. We don't need to be afraid or captured by fear. Now it's one thing to say that.

[6:51] And in a sense that should be enough to hear God's words, to be assured. But the Lord is gracious and he knows that we need assured of his promises.

[7:05] He says he's going to build his church, that nothing is going to prevail against it. But he knows that we need reminded and reassured of those promises.

[7:16] We need to be encouraged and strengthened so that we'll persevere, so that we'll press on and not fall back and not compromise. And that is why he has given his church the book of Revelation.

[7:29] It is a book that shows us in glorious technicolor that Christ will indeed build his church. That the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It is a book in the first instance written to a church that was suffering.

[7:47] To a first century church that was up against it. Facing hardship and great difficulty, it was written to a suffering church. And it's a book written so that the church would be encouraged by the fact that God is at work in history.

[8:01] He is bringing about his purposes, even in the midst of tragedy and suffering and the apparent domination of Satan and death itself. It is a book about the future, yes.

[8:17] But the real focus in the book of Revelation is on how to live in the present. In the light of all God's promises, in light of how he says history will unfold in these last days.

[8:29] That it's the time from Christ's ascension until his return. The days we're living in now. It's a book about how to live now. In this world. In the light of what's coming.

[8:44] So if you find yourself discouraged or confused at what you see going on around you. Both in the church and outside. Then Revelation is the book for you.

[8:56] If you find yourself tempted to give in. To compromise. To go the way of the world. Then Revelation is the book for you.

[9:10] If you find yourself concerned. Anxious. Worried. About how things are going to turn out. Then Revelation is the book for you. It's the book to grasp hold of.

[9:21] To chew over. To imbibe. To have running through your veins. Because we need to hear the message of Revelation today. Because Revelation shows us.

[9:35] What's going on behind what we can observe with our eyes. It shows us a greater reality. And Jesus is saying to you. To his church. Fear not.

[9:48] Jesus says fear not. So let's look a bit more closely. At this first chapter of Revelation. Where we see what sort of book it is.

[9:59] And why God has given it for his church. Then and today. Why is this book here? Why has God given us the book of Revelation? Revelation. And we're going to see this morning. That God gives the suffering church.

[10:11] This revelation. To bring clarity. And not confusion. It's here to bring comfort. Not concern. And it's here to bring continued commitment.

[10:23] Not compromise or cowardice. That's what this book is here for. So firstly. God gives this revelation to his church. In order to bring clarity.

[10:35] And not confusion. Look down again. In the first couple of verses. Of our passage this morning. And it's worth noting. That the language. Not just of these opening verses.

[10:46] But the whole of Revelation. Is steeped. In the Old Testament scriptures. It's a common feature. Of the book. Almost three quarters of the verses. In Revelation. Allude to. Or directly quote.

[10:57] The Old Testament. And that shouldn't surprise or worry us. But that's in the background. It's drawing on. Huge. Material from the Old Testament. And it shouldn't be surprising.

[11:09] That God should use. What his people have been most familiar with. To communicate with them. We should know. God's word. There's Old Testament scriptures. And he's using that. To comfort his people.

[11:19] To teach his people today. So don't. Don't worry about the fact. There's a lot of Old Testament. Stuff going on in the background. But it's. Here to assure us. But look again. At verses one and two.

[11:31] The revelation. Of Jesus Christ. Which God gave him. To show his servants. The things that must soon take place. He made it known.

[11:42] By sending his angel. To his servant John. Who bore witness. To the word of God. And to the testimony of Jesus Christ. Even to all that he saw. So what sort of book is this?

[11:57] Well. The second word tells us. It's a revelation. It's a revelation. It's an unveiling. The word.

[12:08] Comes from the Latin. To pull back the veil. The Greek word for it. Is apocalypse. This book. Is an apocalypse.

[12:19] Now we hear that word. Apocalypse. And we tend to think of. Dramatic destruction. Don't we? If we talk about an. Apocalyptic scene. We imagine just mass destruction.

[12:32] And catastrophic events. Are brought to our mind. When we talk about. The word apocalypse. But the word. Means. Unveiling. That is what the word.

