Now this morning I’m going to be continuing my sermon from last Sunday morning where we were going through the sins of the seven churches and explaining why it was that God was basically threatening these churches. Saying, “I’m going to remove your candle stick from His place except thou repent.” He’s saying if you don't change these problems that are in your church you are no longer going to be seen as a true church before me. Or your church will even literally cease to exist. Because if you remember in chapter he said, the seven candle sticks which thou source are the seven churches. The churches that had problems he said, “If you don't fix these problems I’ll remove thy candle stick out of its place except thou repent.”
Now last week we went through the first three churches, we saw Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamos. Let’s get into Thyatira this morning. Look at chapter two verse 18. The bible reads, “Under the angel of the church in Thyatira write, this things sayeth the son of God who has this eyes light into a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last be more than the first.” Now it’s interesting in that verse it’s that he starts out by saying, “I know thy works” and then look at the last thing on the list. Thy patience and thy works. He mentions the works twice. First he says I know thy works then he lists some other good things about them.
He says, “Thy works and the last to be more than the first.” I believe that the reason why he brought up the works twice is that he’s saying that their works have increased. The last is more than the first, your latter words, your more recent works are even greater than the works that you have done in the past. This is a church that’s working very hard for the Lord, they are growing, they are improving they are doing better and better but it says in verse 20, “Notwithstanding” meaning in spite of that, “I have a few things against thee, because thy suffers that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. I gave her space to repent over fornication and she repented not,” and on and on.
Now flip over if you would keep your finger there and go to 1st Timothy chapter two just a few pages to the left in your bible. 1st Timothy chapter two because when I read this passage in Revelation two, I cannot help but notice the similarity with another passage in 1st Timothy chapter number two. I don't think it’s a coincidence, I don't think anything in the bible is a coincidence. I think that there’s an obvious cross reference here with 1st Timothy chapter two when the bible reads in verse 11, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the women being deceived was in the transgression.”
Now in this passage the apostle Paul is teaching the same thing that he taught in 1st Corinthians 14 when he said, “Let your women keep silence in the churches. It’s not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as sayeth also the law. If they’ll learn anything let them ask their husbands at home for it’s a shame for a women to speak in the church.” This is talking about church, obviously outside of the church and outside of the time when the preaching is happening and the learning is happening, women can speak and talk and even preach the gospel. When they go door to door they are preaching the gospel to every preacher.
At the day of Pentecost there were ladies there who were preaching the gospel to the unsaved, out in the highways in hedges there in the street of Jerusalem. When it comes to time for church in the church women are to keep silence. When we say in the church it also says, “They are to learn in silence.” When the preaching is going on it’s not for a women to speak. This is a scripture that’s teaching you against having a woman preacher in the church and today there are a lot churches where even the pastor herself is a woman. Or you’ll have female pastors, female deacons or bring in a female preacher as a guest preacher. It’s funny I was talking to a guy and he was very old man and he was thanking me.
I met this guy out and about and he’s thanking me for being old fashioned and preaching hard and taking a stand and everything like that. Then he said, he starts telling me about some women preacher how I should have her come as a guest preacher. He’s talking about all the world is gone so liberal and it’s great that you are taking a stands. I’m thinking to myself, “You know what? It’s people like you that are the problem.” You are sitting there and pontificating about this new generation while when you are telling me to have a woman preacher come in you are part of this new liberal generation. I don't care if you are 150 years old I’m more old fashion that you are and I’m 33.
Because of the fact that I’m staying with a book that’s older than both of us. Being old fashioned or being true to the timeless truths of scripture really has nothing to do with your age on a calendar. Because this book is older than any of us. The bible says, “Let no man despise thy youth,” and when people have talked down to me because of my age you’ll be preaching to them biblical truths and they’ll just look at me like, “How old are you young man? I remember when I was your age,” and that type of thing. I always just have the same answer, I always say, “Well I’m 33 but this book’s older than both of us and this is where it’s coming from, it’s not coming from me, it’s coming from the word of God and so my age is not relevant to that discussion.”
Today it’s just accepted because we bought into this women rights, women equality garbage of the world, it’s not a biblical teaching. The bible is not anti-woman or misogynistic the bible exalts women, the bible exalts femininity and gives them the respect and honor that they deserve. It also differentiates between the different roles that men and women have and men are to be the preachers in the church and to be the teachers in the church. That’s why he says, “I suffer not a woman to teach not to usurp authourity over the man but to be in silence,” okay. That’s what’s being tied, now the wording is similar to Revelation two it’s pretty hard to ignore. Because it says in Revelation chapter two that he has a few things against them look at verse 20, “Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself prophetess to teach.” If you look at the components there he is saying, “Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel to teach.”
Over in 1st Timothy two he says I suffer not a woman to teach.” Now obviously there’s more problem, more of a problem here than just a woman teaching, because she’s also a wicked woman and she’s also teaching them to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication. She’s seducing the servants and so forth but here’s the thing. If the bible has a prohibition on women preaching what type of women do you think are going to go into that field and say, “I want to preach and teach in the house of God,” when there’s a prohibition on it? Women who disregard the word of God so you are going end up with the wrong type of women in those positions because the right type of woman is going to realize, “Hey this position is not for me.”
