Let us turn to God's Word once
again, and I want to direct you for our text this evening to
words that we find in Revelation chapter 1, the opening chapter
of the book from whence we were reading. We were reading in chapter
2 and then in chapter 19, but turning now to the opening chapter
of the book in Revelation 1 and verse 16. part of the description of that
vision that was granted to John there on the Isle of Patmos in
Revelation 1.16 speaking of Christ we read and
he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went
a sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun shineth
in his strength And he had in his right hand seven stars, and
out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance
was as the sun shineth in his strength. We're told later in
verse 20 that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
the churches there in Asia Minor. or Turkey as we would now call
it the angel of course is really
the messenger that's the literal meaning of the words the seven
stars then are the seven messengers of the seven churches or the
we might say the ministers of the seven churches of course
when we come to this book we Remember that it is a book of
signs and of symbols. As we've said on previous occasions,
that's made plain in the very opening verse. It's the revelation
of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified
it, it says. It was sent and signified by
his angel unto his servant John. Signs are being used. The language
is symbolic language. And so too when we consider the
vision that is being described. John is in the spirit on the
Lord's day, hears a great voice as of a trumpet and turns and
then he sees the seven candlesticks and one in the midst of the candlesticks
the seven candlesticks we're told are the seven churches and
there is one there in the midst of the seven candlesticks and
it is the glorified Christ one like unto the Son of Man we're
told in verse 13 and the description that follows Well, if the seven
stars are the seven messengers, what are we to make of the sword
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ? What
exactly is this sword? Well, we're not told here, but
we are told elsewhere, aren't we, in Ephesians 6.17, the sword
of the Spirit. which is the word of God. That is what is proceeding from
the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a sword of the Spirit. It's
the words of God. And surely the verse that we're
looking at and the juxtaposition of these two things, the sword
and the seven stars, reminds us of the task and the authority
really of those who are the ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
are to be those who are ministers of the Word of Christ. That these
two things stand side by side here in the text. In his right
hand seven stars, out of his mouth proceeding a sharp two-edged
sword. There's a connection. And that's
what I want to to try to understand something of this evening. What
is the task then of these messengers or these ministers in the churches?
They are to be ministers of Christ's words, ministers of the word
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, what does that involve?
Well, there are two principal things that we should take account
of with regards to their ministry. First of all, there must be the
reading of the Word of God. They have that charge, really,
as we'll come to observe presently. They are to be readers of the
Word of God. They will read it for their own
spiritual good, but they are to read that Word amongst the
people of God, the churches. And when we think, of course,
of our own services of worship, obviously the purest part of
any worship that we render unto God is the public reading of
the Word. It's not the comments of men,
it's not anything that man has put his hand to, all the man
is doing is reading God's Word. And that Word is the inspired
Word. It's that word that's impeccable,
inerrant. It's the very word of God and
we believe in the divine inspiration of the scriptures, of course.
We believe in a verbal inspiration and we make much of our authorized
version because it is such a faithful rendering of the original. And
I say again that, are we aware of that when we gather together?
How important is the reading? It is the purest parts and it
is the principle means of grace that we have in our hands. Now,
you are familiar, I'm sure, with what follows in the second and
third chapters of this book. We have the seven letters that
are being addressed unto the seven churches. and they are
individual letters to each of the churches but repeatedly at
the end of each of the letters we have that expression he that
hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches so although they are addressed to the several churches
yet there's that sense in which each time With each letter there is an
address to all those who will hear what the Spirit is saying
through the seven churches. They are not in that sense just
personal letters to the churches. Again, look at what we are told
here in verse 11. How the Lord speaks saying I
am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and what thou seest
write in a book and send it on to the seven churches which are
in Asia on to Ephesus and on to Smyrna on to Pergamos and
on to Thyatira and on to Sardis and on to Philadelphia and on
to Laodicea so the whole really of the book of the Revelation
is being sent to all the churches they have their own individual
letters but even those individual letters in a sense belong to
all those who will hear what the Spirit is saying but then
all of the book and this is the very last book of the scriptures
and we might say in a sense it's representative of the whole of
the scriptures which is being addressed to all of the churches
and do we not see when we read in the former part of the New
Testament, in the epistles of Paul, the importance of the public
reading of Scripture to the churches and in the churches. Remember
at the end of the first epistle to the Thessalonians, there in
1 Thessalonians 5.27 Paul writes, I charge you before the Lord
that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. To whom
is that particular epistle, that first epistle to the Thessalonians,
being addressed? Well, it's being addressed to
the whole of the Church. As we see from the opening verse,
Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, unto the Church, of the Thessalonians
which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. So those who might be the messengers or the ministers
of the churches are told quite plainly there at the end of that
epistle they have the solemn charge that the epistle be read
unto all the holy brethren And interestingly, when the apostle
is writing to the Corinthians, there in 1 Corinthians chapter
1 and verse 2, he says, it's unto the church of God which
is at Corinth, with all that in every place call upon the
name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now that would indicate that
it's not only something that's being addressed to the Corinthian
church, but it has a wider application. It belongs unto all the brethren
in every place who are calling on the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And do we not see really that
these Epistles of the Apostles are being addressed to the various
churches where he's been ministering and he's been, under God, the
one who has established so many of those churches. And having
gone on his missionary journeys and preached in those various
places and seen the people being converted and churches being
formed, he then continues his ministry to them, of course,
by means of the various epistles. He's giving them instruction.
