Who was Jesus?
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He had compassion for
the weak and the hurting.
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He loved every person He met
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and taught them how to love,
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His great heart helped
all those who came near Him.
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But most of
all, He was a friend.
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That was who He was.
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Now find out who He is.
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Hello, and welcome once again
to 3ABN Summer Camp Meeting.
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Who is Jesus?
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I hope you've been enjoying
this as much as we have.
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For this hour,
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our speaker will be
Pastor Steve Wohlberg.
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Steve is the Speaker/Director
for White Horse Media.
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He's a wonderful
father to Seth and Abby
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and a great husband to Kristin.
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But most of all,
he's a dear friend
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and a student of the Bible.
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He is going to speak
today on Christ messages
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to the church.
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But first, another dear
friend is going to sing for us
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and play on the piano.
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And that is our
dear brother Tim Parton
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who will sing, Renew My Love.
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Oh, where is now
that glowing love
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That marked our
union with the Lord!
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Our hearts were
fixed on things above
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Nor could the world a joy afford
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Where is the
zeal that led us then
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To make our Savior's glory known
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That freed us
from the fear of men
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And kept our eye
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on him alone?
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Oh, Lord,
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Renew my love for You
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Oh, Lord,
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Renew my love
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Where are the
happy seasons spent
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In fellowship with him adored
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The sacred joy,
such sweet content
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The blessed nearness
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Of our Lord
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Behold, again I turn to you
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Oh, cast me not
away, though vile
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No peace I have, no joy I view
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Oh Lord, my God,
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But in your smile
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Oh, Lord, renew my love for You
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Oh, Lord, renew my love
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Oh, Lord, renew my love for You
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Oh, Lord, renew my love
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Thank you, Brother.
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Appreciate that good music.
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Hello, everybody.
Good to be here at 3ABN.
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God is so good, in thousand ways
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He's blessed me and we hope
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that He blesses you
through this special event.
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My topic is Christ's
Messages to the Seven Churches.
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And I was amazed when 3ABN,
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just a few weeks ago,
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asked me to speak on this topic.
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The reason why I was amazed
was because I had just been
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studying the seven churches
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in the Book of
Revelation Chapter 2 and 3.
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And I had just been so deeply
impressed with the ability
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of Jesus to see the future,
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which is what we're
going to talk about.
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And it just, it was on my mind,
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it was on my heart,
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and I was thinking
I've got to talk about this
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at some point
and then sure enough
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I got an email from 3BN saying,
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"This is your subject,
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would you come to camp meeting?"
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So I said, "Okay."
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So here I am, God is good.
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I'd like to start
out with little story
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about my daughter.
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My daughter, she's 13 years old,
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her name is Abby, Abigail.
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Kids certainly
grow up fast these days,
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every day, I guess.
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Any parent knows that.
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And it was just
a month or two ago,
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when my wife and Abby
went outside in our backyard.
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We live up in the
mountains in Priest River,
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Idaho way out in the woods.
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We have grass
around us in the backyard.
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And they took the dog out,
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one of our dogs
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to do what dogs do
before the family heads to bed.
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And so they went outside
and my wife had a flashlight
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and it was probably
around 9 o'clock or 8:30,
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and it was dark.
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And our little dog
either was running around
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and Kristin noticed something
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that she hadn't seen before.
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We've lived in our house,
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this particular
property for about 12 years
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and as she was shining
the light on the grass,
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she noticed that there
were lots and lots of worms,
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of night
crawlers that had come out
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of the ground for some
reason that particular night,
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and they were just
scattered on the grass.
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And so Abby ran and she said,
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"Dad, you got to come out
and see what we see out there."
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So I came out.
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And as she was shining
the flashlight on the grass,
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I could see just night
crawlers about this big
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and my first thought was, "Boy,
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these would be
great inside my garden.
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Worms are great in the garden."
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So I went, I got a little bucket
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and Abby and I walked around.
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And I could hardly catch them
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because as we
got closer to them,
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and as the
flashlight shone on these worms,
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then they would quickly
go back under the ground.
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And sometimes they'd be half out
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and I'd grab one
and try to pull it out,
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but they were, you
know, too deep in the ground,
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couldn't get them out,
didn't want to break a worm.
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My daughter said,
"Dad, don't break the worms."
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So I got a couple of them,
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put them in the
bucket for my garden.
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But anyway, I was
thinking about that.
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And I thought, you know
those worms are a lot like
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what's happening in
this world right now.
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We live in the final
days before Jesus comes.
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We live in the last days
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and just like the
worms had come out,
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it just seems like
the devils and the demons
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have just come
out of their holes,
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and they are just
all around the world.
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All the evil things
that are happening around us,
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we can just see
it on every side.
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And, you know,
people are overwhelmed
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with all of the
wickedness that's coming out
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and coming out into the open.
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And yet, a lesson that I learned
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from that night was that
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when the flashlight
shone directly on those worms,
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they went down
into the ground quickly.
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And it just reminds me a
simple lesson from nature.
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It reminds me of Jesus Christ.
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This whole theme of
this camp meeting is called,
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"Who is Jesus?"
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And Jesus is the
light of the world.
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And when His light
shines in the world
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and shines on the darkness
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and shines on the devils,
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the devils just poof,
they can't handle the light.
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And that's what we need.
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We all need the light of Jesus,
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we need His power,
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His love and His
goodness to shine on us.
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So my focus is the
Book of Revelation,
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Christ messages to
the seven churches.
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So let's start out
with Revelation Chapter 1
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and just read, we're going
to get a little context here,
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the very first verse
in Revelation 1:1 says
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this book is the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
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And that's fundamental.
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It's just, it's a pillar.
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It's a foundation
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that the Book of
Revelation reveals Jesus
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and this whole event
is about revealing Jesus.
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And I tell you, the
more you read this book,
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it's the last book of the Bible,
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it's my favorite book
of all the Bible books,
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you just get a bigger
and bigger and bigger view
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of Jesus Christ Himself.
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Who is Jesus?
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As you go down to verse 9,
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here's the context
of the seven churches.
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Revelation 1:9,
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John said, "I, John,
who also am your brother
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and your
companion in tribulation,
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and in the kingdom and
patience of Jesus Christ.
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I was in the island
that is called Patmos,
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for the Word of God
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and for the testimony of Jesus."
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At this time,
John was an old man.
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He was a fisherman by trade,
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and he was in his 90s,
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he was the last
surviving apostle of Jesus,
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all the others were dead.
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This is somewhere around 96 AD.
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He was prisoner on
the Island of Patmos
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because of the Word of God.
00:10:03.13\00:10:04.50
Patmos was like
a Roman Alcatraz,
00:10:04.53\00:10:07.00
it was a prison island,
00:10:07.04\00:10:08.37
John had been banished there.
00:10:08.40\00:10:10.21
And he was there
praying in verse 10.
00:10:10.24\00:10:12.51
He says, "I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day,
00:10:12.54\00:10:14.74
and I heard behind me a
great voice like a trumpet.
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And the voice said,
'I am Alpha and Omega,
00:10:17.38\00:10:19.28
the first and the last,
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what you see write in the book,
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and send it to
the seven churches
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which are in Asia,
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Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos,
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Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia
00:10:27.96\00:10:30.69
and Laodicea."
00:10:30.73\00:10:32.49
These were seven literal
churches that were in Asia.
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By this time,
Jerusalem had been destroyed
00:10:35.73\00:10:38.20
by the Romans in 70 AD,
00:10:38.23\00:10:40.80
and now the center of
God's work had actually shifted
00:10:40.84\00:10:44.11
from Jerusalem over to Asia.
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And this is where
God's churches were based,
00:10:46.41\00:10:49.74
at least the seven that
Jesus is referring to here.
00:10:49.78\00:10:55.28
And then in verse 12,
00:10:55.32\00:10:58.29
"John turned around to see
the voice that spoke to him.
00:10:58.32\00:11:01.42
And being turned, he saw
seven golden candlesticks.
00:11:01.46\00:11:06.09
And in the midst of
the seven candlesticks,
00:11:06.13\00:11:07.90
one like the Son of Man,
00:11:07.93\00:11:09.33
he saw Jesus,
00:11:09.36\00:11:10.80
clothed with the
garment down to His feet,
00:11:10.83\00:11:12.90
girt about the breast
with the golden girdle."
00:11:12.93\00:11:16.97
God's word is gold.
00:11:17.01\00:11:18.34
Jesus Christ is more valuable
00:11:18.37\00:11:20.28
than all the gold of this world.
00:11:20.31\00:11:21.68
A golden girdle.
00:11:21.71\00:11:23.04
"His head and His
hairs were white like wool,
00:11:23.08\00:11:24.75
as white as snow.
00:11:24.78\00:11:26.11
His eyes were
like a flame of fire.
00:11:26.15\00:11:28.28
His feet was as
it were fine brass
00:11:28.32\00:11:30.19
as if they burned in furnace,
00:11:30.22\00:11:32.72
and His voice was as
the sound of many waters.
00:11:32.75\00:11:35.39
He had in His
right hand seven stars
00:11:35.42\00:11:37.29
and out of His mouth
went a sharp two edged sword,
00:11:37.33\00:11:40.16
and His face was as the sun
00:11:40.20\00:11:42.70
shining in His strength."
00:11:42.73\00:11:46.94
Wow, you can
imagine when John saw Jesus,
00:11:46.97\00:11:50.74
he was just, he was overwhelmed.
00:11:50.77\00:11:52.94
Jesus was glorious and bright,
00:11:52.97\00:11:56.14
and His face was
just like the sun shining.
00:11:56.18\00:12:00.42
And verse 17, says,
John says, "When I saw Him,
00:12:00.45\00:12:03.05
I fell at His
feet as a dead man.
00:12:03.08\00:12:05.95
And He laid His
right hand upon me.
00:12:05.99\00:12:07.49
And He said to me,
00:12:07.52\00:12:08.86
'Fear not, I am the
First and the Last.'"
00:12:08.89\00:12:11.03
Jesus wants to be
first in our life.
00:12:11.06\00:12:13.09
He's the first above all,
00:12:13.13\00:12:14.76
He also has the last
word in human history.
00:12:14.80\00:12:18.13
His word is the last word.
00:12:18.17\00:12:20.14
"I am He that lives, I was dead,
00:12:20.17\00:12:22.17
that's when He
died on the cross,
00:12:22.20\00:12:23.54
and behold, I'm
alive forevermore.
