EMERGE--Teaching Notes, Bible Thoughts,.......

Revelation 5:7-14
“A Kingdom of Priests”

RECAP:
· Series: Worship
· Section 1: (chapters 1-3) Church Worship
o 7 Churches of Asia Minor
o Critique of how each church worshipped
o We then critique how we worship
· Section 2: (chapters 4-7) Heavenly Worship
o Chapters 4-5a
o We enter into the Throne Room
o We are introduced to new characters in Heaven

Worship:
· A posture
· A lifestyle

Remember our main verse in this series:

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

PRAY:

Vs. 7-8
He (Jesus/the Lamb vs. 6) came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Here we see all three of the main characters we are introduced to:
· The Lamb
· The 4 Living Creatures
· The 24 Elders

“The Lamb who was slain”
Revelation 5:6
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne”
· We already know that this is Jesus
o This is His primary name in Revelation
o He is called the Lamb 29 times in Revelation
§ 31 times in the Bible
§ 29 of them in Revelation
§ 2 (only others) are when Jesus is baptized

The other two times:
John 1:29-36
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
· John the Baptist points out Jesus as the “Lamb of God”
· The one who takes away the sin of the World

Back in vs. 7
He (the Lamb from vs. 6) came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
· Jesus takes the scroll from the very hand of the Father
· We see worth, authority, power
· This transfers this sacred scroll to Jesus

Scroll:
· We don’t know exactly what it is
· We do know it is something divinely inspired
· Written by the very hand of God
· No one was found worthy to open it
· Jesus is the only worthy to do this

Back in vs. 8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

4 Living Creatures
· Representatives of the 4 ways Jesus is communicated in the Gospels
· Face of a Lion: Lion of the Tribe of Judah - Matthew
· Face of an Ox: Servant of All: Mark
· Face of a Man: Man who changed History - Luke
· Face of an Eagle: Son of God – John
o Notice the use of Lamb and Son of God in the passage we read earlier

24 Elders
· Figurative picture of the fullness of the Church
o A FULLNESS not the everyone
o Just a representation of all the church
· Followers of Jesus, past, present, and future
· All races, nationalities, languages, …

Fell down before the Lamb:
· This is posture!
· Again, a book full of worship
· They fall down prostrate to worship the One who is worthy

Interesting thing is added here…
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Harps:
· Stringed instruments
· Much like how we worship

Incense:
· It is even defined for us
· The prayers of the saints!!!
· Prayer is called a fragrant incense throughout the bible

Do you picture your prayers being that welcomed by God?
· Like lighting your favorite candle is enjoyable
· The smell of my car – is enjoyable to me…
· Prayer is enjoyed by God like this!

“The prayers of the saints”
· This is GREAT because it gives us information
· It tells us that people are still living as we see this worship scene in Heaven.

So who are the Saints?
· Are they living people?
· Are they special people?
· Are they like Catholic Saints?

Old and New Testaments agree about Saints:

Psalm 85:8, 34:9-10
I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints - but let them not return to folly… Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
· Here in the OT Saints are called God’s people
· AND, they are told to be faithful
· In other words, they are perfect
· They are just God-followers

Philippians 4:21-22
Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.

Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.
· They are the church in Phillipi
· They are the church in Ephesus
· They are The Church
· That is you and me!

So, now, who are the Elders again?
· They are those who represent the Church
· Maybe Christians that have died
· Maybe just representation of the fullness of the faithful Church
· The Saints in Heaven

And, who is praying?
· Those who are on Earth!
· The church who is still alive
· The Saints on Earth

2 Corinthians tells us:
“to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”
· So those who have died in faith are worshipping in the Throne Room
· Those who are faithful on Earth are praying!

Vs. 9
And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
· Why is the Lamb tied to worth?
· Because of the blood that was shed that is mentioned here
· This is an OT picture of Christ to come:
· Not a ruling king, but a suffering servant like Isaiah preached about

Passover Lamb
Exodus 12:3-13
Tell Israel that each man is to take a lamb for his family. The lamb you choose must be year-old males without defect. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of Israel must slaughter them. Then take the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses; it is the LORD's Passover. "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
· To prevent the death of the Jewish people
· They had to slay a lamb
· And it’s blood became a covering for them

Sin Offering - Leviticus 9
· To atone for the sins of people
· A lamb had to be slain

Guilt Offering - Leviticus 14
· To cover the guilt of the people
· A lamb had to be slain

Fellowship Offering
Leviticus 3:6-8
Offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the LORD; offer a male or female without defect. If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides.
· To have fellowship with their God
· A lamb had to be slain

Here we see a picture of the faithful, in fellowship with God in Heaven,
· They are face to face with their Creator
· And in the center of the Throne
· Is a lamb who has been slain!!!

A new perspective brings on a new song:
“And they sang a new song!”

Vs. 10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.

Who? Who are made to be kings and priests???
· Who are we talking about as kings and priests to serve God?
· Who is to reign on Earth?
· US!!!

When?
· NOW!!!

Kings and Priests:
· Is us down here
· We who are still alive
· WE are called to be kings and priests to serve our God
· WE are to reign here on Earth!!!

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10
As you come to him (Jesus) rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This is our call here on Earth!
· To be the priests here to others
· So many of us are still not living like this

What is the job of a priest?
· A priest is a mediator/connector
· To connect God to Humanity
· And to connect Humanity to God

Romans 15:14-16
I am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written you quite boldly as if to remind you because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
· Paul says he is convinced that you are competent
· And that priests are called to share the Gospel

The Gospel is how we connect God and Humanity!

Share the Gospel:

Close with intro to response:
· Anoint people with oil.

Leviticus 14:12-18
The priest is to take the male lamb and offer it as a guilt offering. 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD.
· Tonight I want to treat you according to your calling
· We at Emerge want to call you priests
· We want to anoint you for the job you are called to

Doxology:
Vs. 11-14
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
· Worship breaks out in Heaven again at the foot of the Lamb!
· Time and time again the WORTHINESS is mentioned

Do you tonight know that Jesus is worthy of your worship?

What is our posture?

What are we called to do?

Revelation 5
“The Lamb on the Throne”

RECAP:
· Last week we looked at Chapter 4 – “the Throne”
o 60 mentions of a throne in NT
o 44 mentions in Revelation alone
§ approximately 75% of all NT references are in Revelation
§ That is why I believe it is the theme of the book
§ Rather than talk about end times positions
§ Revelation pushes us towards WORSHIP at the THRONE!!!
o Chapter 4 mentions God’s throne 11 times
§ Before the throne
§ Around the throne
§ Coming from the throne
§ Laying our crowns at the throne

Remember what our focus is: WORSHIP
· Why is that important?
· Because we believe this book to be more about blessings than arguments

Revelation 1:1-3
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

NOTICE:

Revelation:
· Revelation comes from God
o Through an angel/messenger
o To John
o To us
· Notice the flow from the throne all the way down to us

Worship is the opposite:
· Worship starts like we saw last week
o From the 24 Elders – representing the fullness of the church
o Through the 4 Living Creatures – focusing us on Jesus
o To the Throne – where Jesus sits
· Notice the flow back to the Throne

This week we get more about the throne, and He Who sits on it!!!

Put up two websites overhead:
· www.emergehb.org
· www.emergehb.blogspot.com

Last week we left off, bowing before the throne of God:
· That is where we pick up this week

PRAY:

Vs. 1
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

Remember when we asked last week about why so many descriptions?
· Description is more important than we realize
· Solomon didn’t tell Abishag that she had lips
· He wrote a description when he spoke of her lips

Song of Solomon 4:3
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely.