And how Paul makes it plain that an epistle that might be sent
to one particular church is also to be read to another church.
We see that in what he says to the Colossians in Colossians
4.16. He says when this epistle is
read among you cause that it be read also in the church of
the Laodiceans. So it doesn't just belong to
Colossae. It also belongs to those who
are in Christ in the church of the Laodiceans. There's an interchange. And so we see what's being established. As part and parcel of their worship
there would be the reading of the Word of God. in public, the
public reading of the Word of God. And so when Paul writes
to such as Timothy, remember the pastoral epistles as we call
them, those two epistles to Timothy and one to Titus, these young
men who are engaged in the work of the ministry, they are men
who are associated with the Apostle in his own ministry, and he gives
that charge to Timothy 1 Timothy 4, 13 till I come he says, till
I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine or
doctrine really specifically or literally teaching give attendance
to reading to exhortation and to teaching Now, clearly, exhortation
and teaching is something that would be done in the public place,
but also the reading then. The reading, just as the exhortation
and just as the teaching is part and parcel of what Timothy is
to do in the public place, in the church. All the importance
then of the reading of the Word of God, And this is the charge,
you see, of those who are ministers of the word of the Lord Jesus
Christ. They have his word. And what are they to do with
that word of Christ? They are to read it. It's such a vital part of the
service of divine worship. He had in his right hand seven
stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword and the connection between those two. If the two-edged
sword is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, well those seven
stars, those seven messengers, they are to make that word known
by reading it. Now let's go back to the Old
Testament and remember that remarkable passage in Nehemiah chapter 8
where we have the record of the public reading of the scriptures. It's a great passage. I think
I've preached on it in times past. There in the opening words
of Nehemiah 8, we're told how all the people gathered themselves
together as one man into the street that was before the water
gate and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book
of the Lord of Moses. which the Lord had commanded
to Israel. This is those of course who have come back now from exile
and they're engaged in the building of the walls of Jerusalem. Jerusalem
had been left there in ruins for 70 years, the desolation
after the Babylonian captivity. And here is Ezra the scribe bringing
the Book of the Law. Henceforth the priest brought
the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all
that could hear, with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh
month. And he read therein before the
street that was before the water gate, from the morning until
midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand,
and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the word
of the Lord. Here we have the solemn reading
then of Holy Scripture. And there were those who were
with him. We have their names mentioned there in verse 4. Ezra
the scribe standing upon the pulpit of woods which they had
made for the purpose. And beside him this whole array
of people are mentioned. And then we're told in verse
8. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave a sense, and caused
them to understand the reading. So there's not only the distinct
reading of the Word of God, the public reading of God's law,
but there's also this explaining the Word, giving the
sense, causing them to understand. So, we learn something more here
then. Besides the public reading of
the Word of God, there is to be the exposition of the Word
of God the expounding of the Word of God the preaching of
the Word of God and that's the second aspect is it not of the
ministry of those who are the messengers of the churches there's
more than public reading there is also to be preaching and is
it not intimated in scripture that the voice of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not only heard as his word is being read as the word
of God is being read whose voice is heard it's a voice it's a
voice of God and of course God reveals himself ultimately in
Christ he is the word of God but we see in Ephesians 4 verses
20 and 21 that there's a sense in which Christ's voice is also
heard where there is the faithful preaching, where the word is
being opened up and expounded and preached. Paul says to those
Ephesians, you have not so learned Christ if so be that you have
heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Now I've referred to those words
on previous occasions, I know that, but I do think they are
significant words because we know that Christ was never in
Ephesus, his ministry was confined to Palestine, he is sent to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel, it's not until Christ has accomplished
his work that the word goes out and goes out to the Gentiles
as we see in the Acts of the Apostles and yet Paul can say
to those who came to faith in Ephesus, ye have not so learned
Christ? If so, be that ye have heard
him, and been taught by him." How were they hearing Christ?
