Series: Worship
Sermon: Worship: A Complete Self Abandonment to the Triune God
Bible Passage: Revelation 1:9-18
I. Last sermon—a few highlights
1. Worship happens when a person affectively understands who God is
2. Therefore, worship is based on the object of worship
3. Worship cannot happen if the worshipper is not clear of the object of worship
4. One’s worship is proportionate to his knowledge of God who is revealed in the Scripture
5. One’s worship is validated from his behavior
II. Self-Introduction of John
1. Your brother (1:9)
a. A common term used for Christians
b. Apostle John shows solidarity with Christians in general
2. The one who shares (1:9)
a. in the persecution
i. During Emperor Domitian’s reign, Christians underwent systemic persecution for not participating in the imperial worship (AD 81-96)
ii. One of the punishments was “deportation” to lonely places where Christians would not be able to preach the Gospel and fellowship with other Christians (relegation)
iii. During this deportation, the deported normally worked and lived in harsh conditions like mining
b. kingdom, and (1:9)
i. Those who received Jesus as their Lord already became part of the kingdom of God—different from Roman Empire
ii. Those who are part of it experienced God’s kingly rule
iii. This kingdom was perceived as a rival to Roman Empire
c. endurance that Jesus exhibited (1:9)
i. This endurance is Jesus’ model
ii. That is, happily accepting all injustices for the sake of their faith in Jesus
iii. This involves ostracization, false accusations, loss of jobs, etc.
d. The one who was in the Island of Patmos (1:9)
e. The one who was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day to write down the message from God (1:10)
III. Introduction of the Father and Jesus
1. The One who is, the One who was, and the One who is still to come (1:4)
a. Most people preferred this expression to refer to the Supreme
b. This expression mirrors Exod 3:14
c. I see the Father and the Son in this verse
2. The faithful witness/martyr (1:5)
3. The firstborn from among the dead (1:5)
4. The ruler over the kings of the earth (1:5)
5. The One who loves us and has set us from our sins at the cost of his own blood (1:5)
6. The One who appointed His followers as a kingdom, as priests serving God and Father (1:6)
7. The One who is returning with the clouds (1:7)
8. The One who is the Alpha and the Omega (1:8)
9. The All Powerful (1:8)
10. The One whose voice is like a trumpet (1:8)
11. The One who walks in the midst of the lampstands (1:13)
12. The One like the son of man (1:13)
13. The One who was dressed in a robe that was extending down to his feet (1:13)
14. The One who wore a wide golden belt around his chest (1:14)
15. The One whose head and hair were as white as wool (1:14)
16. The One whose eyes were like a fiery flame (1:14)
17. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace (1:15)
18. His voice was like the roar of many waters (1:15)
19. The One who held seven starts in his right hand (1:16)
20. The One whose speech was like the double-edged sword (1:16)
21. The One whose face shone like the sun shining at full strength (1:16)
22. The One who was dead, but is alive forever and ever (1:18)
23. The One who holds the keys of death and of Hades (1:18)
IV. John’s response when he saw Jesus (verse 17)
1. When John saw Jesus, he fell at His feet as though he were dead
2. Jesus placed His right hand on John and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever—and I hold the keys of death and of Hades! (1:17-18)
3. John worshipped God with no words but by abandoning himself before God
4. He decreased and God alone stood increased!
V. Principles
1. The more a person gains clarity of who God is, the better worshipper of God he becomes
2. A believers’ worship of God is not based on their surroundings
3. Worship happens even when in unfavorable conditions
4. God converts humanly caused unfavorable situations to accomplish His sovereign purposes
5. Just as the menorah adorned the Temple, the Church adorns the presence of God
6. Jesus wants His Church to know His Word that gives clarity about how they are now and what their future will be
Takeaway:
Gain more clarity on the Triune God so that you evolve into a better worshipper