The church in Philadelphia was a model church. Our Lord Jesus commended them (1) for faithfulness with opportunities given to them (3:8a), (2) for spiritual competence (3:8b) – “thou hast a little strength” and so they depended all the more on Christ, (3) for faithfulness to the Word (3:8c), and (4) for evidence of their faith (3:8d). There are reasons why we can say they were a model church and that we could be as well.
A faithful church looks above at who Christ is (3:7). The saints at Philadelphia knew whom they served. But how could others see that? Rev. 3:8, 10 informs us that there were three ways, namely their "works," the remarkable labor though they had "little strength," and their "perseverance." How do these prove whom they served? The answer: what people saw is but the natural product of three graces abiding in every Christian. They could not see faith, love and hope (those divine graces given to every believer at his new birth and exercised by faithful believers who are looking above). However, they could see what each one produced. All three graces and their fruits are mentioned in 1 Thess. 1:3. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) In the case of the Philippian saints, their love for Christ produced good works (v. 8), probably meaning that they were involved in spreading the gospel to those around them. Jesus seems to be assuring them that their "open door" of opportunity was one of evangelism and that it would continue. Their faith in Christ transformed their weakness into power (v. 8; 2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 40:29). They realized that they must turn to Christ to find strength when their own natural strength was limited. Little strength is probably a reference to their numbers; they would not be weak spiritually since Christ would not open a door for spiritually weak Christians. Furthermore, they had hope in Christ because perseverance is always the result of Christian hope.
If you are faithful, you will give evidence of God-given Christian virtues. But it is also possible to pretend by producing, in your own natural strength, what you think those virtues will produce. It is critical that you look up; that you draw all your strength from Christ; that you make the distinction between faith in your faith (a subjective attitude) and faith in your Savior (an objective attitude). Likewise, also, your hope and love must be in Him, not in something you conjure up. This subject begs this question: What are you feeding? Your God-given faith, hope and love or your human, selfish pride that boasts of activities and forgets that Christ is the fruit inspector?
A faithful church looks around at what Christ is doing (3:8). They see what He is doing and they join in to assist Him in that work. Jesus commanded His disciples to do just that, “Look on the fields; they are ready to harvest” (John 4:35, 38, 41). The saints in Philadelphia saw this as an opportunity and a stewardship and so they entered the “open door.” They were “small” in number but not in spiritual strength. The world saw nothing attractive in them. However, the Lord was glorified in them because they “kept” the Word of God.
Too many of us Christians never see an open door. We never see opportunities for witness. That isn’t what happens when people first come to saving faith in Christ. They have zeal. They willingly leave their comfort zone. How sad it is that as the generations go on the zeal wanes in many lives! Here's a warning: men, by their arrogance and ecclesiastical or political position and actions, will strive to shut out true Bible believing believers from effective service. At such a time don't forget Christ’s power and authority. Men may bind us, as they did John and Paul, but God’s Word is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9). The Lord holds the key to opening doors to ministry as well as the door to the hearts of men. Where are we in the scheme of things? Are we witnessing? Are we trusting Christ for it?
A faithful church looks ahead at what Christ will do (3:9-11). When a person enters into a living relationship with Christ, he can count on several blessings. J. Hampton Keathley, III lists these in his lesson on Rev. 3:7-13.
(1) Comfort concerning their persecutors (3:9). The Lord refers to “the synagogue of Satan” in Philadelphia as the location of their persecution. Satan owned the synagogue whether the Jews recognized it or not. He was the head and the power behind the scenes. The Lord pointed this out in John 8:41-47 where He made it clear that merely calling themselves Israel did not constitute the Jews God’s people. To be a true Jew in the biblical sense one had to have the hope and faith of Abraham. Abraham was the possessor of faith in the promises of God to him and faith in the coming Messiah. Since faithful believers will reign with Jesus Christ and share in His throne, these persecutors will in essence have to fall down at the believer’s feet (Phil. 2:10-11; Heb. 2:13).
(2) Comfort concerning the Tribulation (3:10). Two very important items need to be emphasized. First, note that this is not a reward only to the faithful in Philadelphia, but to the church as a whole. This is clear from 3:13 which broadens this as a promise to the churches at large. All believers are to listen to these messages and their warning, exhortations, and promises and act accordingly. Second, the promise is “I will keep you from the hour …” i.e., from the Tribulation. This is very specific and carefully described in the Greek to emphasize and clearly teach the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. The preposition “from” has a special usage that means “escaping trouble you are not presently in.” See its use in Acts 15:29 and James 5:20. The promise of Rev. 3:10 is a two-fold guarantee: of not only being kept from the trials of the Tribulation but also from the very time period – “the hour.”
(3) Comfort concerning the imminent return of Christ (3:11). His coming is promised to be “quickly.” This means “suddenly, unexpectedly, without announcement” and not necessarily soon. It implies imminency and so the charge here is to “hold fast,” a warning against spiritual carelessness and carnality.
It helps to look ahead. We will then live in the light of His coming, and hold fast to Him in faith and service. His coming means examination and rewards. So, only those who look ahead will be ready for the exam. We’ve read the last chapter and so we do not have to fear the evils that are taking place today, as if God’s plans were being upset. What do you see ahead?
Verse for This Week: "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35)
Your Step for This Week: Develop a list of your activities this week that proves you are a faithful child of God.
Prayer for This Week: Help me, Lord Jesus, to be faithful as you are. Teach me how to order my life for faithful living.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Chosen on Purpose for a Purpose (Rev. 3:7-13)
The days of the Great Reformation were special days. They were days demanding great people, people of courage, people of purpose, people on a mission. For example, the French Calvinists (c. 1547) called Huguenots, were committed to upholding Truth. They were faithful in their witness to the belief that justification was by faith alone. For this they were persecuted fiercely. Their enemies also had a purpose – to rid the earth of evangelical Christians. Special courts were set up to try heretics, who were often burned at the stake. As martyrs multiplied, so also did evangelical Christianity spread. These were aided by massive mission efforts from Geneva. This illustrates the truth that people, Christian or nonchristian, with purpose have a reason for living. They get up in the morning, rolling up their sleeves, ready to work for their cause. It is interesting that the Lord chose to plant a church on a mission in a city that had a history of mission. Our passage in Revelation 3:7-13 begins with the city first.
The city of Philadelphia was a city chosen on purpose. It was located due west some 25 miles east of Sardis and about 100 miles east of Smyrna and ideally situated as a gate to the provinces of Lydia and Phrygia. There was a highway from the Aegean Sea that traversed through Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia and into the two eastern provinces. It was the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 BC) who had been given the name "Philadelphus," which means "brother lover" because of his love for his brother. He established the city and gave it the task of spreading Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. So the city may well have been founded for a social purpose. The great Christian archaeologist, William Ramsey, stated that the city “was a missionary city from the beginning, founded to promote a certain unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty within the realm…” The city successfully carried out its mission as is evidenced by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by AD 19 and the Greek language took over. Phrygia was a different story, however. It was not converted to Greek.
Why is this important? Our great country of the USA, like Philadelphia, was established to fulfill a purpose. What purpose? History tells us that those who landed on our shores had the aim of evangelizing the pagan natives of the land. Contrast this with the purpose of the Spaniards who landed first in Central and South America. Their goal was to get gold. Later our country was constituted with the words in its preamble, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The purpose of our land was and still is to carry out justice, ensure peace, provide common defense, promote the welfare of all citizens and secure freedom. Successful? Yes! Within this context colleges were born. In the 17th century, Harvard University began as an Indian College to educate Native Americans. Princeton University goes back to its establishment by "New Light" Presbyterians and was originally intended to train Presbyterian ministers. Indeed, Mission Statements are essential but what good are they if not maintained?