How were they taught by Christ? Through the preaching. Yes, through
the preaching of the apostles, and there's no apostles now.
The apostles' ministry is an extension of Christ's own ministry,
but there's a principle there. It pleases God by the foolishness
of preaching, to save them that believe. And when we read those
words in 1 Corinthians, the foolishness of preaching is not so much a
reference to the act of preaching, maybe that is there, there's
some reference to that, but principally, it's the message that's being
proclaimed. It pleases God by the foolishness
of preaching this message that is contained here in Holy Scripture. This is how God is pleased to
work. He has appointed not only the
reading of His Word but the proclamation of it, the expounding of it.
And you know the passage there in Romans chapter 10 and the
verses 13 and the following verses. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, says Paul. How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
her tidings. of good things. All faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And there in that
14th verse that we just read, How shall they believe in him
of whom they have not heard? You know, more literally it says
there, How shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? Oh yes, they're hearing of him,
but actually they're hearing Christ, as I said from Ephesians
4. It's the voice of Christ that
is being heard in the preaching of the Word. Remember what the
Lord Jesus does after His resurrection from the dead. We're told, aren't
we, in John chapter 20, verse 22, how He breathed upon His
disciples. He breathed on them and said
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye remit
they are remitted and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained. Now I know that of course it's
the anticipation of the day of Pentecost and the glorious outpouring
of the Spirit of God the Spirit who proceeds from the Father
and from the Son. Here He is proceeding from the
Son. He breathed on them and said,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost. And they received the Holy Ghost
and they received Him in a remarkable way on the day of Pentecost.
It doesn't mean that He was not there previous to Pentecost.
Of course He was. He was there in the Old Testament.
every true Israelite in the Old Testament dispensation as in
the New Testament dispensation. Every spiritual Jew is that one
who is born of the Spirit of God. There's no salvation without
regeneration. And that's the blessed work of
the Spirit. A sinner is born from above, born by the Spirit. But Pentecost was such a remarkable
occurrence when the day of Pentecost was fully come and that great
outpouring and well we read in the subsequent chapters of the
thousands who were being saved 120 in chapter 1 of Acts and
then why within within no time at all it seems thousands upon
thousands being converted He breathed on them and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye remit." There
is the remission of sins, the forgiveness of sins, this is
the message of salvation. But though that word of God is
always a discriminating word, they don't always believe. But
I like the comment that Calvin makes on that scripture in John
20. He says, Christ did not give
this power to men. but to his words of which he
made men ministers. That's the important thing. There
is no power invested in the person of the preacher. The power is
vested in the word of God of which they are ministers. And
that's what we see, I believe, here in the text, the juxtaposition
of these two things. It's the sword, and the sword
is very much in the mouth of the Lord Jesus it proceeds from
his mouth but he also has the the seven stars in his right
hand and they are to be those who are the ministers of his
works it's interesting isn't it we read the letter to Pergamos
there in chapter 2 verse 12 and the description that we have
Christ at the beginning to the angel of the church in Pergamos
write these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two
edges you go through the various epistles of the churches and
the certain aspects of the glorified Christ that are brought out and
to Pergamos it's the sharp sword with two edges and then at verse
16 repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight
against them with the sword of my mouth How does the Lord fight
against him by the sword of his mouth? Well, when he comes with
reproofs and corrections, when the word is being applied, where
there's that right and proper preaching of the Word of God,
that Word of God, it's quick, it's powerful, it's sharper than
any two-edged sword and it pierces, than the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit. Or does he not come then with
authority into the souls of men, and women to convict them of
their sins. Well, I want to mention as we
begin to draw to some conclusion, I want to mention certain aspects
of this faithful preaching of the Word of God. Three things.
