Conclusion
on the Seven Churches
Begin
Text:
Last
month we ended our study at the church of
Philadelphia. I have a few more things to say
about the at Philadelphia, so let’s begin
with verse 10:
Revelation
3:10 Since you have kept my command
to endure patiently, I will also “keep”
(tereo: preserve you) you from (during) the hour
of trial that is going to come upon the whole
world to test those who live on the earth.
Revelation 3:11 I
am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that
no one can take your crown.
Revelation 3:12 Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple
of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will
write on him the name of my God and the name of
the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is
coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will
write on him my new name.
Revelation 3:13 He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.”
The church at Philadelphia,
like the church at Smyrna, was suffering
persecution from the Romans. In addition to this
grievous problem, the church was embroiled in a
bitter conflict between Jewish converts and
Gentile converts. This conflict is called
“the synagogue of Satan” conflict and
this controversy also affected the church at
Smyrna.
In a nutshell, Jewish
converts to Christianity insisted that Gentile
converts must be circumcised; observe the feast
days and other Levitical laws if they were to be
children of Abraham and heirs of the promise
given to Abraham. Remember, this is A.D. 95 and
Christianity was struggling with its Jewish roots
and baggage. One of the reasons that God
scattered the Christians from Jerusalem in A.D.
70 was to prevent Christianity from becoming
Jewish!
This is why Jesus said:
“I will make those who (boast
about their Jewish heritage, but)are of the
synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though
they are not, but are liars – I will make
them come and fall down at your feet and
acknowledge that I have loved you (instead of
them).”
Wow! As far as far as the
King of the Jews is concerned, calling
yourself a Jew does not make you a Jew! God hates
self-righteous and self-importance.
I need to be perfectly clear
on this subject. Self-righteousness and self-importance
is a common human characteristic. It is a
powerful component in our selfish fallen nature.
Some people have a capacity for more self-righteousness
and self-importance than others. Some people are
just full of it!
Self-righteousness and self-importance
is that part of the curse of sin that God hates
the most – because a self-righteous sinner
magnifies his self-importance to the place that
he takes the place of God.
A self-important and self-righteous
person likes to give orders. He likes to be the
boss; he likes to be up front and out front. He
seeks and wants attention and adulation. As a
matter of fact, a pompous self-righteous sinner
is a perfect reflection of Lucifer. The devil
became so pompous and “right” in his
own thinking that God became inferior.
Bad news: Self-righteousness
is an inseparable component of religion because
self-centeredness is the core of our carnal
hearts. Every person and every religion on Earth
has a problem with self-righteousness.
Proof: No religion
will admit that another religion knows more about
God than itself. Self-righteousness is an attitude
of superiority….
I know most
I know best
I am better off than…
And the clergy, those of us
who preach or teach are cursed with a double
portion of self-righteousness. Here’s why: It
is a contradiction in terms for a person be a seeker
of truth and at the same time, a defender of the
faith.
On the other hand, it is
possible for a person to have the humility of a
child. Jesus said:
Luke 18:17 “I
tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive
the kingdom of God like a little child will never
enter it.”
God doesn’t ask us to
convert other people to our way of thinking. God
doesn’t want us shoving our religious
beliefs down the throats of other people. Rather,
God only asks that we be able to share and
explain to others the joy and the reasons for the
hope that is within our hearts.
1 Peter 3:15 “….Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:16 Keeping
a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against the good behavior in Christ
may be ashamed of their slander.”
When Jesus was on Earth, the
leaders of Israel could not understand His
teachings because of their arrogance and self-righteousness.
They knew from the start they were right and
Jesus was wrong. This is how self-righteousness
works.
If Jesus were on Earth today,
most religious leaders would not give Him five
minutes of serious consideration because of self-righteousness.
Here’s a little test:
What would be the likelihood
of a devout Jehovah’s Witness reading a book
produced by a Catholic priest? Zero, because
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not permitted to
read religious materials produced by other
religious bodies – but they are more than
eager to ask everyone else to read their
materials! The Jehovah’s Witnesses are so
firmly convinced that they have and know God’s
truth; they are persuaded there is no point in
reading other literature.