You are going to get the Jezebels of this world in that position and so you wouldn’t have to worry about suffering that woman Jezebel to teach if you would just not suffer a woman to teach in the first place. You’d never have a Jezebel teaching and that’s what the bible would teach us in 1st Timothy chapter two. It’s not a coincidence that the wording is almost the identical between those two passages. It says that thou sufferest that woman Jezebel would calleth herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not. Now this again just shows the graciousness and long suffering of God.
That he gave her a chance to repent and she repented not, look what it says next, “Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am He which searches the rains and herds. I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Now what I want to point out is that he said, “I gave her” past tense “I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not. I don't think at this point he’s giving her anymore space. At this point he just says, “I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repented their deeds.
Now he’s saying these guys who are committing the sin with her need to repent of their deeds. This woman, this wicked woman is seducing people into both fornication and adultery. You say, “Well how can that be, I thought those are two different things.” Well some of the man that she’s seducing are apparently married and some of the men that she’s seducing are not married. Its adultery and fornication respectively, do you think that this does not exist in 2015 because if you do you are wrong. There’s no new thing under the sun and the things that we see in scripture are things that still exists today. They are wicked women today who as the bible says the adulterous will hunt for the precious life.
They are women who would creep into churches and seduce men to commit fornication or to commit adultery with them. These women still exists today and we need to beware as men and take hid of women that are being overly, friendly flirtatious, the flattering tongue. Giving you excessive compliments and trying to get together with you in the wrong type of ways. This does exist even today. The seductresses are out there and God’s warning about it and he says this will destroy the whole church. When you’ve got fornication adultery I will remove the candle stick from out of its place except thou repent. Look at verse number 24 it says, “But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many have not this doctrine and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak.
“Will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already hold fast till I come.” Now that term as they speak today we would say so to speak, it’s the same expression it’s just a little bit older version of it. He says that so to speak they have reached the depths of Satan. Now that’s a pretty strong term to use about this sin when he says, “You’ve known the depths of Satan.” When you are a woman that’s in a church and you are seducing a man to commit fornication or seducing a man to commit adultery the bible calls that the depths of Satan. That’s pretty bad, that’s a major sin, a major inequity that’s going on here. He says, “The rest of you just hold fast till I come, just stay with to do what’s right and so forth.”
He says in verse 26, “And he that over cometh and keep my works unto the in to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received to my father and I will give him the morning star. He that have an ear let him hear what the spirit sayeth unto the churches. Now quickly flip over to 1st Corinthians five and you say, “Good night Pastor Anderson, you really harp on 1st Corinthians five. I think you turn to 1st Corinthians five at least once a month you are right. Did you know that I turn to 1st Corinthians five every single month I preach? Did you know that not a month goes by that I do not turn to 1st Corinthians chapter five when I’m preaching did you know that?
We did, I’m just getting it out of the way for January so that I can just move on to other things. Get it out of the way for this month, I will see you in February right here at 1st Corinthians five at Faith for Word Baptist Church to preach this again. There’s a reason why I’m constantly turning here because I don't want the candle stick to be removed out of its place that’s why. This is a major, major problem in the day that we live because of the morality of our country or the lack thereof that condones fornication. Today out nation condones fornication and unmarried people are going to bed together and the bible teaches that that is to be kept within marriage only. The bible says marriage is honorable and all and the bad and defile but humongous and adulterous God will judge.
We need to make sure that we drive this point in, the bible says in verse nine, “I wrote unto you in an Epistle not to company with fornicators. You are not all together with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with idolatrous for them much she needs go out of the world. He’s saying, “Look if I told you not to ever company with worldly people that are fornicators you would pretty much have to leave the world and go live on a reservation somewhere.” What he’s saying here is that the world commits fornication but he says, “But now I’ve written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator.”
This is something that we should just understand is going to taking place outside of the church, though within the church it shall not be tolerated. The bible says in verse 12 for what I have to do to judge them also that are without. Do not ye judge them that are within but them that are without God judgeth therefor put away from among yourself that wicked person.” A little earlier in the same chapter he said a little 11, 11 is a whole lump about that subject. That is the sin that will spread. Why is the church a Thyatira in danger of the candle stick being removed? For tolerating, fornication and adultery in the church. That’s why the letter is written to angel of the church of Thyatira.
It’s his job, it’s the pastor’s job to regulate and to lead and to make sure that these things are pointed out and that people are thrown out if they are living in open fornication. People that are found to be living fornication they are always given the option get married, stop living together or get out of the church because fornication is not allowed. Obviously adultery is even more serious than fornication. The bible teaches that if they don't get this right here they are going to have the candle stick removed. He calls it the depths of Satan. Now I think the people out in the world who commit fornication and adultery have not necessarily known the depths of Satan.
When you are coming into a church and committing fornication and bringing it into a church seduction and adultery that is the depths of Satan according to the bible. Now let’s go to, we are going to come back to Thyatira in a second but let’s look at Sardis at the beginning of chapter three there. It says in verse one, “Unto the angel of the church in Sardis right these things sayeth even at the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works that thou has to name that thy livest in our dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore that has received and heard and hold fast and repent if therefore thou shall not watch I will come on the as a thief and thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thy will ask a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy.”
Now in this passage about the church at Sardis he talks about the fact that they have a name that they live but they are dead. This is a church that’s living in the past, they have a great reputation from the past when they were doing great things for God. They have that name and that reputation but now they are dead. He says, “Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. He’s saying you are almost completely a dead church, in the past you were alive and you were on fire for the lord but now you are dying. He says, “Remember therefore” again he’s trying to get them to go back in their mind to the way things used to be.
