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JOHN, the apostle, Revelation (walk over to the table and LIGHT the CANDLE)

1.)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

2.)  Stand at table and say, “In the dateless past, Jesus Christ the Son, was eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God.  Jesus was with God at the creation of the world

3.)  Walk down to the front, with SCROLL in hand

4.)  Good morning everyone!  My name is John, son of Zebedee, brother of James, one of the 12 disciples, the Beloved Disciple in my gospel of John, a friend of God!  I have been asked to speak to you by your pastor, Cletus Hull. 

5.)  For me and my friends, Matthew, Mark and Luke, this was our New Testament.

<Pick up tray>

  We apostles would preach from village to village.  The believers had no training--how would they know how to discern truth from error.  We wrote letters to correct them and grow in the Lord. 

These words are relevant to you.  The Bible.

++My gospel was a lot different than Matt, Mark and Luke’s.  They were very much alike with similar events.  My gospel is not so much about events, but about truth. For Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  I wrote about the eternal truths of the Son of God. 

6.)  Walk up to the stage, to the vases.

7.)  I want to tell you about the first miracle that Jesus ever gave to the people. 

Jesus attended a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee with his disciples.

His mother Mary, was there, too. They started running low on wine and Jesus' mother told him, "They're just about out of wine."

Jesus said something that seemed like disrespect to his mother.  He said,

"Woman, is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me."

She went told the servants,

"Whatever he tells you, do it." Remember that!

There were 6 stone water pots there. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants,

"Fill the pots with water."

And they filled them to the brim. Pour the water from one pot into the other.

Then he said,

"Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," 

When the host tasted the water that had become wine, he called out to the bridegroom,

"Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"

This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign--miracle Jesus gave.  And we had a small glimpse in his glory. I with the other disciples believed in him.

8.)  Walk down to the front of the sanctuary, with SCROLL in hand.

<Nicodemus is next>

9.)  Point toward the back door and say:

10.)  Cletus: And Nicodemus came by night…Rich Schachte will come in.

Rich will say the things he told me the other night at the praise team. 

Let him say these things for a few minutes, then I will say…

Cletus:  Nicodemus, tell me about the time you came to see Jesus at night time

11.)  We will walk up to the table with the candle, I will take the SCROLL of the gospel of John with me and we will sit down in the chairs…use script on the table.

12.)  Walk down to the front again.  Pick up the scroll and read the 7 “I AMs”  Hold the SCROLL in your hand until you leave.

13.)  Seven times Jesus said, “I AM…” and I wrote them down for you to know the truth about Jesus.  He said,
+I am the bread of life. He gives us all we need.

+I am the light of the world, He brings the energy of light into out dark world.

+I am the door, He brings us where we otherwise could not go.
+I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

+He cares for us just like we need it.

+I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

He guides us through all of life's difficult ways.
+I am the true vine, without him you can do nothing. He makes us unbelievably productive.

+I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.",

He brought us from death into life eternal.

14.)  When Jesus said, I am the Resurrection and the life, this was the most incredible miracle in my gospel of John.  An event in the life of Jesus that comforts many of you. 

When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. He found Martha and Mary crying over their brother’s death.

Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him.

Martha said,

"Lord, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. “ 

Jesus immediately proclaimed,

"Your brother will be raised up from the dead."

You don't have to wait for the End. I am the Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he dies.  Then Jesus asked everyone,

“Do you believe this?"

When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him.

He said,

"Where did you put him?"

"Lord, come and see," they said.

Now Jesus wept.   He cried,  Just like you and me.  He was human.  So Jesus walked over to the tomb.  

And he said,

"Remove the stone. Go ahead, take away the stone."

They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed,

"Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me."

Then Jesus shouted,

"Lazarus, come forth!"

<Ben Macklin comes out of door wrapped with toilet paper>

And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.

“Come loose from those clothes."

15.)  Hug Ben Macklin and send him off.

<Walk back to center of room>

Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of history.  His Resurrection is the reason we worship him.

For on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb…

Janet comes rushing from the sanctuary back door toward me and interrupts what I’m saying.  She talks with me and we run to the tomb, the tent.  We reach into the tomb/tent and discover the cloth all folded up.  I give the cloth to Janet and she talks for a few minutes about Mary Magdalene about what Jesus meant to her. I walk out the door (with the SCROLL in my hand) and change into new clothes, John in Revelation and I will come in the door up by the praise team.  I need a few minutes to color my hair and change clothes.

16.)  Alexis, in sound room, plays sounds on CD of thunder, lighting in the background.  Please turn off the lights in the sanctuary

17.)  <Show the picture of the island of Patmos on the screen.>

18.)  I need 5 minutes for this (including the time Janet talks)

19.)  After 5 minutes, I will walk out of door where praise team plays. 

20.)  The CD with the sounds of the thunder and lighting stop.  Have a scroll open and read this:

21.)  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave me to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to me John, who testifies to everything I saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed are you who read the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." 

