What Does the Seven Churches Say to Genuine Believers? (Part 5)

The Church @ Sardis - the deceived and dead church

What does Christ say to this church? [condemnation]

First - I know your works, or your activities

Second - you have a name that you are alive but you are dead

Third - be watchful & strengthen:

•  the things that remain

• they are ready to die

Fourth - Your works are not perfect

What Do We Learn From This Rebuke?

This church had acquired a reputation and was well known for being busy or active

But this church apparently did not deserve or warrant the reputation that they had

• It was a hollow reputation

• The reputation did not represent the actual condition of the church

• This church had the outward appearance of being alive or spiritual

• The truth of the matter was that this church was actually spiritually dead

• This not a far-fetched or strange indictment

• Paul gave an example of an unsaved widow, who while she is physically alive and living for her own personal pleasure is actually spiritually dead

• This describes the lost person perfectly - an unbeliever maybe physically alive but they are in fact spiritually dead

This church had deceived itself into believing that much activity was equal to spiritual life

Because the gospel has been so "dumbed-down" and stripped of essential elements in order to make it more palatable to the lost, many churches are filled with people who are actually dead while they deceptively think of themselves as alive.

Not every person who says that they are a believer or Christian is an actual believer or Christian. It follows that not every church which thinks it is a "church" is a real "church." There are both Christians and churches that have a very superficial appearance but are really dead.

How Does This Happen?

Let me say that there are a number of ways and means by which an individual or a church can be deceived into thinking they are a believer or that they are alive when they are in fact no alive nor true believers.

• Faulty presentation of the gospel

• Relying on human ingenuity or energy to accomplish spiritual goals

• Infiltration of false teaching

• Lack of clear biblical truth

• Complacency with spiritual truths

 Suffice it to say in relation to this church at some point made peace with their community and began to fit in comfortably with the culture. The offense of the cross stopped being a reality in their midst. Darkness began to creep in, was unchecked, and eventually permeated the church, right down to just a tiny few who were still alive - still true believers

What Does Sardis say to genuine believers today?

Watch - prove yourself to be watchful. In other words, wake up and keep watching. Don't be complacent don't be misled, don't be deceived, don't grow comfortable or lazy. Watch for spiritual decline at every moment.

Strengthen or reestablish - take the truths you currently have and fortify them with more truth.

Utilize the four (4) R's:

Rehearse - the truth, where you came from, what God has done for you

Repent - turn from the sin of complacency and turn to God

Respond - do what you did when you first were saved, reestablish the spiritual disciplines needed to remain faithful

Realize - God will reward those who are His and those of His who are faithful

What Does the Seven Churches Say to the Genuine Believer (Part 4)

The Church @ Thyatira - the corrupt church

John's language is important. He is recording what Christ said to this church but he used the language of the day, Greek. He uses the Greek word afeis - …this word means "you tolerate." The problem was internal, it was inside the church, it began with the leadership which had authority over who taught and who did not teach and the fact that the leadership tolerated this false doctrine. That "ran downhill" and permeated the church until there was sin and corruption in the church.

The Thyatirans did nothing to prevent or remove this insidious doctrine.

It is not certain if this Jezebel was an actual woman named Jezebel or she was used to "personify" heresy. There are a number of other "theories" as to who or what the name refers to. The best idea that I feel comfortable with is that the name represented a very prominent and apparently dominate woman in this church.

She claimed to be a prophetess and found a way to teach in the church. Her teaching led to corruption of doctrine and practice.

The problem does not lie in the fact that prophets and female prophets existed. Anna was called a prophet in Luke 2. The daughters of Philip (deacon turned evangelist) were called prophets. Prophets, whether male or female in the first century church were inspired messengers of God, second in rank to the apostles given by God to edify the church, (1 Cor 12:28.)

Female prophets could prophesy, but Paul prohibited them from speaking in the actual corporate service of the church. It seems they were to prophesy outside of the corporate service of the church.

Here in Thyatira, we have several problems:

• Apparently no one "tested" her to see if she was legit.
• Secondly, they allowed her to prophesy inside the corporate worship service of the church
• Thirdly, no one challenged her "seduction" of false teaching
• Fourthly, no one disciplined her or followers when they began to  practice open of sin

What was Christ's specific charge against this church?

• She taught  - she taught doctrine and in a manner that led people away from the truth
• She deceived - the membership into believing she:

• Was authorized by God
• She had a right to teach in the body against Paul's prohibition
• Her doctrine was sanctioned by God
• Was right in teaching the membership to continue the pagan worship of idols

How do these two things [eating meat sacrificed to idols & immorality] go together?

