Revelation chapter 1, I'm taking the title for the message from what is said in verse 17. Fear not, I am the first, I am the last. And when I saw him, verse 17, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me saying, fear not, don't be afraid. I'm the first, the last, I'm the beginning, I'm the end, I'm alpha, I'm omega, I am all and in all. God our Savior is in absolute control of all things in heaven and in earth. In Daniel chapter 7, another vision given of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it says there His dominion is an everlasting dominion. Three times in the book of Daniel, the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Ancient of Days. He's the Ancient of Days. From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. In the beginning, God. He's the Alpha, the Omega, the First, the Last, and all things, salvation is of the Lord. In another reference in Daniel chapter 4 verse 35, when God gave that revelation to King Nebuchadnezzar, Remember he said, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this earth, and none can stay his hand, or send him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou? I am the first, I am the last. What that is saying is this, God is saying, I'm in charge. I'm in charge of all things. His sovereign rule and reign over all things in heaven and in earth. The Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 11, 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever. Amen. Amen. Now while John is cast out of society, He's cast out on this island called Patmos because he would not bow to the rule of Caesar. He would not say that Caesar is Lord. He insisted on preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they cast him out of society. But the Lord Jesus Christ met with him in a most personal and intimate way. John was cast out of society, but he was not cast out of the presence of the Lord. On the Lord's day, the Lord met with him, gave him this great, great vision and revelation of the glorious God-man mediator. And what a picture we have in these words that he paints for us. The glorified, majestic Lord, whose face shines like the sun, his feet like undefined brown, his voice powerful, sharper than any Two-edged sword. And when John saw the Lord Jesus Christ, the exalted, enthroned, resurrected God-man mediator, what was the response? When I saw Him, verse 17, I fell at His feet. I fell at His feet in adoration. Adoration and worship like a dead man. falling down before the Lord. Like many others who have seen the Lord Jesus Christ, including Joshua, Ezekiel, Daniel, Job. Job said, well, I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor, I hate myself. Moses, Isaiah, He said, woe is me when I've seen the Lord high and lifted up. The apostle Paul bowed before him when he was all of Tarsus and said, Lord, what would you have me to do? I've jotted down here that reference in Joshua chapter 5. When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him with a sword drawn in his hand. unto him, and said unto him, Are you for us, or are you against us? Are you for the adversary, or are you for us? And that the Lord Jesus Christ said to Joshua, he said, Nay, but as a captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. You know, the Lord is called the captain of our salvation. And notice the response, Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship him. Those who have seen the Lord Jesus Christ exalted in His Lordship, they bow to His sovereign rule and reign. Another example, we have in Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 1, it says this, When I saw it, I fell upon my face. When he saw the revelation of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. I fell upon my face and I heard the voice of one that spake, Stand up! I'll speak to thee. We read in Daniel chapter 10, I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength. The point I'm making is this, and you can read all through the scripture, the wild man in the tombs that nobody could chain him up, and calming down until he met the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we read of that man, he was clothed in his right mind and sitting before the Lord. No one could deal with him, but when he met the Lord, the Lord tamed him and made him one to worship the Lord. No one who meets the Lord in saving mercy and the Lord has revealed to his heart walks the same way as he did before he met the Lord Jesus Christ. Go through Scripture. You can read Scripture after Scripture after Scripture. When the Lord reveals Himself unto us in saving grace, He does something not only for us, but in us. He makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus. He causes us to love things that we never loved before. He causes us to think upon things that we would not ever meditate and think upon before. To you who believe, He is precious. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation, a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. When God is pleased to work grace in our heart, He gives us an understanding of who He is. and who we are. When we see the Lord Jesus Christ lifted up as exalted only Lord God and Savior, that causes us to worship Him and do so in spirit and in truth. Now notice what the Lord says here to him and what He does to John in this vision. When John sees a magnified, glorified Lord Jesus Christ sitting upon the throne, he says, I fell at his feet as dead. And what did the Lord do? He laid his right hand upon him, just like he did with Daniel and said, O Daniel, fear not, thou art greatly beloved. He laid his hand upon him, his right hand upon him, a hand of power, a hand of preeminence and glory. And he said, fear not, Fear not, I am the first, I am the last. Those who are laid in the dust by His glorious presence are raised up by the hand of His power. He laid His hand upon, it's a hand of love, it's a hand of grace. You see, He's loved His own with an everlasting love, therefore with love and kindness does He draw us to Himself. He laid His right hand upon John, The Lord of glory is most merciful to sinners who are broken and fearful in his presence. We read in the book of Psalms, the Lord has nighed them of a broken heart, save it such as be of a contrite spirit. That's a good place to be, on your face, in the dust, before the feet of the sovereign King, and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. And the Lord Jesus Christ gives John reasons for hope and comfort. He says, fear not. E'er not John, e'er not. I am the first, I am the last. John had heard the Lord Jesus Christ speak to him these words before. When the Lord was in the flesh, before His death, before His resurrection, when He ministered those three years with the apostles. One time the apostles were out in a ship and there was a great storm. And it was dark toward the fourth watch, it says. And the winds were boisterous and the ship was being tossed. And they see out there in the distance, they see someone walking on the water. And they were fearful. and afraid. And the Lord Jesus Christ comes to them and He says, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. Don't be fearful. Again, another place in Luke chapter 12, He says, Fear not, little flock, for it's your Father's good pleasure to give unto you the kingdom of God. Fear not. I am with thee. Be not dismayed. The believer resting in the Lord Jesus Christ for all of his salvation has no reason to fear our sin. Our sins are many. Our sins are against God. But the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So He appeared to put away sin. Remember in Revelation 1, verse 5, Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. No need to fear our sin condemning us because the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with our sin. and put away our sin. No need to fear our sin. No need to fear Satan. He is a defeated foe. The book of Revelation makes it so clear to us. Turn to chapter 12, I believe it is. Turn over there to chapter 12. Satan is a mighty adversary, but he is a defeated foe. Revelation 12, verse 9, the great dragon was cast out. You got it? Verse 9, chapter 12. That old serpent called the devil, Satan, which deceived the whole world. He is cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying, in heaven now is salvation strength. and strengthen the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ. For the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Now watch it. They overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. We only can overcome the accuser, the devil, the dragon, Satan, because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement for our sin. So believers have no reason to fear our sin, our guilt, no reason to fear Satan, he's defeated. No reason to fear the terrors of the law, which is contrary to us. which was against us. The law of God says you're guilty. Stop your mouth to guilty. But the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. No need to fear the law of God. It's been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I'm the first, I'm the last. That is, He's in charge of all things. Isn't it nice to know that somebody's in charge? God's in charge in all things. The Lord from all eternity is our surety in time. He died as a sacrifice for our sin. Today, He ever lived to intercede for us. He is everything in salvation. He is the first cause. What's the first cause of our salvation? He's the first cause. What's the last cause of our salvation? He's the last cause of our salvation. He's the beginning. He's the end. He's Alpha, Omega. He's the first and the last. It keeps saying that. Look at Revelation 1. Look at verse 8. I am Alpha. I am Omega. The beginning. The ending. Sayeth the Lord, which is, which was, and is to come. Oh, by the way, He's almighty. He's the almighty God. He's not just mighty, He's all-powerful, almighty, has all power in heaven and in earth. Now, He gives us another reason that we should not be fearful. Look at verse 18, Revelation 1 verse 18. I am He that liveth. I'm He that liveth. He's not just alive. He is everlasting life. I'm He that liveth, liveth, liveth as eternal God. as our eternal God, who has life in Himself originally, essentially, and is the author and fountain of all life and salvation to others. We only have eternal life as we are one with Him. The Father has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given unto Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is our surety as our mediator, as our advocate, ever live to intercede for us now and forever in that eternal and everlasting covenant of grace. He's able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, saying that he ever liveth to make intercession for us. From everlasting to everlasting, our Lord said, I am God. He does not change in His character. He does not change in His eternal purpose. He said, I am the Lord. I change not. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He said, fear not. I'm in charge. I'm the first. I'm the last. I live forever. I live forever. He's from everlasting to everlasting. He is our eternal God. Now, look at the next statement, and was dead. How can the living God, the everlasting eternal living God, how can he die? Well, God essentially can't. God is spirit. God is everlasting. But the God-man mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and man in one person, he did die. He did die a real horrible death. That is who the Lord Jesus Christ is. He's God Almighty, manifest in the flesh. And he had to be a man because God cannot suffer. And God cannot die. Man alone cannot satisfy, but the God-man mediator did both. He suffered and he satisfied the law of God for us, shedding his blood, giving his life for us. This is the amazing marvel and love found in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is life died for us, His death is the death of death. Think about that. John Owen said that years ago. There's a book by old John Owen, 1600 something, and he wrote a book entitled, The Death of Death in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the death of death, of our death. You see, for a believer to live is Christ, to die, what is it? It's gain. It's gain. Turn to Romans chapter 5. Let's read this together. Romans chapter 5. He who is life and salvation died to put away our sin. Look at Romans 5. Romans 5. He died for our sin according to the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15. Look at verse 6. Romans 5. When we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died. Who died? The Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us. Remember what God said to Daniel? Daniel, fear not, you're greatly beloved. God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Verse 11, "...not only so, but also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we now have received the atonement." The reconciliation for our sin. You see, He reconciled us unto God. Our sin separated us from God. The Lord Jesus Christ, putting away our sin, reconciled us unto God. We're one with Him. Hearing His love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and that He was the propitiation or the atonement for our sin. His death on the cross as a sinner's substitute was complete atonement for all of the sin of God's elect, laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not die to make salvation a possibility. He actually obtained complete and eternal redemption for His covenant people. So much so that God said their sin, their iniquity, will I remember no more. None for whom Christ died can perish because He ever lived to intercede for us. That's the next point. Look what it says in the text. Fear not, John. I'm the first, I'm the last, I'm in charge, I am he that liveth. And I died, I died for sinners, I died for the ungodly, I died to put away their sin. Behold, oh, he didn't stay dead, did he? I'm alive forevermore. Now what if he stayed in that tomb? What about they took him down from a tree and prepared that sepulcher and laid him in that tomb and they made it certain and sure, they put a seal on it and they put soldiers there to watch it so no one could come and steal his grave, steal his body and say, well, he is resurrected. They put a watch there, they put a seal on it, there's no way he's getting out of there. by somebody else's power. But on that third morning, what happened? There was a great earthquake. And the Lord on that third morning arose. He was delivered from our offenses and raised again. How do we know that what He did upon the cross was accepted of the Father? He sits in glory. Raised from the dead. When He by Himself purged our sin, He sat down. on the right hand of the throne of Almighty God. His resurrection is the guarantee of our salvation. If He be not raised up from the dead, we are yet in our sins, and we have no hope. If He's not raised up, my friend, the good news of the Gospel is on that third morning, He did come forth. He did come forth from the grave. I'm He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I'm alive. I'm alive. Forevermore. Our Lord said this in John 14, Because I live, you shall live also. We'll only live because He lives. You see, He came as a representative man, He lived as a representative man, He died as a representative man, He's risen as a representative man, and we're seated in the heavenlies already in the Lord Jesus Christ. Preacher, you're crazy. That's what the Word of God says. Ephesians chapter 2. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ, and we're seated in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ right now. He said, because I live, you shall live also. See what He's saying there? Don't fear. I'm in charge. I'm the first, I'm the last, I ever lived to make intercession for you. I died for your sin, but behold, I'm alive forevermore. And then the next word says, what does that say right there? Amen. So be it. So be it. I can say amen to that. Thank God. Thank God He came. Thank God He lived a perfect life, imputing to us a perfect righteousness. Thank God He put away our sin. Thank God He is seated in the heavenlies. And it says there, amen, and there's more. Is there more? There's more! He said, I have the keys. I'm the owner. I have power. I have the keys. I have the keys of hell and death. I have the keys of hell and death. The Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign in creation, providence, and salvation, but is also the sovereign over all things. He's a sovereign Lord over