[12:42] Apocalypse means. It means. Unveiling. God. Is pulling back the curtain. And he's showing us. What's really going on in history. It's a revelation.

[12:53] It's a revealing. We are being shown. What's really going on. Behind the reality. We can see with our eyes. It's a revelation. What's really going on. In history. But it's not.

[13:07] As you. As you read through. If you go home later. And just read through. Revelation. It's not. At first glance. The most easy to understand. Is it? As I just mentioned. There is a lot of.

[13:18] Old Testament. Language here. And particularly. These opening verses. He's drawing from. Daniel chapter 2. Amongst other things. And in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel has this great vision.

[13:28] This dream. And. He is being told. To understand that dream. Symbolically. Not literally. And so. By using the very same language. As in Daniel chapter 2.

[13:40] John is making clear. That what God has shown him. What we go on to read. In the rest of Revelation. Is likewise. To be understood. Symbolically. And not literally. Revelation.

[13:53] Is a book. Packed full. Of vivid. Symbolic. Language. And. It's symbolism. That is teaching truth. It's not.

[14:05] Symbols. Standing for. Specific events. No. We read it symbolically. Not literally. Let me give you an example.

[14:16] What I mean by that. Look again at verses. 16 and 17. So it says there. In his right hand. He held seven stars.

[14:28] So this is the image. Of the son of man. The Lord Jesus Christ. In his right hand. He held seven stars. From his mouth. Came a sharp. Two-edged sword. And his face. Was like the sun.

[14:38] Shining in full strength. When I saw him. I fell. At his feet. As though dead. But he laid his right hand. On me. Saying fear not.

[14:49] I'm the first. And the last. So when in verse 17. There. Jesus. Places his right hand. On John. We don't have to ask.

[14:59] What he's done. With the seven stars. He was holding previously. It's to be understood. In a sort of symbolic way. Not literalistically. So we've got to be clear. On what sort of literature.

[15:10] We're dealing with here. That's really important. This is not historical reportage. Like the gospels. Or the book of Acts. It's not written in the same style. The same way. And as you read through.

[15:21] The rest of the book. You come across astonishing. Images. And numbers. And. It's to be read symbolically. Not. Literally. If you try and read it.

[15:34] As describing. Events literally. Then you're going to find yourself. Struggling at various points. To make sense of what you're seeing. This is a book. Teaching about. Vast.

[15:45] Spiritual realities. About the world. And about God's work. He's doing. Through vivid injury. If you get caught up. In the details. Then you're going to miss the point.

[15:57] If you get so bound up. With one tiny half sentence. That you're just trying to. Work out. You're going to miss the whole message. It's like you go to those. Big sporting events. You go to a concert. You've got those massive screens.

[16:08] You know. A screen about the size of this wall behind me. If you walk up close to it. All you see is. Tiny colored dots. You've got no idea what's going on. You've got to step back. You've got to stand at the back of the room.

[16:19] To see the whole picture. And that's a bit like revelation. You're missing the big picture. If you're kind of zooming in. On tiny tiny little details. You've got to. Step back. And see the whole picture.

[16:30] What's being put together here. What's the overall message. You can miss the big picture of revelation. Because you're too close. You've got to step back. And see. The whole thing.

[16:41] So what's this book about. Well in Daniel chapter 2. The king.

[16:52] There in Daniel. Is given a vision. Of what was to happen. In the latter days. In terms of the coming kingdom of God. And what Daniel saw. As future events.

[17:02] To happen in the last days. John says. Here in verse 1. That they are soon to take place. The time is near. Verse 3. The end is at hand.

[17:15] And that phrase. Soon take place. Means imminently. The time of fulfillment. Is upon us. In fact.

[17:27] That phrase. At the end of verse 3. The time is near. Is similar. To the phrase. Used by Jesus. In Mark chapter 1. Verse 15. Where he says. The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God.

[17:37] Is at hand. And Jesus term there. At hand. Has the meaning of. About to arrive. Or it's already arrived.

