7 Visions 03 - 2 LORD Over His Church

Going through Revelation, it is a seven Visions, we're going to cover all 22 chapters in a very rapid fashion and I know every one of you in here has read chapters 1 through 22, right? Yeah. It's a good thing. You haven't, you got homework to do. Second thing. Is today, we're going to look at Jesus in the second division, which is Ward over his church, and its chapters 2, & 3. I'm assuming that you have read chapters 2 & 3 already. If you have it, when you leave taken, what we're going to share today, and you go read the chapters 2 & 3. Time does not permit me to dig into the richness of the seven churches. I could easily spend two to four hours on each Church, aisle with all of the significance that's behind each of those churches. And that would take quite a while at 20 minute increments. So I just can't do that, but I'm working. I'll look at an overview instead for next week. We'll look at Vision 3, where we see Jesus as lord of the heavens and I want you to read chapters four and five for next week. So that way you'll kind of have an idea where we're at. Before we get there, a couple things to be looking for the other half of the rainbows, I want you to see if you can find the other half, the rainbow in Revelation, 4 and 5. And then I also want you to start thinking about the crown Doctrine, how many crowns are there? There are Five Crowns. What are they?

I didn't figure you would know about last week and if you haven't see, if you don't know what those are that's perfectly legit. If you say why I've never heard that, there's Five Crowns, I understand that too. A little bit later on, in this study, I may take a week and go over. What does Five Crowns are? You will see them mentioned. So I'm calling your attention to the word. So that as you read through these chapters, you will begin to see and maybe pick up on some of those words is off. I remember that word I need to remember that and go back to it. And those of you that want to read ahead in the second week of August will be looking at Jesus as Lord over history future which comes from Revelation chapter 6 to 11. So you will want to have read chapter 6, 7, 8, 9 10, Andy Levin prior to that second Sunday in August as we keep up. So that and that's only the first part of that particular Vision. All right, so a lot of lot of stuff coming up. As we move forward. This is a quick reminder. These are the seven visions that are broken out, and this is the framework that I'm using to help with Connor roll through. Also the framework. That once I got a handle on this Revelation from me, truly unlocked a lot of the understanding, not that I have a Mastery spot, it makes more sense to me. So, looking at the seven churches,

we have to understand what eternity is eternity, only has meaning in the context of Jesus Christ. So, the church must be seen and understood in the same context that we are. The Church of Jesus Christ. Is that true? Now not to be confused with the other congregation that claims? That that was not confused at. Let's not great. That's not even a gray line, but we belong to Jesus Christ and so much so that I am a Christian. But it is difficult. A lot of times to say Christian because Christian have been that word has been misrepresented. So, to to truly identify, I would prefer to say, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. When you say, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, then people know who you are or they that would the other bad thing is I or the rough stuff is, as you look at Christianity, there's a lot of hollywoodism that has taken Christians and cast even in a dark lights. But when you say I'm a follower Jesus Christ, that is the true contact. So, the church exists only for Jesus Christ exist. By the way, if you don't know and I'm sure everyone in here does the church is not this structure. The church is the people that are followers of Jesus Christ. We are the church. Okay, let's not get hung up on the structure that it's, it's all about people, but we exist for what purpose The worship God Almighty to worship, Jesus, to bring him, praise to honor him, no matter what it takes of us, that's what we are here for. So, that's the reason for the church, the church is not the answer for man and his struggles. Read that again. Let that sink in the church is not the answer for, man and his struggles. We have a lot of people that say, will you come to church and will take care of this and we'll take care of that. What that's doing is that setting people up for failure because their church, we are no better than they are to a great degree. So the right answer is what we need to stop pointing the resource to the church and start pointing the resource to Jesus Christ. Because when we refer everything to Jesus in point everything that we do to Jesus and connect everyone straight to Jesus, and get us out of the middle, then, that is where the real solutions lie. Now, that's also taken into consideration. Who are the hands feet eyes? Heart of Christ. We are at the church, right? So we are to be used as long as we. Bringing glory to God glory to us. And there's also a difference a year reflect on that. How many other Church organization structures Gathering bring honor to themselves rather than Point honor to Christ. And you can do that research on your own. But that is a testament of who Church of God walked in the midst of his people. And we looked at that last week, we saw that Jesus is in the midst of the churches, the seven lamps and and he walks in the midst of his people. He is right here, when we come together and corporate worship, we need to ask Jesus to come be in our atmosphere to come be in our present to come be here with the tenant dwell amongst us and speak to each and everyone of us and he holds his Messengers in his hand. Remember that from Revelation 1? Who are his Messengers?

