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I SAW March 18, 2004 Revelation 1:12 “And being turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw..” 1- It was about AD95 that the Risen Christ pulled back the veil of this mystery. 2- A veil that separated the Obvious from the Actual allowing John the Revelator to see. 3- John saw one like unto the Son of Man in glory. 4- Notice it wasn’t in good times, but it was in rough times. 5- The head of Roman government an agent of the Devil had declared war on the Church. 6- It’s not so hard that we can’t see some of this going on today. 7- This head of Roman Government saw his empire crumbling. Losing his influence; 8- The economy was faltering. 9- So set out to pick of those whom he thought he could easily defeat. HE PICKED ON THE CHURCH: 1- He picked on those who’d beaten their swords into plowshares. 2- He picked on those who’d become doves instead of hawks. 3- He picked on the peace makers and not the peace breakers. 4- He picked on the kind and tenderhearted. 5- Those who would turn the other cheek. 6- He picked on those who would bless when cursed. 7- Who would pray when persecuted. 8- What he didn’t know was that God had a people who’d exchanged weaponry for the Word. 9- He didn’t know who he was picking on! 10- He was picking on the wrong bunch. 11- They’d put on the helmet of salvation. 12- The breastplate of righteousness & the girdle of truth. 13- Man they had the shield of Faith & shoes to walk in. BUT LET ME TELL YOU THAT HE’D PICKED ON THE WRONG BUNCH 1- He’d picked on the bunch whose banner was the Cross. 2- And their anthem was “AMAZING GRACE” 3- They were being led by one known as their “SUFFERING SAVIOR”. 4- He picked on the ones he thought he could easily defeat. 5- So he picked on the Church. AD 95 WAS ROUGH TIMES FOR THE CHURCH: 1- Beloved, we think ourselves to be living in tough times; 2- You ought to have been a Christian way back then. 3- They were chained in dungeons, & made sport of in Coliseums; 4- Fed to lion & chased by dogs. 5- Tarred and feathered & lit up like human torches. 6- They were crucified on crosses & tortured on racks. 7- Beheaded, speared and beaten. 8- Starved & made homeless and jobless. 9- They were Banished, excommunicated and exiled. 10- AD 95 was rough times for the church. 11- But during these rough times; 12- John turned and saw! NOTHING COMES WITHOUT A PRICE: 1- John to come to this place had been boiled in a pot of oil. 2- But the boiling oil could not hurt him. 3- He’d been put in a canoe and shuffled off on a Shark Eaten Sea to this Isle. 4- But he lived to be and old man died a natural death; outliving his enemies. WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE US TO SEE IS THAT HE STILL REVEALS HIMSELF IN ROUGH TIMES: 1- God is still in the saving & keeping business. 2- Even today when our Pit becomes a Prison. 3- He’ll still lean over the hole you’re in and show his face and hand of mercy. 4- Just as He opened the wombs of Hannah and Penninah, He still opens wombs today. 5- When today’s Joseph’s are downtrodden; he still lifts them up. 6- When you’re in your storm; He’ll walk to you in the midnight of that storm. 7- When our cupboards are bare and your cruse is oil-less; 8- He’ll put meal in your canister and oil in the jug. 9- When your brook has dried up, He’ll send the ravens to feed you. 10- And even when sickness overtakes you; He say’s “Take up thy bed and walk” BELOVED; JESUS STILL REVEALS HIMSELF IN ROUGH TIMES: 1- In fact, He loves rough times and tough problems! 2- It is then He asks us; “Is anything too hard for Me?” 3- Jesus can take the rough and make it smooth. 4- He can take the tough and make it tender. 5- When you’ve given up on a situation; He says, 6- “Show it to Me”. 7- He loves to show up at your mid-night. 8- He delights in sitting by your well at Mid-day, telling you all you ever did. 9- Beloved; He’ll step into your situation when it has become a crisis. 10- When things are bad; & you’re locked into a thing; He’ll appear where walls and doors cannot keep Him out. JOHN KNEW OF THE ONE HE TURNED AND SAW IN ESSENCE: 1- John had written often of Him, describing Him as: 2- Jehovah- The Great I Am. 3- John knew this Jesus he wrote about. 