Sermon Central
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Study In Revelation 3 Series
Contributed by James Lee on Jan 20, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Study of Revelation, using "the Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible" as a guide. Includes work sheet for participants. boxes & underlined blanks may be missing
STUDY IN REVELATION Part 3
Revelation 1: 4-8
Verses 4-8 are what is called the great announcement to the churches.
1. Notice that there were 7 churches in Asia that received this great announcement. We will look more closely at and name these churches later. When we look at them we see that they are representative of all Bible believing Churches throughout the world.
How many churches did John mention? 7
Where were these churches located? ASIA
There are four parts to this announcement, let’s look at each one.
2. The first announcement: vv4, 5 and it is one of Grace and Peace.
The church today must know that it can experience grace and peace.
Grace means favor that is not deserved; it’s what we call God’s unmerited favor. It means that God takes an active role in our lives; that He looks after and cares for us. It means that He provides the good and beneficial things of life for us. We don’t deserve these things but because God loves us He gives His grace to us.
Peace Means that we can have peace with God. No longer do we have to look at God as if He were some far away figure that is unconcerned and unloving. God is not hovering over us with some evil grin on His face just waiting for a chance to zap us. The one thing that God wants to do is give us peace.
*Peace also means that we can have peace among ourselves, with people. We don’t have to be divided; people don’t have to be discriminated against. We don’t have to be fighting, killing or stealing from each other.
3. Let’s look at where this grace & peace come from. According to verse 4 it comes from God but John describes God “Him which is, and which was, and which is to come”
From this we can clearly see that grace and peace will not come from anything we find in this world. We can’t find peace in big houses, in lots of money, in becoming well known. Grace and peace can only come from
God (Emphasize the big G). Not just any god but from the God of creation who is unchangeable and eternal. He was the same yesterday as He is today and will be tomorrow!!!
Grace & peace are found in: a. Great big houses b. Lots of $$$$ c. being famous
d. Having lots of friends e. GOD
Verse 4 describes God as the one who: IS WAS IS TO COME
This means that Grace & peace are found in God who is Unchangeable & Eternal
4.Grace and peace come from the Holy Spirit. Notice that it says in verse 4 “and from the Seven Spirits which are before His throne.”
The number 7 in scripture means completeness, fullness, and perfection and so the reference here is to the Holy Spirit in all His fullness who is before the throne of God.
In order to better understand this let’s look at Isaiah 11: 2-5 and list the Holy Spirit’s sevenfold character.
So we can see that if in fact the Spirit of God lives in us and He brings with Him all that He is, grace and peace from God belongs to us.
4a.We have seen that grace and peace is described as coming from God, which is, which was, and which is to come make reference to God. The seven spirits are not referring to some angels or any other spiritual forces; this is a reference to the Spirit of God. We also see, in verse 5 that grace and peace come from Jesus Christ, completing the fullness of the God head.
Grace and peace comes from: lucky rabbits foot finding a four leaf clover winning the lottery the Holy Spirit.
The SEVEN Spirits in verse four are a reference to: seven special angels seven evil spirits The Holy Spirit.
Seven in scripture means: completeness fullness perfection
The seven characteristics that describe the Holy Spirit in Isaiah are: The Spirit of the Lord The Spirit of Wisdom The Spirit of Understanding the Spirit of Counsel the Spirit of Might The Spirit of Knowledge the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.
Grace and peace is something you work at to accomplish comes freely when the Spirit of God comes to live in you.
According to verse 4 & 5a, grace and peace come from: God ** the Holy Spirit ** and Jesus Christ
5. The second Announcement: vv 5, 6. These verses tell us that Jesus is our savior and our redeemer. There are five things declared about Jesus in these two verses.
1. Jesus Christ is the “faithful witness.”
He is the one person we can trust. Jesus came form God, right out of Heaven, in order that He himself would reveal the truth to us. He revealed the truth about God and man. He revealed the truth about man’s world and the condition of it. He can be trusted because He is the “Faithful Witness.”