00:12:23.57\00:12:25.67
He was
resurrected on the third day
00:12:25.71\00:12:27.58
and ascended to heaven.
00:12:27.61\00:12:28.94
And now He lives up above us,
00:12:28.98\00:12:31.51
and someday He's coming back.
00:12:31.55\00:12:34.32
Amen. And have the
keys of hell and of death."
00:12:34.35\00:12:36.48
He can unlock the grave.
00:12:36.52\00:12:38.35
And then He said, in verse 19,
00:12:38.39\00:12:39.95
"Write the things
which you have seen,
00:12:39.99\00:12:42.36
and the things which are,
00:12:42.39\00:12:44.19
and the things
which shall be hereafter."
00:12:44.23\00:12:46.90
The things that John saw
was the revelation of Christ,
00:12:46.93\00:12:51.03
and the things that are,
00:12:51.07\00:12:52.40
are the things that
were going on in His day,
00:12:52.43\00:12:54.67
and the things
that shall be here after
00:12:54.70\00:12:57.14
have to do with the future.
00:12:57.17\00:12:59.47
And one thing
that's really impressed me
00:12:59.51\00:13:01.24
as I've read these verses,
00:13:01.28\00:13:03.45
and studied Revelation 2 and 3,
00:13:03.48\00:13:06.35
is Jesus' amazing
ability to look ahead,
00:13:06.38\00:13:12.29
and to see exactly
00:13:12.32\00:13:14.39
what was going to happen
in the history of His church
00:13:14.42\00:13:17.96
from that day,
00:13:17.99\00:13:19.33
all the way down
to the end of time.
00:13:19.36\00:13:23.06
And that's what
He's referring to here,
00:13:23.10\00:13:25.37
when He said,
00:13:25.40\00:13:27.04
"The things which
shall be hereafter.
00:13:27.07\00:13:30.34
The mystery of the seven stars,
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.17
which you saw on my right hand,
00:13:32.21\00:13:33.68
and the seven
golden candlesticks.
00:13:33.71\00:13:35.68
The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches,
00:13:35.71\00:13:38.21
are the leaders of
the seven churches.
00:13:38.25\00:13:40.45
And the seven candlesticks,
00:13:40.48\00:13:41.88
which you saw are
the seven churches."
00:13:41.92\00:13:46.05
And what's
happening in this chapter,
00:13:46.09\00:13:48.02
as you read Chapter 2 and 3,
00:13:48.06\00:13:50.23
Jesus gives messages to these
different churches one by one,
00:13:50.26\00:13:55.93
about what's
coming in the future.
00:13:55.96\00:13:57.63
And as I've pondered this,
00:13:57.67\00:14:00.14
I've learned that
the seven churches
00:14:00.17\00:14:04.41
were literal
churches, Ephesus and Smyrna.
00:14:04.44\00:14:06.88
They were real
churches back then,
00:14:06.91\00:14:08.81
but they also each
one symbolized to Jesus'
00:14:08.84\00:14:13.52
phases in the
history of Christianity,
00:14:13.55\00:14:16.65
from the time of John,
all the way to the end.
00:14:16.69\00:14:19.75
And Revelation 2 and
3 is a little bit like
00:14:19.79\00:14:22.39
Daniel Chapter 2.
00:14:22.42\00:14:23.76
In Daniel 2, the Book of Daniel,
00:14:23.79\00:14:25.39
the counterpart to
the Book of Revelation,
00:14:25.43\00:14:27.63
it starts out in Chapter 2
00:14:27.66\00:14:29.23
with this big metal man,
00:14:29.26\00:14:31.27
which was a vision
that the king of Babylon saw
00:14:31.30\00:14:35.44
and then Daniel
came and interpreted
00:14:35.47\00:14:37.67
that dream he had,
and he talked about
00:14:37.71\00:14:40.98
the head of gold and
the arms of silver, etc.
00:14:41.01\00:14:43.85
And those different
metals, starting with Babylon,
00:14:43.88\00:14:47.48
take us all the way down
to the coming of the rock,
00:14:47.52\00:14:50.35
which is Jesus Christ.
00:14:50.39\00:14:51.72
That's what Daniel 2 is about,
00:14:51.75\00:14:53.09
from Babylon down
through history to the end.
00:14:53.12\00:14:56.56
And Daniel 2 pretty
much forms the basis
00:14:56.59\00:14:59.96
of the rest of the prophecies
in the Book of Daniel.
00:15:00.00\00:15:02.63
It's like the
template, the foundation.
00:15:02.66\00:15:06.53
And it's the same in
the Book of Revelation.
00:15:06.57\00:15:11.81
Revelation 2 and 3
follows that same pattern
00:15:11.84\00:15:14.74
and it gives us the base.
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.01
It's Jesus' prediction
00:15:17.05\00:15:19.28
of what would
happen from John's day
00:15:19.31\00:15:21.55
all the way to the end.
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.15
And the rest of
the Book of Revelation
00:15:23.18\00:15:25.92
builds on that base.
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.49
So that's what
we're looking at here.
00:15:28.52\00:15:32.39
And it just tells us,
00:15:32.43\00:15:34.30
as we read it that
Jesus Christ knows the future.
00:15:34.33\00:15:38.57
He's an incredible being,
His face shines like the sun,
00:15:38.60\00:15:43.94
He conquered death,
His eyes are like fire,
00:15:43.97\00:15:47.71
His word is a two-edged sword,
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.15
in His hand are the
leaders of His church,
00:15:50.18\00:15:52.88
and He walks in the midst
00:15:52.91\00:15:54.72
of the seven
golden candlesticks,
00:15:54.75\00:15:57.05
which represent the churches.
00:15:57.09\00:15:58.42
It tells us that
the seven candlesticks
00:15:58.45\00:16:00.52
which you saw are
the seven churches.
00:16:00.56\00:16:03.19
And it also impresses us
that the purpose of the church
00:16:03.22\00:16:08.26
is to be a light in this world
in the midst of the darkness
00:16:08.30\00:16:11.33
that the light of God,
00:16:11.37\00:16:13.10
the light of Jesus
shines through His people
00:16:13.13\00:16:16.30
and shines a light on the devils
00:16:16.34\00:16:19.34
and the worms and the
darkness of this world,
00:16:19.37\00:16:22.28
and makes them go
back into their holes,
00:16:22.31\00:16:25.15
and nothing can stand before
the light of Jesus Christ.
00:16:25.18\00:16:28.18
Now, let me just
give you a quick overview,
00:16:28.22\00:16:29.68
and then we'll look
at some of the details.
00:16:29.72\00:16:31.59
There are seven churches,
were seven churches in Asia,
00:16:31.62\00:16:34.42
again, they were real churches,
00:16:34.46\00:16:36.89
but they symbolize phases
in the history of the church.
00:16:36.93\00:16:41.36
Ephesus was the early church,
symbolize the early church,
00:16:41.40\00:16:46.70
and it was a church
00:16:46.74\00:16:48.07
that eventually
lost its love for Jesus.
00:16:48.10\00:16:49.80
And we'll look at that
verse in a few moments.
00:16:49.84\00:16:52.14
And then there was Smyrna,
00:16:52.17\00:16:53.51
Smyrna represents a
period of persecution.
00:16:53.54\00:16:56.98
When the early church spread out
00:16:57.01\00:16:58.65
into the Roman world
in the early centuries,
00:16:58.68\00:17:01.12
it was
originally on fire for God.
00:17:01.15\00:17:03.92
Jesus was working through
the church in a powerful way.
00:17:03.95\00:17:07.99
But the fires
of the Roman Empire
00:17:08.02\00:17:09.96
finally were kindled
against the Church of Jesus,
00:17:09.99\00:17:14.43
and Smyrna represents
a period of incredible
00:17:14.46\00:17:17.57
and terrible persecution
from the Roman Empire
00:17:17.60\00:17:19.67
in the second
and third centuries.
00:17:19.70\00:17:21.80
And then we move into Pergamos,
00:17:21.84\00:17:23.94
which takes us into the time
00:17:23.97\00:17:25.67
when persecution ended
in the time of Constantine,
00:17:25.71\00:17:28.71
but compromises took place,
00:17:28.74\00:17:30.25
terrible compromises
where the church came out
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.48
of the catacombs,
wasn't persecuted,
00:17:32.51\00:17:35.25
but yielded to the
temptations of the flesh
00:17:35.28\00:17:38.92
and the devil and the
world, and began to compromise,
00:17:38.95\00:17:44.06
seeking the garments of royalty.
00:17:44.09\00:17:47.40
And then there was Thyatira,
which takes us farther down
00:17:47.43\00:17:50.63
into the fifth
century, six centuries,
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.83
and then moving
into the darkness
00:17:52.87\00:17:54.77
of the Dark Ages,
which was a time of death.
00:17:54.80\00:17:57.47
Terrible things
happened during the Dark Ages.
00:17:57.51\00:17:59.47
And then the church began
to come out of the Dark Ages
00:17:59.51\00:18:02.04
in the time of Sardis,
00:18:02.08\00:18:03.55
which was the time
of the Reformation.
00:18:03.58\00:18:05.75
It was a time of
revival and also stagnation,
00:18:05.78\00:18:09.88
which we will see.
00:18:09.92\00:18:11.25
And then farther down
into the 1800s and early 1900s,
00:18:11.29\00:18:15.56
we have the time of
Philadelphia, which was a...
00:18:15.59\00:18:18.36
Philadelphia
means brotherly love,
00:18:18.39\00:18:20.30
a time of deep revival, focusing
00:18:20.33\00:18:22.40
on the return of Jesus.
00:18:22.43\00:18:24.63
And this was the
time of the great
00:18:24.67\00:18:26.37
historic Advent
movement that rose in history
00:18:26.40\00:18:30.14
to focus on getting ready
for the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:18:30.17\00:18:34.44
And finally, we go
down to the last time,
00:18:34.48\00:18:36.91
which is the time of Laodicea.
00:18:36.95\00:18:38.81
Laodicea is the final period
in the history of Christianity,
00:18:38.85\00:18:42.45
it's the last church
00:18:42.48\00:18:43.92
and it's a time when
the church is plagued
00:18:43.95\00:18:47.19
and people are
plagued, Christians are plagued
00:18:47.22\00:18:49.76
with the virus,
not the Corona virus,
00:18:49.79\00:18:54.33
but a deeper, more
deadly spiritual virus,
00:18:54.36\00:18:58.40
which is the virus of
pride and self-sufficiency.