4- He depicted Him as the Word made flesh. 5- The Shepherd of the sheep; 6- He wrote of Him as light, love and liberty. 7- John knew this man Jesus: WHY JOHN HAD EVEN: 1- Leaned on His bosom and felt His heartbeat. 2- He’s looked into His eyes and seen His compassion. 3- He’d sat at His feet and heard His doctrine. 4- John had pressed His flesh and felt His humanity. 5- Witnessed His works and perceived His divinity. 6- John had lived along side him and saw His poverty. JOHN KNEW JESUS; amen? That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life, Declare we unto you. 1- John knew this Jesus; Amen? SIXTY TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE JOHN LAST SAW HIS RISEN LORD: 1- When John last saw Jesus; His hands and feet bore the marks of the nails. 2- His side the marks of the spear and His head the marks of the crown. 3- His hair was the color of a young man. 4- When John last saw Jesus; He saw a young man in His thirties. 5- A lot has happened in 62 years. BUT ONE SUNDAY MORNING IN AD 95 JESUS DECIDES TO VISIT AN OLD FRIEND IN TOUGH TIMES: 1- Remember our text suggests that there are certain requirements for seeing the Lord. 2- John while in solitary confinement, “Was in the Spirit”, on the Lords day. 3- This could mean nothing less than; 4- John walked in the Spirit, lived in the Spirit, Was led by the Spirit and taught by the Spirit. 5- He was filled with the Spirit and thrilled by the Spirit! Amen? 6- John couldn’t be as you and me today in a congregation with the Spirit in our midst. 7- So he did the next best thing; “I was in the Spirit” 8- You can allow yourself to do that you know. IN THE SPIRIT: 1- In the Spirit is a good place to be; “How many of you know that”? 2- It’s not enough to gather together on the Lord’s Day; we need to Get Higher! 3- Beloved; to see the Lord high and lifted up. 4- We need to gather in His name and worship in Spirit. 5- God help us to get out o9f the flesh and into the Spirit. 6- Help us Lord to enter into the Spirit; sit in the Spirit; stand in the Spirit; pray in the Spirit; read in the Spirit; sing in the Spirit. 7- We must again Preach in the Spirit; give in the Spirit and respond in the Spirit. 8- If we really want to see Jesus; Then we must be in the Spirit. 9- It is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the Son of God. 10- He gives us eyes to see and ears to hear Jesus as Lord. 11- He pulls back the curtain and reveals His Son. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE JESUS: Ye must be born again! 1- If we would see Jesus we must be born again. 2- Men may go to Hell anyway they choose; but to go to Heaven; “Ye must be born again!” JOHN SAID; “and being turned I saw”. 1- Beloved; if you haven’t been TURNED, you cannot see Jesus. 2- If you’re still seeing prison walls and bars. 3- You haven yet TURNED to see Jesus. 4- Beloved; if you’re still seeing the sensual; the fleshly; the material; you haven’t seen Jesus. 5- You need to be TURNED. GOD WOULD HAVE A PEOPLE IN THESE LAST DAYS: 1- That would turn from self and sin and seek the Lord to find Him and turn and see Him. 2- If you would really see Jesus; Repent and Believe in Him & His shed blood. LISTEN TO ME AS I CLOSE: 1- Folks maybe have seen him as a Babe in Bethlehem; or a lad in Nazareth. 2- Some have thought to see Him as the man from Galilee; or a friend in Samaria. 3- But He would have you today to see Him as your Suffering Savior. 4- See Him on the Cross in your behalf. 5- See Him as the Dying Lamb; or the Sheep’s Gate. CATCH A FRESH GLIMPSE OF HIM TODAY: 1- See Him as “The Great High Priest” WITH GARMENT DOWN TO His feet and a golden girdle wrapped around His chest. 2- See Him as the “ETERNAL ONE” for His hair and head are white like wool and white like snow. 3- See Him as the OMNISCIENT JUDGE: for His eyes are like a flame of fire. 4- John saw the Lord; He FELL; he FELT. 5- When John fell: He felt; & When he felt; he discovered who He was; The Mighty One.
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