Begs the Question: Do we know what God intends for us as a nation? Is it our intent to see that it is accomplished? Am I contributing to the advance or the demise of my great country? What must I do? What can I do?
The church in Philadelphia was a church with mission. She was reminded of this in the first few words. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” For the first time in all the letters Christ identifies Himself in words that were not quotes from chapter one. This fact makes this a special church. The Lord goes out of His way to claim deity for Himself. He claims to be “holy” and “true,” words used in the Old Testament for Jehovah, Israel’s covenant God. In calling Himself Jehovah of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ guarantees blessings to His people. Furthermore, the activity of this God is to hold “the key of David.” This is a reference to Isaiah 22:22 where the Secretary of the State of Israel, Shebna, who had held the key of David was removed and his office given to another, Eliakim (22:15). The term refers to having complete control over the Messianic kingdom of David. Rev. 3:7 introduces Christ as the only One who holds control over the Messianic kingdom. He alone brings people into the kingdom of God. When the Lord Jesus gave His Mission Statement to all churches at the time of His ascension (Matt. 28:18-20) He prefaced His remarks by saying something identical. “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.”
Why is this important? Any Christian who is looking forward to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants has been introduced to Christ for citizenship in Christ's kingdom. He "opens and no one will shut, and [He] shuts and no one opens." He is the One, the author of the opportunity of salvation. He is in possession of the gates to heaven and the gates to hell. This is His present activity, not just His ability. Men cannot claim this. Pagan gods like Janus, the two-faced god, cannot havethis. Even the pope who assumed this power cannot do it. Only the Lord Jesus who gave mission to every Christian can claim such authority. He does not even pass this key over to Christians. It is His alone, but when Christians carry out their purpose of witnessing, they can do so knowing that genuine results come from the sovereign God, their Savior.
Begs the Question: Do we have assurance of salvation? Are we faithful in our witness to the Truth?
Verses for Today: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Your Step for Today: Thank the Lord for introducing you into His kingdom. Pick out one person with whom you can share the gospel and trust the One Who holds the keys to that person’s future.
Your Prayer for Today: Give me confidence in your ability, Lord. And, also, in your present activity as I witness to the lost.
The city of Philadelphia was a city chosen on purpose. It was located due west some 25 miles east of Sardis and about 100 miles east of Smyrna and ideally situated as a gate to the provinces of Lydia and Phrygia. There was a highway from the Aegean Sea that traversed through Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia and into the two eastern provinces. It was the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 BC) who had been given the name "Philadelphus," which means "brother lover" because of his love for his brother. He established the city and gave it the task of spreading Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. So the city may well have been founded for a social purpose. The great Christian archaeologist, William Ramsey, stated that the city “was a missionary city from the beginning, founded to promote a certain unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty within the realm…” The city successfully carried out its mission as is evidenced by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by AD 19 and the Greek language took over. Phrygia was a different story, however. It was not converted to Greek.
Why is this important? Our great country of the USA, like Philadelphia, was established to fulfill a purpose. What purpose? History tells us that those who landed on our shores had the aim of evangelizing the pagan natives of the land. Contrast this with the purpose of the Spaniards who landed first in Central and South America. Their goal was to get gold. Later our country was constituted with the words in its preamble, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The purpose of our land was and still is to carry out justice, ensure peace, provide common defense, promote the welfare of all citizens and secure freedom. Successful? Yes! Within this context colleges were born. In the 17th century, Harvard University began as an Indian College to educate Native Americans. Princeton University goes back to its establishment by "New Light" Presbyterians and was originally intended to train Presbyterian ministers. Indeed, Mission Statements are essential but what good are they if not maintained?
Begs the Question: Do we know what God intends for us as a nation? Is it our intent to see that it is accomplished? Am I contributing to the advance or the demise of my great country? What must I do? What can I do?
The church in Philadelphia was a church with mission. She was reminded of this in the first few words. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” For the first time in all the letters Christ identifies Himself in words that were not quotes from chapter one. This fact makes this a special church. The Lord goes out of His way to claim deity for Himself. He claims to be “holy” and “true,” words used in the Old Testament for Jehovah, Israel’s covenant God. In calling Himself Jehovah of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ guarantees blessings to His people. Furthermore, the activity of this God is to hold “the key of David.” This is a reference to Isaiah 22:22 where the Secretary of the State of Israel, Shebna, who had held the key of David was removed and his office given to another, Eliakim (22:15). The term refers to having complete control over the Messianic kingdom of David. Rev. 3:7 introduces Christ as the only One who holds control over the Messianic kingdom. He alone brings people into the kingdom of God. When the Lord Jesus gave His Mission Statement to all churches at the time of His ascension (Matt. 28:18-20) He prefaced His remarks by saying something identical. “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.”
Why is this important? Any Christian who is looking forward to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants has been introduced to Christ for citizenship in Christ's kingdom. He "opens and no one will shut, and [He] shuts and no one opens." He is the One, the author of the opportunity of salvation. He is in possession of the gates to heaven and the gates to hell. This is His present activity, not just His ability. Men cannot claim this. Pagan gods like Janus, the two-faced god, cannot havethis. Even the pope who assumed this power cannot do it. Only the Lord Jesus who gave mission to every Christian can claim such authority. He does not even pass this key over to Christians. It is His alone, but when Christians carry out their purpose of witnessing, they can do so knowing that genuine results come from the sovereign God, their Savior.
Begs the Question: Do we have assurance of salvation? Are we faithful in our witness to the Truth?
Verses for Today: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Your Step for Today: Thank the Lord for introducing you into His kingdom. Pick out one person with whom you can share the gospel and trust the One Who holds the keys to that person’s future.
Your Prayer for Today: Give me confidence in your ability, Lord. And, also, in your present activity as I witness to the lost.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Promised and Visual Hope for Dead Churches (Rev. 3:1-6)
There is no person who can speak to our hearts as the Lord Jesus can. If He must rebuke us, He comes first with love and compassion that we, by the grace of God, should seek to follow after Him. Notice this method in each of the letters that we have considered. Each church, except the one in Smyrna, needed rebuke but He first commended them for their good actions (2:2-3, 13, 19). He is not a tyrant waiting to judge us harshly if we do not follow His leading. He wants us to be like Him and so He deals gently with us in our faults. However, there is a difference when we come to the church in Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6). He had nothing good to say to them. What about His reference to good deeds in 3:1? That is not a commendation; it is His complaint, as we learn from 3:2. There is something seriously wrong here in Sardis. This is a sad and startling complaint come from the lips of our Lord. Three principles will help us in our duty to watch what good things we have in Christ.
The first principle is that a church can be dead. This is where any church must begin. Each must ask the question, Are we a dead church? The church in Sardis was dead (3:1) as evidenced in their works that failed to please Christ (3:2). Why did Christ use the term “dead” for Sardis when He did not for the churches in Thyatira and Laodicea? Did they not also have serious problems? I suppose it is because neither of them had ever known such glory as the Sardian believers did at the beginning. Now they had nothing. It is like the contrast between life and death. Just as the city had a significant fame as a royal city, and now was nothing, even so the church’s loyalty and service to Christ was in the past. Now they were nothing. They had “a form of godliness but [denied] the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5).