Song of Solomon 4:11
Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue.

Description is powerful!
· Here in Revelation John spends more time on description
· Than on straight forward/simple facts
· These are to tell us more about the person/thing

Here we have: “the right hand of him who sat on the throne”
· Throughout the OT we see the “right hand” is a symbol
· It is symbolic of power and authority
· Power and authority are going to be a recurring theme tonight

The One who holds this scroll is showing His power and authority over whatever it is by holding it in his right hand.
· Again, description is more important to the author
· He wants to convey a deeper meaning than he has words for

John wishes to romance us with the things of God!

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.”

What is this Scroll?
· The complete truth is that we don’t know
· IT DOESN’T SAY!!!
· So, when it doesn’t say, I don’t normally give you people’s opinions
· I am going to make an exception tonight

One View:
· It is the Lamb’s Book of Life
· Containing all Believer’s names in it from all ages past, present, and future

Another View:
· The Hebrew Bible or Old Testament
· Containing all of the prophecies that the Messiah would fulfill

Third View:
· Impending Judgment on Earth
· All of the “Tribulation” type ideas

Fourth View:
· The plan of redemption of Humanity
· The sacred writing of how the Messiah would purchase back Creation

Why do I tell you these things, when we don’t know the answer?
· Because they all have one thing in common
o They are all God’s Word
· Not in a canonical, or biblical sense
o But in a solely divine inspiration way
· These are all the very words of God

So, the very Word of God, not necessarily the Bible, but the very words of God Himself, written down.
· This is signified by the description referring to power and authority
· Held by God on the throne
· Completely written on both sides, showing it is final
o No more can be added to it
· Sealed with 7 seals
o Showing just how important it was
o Some Roman legal documents had this
o Needing more than one seal

This is the weight you need to feel about this scroll:
· We don’t need to define it completely
· We do need to know it is of amazing value and importance
· That is why we have description, rather than simple facts

Vs. 2-4
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
· This is the reason I wanted to spend time on the gravity of the Scroll
· No one was found to be worthy to open it…

If it is the Redemption of Humanity:
· No one is flawless or sinless enough

If it is the Lamb’s Book of Life:
· No one is righteous and pure enough

If it is the Hebrew Prophecies fulfilled:
· No one is holy or sacred enough

NO ONE is able:
· And John is brought to tears
· He is saddened by the condition of the world he is a part of

MAYBE: John finally sees how depraved the situation is.
· Maybe for the first time John realizes how grateful he is for salvation
· Maybe this is a realization of how in need of a Savior he is

Vs. 5
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
· One of the elders approaches John
· He tells the Beloved Apostle not to cry
· There is One who is able
· There is One who has triumphed!

Revelation gives us two very symbolic names
· Notice the capitalization in your Bibles:
· Lion, and Root or Branch are not normally proper nouns
· But here, they signify something great

REMEMBER:
· Description is as important to the author as the plain facts are!
· Who is this Lion of Judah?
· Who is this Root/Branch of David?
· It is Jesus, and He is able to open the scroll

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah; A prophecy about Jesus from:
Genesis 49:8-12
Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness — who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
· Do you hear the prophecy about Jesus in this?
· Do you see the authority and power spoken of here?

LION: used to show us great power
· Knowing that Judah would be a ruling line of the tribes
· Their symbol became the Lion
· Notice Judah is called a “Lion’s Cub”
· Signifying that one greater Lion will come later

Scepter: to show us authority
“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”
· The scepter is obviously tied to a royal line
· The staff is another reference to the same thing
· It says from this tribe, one will come who will rule the nations

What does this image conjure up in the minds of the Apostle?

What about when YOU, when you hear:
“He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.”
· Do you hear Jesus in this desription?
· Can you see pictures of the Easter story?
· References of a donkey, wine, blood, and a vine.
o Jesus rode in on the colt of a donkey to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
o He had just told His disciples at Passover this is the new covenant in my blood
o He said this as He committed to not drink wine again until it was with them in Heaven
o John 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches…

Do you see why the description is so beautiful?
· Do you see why it would be lost just to say “Jesus is here”
· Jesus can open the scroll!!!

The Root/Branch of David, a prophecy about Jesus from:
Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
· Again, this is deep with meaning
· To the Jewish mind, this would be so fulfilling

The Jesse mentioned here is the Father of David:
· The Branch here is capitalized
· And became known to the Jewish mind as the Branch/Root of David

Power and Authority:
· Root is the foundational strength of a plant
· From the foundation of strength a branch appears bearing fruit
· Spirit of counsel and power
· Spirit of knowledge
· Judge
· Righteousness
· Justice

All these words are romancing our minds toward an understanding of this ONE who is able to open the scroll.
· The elder tells John, don’t cry
· The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David is here
· Jesus is the one with the power and authority to open the scroll!

Vs. 6
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
· Again, rather than just saying “Jesus is on the throne”
· John describes the one greatest attribute of He who sits on the throne

Far more impossible than:
· The hundreds upon hundreds of prophecies to fulfill
· All the imagery to live out
· Is the fact that dying and coming back to life

John, our author here, sees a lamb:
· Standing in the center of the throne:
o Standing is showing it is alive
o Not dead
· Yet, it is “as if it had been slain”
o You can see that it had been put to death
o But is now alive
· I don’t care how difficult anything Jesus had to do while He was on Earth
o It is difficult to heal the blind and deaf
o It is difficult walk on water
o It is difficult to live a life of perfection

BUT: it is impossible to be put to death, and raise yourself back to life!
· The author here knows this
· And, knows how important that this is to the power and authority of Jesus Christ!
· Jesus is the Lamb!

When Jesus went to be baptized, John the Baptist said:
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”

How does the power and authority of Jesus relate to you?
· Maybe your needs are great, and you need a powerful Jesus
· Maybe you need guidance, and need an authority like Jesus

Gospel:

Do you know tonight that Jesus loves you?


Do you understand the worth of Him who sits on the throne?

Revelation 4 –
“The Throne”

Worship:
· We opened this series with a message on Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
· We have discussed that worship is not limited to our singing
· Worship is predominantly a posture of the heart
· Proskuneo: to kiss towards, or bow before

7 Churches
· We looked at how each church “worshipped”
· Some good, and some bad
· We then discerned how we relate that to our worship

How do we measure up?
· Are we like Ephesus?
o Too hung up on our theology to be loving?
o In our battle with our denomination; are we pushing others away?
· Are we like Pergamum?
o Too loving to call sin, sin?
o Again, in our denomination; are we just allowing sin?
· Are we like Laodicea?
o Too comfortable to be Godly?
o Are we allowing sin in our own lives?
· Are we like Smyrna and Philadelphia?
o Are we fighting a good fight?
o Are we loving, yet living without compromise in ourselves and/or others?

Chances are we have some portion of each of them within us.
· After a good hard look at ourselves, we have to figure out two things:
· We have challenged the posture of our heart with these things.
· We have viewed how our lives are poured out.

Questions:
1: How do we fan the flame of the things that are good?
2: How do we correct the things that are off?

TWO IDEOLOGIES:
· Shift how we think of worship (what we normally do)
· Shift how we think of Who we worship…

By re-evaluating Who we worship.
· Is your God big enough to correct others theology?
· Is your God strong enough to be loving as well as just?
· Is your God great enough for you to give up everything for?