00:18:58.43\00:19:01.70
So Ephesus,
church loses its love,
00:19:01.74\00:19:04.57
Smyrna, persecution, Pergamos,
00:19:04.61\00:19:07.28
time of Constantine
compromises, Thyatira,
00:19:07.31\00:19:11.35
going down into the Dark Ages,
00:19:11.38\00:19:12.81
the time of death,
Sardis, revival and reformation
00:19:12.85\00:19:16.52
and stagnation,
Philadelphia, more revival,
00:19:16.55\00:19:20.72
focusing on the coming of Jesus,
00:19:20.76\00:19:23.12
a time of love in
the hearts of people
00:19:23.16\00:19:25.59
as they were so
excited that Jesus was coming.
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.96
And then the time of
pride and self-sufficiency,
00:19:28.00\00:19:31.80
where Jesus is standing
on the door and He knocks.
00:19:31.83\00:19:37.24
He's knocking on the door
of all of our hearts today
00:19:37.27\00:19:40.08
right now,
00:19:40.11\00:19:41.71
whatever time zone you're in,
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.08
wherever you're watching this.
00:19:43.11\00:19:44.55
So let's go into the
book and let's take a look.
00:19:44.58\00:19:46.98
We're just going to
look at the highlights.
00:19:47.02\00:19:48.35
Obviously we don't have
time to go into every detail
00:19:48.38\00:19:52.12
of these chapters
and these messages.
00:19:52.15\00:19:54.96
But each message
to a different church,
00:19:54.99\00:19:57.79
Jesus introduces
Himself in in a certain way
00:19:57.83\00:20:01.10
that ties in with the message.
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.40
In Revelation 2:1,
00:20:03.43\00:20:04.80
"To the angel of the
church in Ephesus write,
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.47
'These things says
00:20:07.50\00:20:08.84
He who holds the seven
stars in His right hand,
00:20:08.87\00:20:11.51
and who walks in the midst
00:20:11.54\00:20:12.87
of the seven
golden candlesticks.
00:20:12.91\00:20:14.81
I know your works,
your labor, your patience,
00:20:14.84\00:20:16.85
and how you cannot
bear them who are evil.
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.31
You have tried them
00:20:19.35\00:20:20.68
who say they are
apostles and are not,
00:20:20.72\00:20:22.08
and have found them liars."
00:20:22.12\00:20:24.02
There was a lot of good
in the church of Ephesus.
00:20:24.05\00:20:25.65
This was the period
of Christian expansion
00:20:25.69\00:20:27.92
when Christianity was on fire
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.99
and spreading
throughout the Roman world.
00:20:30.03\00:20:32.23
Jesus said, "You're born,
00:20:32.26\00:20:33.60
you have had
patience for My name's sake,
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.93
you have labored and
you have not fainted."
00:20:35.96\00:20:39.67
But in verse 4,
here's the rebuke.
00:20:39.70\00:20:42.50
Jesus said, "Nevertheless,
00:20:42.54\00:20:43.87
I have something against you
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.71
because you have
left your first love.
00:20:45.74\00:20:49.24
Remember, therefore from where
you have fallen and repent."
00:20:49.28\00:20:53.52
So one of the
main points of Jesus'
00:20:53.55\00:20:56.89
message to Ephesus is
that the early Christians
00:20:56.92\00:21:01.66
had begun to lose
their love for Jesus,
00:21:01.69\00:21:05.83
their first love.
00:21:05.86\00:21:07.20
And as I read
this, and look at this,
00:21:07.23\00:21:08.80
it just impresses me
that in all the things
00:21:08.83\00:21:11.00
that are
happening in this world,
00:21:11.03\00:21:12.83
all the problems in this world
00:21:12.87\00:21:14.20
that we've got to make sure
00:21:14.24\00:21:15.87
that the love of Jesus is
still dominant in our life.
00:21:15.90\00:21:19.07
Matthew 24, in
Jesus' description
00:21:19.11\00:21:22.31
of the signs of the
times, He says that,
00:21:22.34\00:21:25.51
"Because
lawlessness will increase,"
00:21:25.55\00:21:27.52
He said, "the love
of many will grow cold."
00:21:27.55\00:21:31.35
And that's what's
happening right now.
00:21:31.39\00:21:32.79
Love is growing
cold, love is dying,
00:21:32.82\00:21:34.76
we've seen, you know,
riots and civil unrest,
00:21:34.79\00:21:37.89
and all kinds of
problems in this world.
00:21:37.93\00:21:40.13
And even in the church,
00:21:40.16\00:21:41.60
there's, you
know, people are divided
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.50
on their political
views and different views,
00:21:43.53\00:21:46.74
and in the midst of all of this,
00:21:46.77\00:21:48.30
we've got to make sure
00:21:48.34\00:21:49.94
that we don't lose our
love for Jesus and for people.
00:21:49.97\00:21:55.44
This is just...
00:21:55.48\00:21:57.01
This is the
base of Christianity,
00:21:57.05\00:21:59.81
the love of Jesus.
00:21:59.85\00:22:01.28
And if you look at the
history of Christianity,
00:22:01.32\00:22:03.08
history of the church,
00:22:03.12\00:22:05.02
the trend which
eventually led to the Dark Ages,
00:22:05.05\00:22:10.06
started with
00:22:10.09\00:22:13.33
a loss of love on the part
00:22:13.36\00:22:16.87
of the followers of Christ.
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.23
"I have something against you,
you have left your first love.
00:22:19.27\00:22:23.17
Remember therefore
from where you have fallen
00:22:23.20\00:22:25.97
and repent."
00:22:26.01\00:22:27.34
So a loss of
love leads to a fall.
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.58
And as we keep
reading Revelation,
00:22:29.61\00:22:31.91
in the messages of
the seven churches,
00:22:31.95\00:22:33.75
and then finally
we get to the fall
00:22:33.78\00:22:35.15
of Babylon in
Revelation 14 and Revelation 17,
00:22:35.18\00:22:39.19
this fall started in Ephesus
00:22:39.22\00:22:43.22
when Christians
lost their first love.
00:22:43.26\00:22:46.63
So if we want to avoid Babylon,
00:22:46.66\00:22:49.46
and come out of
Babylon, we've got to make sure
00:22:49.50\00:22:51.77
that Babylon is out of us.
00:22:51.80\00:22:53.77
And one of the best ways
to have Babylon out of us
00:22:53.80\00:22:56.97
is to have the pure
love of Jesus Christ,
00:22:57.01\00:22:59.41
and to be followers of His Word.
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.81
So that's a big lesson for us
00:23:01.84\00:23:04.21
as we look at
the seven churches.
00:23:04.25\00:23:08.58
Don't miss this point,
00:23:08.62\00:23:09.95
the beginning of
the Great Apostasy
00:23:09.98\00:23:13.46
that happened in
Christian history
00:23:13.49\00:23:15.92
started with a falling away
00:23:15.96\00:23:19.33
from the love of Jesus Christ.
00:23:19.36\00:23:23.30
Big lesson for us in that.
00:23:23.33\00:23:25.53
We've got to avoid
repeating that history.
00:23:25.57\00:23:28.27
So second message, verse 8,
00:23:28.30\00:23:32.57
"To the angel in the
church of Smyrna write,
00:23:32.61\00:23:36.24
'These things says
the first and the last,
00:23:36.28\00:23:38.75
which was dead
and is alive again.'"
00:23:38.78\00:23:41.08
Jesus introduces Himself
00:23:41.12\00:23:42.75
as the one who died and who rose
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.12
because that's what was going on
00:23:45.15\00:23:48.22
in that early period of Smyrna,
a lot of Christians were dying,
00:23:48.26\00:23:52.76
a lot of them were
being persecuted by Romans,
00:23:52.79\00:23:56.03
Roman emperors like Nero,
and Decius, and Diocletian,
00:23:56.06\00:24:00.40
the history books are filled
with the blood of the saints,
00:24:00.44\00:24:05.21
and a lot of that
blood was shed at the hands
00:24:05.24\00:24:07.94
and at the
instigation of Roman Caesars.
00:24:07.98\00:24:12.31
And so Jesus talks to
Smyrna during that period.
00:24:12.35\00:24:15.55
Verse 10, He says,
"Fear none of those things
00:24:15.58\00:24:17.65
which you shall suffer.
00:24:17.69\00:24:19.15
Behold, the devil shall
cast some of you into prison,
00:24:19.19\00:24:22.12
that you may be tried
00:24:22.16\00:24:23.49
and you will have
tribulation for 10 days,
00:24:23.53\00:24:26.63
but be faithful till death,
00:24:26.66\00:24:28.86
and I will give
you the crown of life."
00:24:28.90\00:24:31.97
I will give you
the crown of life.
00:24:36.24\00:24:38.41
Be faithful till death,
Jesus told the early church,
00:24:38.44\00:24:41.54
and a lot of those Christians
00:24:41.58\00:24:42.91
had a much harder
time than we have.
00:24:42.94\00:24:44.68
You know, we think
that life in this time
00:24:44.71\00:24:48.32
is difficult, and
it is in many ways,
00:24:48.35\00:24:51.02
but it was much more difficult
for the early Christians.
00:24:51.05\00:24:55.29
It was very
dangerous to be a Christian,
00:24:55.32\00:24:58.39
and many of them
were slaughtered,
00:24:58.43\00:25:00.23
they were martyred,
00:25:00.26\00:25:02.03
they were torn apart by lions
00:25:02.06\00:25:05.87
and dogs in the Coliseum.
00:25:05.90\00:25:08.04
And Jesus told them to
be faithful, to hold on.
00:25:08.07\00:25:11.57
And so the lesson for us is,
no matter what we go through,
00:25:11.61\00:25:15.91
we need to hold on to Jesus,
00:25:15.94\00:25:17.91
be faithful even
to the point of death.
00:25:17.95\00:25:20.62
And Jesus says
that if we are faithful
00:25:20.65\00:25:23.62
in the midst of
trial and struggles
00:25:23.65\00:25:25.69
and tribulation, we
will have the crown of life.
00:25:25.72\00:25:31.39
Praise the Lord.
00:25:31.43\00:25:32.79
So this is a call of God to
you and to me to be faithful
00:25:32.83\00:25:38.57
to Bible truth,
faithful to Jesus,
00:25:38.60\00:25:41.44
in a time of apostasy
and difficulty and trial.
