"THE BLESSING OF READING"
1. Jan 31st, 2012
Int. The word ?Blessed? is found seven times in Revelation.
I. CONSIDER THE CALL TO READ IN OUR TEXT.
1. The word "reads" refers to the public reading in the church (Luke 4:16; Acts 15:21; Col 4:16; Rev 5:4).
2. Someone has said: ?When we pray, we are talking with the Lord and when we read our Bible, God is talking to us.
a. (Hab 2:1) "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved."
3. We should cry out with Daniel of old for help in our reading.
a. (Dan 12:8) "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?"
1. (Micah 7:7) "My God will hear me"
b. (John 5:39) "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
1. C. H. S. M & E. pg. 323 June 9 P. M. ?The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game?.
2. Israeli scientists have inscribed the entire Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible onto a space less than half the size of a grain of sugar.
3. (Acts 7:59) "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
a. Matthew Henry: "It is the comfort of those who are unjustly hated and persecuted by men that they have a God to go to, a God all-sufficient to call upon. Men stop their ears, as they did here (v. 57), but God does not."
4. Young King Josiah had the Bible read to him.
a. (2 Ki 22:10) "And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king."
b. George Washington: "It is impossible to rightly govern ... without God and the Bible."
c. Zerubbabel said: ?The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.?
5. J. C. Ryle mentions some things he had read about: There are three heavy judgments which God can send upon a nation ? the sword, the pestilence, and the famine. All these three have fallen heavily upon our country within the last few years. The Irish famine, the Russian war, the cholera, the cattle plague ? have left marks on this country which cannot be erased.?
a. (Dan 12:8) "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?"
6. Consider another reason for reading: ?
a. (1 Pet 1:10-11) "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: {11} Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
Note: Many pastors tell their folk that this book is too deep to be understood. Well, we can understand??Blessed is he that readeth?
7. Consider some of the things that we can read about in this book.
a. We can read about the door opened in Heaven, (Rev 4:1)
b. We can read about the voice like a trumpet speaking, (Rev 1:10)
c. We can read about the sea of glass like crystal, (Rev 4:6; 15:2)
d. We can read about the seven seals, (Rev 5:1,5)
e. We can read about the seven trumpets, (Rev 8:2, 6)
f. We can read about the seven vials, (Rev 17:1; 21:9)
g. We can read about the four angels holding the four winds, (Rev 7:1)
h. We can read about the mighty angel with a face like the sun, his right foot on the sea, his left on the earth, (Rev 10:1;18:21)
I. We can read about the woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, (Rev 12:1)
J. We can read about the great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, (Rev 12:3)
k. We can read about the beast that rose out of the sea, (Rev 13:1)
l. We can read about the mighty earthquake, (Rev 6:12; 8:5; 11:13; 11:19; 16:18)
m. We can read about the destruction of Babylon, (Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21)
n. We can read about the summoning of the fowls of Heaven to the supper of the great God, (Rev 19:17)
o. We can read about the binding of Satan, (Rev 20:2)
p. We can read about the great white throne, (Rev 20:11
q. We can read about the last judgment, (Rev 20:4)
r. We can read about the descent of the New Jerusalem from Heaven, (Rev 21:2)
s. We can read about the description of the glorious city ? (Rev 21:2)
t. Who can read such things without being struck by them?
u. Who can study them and avoid the conclusion, "This is written with the finger of God!"
8. I have been reading this book for almost 57 years and each time I read it; I learn something new.
9. The book of Revelation that looks dark and threatening to the world ? speaks no terrors to true believers,
a. It is like the wondrous pillar of cloud (Ex14), it may fill the mind of an ungodly man with gloom ? but, like the same cloud, it shall give light by night to the people of God.
10. The very first verse in Revelation should provoke us to read this great book.
a. It opens with a ?Revelation: not a concealment.
b. The Greek word for ?Revelation? occurs 18 times in the N. T. and always signifies something being revealed.
11. Conside r that reading can be profitable. (See two examples below)
a. (Mat 24:15) "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)"
b. (Mark 13:14) "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:"
12. Could it be that the two references above are the reason for the saying in our text.
II. CONSIDER THE CALL TO HEAR IN OUR TEXT.
A. CONSIDER A NUMBER OF CALLS TO HEAR FROM THE LORD.
1. (Isa 28:23) "Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech."
2. (Isa 32:9) "Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech."
3. (Rom 11:29) "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
B. CONSIDER THAT THE CALLINGS OF GOD ARE SELECTIVE.
1. (1 Cor 1:26) "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:"
C. CONSIDER A VERY INTERESTING OBSERVATION.
1. (John 10:16) "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
2. (John 10:27) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
"Election excludes boasting."
But few among the carnal wise,
But few of noble race,
Obtain the favour of thy eyes,
Almighty King of grace!
He takes the men of meanest name
For sons and heirs of God;
And thus he pours abundant shame
On honourable blood.
He calls the fool and makes him know
The mysteries of his grace,
To bring aspiring wisdom low,
And all its pride abase.
Nature has all its glories lost,
When brought before his throne;
No flesh shall in his presence boast,
But in the Lord alone.
3. This calling from God is a Holy Calling.
a. (2 Tim 1:9) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
4. This Holy calling is a Heavenly Calling.
a. (Heb 3:1) "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;"
CONCLUSION: Repeat our text: (Rev 1:1-3)
E. W. Lucas
Website: www.friendship-baptistchurch.com