What if God showed Himself to you, would that change how you worship?
· Who we worship dictates how we worship!

PRAY – God, show us your throne tonight!

Vs. 1
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
· This statement has 2 bookends, the statement “after this”
· This is a simple way of saying “this starts the next vision”

“After this, I looked, and there standing before was a door open to heaven”
· Can you even imagine?
· John, the 90 year old Apostle, is offered the opportunity of a glimpse into Heaven!

“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”
· “what must take place”
· Jesus (shown by the red letters in your bible) is speaking
· He says “what must take place”
· This shows Jesus is sovereign over time and history

History…
· His story
· Not our story

Some of you tonight need to know that Jesus Christ is sovereign over History!

Vs. 2-3
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.

(Blog Notes:)
In the Spirit:
· See Revelation 1a

In the spirit references:

Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
· Spirit = in the same power of …

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
· In the power of the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:8
…and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
· In the Spirit = Unity

Revelation 1:10
On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
· Most likely means prayer

“Before me was a throne”
· The entire focus in Revelation is the throne, and He who sits on it
· Not an eschatology, but a throne

THE THRONE:
· 60 times we hear of a throne in the NT
· 44 of these times are in Revelation alone
· That is approximately 75% of the NT mentions of a throne
· 17 of the 22 chapters in Revelation mention a throne
· This is the over-arching theme of the Book of Revelation

“Before me was a throne in Heaven with someone sitting on it”

Why just someone?
Why not say who is on the throne?

Because the description is more important than we give credit to!
· Solomon didn’t tell Abishag that she had lips
· He wrote a description when he spoke of her lips

Song of Solomon 4:3
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely.

Song of Solomon 4:11
Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue.

Description is very important!
· Tonight we have 11 mentions of the throne
o Before me was a throne
o Encircling the throne
o Surrounding the throne
o From the throne
o Before the throne
o Around the throne
o To Him who sits on the throne
o Fall down before Him who sits on the throne
· To the Apostle, description is as important as what he is describing

For sake of time; we will only expand on three of these.
· I will give you some verses to look up at home
· I will also start posting my notes on the blog page at www.emergehb.blogspot.com
· So much to do, I want to build on other messages, not recap too much

(NOTES for Blog…)

Jasper, Carnelian, and a Rainbow:
· Without overwhelming you with references, these symbolize:
o The clarity of the Jasper = the glory of God
o The brilliant translucent red of the carnelian = the blood of Christ
o The Rainbow = the Mercy of God

Vs. 4
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
· Surrounding the Throne!

Who are these 24 Elders?
· We aren’t told, however, there are some great guesses
· Since they are dressed in white and wear crowns I believe that they are human beings.

Where do I get this idea?
· Overcomers in Revelation are spoken of as given these things

Revelation 3:4-5
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.

Revelation 2:10
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Overcomers:
· To the one who overcomes, these things are promised
· Who are these people promised this?
· The Church, followers of Christ.

So, who are the 24?
· Possibly a representation of the fullness of the church
· 12 Tribes of Israel in the OT
· 12 Apostles of the Church in the NT
· Symbolically 24 faithful followers of all the ages

Who is included in this?
· All followers of Jesus Christ
· SHARE GOSPE HERE!!!

This representation of the full church:
· Is dressed in white – symbolizing righteousness
· Wearing a crown of Gold – symbolizing royalty
· We will see more of them in a bit

Vs. 5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
· “From the throne”
· Lightning and Thunder
o Sounds like Moses on Mt. Sinai
o See Exodus 19 at home
· “Before the throne”
o Seven lamps = Seven spirits of God
o Download “Revelation 1a” on www.emergehb.org
o These are the seven ministering spirits
o Possibly tied to the messengers of the 7 churches Rev. 2-3
o Remember Rev. 1 taught us that the 7 lamp stands are the 7 churches

“From the throne, and before the throne”
· Lamps blazing, lightning exploding, thunder sounding out

Consider the greatest rock concert, or worship event:
· That resonates with many of us
· We are so driven by music, lights, explosions
· We go to these huge events and we are moved emotionally
o We are prompted into worship
o The lightning
o The thunder
o The roar of the crowd

This huge event focuses on the throne!
· For those of us that this relates to
· This is the ultimate rock concert
· The ultimate worship event

Vs. 6a
Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
· If you would like to look into the sea of glass
· I recommend 1 Kings 7:23-26, 2 Chronicles 4:2-5)
· The sea here is the washbasin in Solomon’s Temple

Picture this like the water that you go through to get to Heaven.
· I get the feeling of baptism
· The waters in which we are cleansed

Vs. 6b-8
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
· “Around the throne”
· Buckle up, this is good stuff here!
· Let’s look at these 4 living creatures:

Ezekiel 1:4-25 (shortened)
I looked, and I saw a windstorm - an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown.
· Ezekiel saw the throne of Jesus Christ, long before it’s time
· John saw the same vision here in Revelation 4
· See also Ezekiel 10, Daniel 7, Isaiah 6

The Four Creatures:
· I believe with all my heart that these 4 Living Creatures represent the Gospels of Jesus Christ
· The Gospels bear testimony to Jesus
· The 4 living creatures bear testimony to Jesus Christ

A Lion, an Ox, a Man, and an Eagle:
· Matthew: the fulfillment of prophecy Jesus = Lion of the Tribe of Judah
o Repeats: “so that prophecy would be fulfilled concerning…”
o Example Matthew 1:22-23
· Mark: the servant Jesus = the ox, or bull
o The Son of Man “did not come to be served, but to serve”
o Example Mark 10:45
· Luke: the historical figure = the man Jesus
o “To give an orderly account that you might know the certainty of these things”
o Luke 1:3-4
· John: the Divine Jesus = the Eagle
o In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh
o John 1:1-4

Four testimonies to Jesus:
· These four living creatures stand
o In between the fullness of the church
o And the actual Jesus on the throne
o They bear witness to Him to sits on the throne
· The Apostle John tells us that they stand there saying
o “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty”
o “Who was and Who is and Who is to Come!”

What does Jesus call Himself in Revelation Chapters 1-3:

(1:8) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

(1:17-18) “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”

(2:1) “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands”

(2:8) “These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.”

(3:1) “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars”

(3:14) “These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation”

(3:21) “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Jesus testifies that everyone of these things that is said here testifies to Himself, as He is sitting on the throne!

Ezekiel tells us:
“Wherever the spirit would go, the 4 living creatures would go”
· Wherever the Spirit of God goes
· The testimony of Jesus Christ goes

In between the fullness of the church (24 Elders), and the fullness of the throne where Jesus is seated, is the fullness of the Gospel!

Vs. 9-end
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
· To Him who sits on the throne
· The fullness of the church fall down before the throne
· They lay their crowns at the foot of the throne
· And they worship the One on the throne

Ezekiel 1 ends with:
When I saw it, I fell facedown!

We worship in this fashion at Emerge:
· First, like the 24 Elders before the throne
o We look to the testimony of Jesus Christ
o In other words we search the scripture
· Once we have seen Jesus, or the testimony of Jesus
o We respond in worship
· We create space to worship
o We have the crosses at the back of the room
o We keep this section open for kneeling down
o We dim the lights
o We raise the music

We give you freedom to respond in worship of your God on the throne!