00:25:41.47\00:25:46.24
So that is just a quick overview
00:25:46.27\00:25:50.85
of the message to Smyrna.
00:25:50.88\00:25:53.05
A lot more in there,
00:25:53.08\00:25:54.42
don't have time
to read everything.
00:25:54.45\00:25:55.78
Verse 11, Jesus said,
00:25:55.82\00:25:57.15
"He that has an
ear, let him hear
00:25:57.19\00:25:58.52
what the Spirit
says to the churches.
00:25:58.55\00:26:00.49
He who overcomes shall not
be heard of the second death."
00:26:00.52\00:26:03.89
That's the real death
we need to worry about.
00:26:03.93\00:26:05.73
It's not the death that
we go through in this life.
00:26:05.76\00:26:08.43
You know,
people die of COVID-19,
00:26:08.46\00:26:10.57
people that have heart disease,
people that have cancer,
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.00
people die in car accidents,
people die all the time.
00:26:13.03\00:26:15.87
But that's just the first step.
00:26:15.90\00:26:17.41
The main death
we want to make sure
00:26:17.44\00:26:19.41
we avoid is the second death
00:26:19.44\00:26:22.21
for people that are lost,
00:26:22.24\00:26:24.68
who have rejected Jesus.
00:26:24.71\00:26:26.72
So that's Smyrna.
00:26:26.75\00:26:28.08
Next one is
Pergamos in verse 12.
00:26:28.12\00:26:33.79
Revelation 2:12,
00:26:33.82\00:26:38.13
"To the angel of the
church in Pergamos write,
00:26:38.16\00:26:41.20
'These things says he
who has the sharp sword
00:26:41.23\00:26:44.80
with two edges.
00:26:44.83\00:26:47.47
I know your works,
00:26:47.50\00:26:48.87
where you dwell and
where Satan seat is,
00:26:48.90\00:26:52.11
and you hold fast my name
00:26:52.14\00:26:53.54
and you have
not denied my faith,
00:26:53.58\00:26:55.38
even in those days whereas,
00:26:55.41\00:26:57.48
Antipas was my faithful martyr
00:26:57.51\00:27:00.38
who was slain among
you where Satan dwells."
00:27:00.42\00:27:02.78
I've done a little
research on Antipas.
00:27:02.82\00:27:06.09
Jesus said he was
my faithful martyr.
00:27:06.12\00:27:08.42
And from what
I've been able to find,
00:27:08.46\00:27:11.33
there really is no
record of a literal person
00:27:11.36\00:27:14.30
named Antipas, who was martyred.
00:27:14.33\00:27:17.03
As I look at this verse,
it seems to me that this is,
00:27:17.07\00:27:20.67
Jesus is using the word Antipas
like He used the word Jezebel,
00:27:20.70\00:27:24.24
a little bit
later, as the symbol.
00:27:24.27\00:27:27.24
And it refers to those
that were Antipas or Papa,
00:27:27.28\00:27:32.98
which ultimately
led to the popes,
00:27:33.01\00:27:35.92
the papas, the popes,
00:27:35.95\00:27:37.35
the Roman church rose
up during this period,
00:27:37.39\00:27:40.92
and appointed one
individual, the pope,
00:27:40.96\00:27:45.19
that claim to have all spiritual
00:27:45.23\00:27:48.70
and temporal power on earth.
00:27:48.73\00:27:51.10
That was what
eventually they claimed.
00:27:51.13\00:27:53.97
And in those early days,
00:27:54.00\00:27:55.74
in the time of Constantine,
00:27:55.77\00:27:57.11
when Constantine
ended persecution,
00:27:57.14\00:28:00.64
issued an edict that Christians
will not be persecuted anymore.
00:28:00.68\00:28:04.25
And then what happened
was the church came out
00:28:04.28\00:28:05.91
of the catacombs,
00:28:05.95\00:28:08.28
and began to
unite with the state.
00:28:08.32\00:28:11.15
We have the church
uniting with Constantine,
00:28:11.19\00:28:13.72
church and state,
00:28:13.76\00:28:15.09
and this laid the foundation
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.83
for the papal system
during the Dark Ages.
00:28:16.86\00:28:21.43
Now, I'm sure there were
a lot of people that were,
00:28:21.46\00:28:23.50
you know, part of that church
00:28:23.53\00:28:24.87
that did their
best based on the light
00:28:24.90\00:28:28.54
that they had and the
knowledge that they had,
00:28:28.57\00:28:30.21
but there were many that
looked at this development,
00:28:30.24\00:28:33.51
and they realized, you know,
we can't go along with this.
00:28:33.54\00:28:36.34
And so they opposed
the church state union,
00:28:36.38\00:28:40.72
which eventually
resulted in the papacy
00:28:40.75\00:28:43.85
and in persecution
against Christians,
00:28:43.89\00:28:46.82
Christians that
didn't go along with it.
00:28:46.86\00:28:48.89
And I think Jesus is
giving us a little parable here.
00:28:48.92\00:28:54.30
He talks about those days
00:28:54.33\00:28:55.96
where in Antipas or Anti
papa was my faithful martyr.
00:28:56.00\00:29:01.34
Christians were persecuted
under the Roman Empire
00:29:01.37\00:29:05.24
through the Caesars.
00:29:05.27\00:29:06.61
And then as the
popes grew in power,
00:29:06.64\00:29:09.71
Christians were
persecuted by the popes,
00:29:09.74\00:29:11.68
and by the Roman church.
00:29:11.71\00:29:13.28
And many of them said,
00:29:13.31\00:29:14.65
we can't go along with this,
00:29:14.68\00:29:16.02
we're standing up against this,
00:29:16.05\00:29:17.82
and they lost
their lives as well.
00:29:17.85\00:29:20.36
And Jesus calls
them His faithful martyr.
00:29:20.39\00:29:24.39
Now notice verse 14,
00:29:24.43\00:29:26.13
"I have a few
things against you,
00:29:26.16\00:29:28.93
because some of
them were compromising
00:29:28.96\00:29:30.67
during this period,
because you have there them
00:29:30.70\00:29:33.64
that hold the
doctrine of Balaam,
00:29:33.67\00:29:35.90
who taught Balak to
cast a stumbling block
00:29:35.94\00:29:38.94
before the children of Israel
00:29:38.97\00:29:40.31
and to eat things
sacrificed to idols,
00:29:40.34\00:29:42.41
and to commit fornication."
00:29:42.44\00:29:43.88
Now, what's happening here,
00:29:43.91\00:29:45.25
and this is just a masterpiece
of parabolic instruction.
00:29:45.28\00:29:50.25
What Jesus is doing here
00:29:50.29\00:29:51.82
is He's identifying
the church of Pergamos
00:29:51.85\00:29:55.92
with the problem of Balaam.
00:29:55.96\00:29:57.66
If you study the
history of Balaam,
00:30:02.46\00:30:04.37
Balaam was a
prophet of God who went bad.
00:30:04.40\00:30:08.77
He started out good,
but he went into apostasy.
00:30:08.80\00:30:12.31
And he yielded to
the temptation for money.
00:30:12.34\00:30:16.08
Balak was the king of Moab,
00:30:16.11\00:30:18.68
and he offered him
money if he would come to Moab
00:30:18.71\00:30:22.45
and curse Israel.
00:30:22.48\00:30:24.45
And so Balaam
eventually did that.
00:30:24.49\00:30:26.39
And so you have a prophet of God
00:30:26.42\00:30:28.42
who has gone bad,
00:30:28.46\00:30:30.19
connecting with a king, Balak,
00:30:30.23\00:30:34.26
and Jesus uses
that story as a parable
00:30:34.30\00:30:39.47
of what was happening
to the Christian church
00:30:39.50\00:30:42.84
during the time of Constantine.
00:30:42.87\00:30:44.64
The church was going bad,
00:30:44.67\00:30:46.64
the church was moving in
the direction of apostasy,
00:30:46.68\00:30:49.24
just like Balaam.
00:30:49.28\00:30:50.65
And the church was connecting
with the kings of the earth,
00:30:50.68\00:30:55.05
like Balak,
00:30:55.08\00:30:56.42
now it was
connecting to Constantine.
00:30:56.45\00:30:58.92
And Jesus said
that this was happening.
00:30:58.95\00:31:01.12
And that going back to
the children of Israel,
00:31:01.16\00:31:04.09
that they were being
taught to eat things sacrificed
00:31:04.13\00:31:06.29
to idols in the days of Balaam,
00:31:06.33\00:31:08.53
and also to commit fornication.
00:31:08.56\00:31:11.00
And if you look at
the history of the church,
00:31:11.03\00:31:12.47
that's what started happening,
00:31:12.50\00:31:13.87
that the leaders of the
church, especially in Rome,
00:31:13.90\00:31:17.27
started committing
fornication with Constantine,
00:31:17.31\00:31:21.58
by uniting with him
00:31:21.61\00:31:24.08
and relying on
his civil authority
00:31:24.11\00:31:27.68
to help advance their cause.
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.55
So Balaam, Balak, fornication,
00:31:29.58\00:31:32.95
offering things sacrificed
to idols, all of these words,
00:31:32.99\00:31:38.09
this is a
masterpiece of Jesus Christ
00:31:38.13\00:31:40.96
instruction given to
John, an old fisherman,
00:31:41.00\00:31:43.73
on an island of Patmos,
00:31:43.77\00:31:45.67
hundreds of years
before the time of Constantine,
00:31:45.70\00:31:49.10
where He pinpointed exactly,
00:31:49.14\00:31:51.77
and I mean exactly
what was going to happen,
00:31:51.81\00:31:54.88
and He used the
parable of Balaam
00:31:54.91\00:31:57.68
to illustrate his point.
00:31:57.71\00:31:59.31
And when I first read
that and pondered that,
00:31:59.35\00:32:01.82
it just
impressed me, "Wow, Lord,
00:32:01.85\00:32:03.92
You are an incredible being.
00:32:03.95\00:32:06.72
You saw this in advance,
00:32:06.76\00:32:08.89
You predicted it
step by step from Ephesus,
00:32:08.92\00:32:11.53
the early church to
Smyrna, the time of persecution,
00:32:11.56\00:32:15.83
to the time of
Pergamos, which the time of,
00:32:15.86\00:32:18.50
a time of compromise in
the time of Constantine,
00:32:18.53\00:32:21.67
I tell you, it's just perfect."
