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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021612A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 IT IS BY NO ACCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE TUNED IN AND THAT YOU ARE 00:40 JOINING US TO STUDY GOD'S WORD TOGETHER AND WE ARE THRILLED 00:43 THAT YOU ARE HERE. WE ARE GOING TO SING TOGETHER BEFORE WE GET 00:47 STARTED AND PASTOR DEROSE BRINGS US OUR STUDY. WE HAVE PICKED A 00:51 COUPLE OF HYMNS TODAY THAT ARE MAJESTIC AND GLORIOUS. 00:55 WE'RE GOING TO START WITH HYMN #506 - A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR 00:59 GOD - WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, THE THIRD, AND THE LAST 01:03 VERSES OF HYMN #506. (MUSIC) 01:12 >>A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD, A BULWARK NEVER 01:23 FAILING; OUR HELPER HE, AMID THE FLOOD OF MORTAL ILLS PREVAILING. 01:39 FOR STILL OUR ANCIENT FOE DOTH SEEK TO WORK US WOE; HIS CRAFT 01:51 AND POWER ARE GREAT; AND ARMED WITH CRUEL HATE, ON EARTH IS NOT 02:02 HIS EQUAL. AND THOUGH THIS WORLD, WITH 02:10 DEVILS FILLED, SHOULD THREATEN TO UNDO US, WE WILL NOT FEAR, 02:23 FOR GOD HATH WILLED HIS TRUTH TO TRIUMPH THROUGH US. 02:34 THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS GRIM, WE TREMBLE NOT FOR HIM; HIS RAGE 02:46 WE CAN ENDURE, FOR LO! HIS DOOM IS SURE, 02:55 ONE LITTLE WORD SHALL FELL HIM. THAT WORD ABOVE ALL EARTHLY 03:08 POWERS, NO THANKS TO THEM, ABIDETH; THE SPIRIT AND THE 03:21 GIFTS ARE OURS THROUGH HIM WHO WITH US SIDETH; LET GOODS AND 03:34 KINDRED GO, THIS MORTAL LIFE ALSO; THE BODY THEY MAY KILL; 03:48 GOD'S TRUTH ABIDETH STILL, HIS KINGDOM IS FOREVER. 04:03 >>YOU KNOW, WE JUST SANG A LINE IN THIS HYMN AND IT SAID, 'GOD 04:06 HATH WILLED HIS TRUTH TO TRIUMPH THROUGH US.' WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT 04:11 IS FOR EACH ONE OF US TO KNOW THAT THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE 04:14 WANTS TO WORK THROUGH EACH ONE OF US TO WRAP UP THIS PLANET 04:18 THAT WE CAN GO HOME WITH HIM TO LIVE FOREVER. 04:21 AND I JUST PRAY THAT AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS NEXT WEEK, THAT YOU 04:25 WILL FIND THAT HE IS WORKING THROUGH YOU AND THAT YOU WILL BE 04:28 JUST AMAZED AND SEND YOUR ADORATION BACK TO HIM. 04:33 OUR NEXT HYMN WE'RE GOING TO SING IS #230 - HYMN #230 - 04:40 ALL GLORY, LAUD, AND HONOR - WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE 04:43 VERSES. (MUSIC) 04:49 >>ALL GLORY, LAUD, AND HONOR TO THEE, REDEEMER, KING, 04:59 TO WHOM THE LIPS OF CHILDREN MADE SWEET HOSANNAS RING. 05:09 THOU ART THE KING OF ISRAEL, THOU, DAVID'S ROYAL SON, WHO IN 05:21 THE LORD'S NAME COMEST, THE KING AND BLESSED ONE. 05:31 THE COMPANY OF ANGELS ARE PRAISING THEE ON HIGH, AND 05:42 MORTAL MEN AND ALL THINGS CREATED MAKE REPLY. 05:52 THE PEOPLE OF THE HEBREWS WITH PALMS BEFORE THEE WENT; OUR 06:03 PRAISE AND PRAYER AND ANTHEMS BEFORE THEE WE PRESENT. 06:15 TO THEE, BEFORE THY PASSION, THEY SANG THEIR HYMNS OF PRAISE; 06:25 TO THEE, NOW HIGH EXALTED, OUR MELODY WE RAISE. 06:35 THOU DIDST ACCEPT THEIR PRAISES; ACCEPT THE PRAISE WE BRING, WHO 06:47 IN ALL GOOD DELIGHTEST, THOU GOOD AND GRACIOUS KING. 07:00 >>LET'S PRAY. OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A 07:03 PRIVILEGE IT IS TO COME BEFORE YOU, THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE - 07:07 ALL MAJESTY - THAT WE CAN PRAISE YOU AND WE CAN HONOR YOU AS OUR 07:12 CREATOR AND OUR SAVIOR AND OUR LORD. 07:14 WE THANK YOU, LORD, FOR EMPTYING OUT HEAVEN AND GIVING US JESUS, 07:18 THAT WE CAN BE SAVED AND THAT WE CAN BE RESTORED TO WHAT YOU 07:21 FIRST HAD PLANNED FOR US. AND SO NOW, AS PASTOR DEROSE 07:25 BRINGS US OUR STUDY, LORD, PLEASE JUST OPEN OUR EARS AND 07:27 OPEN OUR HEARTS THAT WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND HOW TO 07:31 BE LIKE YOU AND HOW YOU WANT TO WORK THROUGH US. 07:34 PLEASE JUST WORK THROUGH US TO THE END. 07:36 LORD, KEEP US FAITHFUL UNTIL YOU COME. 07:38 I PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. 07:42 >>WELL, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN AND WE'RE CONTINUING OUR 07:46 JOURNEY IN THE TOPIC OF REBELLION AND RESTORATION. 07:52 THIS IS THE GREAT CONTROVERSY THEME AND YOU SAY, 'WELL, 07:56 DR. DEROSE, YOU CAN'T EVEN READ THE TITLE, IT'S REBELLION AND 08:01 REDEMPTION .' IT'S REALLY THE SAME THING, ISN'T IT? 08:04 RESTORATION AND REDEMPTION - THAT'S WHAT GOD IS INTERESTED IN 08:07 AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING ABOUT. 08:09 SO THROUGH THIS QUARTER - WE BEGAN IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS AND 08:12 WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY, RIGHT NOW, TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 08:16 SO WE ARE ACTUALLY - IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG IN THE LESSON - 08:19 WE ARE LOOKING AT LESSON #12 TODAY - LESSON #12 DEALING WITH 08:25 THE CHURCH MILITANT . AND, AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE A 08:28 SPECIAL OFFER THAT'S AVAILABLE TO OUR VIEWERS IN NORTH AMERICA 08:33 - THE SPECIAL OFFER THIS WEEK - THE CHURCH: IS IT BABYLON? 08:40 DENNIS PRIEBE HAS PUT TOGETHER THIS HELPFUL LITTLE BOOK. 08:43 IT'S FREE OFFER #712, SO IF YOU WANT THIS OFFER - #712 - AND YOU 08:49 CAN GET IT SIMPLY BY CALLING 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 08:53 866-788-3966. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN 09:06 UNJUSTLY PERSECUTED? HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF 09:12 IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF SOMEONE'S SIGHTS BECAUSE YOU WERE DOING 09:16 SOMETHING THAT WAS RIGHT? CAN YOU RELATE TO THAT SCENARIO? 09:21 THAT IS HOW THE EARLY CHURCH FOUND ITSELF AS THE BOOK OF 09:26 REVELATION WAS BEING GIVEN. 09:29 TURN WITH ME IN YOUR BIBLES TO REVELATION. 09:33 REVELATION ACTUALLY MEANS 'A REVEALING'. 09:36 IT WAS INTERESTING, I JUST HAD A PATIENT IN MY OFFICE THIS LAST 09:40 WEEK AND I WAS MAKING MENTION OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND THEY 09:43 SAID, 'WELL, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT MUCH IN OUR CHURCH. 09:46 IT SEEMS SO CONFUSING.' WELL, IT WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE A 09:49 CONFUSING BOOK; THE NAME OF THE BOOK MEANS WHAT? 09:53 >>REVELATION. >>REVELATION - AN OPENING 09:55 OR A REVEALING - AND SO, AS REVELATION OPENS, IT OPENS WITH 09:59 PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING VERSES IN THE BIBLE. 10:03 NOW, WE COULD GET INTO A GREAT DISCUSSION OVER SOME OF THE 10:06 GREAT VERSES IN THE BIBLE, BUT AS FAR AS AN INTRODUCTORY VERSE 10:10 TO A BOOK OF THE BIBLE, REVELATION CHAPTER 1, VERSE 1 IS 10:13 TRULY REMARKABLE. LOOK, WITH ME, AT IT BECAUSE IT 10:17 REALLY LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT 10:20 AS WE SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC, THE CHURCH MILITANT. 