Elders Gathering pastors are specifically The Messengers that we talked about and we are The Messengers now. There's a double charge for pastors and teachers that teach erroneously. Okay, there is a double judgment if you will. And that since on their butt and he sees all knows all and judges off and the fact that he holds his Messengers in his hand and I'm wanting you to capture the word messenger, because the other word that you use for Messenger that you reading scripture is what five letter word. Y'all missed a perfect chance. I'm just saying, all right, the peace in Jesus Christ. Send this message to his church. He send. This message to his church. So of all the things he could say, of all the things he could come out with. He came out with these seven things, the seven churches, and he gave this message to the church, but he encourages the church to be the strength of his character. So we looked at last week, the lord of the cosmos, we saw Jesus on his throne. How did that make you feel? When you stop? And you think that's a person you serve as as my savior and as my Wards, when you saw the picture in your mind off through the reading of scripture, where Jesus the city. How does that make you feel? Humbled is one take safe. How does that make you feel? How should it make you feel? I am a Christian. Glad I'm a Christian. We're not worthy to be there and yet we are what Right there. What did I share? As we opened up today that we are able to go right before the throne of grace, right in his presence every time you pray every time you talk to him, you are right there. So he encourages the church us to be the very strength of his character. His character is not dependent upon us, but we are encouraged to be as he would have us to be. He is there for the church in our struggles for false. What about our failures? Every time you failed and how many people time and time and time and time again? Have you said when I was flat on my back and I couldn't go any lower, I was finally forced to look up and you felt like you are true of utter and total failure. What did they say after that? After that acknowledgement. The next words were thank God. He came to me, he's always pursuing a relationship with us. Remember that Henry, blackaby taught that by the way, he is always pursuing our relationship with us. He never stops pursuing a relationship and he always wants a relationship that is deeper. He doesn't want to stop for your rat. He is always pursuing a deeper relationships and if you want to serve God it's not that. We hope God shows up. We need to find out where God is working and join him. There, we need to find out where God is working and join him there and do what he would have us to do. By the way, that's Henry. Blackaby is well, he was phenomenal.

The church is weak and anemic. The church is weak and anemic. Do you agree disagree reading that imprint? How does that make you feel right now?

Churches, weight.

George. Phalen seems like a chicken literally went to Edward considering that we everything we have is based on the blood of Christ.

Your blood is weak. Your blood is weak, or lacking nonexistent.

So, what we going to do about it?

The church is waking anemic and if you look at the seven churches of Asia Minor, you see the Church of Ephesus was a Loveless church because they what? Lost the first ones. They lost their first. Love the persecuted Church Smyrna. Did they get an attaboy or

Barnegat at attaboy they they were they were they were a positive example, by the way, but they were they were told to continue in during the persecutions. What about pergamus? The compromising Church. Sarah, the idolatrous and corrupt Church. The dead Church of Sardis. The Obedience hurts and Revival, which is the second positive church. That was given in Philadelphia play Odyssey. It is repulsive church. I did another side study on this. There are some who believe that the seven churches are actually laid out in Timeline order. So not only are we in the church Egg and I firmly believe that we are in the church age of chapter 2 and 3. That is a period of time we are in. But there are some that believe that the Loveless Church kind of started out in the beginning of time and we would be somewhere in Sardis the dead Church in Philadelphia, the obedient church and Revival and and cuz we're truly believe. We're going to see a Resurgence in a Revival in our churches. And then the repulsive Church would be the church, that is here when the Rapture accursed, I don't subscribe to that mindset. I disagree with that thought process, and I did some extensive research on it, and there's not enough research. Not enough support to even begin to go along that timeline and there's multiple reasons why I wanted to see them here. I don't spend time on it but just go with this that when you look at these churches, they're not meant to be, you know, spread out over time. These are the seven churches that existed right then and there. And these are the messages that were sent and it was meant to be covered by all seven churches at that time. Now, that also says that there are positives and negatives for each of those churches and that is totally applicable to us. Today, they were giving this message and you can take a pasta from this church in it and a correction from this other Church. In that can be our church here today. So there is that mix and match, but it is how God wants his church to be constructed. But we have to answer for it and 1st. Peter 4:17 says, for the time has come for judgement to begin with What household and is, it begins with us, what will be the outcome? Be for those who disobey the gospel of God? So think about that, whose going to be judged first in the end time. But we are, we are, we are first to be judge and God will judge us. Now. What's he going to judge? Hear? The judge is, let me ask you this and I've asked you before, if you paid attention, should Christians judge. Yes, yes. But not condemn us. We aren't The Condemned the firstest person. We are to condemn the sets in and that's a distinct difference. Don't cut short of the truth. Yes Christians are expected to judge against the rule of the Bible. The Bible is the rule book, the book of wall right up, the Bible in itself. So that is, that is what we judged against, and we judge the actions, but we love the Person. We love them through that because none of us can cast a stone into the other person because of their sin. Because when you look back, there's how many more sins that I have staff are not being called out at that moment. So I am no more. I am not any better than anybody else and you aren't any better than me. We're all in that same playing field and we're all on that journey to get better as we move forward. Do judgment begins at the house of God. So when that time comes judgment is coming and it begins with the house of God. And that's where we are as followers of Christ, churches and detailed accountable. And we are called to repentance, which means that we need to change our ways. And by the way, once you set of church, you aren't perfect from that point on even if you set it on good guidelines, because how easy is it to take us all for a off-ramp there to get off track of focus of where God would have you to go, right? So you have to come back and recheck, your thing reach Yourself and your Pathways involved. Judgment goes beforehand. Like I said earlier, the first we are not judge with the unredeemed because we are followers of Christ. We are the church and therefore we are the redeemed. In our judgment is separate from the unredeemed. And we'll look at that as we get towards the end of the book of Revelation. See, Jesus as the living head over his church first off. What picture do you see? Kind of coming through now that you seen Jesus? And in The Lord of the cosmos and in chapter one, you seen him at the reigning King. You seen him with his eyes, with his hair, with his role, with the regalia that he that he has in the knowledge. He is able to do that. His instructions that he is given to the church. What picture did you begin to see if Christ in our midst now? Picture. Think about that? Who is our King. Who is with us involved with us? So, what should we begin to conclude about the church? Knowing who our King is.

