Devotionals - Discover the Book - Apr. 30, 2009

The Majesty of Jesus

Are You Aware You're Holding a Treasure?

Have you ever grasped what a treasure you hold in your hands this morning?  Even more, the incredible treasure that is housed in those final pages of your Bible? Tucked in at the end of the book is the answer to anything you may be facing today or any of your tomorrows!  Open with me to that final book, The Revelation.

This book comes to John as a gift from the Father to the Son. A gift passed down from the Owner of the Universe. Now that is incredible!  

Listen to Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, NIV

Disturbing Days for John the Apostle

Imagine with me the Apostle John. It’s nearing the end of Century One. He is an old man living alone in a world that was violently hostile to Christians.

• The Roman world where John saw the government allowed citizens to break in and rob your home because you were a believer, ("took joyfully the spoiling of your goods”)
• The Roman world where John saw the most powerful person in the worldly system of daily life (an Emperor) was personally committed to finding you and erasing your influence;
• The Roman world where John saw infiltrators in the church (“grievous wolves”)  who secretly reported what was said at the intimate church fellowship meetings you participated in;
• The Roman world where John saw Christians defecting to the world, false doctrine, materialism, immorality and false doctrine;
• The Roman world that had finally pounded at his door to drag him away to his death! Whew, sounds like a nightmare.

Where was John the Apostle when Jesus delivered him this incredible book? EXILED ON PATMOS AT THE END OF HIS LIFE!

Now, think of how discouraged he must have been. He was the only surviving apostle. The last one left of Christ's twelve disciples. He had heard about or seen all of his dearest friends savagely murdered. And now it was his turn.

• Peter had been crucified in Rome with his head down because he felt he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ;
• Andrew had been crucified at Edessa;
• James, brother of John, had been (Acts 12) slain by Herod's sword;
• John now being exiled on Patmos (and some records indicate he was horribly martyred by being cast into boiling oil);
• Matthew had been beheaded in Ethiopia;
• Thomas had been thrust through with a spear in India;
• Simon the Zealot, had been crucified in Briton;
• Thaddeus had been crucified at Edessa;
• Bartholomew had been beaten and crucified in India;
• Philip had been crucified at Heliopolis in Phrygia;
• James the Less had been clubbed to death in Jerusalem;

 Dangerous Times for Christ's Church

But if that wasn’t enough to get the apostle John down, there was added his deepening concern over the serious problems he saw in the church.

• How would you feel if you were the last living witness of Christ? If you were the last link to His earthly life? If you were the only one left who had seen Him walk on the water, feed thousands and raise to life dead corpses by a word? And then, what if it appeared His family the church was falling apart under the vicious attack from without, and rotting from the decay of false teaching within?
• Listen to John’s agony over the sad condition of Christ's church. Turn back a couple pages to I John. This is a report of the dangerous flaws he saw in Christ's church:

1.    In Christ's church were Fakes who were walking in darkness (1:6);

2.   In Christ's church were Deluded ones saying they never sinned (1:8);

3.   In Christ's church were Liars who contradicted Christ by their words (1:10) and deeds (2:4);

4.   In Christ's church were Blinded and hate-filled church goers walking in darkness (2:9-11);

5.   In Christ's church were Adulterous, thing-seeking  world-lovers devoid of God's love (2:15-17);

6.   In Christ's church were Apostate antichrists within the flock who quit (2:18-19) the church and spew false and Christ-denying doctrine on the way out (2:23);

7.   In Christ's church were Vacillating and fearful promise-doubting members (2:25);

8.   In Christ's church were Devilish sinners who let Satan work in them while they are in the fellowship (3:8);

9.   In Christ's church were Hypocritical children of Satan who are love-less and unholy (3:10);

10. In Christ's church were Vicious and hate-filled neighbors and co-workers who were hardened against the way of life and hope of the genuine Christians (3:13);

11.  In Christ's church were Murderous, hating, so-called followers of the Way, whose lives denied Christ (3:15);

12.  In Christ's church were Hard hearted and greedy church members who could care less for the unfortunate fellow believers and wouldn’t spare a dime to aid them (3:17);

13.  In Christ's church were Demon-influenced spies planted by Satan in the church to give messages that would defile, pollute, deaden and confuse the true worshipers of Jesus (4:3);

14.  In Christ's church were Worldly, earth-dwellers who talked and loved the system of earth and could not hear or comprehend the ways of Christ all around them in the fellowship (4:5);

15.  In Christ's church were Unloving (4:8) and fear-filled, professing Christians, (4:18) who had no love for their brothers and sisters in Christ (4:20);

16.  In Christ's church were Disobedient to the Word (5:2) and defeated, world seeking (5:4) unbelievers masquerading as believers (5:10) while living in unbelief.

What is God's Answer for Bad Times? 

These were really bad times in John’s life. His friends were all gone. His fellow apostles were all hunted down and murdered. His beloved church was troubled with false Christians. And now he was captured and on his way to his death.

What is God's answer for bad times? Listen, this lesson could change your life PERMANENTLY!

I repeat, what was God's answer for these terribly bad times for this aged, weary, distressed, saddened, frightened and troubled servant?

When God wanted to encourage his faithful and aged servant, He makes him take a long look and DISCOVER Jesus.

To Continue this message as Dr. Barnett gives a general outline for Revelation and discovering Jesus please copy and paste this URL into your browser bar: http://www.discoverthebook.org/sermons_read.asp?id=158