"Introduction to the Revelation of Jesus Christ" | Pastor Steve Gaines

take your Bibles and turn with me please to Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1 we're starting a series of sermons today on the book of Revelation and I am grateful to God for this wonderful book and it is a book of hope and what we need hope do we not it's a book of encouragement it is a book that tells us a better day is coming it was written by when he was called the youngest apostle of them all and that was the Apostle John brother of James son of Zebedee a fisherman from Galilee he lived longer than any of the other apostles and around 90 AD he was imprisoned and he was exiled to the island of Patmos Don and I have been there twice we've seen the cave where he received the revelation that we're going to be studying this year on Sunday morning and he was a great man of God he ministered at the Church of Ephesus he took care of Mary the Lord's mother until she died she was buried at Ephesus just as John was but while he was on this island God came to him in that cold damp cave and he spoke to him about the end of time and we call it the book of Revelation it is constantly saying to those of us who know that there's got to be more there's got to be a better life somewhere this world is broken and we know that we know that a better day is coming sin will not last forever Satan will not win in the end God will have the final say history is his story God created this world in universe and it was perfect but man's sin introduced death and all type of sin came into this world and the world the perfect world that God created became cursed flowers gave way to thorns life gave way to death perfect health gave way to sickness and a sorrow and a pain peace and harmony gave way to violence murder and war in time God made a covenant with a man named Abraham from ur of the chaldeans and Abraham became the father of Isaac who became the father of Jacob whose name was changed to Israel who had twelve sons one of whom was Judah and out of the tribe of Judah came the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ came to this earth through the womb of a virgin Jesus Christ was the second Adam who came to clean up the mess that the first Adam had made out of everything the Bible says in first Corinthians 15:45 the scripture tells us the first man Adam became a living person but the last Adam talking about Jesus that is Christ is a life-giving spirit now we can have life again everlasting abundant life if we will repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus Jesus ascended back to heaven from which he had come after he rose from the dead he went back to heaven what's he doing now he's preparing a place for those of us who know him he's pardoning lost people who repent and believe in him and he's also preparing to come back and when he comes back every eye will see him every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father that is what the book of Revelation is about I hear preachers talk about well I don't really understand revelation so I just won't really preach from it I hear Christians say well it's so confusing I want to say this to you God did not end the Bible with confusion the book of Revelation is not a question mark at the end of the Bible the book of Revelation is God's exclamation point it is telling all of us a better day is coming yes there is war now but a better day is coming yes there is racial division now but a better day is coming yes people shoot people in churches right now even in Texas but a better day is coming by the way let's stop right now and pray for that church amen let's do it father in the name of Jesus I pray for that Church of Christ Lord God East Parkway Church of Christ in white settlement Texas I know that they're having services right now and it's got to be hard Lord ministered to them protect them and pull them through this bless those families that lost loved ones thank you for that man that was ready and prepared dear God and saved so many lives by shooting the bad guy Lord God just bless that church today and protect your churches across America in Jesus name and if you agree with that same in well a better day is coming we know that the world we live in is broken Jesus will return Jesus will reign for all eternity Satan and all of his demons will be cast into the lake of fire and the devil hates this book he hates for anybody to talk about it anybody to teach about it anybody to preach about it because it assures us that he is doomed and he will be in hell for all eternity let's look and let's get started let's just take an introductory look at the revelation of Jesus Christ Revelation chapter 1 verse 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his Mon servants the things which must soon take place and he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond servant John who testified to the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near let's look at the book of Revelation number 1 and I can hear you now saying brother stay this is the longest outline I've ever seen in my life I know every blank and here we go I'm gonna do it in about 25 minutes so right quickly alright number 1 the book of Revelation is a divine revelation of divine revelation look at verses 1 & 2 in Revelation 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his bondservants the things which must soon take place and he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond servant John who testified to the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw the Bible came the entire Bible came from God through inspired men and note the pathway that the revelation traveled to come from God to you and to me first of all God the Father gave the book of Revelation to Jesus he gave it to Jesus look at verse 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his bond servants the things which must soon take place there was a day in ages past when God the Father gave God the Son Jesus the words of revelation now the word revelation in the Greek is apocalyptic and