Christ’s Care For His Churches | Revelation 1:9-20

Introduction:
It is good for us to remember that the book of Revelation not only has a timeless purpose, but it also had a TIMELY purpose. That TIMELY purpose has timeless application.
When the book of Revelation was communicated to the apostle John, the infant church did not exist in favorable circumstances.
John, himself, was in difficulty.
He had been banished to a small island, the little Island of Patmos (where tradition says he was forced to a prisoner’s labor). And when you read the letters to the churches in this Revelation - 7 churches mentioned by name that first received it - persecution was being felt all around.
And there was more on the horizon.
As just one example, to Pergamum we read:
ESV Revelation 2:13 "'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
WHAT I WANT US TO RECOGNIZE TODAY IS THAT THE BOOK OF REVELATION WAS A CARE PACKAGE FOR SUFFERING CHURCHES.
It serves the church for the rest of time - but it was serving churches in difficult circumstances at THAT VERY TIME.
It was a reminder of the ultimate victory of the cause of Christ.
It was a reminder of the secure care found in the Savior.
It was an apocalyptic, panoramic, view of the rest of time, stretching into eternity - considering things that had already happened, things that were presently happening, and things that would come in the future.
And its PRIMARY comfort is the revelation of Christ Himself.
As Christ is revealed, His care for His church is revealed.
THIS BOOK WAS COMMUNICATED BY THE ONE WHO HAD DIED AND WAS NOW ALIVE (vs.18).
It is the resurrected and glorified Christ, who KNOWS His church, is PRESENT with His church, and is COMMUNICATING with His church.
AND AS HE BEGAN, HE GAVE VOICE TO WHAT ALL OF HIS PEOPLE HAVE A SHARE IN. HE REVEALED WHAT BELONGS TO OUR FELLOWSHIP.
This morning, we think about Christ’s comfort to His hurting people through the knowledge of four aspects of our fellowship.
I. GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE A FELLOWSHIP IN SUFFERING (vs.9)
John the apostle was chosen to communicate the risen Christ’s message to the churches. He introduces himself in verses 1-2, and then refers to himself again in verse 4, and now in our text in verse 9.
John is on the island called Patmos. Patmos is a small island, off the coast of Asia Minor, only about 10 miles long and 5 miles wide. It was a location where Rome exiled political criminals.
A. JOHN’S HUMILITY
The humility of the great apostle is seen in the way that he describes himself. He could have mentioned his apostleship, but instead he simply refers to himself as “your brother.” He is an older man, an apostle of Jesus Christ, a faithful servant to the church, and yet he sees himself, rightly, in fellowship with the churches by virtue of their common salvation. THEY ARE BRETHREN.
B. JOHN’S HARDSHIP
But he is in fellowship with the churches in another way. THEY SHARE IN TRIBULATION.
θλῖψις, …① in our lit. (as in LXX, En, Test12Patr, JosAs cod. A; Just., D. 116, 2; Mel.) freq. and in the metaph. sense trouble that inflicts distress, oppression, affliction, tribulation
But this is not just any kind of hardship. It is a hardship that belongs to the Christian life - to the people of God.
HE IS A “FELLOW PARTAKER” with them in this. That is, they share in this together. He is simply experiencing what will characterize all of God’s people during his time and throughout the ages.