Who is this Jesus we worship?
· He is the LION
o He is the fulfillment of thousands of prophecies in the bible
· He is the real man
o He lived on here on earth as real as you or I
· He is the OX
o He came and served all of humanity by His death
· He is the EAGLE
o He is God
o And He proved it by raising Himself from the dead

The Revelation
11/7/06

Ch 3 - The Church of Laodicea
Anyone need a bible?
Opening
At a church meeting a very wealthy man rose to tell the rest of those present about his Christian faith.
"I'm a multi-millionaire," he said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I remember that turning point in my faith. I had just earned my first dollar and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had to either give it all to God's work or nothing at all. So at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that is why I am such a rich man today."
He finished and there was an awed silence at his testimony as he proudly moved toward his seat. As he sat down a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said to him: "I dare you to do it again."
How crazy it sounds to give it all to God doesn’t it!
Into Myself –
Been doing ministry with Jeff & Lisa for about 4 years. It’s an honor to stand before you all today and share what God’s revealed to me through His Holy spirit about the church of Laodicea and it’s relevance to the world we live in today. I’m a strong believer in the power of prayer and the movement of the holy spirit living inside all those that have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior so lets begin there. Please bow your heads…
Sincere prayer inviting the HS – May we Trust in advance that which will only fully make sense in reverse.
Reading Rev 3:14-22 – give people time to open their bibles.
Real letter written to a real church
Relevant to them then and to us today - Gods Truth is relevant in all things
READ - To the Church in Laodicea Rev 3:14-22


Laodicea - Wealthiest of the 7 church’s
· Banking
· Manufacturing of wool
· Med school that produced famous eye ointment
· We can identify with Laodicea very easily if we simply take a look around. Orange county is one of the most predominant area’s in the country and world today. We are world leaders in numerous industries including Finance, surf clothing and other fashion and have hospitals that people from all over the world come out to receive their care at. I drive by no less then 50 $100k+ cars on my way to work and someone who has a little extra change in their pocket is in the top 3% of the worlds wealth.

We are the Jones, everyone’s wishing they could keep up with us! Yes, God has blessed us with many comforts and no we don’t need to feel guilty about having them, but where does that put us in our Faith and Living a life that’s pleasing to God and is all that He would have for us?
That’s what we’re going to talk about tonight.

Tonight were going to discuss:
What being Lukewarm looks like?
What causes us to be Lukewarm?
What does Jesus call us to be?

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.

· Jesus identifies himself as the God of Truth(Amen- it is so; so be it), faithful and true witness and ruler over all God’s creation.
· Jesus has identified himself to each Church in a personal way that’s meaningful to them. Jeff explained it in a very clear way last week by stating that I know Jeff and we are friends and he’s my pastor, Jeff knows his wife Lisa and they are best friends and he’s her husband, he’s one Jeff that’s a different person to each of us.
· So Jesus being different to each of us yet consistently the same in who He is, is completely relevant to each of us wherever we are at and in all situation.

In John 1:1-3 were told:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In the beginning- when everything was created, God’s Truth was present because God is Truth, and Jesus was present because Jesus is God and through Jesus all things were made. There is No greater authority on Gods Truth and being a faithful and true witness than Jesus, because that is who Jesus is.
Jesus is the God of Truth, He is a faithful and True witness and Ruler over all God’s creation. He is that to Laodicea and He is that to us today.
What is Lukewarm?
15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

-Who’s ever heard the scripture “and Christ told them to be mediocre in their faith”
-How about a pastor say “go be lukewarm for Christ”

Lukewarm means - Lacking conviction or enthusiasm; indifferent:

Lukewarm is the middle between a Yes and a No. It’s not Hot or Cold. It’s that life that is struggling to fully fit into both Christianity and the world we live in. It’s the statement that we love God and believe He created all things but are unwilling to give up some of our worldly things to have a closer relationship with Him.

It’s a life seeking Compromise!

It’s not speaking out to others about our relationship with Christ because we believe that we’ll be shunned by many for having said such an offensive thing.. We want the full love, peace and eternity of God but not to have to let go of any of the possible luxuries that the world offers to get it. We want our cake and to eat it to.

How can we accept that God is the creator of all things and in charge of all things and ruler of all things and then question our willingness to respond to what He asks of us.

In Deuteronomy 6:5-9 told,
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

This is a life that glorifies Christ. That receives His blessing and lives in the Peace of God knowing that God’s in control and that the true goal is Salvation.

We are to Love God with all our heart, soul and strength – that doesn’t sound lukewarm.

In Rom 12- God tells us about love:
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

God Wants more for us….Because He Loves us.

1 Cor 13 is a popular verse used at weddings it reads:
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

*We like to use this at weddings as a verse showing our commitment and the covenant were making to the other person, but what about our commitment and covenant to Jesus Christ? Do we treat our Faith like this? Do we treat our relationship with Jesus Christ and His calling on our life even as seriously and with and much conviction and enthusiasm as we would someone we are married to or even a best friend.

Let’s look at this another way- I like stories, they help me visualize things.
What If: you without knowing it had some daily habits you didn’t know were causing you to have a painful cancer that was eating away at you heart. You have felt this cancer and it’s pain for some time but finally came to find out your going to die in 1 year, and it’s certain….. Then I came to you and told you I loved you deeply and cared for you, then touched your heart and healed you completely, you felt the healing, the pain that you lived with so long was gone and peace like you’ve never know came over you.
What do you believe your response to me might be like?
Would you ask what you can do for me in return?

What if I explained to you what was causing the cancer and said that what I want in return is for you to give up the habits that were causing you all that pain and the cancer itself. Would that seem fair?

Consider that Christ’s given us everything? Shouldn’t our response be one of great joy and adoration in living a life that glorifies Him.

- But what about all the stuff around us?? The things He’s blessed us with in this country and our lives, how can these things be bad? Good News! They’re not, if put into the right context in your life!

What causes Lukewarm, what is this struggle?
17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Story of Gold –
There was a very rich man who was just about to die and he wanted to take some of his wealth with him. So he started negotiations with God about the matter. God was not sure as it had never been done before and he did not want to set a precedence. Finally after long talks God reluctantly agreed to allow him to bring his wealth to heaven.
Just a few days before he died the rich man converted all his money into gold bullion. He died and the funeral home made sure that the suitcases containing the gold bullion went with him. He arrived at the Pearly Gates with his suitcases and there was Peter. Peter told him he could not bring the suitcases into heaven. But the man said he had already spoken to God and he had said it was OK. So Peter got on the God phone and sure enough it was true. So Peter was curious as to what was so valuable that the man wanted to bring it into heaven. Peter said, "Could I look in the suitcases?"

So the man opened the suitcases and Peter exclaimed, "Why are you bringing pavement to heaven!"
IN Rev 21 Jesus tells us He’s paved the street of heaven with gold,
And in Rom 1 were told that since sin began people have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever to be praised.
Yet the world consistently worships His creation here on earth and looks past the creator. The story above seems so far fetched yet our history has proven time and again that men have tried to take their worldly possessions with them upon death or consistently worshiped them above the creator himself.
Remember my first story - Can anyone think of a circumstance in which our society would understand the man in our first story actually acting on the ladies prompting and giving all his money back to a mission or church because he felt led by God to do so? They would try to lock him up.
Yet in Luke 16:13-14 - Jesus tells us:
13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
The proper context of the many worldly comforts God has given us is just that, they are worldly comforts that have NO long term value and God is the one who’s given them to us - so who deserves the worship…
We have to wrap our hearts and minds around the bigger picture God has for us. The selfishness in our lives is what leads us to an eternal misery. Selfishness was the first sin to ever have taken place when Adam & Eve took the fruit and ate believing they could have more than God had already given them. It was then that you and I and all mankind became separated from God because of sin. We had it all but blew it because we selfishly wanted more. It was because of that original sin of Adam and Eve that God sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins so that we could once again have relationship with Him. So that we could receive His Holy Sprit to lead us to acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and as our guide to a Full life centered in Him. We must keep in perspective that, More, that we seek in our lives and whether it’s creating separation from God or closeness to His Truth, Glory and eternity.