She taught that the members of the church could join in with pagans [unbelievers] and that they could participate in the feasts and parties where the meat had been sacrificed or dedicated to idols, or false Gods. She also taught that they could participate in the sexual practices that accompanied this worship at the feasts.

What Does The Sin & Condemnation of this church say to genuine believers today?

• We must also be on guard against those in the church who would attempt to break down the wall of separation from pagans and pagan practice in the church. Today's church is full of Jezebel's [both male and female] who are seducing churches & memberships to abandon God's standards and to adapt the practices of the culture in order to be what they call "relevant."

• The church assembly is not for the lost, it is for believers
• The church does not have to adapt the practices of the world in order to fulfil her commission
• Spiritual freedom does not include practices or teachings that violate the righteous standards of God
• The power of the gospel is in the life, death, resurrection of Christ not in cultural relevance

• We cannot change, circumvent, or otherwise castoff God's standards or commands

• Times or cultural may change, but God's Word & its content does not
• All who claim to have authority, teach, preach, or prophesy must be tested by Scripture
• It takes time and consistency to determine whom God has "ordained" vs the self-titled
• Holiness and worldliness can never mix for believers good or God's glory

• We must realize that compromise of biblical standards will always led to corruption

• Departure from God's standards always leads to sin
• Churches today are permeated with compromise and corruption

What Does the Seven Churches say to the Genuine Believer (Part 3)

The Church in Pergamos - the church that compromised

--they harbored some false teachers who taught the doctrine of Balaam

--to eat things sacrificed to idols

--to commit sexual immorality

--they harbored some false teachers who taught the doctrine of the Nicolaitians

What is the doctrine of Balaam?

It was the teaching of Balaam to commit great sin against God by encouraging God's people to marry those outside of the nation of Israel. It was to marry the Gentiles. (Numbers 31:15-16)

He sold his prophetic gift for money (2 Peter 2:15)

He believed that God would curse His own people (Jude 11)

What is the similarity to today?

Believers are permitted to marry anyone they chose except a non-believer. Today, in this age of grace and in the church age, believers are not to marry unbelievers.

What are the consequences or problems with marrying and unbeliever?

·         It leads to corrupt worship of the true God in the manner in which God is to be worship by adopting the practices of "worship" of the unbeliever.

·         It can lead to the practice or participation in ceremonies, rituals, or organizations that violate God's standards (i. e. the practice of sexual immorality and the eating of animals sacrificed to idols)

·         It can lead to the rejection of the worship of God

·         It can lead to the rejection of God's standards, God's laws, and God's righteousness and the acceptance of unrighteous or ungodly behavior

What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes?

First, we really don't know for sure. There has been much speculation and discussion on this "group" and its practices.

Second, it seems to have been a "sect" opposed to Christianity

--The name means "conquering of the people"

--The name implies the sin of the "clerics" who developed a clerical hierarchy and ruled over God's people and robbed them of their spiritual freedom

The main idea for genuine believers is that they should hate anything that perverts the Word of God and violates the conscience and the spiritual freedom that believers have in Christ.

What are the consequences of or problems with the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes?

First - take careful note, that believers are to submit to one another in love and humility. We are to submit to the Pastors (Elders) of the church as they care for our soul. God has established a chain of command in the society, in the home, and in the church. Godly men are to and do rule over the member of the congregation. Biblical submission is not a sin nor is it eradicated because of the abuse, or sin of the Nicolaitanes.

Second - having said that, those who rule over the souls of men, pastors/elders are to "not lord it over" the sheep but to lead with humility, gentleness, and servitude.

Third - the problems:

·         God's glory is impugned

·         The precious conscience of the believer is violated

·         Believers are led into sin and or sinful practices

·         The Word of God is distorted

·         The picture, practice, and privilege of leadership is damaged and/or distorted

How Does the sin of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes relate to genuine believers?

·         Do you use your position as a Christian to cause other believers, particularly weaker or less mature believers to sin or to practice behavior that is considered sin and condemned by God?

·         Do you profit in any way from the privilege and position as a believer as a result of ungodly behavior or teachings?

·         Do you violate the conscience of fellow believers?

·         Do you use your position to dominate and "rule" over fellow believers, particularly for your own gain?

