SPECIAL EASTER SUNDAY INTERLUDE
"An Edifying Memorandum From Our Risen Lord"
(Revelation 1:9-20)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

This past week, though anticipating Easter Sunday, I made a list of the challenges Christians I know are facing. Here' some of them:

(1) A number have shared their sadness at news reports coming out of the Kosovo crisis. Now some American soldiers have been captured, heightening the political pressures on everybody involved!

(2) In our own church is a man who belongs to a military group that may be used in the Kosovo conflict. Obviously, there are concerns as to his role or that of his colleagues in the military as it affects him, his family's peace of mind and that of the fa milies of his associates.

(2) A couple approached me this week with their concern about where to school their child. They feel they are left making the best of "imperfect" choices in the matter, and are nervous about it!

(3) Our daughter Connie is going to have rather delicate neurosurgery this Thursday in Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital. There is an element of uncertainty as her surgery is still a "new" medical procedure. Yet, there is no other sensible option avail able, so we are launching out into uncertain, deep waters in the next few days.

(4) Our other daughter, Joanne has had some big decisions to make about her schooling this year due to her recent sickness. Being a junior, she is scheduled to take her important college SAT test in a few weeks, and her physical needs makes this a logisti cal hurdle to cross.

(5) We are now refinancing our mortgage to take advantage of historically low, fixed mortgage rates, and have to plan the closing around Connie's recovery. That involves financial uncertainty.

(5) On Thursday, I received calls from two members of the Church about their burdens about needs in our Church's ministries. I spent time trying to encourage and give direction to each one.

(6) Also, I have encouraged the Planning Committee to meet in my absence this Wednesday in an effort to keep its momentum going. Knowing the people who are involved, I am confident the committee will function responsibly. Yet, I will be in Baltimore then , and as some have shared with me their cares about the planning process, I admit that I have some concern about internal Church relationships in my absence.