00:32:21.70\00:32:23.97
And this is exactly
what happened in history.
00:32:24.01\00:32:28.24
And let's go down
to the fourth church,
00:32:28.28\00:32:30.75
which was Thyatira.
00:32:30.78\00:32:33.28
Revelation 3:18,
00:32:33.31\00:32:34.92
"To the angel of the
church in Thyatira write,
00:32:34.95\00:32:37.89
these things
says, 'The Son of God,
00:32:37.92\00:32:40.66
who has eyes
like a flame of fire
00:32:40.69\00:32:42.92
and His feet like fine brass."
00:32:42.96\00:32:44.99
I tell you, only the Son of God
00:32:45.03\00:32:47.10
can reveal such a masterpiece
00:32:47.13\00:32:49.83
of human history in advance.
00:32:49.86\00:32:52.23
We should have no
doubt of who Jesus is.
00:32:52.27\00:32:55.44
He is the Son of God.
00:32:55.47\00:32:57.21
His eyes are
like a flame of fire.
00:32:57.24\00:32:59.34
He sees the future.
00:32:59.37\00:33:00.71
He knows all things.
He is God in human flesh.
00:33:00.74\00:33:04.15
He is,
00:33:04.18\00:33:05.58
I would rather
have one word from Jesus
00:33:05.61\00:33:08.22
than a hundred
thousand words of men.
00:33:08.25\00:33:12.62
Jesus is the Son of God.
00:33:12.65\00:33:13.99
Now and then He goes on,
and He talks to the church.
00:33:14.02\00:33:16.59
He says some good
things about the church.
00:33:16.62\00:33:18.79
And then in verse
18, notice what He says,
00:33:18.83\00:33:20.86
"Notwithstanding,
00:33:20.90\00:33:22.26
I have a few things against you,
00:33:22.30\00:33:24.37
because you permit
that woman Jezebel,
00:33:24.40\00:33:27.64
which calls
herself a prophetess,
00:33:27.67\00:33:29.44
to teach and to
seduce my servants
00:33:29.47\00:33:32.24
to commit fornication and
eat things sacrificed to idols."
00:33:32.27\00:33:36.64
Now here looking at
the time of Thyatira,
00:33:36.68\00:33:38.75
which takes us
into the Dark Ages,
00:33:38.78\00:33:40.72
Jesus uses not the
word Antipas which is,
00:33:40.75\00:33:44.19
which was a symbol,
and not the word Balaam,
00:33:44.22\00:33:47.02
which was a symbol,
00:33:47.06\00:33:48.39
but now He uses
the word Jezebel.
00:33:48.42\00:33:51.29
And this doesn't
mean that there was a,
00:33:51.33\00:33:52.83
that the literal
Jezebel had been reincarnated
00:33:52.86\00:33:55.06
or resurrected, and
then she was walking
00:33:55.10\00:33:56.73
into the church.
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.10
Not at all.
00:33:58.13\00:33:59.47
Jesus uses this woman, Jezebel,
00:33:59.50\00:34:01.80
to symbolize at that
point in Christian history,
00:34:01.84\00:34:05.31
an apostate church
00:34:05.34\00:34:07.44
that had now
risen up was organized
00:34:07.48\00:34:10.81
and was leading people
astray just like Jezebel did.
00:34:10.85\00:34:14.98
Jezebel united with
Ahab in the Old Testament,
00:34:15.02\00:34:18.49
and that's what happened.
00:34:18.52\00:34:19.85
You have a church
united with the state,
00:34:19.89\00:34:22.02
and that takes us
right through the Dark Ages,
00:34:22.06\00:34:24.83
and Jesus is warning His church,
00:34:24.86\00:34:27.30
"Don't go along with Jezebel.
00:34:27.33\00:34:29.70
Don't go along
with this false woman,
00:34:29.73\00:34:31.63
this false church.
00:34:31.67\00:34:34.80
Verse 21, "I gave her space
to repent of her fornication
00:34:34.84\00:34:38.07
and she repented not."
00:34:38.11\00:34:39.44
That's exactly what
happened during the Reformation,
00:34:39.47\00:34:41.88
during the time of Luther,
and Melanchthon, and Wycliffe,
00:34:41.91\00:34:46.31
and Hus, and Jerome,
and the other reformers
00:34:46.35\00:34:49.08
that God raised up in the time
00:34:49.12\00:34:52.65
of the 1500s and 1600s.
00:34:52.69\00:34:55.46
God was giving
Jezebel time to repent,
00:34:55.49\00:34:59.39
but she repented not.
00:34:59.43\00:35:01.46
And so the whole
history of the time
00:35:01.50\00:35:03.70
of the Protestant Reformation
is right here in this verse,
00:35:03.73\00:35:07.07
Jesus predicted it in advance.
00:35:07.10\00:35:10.71
Verse 22, says, "Behold,
I will cast her into a bed,
00:35:10.74\00:35:13.71
and then they
committed adultery with her
00:35:13.74\00:35:15.28
into great tribulation."
00:35:15.31\00:35:16.98
This takes us all the way
down to the time of trouble
00:35:17.01\00:35:19.15
when the harlot
woman of Revelation 17
00:35:19.18\00:35:23.15
finally goes down,
00:35:23.18\00:35:25.15
except they
repent of their deeds.
00:35:25.19\00:35:26.92
Verse 23 says, "I
will kill her children
00:35:26.96\00:35:29.49
with death, and all
the churches shall know
00:35:29.52\00:35:32.86
that I am He who searches
the reins and the hearts,
00:35:32.89\00:35:35.83
and I will give
every one of you according
00:35:35.86\00:35:38.90
to your works."
00:35:38.93\00:35:40.84
Now here it's talking
about the children of Jezebel,
00:35:40.87\00:35:45.41
and it applies this
to all the churches.
00:35:45.44\00:35:48.44
And this takes us down
paralleling Revelation 17,
00:35:48.48\00:35:51.61
when we have a
woman named Babylon,
00:35:51.65\00:35:53.92
she's the Mother of Harlots
and Abominations of the Earth.
00:35:53.95\00:35:56.99
And so we have a
woman who has daughters,
00:35:57.02\00:35:59.22
and the daughters
came out of the mother,
00:35:59.25\00:36:01.56
but eventually they start
doing what the mother does.
00:36:01.59\00:36:05.69
And they go back to the mother,
00:36:05.73\00:36:07.10
which qualifies them as
the daughters of Babylon.
00:36:07.13\00:36:10.60
And that's further unfolded
in the Book of Revelation
00:36:10.63\00:36:15.30
that Jesus is
describing this right here.
00:36:15.34\00:36:18.64
The daughters of Jezebel
are the daughters of Babylon.
00:36:18.67\00:36:21.88
And He's given
them time to repent,
00:36:21.91\00:36:24.21
but they chose not to repent.
00:36:24.25\00:36:27.52
And then He says
judgment is going to come.
00:36:27.55\00:36:29.95
I'm the one who
searches the heart,
00:36:29.98\00:36:31.55
I search the mind, I
know everything about you,
00:36:31.59\00:36:33.96
I see the future in advance.
00:36:33.99\00:36:36.02
And not only that,
but Jesus sees you.
00:36:36.06\00:36:38.79
He sees me, He sees our hearts,
00:36:38.83\00:36:40.53
He sees our mind,
00:36:40.56\00:36:41.90
He knows everything about us.
00:36:41.93\00:36:44.13
And there's big lessons
for us here in the message
00:36:44.17\00:36:47.77
to Thyatira.
00:36:47.80\00:36:50.51
There's more in here, we
don't have time to look at.
00:36:50.54\00:36:52.51
But now let's go
to the next message,
00:36:52.54\00:36:54.94
which is in
Revelation Chapter 3,
00:36:54.98\00:36:57.71
the message of Sardis.
00:36:57.75\00:36:59.08
"To the angel of the
church in Sardis write,
00:36:59.11\00:37:01.22
'These things says
00:37:01.25\00:37:02.58
He who has the seven Spirits
of God and the seven stars,
00:37:02.62\00:37:05.85
I know your works,
00:37:05.89\00:37:07.22
that you have a name that
you live and you are dead.
00:37:07.26\00:37:10.66
Be watchful, and strengthen
00:37:10.69\00:37:12.76
the things which
remain that are ready to die,
00:37:12.79\00:37:14.86
for I have not found
your works perfect before God.
00:37:14.90\00:37:17.80
Remember, therefore how
you ever received and heard,
00:37:17.83\00:37:20.54
and hold fast and repent."
00:37:20.57\00:37:22.80
Jesus now takes us down
farther from the Reformation,
00:37:22.84\00:37:26.41
after the Protestant churches
had come out of Babylon,
00:37:26.44\00:37:29.68
had risen up,
they'd come out of Jezebel,
00:37:29.71\00:37:31.98
but they, step by step
began going back to the mother,
00:37:32.01\00:37:37.65
and at the time of the 1800s,
00:37:37.69\00:37:40.72
when the Advent
movement was growing
00:37:40.76\00:37:43.09
to bring people
back to the Bible,
00:37:43.12\00:37:45.73
and to focus on the
second coming of Jesus,
00:37:45.76\00:37:48.73
many of the churches
00:37:48.76\00:37:50.10
at that time stagnated,
00:37:50.13\00:37:55.10
and they actually opposed
00:37:55.14\00:37:57.04
the preaching of
the early Adventists,
00:37:57.07\00:38:01.08
who were calling
people back to the Bible
00:38:01.11\00:38:03.45
and to get ready
for the second coming,
00:38:03.48\00:38:05.61
and to come out of Babylon.
00:38:05.65\00:38:07.62
And many of them
chose to stay in Babylon
00:38:07.65\00:38:10.39
and they had a name
that they were alive.
00:38:10.42\00:38:12.75
They, you know,
they called themselves
00:38:12.79\00:38:15.29
by different denominations
00:38:15.32\00:38:17.46
and they had a name
that they were alive,
00:38:17.49\00:38:19.89
that they were
true followers of Jesus,
00:38:19.93\00:38:21.83
but when they were
tested by the Word of God,
00:38:21.86\00:38:24.90
it showed that many of
them were actually dead.
00:38:24.93\00:38:28.84
Spiritually, they were
not following the messages
00:38:28.87\00:38:32.74
of Jesus Christ that were
advancing in Christian history,
00:38:32.77\00:38:36.85
as revealed in
the seven churches,
00:38:36.88\00:38:39.55
and in Revelation
14, and other chapters.