[17:49] And in fact. These last days. Had with the earthy ministry of Jesus. Already began to be fulfilled. The latter days. That Daniel looked forward to.

[18:00] Are happening. Says John. This book. Revelation. Is all about. Things that are to take place.

[18:11] In the last days. In these latter days. The time between. Christ's inauguration. With his earthy ministry. And his return. His consummation. When he comes back.

[18:22] To judge the living and the dead. So Revelation. Is not just about. A set of events. In the past. It's not just about. Events somewhere.

[18:32] In the future. No. Revelation. Revelation is about. Ongoing events. It's about. Life. In these last days. Which we are living in. These days.

[18:43] Between Christ's first. And second comings. And they are days. Marked. By hardship. And suffering. That's abundantly clear.

[18:55] As you read through. Revelation. This is written to a church. Suffering. You get a taste of it. There in verse 9. Have a look at verse 9 to 11. We get a taste of the situation.

[19:07] That John is dealing with. I. John. Your brother. And partner. In the tribulation. In the kingdom. And the patient endurance. That are in Jesus. Was on the island. called Patmos.

[19:18] On account of the word of God. And the testimony of Jesus. So John is there on Patmos. He is under. Imprisonment.

[19:29] Because of his. Work for the gospel. And he's writing to a suffering church. Partners in the tribulation. John has suffered for the gospel.

[19:41] The churches he writes to. Also suffer. And we'll see in chapters 2 and 3. Those letters to the seven churches. The church was suffering. And the church in every age.

[19:53] The church today. Suffers because. It testifies to Jesus. And so this revelation. Is given to the suffering church.

[20:06] To the church in the midst of hardship. So that we'll know. With real clarity. What's really going on. So that we'll know. With real certainty. That Christ.

[20:17] Is at work. He is building his church. He will not fail. Despite what we see. Despite what we experience. Here's what's going on. Behind the scenes. Here's what's really.

[20:29] Happening. And revelation. Is here to give. Clarity and certainty. It's not cryptic. Or confusing. It's not that we're given.

[20:41] A blow by blow account. A moment by moment account. Of how things are going to unfold. Today. Tomorrow. And the next day. We're not to try and work out. Like some sort of cryptic puzzle.

[20:53] How each image. We read about later. In revelation. Relates to specific moments. In history. That you'll get yourself. Tied up in knots. If you try and do that. But it does give clarity.

[21:03] On the big picture. On the ways in which Jesus is at work. And what we can expect. By way of response. From the world around us. The book of revelation.

[21:14] Has been given to the church. Not. To present mysterious clues. About the second coming of Christ. But rather. To bring clarity. To what the church is to expect. In this present age.

[21:25] Yes. It's to expect. Hardship and suffering. But behind all of it. Is our father. And he is at work. He is sovereign over all.

[21:37] He's in charge. He will protect his church. He will. Give us victory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ. And so. John. As he passes on.

[21:47] This revelation. That he received. He lifts the curtain. On the seen world. And he shows us. What's really going on. And he does that.

[21:59] To bring us clarity. Not confusion. And so. If a particular. Approach. To reading revelation. Is complex. And cryptic.

[22:09] Then it's got to be. The wrong way to do it. Because revelation. Is here to do the opposite. It's here to reveal. To unveil. To bring clarity.

[22:20] And certainty. Not confusion. So if you find yourself. Watching some guy. On the God channel. Who's got some crazy. Formula. To understanding revelation. Switch it off.

[22:32] Put the football on. It'll be better for you. That's the first thing. We've got to see. With revelation. It is. An unveiling. It's an apocalypse. An unveiling.

[22:42] A revealing. Of what's really going on. It's a lifting of the curtain. Of history. So that we see. Who's really in charge. And where things are ultimately going. This is a book.

[22:53] To bring clarity. Not confusion. That's the first thing. Second. Second main thing to see. Is. That Jesus.

[23:04] Presences himself. With his church. To bring real comfort. Comfort. Not concern. This is a book. To bring comfort. It's not here to concern us.