There are so many churches they are either changing and God is saying remember, repent go back to that and hold on to what you still have that’s about to die, strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. The few things that you are still doing that are right. The point that I really want to drive in with both this church and Thyatira is in verse four where it says, “Thou has a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy. Now if we look at this church in Sardis it’s clear that this is not a good church. Because of the fact that they have a name that they live but they are dead.
Now would you say a dead church is a great church to be a part of? If somebody said, not just somebody if Jesus said, “Faith for Word Baptist Church is a dead church.” Wouldn’t you be shocked and you would think wow we really need to fix something here. If Jesus showed up and said, “Faith for Word Baptist Church you are a dead church.” That’s a pretty serious insult. He could say to us well you have a name that you live but you are dead. You are living on past glory and so forth. That will be a very serious indictment of our church so this is a church that has major, major problems. Yet he says that they have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garment s to walk with me in white for they are worthy.
Now this tells me that it’s still possible for you to be a great Christian even if your church is not a great church. Now the reason I bring that up because obviously I strongly believe that you should go to the best church in your area. If I were in a dead church and they were great church across town or a great church across the street then I would run to the … Because I want to be where the action is, I want to be where the holy ghost is and I want to be where the power is and where the excitement is and where the people are being saved and where great things are being done for God. I don't want to go to a dead church but what we have to understand is … There were at Sardis Baptist and that was pretty much it. At that point this is the church, now you know what a lot of people are doing today when they are live in Sardis is they just say, “I don't go to church anyway I just can't find a good church.” Don't you hear that all the time?
“I can't find a good church in my area I just don't go” but you know what? You’d be better off to going into Sardis Baptist even if it’s a dead mess to go to Sardis Baptist Jesus looks down and He’s pleased with you for being a righteous Godly Christian even in Sardis. He says, “Thou ask a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy. I would love or Jesus to look down and say that I’m worthy and to be pleased with me and to not want me in with those around me that are perhaps dead. Now he said something similar to Thyatira. Because to Thyatira and look at verse 24 of chapter two.
He said, “But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this doctrine and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak. I will put upon you none other burden.” What does that mean? He’s saying, “You know what? Just keep doing what you are doing. You guys are doing great. I’m not talking to everybody because everybody hasn’t been involved with this Jezebel and this garbage and have been allowing it to happen.” There are some people that do not have this doctrine that have not known the depths of Satan. He says, “I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already hold fast till I come.”
What is he saying to Thyatira, look it’s bad a church fornication and adultery are being tolerated and happening, got a woman teacher in the church. He says, “You know what at least there are some people in that church that are Godly righteous people” and he said, “I’m going to bless them and they just need to keep doing what they are doing.” Same thing in Sardis, the church is dead but you know what? Some of you aren't dead, some of you are on fire for the lord and you guys are worthy, you guys are going to walk with me in white. You guys are doing a great job. He’s praising the few that are good in these churches. Look the answer is not to get out of church but that’s what people are doing today in the last days.
The bible says, “Not forsaking in the assembling of ourselves together is the manner of sum is but exalting one another and so much the more as we see the day approaching.” Do we see the day approaching? It’s closer than it was yesterday. Do we need more church or less church? More assembly or less assembly? Therefore when you see people saying, “On the last days all the churches have apostatized that is a lie. The bible says that in the last days God’s people will be strong and do exploits in the last days. Even back then forget the last days this is the first century AD and in the first century AD there were churches that were dead. Churches that are living in the past, churches that are lukewarm. Look later to see it was lukewarm almost 2,000 years ago so what we see here is that they’ve always been good churches and bad churches. They’ve always been churches that used to be good and now they are going liberal or going soft or not soul winning anymore or allowing sin to run rampant.
Whereas they used to cry aloud against sin. It’s the same situation today in 2015 and go to Revelation chapter two and three it’s the same thing. These seven churches you can find these seven churches in Arizona. You can find these seven churches in America today whatever you are but the thing is that the same solution that God gives in chapters two and three is the same solution today. You go to the church that you can find the best church and you hold fast till he comes and you don't defile your garment and you don't be involved in the depths of Satan. You don't get dead and you don't go soft and you keep standing strong. You do the first works, you keep the first love even if the church is not in lock step with you, you got the Lord Jesus Christ and you can do it on your own.
Today people just don't go to church and they say, “No good church in my area.” You know what if you were in Sardis and you just said, “No good church in my area” God is not praising you for that because that’s a sin to not go to church and you are not going to get the praise of Jesus there. Whereas if you and you live right and you are going to church well then Jesus is pleased with you, it’s not your fault. Plus if we all the people who don't go to church would actually go to church and go to the best church in the area which 99 times out of a 100 is going to be an independent fundamental Baptist church.
If they would actually get in this churches the people … Who are laying out because they are so much more right on than the churches then maybe we could turn some of these churches around. Even if you can't turn them around you can still be a Godly influence. You can at least be a voice for fundamentalism in these churches and a voice for hard preaching and a voice or soul winning. A lot of churches where you could bring up, “Hey let’s start a soul winning program” and even if the pastor has gotten and back sliden and he’s not into soul winning anymore a lot of times he’ll still let you start a soul winning program in the church and then you can help fire things up and get things going.