Why is this important? The great majority of Christendom today has only the form of godliness. They have no power. For example, how much of Protestantism today knows in practical experience the truth of justification by faith which was the Bible doctrine upon which Protestantism was founded? Very little! It is a truth that has been lost to vast areas of organized Christendom. The Reformation began well but later deteriorated into different religious systems. Where Truth is absent the religious body is spiritually lifeless. Many of those groups are today working toward an organic union that Protestants and possibly Roman Catholics will call Christian. But if they succeed in doing this, they will still be dead. It is a far cry from the “unity of the Spirit” spoken of by Paul in Eph. 4:3 and the unity Christ prayed for in John 17:21-23. In their organization, they will still be dead.
Begs the Question? Are we dead – without knowing it? Do we break the bread at Communion and at the same time feed upon Him? We have worship services, but do we really worship? What about our giving to the Lord’s work? We may give regularly, but do we do it out of a sense of duty or because we love the Lord? How about our prayer lives? And our work on church committees? Is it pleasing to Him? Does not God speak of of a?
A second principle is just as important. A dead church can be revitalized (3:2-3). The only hope for the Sardian church at that time and for Protestant churches today is to turn to the Lord “who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars” (Rev. 3:1). If the Sardian church is strong, it is because Christ has sent His Spirit to encourage and quicken the Sardian believers; if they are dead like the city, it is because in judgment He has withdrawn His Spirit from them. In fact, the Lord gives five imperatives that, if obeyed, would awaken the church to new life. (1) They must “watch” (3:2-3). The pastors must watch over themselves, know the state of their flocks, teach the Truth and see to it that the laws of Christ’s house are practiced. The members must watch over their own attendance, their observance of the ordinances and their prayer life. (2) They must “strengthen the things that remain” (3:2). They cannot strengthen good works nor the graces of the Spirit. But they can strengthen the Truths of the gospel that they embraced at the beginning. (3) They must “remember” (3:3). This not only refers to the doctrines of grace she had heard at the beginning but the manner in which she heard them [with attention, reverence, humility and without prejudice]. (4) They must “hold fast” (3:3) those doctrines though everybody else despises them and they are ridiculed as fanatics. (5) They must “repent” (3:3).
Why is this important? It is good that hope is offered to churches that are floundering. Some have recovered from the near-death experience and are showing signs of spiritual life. However, some do not. Sadly, the longevity of life for all evangelical churches is 50 years.
Begs the Question? How old is our church? How does she compare favorably with her beginning in matters of doctrine and practice? What past successes has our church had that might give us such comfort and confidence that we become careless? Are we moving forward? What excuses might our church give for no longer being a living, vibrant church?
Let’s go one step further and add another principle worth keeping. A dead church can revive and earn a reward (3:4-6). Paul refers to this principle in his discussion on marriage in 1 Cor. 7:13-14. He states that unsaved spouses and children are “sanctified” by the presence of the Christian in the home. He did not mean they were saved. The idea of sanctification simply means to set apart for some use. By the believer’s presence the unsaved in the home are set apart for a gospel ministry of the Holy Spirit. Here is the hope of the Sardian church. They had “a few people … who [had] not defiled their garments; and they will walk with [Christ] in white” (3:4). That remnant sanctifies the majority who were defiled. Who knows but the dead might live. Like the believers who are assured of being clothed in “white raiment,” the dead members might seek life in Him who has “seven Spirits of God.
Verse for Today: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1)
Your Step for Today: In a prayerful attitude, ask the Lord what role you might have in helping your church overcome the tendency to lose life. Seek out one friend who will agree with you on this and help you to carry out that role.
Your Prayer for Today: Ask the Lord to make the members of your church sensitive to the Spirit so that they might know if they are just going through the motions spiritually and have no real spiritual vitality.
The first principle is that a church can be dead. This is where any church must begin. Each must ask the question, Are we a dead church? The church in Sardis was dead (3:1) as evidenced in their works that failed to please Christ (3:2). Why did Christ use the term “dead” for Sardis when He did not for the churches in Thyatira and Laodicea? Did they not also have serious problems? I suppose it is because neither of them had ever known such glory as the Sardian believers did at the beginning. Now they had nothing. It is like the contrast between life and death. Just as the city had a significant fame as a royal city, and now was nothing, even so the church’s loyalty and service to Christ was in the past. Now they were nothing. They had “a form of godliness but [denied] the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5).
Why is this important? The great majority of Christendom today has only the form of godliness. They have no power. For example, how much of Protestantism today knows in practical experience the truth of justification by faith which was the Bible doctrine upon which Protestantism was founded? Very little! It is a truth that has been lost to vast areas of organized Christendom. The Reformation began well but later deteriorated into different religious systems. Where Truth is absent the religious body is spiritually lifeless. Many of those groups are today working toward an organic union that Protestants and possibly Roman Catholics will call Christian. But if they succeed in doing this, they will still be dead. It is a far cry from the “unity of the Spirit” spoken of by Paul in Eph. 4:3 and the unity Christ prayed for in John 17:21-23. In their organization, they will still be dead.
Begs the Question? Are we dead – without knowing it? Do we break the bread at Communion and at the same time feed upon Him? We have worship services, but do we really worship? What about our giving to the Lord’s work? We may give regularly, but do we do it out of a sense of duty or because we love the Lord? How about our prayer lives? And our work on church committees? Is it pleasing to Him? Does not God speak of of a?
A second principle is just as important. A dead church can be revitalized (3:2-3). The only hope for the Sardian church at that time and for Protestant churches today is to turn to the Lord “who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars” (Rev. 3:1). If the Sardian church is strong, it is because Christ has sent His Spirit to encourage and quicken the Sardian believers; if they are dead like the city, it is because in judgment He has withdrawn His Spirit from them. In fact, the Lord gives five imperatives that, if obeyed, would awaken the church to new life. (1) They must “watch” (3:2-3). The pastors must watch over themselves, know the state of their flocks, teach the Truth and see to it that the laws of Christ’s house are practiced. The members must watch over their own attendance, their observance of the ordinances and their prayer life. (2) They must “strengthen the things that remain” (3:2). They cannot strengthen good works nor the graces of the Spirit. But they can strengthen the Truths of the gospel that they embraced at the beginning. (3) They must “remember” (3:3). This not only refers to the doctrines of grace she had heard at the beginning but the manner in which she heard them [with attention, reverence, humility and without prejudice]. (4) They must “hold fast” (3:3) those doctrines though everybody else despises them and they are ridiculed as fanatics. (5) They must “repent” (3:3).
Why is this important? It is good that hope is offered to churches that are floundering. Some have recovered from the near-death experience and are showing signs of spiritual life. However, some do not. Sadly, the longevity of life for all evangelical churches is 50 years.
Begs the Question? How old is our church? How does she compare favorably with her beginning in matters of doctrine and practice? What past successes has our church had that might give us such comfort and confidence that we become careless? Are we moving forward? What excuses might our church give for no longer being a living, vibrant church?
Let’s go one step further and add another principle worth keeping. A dead church can revive and earn a reward (3:4-6). Paul refers to this principle in his discussion on marriage in 1 Cor. 7:13-14. He states that unsaved spouses and children are “sanctified” by the presence of the Christian in the home. He did not mean they were saved. The idea of sanctification simply means to set apart for some use. By the believer’s presence the unsaved in the home are set apart for a gospel ministry of the Holy Spirit. Here is the hope of the Sardian church. They had “a few people … who [had] not defiled their garments; and they will walk with [Christ] in white” (3:4). That remnant sanctifies the majority who were defiled. Who knows but the dead might live. Like the believers who are assured of being clothed in “white raiment,” the dead members might seek life in Him who has “seven Spirits of God.
