Who We Are—part I

WHO WE ARE-I—Revelation 1:4-8

George & Betty(husband & wife) went to the fair/George steps onto one of those machines that tells your weight & fortune for a dime/He drops in his dime & it spits out a card, which he reads, to Betty/Hey listen to this honey, just what I’ve told you all along—’It says I am energetic, bright, resourceful and a great person!’

Betty, peering over his shoulder at the card says, ’Yeah, & it has your weight wrong too!’

George needed a quick primer on the reality of who he was.

Likewise the Church needs to face the reality of who she is.

Prior to informing the 7 churches of the revelation of Jesus, John greeted them with encouragement & exhortation reminding them of who they were in Christ.

The revelation of Jesus Christ informs us of the Church’s identity.

Who Are We?

The church is a family of unparalleled...

1—The Church is a family of

UNPARALLELED GRACE(:4a-b)

—Explanation:(:4a-b)

:4—“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you & peace,...

“Asia”—Present-day Turkey All in western portion.

“Grace”—Bestowal of undeserved blessing.

“Grace to you & peace”—Rom. 1:7, 1Cor. 1:3, 2Cor. 1:2.

—Argumentation:

Ezra 9:8—“But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant & to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes & grant us a little reviving in our bondage.”

Jn. 1:14-16—“And the Word became flesh, & dwelt among us, & we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace & truth. John bore witness of Him, & cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fulness we have all received, & grace upon grace.”

Acts 20:32—““And now I commend you to God & to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up & to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Eph. 1:7-12—“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom & insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens & things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

2Thess. 2:16-17—“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself & God our Father, who has loved us & given us eternal comfort & good hope by grace, comfort & strengthen your hearts in every good work & word.”

1Pet. 5:12—“Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting & testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”

—Illustration:

Church in Atlanta/Built around a courtyard housing a huge oak tree/Tree older than church/Builders could have razed it but chose to preserve it/Unparalleled GRACE

—Application:

?You the recipient of God’s Unequaled GRACE?

?You a part of the Church family?

2—The Church is a family of

UNPARALLELED PEACE(:4c)

—Explanation/Argumentation:(:4c)

:4—“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you & peace,...

NOT PHYSICAL(political)PEACE—

Lk. 12:51-53—“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two, & two against three. “They will be divided, father against son, & son against father; mother against daughter, & daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, & daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Lk. 2:34-35—“And Simeon blessed them, & said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall & rise of many in Israel, & for a sign to be opposed-- & a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

IS INNER(spiritual) PEACE—

Jn. 14:27—“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

Ps. 23:4-5—“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod & Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”