So, in view of the human needs that exist among us, is there an encouraging directive this EASTER Sunday?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "With all that has recently happened in Kosovo, not to forget the many challenges we face as individuals or as a Church family, we could use some encouraging direction this Easter Sunday! Is there a message of hope and help for TODAY in PART ICULAR?"
  1. When the Apostle John wrote the Revelation, he faced many hardships and stood in need of great personal encouragement:
    1. Because of his ministry for the truth, John suffered banishment on the island of Patmos off of the coast of what is now Turkey, Rev. 1:9b.
    2. This circumstance was humanly difficult for John to handle well:
      1. Scholars date Revelation in the 90's A. D. (Ryr. St. Bib., KJV, p. 1785), so John would have been quite old at its writing. Since the elderly look to others for support in their growing frailty, John's banishment from supporters would have left him humanly insecure.
      2. As an old Apostle, John would have born the relationship scars of the losses of his brother James (Acts 12:1-2), a former fishing partner and co-worker in Peter and Paul through their martyrdoms.
      3. Patmos was a destitute, rocky island housing criminals. This setting so opposite his Palestinian background would have left John feeling he'd missed out on a more "normal" life! (Z.P.E.B., v. 4, p. 619)
  2. Thus, the RISEN Lord appeared to John to supply a timeless encouraging memorandum that edifies upright Christians, 1:10-20:
    1. The risen Lord introduced Himself in an encouraging way:
      1. John heard a loud voice speaking from behind him, Rev. 1:10.
      2. The rear direction of this voice hinted of the Isaiah 30:19-21 event where God predicted a voice from behind that signaled to Israel her restoration to intimate fellowship with God after her oppression!
      3. Thus, the direction of this voice would encourage John at the time!
    2. When John turned to face the One Who spoke, He saw the risen Lord in glory displaying massive attributes that could address John's needs:
      1. John saw Jesus standing in the midst of seven lampstands. These represent the churches of the seven eras of Church History, 12-13a with 1:20b and notes on Rev. 2-3. John thus beheld Jesus as the timeless Shepherd Who leads all believers in their times of need!
      2. Jesus was clothed in a long garment with a gold sash as the Priest of the Church to intercede for the needs and sins of John and all believers in Church History, 1:13 (Bib. Know. Com., N.T., p. 930).
      3. Christ had hair as white as snow pictured in Dan. 7:9's description of God the Father. Since this Old Testament verse's context speaks of God's triumph over antichrist (Dan. 7:8-9), John saw Jesus as the God who triumphs over evil persecutors, Revelation 1:14a.
      4. As His eyes were like a flame of fire (1:14b), his feet like purified brass (1:15a), his voice as that of many waters (1:15b), Jesus is pictured as the sovereign Judge of all men! (Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1788)
      5. Christ's authoritative provision for Church teachers is seen also:
        1. Jesus holds the seven stars, or ministers in His right hand and uses them to keep the church witness going (1:16a with 20b,c).
        2. The sharp two-edged sword proceeding out of Christ's mouth in Rev. 1:16b is the Scripture (via Heb. 4:12), so Jesus sends forth His authoritative, powerful word by way of these messengers.
        3. The face of Jesus shining as the sun pictures the Judges 5:31 text that alludes to the longevity of the Lord's influence, Rev. 1:16c.
        4. Thus, John saw Jesus as sovereignly controlling the broadcast of truth through His assigned human messengers through history so that God's people would always have access to God's truth!
    3. When John saw this All-Sufficient, Risen Lord, he was overcome with fear at His greatness, and fell at His feet as a dead man, Rev. 1:17a.
    4. Jesus then encouraged John as follows, Rev. 1:17b-19a:
      1. Jesus laid His right hand, the hand in which He holds the human messengers of the Church, on John, indicating that as the First and Last God of Isaiah 41:4, all of Jesus' divine power was available to equip John to succeed in his ministry in spite of his troubles!
      2. Christ also indicated He had died and risen and was alive forevermore as death's conqueror, and that He controlled all human destinies. John was not to concern himself about dying, Rev. 1:18
      3. Accordingly, John was to focus on his ministry of writing Christ's messages to believers in Church history, letting Jesus deal with all his human needs en route of that ministry in the process, 1:19, 11!
Lesson Application: To ENJOY the RISEN Lord's edification this Easter Sunday, (1) like John, BELIEVE on Jesus Christ as our personal Savior from sin to have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). (2) Then, make the commitment to SERVE Him in life as did John. (3) If we DO so, (a) Christ will guide and provide for us en route, even if we face troubles as did John. (b) Jesus will intercede for our needs to the Father, (c) control persecutors who oppose our ministries, (d) judge those who counter us in them and (e) make our work ETERNALLY effective so that (f) we need not concern ourselves with our weaknesses or even our physical DEATHS in the process!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 I say that I didn't stay up to watch last Monday night's NCAA championship basketball game between UCONN and Duke because I had to get up at 5 o'clock the next morning to do Joanne's paper route.

Actually, I was glad to have the excuse of not having to watch the game because I felt I might get carried away in cheering only to see UCONN depressingly lose in the game's final seconds! The memory of Duke's final second basket that kept UCONN out of the Final Four back in 1990 was still all too painful to handle!

Besides, the Las Vegas odds makers had Duke winning the contest by 9 1/2. That made me feel UCONN would certainly lose!

So, you can imagine how I felt when I got the paper bundle into the house at 5 o'clock Tuesday morning, and dared to read the headlines of Connecticut's victory! Local media writers had a field day with the game's outcome in light of its former predictions! One writer termed the win as UCONN's taking the "Duke Invitational"!

The pictures told it all. One shot had UCONN's "Rip" Hamilton lying on his tummy with his tongue out like Michael Jordan, pounding the gym floor, and another with guard, Kalid El-Amin shouting with a contorted face and doubled up fists in victory! My favorite was that of UCONN coach, Jim Calhoun holding up the championship trophy for a sports announcer while the coach sported a big grin on his face in front of a mob of delirious, swarming, Husky players!

Had I KNOWN the OUTCOME with UCONN defeating Duke, I could have WATCHED the game!

Well, in the Christian life, we are GUARANTEED to be WINNERS in ETERNITY if we know and serve Christ. Even if the odds leave us feeling there's no hope due to the challenges we face, we can trust our ABLE, WILLING Lord to pull us through!

So, this Easter, I am choosing to do what John on Patmos did so long ago: I want to remain dedicated to doing the Lord's will in my life is for this week and beyond and rely upon Him, the RISEN, All-powerful Lord Jesus to carry me to victory!

I hope you join me. I want to stand at the winner's court with all of God's people in great joy some day as Jesus, our coach holds up our team trophy by His grace! Let's TRUST the Lord, SERVE Him and let Him deal with all the needs we are facing!