Father, please, would you continue to speak to us now? And as we look at a passage that has some details in that aren't immediately obvious as to how they work or what they mean, would you please give us clear understanding and a deeper trust as we come to receive and to obey your words. Amen. But do you uh keep that passage open in front of you if you can? I think you'll find it helpful. We're continuing this evening a sermon series on the book of Revelation. And if you were here uh this time last week, you'll remember that we looked at the first eight verses of it, and what we saw is that the book of Revelation is a revelation, a revealing of Jesus that was written to encourage persecuted Christians. It was written to encourage churches that were about to enter a period of unprecedented opposition and suffering. And it was written so that they would have a clearer picture of Christ and that they needed that clearer picture of Christ because a clearer picture of Christ is what would give them the courage to stay faithful to the gospel. You don't have to try very hard to see the shocking reality about the persecution of Christians in some parts of the world today. Let me read a couple of recent headlines, and by recent I mean from the last couple of weeks, that I found on the Release International website. The church in Laos is calling for urgent prayer for five Lao Christians being held by police in the north of the country. The elder of a West Java church that's in Indonesia is in critical, in a critical condition after being attacked. Hasan Sihombing, apologies if I pronounced him horribly wrong, but this guy was on his way to the Batak Christian Protestant Church in Bakazi City on Sunday when he was stabbed in the chest and stomach by a motorcyclist. Al-Shabaab insurgents in Somalia are reported to have murdered a Christian and abducted his four children for military training. Extremists shot dead Ozman Abdullah Fatahu in front of his wife and children at their home near Mogadishu before kidnapping the woman and her family on July 21st. So look, those are just a few headlines, more or less taken at random, that show that the violent persecution of Christians is alive and well in many parts of the world today. On a daily basis, our brothers and sisters are being beaten and raped and murdered for their faith. Now that should and often does greatly distress us. You know, at one level it's simply always painful to hear of that sort of violence and evil, and all the more so, though, when we realise that believing the same things that they do doesn't put us in danger, and yet it puts their very lives at risk. Well, I think it's important that we make a point of praying for the persecuted church. There are so many excellent resources online that can help us with that. There are a couple of websites that I would strongly recommend you just jot down if you're taking notes and go and have a look at them. They will really help you pray for the persecuted church throughout the world. But the thing is, much as we are pained to hear about persecution in other parts of the world, we need to realize that the much more subtle opposition that Christians face in the UK is actually being very effective in silencing the gospel. We're not threatened with violence or even really with prison. And yet, if we're honest, we are rubbish at opening our mouths to tell people the good news. And I think the reason we're rubbish at it is that we know that if we do, it's going to make our lives in some way or other a little bit less comfortable. Now, at one end of that scale, it might simply be that we know we could lose people's respect for being too open about the gospel. I wrestled with this just over a week ago. Uh Saturday of last week, my sister got married, and uh I was the vicar that did the wedding. And both my sister and her husband are very successful lawyers in the city in London, uh, or fund managers, or bankers, or whatever. They're all very high-flying, very impressive people. You know, if you'd seen the cars part there, you'd have thought this is good or not. But they all kind of came up to me and said, you know, why are you a vicar? Why is Rosie's brother a vicar? And I was thinking, well, there's a really easy answer to this. I could say, oh, I think theology is an interesting subject, or I enjoy working with people, uh, or that sort of thing. That's, you know, they would just nod their heads, say, oh, fair enough, you know, it's not my cup of tea, but I can see why you do it. But that's not the real reason. That's not why I'm a vicar. The real reason is that I think God is real and that people desperately need to hear about him. But if I say that, well, then they might think I'm a bit weird, I'm a bit extreme. We can't call that persecution, but the fear of losing respect or of just slipping down the scale of how highly someone thinks of you is often enough to stop us telling people the good news. Or it might not even be fear of losing respect, it might just be kind of fear of awkwardness. If you had that situation, you're at a party and you're at a pub or something, or sat at the people with table in the dining room and hall, and you're having a nice chat, you're getting on well, it's all lovely, and then it comes up that you're a Christian. And someone says something along these lines. Have you heard this? Oh, I I like Christians. I think they're they're good and kind