I could tell you a lot of stories about churches where the pastor is not a bad guy but he’s not that of a great guy either. He’s in the middle of the road guy where if you get a bunch of fire breathers in his church they’ll start pulling him in the right direction and he will start growing and going in the right direction. It shouldn’t have to be that way ideally you have the pastor as a strong leader leading the people but its better than nothing to be a good influence in the Thyatira Baptist church … To just sit at home and eat chips of your chest and say, “There’s no good church so I’m just doing it on You Tube.” Or I’m just doing it on whatever. Every time I preach that I always get emails from people saying, “Pastor Anderson I was literally eating chips when you said … “ Or somebody, I get multiple, everybody thinks it’s the holy spirit just talking right to them no.
Because I’m like, “You are in your pajamas and you are eating breakfast” and they are like, “That was me, I was doing that.” I’m like, “Guess what, you weren't the only one, there are a lot of people at home eating chips of their wife beater and eating their breakfast … The bottom line is that we need to get in church in the last days don't forsake the assembly. Be like this Herald camping guy he tells you, “The church age has ended and you just need to get out of the churches because they are all apostate come out over my people.” This isn't bad but your church is not Babylon it’s not getting rained with fire and brimstone you don't even, get out of it.
What a misuse of scripture, what a twisting of the bible but the bible continues here in chapter three I got to get through a few more churches here. We already talked about verse five we covered that in the last week sermon I don't want to be repetitive … Let’s look at verse number seven get into the church of Philadelphia. It says, “That the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, these things sayeth he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David. He that openeth that no man’s shuteth and shuteth what no man openeth. I know thy works, behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it. For there has to little strength and that has kept my word and has not denied my name.
Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and they are not but do lie. Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dweleth on the earth. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which that thou has that no man take thy crown.” Now in this scripture we have another good church meaning that they didn’t have any serious problems. Because out of the seven churches five of them had serious problems and are being threatened with the removal of the … To lure them ...
We talked about this last week but the two churches Smyrna and Philadelphia that are not being threatened that do not have serious problems in the church are both being persecuted. Because the bible says, “Ye unto all that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” When you find the perfect church be prepared to be persecuted because the two churches that are doing well are getting persecuted. In both cases they are being persecuted by the synagogue of Satan. The bible says of course, “Fear none of those things which thou shall suffer” back in chapter two about Smyrna.” He says, “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and they are not but are in the synagogue of Satan. The reason he’s tying that in is because all throughout the book of acts the people who persecuted the Christians were always the Jews every single time. It was the Jews who would follow them from city to city and a lot of times the local population of gentiles was embracing the word of God and then the Jews would come and stir up the persecution of God’s people.
It was throughout the book of Acts 90% of it is the Jews doing the persecuting of … That’s what this is a reference to those who say they are Jews and they are not but do lie. Somebody said, “Well that’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses” they say they are Jews and they are not. Here’s the thing the Jehovah’s Witnesses weren't around back then number one. Number two the Jehovah’s Witnesses don't meet in a synagogue they meet in a kingdom hall and the Jehovah’s Witnesses teaching God loves us and he doesn’t love you. Here’s the thing these people are going to be told in chapter three here, “I’ll make them to know that I have loved thee.” Talking to the Gentiles because they are the Jews who believe that they are the special chosen ones and that God loves them more because they are Jewish which is a lie.
Because the bible teaches them a New Testament that shows them to be the elect to are those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s a whole sermon in of its self that I have preached many times. It says in this passage in verse 10, “Because thou has kept the word of my patience will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou has that no man take thy crown. God’s message to this church that’s doing right is just keep on, keep it on, do what you are doing, hang on. Hold fast till I come. He says, “Don't lose your crown, don't let anyone take your crown.” You can lose rewards where you apostatize and then God will take away your rewards take away your crown.
This is also taught in 2nd John where it says look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrote but that we receive a full reward. He’s saying, “You want to receive a full reward but you don't want to lose anything because you are not taking heed and because you go out of the will of God and so forth. They need to just continue on doing what they are doing. Now verse 10 is a verse that’s often misused and misunderstood. I’ve heard people literally say, “I believe in the pre-tribulation rupture for one reason, Revelation 3:10 case closed.” I’m serious this was their big verse, “What common show me a verse that says it’s pre trib?” “Revelation 3:10 is crystal clear.”
Now clear as mad in Revelation 3:10 it says, “Because thou has kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the house of temptation. If you put on your derby Scoffield lock glasses you read it like this, “Because thou has kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the seven year tribulation.” Crystal clear folks. Now here’s the problem with that teaching though, the problem is that is that were true, if this were about the rupture which of course it’s not but if this were about the rupture this would be teaching works bay salvation. Because the bible calls the rupture salvation because it’s the salvation of our body, it’s the redemption of our body. Because right now our soul and spirit has been saved but the body will be saved redeemed at the rupture at the first resurrection.
The bible talks about whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved in reference also to the fact that we’ll be ruptured. Okay that scripture so if you are going to say that this verse teaches a preacher of rupture, you are saying that in order to go up in the rupture in order to be saved you have to keep the word of his patience. Now is keeping God’s word a prerequisite for being saved? Think about what you are saying. If you are going to say that Revelation 3:10 is about the rupture you are saying you have to keep the word [inaudible 00:33:16] in order to be saved. That is a false thought because you just have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to saved.