It's important.

Conduct ourselves, like the bride of Christ important to conduct ourselves. Exactly anything else. The king's servants, we are the king's servants.

Should we be a compromising Church? No. And where we have, we need to do. What repent and course. Correct. What response should we begin to make become more bold? Become more outspoken. To be more factual to stay closer to the word and not allow it to be watered down. What about persecution Loveless, preoccupation compromise. How many churches can you think of a 90? Every one of, you know, a half a dozen churches just that you drive by to even get to this church. How many churches have compromised their belief? How many churches have become preoccupied with other things, other than focusing on what God would have them to be?

So here's the seven churches.

It took a minute. So John is on the Isle of Patmos down here and the seven churches. So the first one was Ephesus and then if you see the path, And so, is he wrote the seven letters? The letters were to go. And then they would take the letters. Episis would go to Smyrna. Smyrna would go to her grandma, and then they would just continue to rotate that instruction. So they all received the same instruction, they all received over, also, they all knew what everything else was going on. It wasn't limited. So the charge the Cadence that you'll see the church, is a city where the church was eyes. And so you saw the seven churches, the Commendation. He said I can I'm able to command you, I need courage is a persevered what they are doing correctly. So what you got going on, keep doing just that the third is a complaint. He has, words are a complaint of criticism for most of the churches and warned them about what they are doing wrong. You're doing these things wrong, you need to make a change and he, and he tells them that what you must do in order to get, right? And how to stay, right? Spiritually, what you have to do, it gives you that and then he comforts you. He says he offers a genuine Believers in each church words of comfort and blessing for the future, if you will do these things, if you will hold true, then you will see this Comfort coming. So let's look a little deeper here. Alright, first off each letter is addressed to the angel of the particular Church to the angels. So for each letter, you sent to the angel, which is also an angel. In this case, is the messenger. And it is the pastor. Here's the deal. As you read through, here it is given to that angel who is the messenger of God. So if it was truly an angel would that angel be pastoring that church are looking over that church directly? No, and that's why. And this thing in this, in this scripture passage, I am firmly convinced that the messenger are the Angel that's reference is to that overseer or two. That Pastor that Shepherd of that flock, that is there. That is why I see that in that way, that is the Angel Second cuz Angel is translated messenger there and we discuss that last week second here. Now, just what he has to say describes himself in terms of the vision, John had a Jesus, which he described in chapter one. So each of the seven Visions into the seven churches, links back to the description that you see in chapter one, and you can go back and draw some correlation. To the third thing is, Jesus tells the church that he knows them. He describes what he knows about them. And he gets particular, he gets specific and sometimes this includes words of commendation. This is what you're doing, right? And he gets it to the Fourth and most of the letters Jesus says, but I have this against you, he did that for 5 except for two and then he tells the church for they have gone wrong. This is for you gotten off the rails and this is where you need to come back here now. So the church what he has against them. And he calls them to repentance and in God, doesn't condemn the church. He says, if you will make changes, then everything's going to be okay, you need to repent. You need to change from the way, you're doing things, and get back on track, having called the church to repentance Jesus. Then threatens the church with the consequences that will follow. If you don't repent, you can choose not to repent. But if you choose not to repent, this is what's going to happen. The letters are concluded with a command, for those who are with ears to hear what the spirit says. Not everyone has ears to hear true or false. Truth. And we know that non-believers don't have those spiritual ears, they don't have those spiritual life. The only way that you have the eyes and the ears is if you have, if you are indeed a child of the king, then churches are motivated to heat the contents of the letter by the promises made to those who overcome So, let's look at the first church now that you saw the Kaden right to the angel, the church in Ephesus. So the angel, the church will be to the pastor of the church in Ephesus, that says, the one who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand, the Seven