1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,417 Good morning. 2 00:00:06,902 --> 00:00:14,477 Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to the book of Revelation as we continue our study through the book. 3 00:00:22,978 --> 00:00:35,938 We're going to begin around verse 17 with the letter to the church at Thyatira and hopefully get through a number of the other letters throughout our study this morning. 4 00:00:36,918 --> 00:00:39,278 Let's begin with a word of prayer. 5 00:00:40,638 --> 00:00:49,138 Our Lord God and Father of all mankind, we come to you in prayer, mindful of your authority. 6 00:00:49,298 --> 00:00:53,430 of your grandeur, your worthiness, of praise. 7 00:00:53,651 --> 00:01:02,216 We're mindful of the revelation that you have placed in your Word that we might know how to live and how to move and how to have our being. 8 00:01:02,356 --> 00:01:09,662 Lord, we pray that we might seek daily to be obedient to you, to do what is right in your sight. 9 00:01:09,822 --> 00:01:19,781 We know that we sin and we fall short of your glory and we ask that you will forgive us of those things as you have granted us grace through your Son who died on the cross for our 10 00:01:19,781 --> 00:01:24,534 sins that we might have an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 00:01:24,777 --> 00:01:32,441 We pray that we might always strive to correct our lives and to become more like your son, that we might be more like you. 12 00:01:32,441 --> 00:01:35,906 All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen. 13 00:01:39,385 --> 00:01:56,845 John writes, verse 18, to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write, these things says the son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass. 14 00:01:57,045 --> 00:02:08,031 As we mentioned already, when the text tells you what something means, you know what it means. 15 00:02:09,167 --> 00:02:16,749 And when the text doesn't tell you what it means, you might have some ideas on what it means. 16 00:02:17,169 --> 00:02:23,931 But if your ideas on what something means contradicts what the text tells you it means, you're wrong. 17 00:02:24,351 --> 00:02:38,275 So how do we know who the individual is who began to speak to John in chapter one and when John heard the voice, he turned and he saw one 18 00:02:38,902 --> 00:02:51,052 who was like the Son of Man, that's a simile, clothed in garment down to his feet, girded about the chest with a golden band, his head and hair were white like wool, as white as 19 00:02:51,052 --> 00:02:53,854 snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. 20 00:02:54,295 --> 00:02:55,896 How do we know who that is? 21 00:02:55,896 --> 00:03:01,061 Well the answer is chapter 2 verse 18 tells us who it is. 22 00:03:01,061 --> 00:03:05,324 These things says the Son of God. 23 00:03:07,089 --> 00:03:14,934 who is or who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass. 24 00:03:15,235 --> 00:03:27,103 We don't have to make the assumption because of the simile, because of the analogy that he looked like a son of man, he looked like one who was of human descent. 25 00:03:27,524 --> 00:03:31,327 We don't have to assume because of the analogy that it's Christ. 26 00:03:31,327 --> 00:03:34,649 The text tells us in verse 18 that it's Christ. 27 00:03:35,161 --> 00:03:39,523 So when the text tells us what something is, we know what it is. 28 00:03:40,004 --> 00:03:48,648 He says here, these things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass. 29 00:03:48,648 --> 00:04:04,697 Now we didn't discuss this when we were back here, but let's just spend a moment considering what is the picture conveying when you have eyes 30 00:04:04,791 --> 00:04:07,010 like a flame of fire. 31 00:04:16,029 --> 00:04:20,211 Now this is where we're trying to understand the picture. 32 00:04:20,211 --> 00:04:28,614 Text doesn't tell us exactly what eyes like a flame of fire means, it gives us a picture and we're supposed to ask, what does it mean? 33 00:04:28,675 --> 00:04:31,329 So what does fire do? 34 00:04:32,517 --> 00:04:33,917 It burns. 35 00:04:34,417 --> 00:04:42,761 If the fire is burning something that is say metal, what does the fire do? 36 00:04:46,487 --> 00:04:50,508 It melts it, upon melting it, what else will it do? 37 00:04:51,368 --> 00:04:52,279 Will purify it. 38 00:04:52,279 --> 00:05:03,471 Okay, so for the thing that is metal, the thing that is uh a substance that can endure fire, it purifies it. 39 00:05:03,952 --> 00:05:08,593 What does fire do to something that cannot endure the fire? 40 00:05:09,873 --> 00:05:12,934 Consumes it and destroys it. 41 00:05:13,888 --> 00:05:28,430 Now what if the eyes of the one who is the Son of God are like a flame of fire and he's looking at the church? 42 00:05:32,750 --> 00:05:34,251 That is correct. 43 00:05:34,472 --> 00:05:40,116 Then Christ in His inspection, because that's what we do with our eyes, right? 44 00:05:40,116 --> 00:05:41,277 We inspect something. 45 00:05:41,277 --> 00:05:42,354 We're evaluating something. 46 00:05:42,354 --> 00:05:44,360 That's what He's doing with all of these churches. 