Messages to the church 2

Background

Revelation, the scary book

Revelation is actually written to Christians as an encouragement

there are warning

but a main theme is that it’s going to be alright, God will win, satan will lose

it is a message to the church, and 1st three chapters have 7 messages to 7 churches, churches like us today

not perfect: there were strengths and weaknesses

things that pleased God

things that displeased God

just like churches today, they needed to be encouraged

just like churches today needed to straighten up in some areas

7 is often considered the number of completion, and some say that for us, it is a complete message to the church

Ad God has called us to hold ourselves up to the mirror of the Word, and see what we really look like. Each Sunday (skip next one), we will examine a different message.

Buckle up!

Who is speaking? Jesus!

The Apostle John is writing the words of Jesus

Warning: It is the side of Jesus that we think about the least

not the sweet baby Jesus

not the healing the sick Jesus

not the suffering Jesus

but the Jesus in all his glory, authority, and power

Revelation 1:10–17 NLT

10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

What an image: royalty, power, authority, glory

so much that John fainted

Revelation 1:18 NASB95

18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

the living one, - we serve a risen Savior, a living founder

Revelation 1:20 NASB95

20 “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

angels - represent the leaders of these churches, why you hear some say, “to the angel of this house”

angel means messenger . . . the messenger of this house

would make sense, since heavenly angels would not need a message from John

lampstand . . . the church

so I need to take responsibility, and you need to take responsibility

Ephesus

The Good

Revelation 2:2 NASB95

2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;

good deeds

what good deeds are we doing as a church?

benevolence offering

gospel bags

take care of our own

working hard

how are we working hard?

it’s a lot of work on a few to keep church going - families, jobs, church

perseverance - endured, keep on keeping on

How have we persevered?

through the pandemic, through members leaving without explanation

through death of pastor, 1st lady, longest tenured member

people have taken on new responsibilities

guard the truth

How do we guard the truth?

preach from the Bible

did lesson on false prophets

don’t allow just anyone to come speak

Revelation 2:3 NASB95

3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

you have persevered and hung in there for my name’s sake . . . not grown weary (not thinking about giving up)

are we hanging in there for the right reason?

I believe so

are we thinking of giving up?

no, we are trying to improve our current facilities and build a new one

but . . .

The Bad

Revelation 2:4–5 NASB95

4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

left your first love (deeds you used to do because of verse 5)

whatever it was, you need to repent (turn around), and start doing it again, or I won’t allow your church to keep going

What was the first love of the church of Ephesus?

What is WMBC’s first love?

helping the needy - food, school, nursing home

benevolent offerings are good, but we used to do deeds ourselves

More good

Revelation 2:6 NASB95

6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

we will see that they taught to eat things sacrificed to idols and commit acts of immorality

syncretism . . . mixing of gods

spirituality . . . worship of ancestors, sending wishes

acts of immorality

lots of sin, but there are two that are almost unchecked . . . sexual sin, abortion

program replaced Passion (Evans)

Smyrna

the good

Revelation 2:9 NASB95

9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

the bad

Revelation 2:10 NASB95

10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

you are about to suffer

don’t only serve when being blessed

don’t quit on Jesus

Pergamum

Revelation 2:13 NASB95

13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

standing strong though surrounded by eveil

Revelation 2:14–16 NASB95

14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.

holding false teaching

Thyatira

the good

Revelation 2:19 NASB95

19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

good deeds, passionate, growing in deeds

the bad

Revelation 2:20 NASB95

20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Sardis

the bad

Revelation 3:1–3 NASB95

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

look live, but dad

living on yesterday

the good

Revelation 3:4 NASB95

4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Philadelphia

the good

Revelation 3:8 NASB95

8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

you have been obedient

instructions

Revelation 3:9–12 NASB95

9 ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

Laodicea

the bad

Revelation 3:15–17 NASB95

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

rich and not committed

instructions

Revelation 3:17–21 NASB95

17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.