10:25 SO LOOK AT HOW THE BOOK OPENS UP - IT SAYS, "THE REVELATION OF 10:29 JESUS CHRIST." AND SO FROM THE VERY BEGINNING 10:33 WE'RE TOLD THAT THIS IS A BOOK - AND, IN FACT, THERE'S A 10:36 LITTLE PLAY ON WORDS THERE. WHETHER IT'S IN THE ENGLISH OR 10:39 IN THE GREEK, THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, IT IS BOTH 10:42 SOMETHING THAT JESUS REVEALS - THAT HE SHOWS FORTH - AND IT 10:46 IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT REVEALS JESUS TO US. 10:49 SO THE BOOK OF REVELATION AT ITS HEART IS AN OPENING UP AND IT'S 10:53 AN OPENING THAT IS GOING TO SHOW US OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. 10:58 BUT THEN IT GOES ON AND IT SAYS IT'S A REVELATION OF JESUS 11:01 CHRIST WHICH GOD GAVE HIM TO SHOW HIS SERVANTS THINGS WHICH 11:06 MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE. NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE 11:11 A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT BACKGROUND BECAUSE THE LESSON 11:13 WANTS US TO FOCUS ON A VERY APPROPRIATE TOPIC ON THIS THEME 11:17 OF REBELLION AND RESTORATION OR REDEMPTION. 11:22 IT'S WANTING US TO FOCUS ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES. 11:25 BUT IF WE DON'T CATCH THE CONTEXT - IF WE DON'T REMIND 11:28 OURSELVES OF THE CONTEXT OF THIS IMPORTANT BOOK, WE'LL MISS WHAT 11:32 IS SO ESPECIALLY FOUNDATIONAL TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES. 11:36 IN THIS FIRST VERSE, IT SAYS THESE ARE "THINGS WHICH MUST 11:41 SHORTLY TAKE PLACE." THE GREEK IN THIS FIRST VERSE IS 11:47 ACTUALLY ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE GREEK PHRASE IN DANIEL 11:52 CHAPTER 2. IN DANIEL CHAPTER 2, YOU 11:56 MIGHT REMEMBER THAT GOD GIVES NEBUCHADNEZZAR, THE KING OF 11:59 BABYLON, A VISION AND IT IS TOLD, IN THAT CONTEXT, THAT IT 12:04 IS A VISION OF THINGS THAT MUST TAKE PLACE IN THE FUTURE. 12:10 IT'S THE VERY SAME IN THE GREEK. IF YOU LOOK AT THE GREEK VERSION 12:14 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT - WE CALL IT THE SEPTUAGINT, IT'S 12:17 THE VERY SAME LANGUAGE. SO FROM THE VERY FIRST BOOK OF 12:20 REVELATION - THE VERY FIRST VERSE - IT'S POINTING US BACK 12:25 TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL AND IT'S SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A 12:29 REVELATION OF THINGS THAT WILL NEED - MUST - TAKE PLACE. 12:36 AND IT'S ALL IN THE CONTEXT OF A REVEALING OF JESUS CHRIST 12:39 HIMSELF. NOW, WHAT'S ALSO INTERESTING 12:42 ABOUT THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR STUDY 12:45 TODAY, IS THE BOOK OF REVELATION, ALTHOUGH IT IS 12:48 WRITTEN TO THE ENTIRE CHURCH, WAS ESPECIALLY ADDRESSED TO 12:52 SEVEN CHURCHES. LOOK, WITH ME, AT VERSE 11. IN REVELATION 12:57 CHAPTER 1, VERSE 11, THERE IS A SPECIFIC SEVEN CHURCHES TO WHICH 13:02 THE BOOK - AT LEAST WHEN JOHN IS BEING GIVEN IT - 13:06 IS ADDRESSED TO. IT SAYS, IN VERSE 11, AS JESUS 13:10 IS SPEAKING, "'I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE 13:13 LAST,' AND, 'WHAT YOU SEE, WRITE IN A BOOK AND SEND IT TO THE 13:17 SEVEN CHURCHES WHICH ARE IN ASIA: TO EPHESUS, TO SMYRNA, 13:22 TO PERGAMOS, TO THYATIRA, TO SARDIS, TO PHILADELPHIA, AND 13:27 TO LAODICEA.'" SO THE BOOK IS ADDRESSED TO SEVEN SPECIFIC 13:32 HISTORICAL CHURCHES BUT, ON A BROADER SENSE, THE BOOK IS GIVEN 13:38 TO ALL CHRISTIANS TO THE END OF TIME. I WANT TO POINT OUT ONE 13:42 OTHER THING, AND I ALLUDED TO THIS AS I WAS INTRODUCING THE 13:45 BOOK, ABOUT WHETHER YOU HAVE EVER UNJUSTLY BEEN PERSECUTED. 13:50 LOOK AT THE CONTEXT IN WHICH JOHN IS WRITING. 13:55 LOOK AT HOW HE DESCRIBES HIS SITUATION. 13:57 I'M IN VERSE 9 OF REVELATION CHAPTER 1. 14:02 HE SAYS, "I, JOHN, BOTH YOUR BROTHER AND COMPANION IN THE 14:07 TRIBULATION AND KINGDOM AND THE PATIENCE OF JESUS CHRIST, WAS ON 14:11 THE ISLAND THAT IS CALLED PATMOS FOR THE WORD OF GOD AND FOR THE 14:15 TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." SO DO YOU CATCH JOHN'S 14:19 PREDICAMENT? JOHN, ACTUALLY, AT THIS POINT 14:22 IN HIS LIFE, IS AN OLD MAN. JOHN WAS, OF COURSE, ONE OF 14:26 THOSE TWELVE WHO WERE INTIMATELY ASSOCIATED WITH JESUS 14:29 DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY. AND, AS JOHN'S LIFE IS PLAYING 14:32 OUT, HE HAS SEEN THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. IN 70 A.D. 14:36 JERUSALEM WAS DESTROYED AND HISTORY TELLS US THAT WHEN 14:40 JERUSALEM WAS DESTROYED, JOHN, WHO HAD BEEN BASED IN JERUSALEM, 14:44 MOVED HIS MINISTRY - HIS FOCUS OF MINISTRY - TO THE CITY OF 14:48 EPHESUS. NOW EPHESUS, LIKE ALL THE SEVEN 14:51 CHURCHES TO WHICH THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS ADDRESSED, WOULD 14:55 BE IN WHAT WOULD BE MODERN-DAY TURKEY. SO THAT PART OF THE 15:00 WORLD TODAY - IF YOU CAN THINK OF TURKEY - THAT'S WHERE THOSE 15:04 SEVEN CHURCHES ARE. AND SO, JOHN - LET'S JUST PUT 15:08 OURSELVES IN HIS POSITION. JOHN IS AN OLD MAN - I KNOW 15:11 SOME OF YOU CAN RELATE TO THAT. OTHERS OF YOU CAN'T. 15:14 YOU NOTICE I WAS LOOKING AT THE CAMERA RIGHT THEN SO NO ONE 15:16 WOULD THINK I WAS SINGLING THEM OUT. 15:18 THE POINT IS SIMPLY THIS: JOHN IS AN OLD MAN. 15:21 HE'S BEEN FAITHFUL TO JESUS AND HIS MINISTRY HAS SHIFTED FROM 15:26 JERUSALEM TO EPHESUS. HE IS PERSECUTED IN EPHESUS. 15:30 THE CHURCH IS UNDER PERSECUTION AT THIS TIME. 15:33 AND JOHN, LIKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE OTHER ELEVEN WHO REMAINED 15:39 FAITHFUL - OF COURSE, JUDAS HUNG HIMSELF - BUT ALL THE OTHER OF 15:42 THE ELEVEN - THE OTHER TEN - HAVE BEEN MARTYRED AND JOHN, 15:47 HISTORY TELLS US, WAS DESTINED FOR THE SAME FATE. 15:51 HE WAS CAST INTO A VAT OF BOILING OIL BUT, MIRACULOUSLY, 15:58 GOD PRESERVED HIS LIFE. 16:01 AND SO NOW IT IS JOHN FINDS HIMSELF ON PATMOS, AN ISLAND - A 16:06 SMALL ROCKY ISLAND - HE IS EXILED. 16:09 THE ROMAN EMPIRE IS SAYING, IN SO MANY WORDS, 'YOU'VE DONE 16:15 NOTHING WRONG' - AT LEAST MORALLY - HE WASN'T ACCUSED OF 16:18 ANY MORAL IMPROPRIETY. THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF THAT. 16:21 HE IS BEING PERSECUTED, AS JOHN PUTS IT IN VERSE 9, FOR WHAT? 16:26 "FOR THE WORD OF GOD AND FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." 16:31 AND WE COME BACK TO ONE OF THE GREAT THEMES OF THIS LESSON 16:34 BECAUSE WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT THAT CAUSES 16:39 REBELLION AND REDEMPTION? WHAT IS THE REBELLION OVER? 16:43 THE REBELLION IS OVER GOD AND GOD'S WORD AND GOD'S AUTHORITY. 16:49 AND WHAT IS IT THAT BRINGS REDEMPTION? 16:51 WHAT BRINGS REDEMPTION IS THE WORD - JESUS HIMSELF. 16:55 JOHN, IN HIS GOSPEL, SAID JESUS WAS WHAT? 16:59 HE WAS THE WORD. HE WAS THE GODHEAD'S THOUGHT 17:04 MADE MANIFEST, JUST LIKE OUR WORDS DISPLAY WHAT'S 17:09 HAPPENING IN OUR MINDS. IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S 17:12 IN THE MINDSET OF THE GODHEAD - OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE 17:17 HOLY SPIRIT - WE SEE IT IN THEIR WORD. 17:20 YES, THAT WORD IS THE BIBLE, BUT THE MOST FULL MANIFESTATION, IF 17:25 YOU WANT TO SAY, IN HUMAN FORM, OF GOD'S WORD, WAS JESUS 17:29 HIMSELF. AND SO JOHN IS TESTIFYING TO THAT. 17:33 HE'S AN OLD MAN. HE'S BEING FAITHFUL. 17:35 AND WHAT THE ROMAN EMPIRE SAYS WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE ARE 17:38 GOING TO SILENCE YOUR TESTIMONY. YOU WERE IN THE - THE HEART. 17:44 BY THE WAY, EPHESUS WAS THE LEADING CITY IN ASIA MINOR. 