it means to lay bare to disclose the truth it refers to a manifestation or an appearance a revelation means that something previously not understood is now revealed and enlightenment is manifested revelation also has to do with and appearing a coming of a new insight and a new age God first gave His divine insight regarding the future of history to his son Jesus Christ now what did Jesus do with the book of Revelation Jesus gave it to an angel in fact if you read the text he gave it to his angel it was a special angel look at verse 1 again and he Jesus sent and communicated it by his angel angel Anglo's messenger envoy one who has sent particularly especially in this text a messenger from Almighty God and notice again it was his angel perhaps it was Gabriel it was a special angel we don't know who exactly it was but it was his angel God gave the revelation of Jesus Jesus gave the revelation to his angel and then the Bible says that revelation was passed on to an apostle the angel gave it to John he gave it to John look at verses 1 & 2 he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond servant John John was imprisoned on a wretched isolated island called Patmos again I've been there twice I've been in the cave where he was living John when he was somewhere between ninety and a hundred years old he was a very old man and yet he received this revelation I will say this to you you can be in the worst circumstances but God can still come to you he came to him 65 miles east of Ephesus John was imprisoned there for preaching the gospel we read about that in chapter 1 verse 9 I John your brother fell apart acre in the tribulations in Kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus he was just arrested because he preached the Word of God and he testified about Jesus and the Bible says God gave the revelation to Jesus Jesus gave it to his angel his angel gave it to John on Patmos and then John gave it to all the Christian believers that would receive the revelation says in chapter 1 verse 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia finally revelation was given to the first century Christians many of whom were being persecuted why were they being persecuted because about the turn of that first century after Christ the Emperor's of Rome decided that in order to assure allegiance to the Roman Empire they would tell everyone you can worship any God you want to that's fine with us but you must add to it if we worship you must say these words and burn incense at a pagan altar they wouldn't call it taken they would have called it a ritual but we would call it pagan and you must burn incense and simultaneously say in front of a bust a a marble bust of the Emperor you must say these words Kaiser our coreos Caesar is Lord well you see the problem do you not Christians couldn't say Kai's are curious they could only say yes OU's Christos koreas Jesus Christ is Lord so many of them were arrested many of them lost all of their belongings many of them were thrown into prison many of them were slain and killed by depraved Roman politicians and bloodthirsty Roman citizens in the amphitheaters when we go to Israel we will see and met Shawn some of the amphitheaters where Christians were martyred because of their faith in Jesus Christ but the book of Revelation gave them hope they needed hope they needed hope right then in the present they needed hope that a better day was coming they were giving their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ and revelation shouts hold on stay with it God is in control a better day is coming oh the book of Revelation praise God is a divine revelation secondly the book of Revelation is a christ-centered revelation it's all about Jesus Christ how does it begin look at chapter 1 verse 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ as you look at the book of Revelation you'll notice that it focuses first of all on the resurrected Christ if you go down in chapter 1 verses 17 and 18 you'll find these words when John said when I saw him I fell at his feet like a dead man he placed his right hand on me saying do not be afraid I'm the first and the last and the living one I was dead and behold I am Alive but he didn't stop there I am Alive forever more and I have the keys of death and of Hades behold he said I was dead but now I'm alive forevermore why is that important because other people had been raised from the dead but they died again gyruss daughter she died again the son of the widow at 9 he died again Lazarus raised from the dead he died again but when Jesus rose from the dead praise His name he was alive forevermore never to die again Jesus Christ the resurrected Christ he has the keys I like that he said I'm not only going to rise I'm gonna take the keys I'll never be shut up in a grave again I've got the keys man I like to be with the guy with the keys don't you the guy with the keys can go anywhere he wants to Jesus I'll never be back in that grave I've got the keys to death and to Hades I am the resurrected Christ and also the revelation focuses on the rain Christ Jesus is not just raised from the dead he is raining he is King of Kings look at verse 4 in Revelation 1 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 that's God the Father and from the seven spirits seven is the number of perfection the perfect spirit that is the Holy Spirit who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ there you have the Trinity the triune God in the book of Revelation at the very beginning and Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth I Got News for you when they have all these summits and they think they're in charge all over the world listen to me Jesus is Lord over all of the rulers of the world Jesus Christ is the key ruler of all the kings of the world he is the faithful witness we know what God is like by looking at Jesus he is the perfect witness he is the firstborn of the Dead he's the first one to rise from the dead never to die again but oh don't ever forget Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth there is