First of all, it's a convicting work. It is a convicting work. Quoting those words in Hebrews
4.12, it's a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the
heart. That's what's said concerning
that word of God which is quick and powerful and sharper than
the two-edged sword. A discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. Now, the word that rendered discerner
is in fact the word from which we obtain our English word critic. It's the word criticos. Criticos. And obviously, if you look at
the etymology of our English word to criticize, you're taken
right back to the Greek word. It's a critic. It's a judge of
the intents and the hearts of men. It's interesting because
men would be critics of the word of God. We know that. There's those higher critics
who, well, destroy the scriptures. They speak about demythologizing
the Old Testament and they just take the scriptures to pieces. Men would the critics of the
word of God, but really the reverse is true. It is God's words which is the discerner of the
thoughts, the intents of men's hearts that criticise them, shows
us what men really are. It's here in God's word that
we discover the truth concerning ourselves, isn't it? It's a revelation
of God, we know that. And yet God makes man in his
own image, creates man after his own likeness. And so, if
we think of man as God's image bearer, when we come to the Word
of God and look into the Word of God, why, we should see ourselves. And that's what James says. It's
like a mirror, a looking glass. The man looks into the mirror,
goes his way and forgets what manner of man he is. We see ourselves
and we see ourselves not as those who are the image-bearers of
God, but we see that image now so disfigured, so marred. The image has been destroyed
because man has rebelled against God. And the scriptures do that,
they show us ourselves, they show us our sins. Men would criticize
the Word of God, but how God's Word is really the critic of
men. Christ says he that rejecteth
me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The
word that I have spoken, that shall judge him in that day. All the books are to be opened,
and all men will appear there at the judgment seat of the Lord
Jesus Christ. God has committed all that judgment
into the hands of Christ. The Father judges no man, John 5.22 The Father judgeth
no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Goes on doesn't it there in that
in that fifth chapter of John verse 26 As the Father hath life
in himself So hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,
and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of Man. For Christ is that One who is
the Great Judge. So we read again not only the
epistle to Pergamos, but we read the language of that great 19th
chapter. here in the book, the book of
the Revelation and remember how there again we see Christ and
in the description of Christ we see him as that one who has
the sword proceeding out of his mouth in verse 15, out of his mouth
goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And we read at the end of the
remnant slay, with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls
were filled with their flesh. O the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father has committed judgment to him. But I said when we're
thinking of aspects of the faithful preaching, there is a sense,
is there not, in which the judgment is made here and now, even in
the day of grace. That sword proceeds out of the
mouth of the Lord Jesus when the Lord comes to the sinner.
What does He do by His Spirit? He comes to reprove, to convince
of sin, of righteousness, of judgment. Of sin, because I go to the Father
and you see me no more. Of judgment, because the Prince
of this world is judged. And when we read of the ministry
of the Lord Jesus, remember when He comes to John. John is forerunner. and John
speaks of his ministry as the Lord approaches him there in
Matthew 3 verse 12 whose fan is in his hand his fan is in his hand, what
is his fan? it's that that would be used
in the winnowing of the wheat it seems to be a great spade
that would be used to toss the mixed heap into the air that
the separation might be made between the wheat and the chaff,
whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor.
He gathers the wheat into the garner, he burns up the chaff
with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus, it says. Interesting,
we have that description. Matthew 3 12 and then immediately
in verse 13 then cometh Jesus that word is being fulfilled
you see and then later or previously
John says also how the the axes now lie to the root of the trees
he is a work that's immediate the Lord is doing that work in
his own ministry. So what do we see as an aspect
of the ministry of the Word of God? It's not just a convicting
work. It's not just a work of judgment in the consciences of
men. It's also a separating work.