17:49 AND SO JOHN IS IN THIS HUB. 17:51 BY THE WAY, SO IMPORTANT WAS EPHESUS, IT WAS THE SITE OF 17:55 PAUL'S MINISTRY FOR SOME THREE YEARS. 17:59 EPHESUS WAS ONE OF THE CITIES - ONE OF THE PLACES - ONE OF THE 18:03 CHURCHES WHERE PAUL WROTE A LETTER. 18:05 WE HAVE IT TO THIS DAY, RIGHT? THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS WAS 18:08 WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS. 18:10 SO THIS PROMINENT CHURCH WHERE JOHN IS MINISTERING - HE'S 18:14 PULLED AWAY FROM MINISTRY AND HE'S SENT TO AN ISLAND WHERE 18:18 HIS TESTIMONY SEEMS TO BE SILENCED. 18:21 NOW LET'S JUST PAUSE RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE THIS IS A 18:24 PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION FOR EVERY ONE OF US, ISN'T IT? 18:28 BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE AT TODAY, BUT YOU MAY 18:31 FEEL THAT YOUR WITNESS IS BEING MINIMIZED BY CIRCUMSTANCES. 18:36 MAYBE YOU WERE FOLLOWING GOD FAITHFULLY TO YOUR PLACE OF 18:39 BUSINESS - YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. 18:42 AND THINGS ARE NOT JUST THE WAY THEY WERE WHEN YOU STARTED 18:45 THERE. MAYBE YOU'RE BEING MARGINALIZED. 18:50 MAYBE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WITNESS THAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD 18:53 BE THERE HAVEN'T MATERIALIZED. MAYBE YOU'VE LOST YOUR 18:56 JOB - MAYBE UNJUSTLY. ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME? 19:00 MAYBE SOME OF YOU, LIKE JOHN, ARE IN YOUR RETIREMENT YEARS AND 19:04 YOU FEEL LIKE, 'WELL, I LOST MOST OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES 19:08 FOR MINISTRY.' BUT JOHN IS AN OLD MAN. HE'S IN A PLACE WHERE, 19:13 WE WOULD SAY FROM A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, HE DOESN'T HAVE 19:16 ANYTHING TO OFFER THE CHURCH. WELL, YEAH, YOU CAN PRAY. 19:19 AND SOME OF YOU VIEWING TODAY, MAYBE THAT'S ALL YOU THINK YOU 19:22 CAN DO IS JUST PRAY - CUT OFF FROM GOD'S PEOPLE. 19:26 BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO JOHN ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS? THAT'S RIGHT! 19:32 JESUS COMES TO HIM AND HE GIVES JOHN THIS POWERFUL VISION THAT 19:38 HAS TRANSFORMED THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FROM ITS INCEPTION. 19:45 SO HERE'S THE FIRST MESSAGE, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CHURCH 19:48 MILITANT: REGARDLESS OF YOUR SITUATION, GOD WILL USE YOU IF 19:55 YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO HIS WILL. >>AMEN. 20:00 >>GOD WILL USE YOU. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT'S HAPPENED. 20:03 IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE WORLD TELLS YOU, 'IT'S OVER. 20:06 JUST FORGET ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE NOTHING MORE TO OFFER.' 20:11 BUT REVELATION 1 DOESN'T STOP WITH THAT PICTURE. REMEMBER, 20:14 JOHN IS A MEMBER OF A PERSECUTED CHURCH AND SO IT'S RELEVANT THAT 20:19 AS REVELATION OPENS JOHN IS GIVEN A VISION OF THE RISEN 20:26 JESUS. WE WON'T LOOK AT IT IN DETAIL, 20:28 BUT WE'LL PICK UP - WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD BECAUSE IT'S SO 20:32 FUNDAMENTAL TO WHAT FOLLOWS IN CHAPTERS 2 AND 3. 20:37 IN VERSE 12 JOHN LOOKS AND HE SEES JESUS. 20:45 BEGINNING WITH VERSE 12 OF REVELATION 1, "...I SAW SEVEN 20:49 GOLDEN LAMPTSTANDS, AND IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN LAMPTSTANDS 20:54 ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN, CLOTHED WITH A GARMENT DOWN TO THE FEET 20:59 AND GIRDED ABOUT THE CHEST WITH A GOLDEN BAND. 21:02 HIS HEAD AND HAIR WERE WHITE LIKE WOOL, AS WHITE AS SNOW, AND 21:05 HIS EYES LIKE A FLAME OF FIRE; HIS FEET WERE LIKE FINE BRASS, 21:10 AS IF REFINED IN A FURNACE, AND HIS VOICE AS THE SOUND OF MANY 21:15 WATERS; HE HAD IN HIS RIGHT HAND SEVEN STARS, OUT OF HIS MOUTH 21:19 WENT A SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD, AND HIS COUNTENANCE" - HIS FACE 21:23 - "WAS LIKE THE SUN SHINING IN ITS STRENGTH. 21:25 AND WHEN I SAW HIM, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS DEAD. 21:29 BUT HE LAID HIS RIGHT HAND ON ME SAYING, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID; I AM 21:32 THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I AM HE WHO LIVES AND WAS 21:36 DEAD, AND BEHOLD, I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE. AMEN. 21:40 AND I HAVE THE KEYS OF HADES AND OF DEATH. 21:44 WRITE THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN, AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE, 21:47 AND THE THINGS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS. 21:50 THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS WHICH YOU SAW IN MY RIGHT HAND, 21:53 AND THE SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS: THE SEVEN STARS ARE THE ANGELS 21:57 OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, AND THE SEVEN LAMPSTANDS WHICH YOU SAW 22:01 ARE THE SEVEN CHURCHES.'" CATCH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS VISION: 22:07 JOHN IS WRITING TO A PERSECUTED CHURCH AND, AS HE'S WRITING THIS 22:11 LETTER HE, THE VICTIM OF PERSECUTION, ACTUALLY SEES JESUS 22:18 REVEALED WHERE? WHERE IS JESUS? >>IN THE MIDST. 22:23 >>THAT'S RIGHT, HE'S IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCHES. 22:26 SO WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE GOD HAS FORGOTTEN YOU, WHEN IT LOOKS 22:31 LIKE GOD HAS FORGOTTEN YOUR CHURCH, WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE GOD 22:34 HAS FORGOTTEN YOUR FAMILY, JESUS GIVES US A PICTURE IN THE 22:38 BOOK OF REVELATION THAT HE IS CLOSE AT HAND. 22:41 >>AMEN. >>THAT HE'S CLOSE AT HAND. 22:43 AND SO, THIS MORNING, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW WE FEEL. 22:46 WELL, I'M NOT SAYING IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER, 22:50 AS FAR AS THE ETERNAL REALITIES, HOW WE FEEL. 22:53 >>AMEN. >>YOU SEE, GOD IS CLOSE BY. 22:56 HE'S RIGHT HERE AT HAND AND SO WE HAVE THIS PICTURE. 22:59 AND REMEMBER, I WANT YOU TO SEE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT, 23:02 BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO MISS IT. WHEN WE LOOK, VERY SHORTLY, AT 23:07 THIS SPECIAL MESSAGE - SEVEN SPECIAL MESSAGES CRAFTED TO 23:13 SEVEN INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES, I DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS THAT 23:17 THESE CHURCHES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED IN CHAPTER 1. 23:21 AND JESUS HAS ALREADY SHOWN HIMSELF AS BEING IN THE MIDST OF 23:25 ALL SEVEN OF THESE CHURCHES. SO THE FIRST MESSAGE THAT THESE 23:29 CHURCHES ARE HEARING IS OF A GOD WHO IS EVER-PRESENT. 23:33 NOW REALIZE SOMETHING ELSE. IF YOU HAVEN'T A MAP IN YOUR 23:37 BIBLE, IF YOU WERE TO FIND ONE - AND MY BIBLE DOES HAVE ONE - AND 23:41 I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WHERE PATMOS IS - A ROCKY LITTLE SPOT 23:46 OFF THE COAST OF MODERN-DAY TURKEY - YOU SEE THAT IF A 23:50 MESSENGER WERE TO BE ABLE TO COME TO PATMOS AND TAKE A LETTER 23:56 - A PARCHMENT - FROM JOHN, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED, AND BRING IT 24:02 TO THE MAINLAND, THE FIRST OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, THE CLOSEST 24:05 ONE, THE SEA PORT TOWN OF EPHESUS 24:09 WOULD BE THE CLOSEST OF THOSE SEVEN CHURCHES. 