no Supreme Court on this earth Jesus is the Supreme Court of the universe my friend he is large and in charge King of Kings and the book of Revelation focuses on that it focuses on the fact that he is the reigning Christ and also that he is the redeeming Christ this whole Christ centered book talks about Redemption what is redemption to buy something back to purchase something look at chapter one verses five and six from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn of the Dead the ruler of the kings of the earth to him who loves us and released us from our sins say the next three words with me please by his blood oh I don't like to hear about the blood listen to me friend nothing can wash away your sins but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ don't don't be talking about you don't want to hear about the blood man you need the blood we need the blood of Jesus Christ 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 18 and 19 say this no you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ have you ever been redeemed have you ever been converted have you ever had the blood of Jesus applied to you I can remember when I was a boy there was some kind of stamps you saved and you would take them to the store and redeem them you turn in these book of stamps over here and in Memphis we'd have to drive from Dyersburg cuz we didn't have anything like that up there but we've saved the stamps and we licked them and put them on there buddy and we came from the grocery store and we've come there and we could get all kinds of things that weren't worth anything and that we thought we needed all right I praise God I know what it's like to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb do you have you ever had your sins forgiven have you ever had all of your sins is sponged away and washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ all revelation focuses on the redeeming Christ and then Revelation folks it focuses especially on the returning Christ look at verses 7 and 8 in Chapter 1 it says in Revelation chapter 1 verse 7 behold he is coming with the clouds every eye will see him even those who pierced him all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him so it is to be amen I am the Alpha I'm the Omega that's the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet says the Lord who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty revelation shouts Jesus is coming back and there's no other book in the Bible like revelation it focuses on the returning Christ the revelation is a christ-centered revelation focusing on the resurrected reigning redeeming returning Christ well number three the book of Revelation is an endtime revelation it's an endtime revelation yes it spoke to the people of their day but it also told them about the end of time look at verse 3 blessed it is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time everybody say the time the time is near the time in that those two little words refer to the end of time the end of time at other places in the New Testament the end of time is referred to as the day or that day I've heard preachers say we need to live this day for that day the coming of the Lord and there is a day that will signify the end of time now I want to take a 30,000 10,000 20,000 you don't after you get by 10 who cares how high up you are all right but let's take a look a panoramic look of the book of Revelation all right let me give you eight points that will just kind of summarize it and we'll just look at a simple outline of the end of time first of all right now before the the end time begins in verse chapter 4 in Chapter 1 we read about the exalted Christ in the next week or so I'll be talking about the resurrected exalted Jesus Jesus is alive and well right now at the right hand of the Father and he is seated at the right hand of the Father according to Psalm 110 verse 1 until the father makes all of his enemies a footstool for his feet and the last enemy will be death itself so Jesus is reigning and we see that in Revelation chapter 1 the exalted Christ and then in chapters 2 and 3 we see that Jesus is walking in the midst of his church we see the Church of Jesus Christ John saw Jesus walking among the churches he was speaking to the pastors of the churches in Asia and I've been to those churches again twice Jesus still walks in the midst of local churches and the Bible says in chapters one through three these are the chapters that took place in John's day but when you get to chapter 4 all the way through the end of the Bible from chapter 4 to chapter 22 it's all futuristic it's all yet to come it is prophecy and these prophetic chapters tell us what will be like at the end of time now I don't know every little gnats heal about every item that's gonna take place at the end of time and guess what you don't either there is no preacher that knows every part about it I loved what dr. Rogers said about this he said when it comes to eschatology the study of the end of times and all the my new shy around that he said I am NOT on the planning committee I'm on the welcoming committee amen I just want Jesus to come back but I want to give you what I believe six six these last six points here are a panoramic view of what's going to happen in the days to come first of all the rapture and the Saints in heaven the rapture of the church is when Jesus comes not with his church but for his church it's before the Great Tribulation Jesus gave that the Great Tribulation its name by the way we'll talk about that momentarily Christians are going to be caught up it's the Latin word repeal and we get rapture out they're gonna be caught up and taken out of this world now there will be the Bible says persecution for those who love Jesus Christ but there will not be the wrath of God for those who know Jesus Christ there's a difference between persecution and rampe persecution is bad but rath is hellish what I mean by that is it is absolutely God pouring out his wrath and God won't do that to his children think about it what happened in the