I would like to use this
behavior of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to
demonstrate a second point. Even if your own
church does not prohibit you from reading
doctrinal materials produced by other churches,
you probably don’t.
Why? Is it self-righteousness
or laziness?
When a particular view on a
doctrine makes sense, most people stop their
investigation and this is a problem because….
Truth never stops unfolding. So, what
makes sense today when more light on a particular
subject is exposed? A self-righteous person
thinks that he has surrounded the truth on a
particular matter, and then he shuts his mind.
This is what self-right-ness
does. “I’m right, I know the truth, and
I don’t want to hear anything different.”
I must confess that if Jesus were on Earth today,
masquerading as a carpenter – I would
probably ignore his teachings until I saw a
miracle. Be honest, wouldn’t you?
Jesus identified Himself to
the church at Philadelphia with this description:
“These are the words of Him who is holy
and true” because He is the Word…He
was speaking as God and He was speaking Truth.
And his comments to the Jewish converts in
Philadelphia and Smyrna were brutal.
Jewish converts in the
church at Philadelphia claimed to be superior to
their brothers because they were ancestors of
Abraham…. But, Jesus condemned them twice by
saying (a) that they were of the synagogue of
Satan and (b) they were liars. Jesus used some
very strong words….
What were the Jewish
converts lying about? They said they were Jews
and they were not. “I will make those who
are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be
Jews though they are not, but are liars – I
will make them come and fall down at your feet
and acknowledge that I have loved you.”
This message should cause
every Christian to examine his spiritual
condition. Listen carefully: the word “Jew”
means something different to God than it does to
man. To God, the term refers to those who, like
Abraham, choose to serve Him with a pure heart.
Jesus is King of the Jews
because He chose to do the will of the Father
with a pure heart. For this reason, the Father
has exalted His Son as the king of those having
“pure hearts.” To mankind, the term
“Jew” often identifies a race of people.
But, there is a world of difference between God’s
use of the word “Jew” and man’s
use of the word “Jew.”
The descendants of Abraham
are first called “Jews” in the book of
Esther (5th century B.C.). For almost
a thousand years before the Babylonian captivity,
the descendants of Abraham were called “Hebrews”
which mean gypsies. (Genesis 14:13) During the
Babylonian captivity, the Babylonians created a denigrating
word for the self-righteous captives from
Judea.
The Hebrews let the
Babylonians know in no uncertain terms that THEY
were God’s chosen people, and this claim
amused the Babylonians because these gypsies were
nothing but exiles and slaves. So, instead of
calling them gypsies, the Babylonians used the
slang “Ju” to represent the “self-asserting
chosen race’ from Judea.
History says this is how the
term “Jews” came to be. You might be
surprised to know that this derision and scorn
comes as a fulfillment to prophecy:
Jeremiah 29:18 “I
will pursue them (Israel) with the sword, famine
and plague and will make them abhorrent to all
the kingdoms of the earth and an object of
cursing and horror, of scorn and reproach, among
all the nations where I drive them.
Jeremiah 29:19 For
they have not listened to my words,”
declares the Lord, “words that I sent to
them again and again by my servants the prophets.
And you exiles have not listened either,”
declares the Lord.”
Ezekiel 36:20 “And
wherever they went among the nations they profaned
my holy name, for it was said of them, “these
are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to
leave his land.’
God took a nation of slaves
and He did everything possible to elevate them to
the stature of a great nation… only to have
His own people turn against Him. So, God made
their name a matter of scorn and reproach among
the nations.
Think about this: Jesus came
to earth as a Jew. He came at a time when the
Romans despised the Jews. Jesus came to Earth to
share the suffering that His people were
experiencing. But, His own people and the Romans
put him to death!
Pilate put the title of
Jesus on the cross in three languages.
John 19:19
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the
cross. It read:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING
OF THE JEWS.