Stars would be the Golden lampstand and who walks among the seven golden lampstand. So the seven golden lamp stands are the Charges and the stars are The Messengers are. So I know your works. I know your labor and I know your endurance and that you cannot tolerate evil. People, you have tested those who call themselves Apostles and are not and you have found them to be Liars. So these folks in Ephesus, they are all about. Making sure that whoever they listen to whatever, they understand, whatever they hear from them, is spot-on with what God would have them to say. And that they are truly a messenger from God's Throne. That is what they're they're really good at no doing that day if they're doing right. Well, and they are doing some good works and they're doing some good labor and sharing the love of Christ. And I know that you've been persevered and endured hardships are hardships for the my namesake and you have not grown weary. You know, that people are going to come against you for doing good things. You know, that you're going to be persecuted a lot again. Know that people are going to even pee at you and and all of those things that I know that and you've enjoyed all of that. And you have done well cuz you not growing weary but this is what you've done. You have abandoned the love. You had it first and we as a church, think about this sentence right here. This is where we lost our first love, who was our first Jesus Christ. And when we lose the love of Christ, how many times have you heard think about your own history? We get hung up and doing Church. We're not really going to church. We can get so hung up and doing church. We do this, we do that. We serve here, we serve there, you know. I'm a teacher, Deacon service cook. I clean the church. I do all these things at the church. I get. So hung up and doing church. I forget what My first love, which is what Jesus Christ, and I'm there. Every Sunday, every time the doors are open. I'm the one that unlocks the church and locks the church. I'm the one that makes your all these things do. I'm there all the time.

But what's missing? Jesus Christ. That's what's missing and that is, what Jesus is saying, I have against you, so we learn in Matthew, 22 teacher, which command in the law is the greatest. He said that them love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, that is our first commandment Above All, That is what we're to do first. Because this is the greatest and most important command, we can't lose sight of that. And we can get hung up and doing church. And I got a feeling that every one of us in this room at some point in our Christian life has got hung up in doing church and we have lost some of our first love and we had to do a spiritual reset. We had to come back and say I'm not going to just do church. I want to focus on Christ. So the rest of Revelation Chapter 2, remember then how far you have fallen now that you see the difference here? Remember how far you are if you'll repent turn from the way, you're doing things and do the work, she did it first. Otherwise I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. Yet you do have this, you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate idolatrous, and what not, you can read that later. But anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the spirit says, to the churches to the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the paradise of God told you to look at the end. There's always a promise of what what is coming and I'm coming in to. I'm circling the airport right now so the church is weak and anemic. When you look at two specific churches that assist in thyatira when you look at those churches to Lovelace Church lost their love but they are they started reaching out and wanted to do what everybody

They loved everybody. I love everybody don't matter. What I love everybody. And so in that mindset of loving everybody and there's no wrong letter by coming in. What it happened, is that a Dollar Tree and corrupt Church, they allowed Jezebel into their midst and they started then doing things that in the Name of Love and they went off track big time. You go back and you read. And you think about some of our current churches that have gone so far off that they are now we can anemic and they, they have a loud that idolatrous talk inside the church inside that teaching inside that leadership and they have gone so far in the Name of Love, and I'm going to tell you sometimes there has to be tough love, and you have to let me know Jesus. As this is the lost, you go. Read spy tear up the a dollar tree, stand her up shirt and see if you don't agree with me, but Revelations 2:20, but I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel. Now there's, there's a whole lot of

Meta, what's the word substitute this? For another one? Metaphor. Thank you. There's a lot of metaphor right here with the woman Jezebel, but who calls herself a prophetess. And teaches and to seize my servants. To commit sexual immorality.