47 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,301 I see your works. 48 00:05:47,343 --> 00:05:52,507 I see what you're doing that's right, and I am acknowledging those things. 49 00:05:52,507 --> 00:05:56,610 I'm seeing the things you're doing that are wrong, and I'm telling you to repent. 50 00:05:57,151 --> 00:06:00,553 So He is inspecting the church. 51 00:06:01,930 --> 00:06:11,112 And if the church is made up of that which can endure the fire, the church will be purified by his inspection. 52 00:06:11,813 --> 00:06:25,787 If the church is made up of that which cannot endure the fire because they are no longer faithful to the Lord and they're unwilling to repent and change, they will not endure the 53 00:06:25,787 --> 00:06:26,297 fire. 54 00:06:26,297 --> 00:06:31,158 They will not endure the inspection of their Lord. 55 00:06:34,232 --> 00:06:42,028 So the Son of God is starting His inspection with the church. 56 00:06:43,578 --> 00:06:49,458 but all throughout the book there's going to be a process of inspecting. 57 00:06:49,458 --> 00:07:00,198 There's going to be a process of observing what is and is not going to endure the inspection and the work of Christ. 58 00:07:00,558 --> 00:07:04,478 Okay, we'll get into that more as we see the book occur. 59 00:07:04,478 --> 00:07:08,118 But also his feet are like fine brass. 60 00:07:09,298 --> 00:07:10,698 What are your thoughts there? 61 00:07:13,796 --> 00:07:27,758 What if we were to compare the picture here, feet like fine brass, to the picture of the image that Daniel saw in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, or that Daniel uh told Nebuchadnezzar 62 00:07:27,758 --> 00:07:36,765 about, that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his day, what were the feet of that fourth kingdom made of in that vision? 63 00:07:37,867 --> 00:07:41,270 They were of iron mixed with clay. 64 00:07:41,270 --> 00:07:42,080 Now. 65 00:07:42,592 --> 00:07:46,184 If you put the fire to the iron, what's going to happen? 66 00:07:48,218 --> 00:07:54,350 going melt or it's going to become stronger if you work it through a refiners process. 67 00:07:56,024 --> 00:07:57,419 What about the clay? 68 00:08:00,802 --> 00:08:08,315 You can make it hard to a degree, but eventually the fire's going to consume it. 69 00:08:08,617 --> 00:08:11,572 It's going to make it brittle to the point where it just falls apart. 70 00:08:13,872 --> 00:08:15,763 What about the fine brass? 71 00:08:17,204 --> 00:08:25,270 Again, you have a substance that endures the fire, is purified by it, and is a sure foundation. 72 00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:32,614 But this is set in contrast to this fourth kingdom, which doesn't have a sure foundation. 73 00:08:33,035 --> 00:08:36,527 It has one that is going to crumble from the inside out. 74 00:08:36,527 --> 00:08:37,818 Okay? 75 00:08:37,818 --> 00:08:42,681 So in the book, you're going to see the picture. 76 00:08:42,705 --> 00:08:45,386 and the pictures are almost always a comparison. 77 00:08:45,386 --> 00:08:48,987 There's going to be something you're going to see which endures. 78 00:08:48,987 --> 00:08:52,628 You're going to see something else which is judged. 79 00:08:53,448 --> 00:08:56,529 And in the church, you're seeing the same thing. 80 00:08:56,529 --> 00:09:02,850 He says, I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience. 81 00:09:03,171 --> 00:09:07,431 And as for your works, the last are more than the first. 82 00:09:08,352 --> 00:09:12,913 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you. 83 00:09:13,161 --> 00:09:25,501 because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 84 00:09:27,229 --> 00:09:47,328 Now, one of the things you'll find in the book is Old Testament characters, Old Testament cities, Old Testament objects standing in the place for a current individual, city, 85 00:09:47,328 --> 00:09:49,199 nation, or object. 86 00:09:50,781 --> 00:09:58,210 There was not likely a woman in the church at Thyatira whose name was Jezebel. 87 00:09:59,413 --> 00:10:09,425 But the moment that a New Testament writer uses the name Jezebel, what comes out of that from everyone who knows Old Testament history? 88 00:10:12,633 --> 00:10:14,054 Pure evil. 89 00:10:15,295 --> 00:10:31,445 And yet, unlike the previous church where Jesus says, know you're dwelling where Satan's throne is, I know you're confronted day in and day out by the things that are outside of 90 00:10:31,445 --> 00:10:35,567 the church and are bombarding you with all of these difficulties. 91 00:10:35,567 --> 00:10:37,708 He doesn't say that about Jezebel. 92 00:10:37,708 --> 00:10:38,989 He says, 93 00:10:40,143 --> 00:10:52,058 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants. 94 00:10:53,439 --> 00:11:06,325 Whoever this person is that is described with the picture of Jezebel, this person is inside the church. 95 00:11:07,849 --> 00:11:24,068 This person is a person of influence within the church at Thyatira and they are using that influence to propagate a doctrine of sexual immorality and of allegiance and at least 96 00:11:24,068 --> 00:11:28,891 condoning of the idolatrous worship in Thyatira. 