[23:19] From verse 12. John sees. An astonishing vision. An astonishing vision. Of one like. The son of man. It's a reference. To the Lord Jesus Christ.

[23:29] John sees. The son of man. Standing in the midst. Of seven lampstands. And later on. John tells us. That the lampstands. Represent. The seven churches. He is to write to. So what.

[23:41] What we're seeing. In this vision. From verse 12. Is. Jesus. Standing in the midst. Of his church. He's with his church. And that is a truth.

[23:53] That is to bring. Great comfort. To his church. It's here. To bring comfort. Not concern. And notice. The words.

[24:03] Of Jesus. To John. Straight off. The conclusion. Of this vision. Look at verse 17. John has seen this vision. He fell at his feet. Though dead. But the Lord Jesus.

[24:15] Laid his right hand. On him. Saying. Fear not. I am the first. And the last. The living one. I died. And behold. I'm alive forevermore.

[24:27] His first words. To John. Are fear. Not. So two questions then. What do we learn. About Jesus. And why is that.

[24:37] To be a comfort. To his church. What do we learn. About Jesus. And why is it. A comfort. And what we learn. About Jesus here. Is utterly staggering. In its scope.

[24:48] In its scale. And what we learn here. Should lead us to worship. And bow down. As John does. To fall at his feet. Jesus is.

[25:00] John told us. There in verse 5. The faithful witness. The first born of the dead. The ruler. Of the kings of the earth. He loves his people.

[25:12] He's freed them. He's freed them from their sins. And made them a kingdom. And then he sees. From verse 12. The majestic vision of Jesus. And it's a vision.

[25:23] That impresses upon us. The majesty of Jesus. The power. Of Jesus. His awesome presence. It is a picture. Of a priest.

[25:34] And a king. And a judge. One of the supreme. And total power. And authority. He stands in the midst. Of his churches. It's very striking.

[25:46] Isn't it? Many of you would have seen. The coronation yesterday. And all the. The pomp. And circumstance. This blows that out. Of the water. This is on a different scale. Altogether. His eyes.

[26:00] Are like a flame. Of fire. His feet. Like burnished bronze. His voice. Like the roar. Of many waters. This is overwhelming. This vision.

[26:11] Of the Lord Jesus. It is a terrifying image. Notice how John responds. He falls as if dead. On his face. Before this. Image. He's seen. And it's an appropriate response.

[26:28] What else. Can sinful men do. In the presence. Of the second person. Of the Godhead. Here is the Lord Jesus. In all his glory. What else can we do? It is an appropriate response.

[26:47] So John. Is terrified. He falls. As if dead. But. This is to be a comfort. Jesus says. Fear not. Why.

[26:58] Should this be a comfort. To us. For us. Well the emphasis. Is very much. On Christ's presence. With his church. Now. He is. The living.

[27:09] And the reigning Lord. And that is to be a great comfort. To his church. As well as to be rightly feared. It is to imbue in the church.

[27:19] A real sense of reverence. And awe. Because of who he is. Not terror. But a right fear. This is the risen Lord Jesus. It is not undue concern.

[27:31] But real comfort. Why is that? Well again. Notice the tender words. Of Jesus to John. He laid his right hand. And saying. Fear not. I am the first.

[27:44] And the last. And the living one. See Christ rules the cosmos. He describes himself. As the first. And the last.

[27:55] Those are words. That God the father. Attributes to himself. In the book of Isaiah. Meaning that. He has complete sovereignty. Over all of human history. From beginning to end. He is in total control.

[28:08] And this Jesus. Who rules the cosmos. Stands in the very midst. Of his church. And that is. To be a great comfort to us. He is not at a distance.

[28:21] He is right there. Standing in the midst. Of his people. In the midst of his church. The one who holds. All things in his hands. Is right there. He is in the midst.

[28:32] He rules the cosmos. He has overcome death. Jesus is the living one. He died. But is alive forevermore. Verse 18.

[28:44] He has the keys. To death and Hades. And that is a comforting. And reassuring truth. To the suffering church. Who through the ages.

