Today we begin our new summer teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today.

Just like the rest of our bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

It would be a mistake if we believe that this was only about something back then- 2000 years ago.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be.

Who’s the author of this letter?

Verse 1 records that the author’s name is John. Historically the church as assumed this to be The Apostle John.

The dating of this letter is debated- but many believe it to be written late in the first century around 90AD

Verse 19 of chapter 1 records the instructions he was given.
1:19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

“What you have seen” – The vision of Jesus Himself in Chapter 1. The only detailed biblical description of how Jesus now appears.

“What is now” – The message to the seven churches in Asia Minor in AD90

“What will take place later”- Represented in the rest of the book of Revelation. Things that will take place in the future, into our time and beyond.

So, John is told to write down what he sees and what he hears relating to the churches in his time, as well as events yet to happen in the future.

So what’s the message? What was he told to write down?

That’s what we call the book of Revelation and you don’t have to look far for the main theme.

The word Revelation means an unveiling, uncovering, or to make things known.

Notice, it’s the unveiling, or uncovering from Jesus Christ- to make things known.

There is a very real sense that Jesus is the one doing the revealing, the making things known, sharing a message to the churches.

Here in our text, In revealing himself and his message, Jesus also reveals the urgency of his message.

As we enter the body of the letter, the recipients, those whom it is written are identified as the 7 churches of Asia.

And the theme, the focus of the letter comes immediately: Revelation is a Jesus letter.

Listen to some of the way’s he’s described here"
"him who is, and who was, and who is to come," (verse 4)
the faithful witness, (verse 5)
the firstborn from the dead, (verse 5)
the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Verse 5)
"who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (verse 5)
"has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father (verse 6)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega,” verse 8
"who is, and who was, and who is to come," (verse 8)
"the Almighty" (verse 8)

John first heard the voice of the Lord, now he has turned and sees Jesus

Here we first encounter one of the more challenging aspects of the book of Revelation, and that’s it’s extensive use of imagery.

What a reader in the first century, familiar with the Old Testament, would have heard would have been themes like:
Jesus as a person of great dignity and authority
wisdom and purity
Themes of glory and splendor.

Jesus response to John- Don’t be afraid.
“It begins and ends with me”

"I was dead- John you were there you saw it, but now look, I am alive forever. And I have the power and authority over death and hell. Do not be afraid- The victory is mine, and so are you."

This is the revealing of Jesus Christ.

In our interaction and study of this letter we want to see Jesus through this book.

From the very beginning to the very end- it’s Jesus.

We believe that He will return, the dead shall be raised to life, there will be a final judgement where sin and evil are dealt with once and for all, Christ will be victorious, and those who profess Him as Lord will spend eternity with him in New Creation.

And friends that’s a message of hope if you are in Christ.

That’s the message these churches heard, and Christians throughout the church age have heard.

And we cannot miss the invitation of Revelation to Join that hope.

For all the prophetic messages it contains, it’s also an invitation letter to join Christ in His kingdom and that is to Come to him.

Throughout our study, let us commit together to see Jesus, and to respond to his invitation.

Come!