Be aware that I am taking inventory of my life and asking myself these serious questions. Remember these are thoughts from my daily devotions. I need to be especially alert to these sins because as a:

o    Genuine believer

o    Husband

o    Father

o    Pastor

I have the opportunity and occasion to unconsciously or consciously practice the "doctrines" of Balaam or the Nicolaitanes. It is easy in any of these capacities to fall into the sin of using these positions for my own benefit.

What Does the Seven Churches Say to Genuine Believers (Part 2)

To the messenger (representative) of the church of Ephesus write...nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." (Revelation 2:1,4, NKJV)

Ephesus left her first love. The order of the words in the Greek are important. John placed the object before the verb. It actually reads, "thy first love thou has left." In our vernacular, it would read, "your first love you have left."

John makes this emphasis in order to show the church as a whole that it no longer has the same fervency or depth of love for Christ that they once had. In other words, their love for Christ had cooled. This "cooling" of their love for Christ would become the precursor to apathy.

Christ charges the Ephesians with "letting go" or "leaving alone" their love for Christ. They ignored their love and as a result it cooled. They had disregarded their love for Christ. We have to ask ourselves:

What Causes a Believer to "abandon their first love?"

·         A love for money or material possessions (1 Tim 6:10)

·         A love for the world's ideologies, philosophies, accolades, acceptance, approval, and acquisitions  (1 John 2:15)

·         A love for idols (1 Jn 5:21)

·         A love that is greater for family or family members than Christ Jesus (Matt 10:37; 1 Cor 7:34)

So we conclude with this warning - A love for anything that either hinders a true love for Christ Jesus or is greater than our love for Christ is a dangerous affection and needs to be either rejected or immediately put back in proper priority.

What Corrects a Believer to "adore their first love?"

Jesus gave four (4) actions to take in order to fall back in love with Him:

• Rehearse - remember what you once were.

• Go back to the place of departure
• Remember the love that first had and the reasons for that love

• Repent - change your mind, develop a different attitude to Christ

• Turn from your sin of coolness towards Christ
• Turn to Christ in order to fervent love Him again

• Repeat - do the first works that you did when you loved Christ fervently

• True love for Christ is always revealed by the works it produces
• Being busy and merely active does not necessarily reflect love

• Realize - there is a reward

• There would no need of chastisement
• True believers (overcomers) will be rewarded with eternal life

What Does the Seven Churches Say to Genuine Believers (Part 1)

My devotions for the last quarter of the year will take me through The Revelation of Jesus Christ. As I meditated on chapters 2 and 3 it dawned on me that I should review each of these churches that Jesus Christ had John write to and see what they said to me and to the North Kelso Baptist Church.

You will notice the first thing I did was to make a list of the condemnations that Christ spoke against the various churches. I wanted to make sure I knew what Christ had against them specifically. My purpose was to take inventory of my life and of the NKBC in order to determine if I or she were guilty of any of these charges. So today, I will list the charges or the condemnations. 

Then in each succeeding day, Lord willing, I will address those charges or condemnations from a practical standpoint. So here are the things that Christ had against these churches. By the way they are in order, including the exclusion of the two churches Christ did not have any negative comments or condemnations.

The Condemnations

1. Ephesus left her first love - she experienced a cooling of the heart toward God

2. Pergamos harbored those who held the doctrines of Balaam

1. Caused some to eat meat dedicated/offered to idols
2. Caused some to commit sexual immorality

3. Pergamos harbored those who held the doctrines of the Nicolaitians
4. Thyatira allowed an evil woman to teach

1. She caused some to eat meat dedicated/offered to idols
2. She caused some to commit sexual immorality

5. Sardis was  actually spiritually dead when she thought herself to be alive
6. Laodicea was lukewarm, neither rejecting God nor loving God

You'll notice that both the church at Smyrna and at Philadelphia did not have any condemnation. We will examine those churches in the future since they are the type of church that each church should strive to be like.

Lord willing, tomorrow we will examine "What Causes A Believer to Abandon their first love?"

The Certainties of the Christian Life Part 2

Sermon:  GM14-039

Series:  Christian Living in a World of Chaos and Contradiction

Setting:  North Kelso Baptist Church

Service:  Sunday AM

Subtitle:  The Certainties of the Christian Life (Part 2)

Scripture:  1 John 5:14-15

Subject:  It is good to be certain

Summary:  Genuine believers must understand the absolute certainties of the Christian life to live faithfully in a world of chaos and contradiction

Scheme:  That believers develop the confidence provided by God

Don't Forget to Fall Back Tonite!