John 19:20 Many
of the Jews read the sign, for the place where
Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the
sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
John 19:21 The
chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that his man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
John 19:22 Pilate
answered, ‘What I have written, I have
written.”
I love this point: A pagan
governor recognized who Jesus was and He declared
His title in three languages so that everyone
might know the true identity of Jesus. Jesus
is still king of the Jews, but the term
“Jew” is not a race….. it is a
type of heart, an attitude.
Romans 2:28 A
man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor
is circumcision merely outward and physical.
Romans 2:29 No,
a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly, and
circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the
Spirit, not by written code. Such a man’s
praise is not from men, but from God.
This is why Jesus condemned
the synagogue of Satan in Philadelphia. This is
why Jesus declared those claiming to be Jews were
liars. The point here is that God is not
perplexed about the church we attend. God is not
concerned about our biological heritage. God does
not respect our ethnicity. God is not impressed
with our education or possessions. To God, the
human race is one race. When it comes to race,
there is no distinction as far as he is
concerned between Jew and Gentile. (There was
a distinction at one time, when Israel was
appointed as the trustee of His covenant, but He
later abandoned this distinction.)
However, there remains a
sharp distinction between the children of Abraham
and the children of the devil:
John 8:39 “Abraham
is our father,” they replied. “If you
were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus,
“then you would do the things Abraham did.
John 8:40 As it
is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has
told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham
did not do such things.
John 8:41 You
are doing the things your own father does.”
“We are not illegitimate children (like you
are),” they protested. “The only Father
we have is God himself.”
John 8:42 Jesus
said unto them, “If God were your Father,
you would love me, for I came from God and now am
here. I have not come on my own; but he who
sent me.
John 8:43 Why is
my language not clear to you? Because (of your
self-righteousness) you are unable to hear what I
say.
John 8:44 You
belong to your father, the devil, and you want to
carry out your father’s desire. He was a
murderer from the beginning, not holding to the
truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies,
he speaks his native language, for he is a liar
and the father of lies.”
We see that salvation boils
down to an attitude. Those who love “truth”
keep searching for more truth. God’s
children have an attitude of “tell me more!”
I want to know everything about God that I can
absorb!
John 3:19 This
is the verdict: Light has come into the world,
but men loved darkness instead of the light
because their deeds were evil.
John 3:20 Everyone
who does evil hates the light, and will not come
into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed.
John 3:21 But
whoever lives by the truth comes into the light,
so that it may be seen plainly that what he has
done has been done through God.”
Don’t be fooled. “The
synagogue of Satan” controversy has not
ended. The conflict with self-righteousness
continues in most churches.
Jesus closed His remarks to
Philadelphia saying, “Hold on to what you
have….” These words are crucial when
the fires of persecution are hot and you have
been isolated from family and friends.
Persecution can produce two outcomes.
First, if the carnal nature
is being persecuted, the carnal nature will rebel
and fight to the bitter end of life if the issue
at hand is contrary to its will. Lucifer would
rather die that give in to God’s authority.
Good news: His wish will eventually be granted…
On the other hand, if the
spiritual nature is being persecuted, enduring
persecution and suffering because of principle
can be very difficult. It is easy to “just
say uncle” and stop the pain. But, those who
overcome the adversary by choosing to stand
for the right will be rewarded beyond their
wildest imagination!
You should know that every
person who suffers because of principle
will be highly elevated in God’s kingdom
because this is a pure reflection of His
character.
When human beings stand firm
for their faith in God, our sacrifice brings
glory to God because this is how He lives and
loves! He did the same for us! This is why Jesus
said:
Verse12 “….Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple
of my God. Never again will he leave it.”
The temple of God in the
Earth made new will not be a building.
Revelation 21:22
“I did not see a temple in the city, because
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
The point here is that in
the Earth made new, when a temple service
convenes, over comers will form a quorum. We all
know that when Congress convenes, a quorum is
required…. A specific number of members must
be present for business will be conducted in His
presence!”