What does Jesus call us to be?
18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

· 3 things of greatest Pride to Laodicea –Financial Wealth, clothing/textile industry and a famous eye ointment. All things to have pride in but when we give praise to the creation and not the creator is when we get into trouble.
Jesus shows them the way come back to Him and receive all that He has for them.
· Jesus asks them to put their trust in Him and stop living to their Prideful nature of the material things of their community.
· Buy gold from Him – stock up your wealth in heaven.
· Buy White clothes from Him – representing the value of His righteousness over their sinfulness.
· And Salve to put in their eyes so they can see His truth

Matt 6:19-21 says
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
· Parable of the Rich man Matt 19:16-30


19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.



· Can you love someone yet watch them hurt themselves without trying to help?
· Christ would discipline this lukewarm church (in Love) unless it turned from it’s indifferent ways towards him.
· Without conviction to live to Christ, there is No church, there is No real faith. We can’t say we love Jesus yet worship His creations above Him.

Christ says - So be earnest and repent. Christ doesn’t walk away He calls us to repentance.
· Christ chose us (those whom I love) and as His chosen children he comes to us asking for us to repent from our sin. He is standing at the door to our heart knocking, asking us to repent from our sinful ways, to come back to Him, to stop our sinful ways.
· If we respond to His knocking, His voice, He will come in and eat with us.

2 Cor 1 Paul tells us
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.


21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

For those who overcome what?
· The temptation to live to this world and seek status and meaning in it’s riches and it’s judgments.
· Will receive what?– EVERYTHING! The right to sit with Christ on His throne. What greater honor could there be.
· He end’s with listen to the Holy Spirit in side you, speaking His Truth in you which was created before the earth was even formed. It will guide you properly, it will not lead you astray, it is His gift to us who know Him as our Lord and Savior and are committed to living a life full of His Glorious riches.

Lukewarm –
· a life seeking compromise
· middle between a Yes and a No. It’s not Hot or Cold.
· A life that is struggling to fully fit into both Christianity and the world we live in.

- He’s given us Everything, and asks us only to stop doing that which is giving us the cancer that’s killing us!
- We have to stop trying to bring our pavement to Heaven!

If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ into your heart or want to know more about what it means to live a Full life with Him, I would encourage you to pray with someone tonight. There will be people by the crosses during worship who would love nothing more than to pray with you.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ but find yourself, seeking more in your life with Him, are struggling with life’s challenges or simply seeking more Joy and Peace - I have a few things to leave you with.



Like the little old lady said in our first story, I dare you to do it again!

· I dare us to look at our lives and give back to God those things that He blessed us with when we came to know Him as our Lord and Savior.
· I dare us to see where we are worshiping the created and not the creator - by putting things or people in our lives above Him.
· I dare us to seek more than Lukewarm in our lives and live the full and glorious life that Jesus Christ calls us to and created us.

· He has proven He’s faithful, let’s give all to Him again!










Closing Prayer and scripture: 1Peter 1:3-9
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Revelation 3:7-13 “Philadelphia”
“A Key, a Door, and Pillars – Our Opportunities”

Recap:
· 7 letters to 7 real churches
· Jesus reveals Himself in specific ways
· Each way is relevant to the needs of the church

Good Example:
Pergamum (2:12-17)
· Pergamum is struggling with false teaching
· Jesus says he has the words “of Him who has the sharp double-edged sword”
· Jesus says that He is the truth, that He is the defining line, and that the truth cuts both ways

Jesus is who we need, when we need Him!

Read Revelation 3:7-13
Pray

Philadelphia:
· What does the name mean?
· Same as it does here in USA
· City of Brotherly Love

AD 17:
· The city was destroyed by earthquake
· Even though it was rebuilt by the time this was written in AD90
o Many had left the area due to fear of the quakes
· This city was small
· The church was most likely small also

Notice all the struggles with Earthquakes
· Remember the verses that Dispensationalists use about end-times signs

Luke 21:9-11
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
· Notice that it says that the end is still a ways away
· This is going on today
· People are still saying that this means the end is near
· But, the verse says this is still not the end
Remember:
· This was written to a church 1900 years ago
· Not to warn them of a coming destruction or rapture
· But to tell them how to live a life of worship then, and now

How do we live a life of worship today?
What does this church teach us about worship?

The answer: A Key, A Door, and Pillars
· We are heading through this verse, forward, then backwards
· Buckle up!!!

Vs. 7
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
· Key of David
· Reference to Isaiah 22

Isaiah 22:20-24
In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father. All the glory of his family will hang on him.
· Eliakim was given the authority over the whole house of King Hezekiah
· He had the key to the doors, and decided who got in to see the king
o And, who didn’t
· He had the authority

Just like Jesus has the authority over all Heaven and Earth.
· Just like Israel called David in this metaphor
· Heaven is opened up by Jesus, and only by Jesus
· Jesus is “Holy and True”
· The door He opens, no one can shut

So we have an image of a KEY – that is Jesus

Vs. 8a
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.
· Jesus keeps starting with “I know your deeds”
· If Jesus told us He knew what we were doing
o Some of us would be worried and guilty
o Some of us might be affirmed
o Only you and Jesus know
· That is how it goes with the 7 churches
o Some are doing very poorly
o Some are doing very good
· Either way, Jesus says, “I know your deeds”

An Open Door:
· Now enters the picture of the door
· The door is used over and over in Scripture from OT to NT
· It is normally presented as a DECISION
· Now, with each decision comes OPPORTUNITY

Genesis 4:7
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
· Just before Cain decided to kill his brother Abel
· God told him he had a door (decision) and that sin was crouching at
· The OPPORTUNITY was where he said Cain could master it

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
· Those who are seeking God’s truth are said to be at the “door”
· The DECISION comes with following the answer
· The OPPORTUNITY is in whether or not we follow Jesus

Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
· This door comes with the DECISION of obedience
· The OPPORTUNITY is in being able to see Heaven

Jesus says:
“I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut”
· Jesus is telling them that they have an opportunity
· And the opportunity is to share Him with others
· We will expand on this at the end

Vs. 8b
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
· Little in strength most likely came from them being small in size
· YET: they kept Jesus’ word
· AND: didn’t deny Him to others

Under persecution, this small but faithful congregation, remained faithful to the Name of Jesus.
· What an amazing compliment

Vs. 9
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
· Again with the Synagogue of Satan
· We talked about this before
· It is a reference to the Jews that were persecuting Christians

I am going out on a limb here:
· What is the major difference between the Jews of 90ad and Christians of 90ad?
o Same God “Yahweh”
· Jesus is the difference

What is the major difference between us and most of America today?
· God bless America is fine
· But, Jesus Saves…
· Not so OK!