people. I don't like the hard-lined ones who believe in heaven and hell and that Jesus is the only way and stuff like that. But but most Christians, I like them. Have you had that sort of situation? And what do you do? Do you just keep quiet? Do you agree with them? Do you say, yeah, they are a bit extreme? Or do you admit to being one of those hardline ones? Do you maybe even use it as an opportunity to explain why Jesus died? Well, sometimes just the fear of spoiling a nice conversation is enough to stop us telling people the good news. That's all at one end of the scale. There is another end to that scale, even here in the UK. Some of you will have heard about some students at the University of Nottingham last year who were threatened with disciplinary action for giving out gospels in their hall. Or you might have heard of a nurse in Somerset who was suspended for offering to pray with a patient, or the air hostess suspended by BA for wearing a cross. You know, what do you do if your employer tells you you must not share your faith? When at the same time God tells you to preach the gospel to all nations? Who do you listen to? Who do you obey? You see, being faithful to God's call on our lives may well put us in trouble at work. May even lead to us losing our jobs at some point. And you might think that's unlikely to apply to a vicar. You would hope a vicar uh doesn't get into too much trouble for talking about the gospel. But actually, the way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if evangelical ministers face prison at some point in the next few decades. Uh, a number of prominent church leaders have made that prediction, and I think it's not out of the question. So, look, we don't face persecution on anything like the same scale as Christians in some parts of the world, and yet we still don't find it easy to be open about the gospel. And that means we very much need to take to heart the message of this book called Revelation. Because as we saw last week, its purpose is to encourage, literally, to give courage to Christians facing opposition. And our passage today, if you've got it open, page one, two, three, three, our passage today is going to show us two things. We're going to see, firstly, that opposition or even persecution is really the normal experience of the Christian life. We should expect it. We shouldn't be surprised by it, and we should be prepared to live with it. But we're also going to see that that shouldn't worry us. The fact that we face opposition, that shouldn't worry us. Why? Well, because the one who is sovereign over life and death holds us in his hands and stands alongside us. So let's jump in and have a look at it. This first point, then persecution is normal. Just look down at verse 9 in your Bibles. I, John, your brother and companion, in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. And I'll stop there. We'll move on in a minute. But do you see there that John lists three things that he shared with the people he was writing to? There are three things that he says are ours in Jesus. And two of those things are related to persecution. Yes, if we follow Jesus, then we have the promise of the kingdom, he says. And I think by that he means the kingdom of heaven. He's saying, if we are a Christian, then we will be there for eternity in paradise. We have this certainty of the kingdom of heaven, but we will also have suffering. We will also have suffering. And those two things, suffering and heaven, are two certainties for Christians. And if you put those two things together, well, that requires of us what John calls patience endurance. We've got something wonderful to look forward to in the future, but the present reality involves suffering. So if we are Christians, there is nothing for it but to endure patiently. Now it doesn't seem to occur to John that compromising the gospel or keeping quiet about it could be an option. It's not an option for Christians. Instead, we are called to patient endurance. And John, who wrote this, knew firsthand what he was talking about. Let's read on from where we left off. I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. So John was in exile on the island of Patmos. Sorry, there. Patmos, you can see I've always wanted to use this little laser pointer on my remote control. There's Patmos. It's actually just under the kind of M of Patmos. And if you're kind of to orientate you, that's Cyprus. Okay, we're looking in the Mediterranean. So John was on the island of Patmos, which was effectively a penal colony. And why was he there? Well, he's told us, hasn't he? Because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. So John was there because of his ministry. The Roman authorities didn't like what he was doing, they didn't like the word of God, they didn't like his testimony about Jesus, so they kicked him out into exile. And we don't know the details of what John experienced, but the sort of exile that he had often involved forced labor, a minimum of food and clothing, sleeping on the bare grounds, and sometimes even beatings. And John was an elderly man at this time. So look, John knew persecution, as did the people he was writing to. And we'll see that in weeks to come. But do you see the point here? Persecution and suffering and patient endurance, that is normal for people who are in Jesus. That is the normal experience of being a Christian. If you're gonna follow