All over comers will be
given a special name tag when they get to Heaven.
Jesus said, “I will
write on him:
1. The name of
my God…
2. The name of
the city of my God, and I will also write on him,
3. My new name.”
This name tag will permit
its owner to travel anywhere in God’s
universe in a stretch-limo with a thousand angels
attending. Ok, I may be understating the point a
little bit, but you get the idea.
Once you receive this name
tag, you will be recognized throughout God’s
universe as a V.I.P. because YOU were trained to
be an over comer through suffering and temptation
on Earth for the exalted role that God has given
you throughout eternity and remember, the saints
will reign with Jesus on His throne!
Your victory in overcoming
the world makes you very special and unique to
God and Jesus wants everyone to know it, thus,
the glorious name tag. Can you say,
“Hallelujah!
Discipleship hurts? Discipleship is killing me?”
Laodicea: The last
message to the seven churches:
Revelation 3:14 “To
the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These
are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the ruler of God’s creation.
Revelation 3:15 I
know your deeds that you are neither cold or hot.
I wish you were either one or the other!
Revelation 3:16 So,
because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor
cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:17 You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and
do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and
naked.
Revelation 3:18 I
counsel you buy from me gold refined in the fire,
so you can become rich; and while clothes to wear,
so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and
salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Revelation 3:19 Those
whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest,
and repent.
Revelation 3:20 Here
I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:21 To
him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit
with me on my throne, just as I overcome and sat
down with my father on his throne.
Revelation 3:22 He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.”
Jesus is described:
The Amen = True / So be it
The Faithful Witness = Who
has fully revealed the Father
The Ruler of God’s
Creation = Everything concerning the church has
been put under His authority:
Matthew 28:18 Then
Jesus came to them and said, “All
authority” in heaven and on earth has
been given to me.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 29:20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.”
*Note: We know from
Ephesians 1:22 “And God placed all things
under his feet and appointed him to be the head
over everything for the church.” The
authority to control the church is not to be
confused with universal authority that is given
to Jesus in 1798. “And he made known to us
the mystery of his will according to his good
pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put
into effect when the times will have reached
their fulfillment—to bring all things in
heaven and on earth together under one head, even
Christ.” (Ephesians 1:10) This topic will be
closely examined when we study Rev 5.
The Problem in Laodicea:
Laodicea was a city of affluence and luxury. The
church was not suffering persecution. The church
was on “easy street” and the absence of
threat or danger induced security and lethargy.
Christians in Laodicea were physically
comfortable. Their zeal for winning souls was
nominal – throw a little money at the
preacher, and just be happy!
The Laodiceans were so busy
taking care of personal business and recreation
that they had little time for God’s work.
The thing that bothered Jesus most about Laodicea
was its indifference to the mission and
objectives of His church. The church of Jesus
only has two objectives:
1. Soul wining
2. Soul building
Any church committed to
these two objectives will grow and prosper
because Jesus will ensure its success! The church
at Laodicea meet together, they socialized
together, they did things together, but they did
nothing to reach out for lost souls. They had
little interest in evangelism and even less
interest in sanctification.
Revelation 3:17 You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and
do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and
naked.
Revelation 3:18 I
counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the
fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes
to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;
and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Revelation 3:19 Those
whom I love I rebuke and disciple. So be earnest,
and repent.
The church at Laodicea had a
lot of money. But Jesus warned them to buy gold
from Him. What does this mean? It means that
Jesus wants His followers to constantly set up
faith objectives, and through prayer and endeavor,
do our best to reach that objective. This is how
a church “buys pure gold” from Jesus.
This is how we “purchase” faith tried
in the fire as we set out to accomplish things
for God that are bigger than we thought possible.
For example, suppose the
church at Laodicea had set a faith objective to
win ten people to Jesus through three different
endeavors in one year. That would have been a
“soul winning” endeavor. Soul winning
is the first work of the Christian church. Show
me a church that puts forth little or no effort
to win souls, and I will show you a stagnant
church – a church in decline – a church
full of dead wood.