97 00:11:31,027 --> 00:11:44,686 There is a woman who is active within the body of Christ who because of what she taught and what she practices ought to have been put out of the church and instead she's still 98 00:11:44,686 --> 00:11:45,477 there. 99 00:11:48,236 --> 00:12:02,788 If this individual is a prophetess, does that mean that she was getting up in the midst of the congregation and prophesying in a public way before the entire congregation in 100 00:12:02,788 --> 00:12:03,659 worship? 101 00:12:07,717 --> 00:12:09,438 The answer is I would hope not. 102 00:12:09,438 --> 00:12:15,441 Now, if she was, were they already doing something that was wrong? 103 00:12:15,622 --> 00:12:16,742 Yes. 104 00:12:17,543 --> 00:12:25,207 Would we be surprised that she's usurping the authority in the congregation in addition to the things that she's teaching? 105 00:12:25,588 --> 00:12:28,109 Not given the things that she's teaching. 106 00:12:30,085 --> 00:12:44,289 But it's important to notice that there are numerous women in the first century church who are described as prophets or prophetesses who did not take a public role in their 107 00:12:44,289 --> 00:12:45,019 prophecy. 108 00:12:45,019 --> 00:12:56,673 They simply had the miraculous gift of prophecy given by as one of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit by laying on the Apostles hands. 109 00:12:56,673 --> 00:12:58,117 We have Philip 110 00:12:58,117 --> 00:13:03,700 who was a faithful member in the church who had four daughters who were prophets. 111 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:14,586 Which, by the way, was fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in Joel chapter 2 that through the work that Christ would do with the Holy Spirit and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, 112 00:13:14,586 --> 00:13:18,748 their young men would see visions and their young women would what? 113 00:13:19,109 --> 00:13:20,077 Prophecy. 114 00:13:20,077 --> 00:13:22,510 That was spoken of in the Old Testament. 115 00:13:22,551 --> 00:13:26,927 It didn't mean that because they had the gift of prophecy, 116 00:13:26,927 --> 00:13:32,480 They had the permission to usurp the authority over God-given roles. 117 00:13:33,241 --> 00:13:36,882 Just because a woman could be a prophet didn't mean she could be an elder. 118 00:13:37,483 --> 00:13:46,818 Just because a woman could speak on behalf of God didn't mean that her role was to do so publicly in the worship assembly. 119 00:13:46,818 --> 00:13:48,809 Okay? 120 00:13:48,809 --> 00:13:55,693 Now, that doesn't mean it didn't happen as clearly could possibly be the case here with this woman. 121 00:13:55,727 --> 00:14:04,470 because she's not only flagrantly abusing her role as a prophetess, she's also teaching that which God would never teach. 122 00:14:04,672 --> 00:14:05,573 Yes. 123 00:14:22,773 --> 00:14:36,197 I think there's certainly a good likelihood in this scenario that that is the case, though you might consider that if that was the case, there might be more that is also needing to 124 00:14:36,197 --> 00:14:43,860 be addressed within the congregation in that regard than just her taking this, her teaching. 125 00:14:43,860 --> 00:14:47,020 So what I would say here is, 126 00:14:49,201 --> 00:14:56,186 no matter the method she's using for teaching, what she is teaching is what is being addressed. 127 00:14:56,186 --> 00:15:02,651 ah And what she is accomplishing by doing this in that she is seducing them. 128 00:15:02,651 --> 00:15:11,348 Now, I think there is some indicator in her method of teaching found in the term seducing. 129 00:15:11,348 --> 00:15:14,868 All right, notice again what the text says. 130 00:15:14,868 --> 00:15:28,308 because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 131 00:15:30,312 --> 00:15:43,605 The idea is when someone is performing that act of seducing someone, she's not seducing them to commit sexual immorality with her, she's seducing them in her teaching. 132 00:15:44,486 --> 00:15:54,686 And what better way to do that than privately in the background, to do it where others are unaware of what she's doing or at least were at first. 133 00:15:55,178 --> 00:16:11,915 Her influence is what is doing the instructing here, and she is specifically doing so for the purpose of encouraging these people to practice these things and to participate in the 134 00:16:11,915 --> 00:16:14,596 sacrificing to the idols. 135 00:16:14,596 --> 00:16:24,180 By the way, one other point that should be made here is that she calls herself a prophetess. 136 00:16:24,608 --> 00:16:34,754 The text does not say that she is a prophetess, but rather that she calls herself a prophetess. 137 00:16:34,774 --> 00:16:43,039 So you have a number of issues going on within the church at Thyatira that God is saying, you've got to deal with this woman. 138 00:16:43,719 --> 00:16:51,754 And you've got to deal with her because all the works that you're doing, he says, I know your love, your service, your faith. 