Jesus, it is gonna hurt. That is the way it is. But the rest of this passage is great news. The rest of this passage is great news. You see, yes, we should expect suffering, but we shouldn't worry about it. Because Christ stands alongside us. We don't need to worry about suffering because Christ stands alongside us. So look, this is verses 10 to 20, if you want to glance down at them. Here is John on the Lord's Day, we're told, verse 10, by which he probably just means Sunday, and we're told that he's in the spirit, and I'm not too sure exactly what that means, but it seems to be some sort of spiritual experience during worship, but I can't say more than that without guessing. So one Sunday, there he is, he's having his quiet time, and he hears this voice, a loud voice like a trumpet behind him. And what does a trumpet mean to you there? I think it's about clarity, isn't it? It's something that cuts through all the other noise. You can hear it above pretty much everything else. So here is John, patiently enduring. He's in exile, maybe he's hungry, maybe he's in pain. But cutting through all of this comes the clear voice of Jesus. Write down what you're about to see, it says, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And you can see them all again. There's Patmos, there's Cyprus, and there Ephesus, Smyrna, they're all round there in what we call Turkey these days. So what does John see? He sees this vision, he's told to write it down, send it to these seven churches. But what is it he sees? Well, let's read on. I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I saw the seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man. So he sees firstly seven lampstands. Now, a lampstand like this was called the menorah, and it was often a symbol of Israel, a symbol of the people of God. And it was there to symbolize the fact that God's people were meant to be a light to the world. But John tells us here in verse 20 that the lampstands are represent the seven churches. Now, do you see the point there? John is saying the church is now the true people of God. The church is the light shining in the dark world. That is what the lampstands are symbolizing, I think. So he sees these seven lampstands, and then he sees someone like a son of man. Now, who is this someone like a son of man? Well, clearly it's Jesus. Who else could say in verse 18, I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Only Jesus could say that. And we're going to unpack the picture in just a minute, but do you see the point very simply here? John sees the churches who he knew were being persecuted. They were being persecuted because they were lamps shining out light in a dark world. They were being persecuted, and who does he see with them? He sees the risen Lord Jesus. So look, the church, the suffering church, need not fear because Christ is with it. God may seem absent at times, but John is telling us Jesus is amongst us. He's at our side. But let's unpick the picture, unpack the picture that John saw a little bit more. Why, we might wonder, why doesn't John just say, I saw Jesus standing among the lampstands? That'd be much clearer, wouldn't it? Why does he tell us it like he does? Well, I think it's partly that he just wants us to grasp how awesome and powerful the Jesus that he saw really is. He doesn't want us to have in mind the weak and broken man hanging on the cross. He wants us to see the risen, glorified, awesome, majestic Jesus in heaven. And just look at the description of Jesus. He's dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet. He's got a golden sash around his chest, his head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire, his feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sounds of rushing waters. This is glory, this is majesty, this is power. We're meant to see that this Jesus is someone truly awesome. Not any mere man, but the risen, glorified Son of God. But I don't think that's all this language is meant to do for us. It's not meant to just show us that Jesus is great. You see, if you were here last week, you might remember that I said the reason that we find some of Revelation's imagery odd is that we don't know our Old Testaments well enough. And this is an example of how that is the case. To really appreciate all of John's imagery here, we need to know Daniel 7. And Daniel 7, well in Daniel 7, Daniel has a similar vision of heaven, and in it he sees one that he calls the ancient of days. And he's talking there about God the Father. And let me read, don't bother turning to it, but let me read some of how Daniel describes God the Father in Daniel 7. He says, His clothing was as white as snow, the hair of his head was white like wool, his throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. That's Daniel 7, verse 9. Does that sound familiar? You see, John describes Jesus as having the same glory as Daniel's vision of God. John is wanting us to see that this Jesus isn't just a very special man. This Jesus is the one that Daniel saw and called the ancient of days. This is the one who is God, who is seated on the throne, ruling the universe. But there's something else that we need to see as well. You see, John describes Jesus as looking like a son of man in verse 13. Now, what does that mean? Well, you could just say it looks like a human being. You know, I'm a child of a human being, my dog is a child of a dog, and so she