Verse for Today: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1)
Your Step for Today: In a prayerful attitude, ask the Lord what role you might have in helping your church overcome the tendency to lose life. Seek out one friend who will agree with you on this and help you to carry out that role.
Your Prayer for Today: Ask the Lord to make the members of your church sensitive to the Spirit so that they might know if they are just going through the motions spiritually and have no real spiritual vitality.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
It Doesn't Pay to Copy the Failures of the World (Rev. 3:1-6)
Today we consider a new church in the list of seven that the Lord addresses. Verses 2 and 3 of Rev. 3:1-6 set the tone for today’s lesson: “Be watchful … If therefore thou shalt not watch.” Other versions have “wake up,” (NAS, NIV, NLT, RSV). I don’t like that translation because it loses the thought of a sentinel’s duty. “Watch” is better. The guard’s job is to be alert to encroaching danger and, if needed, to alert the others. The issue in Sardis has to do with failing to be alert, neglecting one’s duty. What was true in the history of the city was true of the history of the church there. Neglect! Dereliction of duty! The theologian and Bible teacher Dr. S. Lewis Johnson entitles this passage, “Sardis: a Model of Past Glory.”
I. Sardis, the city, neglected its duty and lost its glory. In the sixth century B.C. there was no greater city than Sardis. It was the capitol of the kingdom of Lydia. It was the residence of the kings of Lydia, Croesus being one of them. His name is proverbial for his immense wealth. Cyrus is said to have taken $600 million worth of treasure from the city when he captured it in 548 B.C. Its fertile land and its ideal location made it a very important commercial city. The upper city (acropolis) was on a hill that towered 1,000 feet above the valley. It gave the city an almost impregnable stronghold. There was no city greater, but this was all lost through the failure to watch. The acropolis was successfully scaled in 549 B.C. by a Median soldier and in 218 by a Cretan. The Ionians burned the city in 501 B.C. but it was quickly rebuilt and regained its importance. In 334 B.C. it surrendered to Alexander the Great. Just 80 years before Christ wrote this letter the city was destroyed by an earthquake and never recovered its former glory.
II. Sardis, the church, neglected its duty and lost its glory. There was a Christian church in this city. Indeed, most of the citizens worshipped at the temple of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, and honored Hera, the goddess of marriage and Demeter, the goddess of the fruits of the earth and paid their vows to the divine Roman emperor. However, God wonderfully raised up a company of believers in Jesus Christ who formed a local church. How glorious is that thought! God raised up a people for His name in a community of Jews and pagans. God built His church in that city but much like the city itself, they failed to watch and so, lost their glorious start. Jesus said, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (3:1) “I have not found thy works perfect before God” (3:2). There was activity in the church, but the activity was not coming to perfection. They were not getting the job done. Nothing they had done from their beginning had succeeded in establishing and grounding them in the faith. Remember this church follows the one in Thyatira like the Reformation followed the Dark Ages when the Roman Catholic Church reigned. Martin Luther describes the church in Sardis as suffering from spiritual dry rot. That’s interesting since the church in Sardis describes the conditions following the great Reformation in the 16th century. The city’s greatness lay in the past; so did the church’s.
Why is this important? There are churches like this today. Their greatest moment was the fleeting blaze of their momentous beginning. Since then they have not amounted to much. There were several converted at first, they readily put up a meetinghouse and called a preacher. However, soon after that things began to dwindle. Some may have become discouraged from the ridicule of former friends. Others lost their time for Bible study, prayer, evangelism and the assembling of themselves with other believers.
Begs the Question? How can a church be dead and not know it? Do others see us or our church as alive? How? What are the evidences?
III. Sardis, the church, has a Savior who can restore them to former glory. The Lord identifies Himself as the One “who hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars” (v. 1). This is a reference to the Holy Spirit in the fullness of His power. See Isaiah 11:2. The Lord has that power as He comes to His struggling churches. The church can be reached only through the powerful Lord working through “the seven stars” who are the messengers or pastors of the churches. The pastors must be submissive to Him and they much preach His Word faithfully if the churches are to be revived. If they fail to “watch” and alert the congregation to the enemy, if they strive to avoid being offensive to their pagan environment, the church will die. Christ is able to restore us again.
So then, we must be vigilant. If we do not hold fast to Truth, we will lose the glory gained by those who preceded us. Next week we will consider the power that our omnipotent Savior gives to struggling churches.
Verse for Today: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-31)
Your Step for Today: List at least three ways that you can alert your Christian friends to the attacks of antichristian forces.
Your Prayer for Today: Pray that churches in our land may be vibrant in their Christian witness and continue to be able to worship, work and witness.
I. Sardis, the city, neglected its duty and lost its glory. In the sixth century B.C. there was no greater city than Sardis. It was the capitol of the kingdom of Lydia. It was the residence of the kings of Lydia, Croesus being one of them. His name is proverbial for his immense wealth. Cyrus is said to have taken $600 million worth of treasure from the city when he captured it in 548 B.C. Its fertile land and its ideal location made it a very important commercial city. The upper city (acropolis) was on a hill that towered 1,000 feet above the valley. It gave the city an almost impregnable stronghold. There was no city greater, but this was all lost through the failure to watch. The acropolis was successfully scaled in 549 B.C. by a Median soldier and in 218 by a Cretan. The Ionians burned the city in 501 B.C. but it was quickly rebuilt and regained its importance. In 334 B.C. it surrendered to Alexander the Great. Just 80 years before Christ wrote this letter the city was destroyed by an earthquake and never recovered its former glory.
II. Sardis, the church, neglected its duty and lost its glory. There was a Christian church in this city. Indeed, most of the citizens worshipped at the temple of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, and honored Hera, the goddess of marriage and Demeter, the goddess of the fruits of the earth and paid their vows to the divine Roman emperor. However, God wonderfully raised up a company of believers in Jesus Christ who formed a local church. How glorious is that thought! God raised up a people for His name in a community of Jews and pagans. God built His church in that city but much like the city itself, they failed to watch and so, lost their glorious start. Jesus said, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (3:1) “I have not found thy works perfect before God” (3:2). There was activity in the church, but the activity was not coming to perfection. They were not getting the job done. Nothing they had done from their beginning had succeeded in establishing and grounding them in the faith. Remember this church follows the one in Thyatira like the Reformation followed the Dark Ages when the Roman Catholic Church reigned. Martin Luther describes the church in Sardis as suffering from spiritual dry rot. That’s interesting since the church in Sardis describes the conditions following the great Reformation in the 16th century. The city’s greatness lay in the past; so did the church’s.
Why is this important? There are churches like this today. Their greatest moment was the fleeting blaze of their momentous beginning. Since then they have not amounted to much. There were several converted at first, they readily put up a meetinghouse and called a preacher. However, soon after that things began to dwindle. Some may have become discouraged from the ridicule of former friends. Others lost their time for Bible study, prayer, evangelism and the assembling of themselves with other believers.
Begs the Question? How can a church be dead and not know it? Do others see us or our church as alive? How? What are the evidences?
III. Sardis, the church, has a Savior who can restore them to former glory. The Lord identifies Himself as the One “who hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars” (v. 1). This is a reference to the Holy Spirit in the fullness of His power. See Isaiah 11:2. The Lord has that power as He comes to His struggling churches. The church can be reached only through the powerful Lord working through “the seven stars” who are the messengers or pastors of the churches. The pastors must be submissive to Him and they much preach His Word faithfully if the churches are to be revived. If they fail to “watch” and alert the congregation to the enemy, if they strive to avoid being offensive to their pagan environment, the church will die. Christ is able to restore us again.
