Kingship of Christ in Revelation 1:9-20

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the context of John's exile on Patmos, his state 'in the Spirit' on the Lord's Day, and the arresting trumpet-like voice that initiates the vision, setting the…

Martin contrasts Patmos with beautiful islands like Corsica or the Bahamas to emphasize its barren, rocky, and isolating nature, helping the listener feel John's desolation.

I, John, verse 9, your brother and partaker in tribulation and kingdom and steadfastness, which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, and I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. John, the exiled apostle, is on this barren, rocky island called Patmos in the midst of the Aegean Sea. Take a Bible dictionary and look at the map section and look up Patmos, and you'll see that this was no Corsica or this was no beautiful island in the Bahamas. He was stuck on a barren, rocky island, cut off, most likely, from any kind of meaningful social...

14:47 - 16:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the context of John's exile on Patmos, his state 'in the Spirit' on the Lord's Day, and the arresting trumpet-like voice that initiates the vision, setting the…

Martin uses the analogy of receiving a calendar from a local business to illustrate that John had to keep his own reckoning of days, highlighting his isolation and the significance of the 'Lord's Day'.

So John is in this state of exile, and apparently he keeps some kind of a log of the passing of the days. He obviously had no calendar given to him by his local heating concern, or by the local milk dealer, as we may receive at the end of each year, but he's keeping some reckoning of the days. And, probably, the Lord's day as it approached was a day of peculiar pain and privilege for this man, who had known what it was for years to expend his gifts and energies in the strengthening of the churches in Asia Minor. And now the Lord's day comes, and instead of being found with the people of God an...

16:05 - 17:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the context of John's exile on Patmos, his state 'in the Spirit' on the Lord's Day, and the arresting trumpet-like voice that initiates the vision, setting the…

Martin describes the jarring sound of the church's fire whistle to help the audience understand the piercing, arresting quality of the trumpet-like voice John heard.

Six o'clock every Lord's Day night, we all kind of sit here on the edge of our seats waiting for that fire whistle to go off. And as much as you're waiting for it, when it goes off, I still always jump sitting back here before the service. And I'm sure many of you do. Well you see that doesn't even have the piercing quality of a trumpet.

19:44 - 20:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the two main components of the vision: the seven golden lampstands (pedestal lamps) and the awesome, supra-human figure 'like unto a son of man,' describing…

Martin uses the analogy of a gravy boat with oil and a wick to explain the appearance and function of the 'pedestal lamps' (lampstands) John saw, making the ancient object relatable.

Not the lamp you buy at the Globe Electric Company, but probably the best equivalent would be, you know what your gravy boat looks like? You kids know the thing Ma puts the gravy in? It's that thing that has sort of a rounded spout so when you pour your gravy it doesn't splash over everything, but you can aim it right down in the middle of that hole you've made in your mashed potatoes. Well, these lamps were like a gravy boat and instead of having gravy in them, they had oil in them.

22:27 - 22:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the two main components of the vision: the seven golden lampstands (pedestal lamps) and the awesome, supra-human figure 'like unto a son of man,' describing…

Martin references Goliath's sword to convey the immense size and power of the 'sharp two-edged sword' proceeding from Christ's mouth, distinguishing it from a small knife.

And then from his mouth proceeded not the little hand sword but the word here for sharp two-edged sword is the word which describes the sword that was a broadsword. Sometimes the word is translated spear. A sword like unto Goliath's sword. In fact in the Greek translation of the Old Testament this is the word they used to describe Goliath's sword.

27:43 - 28:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the two main components of the vision: the seven golden lampstands (pedestal lamps) and the awesome, supra-human figure 'like unto a son of man,' describing…

Martin contrasts the image of a pirate with a small knife in his teeth with the broadsword from Christ's mouth to emphasize the unusual and powerful nature of the vision.

You can imagine how strange this looked. It wasn't the picture. Sometimes you see a picture of a pirate holding a little short knife in his teeth. No, no.

28:10 - 28:18 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes John's overwhelming reaction of falling as dead, followed by Christ's comforting words, 'Fear not,' which reveal His divine nature, secure redemption, and…

Martin quotes a 'judicious and spiritually minded commentator' to expand on the universal dominion of Christ over death, Hades, and all spiritual powers, reinforcing the comfort of 'Fear not'.

I've urged you to write to the churches saying grace and peace from this one who is faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth, and his dominion extends not only to earthly circumstances and earthly powers and principalities, but to death and the world to come as well. To quote one judicious and spiritually minded commentator on the book of the Revelation, he says concerning these very words that I'm seeking to open up in your hearing, not only its entrance, all the powers of that unseen world are under his control. All those vast domains where mighty spirits tran...

36:43 - 38:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not feed upon the specter of evil powers or worldly events, but remember who Christ is: 'I am God. I am the first and the last and the living one.'

Martin uses the example of 'Middle East watchers' and speculation about 'Chinese hordes' and 'atom bombs' to illustrate what believers should NOT be feeding their faith on, contrasting it with feeding on Christ's 'Fear not'.

Upon the specter of the beast and of all of the other creatures representing the power of evil and then become Middle East watchers and Far East watchers and wonder when the Chinese hordes are going to descend and when this is going to come and when the atom bombs are going to... My friend, no, no!

46:16 - 46:36 Read in full sermon