[28:54] Face persecution. For their faith. He's got the keys. To death and Hades. To death. To death.

[29:05] Ultimately. Our destiny. Is in his hands. Because. For all of us. Sooner or later. We will face that great enemy. Ourselves. Death. None of us can avoid it.

[29:17] But Jesus delivers us. From that great. And final enemy. He. Has defeated death. He is the first born. The first resurrected. From the dead. Dead. And through his death.

[29:29] He has removed. The legal curse. That requires death. And by his resurrection. He has broken. Even the power of death. Death is not the end. Christ is overcome. And that is.

[29:41] The most comforting thing. That we can ever know. Because death remains. Our great enemy. And as we will see.

[29:51] As we read on. In chapters 2 and 3. As we read those letters. To the churches. We see that. That Christ cares. For his church. He deeply cares.

[30:02] For his church. He speaks words. Of encouragement to them. But also words. Of rebuke. And he does it. Because he cares. For them. Wanting the very best. For them. That they would stand firm.

[30:13] As witnesses. To the truth. And as pillars. And butchers. Of that truth. Revelation. Is to be a comfort. To the church.

[30:25] It is not to lead. To undue. Concern. And that has been the impact. Of some approaches. To revelation. Some approaches.

[30:36] Lead to real fear. Rather than comfort. Folk have told me about. Days of old.

[30:46] When they were subjected. To videos. Videos. Capturing. You know. Depicting the rapture. You know. Johnny arrives home. To find his father. The electric razor. Hanging. Dangling. Still buzzing. The idea is.

[30:58] That he's raptured. He's gone. I'm left behind. That sort of approach. For revelation. Leads to fear. Not comforts. Revelation. Is here.

[31:09] To bring comfort. To a suffering church. Not undue concern. The book of revelation. Is to be a real comfort. Because right in the midst. In this vision.

[31:20] Is the Lord Jesus. He is there. In the midst of his church. And that's to bring real comfort to us. It's a message.

[31:34] To bring comfort. But it's also. A message. To be obeyed. And that's our final point. God calls his church. To continue commitment.

[31:46] Not compromise. Or cowardice. I want as we close. To focus on one verse. And it's an important verse. In verse three. Have a look at that again. It says.

[31:59] Blessed. Is the one. Who reads aloud. The words of this prophecy. And blessed. Are those who hear. And those who keep. What is written in it.

[32:11] For the time. Is near. We see here. The purpose of the whole book. It is. To bless. Those. Who read it.

[32:23] Who hear it. Who keep. What is contained. Within it. It is a book. To be obeyed. And through that obedience. Comes real blessing. And notice in particular.

[32:35] That word. Prophecy. There in verse three. Blessed are those. Who read aloud the words. Of this prophecy. That's a word. Often misunderstood. But the prophets.

[32:46] Through the Old Testament. Weren't primarily. Foretelling the future. They did speak about the future. But primarily. A prophet. Spoke the word of God.

[32:57] Into the present situation. And they did so. In order. That the wayward people of God. Would turn. To God again. Would repent. And would obey.

[33:09] That was the purpose. Of the Old Testament prophets. And so too here. With the book of Revelation. With this prophecy. Yes. It talks about the future.

[33:19] As we said. It covers the whole period. Known as the last days. From the time of Christ. Ascension to his return. But it talks about the future. In order. To bring about present obedience.

[33:31] To bring about real constancy. And perseverance now. As one writer put it. The prophecy. Of verse three. Is not.

[33:41] A set of predictions. But. In the biblical tradition. A word. From God. Calling for obedient response. In the lives of believers. And that becomes very clear.

[33:57] As you read. Chapters two and three. Those letters to the seven churches. Great temptations. To compromise. Pressed in on the church. Then. And in every age since.

[34:10] There's always that pressure. To turn away. To go the easier track. To follow the ways of this world. God. Not the ways of the Lord Jesus. But this revelation.

[34:21] Is given. So that the church. Then and today. Will persevere. Even in the face. Of great adversity. Even when there's great opposition. And threats of suffering.