The bible says, “What must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved in my help.” You don't have to keep, look if we had to keep the God’s word to be saved none of us is safe. Because we’ve all broken God’s word, we have not kept all of it. What are you like the rich young ruler, I have kept all of things okay I’m trying to help you understand the word keep. I’ve kept all this things from my youth up. Is that what you believe? Have you kept all these things from your youth up because I haven’t but I’m saved by grace through faith not of works as any man should boost. It’s amazing to me that people are so attached to their pre-tribulation rupture doctrine and they hold unto it and cling to it for dear life to where they are willing to sacrifice salvation doctrine.
To hang onto their stupid bible study interpretation. They are willing to throw salvation doctrine out of the window. Good night what do you say, its’ like when teachers like Sam Gip in his zeal for, “Got to hang to that preacher rupture.” I know its pre-trib, I know it’s pre-trib I know it’s pre-trib.” They want to hang on to it so much that literally Sam Gip said, “Jesus is not my Messiah,” because he had to prove that it’s pre-trib. He did a whole sermon it’s on You Tube watch it I put it there, I put it. Because he sent me a CD, “Pastor Anderson I doubt you’ll listen to it but I did a whole sermon against you and your movie after the tribulation.”
“Alright I’ll listen to it.” I listened to his sermon and in the sermon that he’s preaching against pre-trib, he says, “Jesus is not my Messiah.” Then he makes fun of people who would call Jesus their Messiah. He says like, “Well you said he’s my Messiah, he isn't your Messiah” and you know Messiah means? Christ so basically who is the liar but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ, he’s antichrist. This guy and his zeal to promote the pre-trib rupture is going to literally deny that Jesus is his Messiah and say Jesus is not my Messiah, Jesus is not your Messiah. This is the pre-trib rupture teaching work salvation. We did mean it that way, we are not teaching work salvation then he’s first on the plane … you can have it both ways.
Don't tell me that keeping the word of God’s patience is how you get saved. No you don't keep anything he keeps you. We are kept by the power of God unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time. He does the keeping, we don't do the keeping. He keeps our souls safe and secure we don't have to keep God … Or else we are all doomed because we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Let’s just say for second even though it’s ridiculous. Let’s just say this okay this is about the rupture, let’s just say even though that’s ridiculous that teaches work salvation whatever. Because thou has kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of … Which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Does that say anything about the tribulation? Now I know they both start with a T and end in tion but temptation and tribulation are two different words it’s not the same thing. Here’s what’s rare when you get the hour to them hour becomes years, seven years just met … Well you just have to put this on and it all works. They put this on and then all of a sudden an hour becomes seven years. Here’s what’s funny about it, if you look up every time the word hour is mentioned in the book of revelation none of it it’s about the tribulation. In fact let’s just look at just one example I don't want to spend the whole night on this or morning, all night. I’m going, “I’m just going to be a long sermon, it’s going to be all night.
Look at Revelation chapter 18 here it says in verse 10 standing afar for fear of a torment saying, “Alas, alas!! That great city Babylon that mighty city for in one hour is thy judgment come. Is this about the tribulation no this is God’s wrath. This is God’s wrath being poured on Babylon in one hour. Look at verse 17 for in one hour so great riches is coming up … They can't cast dirt on their heads and cried and weeping and wailing saying, Alas, alas!! That great city where and when were made rich all that ships in the sea by reason of a [inaudible 00:38:19]. For in one hour is she made desolate.” Go back to chapter 14 verse seven saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come.”
All of this references to an hour are talking about God’s wrath, God’s judgment. If anything in their whopped imagination Revelation 3:10 would prove a pre wrath rupture not a pre-tribulation rupture. It doesn’t even prove that because it’s not a works based salvation. Whatever God is keeping them from and by the way this are the literal churches, this happened thousands of years ago to be symbolism but the thing is whatever he’s keeping them from is something that not every believer is going to be kept from. Only believers who are dedicated and keeping the word of God’s patience are going to be delivered. You see there are things in life where if we keep God’s word and do what’s right we’ll be delivered from them. If we live a life of sin we won't be delivered from them.
Look at King Saul at Mount Gilboa was he delivered from the Philistines? Now he’s in heaven, King Saul is in heaven right now he’s a believer but was he delivered from the Philistines at Mount Gilboa? Why? Because of disobedience to God’s word, what about King Josiah? Godly man, great man, wonderful leader but what about when he disobeyed the Lord and went and fought against the king of Egypt and medaled with strife not belonging to him, he died. Did God deliver him from Pharaonic of Egypt? No, why? Because of his disobedience to the Lord. Even believers can disobey the Lord and be swallowed up in various physical punishments and judgments upon this earth. Nothing to do necessarily with anti-prophesy but just in general.
Whereas God will often deliver the righteous from physical peril. He will physically rescue Godly people. David fought in a lot of wars and remember toward the end of his life when he was getting a little bit weaker but he just kept on going to battle. David just wanted to keep fighting even though he was an old man and help him and when they came and helped him they said, “Hey you need to stop going to battle with us. No offense David but you just don't have what you used to have and you are worth 10 of us and we don't you to die on the battle field. David who fought in so many wars and had so much danger, he lived to be an old man and died in bed of natural causes.
Look at the Apostle Paul I mean talk about a guy who’s [inaudible 00:41:07] they stoned him and thought he’s dead, he stopped moving and they walked away and he literally got up and was … Had a walk in the town. What about when his ship wrecked, what about when he spent a night and a day in the deep of the ocean. What about when he’s being arrested and being there trying to tire them in half. What about when he … Five times as being … Over. What happened at the end if his life? The theologians and historians will try to tell you his beheaded? No that’s not what the bible teaches he died of natural causes. He’s put himself out there that much being persecuted that much so many near misses so many closed calls, people are saying, “We will not eat any bread or any water until we’ve killed Paul.
