When Heaven Speaks

Revelation 1:4-8

Opening Words: This is the last Sunday on the liturgical calendar. It is called Christ the King Sunday. Next week we begin a new Christian year with the first Sunday of Advent. On Christ the King Sunday we celebrate the completeness of Jesus. He sits in authority over all the political powers of our world. It is a good time to remember all that Christ has done for us. So for this reason we turn to the last book in the Bible.

The book of Revelation was written by the apostle John about the year 95. The church was entering a period a persecution. The Roman Empire ruled everyone must worship the Emperor. It was more practical, then theological. It was a way to unite their citizens. The Christian community resisted because they only worshipped the one true God. For this reason John is arrested and sent to the island of Patmos. At that time Patmos was a Roman penal settlement, a hard place to live, especially when you consider John’s advanced age. He had not been called “a son of thunder in a long time.” However, while he is on this island he has a series of seven visions. This book is a collection of those visions. They are hard to understand. They are thick in Old Testament theology and symbolism. This morning’s scripture lesson comes from the very first chapter of this sacred literature.

Famous for writing the hymn Amazing Grace, John Newton was a rough, dirty sailor with a foul mouth and an appetite for rotten living. He hated life and life hated him. He was captain of a slave ship. Then he was saved. He experienced amazing grace first hand. He was transformed into a new person. He went all over England sharing his faith. Well past his "retirement" age, he had to have an assistant stand in the pulpit with him on Sundays because he was feeble. He was nearly blind and spoke in whispers, but nothing could keep him from preaching while he still had breath.

One Sunday, while delivering his message he said, "Jesus is precious." Then he said it again, “Jesus is precious.” His helper whispered to him: "You have already said that twice." Newton turned to his helper and said loudly, "Yes, I've said it twice, and I'm going to say it again. Jesus is precious!" That is exactly what I am going to tell you today. If you get nothing else out of this sermon get this: JESUS IS PRECIOUS!”

That is the word that the church needs to here today. Jesus is precious. You can get so involved in good church work that you forget it is all about Jesus. I believe it is one of the traps that Satan uses derail us. We get so involved in church budgets, church buildings, church politics, church employees and church procedures that we can forget why the church even exists. So let me tell you one more time. We exist for Jesus. John Newton was right. Jesus is precious! Augustine once said, “Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.”

That is what the scripture lesson is trying to tell us today. These five verses are complex to our ears so they are really so simple. These words are is nothing more then an announcement from heaven. And like those old E. F. Hutton commercials, “When heaven speaks, people listen.” So what is heaven saying? Let me quote verse eight to you. It says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” In other words, heaven is telling us that Jesus is the beginning and the end, first and the last. It has always been that way. It is true today. It was always be that way. Jesus is the only thing that really matters. John Newton said it but heaven could have said it to John on the island of Patmos. Jesus is precious. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

What I would like to do today is remind you what a difference Jesus has made in this world. I would like to remind you what a difference Jesus has made in your life. I will be brief. Without Jesus our world would be a different place. So if you are ready for my three reminders say, “Amen!”

Reminder Number One: Without Jesus There is No Faith

Without Jesus there is no faith. In other words, without Jesus there is no Christianity and we understand Christianity to be the truth. Christianity is the light in our dark world. Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master".

"While witnessing for Christ on the streets of a city in California, evangelist H.A. Ironside was often interrupted by questions from the crowd. One fellow asked, "There are hundreds of religions in this country, and the followers of each sect think they're right. How can poor plain people like us find out what really is the truth?" Ironside answered that fellow by saying, “There are really just two religions in the world today. One expects salvation by what they are doing. They other expects salvation by what has been done for them.”

Let me say something politically incorrect. There are six billion people in the world today. Two billion people in our world expect salvation because of what someone else has done for them. They are Christians. They know Jesus died for their sins. They, we, know the truth. That means four billion people in our world who are wrong! Jesus said it best, “I am the way, the truth and the light. No one comes to the father but by me.” There are six billion people in the world. Two billion of us get it. Four billion people in our world are living a lie. Don’t you think we have some work to do? Isn’t it time to start telling people about Jesus again? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Without Jesus there is no faith.

Reminder Number Two: Without Jesus There is No Church

Without Jesus there is no church. I do not mean church buildings and committees. I mean church ministries. Ponder these two questions. First, how many people in the history of the world have been touched by some church outreach? Second, what would our world look like today without the two thousand years of Christian influence? We would not even recognize ourselves!

Several years ago Kathy was in Russia during the month of December. For seventy years the Russia people were officially atheists. Did you know in Russia New Years is more important then Christmas? There are no Christmas decorations. There are no Christmas carols. There are no Christmas shopping. There is no Christmas spirit or concern for those in need. It was December but it wasn’t the season of Christmas. She told me later everything seemed empty and one dimensional. When she was flying home she had a lay over in London. She got off the plane and met by a guy who was ringing a bell with a kettle and some school aged children singing Christmas carols. She said, “Russ, I almost cried. The contrast between the atheistic east and the Christian west was too much. Jesus has touched our society more then you will ever know.”

Without Jesus there is no church and church ministries. For two thousand years the church has been responding to human needs. The church knows that ever person is made in the image of God. Every person, no matter how dirty, smelly, arrogant, uneducated or sick, deserves to be treated with respect. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

Reminder Number Three: Without Jesus There is No Hope

Without Jesus there is no hope. Without Jesus when you die guess what? You are dead. You just stop existing. There is no hope of salvation. There is no heaven. There is no great reunion with loved ones who have passed away in the past. Without Jesus when you die you just stop existing. With Jesus you have the opportunity to live for eternity. If you think that is a good thing say, “Amen!”

Wednesday morning I officiated at a funeral for a man named Paul. You did not know him. He had no church. His two sons, who left Ohio and moved to Florida, they said he was a good man. His wife of fifty-four years said he was a good husband and provider. Their grieving was sincere. When the service was over the three of them said their final words to him before they closed the casket. The boys said, “Good-bye Dad.” The widow said, “I love you. I will see you soon.” The widow said, “I will see you soon because she had hope of seeing him again. It because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we have hope for the future, even in the face of death. Without Jesus the best she could have said to her husband was, “It has been nice knowing you.” What sounds better to you? I will see you soon or it has been nice knowing you? With Jesus you have the opportunity to live for eternity.

When heaven speaks you better listen. Heaven said Jesus is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. He is everything. Without Jesus we have no faith. Without Jesus we have no church. Without Jesus we have no hope. Without Jesus we have nothing at all. The old sailor and hymn writer John Newton was right! Jesus is precious.

Let me end with the words of Gregory of Nazianzus, who in 381 wrote:

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”