Soul winning is the first
work of the church of Christ for three reasons:
1.
When the basic doctrines are presented for the
benefit of new people, members benefit as they
are led to reexamine their core beliefs. What is
new and exciting for those hearing the gospel for
the first time is new and refreshing for those
hearing the gospel for the tenth time! The gospel
story never grows old to those that love Jesus!
2.
Soul winning is the first work of the church
because new people joining the church bring
talent, energy and vitality to the church. More
people, more joy, more talents, more love, more
of everything!
3.
Soul winning is the first work of the church
because members need to adopt and love those who
are struggling with problems created by sin. When
members confess their trials and failures with
new converts, everyone is encouraged and blessed.
Members learn to love and help new converts in
their struggle to apply the teachings of Jesus.
This sharing between experienced members and
babes in Christ is endearing and it is called
fellowship: two or more people in the same boat.
Three
reasons for soul winning:
1.
Basic doctrines refreshed
2.
New people = new dynamics
3.
Fellowship
Laodicea
was not focused on soul winning. It was content
with being lukewarm, and Jesus was disgusted with
His church. He knew this church would eventually
wither for lack of spiritual commitment and
direction.
This
is why He said, “I’m telling you…
buy from me gold refined in the fire (a
faith experience), so you
can become rich (through loving people
giving to them); and white
clothes to wear (wedding garment), so you can cover your shameful
nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you
can see (what is important).”
Revelation
3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and
discipline. So be earnest, and repent (of
your indifference). (Get with a soul winning
outreach and soul building experience and you
will be blessed!)
Revelation
3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in and
eat with him, and he with me. (Fellowship
with me!)
Revelation
3:21 To him who over comes, I will
give the right to sit with me on my throne,
just as I overcame and sat
down with my Father on his throne.
Revelation
3:22 He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The
authority and glory given to over comers will be
awesome! Words cannot begin to describe the
glories that Jesus has prepared for over comers.
This
completes our study on the seven churches.
Summary
statements:
Jesus
described seven times:
1. Ephesus:
Jesus describes as holding the seven stars in his
right hand and walking among the seven golden
lamp stands.
2. Smyrna:
Jesus described as the First and the Last, who
died and came to life again.
3. Pergamum:
Jesus described as the One who has the sharp,
double-edged sword.
4. Thyatira:
Jesus described as having eyes are like blazing
fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
5. Sardis:
Jesus described as holding the seven spirits of
God and the seven stars.
6. Philadelphia:
These are the words of Jesus: who is holy and
true, who holds the key of David – what He
opens no one can shut….
7. Laodicea:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
Seven
problems identified:
1. Ephesus:
Endured many hardships… Lost their first
love / (but hated the teachings of Nicholas)
2. Smyrna:
Persecuted and poor – but rich! Be faithful
to death / Ignore the slander of the synagogue of
Satan
3. Pergamum:
Throne of Satan / Holding to teaching of Balaam….
/ Accepted the teaching of Nicholas
4. Pergamum:
Perseverance…. But Jezebel was tolerated /
Religious bamboozle
5. Sardis:
Reputation for being alive, but dead inside…
6. Philadelphia:
Dealing with the synagogue of Satan
7. Laodicea:
Rich but lukewarm
Seven
promises to over comers:
1. Ephesus:
eat from the tree of life
2. Smyrna:
Not hurt by the second death
3. Pergamum:
Hidden manna / white rock
4. Thyatira:
Authority over the nations
5. Sardis:
Name never blotted out
6. Philadelphia:
Pillar in the temple
7. Laodicea:
Sit on the throne with Jesus
Remember,
the seven churches do not represent seven time
periods since the ascension of Jesus. They are
not prophetic they are didactic. The seven
churches represent the experience and conditions
of the whole of Christianity. Your current
spiritual condition or experience determines
which church you are in. The messages and
promises given to the seven churches are timeless
and universal.
End text:
|