Now I think those people eventually ate. That they all died shortly thereafter but this guys swore, they said, “We are not going to eat or drink anything until we’ve killed Paul” and then the [inaudible 00:42:08]. Get him out of there and then, it reminds me of these protestors who come to our church. We are going to keep protesting until you stop preaching hate and we are going to shut you down.” Two weeks later they are all gone that’s probably how those guys were when they were going to kill Paul. They were at a buffet a week later chowing down. What we see in the bible is that God will often physically deliver his people from judgments that come by …
Think about when God judged Judah and sent the sword and famine and pestilence and Nebuchadnezzar but who made it out alive and prospered? Jeremiah, Jerimiah got out and he was even given a little bag of money and he was okay. Now he went through his time down in the dung and in the mire and he went through trials and tribulations but in the end he was delivered. Now other people were not delivered Stephen was not delivered. My point is that it makes more way sense we look around Revelation 3:10 in light of the rest of the bible that this is talking about being spared physical judgments and physical turmoil that’s coming upon the earth.
Back then literally and in the future possibly figuratively. Again it’s talking not to all the saved so it can't be about the rupture. It can't be about the rupture because it’s not saying if you are saved you will be delivered he’s saying if you keep the word of his patience. What is he talking about? Well if you think about it the bible says in Luke about, praying always that you would be worthy to escape all of these things and to stand before the son of man. Talking about praying to even surviving events of the tribulation perhaps and to be alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. Anyway I just wanted to deal with that scripture quickly.
Let’s just quickly look at the final church here and then I will just wrap things up for you. It says in verse 14, “Then the angel of the church of the layer the sins write, these things sayeth the amen. The faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God.” There’s so much to preach in this chapters, I don't have time to cover it all because I’m trying to focus in sins of the seven churches. I really like how at the beginning of each message, Jesus refers to himself in a different way. It’s always Jesus talking but he calls himself all these different things, he that hath the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of seven golden candle sticks. He has the seven spirits of God, he was dead and he’s alive.
He has the sharp sword coming out of his mouth, he’s the son of God, he’s eyes are [inaudible 00:44:59] his feet are like fine brass. He opens and no man shuts, he shuts and no man opens, he just describe himself and then I love what he says in this verse where he says, “These thing [inaudible 00:45:15].” Jesus is the amen, Jesus is the amen and then you say amen to that that’s pretty interesting. If you stop and think about it, what does the word amen mean? Well amen is not really a native English word, it’s a word that’s literally just transliterated from Greek into English. Now transliterate is different than translate. Translate would be if I took a word like in Spanish I took a word that everybody knows like [foreign language 00:45:48] right in Spanish. If I were to translate that then I would say cheese right and it would be a totally different word. It would be the English word that has the same meaning.
Transliterate is when I take a word from one language and I live it the same and just make it an English word. Like for example a word like Taco, it just comes straight into English says Taco. Unchanged, T-A-C-O well that’s how the word amen is because in Greek amen is spelled basically A-M-E-N. Okay I mean alpha me, epsilon, nee but the same thing. Amen A-M-E-N it’s the same exact word so there are certain words that are just transliterated in the bible where they are just brought straight over like for example hallelujah is a word that’s Hebrew meaning praise the Lord and it’s just brought straight in. If you were to translate the word hallelujah it would praise the lord.
Instead it’s just transliterated where it just becomes an English word hallelujah okay. That’s how amen is, well amen means truly okay. Whenever you are reading the bible and it says, “Verily, verily I say unto you” actually if you are reading a Greek New Testament it says, “Amen, amen I say unto you.” That’s what every time it says verily in your King James it means to say amen, amen in a Greek New Testament. The word Amen that’s what it means the truth, truly verily and so basically this is very similar to when Jesus Christ said I’m the way, the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me. That’s what it means when he says, “I’m the amen.” When I’m preaching and you say, “Amen,” What you are basically saying is, “That is the truth that you are saying right now.”
Ye, you are saying, “Ye verily what you have said is the truth” that’s what you are saying when you say amen.” Now I decided to point that out because some people don't know what amen needs. Amen is an acknowledgement that you agree with what’s being said. When you hear something that you really like and you agree with it you say, “Amen” that means like, “Yeah that’s true.” You are voicing your approval for what is being said.” Jesus says, “I’m the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” Now notice this doesn’t say the first thing God created as a lot of modern versions will change this to something along those lines of the first creation of God or something.
No Jesus is not a created being, Jesus was in the beginning with God and he was God, he was not a created being. He has neither beginning of days nor end of life the bible says and so Jesus is the beginning. When it says in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth that’s the first mention of Jesus, the beginning. He said, “I am the beginning, I am the ending, I am the alpha and the omega the first and the last.” Here he says I’m the beginning of the creation of God that’s where, here’s it all comes from. By him all things consists, he’s the beginning of God’s creation. It all start with Jesus without him was not anything made that was made. The bible says, “I know thy works that thou are neither cold nor hot. I with thy work cold or hot so then because thou are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Now God is rebuking them for being lukewarm for not being on fire, for being half in half out. Now I have heard some people who are trying to prove that you can lose your salvation which obviously you can't because Jesus said, “I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish and neither shall any man pluck out of my hand. They’ll say, “Well the bible says you can be spewed out of His mouth. Now here’s the problem with that, number one we are not literally in his mouth so we can't literally be spewed out of his mouth. There are things in the bible that are literal and things in the bible that are figurative. God cannot literally spew us out of His mouth because we are not literally in His mouth in the first place to be spewed out of it.