days of Noah I just read it this week if you're reading the one-year Bible you read about Noah this week and I read that before that flood came upon this world God he only had eight people walking with him God put them in the ark and protected them from the wrath of God soon we'll be reading in Exodus as a church and in our daily Bible readings if you don't have that the church will give you the outline and we'll see that when God sent his wrath upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians God's people were protected in the land of goshen and they did not experience those horrible elements of God's wrath in those 10 acts of judgment so God says I'm not going to send my wrath before the Great Tribulation I'm gonna rapture catch up my people out that's in chapters Revelation chapters 4 and 5 Luke 17 by the way describes what will take place on that day - we'll be working in the field jesus said in Luke 17 one will be taken up one will be left behind two will be in bed one will be taken up one will be left behind two will be grinding at the mill one will be taken up one will be left 9 can you imagine being left behind to go through the Great Tribulation when your loved one that was saved was caught up to meet the Lord in the air well that's the rapture that's the first thing that will happen and by the way nothing not one thing has to happen for the rapture to occur it could happen right now Jesus can come back right now for his church secondly there's the Great Tribulation and the majority of Revelation is about the Great Tribulation chapter 6 through 18 Jesus talked about it gave it back he named it in Matthew 24:21 for there will be greater anguish great tribulation is what it means there then at any time since the world began and it will never be so great again the Great Tribulation will be unprecedented suffering imagine 9/11 times a thousand every day for at least seven years just a matter you wake up what's going to happen today it was worse than yesterday it's going to be literal hell on earth unprecedented suffering seven seals of wrath seven trumpets of wrath seven bowls of Wrath all poured out God's unmitigated wrath unleashed upon all sinful mankind in this world and then will come at the end of the Great Tribulation the return of Christ we read about that in Revelation chapter 19 Jesus will come back he will be on his white horse and he will come back with his church the rapture he's coming for his church then the Great Tribulation then he will come the second time with his church I don't even like horses and I'll be on one that day though amen be riding on a horse and Jesus will ride on his white horse as king of kings and Lord of lords every eye will see him every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord what a day that will be and he will set up in the millennial reign of Christ millennial means 1,000 years we read about that in Revelation chapter 20 verses 1 through 6 he will reign on this earth people say when will there be peace on earth when Jesus establishes the millennial reign he will reign from Jerusalem and every everyone on the whole world for a thousand years it's going to be a restoration of the Garden of Eden and Jesus is coming back and Jesus the second Adam will restore everything that the first Adam messed up the Garden of Eden will be again on earth and in the final judgment Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 15 actually they're gonna be several judgments Satan will be judged demons will be judged the Antichrist will be judged cast into hell lost people will be cast into hell the works of Christians will be judged some will have hay wood and stubble that will be burned up and they will not be rewarded as much as those who have gold silver and precious stone as their works all Christians will get into heaven some will smell like smoke and some will have more rewards than other people but the Bible says there gonna be several judgments and then the new heaven the new earth and the new jerusalem whatever home you have will be burned up the Bible says in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses and 7 all of your precious Goods all of your money all the stuff you spend all your time on your yard and everything else gonna be burned up God says this one is beyond repair sometimes you got to throw things away he's gonna throw this world away and the Bible says there's gonna be a new heaven a new earth and a new Jerusalem and praise His name that time is coming and it is on its way and I believe it will be soon it is an endtime revelation and then number four the book of Revelation is a blessed revelation a blessed revelation look at Revelation chapter 1 verse 3 blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near notice three things those who read Revelation are blessed I hope that you'll spend a lot of time this year reading the book of Revelation you'll be blessed he says so just like the king of Israel it says in Deuteronomy 17 would be blessed and the kingdom would be blessed if he would read it now she'll come about when he the king sits on the throne of his kingdom he will write for himself a copy of this law and a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests it will be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by carefully observing all the words of the law in these statutes don't you wish we had politicians that would read and observe the Word of God well you're gonna be blessed if you'll read it you're also going to be blessed those who hear the revelation are gonna be blessed I hope you'll come not just to hear me preach what does that matter but it does matter if you hear the book of Revelation it does matter if you hear the word of God you'll be blessed just like Jesus said in Luke 11:28 but he said on the contrary blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it jesus said blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and then those who obey Revelation are blessed jesus said and if they will heed these things that are written they'll be blessed for the time