Blessing Received & Glory Acknowledged

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Blessing Received & Glory Acknowledged

Revelation 1:4-6

December 15, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Revelation 1:4–6

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Introduction:

At the end of Romans chapter 11, when Paul was considering the wisdom of God on display in salvation — specifically considering God’s plans for the church and His final plans for ethnic Israel in His saving purposes — he celebrated, with great exuberance, the sovereignty of God over all things.

ESV Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Whether considering the infinite sufficiency of God from the standpoint of His MIND or the standpoint of His HAND — from the standpoint of His perfectly wise decrees, or from the standpoint of His gracious gifts, EVERYTHING begins with Him, flows through Him, and ends with Him.

AND THERE IS NO ONE COMPARABLE TO HIM.

HE GIVES TO ALL, HE NEEDS NOTHING FROM ANYONE.

Everything ultimately originates with God from the standpoint of His sovereign decrees.

Everything is ultimately explained by God from the standpoint of His sovereign rule and power.

Everything is ultimately returning to God from the standpoint of His glory and praise.

We RECEIVE from God — HE GIVES TO US.

We RETURN OUR PRAISE — IN THAT WAY ALONE HE RECEIVES FROM US — YET WE ADD NOTHING TO HIM, BUT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE SHOULD. In fact, He enriches us by allowing us to give our praise to Him.

This is how it is; this is how it should be; God’s redeemed creatures acknowledging our need for Him, acknowledging His care for us, and giving Him our worship.

That is what we have at the beginning of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

John now opens this letter as many NT letters begin.

He identifies the recipients.

He extends to them God’s blessing.

But as he does this, he celebrates the astounding grace of God to His people — and he ascribes to Christ the praise that belongs to our King.

HE REMINDS US OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US IN AND THROUGH HIS SON, AND EXPRESSES HOW WE SHOULD RIGHTLY RESPOND, BY GIVING TO CHRIST THE WORSHIP DUE HIS NAME.

This morning, we are thinking about blessing received and glory acknowledged.

I. AN UNUSUAL BLESSING (vs.4)

I say it is an unusual blessing because we find a description of God that is only used in the book of Revelation.

“Who is and who was and who is to come.

It is used here and in verse 8.

Then in chapter 4 verse 8 you find something very similar, just a different order.

“Who was and who is and who is to come.”

But before we talk about that, notice the elements of this blessing.

A. THE SOURCE OF THE BLESSING

John is the author, but he is passing on blessing that has the Triune God as its source.

This is passing on to the believer what the writer KNOWS God is pleased to give to His people.

B. THE RECIPIENTS OF THE BLESSING

The recipients of the blessing are the seven churches in Asia (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea). Seven churches that existed in the Roman province of Asia (modern day Turkey), but NOT the only seven churches that existed there. The church of Colossae, for example, existed in the same region.

So why does John address the letter to these seven churches? And this question is asked recognizing that the book of Revelation, a book full of symbolism, uses the number 7 throughout in reference to a variety of realities — in a way that clearly points to symbolic significance.

John Walvoord — “Very prominent in the book of Revelation is the use of numbers … Hence the number seven, used fifty-four times, more than any other number in the book, refers to seven literal churches in the opening chapter. Yet by the very use of this number (which speaks of completion or perfection) the concept is conveyed that these were representative churches which in some sense were complete in their description of the normal needs of the church. There were not only seven churches but seven lampstands, seven stars, seven spirits of God, seven seals on the scroll, seven angels with seven trumpets, seven vials or bowls containing the seven last plagues, seven thunders, 7,000 killed in the earthquake of chapter 12, a dragon with seven heads and seven crowns, the beast of chapter 13 with seven heads, seven mountains of chapter 17, and the seven kings.”[1]

[1] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Galaxie Software, 2008), 28.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

December 8, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Revelation 1:1–3

Introduction: Healthy churches are orderly churches. Disorder is the fruit of sin, and it is the work of Satan. His work twists, distorts, disrupts, and DEFIES everything that God put in place. The Bible declares that God is NOT a God of disorder. His wisdom produces order and peace. When Paul was addressing the chaotic worship practices of the Corinthian church, he makes this point in the middle of his instruction. NAS 1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The word translated “confusion” is a word that means disorder. NET 1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not characterized by disorder but by peace. As in all the churches of the saints, When Paul is forced to defend himself and his ministry to them, in his second letter, he voices his concern about what he might find when he comes to them. ESV 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish-- that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. ALL OF THIS REPRESENTS TWO KINDS OF WISDOM IN THE WORLD — DEMONIC WISDOM AND GODLY WISDOM AS THE BOOK OF JAMES TELLS US. James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? mBy his good conduct let him show his works nin the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ojealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not pthe wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, qdemonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But rthe wisdom from above is first pure, then speaceable, gentle, open to reason, tfull of mercy and good fruits, uimpartial and vsincere. 18 And wa harvest of righteousness xis sown in peace by those who make peace. NOTICE THE PROGRESSION. Where there is natural wisdom there are self-driven desires. Where there are self-driven desires there is disorder. And where there is disorder there is an absence of righteousness and peace. What you can be certain of, then, is that the Spirit of God is pleased with orderly churches. CHURCHES THAT REFLECT SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WORD. CHURCHES THAT REFLECT SUBMISSION TO GOD ORDAINED AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH. CHURCHES THAT REFLECT SUBMISSION TO THE NEEDFUL APPLICATIONS OF TRUTH AND ENFORCEMENT OF TRUTH IN THE LIFE OF A CONGREGATION. What that also means is that faithful shepherding aims at that order. Disorder should concern faithful shepherds. Disorder must be addressed by faithful shepherds. Disorder must not be allowed to continue in faithful churches. FAITHFUL CHURCHES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SHEPHERDS WHO INSIST ON ORDER, AND BELIEVERS WHO FOLLOW THOSE SHEPHERDS. We see a great example of that in our verses today. Paul is thankful for all the good fruit that he has seen in the Thessalonian church. He has praised this church consistently. And when he considers this church, as a whole, he sees them as healthy. But he is aware of disorderly members. He must address that disorder, and the Thessalonians must prove his confidence in them to be accurate by helping him address that disorder. REMEMBER WHAT PAUL HAS JUST SAID ABOUT THEM. ESV 2 Thessalonians 3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.