Revelation 1:9
“I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
Revelation 1:9 ESV
John wrote this letter as instructed to seven nearby churches to warn them of the end times and second coming of Jesus. Something unique about this book of the Bible was that everything that John wrote about was based off of visions that he received from an angel. It wasn't just through experience that John was speaking but rather he was given visions from heaven to share with the world what was to come of it. So, how could John make these people understand that these visions really were from God when he was the only one who had seen them? Especially since he had been exiled and outcast from his people. Why would God allow John to be exiled from fellow Christians in need of his wisdom and guidance if he was such an important member of the church? Couldn't he have been used somewhere in a more beneficial way? For God John was right where he needed to be. We had a discussion at the guys house this morning about how there were documents found claiming that enemies of the Christ’s early church had attempted killing John in many ways, including poisoning him and throwing him into boiling oil, and they couldn't kill him. Mark 16:18 ESV “they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."” So the reason why the exiled John was because they couldn't kill him. He had been protected by God and because they couldn't kill him they decided to just exile him so that he couldn't have an impact of the church. But even while being in exile, God was going to use him and glorify himself through the exile. So this is the first point that John tries to get across here in this letter. The fact that he has endured the suffering that comes with serving Jesus Christ. That like them he is a brother who is a part of the same suffering that they are enduring and that it is through that suffering that he ended up where he ended up, exactly where God wanted him to be. And that is how we should look at all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our family whom is enduring the same suffering in which we are enduring and are placed, just like us, exactly where God wanted us to be. Matthew 12:49-50 ESV “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Tonight I'm going to list reasons why God has put each of my classmates in my life, whether for my benefit, there benefit, or for the benefit of us both.
Revelation 1:9 ESV
John wrote this letter as instructed to seven nearby churches to warn them of the end times and second coming of Jesus. Something unique about this book of the Bible was that everything that John wrote about was based off of visions that he received from an angel. It wasn't just through experience that John was speaking but rather he was given visions from heaven to share with the world what was to come of it. So, how could John make these people understand that these visions really were from God when he was the only one who had seen them? Especially since he had been exiled and outcast from his people. Why would God allow John to be exiled from fellow Christians in need of his wisdom and guidance if he was such an important member of the church? Couldn't he have been used somewhere in a more beneficial way? For God John was right where he needed to be. We had a discussion at the guys house this morning about how there were documents found claiming that enemies of the Christ’s early church had attempted killing John in many ways, including poisoning him and throwing him into boiling oil, and they couldn't kill him. Mark 16:18 ESV “they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."” So the reason why the exiled John was because they couldn't kill him. He had been protected by God and because they couldn't kill him they decided to just exile him so that he couldn't have an impact of the church. But even while being in exile, God was going to use him and glorify himself through the exile. So this is the first point that John tries to get across here in this letter. The fact that he has endured the suffering that comes with serving Jesus Christ. That like them he is a brother who is a part of the same suffering that they are enduring and that it is through that suffering that he ended up where he ended up, exactly where God wanted him to be. And that is how we should look at all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our family whom is enduring the same suffering in which we are enduring and are placed, just like us, exactly where God wanted us to be. Matthew 12:49-50 ESV “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Tonight I'm going to list reasons why God has put each of my classmates in my life, whether for my benefit, there benefit, or for the benefit of us both.
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