24:11 AND IF YOU ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE PATTERN OF THOSE SEVEN CHURCHES, 24:15 IT GOES ALONG THE PATH THAT A COURIER WOULD TAKE CARRYING THIS 24:21 LETTER, WRITTEN BY THE APOSTLE, FROM ONE CHURCH TO THE NEXT. 24:27 SO DID YOU CATCH SOMETHING THERE IN REVELATION? 24:31 WHEN - I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE STUDENTS OF THE BOOK OF 24:33 REVELATION AND, IN FACT, I KNOW THERE'S A CLASS GOING ON RIGHT 24:37 NOW, IN THIS VERY SANCTUARY, ON TUESDAY EVENINGS, WHERE THE BOOK 24:41 OF REVELATION IS BEING LOOKED AT IN GREAT DETAIL. 24:44 SO SOME OF YOU MIGHT SAY, 'WELL, THIS IS ALL REVIEW FOR ME.' BUT 24:47 DID YOU NOTICE WHAT THE SUBJECT OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS? 24:54 IN VERSE 1, YES, IT IS REFERRING TO THINGS THAT MUST TAKE PLACE 24:58 IN THE FUTURE. IT'S CONNECTING US WITH THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 25:01 BUT ALSO WE SEE IN VERSE 9, JOHN WAS TOLD TO WRITE THE THINGS 25:06 WHICH HE HAD SEEN, AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE, AND THE THINGS 25:11 WHICH - WHAT? WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS. 25:16 SO THE BOOK OF REVELATION HAD DIRECT TEMPORAL CONTEMPORARY 25:22 RELEVANCE TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES TO WHOM IT WAS ADDRESSED. 25:26 BUT IT ALSO TAKES US THROUGH TO THE END OF TIME. 25:31 THE SEVEN CHURCHES HAVE RIGHTLY BEEN LOOKED AT AS ERAS IN CHURCH 25:36 HISTORY. THESE SEVEN CHURCHES, IF WE WERE 25:39 TO TAKE THE TIME, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE STUDIED IT, 25:41 ACTUALLY DO REPRESENT ERAS IN CHURCH HISTORY - ALL THE 25:45 CHURCHES BEING ADDRESSED - AND ONE ELEMENT OF THAT FUTURISTIC 25:49 ASPECT TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS THAT IT DOES SPEAK TO THE END 25:53 OF TIME TO EVERY CHURCH PERIOD. BUT REMEMBER, THESE WERE SEVEN 25:58 LITERAL CHURCHES AS WELL. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS 26:01 NOW IN ON, AS OUR LESSON DRAWS - DREW OUR ATTENTION TO. 26:06 WE WANT TO LOOK AT THESE SEVEN INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES. 26:09 AND I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE TODAY WE'RE 26:13 LIVING IN A CULTURE THAT IS NOT A CULTURE THAT IS USED TO 26:18 CENSORING ITS LIPS VERY EFFECTIVELY. 26:22 ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME? SOME OF YOU COME FROM A 26:25 GENERATION AND I COULD EVEN CLASS MYSELF AMONG YOU, WHERE WE 26:33 WERE MUCH MORE CAREFUL WHAT WE SAID ABOUT THINGS THAT WERE 26:37 SACRED, THINGS THAT REFERRED TO LEADERS - LEADERS OF NATIONS AS 26:44 WELL AS LEADERS OF CHURCHES. WE'RE MUCH FREER WITH WHAT WE 26:49 SAY TODAY AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING, AS WE LOOK AT THESE 26:53 SEVEN CHURCHES IN THAT LIGHT. LET'S DO THAT. 26:55 LET'S JUMP INTO THE FIRST OF THESE SEVEN CHURCHES NOW, THE 26:59 CHURCH OF EPHESUS. SO REMEMBER, THE BOOK OF 27:02 REVELATION ADDRESSED THE SEVEN LITERAL CHURCHES - REAL CHURCHES 27:07 IN JOHN'S DAY, BUT THEY HAVE APPLICATION TO THE END OF TIME. 27:11 AND SO, EACH OF THESE MESSAGES - LET'S JUST POINT OUT SOMETHING: 27:14 AT THE END OF EACH OF THE SEVEN MESSAGES THERE IS A COMMON 27:19 ELEMENT. AND THAT COMMON ELEMENT, WE SEE IT IN THE LETTER 27:23 TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS THAT'S FOUND IN REVELATION 2, VERSES 1 27:28 THROUGH 7 - ONE OF THE COMMON ELEMENTS IS FOUND IN VERSE 7, 27:33 "HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE 27:38 CHURCHES." HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EARS? ALL OF US, RIGHT? 27:50 BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE EARS, THE IMPLICATION IS THAT WHAT SHOULD 27:54 EACH ONE OF US DO WITH THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH OF 27:58 EPHESUS? WE SHOULD ALL HEAR. AND, IN FACT, IF YOU READ THE 28:04 CLOSING WORDS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION, IT INVITES ANYONE 28:07 WHO HEARS TO EXTEND THE MESSAGE TO COME. 28:11 THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS WRITTEN TO THE WHOLE CHURCH, BUT 28:15 THERE ARE DISTINCT SPECIAL MESSAGES WRITTEN TO EACH OF THE 28:19 SEVEN CHURCHES, BUT WE, TODAY, ARE TO LISTEN AND TO APPLY. 28:24 LET'S LOOK AT HOW THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS IS ADDRESSED. 28:27 AND WHAT'S SO INTERESTING ABOUT EACH OF THESE LETTERS IS IT 28:30 STARTS WITH AN INTRODUCTION, AN ASPECT OF THE CHARACTER OF JESUS 28:35 BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, IT'S A REVELATION OF WHO? 28:38 THIS BOOK? >>JESUS. 28:39 >>IT'S A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 28:41 AND SO WHEN THE LETTER TO EPHESUS IS BEING WRITTEN DOWN BY 28:45 JOHN, HE SAYS, "'THESE THINGS SAYS HE WHO HOLDS THE SEVEN 28:50 STARS IN HIS RIGHT HAND, WHO WALKS IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN 28:56 GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS:'" AND THEN IT GOES ON. 29:00 SO FIRST WE HAVE THIS PICTURE OF JESUS AND THEN JESUS SAYS, "'I 29:03 KNOW YOUR WORKS, YOUR LABOR, YOUR PATIENCE, AND THAT 29:08 YOU CANNOT BEAR THOSE WHO ARE EVIL. 29:10 AND YOU HAVE TESTED THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES AND ARE 29:13 NOT, AND HAVE FOUND THEM LIARS; AND YOU HAVE PERSEVERED AND HAVE 29:17 PATIENCE, AND HAVE LABORED FOR MY NAME'S SAKE AND HAVE NOT 29:20 BECOME WEARY.'" SO, AS YOU'RE LISTENING TO THIS LETTER, YOU 29:23 SEE JESUS. HE'S PICTURING HIMSELF IN THE 29:26 MIDST OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES AND IN HIS HAND ARE WHAT? 29:31 THE ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES. DID YOU CATCH THAT? 29:35 BY THE WAY, THIS TERM 'ANGEL' OCCURS OVER 70 TIMES IN THE BOOK 29:41 OF REVELATION AND, ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION, IT REFERS TO 29:45 HEAVENLY BEINGS. BUT TO EACH OF THESE CHURCHES, 29:51 THE LETTER IS ADDRESSED - DO YOU SEE IT THERE IN REVELATION 2, 29:55 VERSE 1 - TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS. 30:01 THE GREEK WORD 'ANGELOS' ACTUALLY REFERS TO MESSENGER. 30:07 AND SO, SOMETIMES IN THE BIBLE, THIS TERM ANGELOS CAN ACTUALLY 30:12 REFER TO A HUMAN MESSENGER. IF YOU WANT TO SEE AN EXAMPLE OF 30:16 IT, TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO MARK CHAPTER 1 AND YOU'LL SEE THE 30:21 REFERENCE IS MADE TO GOD'S MESSENGER. 30:23 THAT WORD IS 'ANGELOS' BUT IT'S REFERRING TO JOHN THE BAPTIST 30:26 WHO IS GOD'S MESSENGER. 30:28 SO ALTHOUGH THAT TERM IS USUALLY, IN THE BOOK OF 30:30 REVELATION, USED TO REFER TO ANGELIC BEINGS, IT SEEMS HERE 30:34 THAT EACH LETTER IS BEING ADDRESSED TO A MESSENGER OF THE 30:40 CHURCH - PERHAPS THE MINISTER OR THE MAIN ELDER OF THAT 30:43 CONGREGATION. AND SO, AS THIS LETTER IS GIVEN 30:47 TO EPHESUS, THEY'RE GIVEN A PICTURE OF JESUS, IN THE MIDST 30:49 OF HIS CHURCH, AND THEN THEY'RE COMMENDED FOR WHAT? 30:52 IF YOU WERE TO PUT IT IN ONE WORD, WHAT WERE THE EPHESIANS - 30:55 THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS - COMMENDED FOR IN THIS FIRST 30:58 LETTER? >>WORKS. 30:59 >>THEY WERE COMMENDED FOR THEIR WORKS. 