So then, we must be vigilant. If we do not hold fast to Truth, we will lose the glory gained by those who preceded us. Next week we will consider the power that our omnipotent Savior gives to struggling churches.
Verse for Today: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-31)
Your Step for Today: List at least three ways that you can alert your Christian friends to the attacks of antichristian forces.
Your Prayer for Today: Pray that churches in our land may be vibrant in their Christian witness and continue to be able to worship, work and witness.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Fallacy of Working One's Way Past Judgment (Rev. 2:18-29)
Every evil system has been founded on lies. The Nazis believed the lie of the superiority of the Nordic race; the Communists, the lie of the superiority of a classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production; the abortionists, in the lie that fetuses are just tissue. The Church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) denied a final judgment and so the Judge of all men, the Lord Jesus Himself, addresses them as the One who knows the future. He unveils lies believed by many members, which lies encouraged them in their denial. We must understand some aspects of these lies so we don’t believe them.
I. First, consider the nature of the lies in Thyatira (2:19-20). Lies are spawned by hell and those who teach them or believe in them are in league with Satan (2:24) who is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
The first lie was that people who have a reputation for good service need not worry about final judgment (2:19). This lie is not seen by a cursory reading of Rev. 2:19. There is no question but that the Church in Thyatira had a reputation for being a hard-working church. Even the Lord Jesus commends them for that. He comments on their “deeds,” “love,” “faith,” “service,” and “perseverance.” What could be wrong with that? If it stood alone, nothing. But the context of an ungodly church should make us look more closely. Their love is agape love, a love that only Christians can have. That love manifested itself in “service.” Their faithfulness is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives to His people (Gal. 5:22). That faithfulness manifested itself in “perseverance” during trial. From the beginning true believers revealed their divine nature by loving and faithful service to the Lord. And the church’s present state reflects “deeds .. greater than at first.” But, I might add, without the gifts of the Spirit. It appears that only the reputation is there. The Lord commends them because He wants believers to work for Him. But He is more interested in spiritual fruit than in reputation.
Why is this important? Any time believers tolerate unbelievers in their church while trying to serve their Lord the likelihood exists that those unbelievers will take credit for the good reputation of serving Christ. Until they become believers in Christ they will claim those good works as their right to pass the piercing eye of the Lord Jesus. The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works. See Rom. 3:20, 28; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9.
Begs the Question: Should evangelical churches be involved in social work? Should Bible churches cooperate with non-evangelical churches in great humanitarian outreaches?
The second lie was that people who do not repent need not worry about final judgment. The most atrocious sins were being practiced by members in the church. The congregation had allowed a woman prophetess (a false one, according to Christ’s assessment) to remain in the church and to continue to teach the saints to indulge in “acts of immorality” and to “eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev. 2:20). Her teaching was no doubt similar to that of the Nicolaitans and Balaamites at Ephesus and Pergamos. Such sins were common practices for guild members in Thyatira. If they were not practiced, the artisans would lose their trade and their livelihood. In order to expose her true character, the Lord labeled her “Jezebel” – the name of the Canaanite wife of Israel’s King Ahab. Jezebel had not only led Ahab to worship Baal but through Ahab had spread he teachings of idolatry throughout all Israel (1 Kings 16:31-33; 2 Kings 9:22).
Why is this important? There is an apparent disconnect today between Christian beliefs and practice. Where is the distinction between Christianity and the world? People say they have trusted Christ but little is said of repentance. See Rev. 2:21-22. For example, a TV news item reported that a porn model claimed to be a Christian. Her justification was that Adam and Eve were naked. How wicked! Only as true believers uphold repentance in their own lives and live a life of separation from sin will they have an impact on those who see no need for it. Trusting by faith alone without repentance will damn a person. Repentance is one of the most essential, and yet, one of the most neglected of all Christian teachings. It indicates a dramatic change in thinking and attitude concerning sin. But notice how prominent it was in the early church. Jesus taught it (Mark 1:15). When He sent out his disciples on a missionary journey, He told them to preach repentance (Mark 6:12). The last message the Lord gave to his followers on earth was that of repentance (Luke 24:47). It was the message that Paul gave to the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:21).
Begs the Question: The Lord tells us we are to love the unsaved, but does that mean we are to shut our eyes to the wrong they may do or to be unequally yoked with them in church membership? How much does the church preach on repentance? Can a person be saved if he does not consider himself sinful?
II. Now let’s consider another aspect of these lies: the failure of the lies in Thyatira (Rev. 2:21-23). The Lord pointed out such failure in His parable of houses built upon sand. He said that the floods would wash them away (Matt. 7:24-27). This is what the Lord predicted would happen to the church in Thyatira if they did not repent. Christ will not let the teaching of this false prophetess go unchallenged or unjudged. Failing to repent, Christ would cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. On a bed she sinned; on a bed she will suffer. She deceived others; she herself will now be deceived. Concerning the last days of this age, Paul wrote: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). And during the Tribulation, deceit and falsehood will reach a climax in the Man of Sin. Paul says, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Jezebel’s children will be judged. They will be killed. They are the offspring of the apostate church which by the end times will have spread around the world. God’s judgment on them is that He will cast them into the Tribulation. This was true of the judgment of the ancient Jezebel, Ahab’s wife. She met her death years after Ahab died, but to the last she was scheming for herself against God. Her death was so awful, they could not find enough of her to bury.
Why is this important? People who boast about a strong refuge they have made of lies and deception will watch their refuge collapse. They may deny a final judgment but they cannot support it by hiding behind their lies. Judgment will surely come. Read of the lie that future Israel in the Tribulation will believe before judgment comes to them (Isaiah 28:15-17).
Begs the Question? How many neighbors and friends really believe in a coming final judgment? If the supreme court of the land declares an action to be legal, is it right? How do we know? Abortion? Capital punishment? War?
III. We probably should call the final aspect of these delusions the alternatives to the lies in Thyatira (Rev. 2:24-29). Each letter is addressed to believers who remain faithful. The letter to the Thyatiran saints is no different. They are called, “the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them.” The Lord encourages these faithful ones by saying, “I place no other burden on you.” They would not experience the Tribulation and judgments related to it as the others would. He challenges them, however, to “hold fast until I come,” that is, hold fast to the Word of God which in turn would preserve them from error and instruct them in righteousness. They did not know how long that might be, but they knew He was faithful and He would come. It would require perseverance on their part but the Lord offers hope at the end of the line. He promised the overcomers that they would rule with Him in His kingdom (2:26-27). The Lord also promises “the morning star.” This is a reference to Himself (22:16). The morning star appears between the twilight of morning and the full blaze of day. The believers were living in a time like the future Dark Ages. It was their twilight. But the Lord would appear in grace and truth as would later happen when the Reformers appeared, preaching the Word of God. This is pictured in the next letter, the one to the saints in Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).