looks like daughter of dog, and I look more like son of man because I'm born of mankind. But I don't think that's what John is getting at here. Daniel, you see, also describes one who looks like a son of man in Daniel 7. And this son of man in Daniel 7 approaches the ancient of days, and I'll read you Daniel 7, verse 14. The Son of Man was given authority, glory, and sovereign power. All peoples, nations, and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. So, do you see what John is doing here? He's saying, This guy that I saw among the lampstands, the Jesus who is among the churches, well, he's got all the glory of God. He's the one God has given glory and power and an everlasting dominion to. This is so much more than just saying, I saw Jesus standing among the churches. John wants us to realize just how awesome, just how wonderful and powerful this Jesus really is. And no wonder John fell down as though dead before him in verse 17. And there are a few other details of this image of Jesus. I'd love to spend longer on the sword coming out of his mouth. And that, I'm sure, is a picture of the power of Jesus' words. But we'll come back to that later in Revelation. And then we're told that in verse 20 that there are seven stars in Jesus' hand, Jesus' right hand. And verse 20, sorry, tells us that these stars are the angels of the churches. Now that needs a bit of unpacking because there is some difficulty. Difference of opinion about how that is best understood. Those of you who are students at the University of Nottingham, if you were at uh the Christian Union meeting on Friday, you'll heard Roger Carswell saying that the angels uh probably kind of refer to the kind of the spirit of that church or the sense, the character, if you like, of that church. And that is one way that many people interpret it. Another would suggest that it's talking about the minister, the leader of that church. Um another would say it's simply talking about the person that's being sent to take this letter to that church. The Greek word for angel, angelos, literally means messenger. So it could just be saying Jesus has in his hand the people that are going to carry these letters to the churches that they're written to. But I actually don't think that's what it's about. The most likely explanation to me is that angel means angel. Um, that there are much there are many other less ambiguous words that John could have used to describe who these people are. I think the seven angels in the hands of Jesus are seven angels looking after those seven churches. I think God gives a church an angel to look after them. I've got no reason from the Bible to doubt that, and that seems to fit very well with, particularly in the Old Testament, the sort of things that angels get up to. So I'm quite happy to think there may well be an angel looking after St. Mary's, and if I'm right in that, I'm very grateful for his or her presence. But look, the thing is, just as Jesus is standing among the churches, so also he's got these angels, and whatever they represent, he's got them in his hand. And the meaning of all this, I think, is so straightforward. Isn't it simply that Jesus, in all his glory, in all his power, in all his majesty, is standing alongside and is looking after the suffering church. Now, very quickly, let's just look at what Jesus actually said. Look at verse 17. It says to John, do not be afraid. This is after John has kind of fallen as though dead before him. Jesus says, Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. The first and the last. We saw last week that that's all about him being totally in charge of history and in charge of the future. But he also says, I was dead and am alive for ever and ever. This is the one who has conquered death. This is the one who has defeated the greatest enemy of all mankind. And then he says, And I hold the keys of death and Hades. He is the one who has control over death. And this is perhaps the most important thing that we see here. Because to these suffering churches, it might have looked as if the Roman powers who were persecuting the church, as if they had the power to kill Christians. Well, the real power lies with Jesus. Most importantly, the power to determine what happens when we die. That power lies with Jesus. So Jesus is saying to the persecuted church, look, guys, I'm in control. I've defeated death. I have the power, not the Romans, not your enemies. I have the power to determine your eternity. Now let's just pull this all together. John was writing then to churches facing the suffering that is part of the normal Christian life. And he's saying to them, look, Jesus is with you in all his power, he's looking after you, he's defeated death, so actually you have nothing to worry about. Yes, the Romans may kill you, but that's all they can do. Jesus can raise you up for eternity. Now you can see that this would be a great encouragement to the churches in the places I mentioned earlier where there is real and violent persecution. But what about us in our mission today? We may worry about being mocked or about losing respect, but we have the risen Jesus standing with us. We may worry about losing our jobs, or maybe even one day going to prison. But the one, the only one who has the power to determine our eternities stands at our side. So take courage. Suffering is to be expected, it's normal, but we are very definitely not on our own.