[34:34] And the constant refrain. In each of the seven letters. The one thing that unifies them all. Is that call. To constancy. In the face of hardship. A call. To obedient faith.

[34:44] To remain loyal. To the Lord. This book. Is a call. To continue. Commitment. To constancy. Not compromise.

[34:55] Or cowardice. It's here. To keep us going. To keep following. The Lord. And so.

[35:06] If a particular approach. To revelation. Pushes you towards. Fearful cowardice. Then that must be the wrong approach. Mustn't it? Because verse three tells us.

[35:18] That this book is here to bless us. As we hear. And obey. And keep it. It's here. Not to encourage. Cowardice.

[35:29] And hunkering down. And sticking one's head in the sand. No. Revelation is here. To encourage obedience. And through that obedience. Come great blessings.

[35:40] Eternal blessings. This is a revelation. To be heard. And obeyed. To be put into practice. If our response.

[35:52] To hardship. And suffering. And opposition. Is fear. And. Worrying.

[36:04] Then the enemy. Has achieved his aim. Hasn't he? If our response. To what's going on. Is sort of. A fearful. Passiveness. Then the enemy's one.

[36:16] But rather. In the face. Of fear. We do the next. Faithful step. Of obedience. We keep on. In the Christian life. We keep.

[36:27] Gathering together. We keep. Witnessing. We keep. Serving. We keep. Giving. We keep. Obeying. We keep. Obeying. We keep. Committed. Faithfulness. To the Lord Jesus. That is what this book.

[36:38] Is here to do. Blessed is the one. Who reads aloud. The words of this prophecy. And blessed are those. Who hear. And who keep. What is written in it. We keep going.

[36:51] We keep. Obeying. And it's a revelation. That will truly bless you. Because it will reveal. And remind you. Of what is true.

[37:02] And what is really going on. In history. Who's really in charge. The message of Revelation. Chapter one. Is greatly encouraging. Christ. Is sovereign. He is in the midst.

[37:13] Of his church. He will. In the end. Bring everything together. In great fulfillment. On that great day. And that means. For you.

[37:23] Each one of us. That all our enemies. Will be utterly. And finally defeated. One day. That's the great vision. Of this book. Sin will lose. All hold over you. The evil one.

[37:35] Will no longer. Tempt you. Or accuse you. Death itself. Will be banished. On that day. That is the true destiny. Of all Christ's people. And knowing that.

[37:46] Means that we don't have to fear. Don't fear. What you see now. Because we know. How things are going to end up. I will build my church.

[37:58] Says Jesus. The gates of hell. Will not prevail against it. So don't fall into the trap. Of following the ways.

[38:09] Of this world. Don't compromise. Because there's no future. In following the things. Of this world. Don't take your reading. Of how things are really going on.

[38:20] By what the world says. Or how things seem. This is an unveiling. This is a revelation. This is an apocalypse. To show us what's really going on. And what we see is. Christ.

[38:31] The glorious. Majestic ruler. The redeemer. He is with you. His people. And he speaks this revelation. For your blessing now. Even in the midst of hardship. This is a book.

[38:43] To take hold of. And to listen to. And obey. And so be blessed. The Lord Jesus says. Fear not. Little flock.

[38:57] For it's the father's good pleasure. To give you his kingdom. And that is what revelation is here. To encourage us with. He's in control. He is sovereign. He is your Lord.

[39:10] Fear not. Well let me pray. And then we'll sing. Father God.

[39:25] Father God. We do thank you for. Your tenderness. Your goodness. Your. Gentleness. Towards us. Your people.

[39:37] Lord. None of what we. Encounter in the world. Is a surprise to you. Nothing that we. Face. Is unknown to you.

[39:50] And so we thank you. That you. Reassure us. You comfort us. And you've given us. This word this morning. This book. So that we would understand. What's really.

[40:01] Going on. Who's really in charge. And so help us together. To be comforted. And reassured. And strengthened. By your word. Heroin. So keep us.

[40:13] From being a fearful. People. But rather a trusting. And joyful people. For we ask it. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.