139 00:16:51,754 --> 00:16:55,106 your patience and your works, he says, twice. 140 00:16:56,487 --> 00:17:02,912 And they're all being nullified by this woman and what you're allowing her to continue doing. 141 00:17:03,492 --> 00:17:10,337 It is important to realize that the book of Revelation makes it incredibly clear. 142 00:17:11,378 --> 00:17:20,064 The same thing that James points out over in James chapter two, and that is when you have kept the law 143 00:17:20,724 --> 00:17:22,625 and yet you're guilty in part? 144 00:17:23,866 --> 00:17:25,286 You're guilty of all. 145 00:17:26,587 --> 00:17:35,102 And Christ is making it clear to the church that if they're unwilling to resolve these problems, He's going to hold them accountable for everything. 146 00:17:35,102 --> 00:17:37,153 Okay? 147 00:17:37,273 --> 00:17:47,539 Now, He says, verse 21, and I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent. 148 00:17:47,539 --> 00:17:49,380 There is a 149 00:17:49,482 --> 00:17:52,534 period of long suffering with the Lord. 150 00:17:53,134 --> 00:18:00,498 There is a time in which God will give us time to repent and then there is a point at which God says, all right, it's time to judge. 151 00:18:01,139 --> 00:18:03,861 It is time to resolve this situation. 152 00:18:03,861 --> 00:18:15,328 He says, indeed, I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds, I will kill her children with 153 00:18:15,328 --> 00:18:15,982 death. 154 00:18:15,982 --> 00:18:25,498 And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts." There's your inspection from the eyes of fire. 155 00:18:25,899 --> 00:18:34,104 I am the one who searches the minds and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your works. 156 00:18:35,225 --> 00:18:45,255 Christ is making it clear the church has to separate themselves from this woman and from those who follow her. 157 00:18:45,255 --> 00:18:48,955 But he's also making clear he's gonna take care of the woman. 158 00:18:49,335 --> 00:18:57,355 He's going to take care of her children, he's going to, and I believe the idea here of children is her followers. 159 00:18:57,435 --> 00:19:04,735 He's going to take care of those who hold allegiance to her and not to Christ. 160 00:19:05,075 --> 00:19:14,469 He says, verse 24, now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine. 161 00:19:14,469 --> 00:19:25,785 who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden, but hold fast what you have till I come. 162 00:19:25,946 --> 00:19:33,050 And he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. 163 00:19:33,050 --> 00:19:41,679 He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel, as I also have received from my father. 164 00:19:41,679 --> 00:19:52,836 and I will give him the morning star, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Now in the midst of this condemnation of this woman and this address to 165 00:19:52,836 --> 00:19:54,187 the church, 166 00:19:56,615 --> 00:20:12,788 Christ turns to those who seem to be enduring what's going on around them without in any way, shape, form giving credence to or holding to that which is going on around them. 167 00:20:13,309 --> 00:20:25,909 There are some within the church of Thyatira that they are walking in an upright way and they have no control over what's going on around them. 168 00:20:27,749 --> 00:20:32,682 And Christ says to them, I don't put any other burden on you. 169 00:20:33,242 --> 00:20:35,323 I know what you're going through. 170 00:20:35,964 --> 00:20:48,671 And it is this reminder that Christ as the one who sees and judges the hearts and sees and judges the works also knows the circumstances. 171 00:20:49,772 --> 00:20:55,235 He also recognizes what people are already enduring. 172 00:20:55,567 --> 00:20:58,977 And that gets factored into their judgment. 173 00:21:00,771 --> 00:21:07,576 As he writes to these Christians, he says, I know what you've resisted. 174 00:21:08,238 --> 00:21:19,397 I know what you have decided and determined in your life you absolutely will not participate in, and I'm not laying a greater burden on you. 175 00:21:21,093 --> 00:21:36,421 I think part of this is there are those within the church who know that they are powerless to deal with whatever the influences this woman has and yet they're holding fast 176 00:21:36,421 --> 00:21:38,933 themselves and those around them. 177 00:21:40,770 --> 00:21:46,182 and they're keeping those people that they have influence on faithful. 178 00:21:47,363 --> 00:21:49,403 They just can't fix the problem. 179 00:21:49,403 --> 00:21:52,884 Christ is saying, I'll take care of the problem. 180 00:21:53,125 --> 00:21:55,505 You take care of remaining faithful. 181 00:21:55,606 --> 00:21:58,287 I believe that's part of the idea here. 182 00:21:58,287 --> 00:22:03,168 He says, but hold fast what you have till I come. 183 00:22:03,168 --> 00:22:07,470 This is one of those reminders in the book of Revelation. 184 00:22:08,070 --> 00:22:10,197 You're going to read time. 185 00:22:10,197 --> 00:22:14,150 and time and time again about Christ coming. 