Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz19970216.htm

THRU THE BIBLE SYNTHESIS
"Part LXIII: Revelation, Section 2 - ('The Things Which Are')
Christ's Edicts For US In OUR Era"

Need: "If Christ will bless us Christians NOW if we DO HIS will, and I want to DO that, then WHAT IS His will for us in OUR era?!"
  1. From the last lesson we learned that Christ's words to the churches of Revelation 2-3 address Christians throughout Church History.
  2. We view each message to understand Christ's directives to us:
    1. Christ's Word To "Ephesus," the *Apostolic Church, Rev. 2:1-7:
      1. "Ephesus", meaning "Desired", epitomizes the Apostolic Church.
      2. This group was to cease losing its first love in working too hard to preserve the Church's purity for future historical eras.
      3. Overcomers would be blessed as Christ used their foundational efforts to influence future generations from error, Rev. 2:7. This was fulfilled by the Apostolic writings being placed into Scripture.
    2. Christ's Word To "Smyrna," the *Persecuted Church, Rev. 2:8-11.
      1. "Smyrna," or "myrrh", used for burial = the Persecuted Church.
      2. Christ told its believers to face persecution by faith for His help.
    3. Christ's Word To "Pergamum," the *State-Church, 2:12-17.
      1. "Pergamum" = "fully wed," is Constantine's State-Church union.
      2. As Nimrodian paganism was banned via this union, it infiltrated the Church for survival and eventually soiled its worship rituals.
      3. Bible teaching = the answer, 2:12-17; Athanasius overcame here!
    4. Christ's Word To "Thyatira," the *Roman Church, 2:18-29.
      1. "Thyatira" = "citadel of sacrifice," the ritual of the Catholic mass.
      2. This body was to retract its Nimrodianism or be judged, 2:20-23.
      3. Overcomers would shatter this unrepentant Church's control over the nations. Luther and others stand out as overcomers, 2:24-29.
    5. Christ's Word To "Sardis," the *Reformation Church, Rev. 3:1-6.
      1. "Sardis" (famed for vitality when it is dead) = Reformation Church.
      2. Christ ordered it to apply creedal beliefs by faith for spiritual vitality, 3:1-6. Whitfield, Wesley & Edwards were overcomers.
    6. Christ's Word to "Philadelphia," or *Fundamentalism, 3:7-13:
      1. "Philadelphia," or "Brotherly Love," is Fundamentalism that upheld Christ's deity & Bible inerrancy vers. Liberal Theology that came by rationalism, 3:8; Walv., Jes. Chr. Our Lord, p. 12-13.
      2. Christ awarded rescue from trial for use of 2 Pet. 3:4-9 in teaching His patience explained His return's delay versus Liberal Theology's uniformitarian evolutionism that denied it, Rev. 3:10; Ibid., Walv.
      3. This reward was keeping trouble from those who resisted the error, accounting for Germany's defeat in World Wars I & II for apostasy!
      4. WW II's atomic bomb was then God's warning that the prophecy in 2 Pet. 3:4-10 BOTH of Liberalism's uniformitarian apostasy that denied Christ's coming AND the world's fiery end was TRUE!
      5. Jesus encouraged Fundamentalists while warning them to hold fast to their stand lest anyone rob them of their crown, Rv. 3:7,11.
      6. An overcomer in this era was J. G. Machan of Princeton, among many other notable leaders in conservative Christian circles.
    7. Christ's Word to "Laodicea," Post-Liberal *Evangelicals, 3:14-22*:
      1. "Laodicea" means "The People Rule," showing laymen who transfer their distrust for past, apostate leaders to new Bible church ones, resulting in chaotic power struggles in many groups!
      2. Christ rejects a pastor's various efforts to control insubordinate "laymen" in order to retain their jobs instead of trusting God!
        1. Christ rejects "cold" inhibiting pressures by doctrinally sound pastors, showing their 5-point fundamentals of doctrine are not applied by such legalistic, carnal efforts, Rev. 3:14-16,17.
        2. He also rejects the "hot" uninhibiting efforts of Charismatic pastors as being false, Rev. 3:19 ("be zealous" is a satire on the misuse of the word, "zealous" in 1 Co. 12 & 14 to push "gifts")!
      3. Pastors must trust Christ to control the "laymen" and just teach the Word or suffer removal from leadership, Rev. 3:16! Heeding Christ here will lead to God's expanding their leadership, 3:20-21!
      4. "Laymen" must not view all pastors as carnal, but let Christ reveal which men really are His spokesmen, Jer. 42:1-44:30 with "faithful & true witness" of Rv. 3:14! Heeding Christ insures His blessing to us via leaders; failure in this cuts off God's blessing to us thru them!
  3. Revelation 2-3 adds to the "thread of redemption" by showing that believers in TODAY'S era can be blessed by God through heeding Christ's prophetic edicts regarding their CURRENT challenges!
Lesson Application: (1) For our mainly Laodicean group, we must (a) believe on Christ as Savior (Jn. 3:16) and (b) fellowship with Him by confessing sins (1 Jn. 1:9) & depend on the Spirit (Ga. 5:16-23) to obey Scripture (1 Jn. 2:3-6). (c) Then apply II,G,3-4 for blessing! (2) For us from Catholic or "dead" Reformation origins, we must apply II,D,2-3 and II,E,2 respectively. (3) For us who began in Fundamentalism, we must hold fast (krateo) to our stands on Christ's deity, Scripture's inerrancy & creation (vrs. uniformitarian evolution) against pressures from men to give in on such stands, II,F,1,2,5.