31:02 NOW, SOMETIMES IN CHRISTIAN CIRCLES, THAT MAKES CERTAIN 31:06 PEOPLE FEEL A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE TO BE COMMENDED 31:10 FOR WORKS. BUT LET ME POINT SOMETHING OUT: WHO IS DOING THE 31:14 COMMENDING HERE? >>JESUS. 31:16 >>JESUS. JESUS IS DOING THE COMMENDING. 31:20 AND, BY THE WAY, NOT ONLY IS THERE A COMMON PATTERN WHEN YOU 31:24 LOOK AT EACH MESSAGE TO EACH CHURCH - THAT EVERYONE SHOULD 31:27 LISTEN - BUT THERE IS ALSO A COMMON ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN TO 31:33 EACH CHURCH: "TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES" - AND THAT WORD 31:41 'OVERCOME' COMES FROM THAT GREEK WORD, WHICH WAS SO INSPIRING TO 31:46 THOSE IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, THAT THEY NAMED A BRAND OF SHOES 31:51 FOR IT. ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? 31:54 I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE LOOKING VERY PERPLEXED. 31:57 HAVE YOU HEARD OF NIKE SHOES? IT COMES FROM THE GREEK 32:01 FOR VICTORY OR OVERCOMER. IT'S FROM THAT SAME GREEK ROOT. 32:06 AND SO, THE POINT IS, IT IS A CALL TO OVERCOME. 32:10 WHAT IS THAT DEALING WITH? AS WE READ THROUGH THESE 32:13 LETTERS, GOD IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TWO THINGS. 32:18 AND IT IS REALLY THE TWO THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING ABOUT 32:21 THE WHOLE QUARTER. REBELLION OCCURS WHEN A RELATIONSHIP IS 32:26 BROKEN. JESUS IS INTIMATELY CONCERNED ABOUT RELATIONSHIP 32:31 WITH EVERY ONE OF HIS CHILDREN ON THIS PLANET. 32:35 BUT HE'S ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, BECAUSE 32:37 REBELLION DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN IN THE MIND, IT HAPPENS WHAT? 32:42 >>WORKS. >>IN THE WORKS. 32:44 THE MIND PLAYS OUT IN THE BEHAVIOR. AND SO EPHESUS IS 32:48 COMMENDED FOR ITS WORKS. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT SAY THIS 32:51 LOOKS LIKE A MODEL CHURCH, RIGHT? 32:53 THEY'RE STANDING UP FOR ALL THE RIGHT DOCTRINES. 32:57 BUT THEN WE READ ON: IN VERSE 4, "NEVERTHELESS I HAVE THIS 33:04 AGAINST YOU, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE. 33:11 NOW IT MAY SEEM THAT CHRIST IS BEING VERY GENTLE - AND HE IS. 33:16 NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS FOR YOU, BUT AS I LOOK BACK ON MY 33:19 LIFE, GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY GENTLE WITH ME, EVEN WHEN BAD 33:23 THINGS WERE HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO 33:25 LABEL THEM BAD, BECAUSE WHEN I DEAL WITH PEOPLE, WHETHER IN MY 33:32 YEARS AS A PHYSICIAN OR WHETHER IN A PASTORAL SETTING OR WHETHER 33:38 IT'S BEEN EVEN IN A COLLEGE SETTING, TEACHING STUDENTS AND 33:42 COUNSELING WITH THEM IN THEIR YOUNG LIFE TURMOILS, IT ALWAYS 33:49 SEEMS THAT GOD IS SO GENTLE. HAVE YOU NOTICED THIS? 33:54 NOW IT MAY NOT SEEM THAT WAY AT THE TIME. 33:56 IT MAY SEEM THAT GOD IS JUST BEARING DOWN ON YOU. 33:59 ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING WITH ANOTHER PATIENT THIS WEEK, IN 34:06 THE EXAM ROOM, AT THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS, AND ONE OF MY 34:10 FAVORITE PRESCRIPTIONS - AND THE REASON WE TURNED TO IT IS 34:15 BECAUSE SHE WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF TURMOIL IN HER LIFE. 34:19 BUT I REMINDED HER SHE WAS ABLE TO WALK INTO THE EXAM ROOM. 34:23 AND I REMINDED HER OF PAUL'S COUNSEL TO THE PHILIPPIAN 34:27 CHURCH, THAT WHEN WE'RE TEMPTED TO BE WORRIED, HE SAID 'DON'T BE 34:30 ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING' - DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT DO 34:33 WHAT? >>PRAY. 34:35 >>THAT'S RIGHT, 'BUT COME TO GOD WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION 34:39 WITH THANKSGIVING' AND SO WE WE'RE SAYING, 'WELL, WHAT ARE 34:42 YOU THANKFUL FOR RIGHT NOW?' AND SHE STARTED TO THINK OF 34:45 THINGS THAT SHE WAS THANKFUL FOR. 34:47 DO YOU KNOW THAT, ACTUALLY, SECULAR RESEARCHERS TODAY ARE 34:51 SAYING THERE IS SPECIAL POWER IN HAVING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL? 34:56 HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS? 34:58 THESE ARE - THESE AREN'T CHRISTIAN RESEARCHERS. 35:01 THEY'RE TELLING THEIR PATIENTS THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP A JOURNAL 35:05 AND WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY'RE THANKFUL FOR. 35:08 NOW, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING EVEN MORE REMARKABLE. 35:10 NOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY MOVEMENT - 35:14 THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL IT - SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DANGER 35:16 BECAUSE I READ SOME OF THESE THINGS QUICKLY AND LOOK THROUGH 35:19 SOME OF THESE STUDIES FAIRLY RAPIDLY, BUT IN ONE SET OF 35:22 STUDIES THEY WERE COMPARING WHAT WAS MORE POWERFUL, A DAILY 35:26 GRATITUDE JOURNAL OR ONE THAT YOU KEPT ONCE A WEEK. 35:31 YOU KNOW WHAT THEY FOUND? 35:34 THEY ACTUALLY FOUND IT WAS THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. 35:38 I KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE LOOKING VERY PERPLEXED, BUT I FIND IT 35:41 REMARKABLE THAT IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE BIBLE GOD SET 35:47 APART A WEEKLY GRATITUDE JOURNALING PROCESS. 35:52 ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME? HE CALLED IT WHAT? 35:55 >>SABBATH. >>THE SABBATH. 35:57 AND WHAT'S SO REMARKABLE ABOUT THE SABBATH IS ALL WEEK LONG 36:00 WE'RE BOMBARDED WITH ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS, AREN'T WE? 36:03 >>AMEN. >>I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE SAYING 36:05 'AMEN' - OTHERS OF YOU ARE LOOKING LIKE, 'WELL WHAT PLANET 36:07 DID YOU COME FROM, DR. DEROSE?' BUT I AM. I'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF 36:11 THINGS GOING ON. AND THEN THE SABBATH COMES 36:15 AND WE'RE TOLD TO DO WHAT? >>REST. 36:17 >>THAT'S RIGHT, TO REST IN JESUS. 36:20 AND SO, BY THE WAY, NOW THERE IS SOMETHING - THE BIBLE DOES 36:25 DEFINITELY ENDORSE A DAILY GRATITUDE JOURNAL. 36:27 YOU REMEMBER JESUS WHEN HE TAUGHT US HOW TO PRAY HE SAID WE 36:30 SHOULD BEGIN OUR PRAYERS IN WHAT WAY? 36:33 THAT'S RIGHT, 'OUR FATHER' - >>WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. 36:37 >>'WHICH ART IN HEAVEN' - >>HALLOWED 36:39 >>PRAISE BE TO YOUR NAME. 'HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME. 36:42 I'M SO THANKFUL FOR YOU, FATHER.' YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE 36:46 DON'T START OUR PRAYERS THE WAY JESUS TOLD US TO. 36:49 WE GET THE 'OUR FATHER' PART RIGHT BUT WE FORGET THAT PART 36:52 ABOUT REFLECTING ON WHO GOD IS AND THANKING HIM. 36:57 YOU SAY, 'WELL, OKAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOD - HIS 37:02 GENTLENESS, HIS POWER, HIS COMING TO US - BUT GOD LOVES US 37:06 SO MUCH THAT HE'S LIKE A GOOD PHYSICIAN. 