I. First, consider the nature of the lies in Thyatira (2:19-20). Lies are spawned by hell and those who teach them or believe in them are in league with Satan (2:24) who is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
The first lie was that people who have a reputation for good service need not worry about final judgment (2:19). This lie is not seen by a cursory reading of Rev. 2:19. There is no question but that the Church in Thyatira had a reputation for being a hard-working church. Even the Lord Jesus commends them for that. He comments on their “deeds,” “love,” “faith,” “service,” and “perseverance.” What could be wrong with that? If it stood alone, nothing. But the context of an ungodly church should make us look more closely. Their love is agape love, a love that only Christians can have. That love manifested itself in “service.” Their faithfulness is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives to His people (Gal. 5:22). That faithfulness manifested itself in “perseverance” during trial. From the beginning true believers revealed their divine nature by loving and faithful service to the Lord. And the church’s present state reflects “deeds .. greater than at first.” But, I might add, without the gifts of the Spirit. It appears that only the reputation is there. The Lord commends them because He wants believers to work for Him. But He is more interested in spiritual fruit than in reputation.
Why is this important? Any time believers tolerate unbelievers in their church while trying to serve their Lord the likelihood exists that those unbelievers will take credit for the good reputation of serving Christ. Until they become believers in Christ they will claim those good works as their right to pass the piercing eye of the Lord Jesus. The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works. See Rom. 3:20, 28; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9.
Begs the Question: Should evangelical churches be involved in social work? Should Bible churches cooperate with non-evangelical churches in great humanitarian outreaches?
The second lie was that people who do not repent need not worry about final judgment. The most atrocious sins were being practiced by members in the church. The congregation had allowed a woman prophetess (a false one, according to Christ’s assessment) to remain in the church and to continue to teach the saints to indulge in “acts of immorality” and to “eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev. 2:20). Her teaching was no doubt similar to that of the Nicolaitans and Balaamites at Ephesus and Pergamos. Such sins were common practices for guild members in Thyatira. If they were not practiced, the artisans would lose their trade and their livelihood. In order to expose her true character, the Lord labeled her “Jezebel” – the name of the Canaanite wife of Israel’s King Ahab. Jezebel had not only led Ahab to worship Baal but through Ahab had spread he teachings of idolatry throughout all Israel (1 Kings 16:31-33; 2 Kings 9:22).
Why is this important? There is an apparent disconnect today between Christian beliefs and practice. Where is the distinction between Christianity and the world? People say they have trusted Christ but little is said of repentance. See Rev. 2:21-22. For example, a TV news item reported that a porn model claimed to be a Christian. Her justification was that Adam and Eve were naked. How wicked! Only as true believers uphold repentance in their own lives and live a life of separation from sin will they have an impact on those who see no need for it. Trusting by faith alone without repentance will damn a person. Repentance is one of the most essential, and yet, one of the most neglected of all Christian teachings. It indicates a dramatic change in thinking and attitude concerning sin. But notice how prominent it was in the early church. Jesus taught it (Mark 1:15). When He sent out his disciples on a missionary journey, He told them to preach repentance (Mark 6:12). The last message the Lord gave to his followers on earth was that of repentance (Luke 24:47). It was the message that Paul gave to the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:21).
Begs the Question: The Lord tells us we are to love the unsaved, but does that mean we are to shut our eyes to the wrong they may do or to be unequally yoked with them in church membership? How much does the church preach on repentance? Can a person be saved if he does not consider himself sinful?
II. Now let’s consider another aspect of these lies: the failure of the lies in Thyatira (Rev. 2:21-23). The Lord pointed out such failure in His parable of houses built upon sand. He said that the floods would wash them away (Matt. 7:24-27). This is what the Lord predicted would happen to the church in Thyatira if they did not repent. Christ will not let the teaching of this false prophetess go unchallenged or unjudged. Failing to repent, Christ would cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. On a bed she sinned; on a bed she will suffer. She deceived others; she herself will now be deceived. Concerning the last days of this age, Paul wrote: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). And during the Tribulation, deceit and falsehood will reach a climax in the Man of Sin. Paul says, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Jezebel’s children will be judged. They will be killed. They are the offspring of the apostate church which by the end times will have spread around the world. God’s judgment on them is that He will cast them into the Tribulation. This was true of the judgment of the ancient Jezebel, Ahab’s wife. She met her death years after Ahab died, but to the last she was scheming for herself against God. Her death was so awful, they could not find enough of her to bury.
Why is this important? People who boast about a strong refuge they have made of lies and deception will watch their refuge collapse. They may deny a final judgment but they cannot support it by hiding behind their lies. Judgment will surely come. Read of the lie that future Israel in the Tribulation will believe before judgment comes to them (Isaiah 28:15-17).
Begs the Question? How many neighbors and friends really believe in a coming final judgment? If the supreme court of the land declares an action to be legal, is it right? How do we know? Abortion? Capital punishment? War?
III. We probably should call the final aspect of these delusions the alternatives to the lies in Thyatira (Rev. 2:24-29). Each letter is addressed to believers who remain faithful. The letter to the Thyatiran saints is no different. They are called, “the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them.” The Lord encourages these faithful ones by saying, “I place no other burden on you.” They would not experience the Tribulation and judgments related to it as the others would. He challenges them, however, to “hold fast until I come,” that is, hold fast to the Word of God which in turn would preserve them from error and instruct them in righteousness. They did not know how long that might be, but they knew He was faithful and He would come. It would require perseverance on their part but the Lord offers hope at the end of the line. He promised the overcomers that they would rule with Him in His kingdom (2:26-27). The Lord also promises “the morning star.” This is a reference to Himself (22:16). The morning star appears between the twilight of morning and the full blaze of day. The believers were living in a time like the future Dark Ages. It was their twilight. But the Lord would appear in grace and truth as would later happen when the Reformers appeared, preaching the Word of God. This is pictured in the next letter, the one to the saints in Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Countering Denials of a Final Judgment (Rev. 2:18-29)
The fourth letter from Jesus Christ is to the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29). It introduces us to the subject of final judgment for sin. There were statements of personal and immediate judgment on the churches in Ephesus and Pergamos (2:5, 16), but not of final judgment. However, in each of the final four letters written respectively to Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea the Lord uses terms that in other Scriptural passages were found in the context of final judgment, the Day of the Lord. For example, in 2:22 He speaks of "great tribulation;" in 3:3, of His coming "like a thief;" in 3:10, of "the hour of testing;" and in 3:16, of being "spit out" of the Lord's mouth. Apparently these four represent churches that existed then, exist now, and will exist into the Day of the Lord when final judgment takes place.
Contrary to what the Bible declares, and to what the Lord Jesus reiterates here, most people think final judgment is unlikely. The Apostle Peter predicted this world-wide denial in 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 10:
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking .. and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming?' But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Our present passage for consideration, Rev. 2:18-29, suggests two reasons for this foolish thinking. Today we will consider the first reason (2:18) of limited, human ability and unfounded hopes. Next week we will look at the second (2:19-29), namely the praise-worthy status of an individual or a church.
We can picture the unsaved masses in the world as typified by those "in Thyatira." Creatures, such as we, have no ability independently to know the future. If a choice is to be made as to whether there might be or might not be a final judgment, we naturally choose the latter, though we can't be sure. We think only like a man. We are not God. Humans can be deceived; God cannot. Notice the title Jesus claims for Himself, i.e. “the Son of God.” He uses this name to assert His proper Deity. He is of the same nature and has the same perfections with His Father. Now compare that title to 2:20 “the woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess.” She may claim to be a prophetess but it is only a shallow claim. She neither speaks for God nor has the same perfections as He. No man is the vicar of God; only the incarnate Son of God. Add to her limited powers the many limited people that followed her teaching, i.e. she “leads my bond-servants astray.” They, too, are mere humans and do not think God’s thoughts. God is on the one side and humans, on the other.