We are surrounded by what Jesus calls the Synagogue of Satan:
· He describes those who are “for God” but “anti-Jesus” as Synagogue of Satan
o Not good people that don’t know Jesus
o Not “close but not quite there”
o As the Synagogue of Satan!!!
· Side note:
o Every time Jesus gets serious about talking about Hell
o He is talking to His followers
o He isn’t yelling and screaming at non-Christ-followers

What does this tell us?
· Jesus says that you will either die IN HIM or NOT IN HIM

Matthew 12:30
He who is not with me is against me, he who does not gather with me scatters.

We need to remember, that either someone is for Jesus, or they are against Jesus, and that is going to be important tonight when we tie it all together.

Vs. 10a
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
· You have been faithful
· You have endured
· You have been patient with others
· You have stood your ground

Because of this…
“I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”
· The word “keep” here means protect you in the midst of
· NOT: take you out of the situation

This is not a good eschatology verse for dispensationalists
· It doesn’t mean take away from the trouble
· It means keep you through it.

Jesus promises to protect us from the evil of the world while we are in it.

John 17:11-16
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name… while I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Jesus wants us in the world, so that the world might know about Him!
· Where will a dieing world turn, if we aren’t there to tell them?
· This is the opportunity we have!

So far we have a Key and a Door:
· The door that is open and can’t be shut is the Gospel
· And, the key to that door is Jesus Christ
· The Synagogue of Satan is those who allow talk of God but don’t

SHARE THE GOSPEL HERE:

Vs. 11-12a
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.
· Jesus tells us He is coming soon
o The command is to “hold on to what you have”
o And, to overcome
· Jesus never tells us to stand still, in fact that is the problem with next weeks church
· Jesus tells us not to lose what we have, and to overcome, or press forward

We are called to not only keeping our walk with Him active, but to be sharing it with others.
· Those who share in the Gospel and participate in others coming to faith
· Are called PILLARS
· A pillar is the strength of a structure, stability

Those who had seen the destruction by the earthquake of AD19, knew that the pillars of the temple were earthquake proof!!!
· Do you want to withstand the trials in front of you?
· Begin by giving away your faith!
· It will make you a pillar of strength

Vs. 12b-End
I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
· Here we are with words of future glory
· What does it all mean?
· We don’t know it all

Here is what I keep hearing from Jesus:
· New names
· New bodies
· New lives
· New hope
· We get it all!
· All that we don’t enjoy here on Earth, is gone in Heaven
· All is new!!!
· All is Perfect!!!

He who has an ear, let him/her hear what the Spirit says to the Church!

John 17:1-4
"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
· The DOOR is open to Heaven, and the opportunity is set before us
· The KEY is Jesus, the only true and holy one of God
· The PILLAR of our faith, is us confessing Jesus to others.

Revelation 3:1-6 - Sardis
“Are you alive or dead?”

Recap:
· 7 letters to 7 churches
· Ephesus
o Theologically sound
o Lost it’s first love
· Smyrna
o Small, poor, and afflicted
o Yet Rich!
o Given the Crown of Life
· Pergamum
o Held to teachings that were idolatrous
o Were told to repent, and they would be given a new name
· Thyatira
o They were doing more than they did at first
o They were “tolerant”

Remember:
· Though each is a real church 1900 years ago
· Each has relevance today – IF WE JUST CHECK OUR HEARTS!
· Who are we in this story?

Read Revelation 3:1-6
Pray

Vs. 1a
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Sardis:
· Not real significant in background
· Known for two things at this point in time
o Red dye
o Woolen material
· Smyrna has an impregnable location
· But had been conquered twice
o Alexander the Great in 549bc
o Antiochus the Great in 218bc
o Devastated by an earthquake during Jesus time on Earth 17ad

No clues to how this church got started
· Unlike Thyatira last week
· We don’t know much about the church itself

Christ Revealed to Sardis:
· Christ who holds the 7 Spirits and 7 Stars in place
· We have to recognize the Jesus who holds the whole Church in His hands

John 10:25-30
My (Jesus) sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
· Jesus is the very hand who holds the Church in place
o He is the one who keeps it safe
o No one can steal us from His hand
· He says some significant things here
o I know my sheep
o They know my voice and follow me
o I give them eternal life
o No one can snatch them out of my hands

This is the Jesus, that the church in Sardis needs.

And, this is the church that the church at CPC needs.

Vs. 1b
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
· This church has a great reputation with people
o Maybe this church is large in numbers
o Maybe it has great programs to be involved in
o Maybe it has a great reputation with outsiders
· We don’t know what it’s distinctives are
· We just know it has a reputation as being “alive”

Do you know what our church is known for?
· People from the outside tell us that this church is know for Bible teaching
· Pretty cool, huh?

If you really take a look though, what do you find?
· I am going to leave that to you, for your discernment

Hypocrisy:
· Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites
· What do we consider a hypocrite?
· One who does other than he/she says is right.

Dictionary.Com:
· A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

The Greek language where it came from gives us this:
· Hupocrites: was an actor
o In essence, one who pretended
o Or, one who put on a show
· It eventually became a charlatan, or pretender

“Hypocrisy is make-believe. It is the “let’s pretend” of religion.”
- John Stott

Jesus taught about this in:
Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
· Other ways hypocrites were described by Jesus
o Giving publicly to the poor so all could see
o Praying loudly in public for the applause of men
o Fasting so everyone knew (looking hungry and un-nourished)
o Putting down others so that they would look good

God spoke through Isaiah:
Isaiah 29:13
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
· They put on a good show, but were only acting
· They look good on the outside, but were dying on the inside

New Testament picture:
2 Timothy 3:5
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power”

How are we denying the power?

Vs. 2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
· I think that the change in metaphors here is possibly the most important key
· Jesus tells those that are “dead” to “wake up”
· Doesn’t that remind any of you of a story in the Gospels?

John 11 is devoted to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead:
· We are only going to look at the first 11 verses

John 11:1-11 (edited)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

All that is required for the dead to come alive is for Jesus to give it new life, and wake it up.

Sardis:
· Had the reputation of being alive, but was dead

What might this look like in our culture?
· Maybe if you judged on numbers/size
· Buildings
· Reputation
· Programs

Last part of verse 2:
“I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”
· Interesting the way this is worded
· What would make this incomplete?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
· The only thing I can think of is a church that does good things
· But has no real love for God
· Or love for others
· It would only be a show, or a religion

What if Sardis were dead?
What if we are dead?
What would wake it (or us) up?

Vs. 3a
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· What is the gift every follower of Christ has?
· What is the most misused asset to our faith?
o Some over use it !
o Some never use it!
· It is the SPIRIT OF GOD

John 7:37-39
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit , whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
· You got to love the Beloved John, he explains with in-text notes
· “Streams of Living Water”
· “By this I mean the Spirit of God”
· In other words, we all get the Spirit of God

John 14:15-17
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just someone with a good reputation?
o Ask the Spirit of Truth!
· Do you want to know how to be good, not just have a good reputation?
o Get counsel from the Counselor.

Sardis:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· If you want to be alive Sardis
· You must get the Streams of Living Water flowing through you

EmergeHB:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are on course?
· Ask the Counselor

Christ Presbyterian Church:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just have a good reputation
· Ask the Spirit of Truth.

REMEMBER:
· The only thing that can wake up a dead life is the Spirit of God!
· The only thing that can wake up a dead church, is the Spirit of God!

“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent!”
· Those things that the Spirit convicts you of in Church, or in your time in the Word, or in prayer:
· Do them!
· That is the Spirit of God at work in your life

The difference between a church with a good reputation, and a church that is good in the sight of God, is the obedience to the Spirit of God.