death and judgment. God's appointed a day in which He will judge all men by that man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has all power over death and judgment. No one dies accidentally. I know we use those terms all the time. We say those things all the time. Well, it was an accident. No accidents with God. Man's days are determined of the Lord. Man's days are determined of the Lord. It's appointed unto men once to die, and after that, judgment. No one's dying in this world without God's decree. Mark it down. You see, He has the keys of death. He has the keys of life. He has the keys of judgment. Judgment. All judgment given into His hand. Listen to this Scripture. Deuteronomy 32, see now I, even I am He. There is no God with me. I kill, I make alive, I wound, I heal. None can deliver out of my hands. Sounds like somebody's in charge. He's in charge of death. When one of our dear loved ones die, that's an appointment of God. I'm just confident, and that's what the Word of God teaches. Again we read in 1 Samuel 2, The Lord killeth and maketh alive the Lord, bringeth down to the grave, and He brings up. Our resurrection is going to be by the power of Almighty God. The power of Almighty God. He will also raise up In that last glorious resurrection morning, when the Lord comes again to receive us unto Himself, He said, Behold, I go away. If I go away, I'll come again and receive you unto Myself. In that last appointed day, who's going to get your dead body out of the ground? Mom and Dad ain't going to help. Who's going to raise up your dead body from the grave? It's molded back to the dust. Only God who has the keys of hell and death. I'm He that liveth forevermore. I have the keys of death. I have the keys of resurrection glory. He will raise all who have died in that final resurrection day, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting condemnation. There will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. Who's in charge in that day? God's in charge. He has the keys of hell and death, and my friend, He has the keys of heaven. He has the keys of heaven. Let me show you. I read this over here. I've been reading and studying in the book of Revelation quite a bit the last couple of weeks. Turn to chapter 4, verse 1. We're going to see this as we work through this study in the Revelation. Chapter 4 verse 1, after this, John says, I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was as it were as of a trumpet talking with me. That's who we met back in chapter 1. Come up hither, and I'll show thee things which must be hereafter. He has the keys of death and hell. He has the keys of salvation. And my friend, he has the keys to heaven. We only go there by his permission, by his decree. The Lord of glory, who died as our substitute, prepares a place for us now, and He will come again and receive us unto Himself." He said, I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. And then it says, no man, no man. I used to ask my boys when they were little, what part of no don't you understand? No man can come to me except the Father which sent me. Draw him. We only come by His decree, His death, His life, His intercession. Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? Only those in Christ. Only those in the Lord Jesus Christ. Since He took our sin, took our punishment, since He took our death, the believer in Christ has nothing to fear. Death is defeated. He ever lived to intercede for us. Sin is put away. We're justified in Christ. Christ had changed the character of death for the believer. He said, he that believeth in me shall never die. Do you believe this? To be absent from his body is to be present with the Lord. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. That's why we read over here, turn with me to Revelation 14, I believe it is. Revelation 14, 13. Yeah. That's why we can say when our Dear brother or sister in the Lord, it passes away, and we're all passing away. Our days here are numbered. They're very short. I'm a short timer. My days are few. But look at Revelation 14, 13. This is the reason we can say, I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Blessed are the dead would die in the Lord. How could it be a blessing to die? It doesn't say it's a blessing for those who die. Blessed are those who die in the Lord. Now that's the blessing, to be in the Lord. Now how do you get in the Lord? By His grace. By His decree. Now, in closing, let's look at verse 19. Revelation 1, verse 19. Write the things which thou hast seen. Aren't you glad He wrote them down? We could have them and read them. You remember what He said in verse 3? Revelation 1, verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter." Write them down. We have the precious word of God given to us in our very hand. Do you realize what we have? A treasure book. God's precious word. All scriptures given by inspiration of God. So our responsibility as believers to read it, to believe it, to receive it and then declare it to others. That's what preaching is. It's just repeating what God has already said. Psalm 66 says, Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul. That's what we're saying. what He has done for us. He lives for us. He died for us. He says I'm alive forevermore. He has the keys of salvation, hell and death and judgment all in His hand. Now write these things which are and the things which shall be hereafter. I am the first. I am the last. Fear not. I am with thee. Be not dismayed. For I am thy God.