Fix your eyes on Jesus
- v9-20
- Particularly v12-13
- The church here likely not much different to the church in Bethlehem in Port Talbot
- Many concerns - examples
- Is there something that above all of that is our greatest need?
- Something that will embrace all of our lives and give us the help we need?
- John points us towards the clearer and greater need for Jesus
- Fix your eyes on Jesus - a description, not a command in Chapter 1
- Our greatest need is always to fix our eyes on Jesus (and keep them there)
- What happens when we do? - John tells us what happened to him
- When we fix our eyes on Jesus
- We have not seen him with our own eyes as those in the Gospels had
- John in is the same position that we are, in that Jesus had ascended back to heaven
- v9-10 – in the Spirit on the Lord's Day
- John is a brother
- We are of equal worth in the Kingdom of God
- John is a companion
- He is going through what we are going through
- On the island of Patmos
- Either preaching the gospel or because he was being persecuted
- It was the latter - He was banished to the island of Patmos
- The Lord's Day
- Sunday
- Everyday belongs to the Lord, but one day He has set apart
- He rose on the first day of the week and forever changed the world - explanation
- In the Spirit
- Every believer possesses the Holy Spirit
- It is one of the great gifts of God - the forgiveness of sins and the giving of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2
- Rom 8:9
- He was enjoying a wonderful communion with God through the Holy Spirit
- This encourages us - we need to seek God
- v10b-11 – the voice of Jesus
- The call of a trumpet - very loud
- The voice of Jesus sounded like a trumpet - you have to pay attention when He speaks
- I am the First and the Last
- He holds all of history in His hands
- He has all things in His hands - what comfort to us
- These words are not just for John, but for us
- We need to be listening out for the voice of Jesus
- v12-15 – a glorious vision
- Seven golden lampstands
- The first thing he sees is the church
- This is instructive to us - we do not see Jesus but we see the church
- We are a golden lampstand in this place
- We are the lampstand (from which to shine the light) but we are not the lightbearer
- Golden - we are valuable and previous to the Lord Jesus Christ
- Our tasks is to bear the gospel of Jesus Christ in the place where He has put us
- One like the Son of Man
- He walks amongst the golden lampstands
- He is not distant from His Church
- He is in heaven - having sat down at the right hand of God
- By His Holy Spirit He is always present amongst His churches
- He sees His Church and assesses us
- Things to commend
- Things to rebuke
- Difficult to describe the appearance
- The best John can say is like this, like that and like the other
- Like a King
- A most glorious being - of strength, glory and majesty
- Piercing eyes
- Voice that cuts deeply
- Feet that can go anywhere
- This is our Jesus - fix your eyes on Jesus
- v17-18 – This experience of seeing Jesus encouraged and strengthened John
- He fell down as though dead
- A hand lifted him up
- Jesus spoke encouraging words
- The same hand of Jesus that sustains the universe, sustains you
- Jesus encourages John to carry out
- I am the First and the Last - Isa 44:6
- I am the living one - Joshua 3
- He holds the keys of Death and Hades
- He is the Judge and Victor
- Jesus is our motivation and strength to continue