37:09 AND YOU ALL WOULD NOT WANT TO GO SEE A PHYSICIAN WHO WOULD GLOSS 37:13 OVER THE TRUTH, WOULD YOU? YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE A 37:16 PHYSICIAN THAT, IF YOU HAD CANCER, SAID, 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT 37:19 IT, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BUMP.' RIGHT? YOU WOULDN'T LIKE THAT. 37:24 SO JESUS SPEAKS VERY PLAINLY TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS, "...I 37:28 HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE." 37:32 IT SOUNDS LIKE A MINOR ISSUE UNTIL YOU READ ON: "REMEMBER 37:38 THEREFORE FROM WHERE YOU HAVE FALLEN; REPENT AND DO THE FIRST 37:46 WORKS, OR ELSE I WILL COME TO YOU QUICKLY AND REMOVE YOUR 37:50 LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE - UNLESS YOU REPENT. 37:54 BUT THIS YOU HAVE, THAT YOU HATE THE DEEDS OF THE 37:57 NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ALSO HATE." 38:01 AND THEN THERE'S THAT ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL OF US TO 38:03 HEAR, AND THEN A PROMISE: TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME HE WILL GIVE 38:07 OF THE TREE OF LIFE TO EAT FROM IT, WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE 38:13 PARADISE OF GOD. SO WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? 38:17 WHETHER WE ILLUSTRATE IT AS LUKE DID - CHAPTER 10 - AS LUKE IS 38:21 CLOSING CHAPTER 10 HE TELLS US THAT FAMOUS STORY ABOUT TWO 38:26 SISTERS. YOU REMEMBER, RIGHT? MARTHA AND MARY. AND MARTHA WAS 38:31 SO BUSY WITH WHAT? >>WORKS. 38:34 >>WITH WORKS - AND THEY WERE GOOD WORKS - SO SHE WAS KIND OF 38:37 LIKE THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME TO MAKE THAT 38:40 COMPARISON. SHE WAS DOING THOSE GOOD WORKS 38:43 AND SHE WAS BOTHERED BECAUSE HER SISTER MARY WAS NOT CONCERNED, 38:51 IT SEEMED, WITH THOSE GOOD WORKS. 38:54 SO SHE APPEALS TO JESUS AND WHAT DOES JESUS SAY? 39:00 THAT'S RIGHT, 'MARY HAS CHOSEN THE GOOD PART - THE BEST THING - 39:06 THE MOST ESSENTIAL. WHAT WAS SHE DOING? 39:08 >>SITTING - >>SHE WAS SITTING AT JESUS' 39:10 FEET. AND SO WE HAVE THIS PICTURE - 39:12 THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS - THEY WERE DOING ALL THOSE GOOD MARTHA 39:16 THINGS AND JESUS COMMENDED THEM FOR IT, BUT HE SAID 'THE MOST 39:20 IMPORTANT THING YOU'VE FORGOTTEN - THAT IS THE VITAL ESSENCE OF 39:24 YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS TO LOVE ME.' RIGHT? 39:30 SO IF WE'RE JUST DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, THEY'RE NOT THE 39:34 RIGHT THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMING FROM THE RIGHT 39:37 MOTIVATION. AND SO, JESUS, IN THE BOOK OF 39:41 REVELATION, CALLS TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS AND, AS WE WALK 39:45 THROUGH THE LESSON, THE QUESTION IS FOR US, RIGHT? 39:48 BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS NOT A HISTORY BOOK. 39:51 THE BIBLE IS NOT AN INTERESTING SPIRITUAL DOCUMENT. 39:55 THE BIBLE IS A BOOK THAT SPEAKS TO US PERSONALLY, RIGHT? 40:00 SO WHAT IS THE MESSAGE FOR US TODAY? 40:03 BECAUSE WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO HEAR IT. 40:04 WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO DO AS A RESULT OF THE LETTER TO THE 40:08 CHURCH OF EPHESUS? YES, WE ARE CALLED TO STAND FAST 40:13 FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, BUT WE'RE CALLED TO PRIORITIZE A LOVING 40:17 RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. HAVE YOU EVER HAD THIS 40:22 CHALLENGE, THOUGH? YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, 40:24 THE BIBLE SAYS WE SHOULD EVEN LOVE OUR ENEMIES. 40:28 SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T FEEL YOU HAVE ENOUGH LOVE FOR 40:32 JESUS? OR LOVE FOR YOUR ENEMIES - HOW DO YOU GET IT? 40:36 >>PRAY FOR IT. >>OKAY, PRAY FOR IT. 40:40 WHERE DOES LOVE COME FROM? >>GOD. 40:43 >>THE BIBLE REVEALS IT, RIGHT? GOD IS LOVE. 40:46 AND AS WE DRAW CLOSE TO JESUS, WHAT HAPPENS? 40:49 LOVE SPRINGS UP IN OUR HEARTS AS WE SEE WHAT HE'S DONE FOR US. 40:54 AND SO, THAT IS THE CALL TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS. 40:57 WE'VE GOT TO HASTEN ON BECAUSE THERE ARE SIX MORE CHURCHES AND 41:01 THERE ARE LESSONS IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM FOR US. 41:05 SO THE NEXT TWO CHURCHES, FOLLOWING ALONG THAT, IF YOU 41:08 WILL, POSTAL OR COURIER ROUTE - SO FIRST YOU HAVE EPHESUS AND 41:13 THEN, AS YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG, YOU COME TO THE CHURCH OF 41:16 SMYRNA. REMEMBER, WE'RE FOCUSING NOT ON 41:20 THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE CHURCHES, WE'RE BEING 41:23 ASKED TO FOCUS ON THEIR CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE. 41:26 SO IF EPHESUS WAS A PROMINENT CHURCH IN CHRISTENDOM - IF YOU 41:30 CAME FROM THE EPHESUS CHURCH AND YOU MET SOMEONE - YOU WERE 41:32 TRAVELING AND THEY SAY, 'WHAT CHURCH DO YOU GO TO?' 41:35 'WELL, I GO TO THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH.' 'GRANITE BAY CHURCH? 41:38 I WATCH THAT CHURCH ON TELEVISION. ISN'T THAT WHERE 41:40 DOUG BATCHELOR IS THE PASTOR? WOW, YOU GO TO A FAMOUS CHURCH.' 41:45 BUT IF YOU WERE FROM THE SMYRNA CHURCH, WHAT WOULD 41:50 THEY SAY TO YOU? >>WHERE'S THAT? 41:52 >>YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, 'WHERE IS THIS SMYRNA?' THIS SMYRNA IS NOT 41:54 MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE BESIDE HERE IN REVELATION. 41:58 SO SMYRNA NOW, AT LEAST IN THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION OF THE 42:04 BIBLE, IS AN INSIGNIFICANT CHURCH. 42:07 NOW, NONE OF THESE CITIES WERE INSIGNIFICANT, HISTORICALLY, BUT 42:11 THE POINT IS - SMYRNA, THERE'S NO LETTER WRITTEN TO SMYRNA. 42:16 PAUL NEVER SPENT THREE YEARS IN SMYRNA, BUT AS YOU READ THROUGH 42:20 THE LETTER TO SMYRNA, IT IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF 42:23 ONLY TWO CHURCHES THAT THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION LEVEL. 42:30 LET'S LOOK AT IT - VERSE 8 - REVELATION CHAPTER 2, "TO THE 42:35 ANGEL" - OR TO THE MESSENGER - "OF THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA WRITE, 42:38 'THESE THINGS SAYS THE FIRST AND THE LAST, WHO WAS DEAD, AND 42:42 CAME TO LIFE: 'I KNOW YOUR WORKS, TRIBULATION, AND POVERTY 42:46 (BUT YOU ARE RICH); AND I KNOW THE BLASPHEMY OF THOSE WHO SAY 42:50 THEY ARE JEWS AND ARE NOT, BUT ARE A SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN. 42:53 DO NOT FEAR ANY OF THOSE THINGS WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUFFER. 42:58 INDEED, THE DEVIL IS ABOUT TO THROW SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON, 43:01 THAT YOU MAY BE TESTED, AND YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN DAYS. 43:05 BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE CROWN OF LIFE. 43:08 HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE 43:11 CHURCHES. HE WHO OVERCOMES SHALL NOT BE 43:14 HURT BY THE SECOND DEATH.'" NO CONDEMNATION. THIS SMALL 43:20 CHURCH THAT LOOKED - HOW? THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE POOR. 43:25 NOW, DO YOU KNOW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POVERTY? 43:29 SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE NODDING YOUR HEADS A LITTLE TOO 43:31 KNOWINGLY, BUT THE POINT OF POVERTY THROUGHOUT HISTORY - AND 43:36 EVEN TODAY - IN TODAY'S CHRISTIAN WORLD - THERE ARE MANY 43:39 CHRISTIAN PREACHERS WHO WOULD LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE THAT IF YOU 43:42 HAVE FINANCIAL ADVERSITY, THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH GOD, IT'S 43:46 WITH WHO? >>YOU. 43:48 >>IT'S WITH YOU. IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. 