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

22.)  Walk down to the front with the STAFF and say,

My name is John, son of Zebedee, brother of James, follower of Jesus Christ, a friend of God!  It has been 60 years since I last saw you, since the church began.  I never envisioned this is how I would spend my last days, on a penal colony, a prison, on the island of Patmos.  I am 95 years old and I never thought that I would live this long.  I am ready to be with my friends and see the Lord again.  Peter was crucified upside down, Paul beheaded, Andrew and Bartholomew had a spear run through them.  Some were burned to death by Nero.  I have lived in Ephesus for many years.  You see, I am the last of the living apostles who knew Jesus, saw Him, touched Him and heard His words. 

23.)  You may ask, “How did you come to be in this prison on this deserted island?  A place for criminals?”  It happened like this--our emperor, Domitian erected statues--idols. 

<Place picture of emperor Domitian on screen>

People were expected to come offer incense to this emperor who thought he was a god.  I totally resisted this.  A guard saw me and said to me, “Old man, do you dare to mock your Lord and God?  Do you mock him?”

I said to him, “Domitian is my earthly king and I wish him no disrespect--but he is not my Lord and God.”

With that, he seized my arm and threw me the ground and said, “Old man, pray to your god, Domitian, now!”  I looked up at him and said,

“Gladly, I will pray for the king.  But I will not pray to him, for he is only a man.”

I felt a swift kick of his foot to my side, into my ribs--and I was gasping for air.  Then he ordered that I be arrested.  I was taken before the governor in Ephesus.  He was wise enough to know that, if he had me crucified, it would only create a problem for him.  So they sent me to this island, Patmos.  How much could they get out of these old hands? 

24.)  Walk to table where I did water into wine, pick up scroll

25.)  It was on the Lord’s Day when I began to receive my visions--visions meant to encourage the believers, including you, here today.  Meant to help you know who your real King is.  Why you should remain faithful in the face of persecution. 

These days were difficult times.  Christians had to choose between fitting in or following the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.  It was not easy.  Were we Romans first? Or were we Christians first?  What were we willing to pay to be a Christian?

26.)  Open the scroll

I began writing my revelation to the 7 churches where I had traveled.  I wrote,

“The words of Jesus, who is faithful and true”--I wrote to the church at Ephesus--they had lost their first love--they needed to repent.  I wrote Thyatira--they were compromising with the world.  Allowing sexual immorality in their church leaders and churches.  I called them to repent.

To the church in Laodicea, I wrote, “you have become lukewarm, would that you were hot or cold--but because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth--repent!”  Reclaim your passion for the Lord Jesus.

27.)  The central issue that landed me on this island of Patmos was worship.  Who would we worship?  For a Roman, it was no problem to bow down and offer incense to the Roman emperor.  But for Christians, this was a different matter.  God would not share His glory with anyone else.

28.)  These were visions of worship--To reveal what true worship is and the One who is worthy of that worship--place on screen

Holy, holy, holy, (I’ve heard that you have a hymn named “Holy, Holy, Holy“)
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!
You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And for Your pleasure they exist and were created.

I fell down on my face.  The Lord Jesus was the King of Kings. 

29.)  Then I saw the wickedness of the Roman empire.  It had 7 heads.  Of course, Rome is the city of 7 hills.  The devil wanted us to worship another god, other than the Lord Jesus.  He called him the beast and antichrist. 

<Picture of the beast, false prophet on the screen>

The beast set up an image of himself and forced the people to bow down to the antichrist.  The Lord Jesus said, “Don’t worship the beast, Rome.  Don’t compromise your faith.  Be bold and courageous no matter what the cost.  This world is temporary, it will fall away.

30.)  The beast, the antichrist, the false prophet and the number, 666. 

<Picture of 666 on the screen>

God’s perfect number is 7.  The devil has always tried to take the place of God.  He said that whoever took his number, 666, on his hand or head, would be trapped in the devil’s snare forever. 

But there is only one true kingdom and King and He shall reign forever and ever!  Hallelujah!

 31.)  Then I saw Him, a vision of Jesus--I had not seen Him in 60 years! 

<Picture of Jesus on the white horse>

He looked young, his eyes looked like blazing fire and he was riding a white horse.  And behind him, all the forces of the heavenly kingdom were with him--the was Peter on his horse, Thomas, Andrew--even Paul, riding into battle.  And they rode into the valley of Megiddo.  There were no swords in their hands, only a word from the mouth of Jesus to destroy the enemy, Satan. 

<Picture of Satan in the lake of fire

Satan was utterly destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire.  Never to be heard from again. 

32.)  Then I saw the New Jerusalem coming out of Heaven. 

<Picture of the New Jerusalem>

There was a river running through it, and the tree to bring healing to the nations. And a voice said to me,

“There is no more death, no more crying, no more pain.” 

I wish you could have seen that vision (place hand on heart).

This life is not all there is--in the face of suffering in your life--remember that place were there is no more suffering.

33.)  It will be hard to stay faithful.  Will you stand for what the Lord wants or will you desire the praise of men?  How you lost your first love?  It is time for you to repent--give your worship to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.  Do you place your attention on the gods of this world?  Gods of steel and gold?  You will be tempted and tested.  Will you compromise?  Will you say, “I am His follower, He is my King, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last?”

Remain faithful to Jesus--He will remain faithful to you. 

34.)  Reach out to Jesus, he’s reaching out to you today. 

35.)  These things we have written, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, so that you may know you may have eternal life.

36.)  Maranatha!

Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

36.)  BENEDICTION

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Maranatha!
Amen. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.