is near jesus said at the end of Revelation revelation 22 verse 7 behold I'm coming quickly blessed is he who heeds that is obeys the words of the prophecy of this book so the book of Revelation is a blessed revelation but there's one more thing the book of Revelation is an urgent revelation it puts the urgency in witnessing and also holy living because you don't know when Jesus could come back in the rapture you don't want to be living in sin when Jesus comes back in the rapture you don't want to be lost when Jesus comes for his children in the rapture you want to live a holy life and this thought it is an urgent revelation look at what he says in Revelation 1 verse 3 blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heeds the things which are written in it for the time is what said out loud a lot of people say oh no no preacher no it's gonna be a long time now I could be at any moment these six events that I gave you a moment ago the last of the six of those eight rapture could occur today no sign has to take place before Jesus comes for his church in the rapture Antichrist doesn't have to appear before Christ comes in the rapture I praise God you know there's some theologians looking for Antichrist I'm not looking for Antichrist I'm looking for Christ amen I'm not looking around I'm looking up I'm gonna serve around yes but I'm going to be looking up saying Lord maranatha even so come Lord Jesus I'll tell you my eschatology you ready here it is I'm looking for Jesus and when he comes I go there you have it when he comes I go the early Christians looked for revelations imminent that is immediate fulfillment Jesus said it think about this jesus said these words in Matthew 24 therefore be on the alert for you don't know which day your Lord is coming for the rest for this reason you must also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will he says in revelation 22 verse 7 behold I'm coming quickly jesus said you need to treat the coming of Christ as imminent or near by Paul said the same thing in Philippians 3:20 for our citizenship is in heaven from which we also wait eagerly wait for a savior the Lord Jesus Christ are you a girly waiting on Jesus to come back Titus 2:13 looking for the Blessed hope and for the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ the author of Hebrews we don't know who it was if you say you do I'm telling you you don't know all right but at any rate he wrote it and he said twice that Jesus is coming back at least several times but Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also having been offered once to bear the sins of many shall appear a second time there it is for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him are you eagerly awaiting the Lord to appear Hebrews 10:24 25 will some of the greatest words in the Bible about not neglecting your fellowship with other Christians let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds not forsaking our own assembling it together as a habit of some but encouraging one another and so much the more as you see the day drawing near James the brother Jesus talked about the coming of the Lord he said in James 5 verses 8 through 9 you to be patience strengthening your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand do not complain brethren against one another that you yourselves may not be judged behold the judge talking about Jesus the judge is standing right at the door Peter Peter the Apostle Peter said Jesus could come back at any moment first Peter 1:13 therefore gird your minds for actions keep sober in spirit fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ he also said in first Peter 4:7 the end of all things is at hand therefore be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer John who wrote revelation obviously believes in it he said in first John 3:2 through three beloved now we are children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be but we know that when he appears there it is we shall be like him because we shall see him just as he is and everyone who has his hope fixed on Jesus purifies himself just as he is pure so the early church was looking for the imminent filmin of Revelation and the final blank is here we should look for the imminent fulfillment of Revelation and after you write the little word we in that blank would you please stand up I want us to read the last words of the Bible and they talked about the fact that Jesus could come back at any moment reading with me from the screen Revelation chapter 22 beginning at verse 12 we'll go down to the last chapter last verse in the Bible reading with me Jesus is talking here we go behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done I am the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end blessed are those who washed their roads so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter by the gates into the city outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices lying I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David the bright morning star the spirit and the bride say come and let the one who here say come and let the one who is thirsty come let the one who wishes take the water of life without cause I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book if anyone adds to them God led to him the plagues which are written in this book and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book he who testifies to these things says yes I am coming quickly amen come Lord Jesus now let's read the last verse of the Bible here it is the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all and all God's people said amen let's thank God for the book of Revelation amen [Applause]

Channel: Bellevue Baptist Church

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Keywords: introduction to the revelation of Jesus Christ, the book of revelation, Pastor Steve Gaines, Steve Gains, Bellevue Church, Bellevue Memphis, Sunday Sermons, sermons on revelation

Id: j1A_aq6qA2Q

Length: 38min 24sec (2304 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 06 2020