Speaking as God, then, the Lord demands that He is to be known as the divine Judge of all men. Those who deny the final judgment need to meet the final Judge (John 5:22). He “has eyes like a flame of fire.” Certainly the One whose knowledge of the future is greater than any man's is the same One whose insight into the secrets and motives of man is greater than any man's. His mind is alive and sharp and penetrating through the darkness of every man’s state (Heb. 4:12). And while He is to be known by His enemies as the Judge who will expose every evil in man, He is also to be known by His people as the One whose feet is “like burnished bronze.” Feet refers to stability and that is what He, as the Judge, gives to every one of His disciples who face judgment. Because of Christ's strength God's judgment is averted and man's judgment against the saints is harmless. They will stand stable for eternity.
Those unsaved masses of humanity, typified in the city of Thyatira, are limited in their knowledge of the future so they cannot dogmatically say there is no final judgment. But also they are basically gambling on their denial. At the very best, their bold affirmation of no final judgment is an unfounded hope. Man is part of a world system that hopes such judgment is unlikely. Just consider the glory of the city of Thyatira. Can this all go up in smoke? See Revelation 18:8-19 Two treasures blind the masses to the true future, i.e. their heritage and their successes.
Thyatira's Heritage. After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided up between four of his generals. One of these, Seleucus I, established the state of Pergamum in 282 BC. It was at this time that Thyatira became the eastern flank of Seleucus' kingdom and it was re-founded by him as a military outpost (the name Thyatira means 'the citadel or castle of Thya' and indicates that a settlement already existed there before Seleucus re-fortified it). It basically was a sentinel city. At times it was to protect Sardis from Pergamos. At other times it was to meet any enemy from the east, delay its advance, and warn the more important Pergamos. Thyatira was not a jewel worth fighting for except in the sense that it could be used to hinder an advancing army. The garrison stationed here would, therefore, have been composed of the more guerrilla-like warriors who would be less concerned with winning a war than with throwing the enemy into disarray and hindering its speedy onslaught. When our history has been one of averting disaster after disaster, why should we imagine that we cannot avert another? Man's reliance on his own strength will be his greatest downfall in that Day to come.
Thyatira's Successes. Commercially, Thyatira flourished. It became noted for the weaving, linen, dye, leather, and bronze trades. The city was well organized into trade guilds. Everyone in a trade had to be part of a guild. Each guild selected specific deities to worship. The guild members were then required to worship and support their guild's deity. In the guild's fellowship meals, food was first sacrificed to idols and, after the meals, orgies were a frequent occurrence. Those who refused such pagan worship essentially forfeited their right to practice their trade. To turn their backs on their guild's deities was a serious offense. Sometimes the guilds even profited financially from the worship of pagan deities. The guilds opposed Christianity since its spread meant a loss of business from formerly pagan worshipers. The citizens of the city could say, 'Hitherto my god has protected me; he will do so in the future.' But it won't happen. They will be judged by the Almighty God.
So then, the limitations of humans and their unfounded hopes mark their denials of a final judgment as suspect. Next week, we look at the fraility of a good reputation.
Verse for Today: "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that, the judgment."
Your Step for Today: Discuss with your neighbors and friends the strengths of their country or their family. Talk about the history of those strengths and then about what the future holds in the light of them.
Your Prayer for Today: Pray that Christians may continue to be able to worship, work and witness in this country.
Contrary to what the Bible declares, and to what the Lord Jesus reiterates here, most people think final judgment is unlikely. The Apostle Peter predicted this world-wide denial in 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 10:
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking .. and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming?' But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Our present passage for consideration, Rev. 2:18-29, suggests two reasons for this foolish thinking. Today we will consider the first reason (2:18) of limited, human ability and unfounded hopes. Next week we will look at the second (2:19-29), namely the praise-worthy status of an individual or a church.
We can picture the unsaved masses in the world as typified by those "in Thyatira." Creatures, such as we, have no ability independently to know the future. If a choice is to be made as to whether there might be or might not be a final judgment, we naturally choose the latter, though we can't be sure. We think only like a man. We are not God. Humans can be deceived; God cannot. Notice the title Jesus claims for Himself, i.e. “the Son of God.” He uses this name to assert His proper Deity. He is of the same nature and has the same perfections with His Father. Now compare that title to 2:20 “the woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess.” She may claim to be a prophetess but it is only a shallow claim. She neither speaks for God nor has the same perfections as He. No man is the vicar of God; only the incarnate Son of God. Add to her limited powers the many limited people that followed her teaching, i.e. she “leads my bond-servants astray.” They, too, are mere humans and do not think God’s thoughts. God is on the one side and humans, on the other.
Speaking as God, then, the Lord demands that He is to be known as the divine Judge of all men. Those who deny the final judgment need to meet the final Judge (John 5:22). He “has eyes like a flame of fire.” Certainly the One whose knowledge of the future is greater than any man's is the same One whose insight into the secrets and motives of man is greater than any man's. His mind is alive and sharp and penetrating through the darkness of every man’s state (Heb. 4:12). And while He is to be known by His enemies as the Judge who will expose every evil in man, He is also to be known by His people as the One whose feet is “like burnished bronze.” Feet refers to stability and that is what He, as the Judge, gives to every one of His disciples who face judgment. Because of Christ's strength God's judgment is averted and man's judgment against the saints is harmless. They will stand stable for eternity.
Those unsaved masses of humanity, typified in the city of Thyatira, are limited in their knowledge of the future so they cannot dogmatically say there is no final judgment. But also they are basically gambling on their denial. At the very best, their bold affirmation of no final judgment is an unfounded hope. Man is part of a world system that hopes such judgment is unlikely. Just consider the glory of the city of Thyatira. Can this all go up in smoke? See Revelation 18:8-19 Two treasures blind the masses to the true future, i.e. their heritage and their successes.
Thyatira's Heritage. After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided up between four of his generals. One of these, Seleucus I, established the state of Pergamum in 282 BC. It was at this time that Thyatira became the eastern flank of Seleucus' kingdom and it was re-founded by him as a military outpost (the name Thyatira means 'the citadel or castle of Thya' and indicates that a settlement already existed there before Seleucus re-fortified it). It basically was a sentinel city. At times it was to protect Sardis from Pergamos. At other times it was to meet any enemy from the east, delay its advance, and warn the more important Pergamos. Thyatira was not a jewel worth fighting for except in the sense that it could be used to hinder an advancing army. The garrison stationed here would, therefore, have been composed of the more guerrilla-like warriors who would be less concerned with winning a war than with throwing the enemy into disarray and hindering its speedy onslaught. When our history has been one of averting disaster after disaster, why should we imagine that we cannot avert another? Man's reliance on his own strength will be his greatest downfall in that Day to come.
Thyatira's Successes. Commercially, Thyatira flourished. It became noted for the weaving, linen, dye, leather, and bronze trades. The city was well organized into trade guilds. Everyone in a trade had to be part of a guild. Each guild selected specific deities to worship. The guild members were then required to worship and support their guild's deity. In the guild's fellowship meals, food was first sacrificed to idols and, after the meals, orgies were a frequent occurrence. Those who refused such pagan worship essentially forfeited their right to practice their trade. To turn their backs on their guild's deities was a serious offense. Sometimes the guilds even profited financially from the worship of pagan deities. The guilds opposed Christianity since its spread meant a loss of business from formerly pagan worshipers. The citizens of the city could say, 'Hitherto my god has protected me; he will do so in the future.' But it won't happen. They will be judged by the Almighty God.
So then, the limitations of humans and their unfounded hopes mark their denials of a final judgment as suspect. Next week, we look at the fraility of a good reputation.