186 00:22:15,452 --> 00:22:28,142 And almost exclusively in all the references to the coming of Christ, we are not dealing with the judgment day. 187 00:22:29,044 --> 00:22:33,307 We are not dealing with the final return of Christ. 188 00:22:33,307 --> 00:22:37,793 We are dealing with judgment, judgment, judgment, judgment. 189 00:22:37,793 --> 00:22:49,526 judgment on an immediate person, an immediate scenario, an immediate city, an immediate nation, the judgment of Christ in real time. 190 00:22:50,587 --> 00:23:00,889 So he says to the church that is faithful, he says to the individuals that are faithful, you hold fast until I deal with this woman. 191 00:23:02,270 --> 00:23:04,150 I'm going to judge her. 192 00:23:04,190 --> 00:23:06,871 I'm going to put her into tribulation. 193 00:23:06,871 --> 00:23:09,633 I'm going to deal with her children and her followers. 194 00:23:09,633 --> 00:23:17,617 You stay faithful until I do." That is the coming that is found more often than not. 195 00:23:17,617 --> 00:23:35,667 For instance, when we get to chapter 22, we so often struggle with uh the terminology ah because there's a praying that Christ come quickly. 196 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:50,508 And sometimes we wonder, should I be praying that Christ comes soon, that His final return be imminent, and yet I have all these people who I know that I'm still trying to work on. 197 00:23:50,508 --> 00:23:53,881 I'm still trying to get them to hear the Gospel and be obedient to it. 198 00:23:53,881 --> 00:23:54,821 I want them to repent. 199 00:23:54,821 --> 00:23:55,932 I want them to be saved. 200 00:23:55,932 --> 00:24:02,416 Why do I want to pray that Christ come quickly while I'm trying to get these people to be obedient to the Gospel? 201 00:24:02,597 --> 00:24:05,949 And so quite often we have this conundrum. 202 00:24:07,171 --> 00:24:18,491 And we have the conundrum because we don't appreciate the context of the term when the text says, come quickly. 203 00:24:20,245 --> 00:24:32,835 The terminology in the context is bring immediate, quick judgment on the persecutors of your church. 204 00:24:34,615 --> 00:24:39,196 That's what coming quickly in the text of Revelation is talking about. 205 00:24:39,656 --> 00:24:48,199 It is the coming of Christ in judgment dealing with the immediate scenario. 206 00:24:49,459 --> 00:24:58,922 So John writes to the church at Thyatira through the inspiration of Christ and says, you hold fast till I come. 207 00:24:59,442 --> 00:25:03,603 You don't move till I deal with this woman. 208 00:25:03,717 --> 00:25:06,608 and her sin that is surrounding you. 209 00:25:06,608 --> 00:25:14,791 He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end." Now, there's the end of their lies. 210 00:25:15,712 --> 00:25:18,032 There's their being faithful. 211 00:25:18,753 --> 00:25:25,555 He says, who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. 212 00:25:25,835 --> 00:25:28,196 He shall rule them as a rod of iron. 213 00:25:28,196 --> 00:25:31,117 They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel. 214 00:25:31,117 --> 00:25:32,898 Is there any promise 215 00:25:32,898 --> 00:25:44,698 anywhere in scripture anywhere in the New Testament that individuals who are Christians will rule the world before eternity. 216 00:25:46,823 --> 00:25:47,578 No. 217 00:25:49,208 --> 00:26:04,226 every promise of a position of rule as a Christian, as a faithful servant of Christ comes in an eternal time frame, eternal context. 218 00:26:04,486 --> 00:26:10,410 And so he tells them, you hold fast till I come, I'm going to deal with the temporary scenario. 219 00:26:10,410 --> 00:26:18,514 When you overcome, when you hold fast till the end, I promise that I will deliver you your 220 00:26:18,824 --> 00:26:24,438 powerless now, but you won't be in eternity. 221 00:26:24,758 --> 00:26:38,267 He's promising them the ability to deal with the situation appropriately if they will overcome, if they will hold fast and keep his works. 222 00:26:39,268 --> 00:26:47,644 Then notice as well, he says that he will give them the morning star. 223 00:26:47,804 --> 00:26:51,477 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 224 00:26:51,477 --> 00:27:03,588 And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write, These things says he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know your works that you have a name that you are 225 00:27:03,588 --> 00:27:06,009 alive, but you are dead. 226 00:27:07,451 --> 00:27:15,788 One of the few churches in the list where there's nothing complimentary said at all. 227 00:27:17,498 --> 00:27:19,919 No positive statement for this church. 228 00:27:20,619 --> 00:27:28,442 No address from Christ about the good that they're doing and now they need to repent of the evil that they're doing. 229 00:27:29,123 --> 00:27:33,444 No, Christ begins with, know what your name means. 230 00:27:34,245 --> 00:27:43,228 I know the name that you have means you're alive, but I know the truth, you're dead. 231 00:27:44,309 --> 00:27:46,980 He says, be watchful. 232 00:27:47,322 --> 00:27:51,844 and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. 