00:38:39.58\00:38:44.39
So a lot there.
00:38:44.42\00:38:45.75
Now, let's go to
the next message.
00:38:45.79\00:38:47.12
This is so powerful.
00:38:47.16\00:38:49.12
Now we go down to Philadelphia.
00:38:49.16\00:38:52.09
Revelation 3:7,
00:38:52.13\00:38:54.23
Jesus says, "To
the angel in the church
00:38:54.26\00:38:56.03
of Philadelphia write,
00:38:56.06\00:38:57.77
'These things
says He who is holy,
00:38:57.80\00:39:00.24
He who is true, He
that has the key of David,
00:39:00.27\00:39:02.94
He that opens and no man shuts
and shuts and no man opens,
00:39:02.97\00:39:07.84
I know your works.
00:39:07.88\00:39:09.21
Behold, I have set
before you and open door
00:39:09.24\00:39:13.42
and no man can shut it.
00:39:13.45\00:39:15.52
And you have a little
strength and you've kept My word
00:39:15.55\00:39:18.22
and you have
not denied My name."
00:39:18.25\00:39:20.22
When you look at the
history of Christianity
00:39:24.06\00:39:26.39
going down into the 1800s,
00:39:26.43\00:39:28.00
there was a big
disappointment in 1843.
00:39:28.03\00:39:30.67
In 1844, there was a whole group
00:39:30.70\00:39:33.74
of Christians that
had come out of churches
00:39:33.77\00:39:36.84
that weren't really interested
in the advancing light,
00:39:36.87\00:39:40.28
they didn't want to
focus on the Second Coming,
00:39:40.31\00:39:42.91
they didn't want to get
ready for the Advent of Christ,
00:39:42.94\00:39:46.25
and these Christians,
the strong Christians
00:39:46.28\00:39:49.68
were expecting Jesus to
come, but He didn't come.
00:39:49.72\00:39:53.12
And they went
through a huge disappointment
00:39:53.15\00:39:54.82
just like the disciples
went through a disappointment
00:39:54.86\00:39:56.69
when Jesus died.
00:39:56.73\00:39:58.16
They were expecting
Him to sit on the throne,
00:39:58.19\00:40:00.33
but it wasn't time for
Him to sit on the throne,
00:40:00.36\00:40:02.26
it was time for Him to
die as a lamb upon the cross,
00:40:02.30\00:40:06.23
and they were devastated.
00:40:06.27\00:40:07.80
But then Jesus
rose from the dead
00:40:07.84\00:40:09.57
and their hope came back,
00:40:09.60\00:40:11.31
and they began to
restudy the Bible,
00:40:11.34\00:40:13.44
and they realized that prophecy
had been perfectly fulfilled.
00:40:13.48\00:40:16.98
The same thing
happened during the time
00:40:17.01\00:40:19.21
of the Advent movement
00:40:19.25\00:40:20.78
and what were
called the Millerites,
00:40:20.82\00:40:22.68
the people that were focusing
on the Second Coming of Jesus,
00:40:22.72\00:40:25.65
they went through a
terrible disappointment.
00:40:25.69\00:40:27.86
But on the other side
of that disappointment,
00:40:27.89\00:40:29.56
they restudied their Bible.
00:40:29.59\00:40:31.09
And they discovered
00:40:31.13\00:40:32.46
that there was a
sanctuary up in heaven,
00:40:32.49\00:40:35.60
and that one door of
Jesus ministry had closed,
00:40:35.63\00:40:39.93
there was a shut door,
00:40:39.97\00:40:41.30
and another door into
His ministry had opened.
00:40:41.34\00:40:44.64
And there's a parallel text
00:40:44.67\00:40:46.54
that I'll just
leave Revelation 3
00:40:46.57\00:40:49.61
for a quick moment.
00:40:49.64\00:40:50.98
But Revelation 11:19, says,
00:40:51.01\00:40:54.62
"The temple of God
was opened in heaven,
00:40:54.65\00:40:57.15
and there was
seen in His temple,
00:40:57.19\00:40:59.32
the ark of His testament,
00:40:59.35\00:41:01.16
and there were lightnings,
and voices, and thunderings,
00:41:01.19\00:41:03.53
and an
earthquake, and a great hail."
00:41:03.56\00:41:05.16
And this verse takes us
to the temple in heaven.
00:41:05.19\00:41:07.43
And the Bible says
that the temple of God
00:41:07.46\00:41:09.46
was opened in heaven,
00:41:09.50\00:41:11.33
there was a door
opened in heaven,
00:41:11.37\00:41:13.34
and there was seen
by a group of people,
00:41:13.37\00:41:16.04
the Ark of God's covenant,
00:41:16.07\00:41:18.11
which is in the Most Holy
Place of the heavenly sanctuary.
00:41:18.14\00:41:21.98
And this, so
this points to a time
00:41:22.01\00:41:24.21
when God's people see the ark.
00:41:24.25\00:41:26.51
And what happened
was, the people went
00:41:26.55\00:41:27.88
through the disappointment
then they realized
00:41:27.92\00:41:29.48
the sanctuary
wasn't on the earth,
00:41:29.52\00:41:30.99
the sanctuary was in heaven.
00:41:31.02\00:41:32.35
That's where Jesus is
our Great High Priest.
00:41:32.39\00:41:34.92
And they realized that
God had opened a new door,
00:41:34.96\00:41:40.16
into the heavenly temple.
00:41:40.20\00:41:41.76
And they discovered the ark,
00:41:41.80\00:41:43.73
they discovered the law,
00:41:43.77\00:41:45.10
they looked at
the Ten Commandments.
00:41:45.13\00:41:46.94
And as they looked
at the Ten Commandments,
00:41:46.97\00:41:48.94
they went down
one, two, three, four,
00:41:48.97\00:41:51.17
and then they saw
the fourth commandment,
00:41:51.21\00:41:53.48
and they became Sabbath keepers.
00:41:53.51\00:41:56.08
And historically,
00:41:56.11\00:41:57.45
that's how the Seventh-day
Adventist Church arose,
00:41:57.48\00:42:02.18
was in the wake
of the disappointment
00:42:02.22\00:42:05.25
in the 1843, in 1844.
00:42:05.29\00:42:09.32
And then, as they
studied this prophecy,
00:42:09.36\00:42:11.73
as they went also to
Revelation Chapter 3,
00:42:11.76\00:42:15.76
they realized that they were
in the time of Philadelphia,
00:42:15.80\00:42:18.97
they had a lot of
love, they love Jesus,
00:42:19.00\00:42:21.20
they longed for His
coming, they couldn't wait,
00:42:21.24\00:42:23.61
they were hoping he would come,
00:42:23.64\00:42:25.47
but they were disappointed.
00:42:25.51\00:42:27.28
And then they kept studying,
00:42:27.31\00:42:28.74
just like the
disciples were disappointed
00:42:28.78\00:42:30.68
when Jesus died.
00:42:30.71\00:42:32.18
And then when He rose,
00:42:32.21\00:42:33.72
they saw Him and He
led them back into a study
00:42:33.75\00:42:36.69
of the prophecies
00:42:36.72\00:42:38.29
that had been
fulfilled in His life, death,
00:42:38.32\00:42:41.02
burial and resurrection.
00:42:41.06\00:42:42.62
So they restudied,
and they discovered
00:42:42.66\00:42:44.79
that in this time
period in Philadelphia,
00:42:44.83\00:42:47.36
Jesus talks and
says, "I am the one
00:42:47.40\00:42:50.23
who has the key of David,
00:42:50.27\00:42:52.97
I am the one that opens
and no man shuts and shuts,
00:42:53.00\00:42:57.31
and no man opens,
I know your works.
00:42:57.34\00:42:59.84
Behold, I have set
before you an open door,
00:42:59.87\00:43:02.74
and no man can shut it."
00:43:02.78\00:43:05.45
Jesus showed the church
at this phase in history,
00:43:05.48\00:43:10.55
that He had shut a
door to the Holy Place
00:43:10.59\00:43:13.62
in the sanctuary where
He had been ministering
00:43:13.66\00:43:16.62
for 1800 years
as our high priest,
00:43:16.66\00:43:18.96
and now He had opened
00:43:18.99\00:43:20.70
a new door into
the Most Holy Place.
00:43:20.73\00:43:24.30
He says, "I've opened a door,
00:43:24.33\00:43:25.83
you can't shut it."
00:43:25.87\00:43:27.20
Revelation 11:19 says,
00:43:27.24\00:43:28.80
"The temple of God
was opened in heaven,
00:43:28.84\00:43:31.17
and the ark was seen,
00:43:31.21\00:43:32.77
and inside the ark is the law,
00:43:32.81\00:43:34.71
and inside the
law is the Sabbath."
00:43:34.74\00:43:37.18
And God was shining light
00:43:37.21\00:43:38.58
upon those
believers showing them
00:43:38.61\00:43:41.02
that the door had now been
open into the Most Holy Place
00:43:41.05\00:43:45.19
of the heavenly sanctuary.
00:43:45.22\00:43:46.86
And up there, the ark is seen,
00:43:46.89\00:43:50.49
and the Ten
Commandments and the Sabbath,
00:43:50.53\00:43:53.29
and that opened the
door to the Advent movement,
00:43:53.33\00:43:57.40
which became the
Seventh-day Adventist movement
00:43:57.43\00:44:00.74
in this world.
00:44:00.77\00:44:02.10
And no matter how
many worms or devils
00:44:02.14\00:44:06.17
or demons come
out of their holes
00:44:06.21\00:44:09.58
and try to close that door,
00:44:09.61\00:44:11.91
it can't happen.
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.62
That door is open.
00:44:13.65\00:44:15.45
And Jesus said, "No
man can shut that door.
00:44:15.48\00:44:20.06
It's impossible."
00:44:20.09\00:44:21.62
Praise the Lord.
00:44:21.66\00:44:22.99
And to me again, it's so amazing
00:44:23.02\00:44:25.33
that Jesus predicted this in to,
00:44:25.36\00:44:28.76
and He gave this message
to an old fisherman in 96 AD.
00:44:28.80\00:44:33.67
And He pinpointed this exactly
in the history of the church.
00:44:33.70\00:44:39.07
You have a little strength,
00:44:39.11\00:44:40.44
you've kept my word
00:44:40.48\00:44:41.81
and you have not denied My name.