The Lord does separate. Even in the day of grace we see
it in his own ministry. In John chapter 10 and verse
19 we read of division. There was a division amongst
them because of these sayings. All the sayings, the words of
the Lord Jesus cause a division amongst men. There are those
who believe His words. There are those who reject His
words. And several times in John we are told of division. Division
because of Him. There is, where there is that
faithful ministry, that preaching of the Word of God, There is
something that takes place in the hearts of men. I think it's
Dr. John Owen who says that no man, no man is ever the same
after hearing the Gospel. A man is either for Christ or
a man is against Christ every time he hears the Gospel. That's how dividing the Word
of God is. And what was true with regards
to division because of the ministry of the Lord, we have exactly
the same with regards to the preaching of his apostles. When the apostle is writing there
in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 15 he says, We are unto
God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in
them that perish. To the one we are the saver of
death unto death, and to the other the saver of life unto
life. Do we sufficient for these things?
For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God, but
as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we
in Christ. And Paul, of course, is asserting
his authority, he's a true apostle. There were many false apostles
there in Corinth. They may be corrupting the Word
of God, but not Paul. And now this Word, you see, always
a sweet savour. God accomplishing his purpose.
Or there's those predestinated to life, there are those who
over-reprobate. to the one with the sabre of
death unto death to the other with the sabre of life unto life
it's fearful but remember the language that
is spoken to Jeremiah the prophet if thou take forth the precious
from the vial thou shalt be as my mouth there is to be a separating
there as there is a convincing and a reproving and a judging
by the ministry of the word there is also a separation But ultimately,
and we need always to remember this, ultimately, of course,
gospel ministry is converting ministry, comforting ministry.
The law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,
and now we must always distinguish those two things. We have to
distinguish between law and grace, law and gospel. Grace and truth come by the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that message is to be proclaimed. Remember how Paul defines his
gospel right at the beginning of the Roman Epistle concerning
God's That's how we define it. He speaks of the gospel he's
separated onto. He concerns his son made of the
seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the
son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead. All his ministry centers in that,
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, David's son. Oh but greater than David is
David's Lord also. and is declared, is marked out
as the Son of God according to the Spirit of Holiness by the
Resurrection. For the entrance of Christ's
words, the entrance of thy word giveth light, says the Psalmist. It giveth understanding unto
the simple. That's the Gospel. It brings
light into the dark place. He brings life into souls that
are dead in trespasses and sins. And our Paul so desires that
those churches that he's writing his epistles to would remember
him in their prayers. There at the end of Ephesians
6 he asks that prayer be made for him that utterance, he says,
that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel or the mystery of
the gospel and then when he's writing to the Colossians in
Colossians 4 he makes a similar request but he asks there that
they pray that he might make known the mystery of Christ this
is the mystery of course Without controversy, great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed only in the world, received up into glory.
A remarkable statement which is the sum and substance of the
gospel, and it all centers in the person of the Lord Jesus.
And the work of the Lord Jesus is the great mystery, the gospel. And when Paul writes there, remember,
in the opening chapter of his first epistle to the church at
Corinth, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 21, he says, After
that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God,
it pleased God. by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign,
and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness,
but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ,
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. This is, you see, what's
to be preached. Christ is to be preached, or
it's no preaching at all. What do we read here in the text?
He had in his right hand seven stars, out of his mouth went
a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength. Why, he is that sun of righteousness,
is he not? unto you that fear my name says
Malachi shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings
healing in his beams his countenance you see his countenance shines as the sun in all its strength
all the wonder of it And that revelation has to come into our
very hearts, into our souls. The God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness should shine in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of the Lord
Jesus Christ. All the importance then of the
Word of God It's the word of Christ. It's the sword of the
spirit proceeding from his mouth. When the spirit comes, he comes
as the spirit of Christ. But now the seven stars in his
right hand, the right hand, the hand of authority. What are they
to do? They are to handle this word. They are to read this word. And
they are to preach this word. And that is such a significant
part, of course, of all our worship. Why is it that the pulpit is
so prominent in our non-conformist churches? It was so historically,
and God, it still is here. Because all our worship centers
in that Word, that Sword of the Spirit. proceeding from the mouth
of our Lord Jesus Christ, or that we might know what it is
to enjoy that blessed revelation that comes only from Him and
comes by the ministry of His Spirit. The Lord then be pleased
ever to own and bless such a ministry amongst us here. The Lord bless
His Word. Amen.