Rev 1:13, 20
Judgment Begins
Last week, I started what I believe will be a series of messages
through the book of Revelation. In the first message, we saw that
this book is a revealing from Jesus Christ \\#1\\. The revealing was
given to those who will read it and obey it \\#3\\. A major emphasis
is that the time covered in this revealing IS at hand \\#3\\.
Then we spent some time looking throughout the chapter at the Author,
Jesus Christ. My supposition is that if I am to understand what He
wrote, I need to understand the Author. We saw many things about Him;
but it is also important to note what we did not see. We did not see
Jesus as the Lamb that came to take away the sins of the world. We
did not see Jesus as the High Priest standing on the right side of
of the Father. That is the way He is presented in the Epistles. We
also did not see Jesus as the King who would rule and reign. Rather,
we saw Jesus as the divine Judge of the earth. He is the One with:
1. \\#13\\ Whose girdle was of gold which is the symbolic metal to
represent deity or God.
2. \\#14\\ Whose hair was white which is the symbolic color of
purity or holiness.
3. \\#14-15\\ Whose eyes were of fire which is the symbolic
element of judgment.
4. \\#15\\ Whose feet were of brass which is the symbolic metal
of judgment.
5. \\#15\\ Which burned in a furnace which is the symbolic place
of judgment.
6. \\#15\\ Whose voice was the sound of many waters which is the
sound of judgment.
7. \\#16\\ Whose tongue was a sword which is the symbolic weapon
of judgment.
8. \\#16\\ Whose countenance was as bright as the sun which is the
symbolic light of judgment.
This book then is from the Judge. It then stands to reason that the
content of the book is going to be about judgment—and that is exactly
correct.
The tribulation is a time of judgment upon the whole earth. Judgment
is what the book of Revelation is mostly about. Jesus will be
portrayed as the Judge from chapter one all the way to the end of
chapter twenty. That is a lot of judgment so for those who think the
Bible is a feel-good Book, that God is a Santa Claus, and that sin
doesn’t matter, will be in for a sure fired surprise. However, John
does not start writing about the tribulation until Revelation 4. As
we noted last week, Revelation 1:19 outlines the book. John was told
to write:
1. The things he had seen \\#1:9-20\\.
2. The things that were \\#2:1-3:22\\.
3. And the things that will be \\#4:1-22:21\\.
Once we get to chapter 4:1—those things that will be—we will be
studying the tribulation. But the verses that we are going to look
at today are the things that ARE. The things that are right now.
Still, Jesus is the Judge; however, He is not judging the world yet,
so who or what is He judging?
To answer that, let’s consider WHERE that judgment will begin. Last
week, we looked at Jesus’ description. Today, let’s note His location.
I. \\#13\\ Jesus Is Standing Among the Candlesticks.
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man….
A. And what are the candlesticks?
Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which
thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven
golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches: and the seven
candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven
churches.
1. They are seven churches.
2. Jesus, the Judge, is standing among churches.
B. Why is Jesus, the Judge, standing among the churches?
1. The logical answer is because He is judging the church.
2. So where does the judgment begin? Not in the world. Not
with the Jews. Not with the lost. End-time judgment
begins at the church!
3. This is not a "new" doctrine. It is just an ignored
doctrine.
1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment
must begin at the house of God: and if it first
begin at us, what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?
4. So Jesus, the Judge, is going to start His judgment on
the world with a judgment of the church.
C. Why would Jesus judge the church?
1. Answer - Because the world will never get bad enough that
it must be judged unless the church gets bad enough that
it needs to be judged.
2. The church is the world’s salt and light.
Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if
the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall
it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under
foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid.
3. As long as we are filled with the Holy Spirit and walking
in His commandments, it is impossible for the world to
get bad enough to need judgment!
a. Preserving this world, illuminating the lost - That
is what we do. It is what we are.
b. The church would have to abandon its post before the
world will get bad enough that God will have to
judge it.
c. The Bible long ago prophesied that that would be
exactly what we would do!
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first….
d. Newsflash - The church HAS fallen away.
(1) The Christians have fallen away.
(2) We have compromised our purity, our doctrines,
our lifestyles, our walk with God.
(3) We have abandoned our posts. We are no longer
the salt that preserves or the light that
illuminates.
(4) The world has become totally corrupt and it
needs to be judged by God.
(5) But before it is, Jesus will walk among the
churches and judge them!
(6) So as the book begins, the Judge is revealing
where He is standing. He is standing here, in
the church to judge.
D. How will Jesus judge the church?
1. He does not say but I think He gives us a clue.
2. But note what the Judge is holding in his hand?
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars….