43:50 IT WAS THAT WAY IN JESUS' DAY. IF YOU HAD MATERIAL RICHES, THIS 43:55 WAS A SIGN OF WHAT IN THE EYES OF THE SECULAR "JEWISH" WORLD? 44:01 >>GOD WAS FAVORING YOU. >>THAT'S RIGHT, GOD WAS FAVORING 44:03 YOU - THAT YOU WERE BLESSED. YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY 44:06 FOLLOWING GOD. AND IF YOU HAD NOTHING OR 44:10 VERY LITTLE YOU WERE WHAT? >>NOT FAVORED BY GOD. 44:13 >>YOU WERE NOT FAVORED - YOU WERE CURSED. 44:16 BUT JESUS PULLED BACK THAT CURTAIN, DIDN'T HE? 44:19 YOU REMEMBER THE STORY, DON'T YOU? 44:21 THERE, WHEN JESUS WAS IN THE TEMPLE, THE WEALTHY WERE PUTTING 44:25 THOSE LAVISH OFFERINGS - I'M SURE MANY OF THEM WITH GREAT 44:29 OSTENTATION - DROPPING THOSE COINS INTO THE TEMPLE TREASURY, 44:34 RIGHT? AND THEN SOMEONE SLIPS UP, 44:40 NOT WANTING TO BE NOTICED. WHO WAS IT? 44:44 A WIDOW - THIS IS A CURSED PERSON IN THE JEWISH MINDSET. 44:50 I MEAN, I HATE TO MENTION IN A MIXED AUDIENCE, BUT IF YOU WERE 44:52 A WOMAN YOU WERE NOT BLESSED, REALLY. 44:56 BUT NOT ONLY WAS SHE A WOMAN, SHE HAD NOTHING. 45:01 SHE HAD NO HUSBAND AND SHE WAS WHAT? SHE WAS POOR. 45:06 SHE JUST HAD TWO OF THE SMALLEST COINS. 45:09 BUT WHAT DID SHE DO WITH THEM? SHE GAVE IT ALL. 45:14 SHE WAS LIKE THAT CHURCH OF SMYRNA, RIGHT? 45:17 THE WORLD WOULD LABEL THE CHURCH AS CURSED. 45:25 AGAIN, I MEAN IT SPEAKS TO US, DOESN'T IT? 45:29 THE VERY THINGS THAT PEOPLE POINT TO YOU AND SAY, 'YOU CAN'T 45:33 - WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? 45:35 YOU CAN'T GIVE A BIBLE STUDY. YOU CAN'T EVEN SPEAK RIGHT. 45:40 YOU - YOU STUTTER. YOU CAN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT 45:45 JESUS.' I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS 45:48 THAT PEOPLE HAVE USED TO TRY TO DISQUALIFY YOUR WITNESS BUT, BY 45:52 THE WAY, DID YOU NOTICE - THE ENEMY OF THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA - 45:59 DID YOU NOTICE WHO THEY WERE? THEY WERE JEWS WHO WERE NOT. 46:05 NOW, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - YOU CAN READ THIS IN 46:07 GALATIANS AND IN OTHER PLACES, THAT THE TERM 'JEW' AS GOD'S 46:13 PEOPLE - AFTER THE MINISTRY OF JESUS, WHEN THE LITERAL JEWISH 46:19 NATION DID NOT ACCEPT HIM, AS PAUL WROTE IN ROMANS CHAPTERS 9 46:24 THROUGH 11, THE GENTILES WERE GRAFTED INTO THIS TREE OF 46:28 PROMISE. BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVE JEWISH 46:31 HERITAGE, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL HERITAGE, OKAY? 46:34 AND I'VE BEEN THANKFUL THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE MISTAKEN ME FOR 46:38 HAVING JEWISH HERITAGE. OTHERS HAVE INSISTED I HAVE 46:40 JEWISH HERITAGE WHETHER I KNOW IT OR NOT. 46:43 BUT THE POINT IS SIMPLY THIS: THAT'S A WONDERFUL HERITAGE. 46:46 GOD HAS BLESSED THAT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT HISTORY, BUT THE JEW 46:50 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS OF THE JEW, 46:55 GIVEN TO ABRAHAM, THE SEED OF ABRAHAM TODAY IS THE CHRISTIAN 47:01 CHURCH. AND SO, THE ENEMIES OF THE 47:05 CHURCH OF SMYRNA ARE THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF 47:09 ABRAHAM - THE TRUE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. 47:12 THEY ARE THE TRUE JEWS, BUT THEY'RE REALLY A SYNAGOGUE OF 47:15 SATAN. BY THE WAY, SATAN IS THE ACCUSER 47:22 - THAT'S WHAT HIS NAME INDICATES - HE IS THE ACCUSER. 47:26 SO HOW MANY TIMES DO WE PLAY SATAN'S ROLE? 47:29 DO WE, IN THE CHURCH, OR IN DEALING WITH ANOTHER CHURCH - 47:33 ANOTHER CONGREGATION - DO WE - ARE WE EVER TEMPTED TO POINT OUR 47:36 FINGERS? THIS IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 47:40 SMYRNA, BUT THEY WERE A BLESSED CHURCH. AS WE GO ON IN THESE 47:44 LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES, WE COME TO THE CHURCH OF PERGAMON, AND 47:48 THE CHURCH OF PERGAMON IS AN INTERESTING CHURCH. 47:51 ONE OF THE GREAT MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD IS FOUND IN BERLIN, AND 47:56 NOT ALL THAT LONG AGO I WAS ACTUALLY THERE - PICKED UP A 47:59 BOOK THERE FROM, ACTUALLY, THE PERGAMON MUSEUM. 48:03 AND THE CENTERPIECE - AS YOU WALK INTO THIS MUSEUM IN THE 48:09 HEART OF BERLIN - YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE THE ALTAR - THE 48:14 RECONSTRUCTED ALTAR - OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE ALTAR OF ZEUS 48:18 - THERE AS YOU WALK IN THE MUSEUM - HUGE - TAKES UP AN 48:21 ENTIRE ROOM - AND AS YOU LOOK AT THAT ALTAR, YOU SEE THE 48:26 RECONSTRUCTED HOLLYWOOD IMAGERY. NOW, I USE THAT SOMEWHAT 48:37 GUARDEDLY, BUT IT'S REALLY TRUE. IT WAS COVERED WITH THE 48:41 HOLLYWOOD IMAGERY OF THE TIME. WHY WOULD I SAY THAT? 48:46 IT'S SHOWING A BATTLE BETWEEN THE GODS AND THERE ARE GODS LIKE 48:51 HERCULES - I THINK HE'S EVEN CREPT INTO HOLLYWOOD OF LATE. 48:55 IS THAT TRUE? SOME OF YOU ARE NODDING YOUR HEADS. 48:57 OTHERS OF YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KEEP US AS WELL 49:00 WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS AS OTHERS. 49:02 BUT THE POINT IS THESE SUPERHEROES ARE BEING DEPICTED 49:07 ON THIS RELIEF - THIS GIANT RELIEF - THIS WAS THE FOCUS OF 49:15 THE THEATRICS OF THE TIME, RIGHT? 49:17 THEY WERE ILLUSTRATING THE GODS AND THESE GREAT DRAMAS. 49:22 SO THIS IS WHAT IS THERE IN PERGAMON. AND AS YOU READ ABOUT 49:27 THIS CHURCH IN CHAPTER 2, YOU ACTUALLY SEE THAT BLOOD WAS SHED 49:33 THERE AND IT WAS A PLACE WHERE SATAN DWELT. 49:40 BUT WHAT'S SO INTERESTING, AS YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THESE 49:43 LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES, JESUS IS REVEALED AT THE BEGINNING OF 49:48 EACH LETTER AND, AS THE LESSON DRAWS OUT, THE RELEVANCE OF 49:52 JESUS' REVELATION IS SPECIFIC TO THE NEEDS OF THAT CHURCH. 49:58 DID YOU CATCH IT WITH SMYRNA? WITH SMYRNA, JESUS IS REVEALED 50:02 AS THE ONE WHO WAS DEAD AND CAME TO LIFE. 50:05 SO IT'S A CHURCH WHO'S BEING PERSECUTED, WHO SEEMS LIKE THEIR 50:08 LIFE IS BEING SNUFFED OUT. AS YOU LOOK AT THE CHURCH OF 50:11 PERGAMON, THEY'RE DWELLING WHERE SATAN'S SEAT IS. 50:15 IT LOOKS LIKE SATAN IS BEARING SWAY. 50:17 IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE WAYS OF THE WORLD BEAR SWAY IN THE 50:20 COMMUNITY AND JESUS SHOWS HIMSELF AS THE ONE WITH THAT 50:24 SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. 50:27 WHAT DOES THAT SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD REFER TO IN THE 50:31 SCRIPTURES? >>THE WORD. 50:32 >>THAT'S RIGHT, IT REFERS TO THE WORD OF GOD ITSELF. 50:34 YOU CAN FIND THAT IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 4. 50:37 AND SO GOD'S WORD IS ACTUALLY THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT. 50:44 IT'S THE STANDARD OF COMPARISON - IT'S NOT THE WORLD'S VALUES. 50:50 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CONTRAST WITH THE LAST CHURCH - I WANT 50:52 TO LOOK THERE FOR A MINUTE AND WE'LL TOUCH ON, 50:55 HOPEFULLY, A FEW OF THE OTHER CHURCHES, BECAUSE WE LOOKED AT A 50:59 CHURCH THAT SEEMED TO HAVE NOTHING - THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA - 51:02 THEY WERE POOR BUT REALLY RICH. THE LAST CHURCH OF THESE SEVEN 51:06 CHURCHES IS THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA. 51:09 THE LAODICEAN CHURCH WAS A VERY WEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS CHURCH. 