233 00:27:51,844 --> 00:27:56,306 For I have not found your works perfect before God. 234 00:27:56,847 --> 00:28:03,450 Remember therefore how you have received and heard, hold fast and repent. 235 00:28:03,450 --> 00:28:12,614 Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." 236 00:28:13,218 --> 00:28:18,261 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. 237 00:28:18,402 --> 00:28:22,464 And they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 238 00:28:22,485 --> 00:28:33,633 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. 239 00:28:33,633 --> 00:28:40,407 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." As he writes to the church in Sardis, 240 00:28:41,239 --> 00:28:49,791 He writes to this congregation and he says, I know your works and you are dead. 241 00:28:50,729 --> 00:28:53,952 Now does that mean they're not doing anything? 242 00:28:54,653 --> 00:29:00,994 Does that mean that they have no act, you know, they don't show up for worship, they don't assemble? 243 00:29:01,074 --> 00:29:02,375 Does it mean that? 244 00:29:02,375 --> 00:29:10,987 Or does it mean that spiritually, because of their willingness to participate in sin, that all that they do 245 00:29:11,817 --> 00:29:14,078 is evil in the eyes of God. 246 00:29:15,775 --> 00:29:18,168 I don't know because the text doesn't tell us. 247 00:29:18,410 --> 00:29:26,744 But what we do know, what we do understand about this church is there is no redeeming factor except for 248 00:29:28,597 --> 00:29:47,914 some small group within the church that Christ says, there's those within you who are in a right relationship with me, and if they're faithful, I'll reward them, but you're done if 249 00:29:47,914 --> 00:29:49,194 you don't repent. 250 00:29:49,575 --> 00:29:57,001 Now, even with this church that Jesus describes as dead, He describes the ability for them to do what? 251 00:29:58,339 --> 00:30:00,788 to repent, what do they have to go back to? 252 00:30:07,159 --> 00:30:10,878 Verse 3 begins with the word remember. 253 00:30:23,039 --> 00:30:24,151 All right. 254 00:30:24,634 --> 00:30:27,159 What did they receive? 255 00:30:27,281 --> 00:30:32,053 What did they hear back there in their past? 256 00:30:34,893 --> 00:30:36,975 the truth, the Gospel. 257 00:30:37,856 --> 00:30:48,899 And John is telling them, Christ is telling them, if you will go back to what you received, if you will go back to what you heard in the beginning and you will do those 258 00:30:48,899 --> 00:30:53,213 things, you will once again be made alive. 259 00:30:55,167 --> 00:31:09,753 it is worth pointing out that it is not just the preachers of the restoration movement that would preach to churches that they needed to go back and do what was originally 260 00:31:09,753 --> 00:31:11,843 taught in the Scriptures. 261 00:31:12,284 --> 00:31:19,487 That what they needed to go back and do what was originally taught by the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. 262 00:31:19,487 --> 00:31:24,129 And that when they would do that, when a church would go back and do what 263 00:31:24,129 --> 00:31:30,035 The text actually says they would once again be in a right relationship with God. 264 00:31:30,055 --> 00:31:32,618 It wasn't just the restoration preachers that taught that. 265 00:31:32,618 --> 00:31:36,021 John was writing that before you got out of the first century. 266 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:54,594 There's no question that the idea of restoring the New Testament church to that which was given by God is a proper and right mindset because John was having to do it before he got 267 00:31:54,594 --> 00:31:56,135 out of the first century. 268 00:31:57,831 --> 00:32:02,825 and the solution wasn't to become more like the world. 269 00:32:03,326 --> 00:32:08,431 It wasn't to become more like churches that had gone off from the truth. 270 00:32:08,431 --> 00:32:11,394 It wasn't to add more things into the text. 271 00:32:11,394 --> 00:32:14,797 It wasn't to depart further into the doctrines of men. 272 00:32:14,797 --> 00:32:23,535 It was to shove all those things aside and go back to what they had heard and received at the beginning. 273 00:32:26,185 --> 00:32:41,980 Fact of the matter is that if we as a congregation, if those who call themselves the churches of Christ, if we as the body of Christ decide that we would prefer to have man's 274 00:32:41,980 --> 00:32:52,743 doctrine than God's, we will still exist on the physical planet, but we will be dead to God. 275 00:32:55,369 --> 00:33:10,607 the difference between many denominations, who those within that group have spent their entire lives in false doctrine, who have never actually entered into the body of Christ 276 00:33:10,607 --> 00:33:14,099 because they've never accepted the doctrine of Christ. 277 00:33:14,099 --> 00:33:21,163 The difference between them and the Church of Sardis is the Church of Sardis at least had been taught the truth in the beginning. 278 00:33:21,664 --> 00:33:24,317 What they had received in the beginning. 279 00:33:24,317 --> 00:33:27,423 was the truth, then they departed from it. 280 00:33:28,146 --> 00:33:30,750 They left the truth. 