What the bible is saying here is a parable or being figurative of a drink, right. When you drink a drink you want it to be colder, who likes iced coffee, enjoy iced coffee. Who like hot coffee? How doesn’t like any coffee? That’s where I’m at I don't like any coffee, I don't drink coffee. If I did drink coffee I would do the iced one with like so much sugar and cream that you don't even know its coffee anymore. Caramel with cream to where it just becomes more like an ice-cream cone. That’s my kind of coffee if I ever do coffee. I don't even do that so people like a cold drink and people like a hot drink. A lukewarm drink is usually not that popular. Now certain drinks are better warm, certain drinks are better cold.
There are some drinks that are good lukewarm like I like to drink coconut water at room temperature. That’s the best way in my opinion to drink coconut water better than ice cold but most drinks I prefer it to be cold or hot. Hot chocolate you know you want it hot or you want a cold glass of chocolate milk. What he’s saying here is an illustration if its cold you liked it for being cold you liked it being for hot but when it’s lukewarm you spit it out, “Gross it’s no good.” What is he trying to say here, it’s a parable you can't take it too literally folks. It’s clearly an illustration of the fact that lukewarm Christianity makes God sick, makes Him sick. Spew you, he wants to spew you out of his mouth because of the fact that it makes him sick.
Now a lot of people will misinterpret this passage and say, “Well you know what, if God doesn’t want me lukewarm I’m just going to go all the way cold.” There are a lot of people out there, there are people out there that’s what they do. I’ve literally talked to a lot of people to them and I say, why don't you come to church anymore. Come back to church we miss you at church.” You say, “Well I’m just not really ready to get all the way in and I don't want to be lukewarm so for now I’m just going to be out. Then when I’m ready I’ll get all the way in so I’m going to be called for a while.” You know what they’ll come when they are like, “Okay I’m ready now ready to be fire … “ Look today is the day if you are not ready today you are not going to be ready tomorrow. They misinterpret this passages but look we always have to let the bible interpret itself.
Look what the bible says in verse 17 because the bible in verse 17 helps us to understand, it’s starts with the word because. Should that show you right there that it’s not a new thought since because is a conjunction. Okay so he says because why so He’s going to tell us why he’s going spew you out. He’s going to tell you why you he doesn’t like you lukewarm. Because thou sayeth I’m rich and increased with goods and I’m in need of nothing and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Here’s what he’s saying, “What makes him sick is when people think that basically lukewarm or have been hath our Christianity is acceptable and good and write in the eyes of God.”
What’s making him sick? The fact that they are saying I am rich and increased with God’s and have need of nothing. What’s making him sick? The fact that they don't know that they are poor and miserable and wretched, I got that wrong. The fact that they know not that they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. That’s the problem [inaudible 00:53:51] so what God is saying here I believe is that if a person comes to church and maybe they are not as far along in their Christian growth as they should be, maybe they are not as fired up as they should be maybe they are a new believer maybe they are just a babe In Christ.
Or maybe they are just not living for the lord that’s okay as long as they acknowledge their sin and realize that they need to do better and as long as they are working on it. Growing and going in the right direction. That doesn’t make God sick do you think God is sickened by a brand new believer who’s just barely going out soul wining because they are just getting started and they are just getting into it and just learning and growing and doing right. Maybe a brand new believer or somebody who’s just got back to church who’s maybe just reading a little bit of bible every day because they are just getting into and just growing and just starting and getting moving. That doesn’t make God sick, you know what makes God sick is people who consider themselves mature, Godly believers and they sit around patting themselves on the back and they are totally lukewarm.
They are not on fire for the lord, they are not doing great things for God and they are not taking the stand and they are living a life in a day with sin that’s what makes God sick. See it’s not the guy who’s humble and says, “You know what? I’m not everything I need to be. I’m a weak Christian, I’m a new believer, I’m back sliden but I’m here in church to try to do better and I’m trying to learn and grow and I’m failing. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and I’m willing to acknowledge that it doesn’t make God sick. God knows our infirmities, God knows that we are but flesh and he knows that we are clay and dust. He understands out weaknesses, what is making God sick? If we actually let the passage interpret itself, the thing that makes God sick is what they are saying.
That they have it all together and when they don't know that they are failing. If we are a person who is not a great Christian but we are willing to admit ourselves in the lord I am not a great Christian. Confess our sins and want to improve and be humbled about it, that doesn’t make God sick. Do you see how people are misinterpreting this when they are like, “Well since I’m not ready to just become the most fired up church member I’m just going to get all the way out to church because God wants me cold or hot.” No you know what you need to do is just acknowledge I am not where I need to be, well you’ve already done that. Well now you just need to stay in church and keep improving and growing and doing better.