51:16 IN FACT, A LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO LAODICEA - WE DON'T HAVE IT - 51:20 BUT A LETTER - PAUL WROTE A LETTER TO THE LAODICEAN CHURCH. 51:23 YOU CAN STUDY THAT OUT, BUT IT HAS NOT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. 51:27 BUT THE LAODICEANS HAD THEIR OWN MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THEY WERE A 51:31 WEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS CITY. PHILADELPHIA, THE SIXTH OF 51:36 THE CHURCHES, WAS DESTROYED SOMEWHERE AROUND 15 OR 20 AD 51:42 BY AN EARTHQUAKE AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE RECONSTRUCTED THEIR CITY. 51:48 SOME DECADES LATER LAODICEA WAS DESTROYED BY AN EARTHQUAKE. 51:54 AND WHEN ROME OFFERED TO REBUILD THEIR CITY, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY 51:57 SAID? 'NO, THANK YOU, WE DON'T NEED ANY HELP. 52:01 WE'VE GOT IT ALL TOGETHER.' THEY WERE RICH IN THE EYES OF THE 52:06 WORLD. THEY WERE INCREASED WITH GOODS. 52:08 AND, AS JESUS SPEAKS TO THEM SPIRITUALLY, THAT IS THEIR 52:12 STATE: RICH AND INCREASED WITH GOODS. 52:17 BUT WHAT DID JESUS SAY TO THE LAODICEAN CHURCH? 52:23 LET'S LOOK - REVELATION 3, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 14, "AND TO 52:31 THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS WRITE, 'THESE THINGS 52:35 SAYS THE AMEN, THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS, THE BEGINNING OF 52:41 THE CREATION OF GOD: 'I KNOW YOUR WORKS, THAT YOU ARE NEITHER 52:45 COLD NOR HOT. I COULD WISH YOU WERE COLD OR HOT. 52:49 SO THEN, BECAUSE YOU ARE LUKEWARM, AND NEITHER COLD NOR 52:51 HOT, I WILL VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH.''" AND HE GOES ON AND HE 52:55 SPEAKS ABOUT THEIR ATTITUDE, THINKING THEY HAVE EVERYTHING. 52:59 AND HE SAYS, 'WHERE YOU REALLY NEED TO GO 53:01 TO FIND WHAT YOU THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE IS WITH ME.' VERSE 53:07 18, "I COUNSEL YOU TO BUY FROM ME GOLD REFINED IN THE FIRE, 53:14 THAT YOU MAY BE RICH; AND" - IT'S IMPLIED, 'BUY FROM ME' - 53:18 "WHITE GARMENTS, THAT YOU MAY BE CLOTHED, THAT THE SHAME OF YOUR 53:22 NAKEDNESS MAY NOT BE REVEALED; AND ANOINT YOUR EYES WITH EYE 53:27 SALVE, THAT YOU MAY SEE." AND THEN WE HAVE THESE WORDS, IN 53:31 VERSE 19, "AS MANY AS I LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN." THIS IS 53:38 WHAT JESUS HAS BEEN DOING TO EACH OF THESE SEVEN CHURCHES. 53:42 AND, ALTHOUGH WE'VE ONLY TOUCHED ON SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS OF 53:45 SOME OF THEM, I WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE 53:49 CHURCHES HAS A MESSAGE FOR US TODAY. 53:52 WHETHER WE LOOK AT THE CHURCH OF THYATIRA OR SARDIS - TWO 53:57 CHURCHES WE REALLY DIDN'T TOUCH ON IN OUR STUDY - OR WHETHER WE 54:02 TALK ABOUT EPHESUS OR LAODICEA, JESUS, TO EACH ONE SAYS, 'I AM 54:07 PRESENT. I KNOW YOUR WORKS. 54:10 I'M LOOKING AT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ME, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT 54:16 HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE.' AND SO, AS WE END ON A FAIRLY SOBERING 54:22 NOTE, WITH THIS LETTER TO THE LAODICEANS, THE LETTER DOES NOT 54:29 END WITH A DISMAL JUDGMENT MESSAGE. IT ENDS THIS WAY: 54:35 "THEREFORE BE ZEALOUS AND REPENT." VERSE 20 OF REVELATION 54:40 3, "BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. 54:45 IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN 54:50 TO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. 54:54 TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES I WILL GRANT TO SIT WITH ME ON MY 54:57 THRONE, AS I ALSO OVERCAME AND SAT DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS 55:02 THRONE." HOW HARD IS IT TO OPEN A DOOR? 55:12 WELL, IT JUST DEPENDS WHO'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, 55:15 RIGHT? BUT JESUS IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AND THAT MESSAGE TO THE 55:23 LAODICEANS WERE SAID THAT EVERY ONE OF US SHOULD LISTEN. 55:27 HE CALLS US TO WHAT? >>LISTEN. 55:30 >>HE CALLS US TO REPENT, BUT HE SAYS, 'I WANT TO BE INTIMATE 55:34 WITH YOU. I WANT TO BE MORE INTIMATE WITH YOU. 55:36 OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART.' WELL, ONE THING THAT GETS IN THE 55:42 WAY WITH THAT IS WHAT OUR FREE LESSON - OUR FREE OFFER - 55:47 ADDRESSES. THE CHURCH: IS IT BABYLON? 55:51 LABELING, POINTING FINGERS, PULLING PEOPLE DOWN, PLAYING THE 55:56 WORK OF SATAN - DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? 55:59 FREE OFFER #712 - THE CHURCH: IS IT BABYLON? 56:04 YOU CAN REQUEST IT AT 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 56:07 1-866-788-3966. 56:14 >>HELLO FRIENDS, I HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. 56:16 I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT AN EXCITING EVANGELISTIC 56:19 OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOUR CHURCH THIS SPRING. 56:23 BEGINNING MARCH 21 AMAZING FACTS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 3ABN 56:27 AND THE CAROLINA CONFERENCE, WILL BE PRESENTING A FRESH NEW 56:30 7-PART TV SERIES CALLED THE LAST DAY OF PROPHECY . 56:35 THIS UNIQUE PROPHECY PROGRAM WILL PRESENT THE SABBATH TRUTH 56:38 AND THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES IN A WINSOME WAY THAT YOUR 56:41 FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL REALLY APPRECIATE. 56:44 IT'S THE IDEAL OCCASION TO INVITE YOUR COMMUNITY AND 56:47 INTRODUCE THEM TO THE BEAUTY OF THE SABBATH. 56:50 THIS IS ALSO THE PERFECT TIME IN HISTORY FOR A NET EVANGELISTIC 56:53 PROGRAM LIKE THIS. IT'S NOT TOO LATE. PLAN NOW TO GET YOUR 56:56 CHURCH OR HOME GROUP INVOLVED IN THIS SOUL-WINNING PROGRAM. 57:00 FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO LASTDAYOFPROPHECY.COM AND, OF 57:05 COURSE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM. 57:09 THE LAST DAY OF PROPHECY MARCH 21, 7:00 PM EASTERN TIME. 57:15 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 57:17 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 57:20 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 57:24 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 57:29 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 57:34 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 57:38 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:45 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:48 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:52 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:55 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:58 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 58:02 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 58:06 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 58:09 WORD. GO DEEPER. 58:11 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIME LINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 58:17 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-03-16