00:44:41.84\00:44:44.85
Verse 11, He says,
"Behold, I'm coming quickly."
00:44:44.88\00:44:47.82
I'm getting ready to come.
00:44:47.85\00:44:49.95
I haven't forgotten My promise.
00:44:49.98\00:44:51.75
Even though you
were disappointed,
00:44:51.79\00:44:54.56
I am going to come.
00:44:54.59\00:44:56.46
"Behold, I come quickly,
00:44:56.49\00:44:58.16
hold fast what you have
that no man take your crown."
00:44:58.19\00:45:02.53
Here Jesus is
telling us He's coming.
00:45:02.56\00:45:04.53
The Advent movement focused
on His Second Coming is true,
00:45:04.57\00:45:08.20
it's right, it's biblical,
00:45:08.24\00:45:09.97
it's based on Scripture.
00:45:10.01\00:45:12.37
"Behold, I'm coming,"
Jesus says, "Hold fast,
00:45:12.41\00:45:15.44
hold on, stick
with the open door."
00:45:15.48\00:45:19.25
Look up
00:45:19.28\00:45:20.62
and see the way Jesus
is leading His church.
00:45:20.65\00:45:26.22
Okay, now we go
down to the last church.
00:45:26.25\00:45:29.22
Revelation 3:14,
00:45:29.26\00:45:31.06
takes us to the final period.
00:45:31.09\00:45:32.73
And the final period
is the period of Laodicea.
00:45:32.76\00:45:36.00
It's interesting that
the word Laodicea means
00:45:36.03\00:45:39.27
the judging of the people.
00:45:39.30\00:45:41.10
Laos means people and
Laodicea is translated
00:45:41.14\00:45:45.64
the time of the judging or
the judgment of the people,
00:45:45.67\00:45:49.38
which takes us
down to Revelation 14:7,
00:45:49.41\00:45:52.35
where the Adventist said,
00:45:52.38\00:45:54.65
"Fear God and give glory to Him
00:45:54.68\00:45:57.02
because we're in the
hour of God's judgment."
00:45:57.05\00:46:00.12
It fits perfectly.
00:46:00.16\00:46:01.49
The sequence of the
churches fits perfectly
00:46:01.52\00:46:04.06
with Christian history,
00:46:04.09\00:46:05.69
and how God has been
leading His people step by step
00:46:05.73\00:46:08.70
all the way to this
moment, all the way to today.
00:46:08.73\00:46:13.77
So let's look
at the last church.
00:46:13.80\00:46:18.54
"To the angel, the
church of Laodicea,"
00:46:18.57\00:46:20.64
verse 14, "Jesus said to John,
00:46:20.68\00:46:23.14
'Write this down,
00:46:23.18\00:46:25.21
these things says the Amen,
00:46:25.25\00:46:28.55
the faithful and true witness."
00:46:28.58\00:46:30.49
This is all true
history in these chapters,
00:46:30.52\00:46:33.86
from Ephesus
losing the first love,
00:46:33.89\00:46:36.79
to the time of
Smyrna, persecution,
00:46:36.83\00:46:40.20
to the time of Constantine,
00:46:40.23\00:46:42.06
symbolized by Balaam and Balak,
00:46:42.10\00:46:44.97
down to the time
of the Dark Ages,
00:46:45.00\00:46:47.10
symbolized by Jezebel
00:46:47.14\00:46:48.70
and the false
church that had risen up,
00:46:48.74\00:46:51.41
down to the time
of the Reformation,
00:46:51.44\00:46:54.04
the mighty Reformation
which eventually stagnated
00:46:54.08\00:46:58.91
as the churches refused to
advance in advancing light,
00:46:58.95\00:47:02.18
and became like
people that had a name
00:47:02.22\00:47:04.09
that they were
alive, but they were dead.
00:47:04.12\00:47:05.99
And then down farther
into the time of the 1800s,
00:47:06.02\00:47:08.96
the Millerite movement,
00:47:08.99\00:47:10.59
when the door was opened
into the heavenly sanctuary,
00:47:10.63\00:47:14.30
they saw more light,
00:47:14.33\00:47:16.06
and learned about
the Ten Commandments
00:47:16.10\00:47:17.63
and the Sabbath and
ultimately the cross
00:47:17.67\00:47:21.00
and the blood of Jesus to
wash away all of our sins.
00:47:21.04\00:47:24.67
And now we get down
to the time of Laodicea,
00:47:24.71\00:47:30.41
the time of the
judging of the people.
00:47:30.45\00:47:33.45
Verse 15, Jesus says,
00:47:33.48\00:47:36.32
"I know your works,
00:47:36.35\00:47:37.72
you are neither cold nor hot,
00:47:37.75\00:47:39.09
I wish that you
were cold or hot.
00:47:39.12\00:47:40.96
So then because
you are lukewarm,
00:47:40.99\00:47:42.56
and neither cold nor hot,
00:47:42.59\00:47:44.26
I will spit you out of my mouth,
00:47:44.29\00:47:45.76
because you say, I am rich,
00:47:45.79\00:47:48.66
and increased with goods
and have need of nothing,
00:47:48.70\00:47:52.13
and you do not know
that you are wretched
00:47:52.17\00:47:54.30
and miserable, and
poor and blind and naked."
00:47:54.34\00:47:57.37
When you really look at it,
00:47:57.41\00:47:58.74
the ultimate problem
with Laodicea is a problem
00:47:58.77\00:48:03.24
of self-sufficiency and pride.
00:48:03.28\00:48:05.45
Laodicea boasts and says,
00:48:05.48\00:48:08.05
"I'm rich, I'm
increased with goods,
00:48:08.08\00:48:10.79
I have need of nothing."
00:48:10.82\00:48:12.95
Laodiceans have
all this knowledge.
00:48:12.99\00:48:16.06
We have all
this history, we know
00:48:16.09\00:48:18.03
where we are in
prophetic history,
00:48:18.06\00:48:19.73
we know where we are
in the stream of time,
00:48:19.76\00:48:22.70
but we have a problem.
00:48:22.73\00:48:24.27
And the problem is pride,
00:48:24.30\00:48:27.20
which ultimately goes all
the way back to the devil.
00:48:27.24\00:48:30.64
And if you think about it,
00:48:30.67\00:48:32.01
if you look at
Babylon in Revelation 18,
00:48:32.04\00:48:35.04
Babylon says, "I sit as a queen
00:48:35.08\00:48:37.15
and I will see no sorrow."
00:48:37.18\00:48:39.11
That's the spirit of pride.
00:48:39.15\00:48:40.98
And even though
Laodicea doesn't share
00:48:41.02\00:48:42.82
the doctrines of Babylon,
00:48:42.85\00:48:44.69
she shares the
spirit of Babylon.
00:48:44.72\00:48:47.89
It's the same spirit.
00:48:47.92\00:48:49.86
I'm rich, and increased
with good just like Babylon.
00:48:49.89\00:48:53.63
I sit a queen and we'll
and we'll see no sorrow,
00:48:53.66\00:48:57.17
there's different doctrines,
00:48:57.20\00:48:58.53
but it's the same spirit.
00:48:58.57\00:48:59.90
And Jesus warns us
00:48:59.93\00:49:01.27
that we've got to
have God take that pride
00:49:01.30\00:49:05.27
and self-sufficiency out of us.
00:49:05.31\00:49:07.18
I read recently that
there's three great lessons
00:49:07.21\00:49:10.51
for us to learn in life.
00:49:10.55\00:49:11.88
Number one is our own,
00:49:11.91\00:49:13.25
the realization
of our own weakness.
00:49:13.28\00:49:15.22
Number two is the
realization of our need
00:49:15.25\00:49:17.42
to depend on God's power.
00:49:17.45\00:49:19.32
And the third is the realization
00:49:19.35\00:49:21.02
that we're here in this world
to be a blessing to others,
00:49:21.06\00:49:24.49
to develop unselfishness
and to help people,
00:49:24.53\00:49:29.00
whoever they are,
00:49:29.03\00:49:30.37
whatever church they're part of,
00:49:30.40\00:49:31.90
these are the
messages that Jesus has for us,
00:49:31.93\00:49:34.30
but Laodicea
become self-satisfied.
00:49:34.34\00:49:37.61
Laodicea says, "I
have need of nothing."
00:49:37.64\00:49:41.74
And that's really the part
of the heart of Jesus's message
00:49:41.78\00:49:45.18
is a lack of need.
00:49:45.21\00:49:47.45
And the good news
00:49:47.48\00:49:48.82
is that if you
know you're a sinner,
00:49:48.85\00:49:50.19
if you know you have problems,
00:49:50.22\00:49:51.55
if you know that
you're all messed up,
00:49:51.59\00:49:54.12
and if you that you
need God in your life,
00:49:54.16\00:49:57.43
you need Jesus,
00:49:57.46\00:49:58.79
you need His
light to shine on you,
00:49:58.83\00:50:00.16
you need His grace,
His goodness, His love,
00:50:00.20\00:50:01.93
His mercy and His compassion,
00:50:01.96\00:50:03.77
the good news is that Jesus'
grace is sufficient for you.
00:50:03.80\00:50:06.97
He's got everything for you.
00:50:07.00\00:50:08.74
He loves you, and
He wants to help you
00:50:08.77\00:50:11.34
that the biggest
problem we have is that
00:50:11.37\00:50:13.78
we don't feel our need.
00:50:13.81\00:50:15.68
If we would just
realize how faulty we are,
00:50:20.72\00:50:24.29
how sinful we are,
how helpless we are,
00:50:24.32\00:50:27.09
then Jesus could help us.
00:50:27.12\00:50:28.72
He could do everything for us,
00:50:28.76\00:50:30.59
but we've got to
humble our hearts
00:50:30.63\00:50:32.59
and give our lives to Him.
00:50:32.63\00:50:34.20
Then Jesus makes an
appeal in Revelation 3:19,
00:50:34.23\00:50:39.27
"As many as I love, I
rebuke, and I chasten.
00:50:39.30\00:50:42.67
Be zealous therefore and repent.
00:50:42.70\00:50:45.07
Behold, I stand at
the door and knock.
00:50:45.11\00:50:47.31
If any man hears My voice,
00:50:47.34\00:50:51.78
and His voice is
heard in His Word."
