The 7 Churches - Part 2 (Ethel Bible Study)

E. The Fruitless Church - Sardis (3:1-6)

1. The Church Historically

Sardis was a city on a rocky hill. In the past it had been a fortress. It had only one entrance. It was only conquered twice in it’s history. Both times it was from carelessness. The guard went to sleep on the job both times. That is what happens when you don’t finish well too, isn’t it? It happens when you get distracted from either holiness or God’s will for our life. Right!!!

Sardis also had an erosion problem. At one time, it had a harbor close to the city, today that harbor is over 2 miles away. This is the church of the Protestant Reformation. Protestantism eroded away too. It began great, but by 1750, it was dead, and only it’s reputation remained.

2. The Church Prophetically

Prophetically, the church of the Protestant Reformation, was from 1517 to 1750 A.D. We know exactly when it began. It was one of the most documented dates in church history. The Protestant Reformation began on October 31, 1517 when then Catholic priest Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis on his church door. One his thesis was from Romans 1:17 which stated “the just shall live by faith.” The just live by faith, not the works of Catholicism.

The statement in this passage that best describes this era in church history, is the statement in verse 1, “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” It had a great beginning by getting back to the truths of the Bible, from men like Martin Luther, John Knox, and even to some degree John Calvin. But this didn’t last! They soon got mixed up with the state again. At one point, a Protestant Church became the state church in England. I believe the Church of England came out of that.

Churches, and people, start out strong, but get off track and don’t finish well, too much of the time. You can be strongly and doctrinally correct, but if you don’t continue to walk with God everyday, a person will get sideways spiritually.

3. The Church Practically

a. The Remedy for this Church. (v 3)

It is about the same message as to the church at Ephesus, isn’t it?

(1) Remember the Past! (v 3a)

“Remember therefore how thou has recieved and heard”

Jesus is asking them to remember where they came from. We need to remember where we came from and get back to it.

(2) Repent in the present! (v 3b)

Just as he told some of the other churches we studied in chapter 2, “Repent!” They must see where they are and repent of their backsliding! Repent and get back to were you once were in your relationship and service to Jesus!

(3) Readiness for the future! (v 3c)

“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

To this church, He is telling them, you had better get right and get ready, because judgment is coming. On judgment day, will we be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight and I’ve finished the course.”

Repent!

Walk with God everyday!

Be filled with the Holy Spirit and obey Him everyday!

F. The Faithful Church - Philadelphia (3:7-13)

1. The Church Historically

This church, and the great persecuted church, the church at Smyrna, were the only two of these 7 churches to not have a condemnation from Jesus. These two were the greatest of the 7 church eras. They recieved no negative words from Christ.

In John’s day, Philadelphia was a thriving metropolis. Today, it is just a typical Turkish village. In John’s day, it was called little Athens, because it was such a Greek city. The temple to the Greek god Backus, was there. Philadelphia, as most of you know, in Greek means brotherly love. It got it’s name from the Greek king of Pergamos, Attalus II, who named it Philadelphia, because of his love for his brother Uminese.

2. The Church Prophetically

Prophetically, this church era began with the 1st great awakening in 1750 A.D. till, I believe, accentual the end of the Jesus movement in the mid 1970’s. Historically, this was the great evangelistic church. It has been called the church of the “open door,” because of that phrase being used in verse 8.

The Philadelphia church lasted longer than any of the seven churches John wrote to. It lasted longer than any other 1st century church as well. Why? Because of it’s evangelism!

3. The Church Practically

1. The Door! (v 7-8)

In this era there was little persecution, and missionaries were able to travel the world and preach the gospel. There were at least 3 great evangelistic movements during this period of church history that dramatically changed history and grow the church. Sadly, our evangelistic fervor has waned and church growth has greatly declined since the 1960’s.

2. The Deliverance! (v 9-13)

Here, we find three promises of deliverance from the Lord, to those who would in any age, be obedient and not be ashamed of Jesus:

a. Our Refuge (v 9)

For the most part the church during this era of church history had very little persecution or hindrances to there missions and evangelism. I believe God allowed this to honor their great obedience to His word and to get the gospel to the world before He comes again.

b. Our Rapture (v 10)

I don’t know about you, but that sounds to me like a promise to take the true church out of this world before the Great Tribulation takes place! This isn’t the only place we see this promise. We see it in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9:

1 Thessalonians 5:8–9 KJV 19008 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

c. Our Reward (v 11-13)

(1) Our reward on this earth! (v 12a)

If you want to be a pillar in the church, it won’t be just because you were a pastor, a deacon, or by having a position of power in a church, but because you were obedient to evangelize. If we evangelize, the world will see the blessings of God upon us, because of how obedient we have been.

(2) Our reward in heaven! (v 12b)

We will study later, that in heaven, after our judgment, God will write His true name upon us. More about that in a later chapter. But, if we aren’t ashamed of His name down here, we will wear His name upon us in the New Jerusalem for eternity. Eternity in Heaven enjoying our rich rewards for our obedience.

G. The Fashionable Church - Laodicea (3:14-22)

1. The Church Historically

This is the church era we are living in and having to cope with today.