You are not sickening to the lord until you start patting yourself on the back and until you forget about the room that you need to grow that’s what makes him sick. God is sickened by entire churches today, because this is to the church Laodicea there are some churches that think they are pretty awesome. We would look at them and we are not even Jesus or we would look at them and be like, “Wow you guys are dead. You guys are liberal, you guys are lame” we wouldn’t say that to them but that’s our thing and you know I wasn’t alone. They think they are awesome, they are just that’s why God doesn’t like it, it’s the attitude, it’s the heart. You say, well I think you are misinterpreting this passage but I’m not the one who write verse 17 and verse 17 makes it clear that that’s the because.
You can have another because if you want, you could say well I think it’s just because I think it’s just because they were not [inaudible 00:57:38] everything they were supposed to be doing that’s why. No he said, he’s mad because they say and because they not. Those are both things that happened in their heart and in their mind it’s the attitude. Now look I don't mind hanging around with people who are Christians who are poor, who are poor Christians and they are not doing a good job for the Lord as long as they are going the right direction. I’d rather in fact let me just bring up, I’m going to close with this, let me just bring up two guys as an illustration. Dominic you want to come up [inaudible 00:58:16]. Because you are sitting in the front row you got to come up here.
Look lets have you face this way and let’s have you face this way. Okay and let’s say there’s a continuum of Christian growth. Let’s say over here this represents just the worst Christian who’s just living a very worldly and godless lifestyle over here okay. Then over here we’ve got the apostle Paul or something somebody who’s just super dedicated, super fired up living for the Lord over here. Okay and then here we have where most people are going to be somewhere in between. None of us is the apostle Paul and I hope none of us is that guy so we are all going to be somewhere in between right. Well honestly I we look at this guy right here he’s less spiritual on paper as far as what he’s doing for the Lord and the sin in his life then this guy.
Because this guy is closer to the standard of a very righteous Godly person right. See here’s the thing, this guy is slowly moving this direction and this guy is slowly moving this direction. You know what? I’d rather hang around with this guy. Seriously, why? Why would I rather hang around with this guy? Because you know what? At least this guy is growing, this guy has got his heart right. This guy is moving forward, this guy is improving. Okay this guy even though he’s more spiritually mature than that guy he has less sin in his life than that guy but you know what though this guy’s heart is all wrong. Because he has pitched his tent towards Sodom. He’s basically, I’m just kidding.
Anyway look at how he is facing, look at the direction that he’s going, he’s going the wrong way, the wrong path. You know what this guy is going to be a worse influence on me than this guy. Go ahead and have a seat guys so that should help illustrate to you what’s wrong Laodicea would be like that guy who’s right here in the middle facing that way saying, “Man I’m an awesome Christian.” I’m just curios how many seats he is going to be over in the millennium, it’s got to be in the double digits. He thinks he’s got it together but he’s actually going downhill first. That’s the thing but this guy where brother Darren her was, this guy will be sometimes the guy who says, “Man that guy is doing way better than me. I don't want to be lukewarm I’m getting too closer the middle here.”
Because look in order to go from here to here you are going to pass through the middle right. If I’m saying, “I’m pressing on the upward way new heights I’m gaining” it’s going to be a period where you are right here. You don't just go, “Yeah” it’s not going to happen, there’s going to be a period where you are here and God doesn’t not spin you out. He’s like, “Okay you are good, you are good, you are good, oh man you make me sick so and so … “Okay you are good again.” That’s what a lot of people will think. They’ll be like you win somebody to Christ over here you get them saved and then they are like, “Okay,” they are going, “Oh man I’m lukewarm I better just.”
That’s what people do I can name for you people who’ve literally said that to me. It’s the attitude, it’s the direction that was wrong with [inaudible 01:01:58]. Let me just wrap it up like this, we need to be in church period. Be in church, “Well but I live in Sardis, ” “Be in church,” “Well it’s Thyatira,” “Be in church.” In our churches if we don't want to lose the candle stick if we want to be continuing as a bonafide Godly church that God can use from these four churches we can learn a few things. Number one we need to get fornication and adultery out of the church. Keep them out don't allow them, don't tolerate them. Number two we need to make sure according to Sardis that we don't live in the past. Our church [inaudible 01:02:42] God through his grace.
You know what? Don't live in the past, not just say, “Oh man 2014 we did so much we are going to take like a year of Sabbath of rest.” We are going to rest the land for you. No we need to make sure that 2015 has new exploits and that we are not living in the past okay. Then thirdly with Philadelphia we need to understand they are going to be many apheresis because of the fact that when we do right God said he said he’s the one who opens the door and no man shuts it and I will just read this quickly from 1st Corinthians 69 don't turn there. It says, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries. When you do right you are going to be persecuted. The lesson to the third church that we went over this morning is don't buckle under the pressure.
Don't fall away in times of temptation and tribulation that was the message to Philadelphia. He says look if you keep my word, if you keep the word of my patience I will keep you from the hour of temptation. You don't have to fail, you don't have to all away, you don't have to give into the persecution and the threats and the attacks. You can stay with it that’s the message to Philadelphia. Then fourthly the message Laodicea was don't be lukewarm and especially don't think it’s okay. Don't be lukewarm in your heart, don't be lukewarm in your mentality. Look we all have shortcomings but let’s realize that and be humble and realize we need to do better, we need to grow, we need to improve. Let bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father we thank you so much Lord for these four churches that we went over this morning and the things that we can learn Lord. Help Faithful Word Baptist Church to learn all four lessons Lord that all four of them apply unto us. No fornication Lord we can't live in the past. We should never buckle under the pressure and persecution and need to always realize that there’s more room for growth and to stay red hot for your service, in Jesus name we pray amen.