00:50:51.81\00:50:55.22
Revelation 2 and 3 is a
masterpiece of information
00:50:55.25\00:50:59.62
and predictions from
the one who never lies,
00:50:59.65\00:51:03.66
whose voice is powerful.
00:51:03.69\00:51:06.19
I'd rather have one word
00:51:06.23\00:51:08.30
from Jesus than
10,000 words of men.
00:51:08.33\00:51:12.40
If any man hears My
voice, and opens the door,
00:51:12.43\00:51:16.30
and we're not
talking about the door
00:51:16.34\00:51:17.67
into the heavenly sanctuary
now, now we're talking about
00:51:17.71\00:51:20.38
the door into our hearts.
00:51:20.41\00:51:23.58
"Any man opens the door,
00:51:23.61\00:51:25.58
I will come in to
him and sup with him,
00:51:25.61\00:51:28.08
and he with Me."
00:51:28.12\00:51:30.79
Jesus is knocking and
appealing to Laodiceans,
00:51:30.82\00:51:36.16
to you and to me,
00:51:36.19\00:51:37.53
to open our hearts
and to let Him come in.
00:51:37.56\00:51:40.33
And when He comes in,
00:51:40.36\00:51:41.93
then He'll bring
love into our hearts,
00:51:41.96\00:51:44.93
and He'll renew love,
00:51:44.97\00:51:46.90
which is what the early
church lost, what Ephesus lost,
00:51:46.94\00:51:50.27
which began the Great Apostasy
00:51:50.31\00:51:52.51
was the loss of
their first love.
00:51:52.54\00:51:55.34
Jesus wants to renew
that love in the hearts
00:51:55.38\00:51:59.15
of His final people down
at the very end of the stream
00:51:59.18\00:52:02.82
of time to get them
ready for His Second Coming.
00:52:02.85\00:52:07.22
Love for God, love for others,
00:52:07.26\00:52:09.42
no matter what
their political views,
00:52:09.46\00:52:11.89
no matter what the
color of their skin,
00:52:11.93\00:52:14.40
you know, this
whole issue of racism
00:52:14.43\00:52:16.00
is a huge issue
today, Jesus loves everybody,
00:52:16.03\00:52:19.27
no matter what
the color of our skin,
00:52:19.30\00:52:21.30
and we've got to have
that love inside of us, too.
00:52:21.34\00:52:25.41
Verse 21, "He says
to him that overcomes,
00:52:25.44\00:52:29.08
I will grant to sit
with Me in My throne,
00:52:29.11\00:52:32.61
even as I also overcame,
00:52:32.65\00:52:35.02
and have sat down with My Father
00:52:35.05\00:52:37.72
in His throne."
00:52:37.75\00:52:42.52
I tell you, this is so powerful.
00:52:42.56\00:52:44.73
If you look at history,
00:52:44.76\00:52:46.09
you can see Jesus'
words fulfilled exactly.
00:52:46.13\00:52:48.63
And now we're in the final days.
00:52:48.66\00:52:50.00
And Jesus says, in the
midst of all the things
00:52:50.03\00:52:51.80
that are happening in this world
00:52:51.83\00:52:53.17
where Hollywood is tempting us,
00:52:53.20\00:52:55.20
our cell phones are tempting us,
00:52:55.24\00:52:56.94
technology is tempting us,
00:52:56.97\00:52:59.11
the lust of the
flesh are tempting us,
00:52:59.14\00:53:01.04
we're being tempted
on all sides, Jesus says,
00:53:01.08\00:53:03.75
"I've got something much
better for you in this world
00:53:03.78\00:53:06.45
than you can possibly imagine.
00:53:06.48\00:53:08.32
And if you humble
yourself, feel your need,
00:53:08.35\00:53:11.02
open your
heart, let Me come in,"
00:53:11.05\00:53:13.46
Jesus says, "Ultimately,
00:53:13.49\00:53:15.29
My goal for you is
to sit on My throne,
00:53:15.32\00:53:19.43
to share the throne of
the King of the universe,
00:53:19.46\00:53:21.73
the one whose face
shines like the sun,
00:53:21.76\00:53:25.63
the one who sees
history in advance,
00:53:25.67\00:53:28.07
the one whose word is true,
00:53:28.10\00:53:30.24
the one who never lies,
00:53:30.27\00:53:31.67
who never makes a mistake."
00:53:31.71\00:53:33.31
He's offering us
something that we can't imagine.
00:53:33.34\00:53:36.78
He's offering us a
place on the throne of God.
00:53:36.81\00:53:41.92
So what do you want?
00:53:41.95\00:53:43.28
Is there more
attraction on your phone
00:53:43.32\00:53:46.62
than sitting with
Jesus on His throne,
00:53:46.65\00:53:49.82
sharing the throne forever?
00:53:49.86\00:53:51.79
Are the lights of Hollywood
00:53:51.83\00:53:54.60
of more interest to you
than the light of Jesus Christ
00:53:54.63\00:53:58.40
that scatters the devils?
00:53:58.43\00:54:01.30
Tell you, this
is where we're at.
00:54:01.34\00:54:03.27
This is His appeal
to the final generation,
00:54:03.30\00:54:06.47
"I will have you,
00:54:06.51\00:54:08.04
you will sit
with Me on My throne
00:54:08.08\00:54:10.65
even as I also overcame."
00:54:10.68\00:54:12.25
Jesus overcame
by humbling Himself.
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.72
He lived a humble life.
00:54:14.75\00:54:16.15
He went down,
down, down, down, down,
00:54:16.18\00:54:18.32
all the way to the cross,
00:54:18.35\00:54:19.69
Lucifer exalts
himself up, up, up,
00:54:19.72\00:54:21.89
and Jesus went down, down, down.
00:54:21.92\00:54:23.79
And at the bottom, He says,
00:54:23.83\00:54:25.59
"Come to Me and I
will give you rest.
00:54:25.63\00:54:27.56
Humble yourself."
00:54:27.60\00:54:28.96
That's how you
overcome is by under coming,
00:54:29.00\00:54:31.63
by humbling yourself
feeling your need for God,
00:54:31.67\00:54:35.37
for Jesus Christ, for
His word and for the truth.
00:54:35.40\00:54:39.31
I have now set down
with my Father in His throne.
00:54:39.34\00:54:42.54
Verse 22.
00:54:42.58\00:54:44.28
He says, "He that has an ear,"
00:54:44.31\00:54:48.15
do you have an ear? Do you hear?
00:54:48.18\00:54:52.12
"Let him hear
00:54:52.15\00:54:53.49
what the Spirit
says to the churches."
00:54:53.52\00:54:56.89
What the Holy Spirit says
00:54:56.93\00:54:58.63
to the churches
from Ephesus, to Smyrna,
00:54:58.66\00:55:02.23
to Pergamos, to Thyatira,
00:55:02.26\00:55:04.97
to Sardis, to Philadelphia,
00:55:05.00\00:55:07.64
and all the way to Laodicea.
00:55:07.67\00:55:10.37
I tell you, Jesus
Christ, who is Jesus?
00:55:10.41\00:55:12.81
He's the Son of God.
00:55:12.84\00:55:14.28
He's the one who
sees history in advance.
00:55:14.31\00:55:16.78
He's the one that appeared
to John on the island of Patmos.
00:55:16.81\00:55:19.98
He's the one who lives.
00:55:20.02\00:55:21.95
He was dead,
00:55:21.98\00:55:23.32
and now He's alive forevermore.
00:55:23.35\00:55:25.55
He's up on the throne of God,
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.92
and He's appealing to
you and appealing to me,
00:55:27.96\00:55:31.26
to give up the foolish, small,
00:55:31.29\00:55:35.36
slimy ways of this world,
00:55:35.40\00:55:38.53
and to grab a
hold of eternal riches,
00:55:38.57\00:55:42.44
to hear what the Holy
Spirit says to the church,
00:55:42.47\00:55:45.87
to make a decision,
to humble our hearts,
00:55:45.91\00:55:49.01
to give
ourselves to Jesus and say,
00:55:49.04\00:55:50.75
"Lord, forgive
me, come into my life,
00:55:50.78\00:55:53.48
change me, give me love,
00:55:53.52\00:55:55.45
help me not to lose my love,
00:55:55.48\00:55:57.15
help me to have love,
00:55:57.19\00:55:58.52
renew my love for You
and for others, for people,
00:55:58.55\00:56:01.62
that Your light may
shine through me on them."
00:56:01.66\00:56:07.00
He that has an ear,
00:56:07.03\00:56:08.56
let him hear
00:56:08.60\00:56:10.00
what the Spirit
says to the churches.
00:56:10.03\00:56:13.50
I tell you, you
know when I walked around
00:56:13.54\00:56:15.34
with my little
girl, my daughter,
00:56:15.37\00:56:17.17
13 year old and my wife,
00:56:17.21\00:56:19.47
and we saw all those worms
00:56:19.51\00:56:22.51
in our backyard,
00:56:22.54\00:56:26.88
and then the
flashlight shone on them,
00:56:26.92\00:56:31.09
and they went
back into their hole
00:56:31.12\00:56:32.59
so I could hardly grab
them and get them in my garden,
00:56:32.62\00:56:35.92
I learned a lesson.
00:56:35.96\00:56:37.79
And the lesson is that
light scatters the darkness.
00:56:37.83\00:56:42.00
And we want you to know,
00:56:42.03\00:56:44.10
everybody at
3ABN wants you to know
00:56:44.13\00:56:46.27
that Jesus Christ is the light.
00:56:46.30\00:56:48.37
He's the Son of God.
00:56:48.40\00:56:49.74
He is the Savior of the world.
00:56:49.77\00:56:52.14
He has a glorious
future for you and for me,
00:56:52.17\00:56:55.54
so let's give our lives to Him.
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.28
And in these last days,
00:56:57.31\00:56:58.65
let the light shine
to scatter the darkness.
00:56:58.68\00:57:02.58
By God's grace, may it happen.
00:57:02.62\00:57:04.35
His body was broken,
00:57:08.16\00:57:11.36
so that we could live,
00:57:11.39\00:57:13.19
giving us the
gift of eternal life.
00:57:13.23\00:57:17.07
He pursues us relentlessly
00:57:17.10\00:57:19.27
with an everlasting love
00:57:19.30\00:57:22.40
regardless of our
failures and mistakes,
00:57:22.44\00:57:26.31
the One who
loves us like no other.
00:57:26.34\00:57:30.35
This is who Jesus is.
00:57:30.38\00:57:32.81