Laodicea was a city in what is now modern day Turkey. It, like the other cities we have studied, was a center for religion. It had a temple there to Cybele, the Greek god of weather. They were also known for there great flea market. Kinda like the one in Canton Texas today. Rich people in the Roman Empire would travel there to vacation and shop.

It was also famous for it’s medical school. It was well known across the Roman Empire, for it’s medical research. Laodicea was known for an eye salve they developed and sold all over the Empire at the time. It was made out of the clay soil from the hills in the area. Jesus tells them in verse 18, they need to “anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.”

Laodicea was also a high society center in the Roman Empire. There were a lot of rich and powerful people there. The church there began to cater to the high society and the rich. It became more of a social club than one of the Lord’s N.T. churches. It is easy, with our affluence, to fall into this in our churches today, isn’t it? And I think we have!

2. The Church Prophetically

Prophetically, this church in history started, I believe around 1950 and it will be the church, if you can call it a church, the church that will go through the Great Tribulation. After World War II, people in America especially, became well off financially. Even the poorest in America would be called rich in third world countries, even today.

It made us lethargic and apathetic spiritually. It caused our evangelism to wane, as we got caught up in our affluence. Affluence most always brings with it apathy for spiritual things.

3. The Church Practically

a. The Indifference (v 15-17)

(1) The compromise of this church! (v 15-16)

The phrase in this passage, which best describes this era in church history, is the phrase in verse 15, “thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”Then in verse 16 Jesus proclaimed, “I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Laodicea had a water problem! They had two sources of water for the city. The city sat between the mountains and a valley. When the snow melted on the mountains, the water ran down to the city. Of course when it was melted snow it was ice cold. But by the time it got down to the city, it was lukewarm.

In the valley below, they were famous for hot springs. In that day, those hot springs brought tourists from all over the Roman Empire to Laodicea. Today, those hot springs provide hydroelectric power to parts of Turkey. The Laodiceans piped water up from the hot springs. The water was hot when it left the springs, but by the time it got up to the city, it was lukewarm! Most people hate lukewarm beverages, don’t we? (ex. my coffee)

This church had become lukewarm like their water. Jesus said, “I will spue you out of my mouth.” In other words, I wish you were either on one side of the fence or the other. It isn’t very much fun for us straddling the fence either!

b. The complacency in this church! (v 17)

This was a rich high society church. They were very fashionable. They had great big, fancy, Turkish cathedrals, while cutting back their mission budgets. They were very comfortable with the way things were. As verse 17 ends, they were rich monetarily, but they were poor spiritually! Again, does that sound familiar to you? Remember when we talked about Smyrna, the great persecuted church? God told them they were poor in materially, but rich spiritually. They were rich in the things that matter, weren’t they? To this church he says the opposite.

Today, we are rich materially, or we are more concerned about material things and making more money for ourselves, than we are growing spiritually and reaching a lost and dying world for Christ! We are more concerned about our next vacation destination, than reaching our neighbor across the street from us.

b. The Instructions (v 18-22)

(1) His Instruction to the Saved (v 18)

1st, They needed restoration of spiritual values! (v 18a)

This church need to change their gold standard. While He was on this Earth, Jesus told his disciples, “the 1st will we last and the last will be first.” He was telling them their reward in Heaven was built through serving and not being served. A reward in heaven is much more important than riches here on this earth. Amen!!!

2nd, They needed restoration of spiritual virtues! (v 18b)

They needed to change their garments. They needed to change into white garments! “White” in the scriptures is a reference to holiness, isn’t it? This church lacked holiness! They needed revival, as the church does today! We need to repent of our apathy and complacency!

3rd, They needed restoration of spiritual vision! (v 18c)

He is saying, “ya’ll need to use some of that eye salve you are famous for, on your spiritual eyes.” They needed a vision for the lost. In America, we sit in our lavishly adorned facilities while outside the door, like Rusty Goodman’s song “Under the Shadow of the Steeple” says “People are dying!” We need a spiritual vision of what we need to do to reach them!

(2) His Instructions to the Sinners (v 19-20)

Again, I believe this is a church full of lost people. The hardest people to reach, are those who are lost, on our church membership rolls. They think because they have walked the isle, they are alright spiritually. Not everybody on our church rolls are saved. (Slide Picture)

As the pictures shows, God is on the outside of the church knocking to get in His own church! Notice there is no door knob on the outside. It is the lost man’s responsibility to hear Jesus knock and let Him in! When Jesus knocks, when the Holy Spirit convicts of the need for salvation, you must let Him in. He won’t force His way in, will He?

(3) His Instruction to the Saints! (v 21-22)

To the saved His message is restoration. To the lost sinners His message is repentance. To the faithful saints of this church era, His message is rewards! Don’t forget, there will be people saved, and living for Jesus during the Tribulation. They will be persecuted and many will die, but God has a reward for their faithfulness, doesn’t He?

In verse 21, He promises to the saints, you “I will grant to sit with me in my throne!” He promised true saints would sit on the throne with Him, during His 1000 year reign on this Earth! Not beside him, but with Him! What a great promise we have to look forward to in the future!