3. What are the stars?
a. They are the angels, the messengers, of those seven
churches.
b. They are the church’s pastors, preachers, or
messengers.
c. I believe one way God deals with a church is by the
pastor He gives them.
(1) A pastor is either a church’s blessing or a
church’s curse.
(2) If the pastor preaches the Word and directs the
body in the ways of God, he is the church’s
blessings.
(3) If the pastor does not preach the Word and will
direct the church in ways of God, he is the
church’s curse.
(4) You and I can guess at what I have been to the
Green Pond Baptist Church but regardless of
which way you vote, the only important opinion
is Jesus’!
E. So Jesus is here, today, in the midst of this church, of all
of His churches, watching and either judging or preparing to
judge.
II. What Is the Judge Looking For?
A. We can some insight by looking at the Judge’s comments to the
seven churches represented by the seven candlesticks.
1. The seven churches were real churches in Asia with real
problems and opportunities.
2. I believe those seven churches are also a picture of
stages that the church will go through while we wait for
Jesus’ return.
3. I believe those seven churches a sampling of all churches;
that is, more or less every church in the world would be
similar to one of those seven churches.
4. So by looking at those seven churches and what Jesus said
to them, we can get a pretty good idea of what Jesus is
looking for.
B. What is Jesus looking at?
1. Jesus is looking at our works.
a. The most common phrase in chapters two and three is
used in \\#Rev 2:2,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15\\.
b. It is Jesus saying, "I know thy works."
c. What is the church’s work?
(1) To glorify God.
(2) The church is to evangelize the lost.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth.
(3) The church is to care for the poor, widowed,
orphaned.
Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always,
and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but
me ye have not always.
(4) The church is to be salt and light to the world.
\\#Matt 5:13-14\\
(5) The church is build up and edify the members.
2Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine.
d. It is not just a question of whether we are doing the
right works for a when a church ceases to do right
works, it starts doing wrong works.
e. However, as important as it is for to DO the right
things, there is something even more important.
2. Jesus is looking at our hearts.
a. It is not just what we do that concerns Jesus.
b. It is who or what we love.
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and
thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them
which are evil: and thou hast tried them which
say they are apostles, and are not, and hast
found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for
my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not
fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love.
(1) This church was doing the right things, but they
had ceased to do it for the right reasons.
(2) The right reason being that they loved Jesus
Christ more than anything or anyone.
(3) No matter how much a church does,
no matter how good the work a church does is,
if they don’t do it because they love Jesus,
it is all for nothing!
(4) Let’s us think back to Peter after he denied the
Lord three times.
(a) Peter must have been very discouraged with
himself.
(b) When Sunday came, Peter went to the empty
tomb but he could not make himself
(c) He heard the testimony of the women who had
seen Jesus alive, but still he could not
believe.
(d) Jesus made a personal appearance to Peter,
by himself \\#1Cor 15:5\\, but even
knowing the Lord was alive, he could not
rejoice. When Jesus appeared in the upper
room, there is no record of Peter
embracing the Lord or even speaking to Him.
(e) \\#John 21:3\\ Peter is going to go back to
fishing for a living.
(f) But then Jesus appeared. I think to
restore Peter.
(g) Do you remember what Jesus asked Peter
three times? "Peter, do you love me more
than these?"
(h) Than what? What are the these?
i. Maybe the nets, the boats, the fish?
ii. Maybe the other disciples?
iii. Maybe your shame, guilt, brokenness?
(i) It really does not matter what "these"
were? What Jesus was asking is do you
love me more than everything and everyone!
(j) Once Peter heard himself say, "Yes. I love
you more than everything and everyone!" He
was ready to get back to work.
(k) That is a supreme love!
(l) You might think the point that I am making
is a supreme love makes it possible for us
to do anything but that is not my point.
(m) My point was that Jesus wanted Peter’s love
more than anything else! And He wants
yours and mine too!
(5) \\#5\\ God would rather have no church at all
than to have a church that does not love Him.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except
thou repent.
(a) What was the candlestick a picture of? The
church.
(b) Jesus will remove the church altogether
rather than to have a church that does not
love Him.
(c) I have seen God do just that. Yesterday
was the last graduation of TTU. It and
the Highland Park Baptist Church had
thousands within it. In my opinion, the
church ceased to be last year and today
the university is closed. Why? Again in
my opinion it was because they ceased to
be the salt and the light.
The church is not a building, a campus, or its property. A church
is its people. If this church ceases to love Jesus, Jesus the divine
Judge, will judge it.
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