And how many churches? Just popped through my head, that do just that one thing right there. How many churches right now, just talk through my head, let alone yours That have done just that and gotten off base. They have let that woman Jezebel end of their church and now they are truly, we can anemic. So if you look through the seven churches, you look at the Loveless church that lost their first. Love the persecuted church that was being persecuted because they were doing, right, the compromising church because they compromise their standards, they compromised what they believe they allowed a little bit inside and they got just a little bit off and out of touch with what was going on and they were losing the battle. The idolatrous and corrupt Church where they went full board, they just totally lost for they were at and they've got totally corrupt with what was going on. The dead shirt, the dead shirts are those that truly check the box for going to church. And then, you know, I want a cent discount at the restaurant. So I'm able to check the box of going to church, but I never went to church. I may have graced the ground but how Never. I never talked to God while I was there and the church is able to do all these things. True, they look like they're doing church but they ain't doing church at all because they're doing it all for themselves. They have the wrong motivation in the wrong heart condition, still be at church and Revival is Philadelphia and that church is growing reaching and they are truly I seen God work in their midst and the repulsive charge for those that think they got everything. We got it all going on and highfalutin whatever. And that church is considered the repulsive church. So Jesus challenges the church in Ephesus to be a Congregation of great love. He calls the congregation in Smyrna to be steadfast and suffering. Persecution don't give up. Stay the course. Believers in pergamum are reminded to hold firmly to the truth. Hold firmly to the truth. Hold firmly to what the Bible says, hold firmly to what I'm teaching. You the Christians in thyatira. He command to live lives of moral purity. Jesus challenges the church in Sardis to become a congregation with true, spiritual life, with true, spiritual life. And the promises are at the promises, the congregation in Philadelphia that the Open Door to Heaven is a shirt, even though you're in during this time, that door is open for you, in heaven, Believers in the way out to see her or worn to reject the self-sufficiency because their self-sufficiency is going to land them where and he'll make a change. So, I knew I wouldn't have time to get through this graphic, but This is a very important graphic in that ties Revelation, 2 and 3 your churches. And it, if you read at the end of each of those, if you read the end of each of those description of the promised blessings eat from the tree of life. It is fulfilled in revelation 22 2 in no harm from the second death, Revelation chapter 2021 upright. Stone in the morning Stars referenced in Chapter 2 is fulfilled in 21. You will reign with Christ. You will net. Your name will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life from Revelation 3-5. It is fulfilled in 2127, we will be closed and white, we will made a pillar in the temple identification with an eternal City and a great name, all of those things, all of those things that is your prophecy. That is the Fulfillment and a promise that Christ has given to us to those that overcome and those that stay. True to cry. No matter what comes against us. That's our promised. Their friends. That's our promised, and it's all fulfilled in scripture. Do you believe it? Amen. Do you believe it? Amen. So he is Lord over his church. Your homework is to Think Through what picture is kind of coming through. What are you beginning to see about? Jesus Christ, what are you beginning to see you about his church? What are you beginning to see about how we right here are conducting ourselves. And within the Church of New Heights, Baptist Church, what should we begin to conclude about the church and where we are? And how spiritual are we in? Are we check in the box? Are we truly coming Before the Throne of Christ? What picture of what response should we begin? To me? We should become more bold, we should become more committed in landing, where we want to land. Come on, click,

Yeah, that's okay. So with that, those are your pictures. Remember, we're going to be in chapter 4 & 5 next week, hope you have pre-read that fire trucks coming in, and with that being said, on closes in prayer, father, we do it. Thank you today, and we thank you for your word, you giving it to us or I pray. That is we studied your word is, as we continued to study reach out that you would pour yourself into us. That you would open her eyes that you would open our ears in our hearts would be touched. Our lives would be changed. That we would see you truly, as the king of kings. In the Lord of lords, The Great. I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, in the end, the author, the finisher of our faith and Lord, You Are The Great. I Am, and we declare that your today. What? I pray that you would fill us with your presence. Lord, that you would show us the truth that we need to embrace and Lord that you would keep us from compromising our becoming and a church that has fallen off the way Lord that you would indeed. Continue to convict us that we would repent from our weight and and draw closer to you or our prayer requests that we have lifted up to you today. We know in full confidence that you're going to answer according to your wheel in every way, what I pray for pastor Thomas, he brings a message today that you would feel him with your present, speak to him today. And or that the words that are said, would be the word that you would have. To be said that lives would be touched and changed that are in our midst today and your most holy and precious name. We do pray and ask these things. Amen.