Vs. 3b
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
· Just like Jesus took His time getting to Lazarus (2 days before He went to him)
· Jesus is patient with us
· But eventually, the time is now!

Who is to say you won’t die in a car crash on the way home
Who is to say Christ won’t return tonight?
· We don’t know
· But we sure don’t want to get caught sleeping!

Remember!
· Sardis was said to be an impregnable city
o Surrounded well
o Great view of incoming invaders
· But it was conquered twice
o Alexander the Great and Antiochus the Great

Both conquered this capitol city, because it forgot to keep watch!

Vs. 4-5a
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
· In Sardis they were known for having this red dye, and woolen garments
· Christ uses this to illustrate that they are more like culture, than like the church

There are a few though:
· This church with a great reputation has only a few solid believers
· They are called those who are dressed in white
· This refers to their purity and their righteousness

He who overcomes will, like them.
· There is still time to change
· They will be dressed in white!
· You can still be known as pure and right!

Vs. 6
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
· Salvation is when God gives us an “ear to hear”
· Before the Spirit of God works in us, we cannot hear.

Isaiah tells us:
· “Though they are ever hearing, but never understanding”
· “Though they are ever seeing, but never believing”

You are among those who ARE ABLE to hear, and understand!

Doxology:

Vs. 5b
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

I want to know that every name in here is going to be confessed before the Father, by Jesus Christ Himself, the one who holds us in His hands!

Emerge October 14, 2006:
Revelation 2 - Thyatira
“Eyes Like Fire”

Read Revelation 2:18-29

Pray!

RECAP:
· Ephesus:
o Great theological church
o Lost their first love
· Smyrna:
o Church under persecution
o Persevering
· Pergamum:
o Lot’s of Love for others
o Not strong in theological stance
o Permitting too many false ideas to creep in

Thyatira:
“the largest letter written to the smallest church”

INTRO:
· These 7 churches exist in a postal route that go in the order it is written
· This would be the 4th church in the route
· 40 miles southeast and inland of Pergamum

Acts 16:13-15
On the Sabbath (Paul & Luke) went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

Lydia:
· Paul’s first convert in Philippi
· Perhaps, Lydia, newborn in Christ helped Paul start a church in Thyatira

Vs. 18
"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
· Jesus tells the church about two of His own attributes here
· Eyes like fire, and feet like bronze

Feet like bronze:
· Just like the bronze in the temple was where the blood was poured out
· Judgment is what is symbolized here
· Jesus is the Judge of all the Earth

Can you worship the Jesus that is able to judge the living and the dead?

Eyes like fire:
· This is an attribute of God not endemic to only this passage

You think this would have been news to Peter?
Luke 22:60-62
Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

How about the prophet Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 17:10
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Two more times in Jeremiah, God is called:
Jeremiah 20:12, 11:20
“You who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind”

God is said to know the heart in Acts: KARDIAGNOSIS
Acts 1:24
Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart.”

Acts 15:8
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

That is what Jesus is referring to here.
· God knows the heart
· Jesus sees straight through the Christian façade we put on
o Straight to our hearts
· That can be good!
o Or Bad!
· Remember the feet of bronze are still a part of this!!!

Vs. 19
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
· I know your deeds
· I know you have love, faith, service, and perseverance
· I know your hearts

Remember: to whom is Jesus speaking?
- The church!
· Deeds are not the way into heaven
· Deeds are not the way into the church
· Deeds are what we are made for inside of relationship with God!

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

First off, Jesus tells them, I know your deeds
· Unlike Ephesus, they are loving
· Just like Smyrna, they are faithful and persevering
· Unlike Pergamum, they are doing more for the kingdom than when they started

This is really a good report card!
· Of course, there is more…

Vs. 20
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
· That woman Jezebel
· Funny: the name Jezebel actually means purity/chaste

But I thought they were doing well:
· They had faith, and love, and action
· But they were lacking in holiness – much like many of our churches!

Jezebel:
· The first Jezebel was nearly 1000 years earlier (see 1 Kings 16-19, 2 Kings 9)
o Married to a weak Jewish king of Israel
o She mislead most of Israel
o She was truly their demise
· This Jezebel-like-woman was in some ways gnostic
o The considered their ways “a mature experience of life”
o This was very Gnostic-like in that they could do what they wanted, because God was spiritual, and the flesh had nothing to do with it

Similarities:
· It appears like the Jezebelites of Revelation are a lot like the Nicolaitans and the Baalamites
· They are all involved in sexual immorality and idol worship
· The problem here is tolerance.

Not too different from the church today, right?
· We tolerate the immorality in the church
· We tolerate the sin in the church
· We tolerate the divorce in the church
· WE are amazingly tolerant of many things

· But we are amazingly rough on others!!!

I am not going to teach you about tolerance tonight.
· Why?
· Because tolerance on both sides of the coin is a joke
o One side is the intolerant:
§ They seem to be only intolerant of the things that they ARE NOT GUILTY OF
§ The ones coming out against homosexuality, are still found having affairs and viewing porno!
o The intolerant are equally inconsistent:
§ They are only tolerant of those who are tolerant!
§ As soon as you say that there is a solid truth, they don’t like you

So, how do I not teach on tolerance, either to be tolerant, or not to be tolerant: and still get the message out?

IF you have pen and paper, write this down:

Be a REVOLUTIONARY not a REACTIONARY:
· We need to not react to those who are leading our church astray today and come out against them in a reaction
· We need to be a church that is already standing FOR things, and not just against things.

Example:
· Song of Solomon series
· I didn’t spend 12 weeks teaching against sexual sin
· I spent 12 evenings with you, teaching FOR PURITY!

Matt 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Salt and Light:
· Salt wasn’t just used for flavor in NT times
o It was used as a preservative
o To keep things from rotting they would put salt on them
· Today you put salt on the road in the snow
o This salt keeps you on the path
o It keeps you from sliding off the path/road
· Light is pretty self-explanatory
o You don’t want to get lost in the woods
§ You bring a flashlight
o You don’t want to fall down
§ You turn the light on in the dark

We are called to be just like this!
· We are called to be a preservative and keep people from rotting
· We are called to be a people that help keep others on the path
· We are called to keep others from getting lost
· We are supposed to be able to shine our lives before men and women, and keep them from stumbling!

Be salt and light!

Be a revolutionary!
· Don’t just be a reactionary

Vs. 21-23a
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead.
· God’s patience amazes me
· I am truly grateful for it, but it amazes me
· God is patient

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

What a good and patient God we worship!!!

Vs. 23b
Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
· He says to the churches:
o I know
o I know it all
o All that you do is seen!
· I will repay you
o Good for good
o Bad for bad

Vs. 24-25
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
· There were those in Thyatira that were not consumed with this
· They were not trying to get the “mature” gnosis of Jezebelites
· He says, I am not going to ask more from you
· Just do what you were taught!

Jesus always taught us:
· That His yoke was easy, and His burden was light
· Simply, live the life God has called you to.
· Be a revolutionary
· That isn’t as tough as trying to combat all the evils of the world

Vs. 26-29
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'- just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
· Stay the course now Thyatira
· They were be a place for you later

We don’t know a lot about how we will “rule in heaven”
· Jesus did say, “well done my good and faithful servant, you have been faithful with a little, now I will make you ruler of a lot”
· We just don’t know how it will look

My favorite “Blazing eyes of Jesus” story:

John 8:3-12
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus , "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman , where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

The one who can condemn you chooses not to!
· He is patiently waiting for you to come back to Him
· He is not tolerant of immorality
· But He didn’t react to her sinful lifestyle

Very next words:
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
· The reason Jesus didn’t react …
· …is because He was starting a revolution!!!
· A revolution of
o Purity
o Holiness
o Faith
o And forgiveness!!!