Verse for Today: "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that, the judgment."
Your Step for Today: Discuss with your neighbors and friends the strengths of their country or their family. Talk about the history of those strengths and then about what the future holds in the light of them.
Your Prayer for Today: Pray that Christians may continue to be able to worship, work and witness in this country.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Raising the Standard of Absolute Truth (Rev. 2:12-17)
We are in great company when we raise the standard of absolute Truth. The Lord Jesus is the One who consistently did it. We learn from Him. In Revelation 2:12-17 He addresses the church of Pergamos and identifies Himself as the One who "hath the sharp sword with two edges." In 1:16 that sword comes out of His mouth. This would be grotesque if taken literally. It is God's symbolic way of describing His holy Word coming out of Christ's mouth with power (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). God's Word is extremely sharp and, when used defensively, it protects the Christian against Satan and false teachers. But it is used offensively too, cutting down enemies and destroying them and their principles. This application of God's Word was what was needed by the congregation in Pergamos for they were tolerating false teaching. In applying His Word, Christ was raising the standard of absolute Truth (John 17:17). It is what we need to do in our day of religious pluralism.
In Rev. 2:13, then, His Word is encouraging. (1) He knew that they lived in a hostile and difficult place - "even where Satan's seat is." Pergamos was an idolatrous center; and to declare oneself in that place a Christian who worships the one true God and Savior, Jesus Christ, would certainly provoke hostility. (2) Also He commended them for their loyalty to His "name." His name refers to all that He is revealed to be. In this context the name of the martyr Antipas (lit. "against all") is brought up. He is mentioned between the two references to Satan, indicating that his death was instigated by the enmity of pagans in Pergamos. On the one hand Satan persecutes the saints to undermine their loyalty to Christ; but on the other hand, Christ's Word strengthens that loyalty by commending those who are true to Him and by exposing those who are deceitful. God's Word does that. It is meant to encourage us.
In Rev. 2:14-15 His Word is rebuking. Although some in the church had followed Antipas and did not deny Christ's name, others followed a different path. They held to the teaching and practice of the Balaamites and Nicolaitans that Christ hates (2:6). These two doctrinal systems could very well be the same. Their names mean the same. "Balaam" can mean to "conquer the people" (Heb. ba'al'am), which means the same as Nicolaitans. And they are mentioned together in this letter. In fact, the error in the church at Thyatira through the teaching of the woman Jezebel may also be similar to this one. In both letters the compromising practices of fornication and idolatry are named as the deadly effects of the false teaching (Rev. 2:14, 20). Like Israel in the days of Balaam and Jezebel, the church in Pergamos was being deceived; it was an unconscious revolution. Apparently some Christians at Pergamos were still participating in the pagan, holiday festivities and saw no wrong in indulging in the "harmless" beds in the temples and the sexual excitement everyone else was enjoying. Since Satan's chief method is deception , his devices are not known until they are clearly pointed out. The Word of Christ does just that (2 Cor. 4:2-4). He clearly points out their sin; He rebukes them; He exposes sin. When the Word of God is faithfully taught, Christians will be encouraged and sin will be exposed.
In Rev. 2:16 His Word is correcting. The Word of God tells sinners that they must "repent." The saints in Pergamos must repent or the Lord would come in personal judgment. They were to turn about from their evil practices, repudiate their wrong and practice the right. Since those who did not indulge in either religious fornication or idolatry tolerated their practice among them, they, too, along with the guilty, needed to repent. The Lord would "come unto thee quickly." This is not His Second Coming but a personal visitation of judgment on the church. Those who taught and practiced evil would suffer the consequences. Here again the Word of God shall be used, for the Savior said He would "fight against them" with the sword of His mouth. Men may deny absolute Truth today but they must deal with it in the day of accounting (John 12:48).
Finally in Rev. 2:17 His Word is challenging. Using three symbols of "hidden manna," "a white stone," and "a new name," Christ offers Himself to Christians who are tempted to compromise their loyalty to Him in order to gain the favor of the pagan gods. The Bible is filled with promises and invitations to lure Christians from the world to receive Christ as the power needed to overcome.
The Bible Verses for Today: 2 Tim. 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "
Your Step for Today: Write down any sin that the Lord is now exposing in your life. Name ways that he wants you to correct it.
Prayer for Today: Father, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Guide me in the ways of holiness that you my be pleased in me.
In Rev. 2:13, then, His Word is encouraging. (1) He knew that they lived in a hostile and difficult place - "even where Satan's seat is." Pergamos was an idolatrous center; and to declare oneself in that place a Christian who worships the one true God and Savior, Jesus Christ, would certainly provoke hostility. (2) Also He commended them for their loyalty to His "name." His name refers to all that He is revealed to be. In this context the name of the martyr Antipas (lit. "against all") is brought up. He is mentioned between the two references to Satan, indicating that his death was instigated by the enmity of pagans in Pergamos. On the one hand Satan persecutes the saints to undermine their loyalty to Christ; but on the other hand, Christ's Word strengthens that loyalty by commending those who are true to Him and by exposing those who are deceitful. God's Word does that. It is meant to encourage us.
In Rev. 2:14-15 His Word is rebuking. Although some in the church had followed Antipas and did not deny Christ's name, others followed a different path. They held to the teaching and practice of the Balaamites and Nicolaitans that Christ hates (2:6). These two doctrinal systems could very well be the same. Their names mean the same. "Balaam" can mean to "conquer the people" (Heb. ba'al'am), which means the same as Nicolaitans. And they are mentioned together in this letter. In fact, the error in the church at Thyatira through the teaching of the woman Jezebel may also be similar to this one. In both letters the compromising practices of fornication and idolatry are named as the deadly effects of the false teaching (Rev. 2:14, 20). Like Israel in the days of Balaam and Jezebel, the church in Pergamos was being deceived; it was an unconscious revolution. Apparently some Christians at Pergamos were still participating in the pagan, holiday festivities and saw no wrong in indulging in the "harmless" beds in the temples and the sexual excitement everyone else was enjoying. Since Satan's chief method is deception , his devices are not known until they are clearly pointed out. The Word of Christ does just that (2 Cor. 4:2-4). He clearly points out their sin; He rebukes them; He exposes sin. When the Word of God is faithfully taught, Christians will be encouraged and sin will be exposed.
In Rev. 2:16 His Word is correcting. The Word of God tells sinners that they must "repent." The saints in Pergamos must repent or the Lord would come in personal judgment. They were to turn about from their evil practices, repudiate their wrong and practice the right. Since those who did not indulge in either religious fornication or idolatry tolerated their practice among them, they, too, along with the guilty, needed to repent. The Lord would "come unto thee quickly." This is not His Second Coming but a personal visitation of judgment on the church. Those who taught and practiced evil would suffer the consequences. Here again the Word of God shall be used, for the Savior said He would "fight against them" with the sword of His mouth. Men may deny absolute Truth today but they must deal with it in the day of accounting (John 12:48).
Finally in Rev. 2:17 His Word is challenging. Using three symbols of "hidden manna," "a white stone," and "a new name," Christ offers Himself to Christians who are tempted to compromise their loyalty to Him in order to gain the favor of the pagan gods. The Bible is filled with promises and invitations to lure Christians from the world to receive Christ as the power needed to overcome.
The Bible Verses for Today: 2 Tim. 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "
Your Step for Today: Write down any sin that the Lord is now exposing in your life. Name ways that he wants you to correct it.
Prayer for Today: Father, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Guide me in the ways of holiness that you my be pleased in me.
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