281 00:33:30,992 --> 00:33:35,651 Those in denominations today have never actually obeyed the truth. 282 00:33:37,681 --> 00:33:43,726 It's not that they left what they knew to be true and departed into the doctrines of men. 283 00:33:43,726 --> 00:33:46,907 For generations they've never taught what was true. 284 00:33:47,768 --> 00:33:49,269 There's the difference. 285 00:33:49,830 --> 00:33:51,571 But consider this. 286 00:33:52,281 --> 00:33:54,523 You turn over to Galatians chapter one. 287 00:33:56,571 --> 00:34:04,892 in the same region around these churches that John is writing to. 288 00:34:06,154 --> 00:34:14,355 You have Paul who worked in these regions, who taught and started some of these congregations. 289 00:34:16,079 --> 00:34:22,772 writing to the churches of Galatia, which is a region, it's multiple cities, multiple churches. 290 00:34:23,512 --> 00:34:34,747 And he writes in chapter 1 verse 6, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. 291 00:34:36,369 --> 00:34:43,133 which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 292 00:34:43,373 --> 00:34:56,310 But if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Paul, as he is writing back to these churches that 293 00:34:56,310 --> 00:35:04,485 he has already been at, that he has already taught, that they have already received the gospel, he says, I am astounded. 294 00:35:04,485 --> 00:35:11,978 how quickly you have given up what you were taught at the beginning to chase after all this other stuff. 295 00:35:16,066 --> 00:35:33,967 It is sad and it is unfortunate that many congregations that are planted, many mission works that are participated in, are birthed and come about and just almost right from day 296 00:35:33,967 --> 00:35:37,088 one start departing from the truth. 297 00:35:38,754 --> 00:35:49,647 the people who helped them get started, the people who taught them initially taught them the truth and somebody else's influence came in and just swept them aside. 298 00:35:49,927 --> 00:35:53,508 And by the way, that's what Paul says is going on in the Church's Galatia. 299 00:35:54,128 --> 00:35:56,409 says, this isn't what you learned from me. 300 00:35:56,789 --> 00:35:58,789 This isn't what I taught you. 301 00:35:59,130 --> 00:36:04,631 He said, I don't care if an angel shows up and teaches you something other than what I taught you. 302 00:36:04,631 --> 00:36:05,992 Let them be accursed. 303 00:36:05,992 --> 00:36:07,732 You hold fast to the truth. 304 00:36:09,304 --> 00:36:17,307 And the church in Sardis is one who apparently had been swept up in just such things. 305 00:36:17,687 --> 00:36:21,529 So much so that Christ says, you're dead. 306 00:36:22,189 --> 00:36:32,113 Consider as well that to adhere to false doctrine because clearly what is going on in the church of Sardis was a doctrine problem. 307 00:36:32,574 --> 00:36:38,774 Because if they could go back, if they could fix the problem by going back to the doctrine they had received in the beginning, 308 00:36:38,774 --> 00:36:40,806 it tells you it's a doctrine problem. 309 00:36:41,908 --> 00:36:48,676 Whatever the doctrinal problem was, he says there are some of you who have not defiled your garments. 310 00:36:50,314 --> 00:37:02,208 It teaches us that when we adhere to false doctrine, we are defiling our holiness before God. 311 00:37:04,026 --> 00:37:14,595 Some people have a mindset, well, real sin that can condemn a Christian is just when they participate in that which is evil, when they participate in immoral activity. 312 00:37:14,595 --> 00:37:16,907 That's what condemns a person. 313 00:37:16,907 --> 00:37:18,528 Christ says, no. 314 00:37:19,349 --> 00:37:33,130 No, you can be condemned by participating in immoral doctrine, by participating in lies and defiling yourself with man-made doctrine instead of the Word of God. 315 00:37:34,884 --> 00:37:44,006 we need to be careful that we understand that there are those who will ruin their relationship with God. 316 00:37:44,507 --> 00:37:54,890 Not through gross immorality in the physical or fleshly sense, but with doctrine that is in opposition to God. 317 00:37:55,650 --> 00:38:00,431 But he says, he who overcomes, you notice that overcoming? 318 00:38:00,431 --> 00:38:03,038 Every time you're seeing that overcoming, 319 00:38:03,038 --> 00:38:11,354 we're dealing with and we're about to get into language which God has in promissory language. 320 00:38:11,755 --> 00:38:19,221 In other words, He's going to say there's something you're going to have to overcome and there's something on the other side. 321 00:38:19,642 --> 00:38:30,991 Remember, John is writing to these Christians before they go into the tribulation, before they go into the hardship. 322 00:38:31,251 --> 00:38:34,393 before they go into the persecution. 323 00:38:34,694 --> 00:38:47,095 That's going to be important for us to really grasp and understand when the book is being written because it's being written not in the height of the persecution, not as the 324 00:38:47,095 --> 00:38:50,969 persecution is getting its footing and taking off. 325 00:38:50,969 --> 00:38:55,592 No, it's being written before the persecution. 