Revelation 2:12-17
Pergamum


Review: Each book begins with a part of the description of Jesus


Ephesus: Who holds 7 stars and walks amidst 7 lampstands
Mssg: “I know your works” – He is there amidst them
Warning: “Remove your lampstand” – He holds the messengers, He holds the future of their church.
Blessing: “Eat the tree of life in the paradise of God” –
As He walks among the lampstands, so they will walk among the trees of the garden.


Smyrna: First and Last, Died and came to Life again.
Mssg: “Do not be afraid” – He is and was and shall be – He is in control.
Blessing: “Not hurt by the second death” – He already took control of that second death.



Pergamum:
Read letter
Pray
Read Gary’s letter from newsletter.

Vs. 12
Jesus’ description - “The words of Him who has the sharp two-edged sword”

Ephesians 6:17 – “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.



Vs. 13a
Jesus’ description of Pergamum: “I know where you dwell – where Satan’s throne is.”

1 John 5:19
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.


THE CITY
· Capital of province of Asia
· Famous library – 200,000 volumes of parchment
· Parchment invented there
o Latin: “Pergamena Charta” – “Paper of Pergamum”




· Worship center of Aesculapias
o Roman god of healing
o Medical wards and schools
o Nickname was “saviour’
o Emblem was serpent
o Temple filled with tame snakes
o Sick would sleep and let snakes slide over and around them for healing
o “OLD SERPENT, THE DEVIL AND SATAN”

· Worship of Zeus
o Greek god of sky & weather
o Chief greek god
o Ruler over mortals and immortals
o Seated on throne with lighting bolt scepter
o Alter in Pergamum stood 1,000’ high – rising behind town
o 800’ up a ledge juts out from mountain – with altar for Zeus
o Altar was 90’ square x 20’ high.
o Smoked all day long with sacrifices
o Dominated city – pillar of cloud at day, fire by night

· Emperor worship as intense as in Smyrna

· Bacchus/Dionysus – god of wine and intoxication
o His festival was celebrated on March 16 and 17. The Bacchanalia, orgies in honor of Dionysus, were introduced in Rome around 200 BCE. These infamous celebrations, notorious for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they were forbidden by the Roman Senate in 186 BCE.
§ FORBIDDEN BY THE ROMANS!!!

ORANGE COUNTY
· Library = education & information, knowledge
· Aesculapias = Healing, superstition, witchcraft, hocus-pocus
o Applied kinesiology
· Zeus = power of ruling over the things of this world (seeking power)
· Emperor = Celebrity worship
· Bacchus = Worship of consumption & possession
· Dionysus = Worship of sexuality
Vs 13b
Antipas:
· Not a lot known
· One legend – roasted to death
· Believed to be 1st Christian martyr in Asia Minor
· Must have been shocking for the church there
· Strong impulse to panic – but they held fast.
· Word for “witness” and “martyr” are the same – “martus” (mar-toos)
· Originally it meat one who says “this is true, and I know it”
· So many “witnesses” paid for their testimony with their life, the context changed.
· To witness for Christ was to suffer for Christ (Gathering exercise)
· Antipas kept the faith
· Jesus gives him a title here
§ Faithful Witness
o REVELATION 1:5 – “and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness…”
· To suffer with Christ, in the end, is to share in His glory.

They kept the faith even though they were surrounded by Satan’s offerings.
They still believed in Jesus …
…but was that all they believed in?


Vs. 14-15
Balaam – Who taught Balak (King of Moab) all the ways to put stumbling blocks in Israel’s path.

Numbers 31:15-16
"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people.”

INCLUDING:
· Food sacrificed to idols
· Sexual immorality (sexual purity was truly a Christian invention to the world)

These are the things the people of Pergamum were doing.
Demonstrating by action what they believed in.

Nicolaitins – heretics (Ephesus hated, Pergamum is tolerating)


Other heresies:

Arianism:
Arius taught that God the Father and the Son were not co-eternal, seeing the pre-incarnate Jesus as a divine being but nonetheless created by (and consequently inferior to) the Father at some point, before which the Son did not exist. In English-language works, it is sometimes said that Arians believe that Jesus is or was a "creature"; in this context, the word is being used in its original sense of "created being".
JESUS IS NOT GOD.

Gnosticism:
A synthesis of Christianity, Judaism, Greek philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the mystery cults of the Mediterranean), which flourished during the 2nd and 3rd centuries

Being specially receptive to mystical or esoteric experiences of direct participation with the divine.

The sufficient cause of salvation is this 'knowledge of' the divine.

Commonly identified with a process of inward 'knowing' or self-exploration.

Gnostics generally taught the belief that Jesus did not have a physical body, but rather his apparent physical body was an illusion, and hence his crucifixion was not bodily.

JESUS WAS NOT REALLY A MAN.
MAN CAN ACHIEVE GODHOOD.


Tolerance
“Why argue about things
“Why can’t we all just get along?”

PLURALISM: The belief that no single explanatory system or view of reality can account for all the phenomena of life. – Unitarian Universalists, American media, many modern “Christian” churches.


2 Timothy 4:1-3
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Why does this happen?
The idolatry of man – that we know better than god.


Where does this threat come from?


Matthew 13:31-32
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

Matthew 13:36-39
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.


Where God’s Word is planted – where his people take root – there Satan plants his children also.


This is why it is so important to choose wisely the spiritual leaders (pastors) you follow.

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

What is the faith of your leadership?
You are called by God to imitate them!






Vs. 16
The Warning: He will do battle against the hypocrites and apostates with the Sword of His Word.

When Jesus comes to battle against people, do you want to be caught up in a group of “bad guys”?
Teenage warning – watch who you hang out with.
Accountability – holding your leaders to more.


Revelation 19:19-21
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The Bible is NOT “just a book”

Vs. 17
Blessing: His Word – which can save you or destroy you – contains the promises we hold dear to.
· Hidden Manna
o Manna fed the Israelites physical needs while wandering in the wilderness
o Why did they wander for 40 years?
· So that an entire generation would pass away
· God fed their physical needs through their life in the “wilderness”
o God promises to feed our spiritual needs (hidden, not physical) through this life.

· White Stone/New Name
o Ticket to heaven, new name, new creation
§ God promises to reward our faithfulness with eternal life with Him.

Pergamum and Orange County

The church in Pergamum and the church in Orange County

How will we respond to the warning of Christ – that we may receive the promises of Christ?

Choose wisely who we follow.
Choose wisely who we worship with.

Make sure you’re all worshiping the same God!

Luke 8:11-15
"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.





The Word of God is either the Sword that protects you - or the blade that ruins you.
· Read, study, know your Bible
· Hold fast to the promises of Christ.





He is coming again…
And this battle, this life – is but a passing breath of wind.

If you do not know Christ – He will take you as you are tonight.
The promises in His Word can become His promises to you.

If you already know Jesus Christ as your Lord and God…
His Word will either protect you – or ruin you.

The choice is yours to make.




BENEDICTION:

1 Peter 5:8-11
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.