326 00:38:55,753 --> 00:38:58,385 It's one of the reasons why, by the way, 327 00:38:59,007 --> 00:39:10,372 that it doesn't make sense for the book to be written, as some suggest, in the AD 60s in the midst of the Jewish persecution of the church. 328 00:39:11,493 --> 00:39:21,707 Because if this were about the Jewish persecution of the church, because some suggest that Revelation was written around AD 68, right before the fall of Jerusalem, and that it's all 329 00:39:21,707 --> 00:39:26,609 focused on Jerusalem and the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution of the Jews, 330 00:39:26,609 --> 00:39:27,499 against the church. 331 00:39:27,499 --> 00:39:41,688 The reason that doesn't make sense is because the Jews' persecution begins in the 8050s and it escalates, escalates, escalates, escalates, escalates all the way up to the fall of 332 00:39:41,688 --> 00:39:42,629 Jerusalem. 333 00:39:44,753 --> 00:39:47,909 Everywhere Paul went, who followed him? 334 00:39:51,253 --> 00:39:58,606 Jews who were trying to get him thrown out of cities all over the region of Asia Minor. 335 00:39:58,606 --> 00:40:11,751 Jews who were those who were imprisoning and did imprison Paul and tried to kill him multiple times after he was in prison in Jerusalem. 336 00:40:11,751 --> 00:40:12,811 Jews. 337 00:40:15,733 --> 00:40:23,708 Their persecution wasn't upcoming, it wasn't in the future, it was already active. 338 00:40:24,749 --> 00:40:27,063 If the book was written in AD 68. 339 00:40:27,591 --> 00:40:40,499 All the text, all the comments, excluding a few, where in the letters, John Reisman says, I know what you're going through right now, and I'm preparing you for what's to come. 340 00:40:41,881 --> 00:40:45,683 All of its future, all of its looking ahead. 341 00:40:45,957 --> 00:40:52,711 And yet, John says over and over and over, it's about to come to pass. 342 00:40:53,592 --> 00:41:04,539 So he's telling them in the text, you are in the calm before the storm. 343 00:41:06,151 --> 00:41:16,167 And when you are faithful through the storm, when you overcome what is going to come against you, 344 00:41:17,841 --> 00:41:24,519 I'll be there on the other side ready to reward your faithfulness. 345 00:41:25,141 --> 00:41:35,655 And yet, in the text, by the way, almost exclusively, not every time, but in the text, almost exclusively, when the picture is used of them overcoming... 346 00:41:37,965 --> 00:41:49,327 it's their eternal reward that's being discussed on the other side, which means many of them, the cost of overcoming will be their life. 347 00:41:51,107 --> 00:42:01,411 it will be their sacrifice of their own lives to overcome and be faithful because the reward is waiting in eternity. 348 00:42:01,912 --> 00:42:16,848 We need to be reminded as we look at this book that the hardships that we face often pale in comparison to the hardships of the church in the first century that John is writing to 349 00:42:16,848 --> 00:42:17,838 in Rome. 350 00:42:18,138 --> 00:42:20,155 Sometimes I am reminded 351 00:42:20,155 --> 00:42:27,015 what the Hebrew writer tells the church in Hebrews chapter 10. 352 00:42:40,737 --> 00:42:54,691 did you do it's not extra stuff the passage i'm thinking of chapter twelve on the other side of chapter lehman he was chapter twelve verse three for consider him who endured such 353 00:42:54,691 --> 00:43:07,291 hostility from center speaking of christ against himself let you become weary and discouraged in your souls you have not yet resisted the bloodshed striving against it 354 00:43:07,895 --> 00:43:19,293 and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, my son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him, for 355 00:43:19,293 --> 00:43:24,366 whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives. 356 00:43:24,366 --> 00:43:37,595 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?" The Hebrew writer is writing to the Christians in his day, 357 00:43:38,541 --> 00:43:49,135 as they are in the midst of the Jewish persecution because they are facing Jewish persecution and they're going, know what, if we just went back to Moses all persecution 358 00:43:49,135 --> 00:43:50,196 would stop. 359 00:43:51,496 --> 00:43:57,699 If we just gave up on Christ and we went back and kept the law, all persecution would go away. 360 00:43:58,959 --> 00:44:05,722 But the Hebrew writer says you haven't even endured to blood yet. 361 00:44:06,663 --> 00:44:07,623 You... 362 00:44:07,851 --> 00:44:19,619 might have striven against sin, but not to the point where it's cost you any blood, and yet you need to be looking at Christ who was crucified for you and ask, what did he 363 00:44:19,619 --> 00:44:23,121 sacrifice to strive against sin? 364 00:44:23,522 --> 00:44:32,468 He says, you're enduring some chastening right now from the Lord, but that's to be expected as a son of a father. 365 00:44:33,389 --> 00:44:36,987 Now, thank you for your attention and we'll pick up. 366 00:44:36,987 --> 00:44:39,532 here in the midst of chapter three next week.