Sardis Revelation letter churches

Wake up Sardis, remember & repent

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This week we started looking at the letter of Jesus to the church of Sardis.

While in many of the 7 cities, Jesus addresses in Revelation, there is a connection between His concerns  and the influence that their surrounding culture was having upon them – here in Sardis this concern runs deeper.

The inroads of the culture had already long been established there. The culture had already infected the church with its casual and opulent approach to life, and in that way, it makes this church at Sardis one of the most perfect fits for churches today in first world countries.

In His very somber address to this church, Jesus draws a very tight net around the culture of Sardis and the heart condition of the church in Sardis.

The key to this and all the church letters is in how Jesus addresses Himself and the introduction He chooses here to Sardis provided a deep dive into “the seven spirits” before the throne of God.

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Old Testament Review – Exodus Part 3

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This is our third week reviewing Exodus and these are the high points we addressed:

• God speaks the “Ten Words” to Israel
• Israel recoils and requests a mediator
• God’s transparent & broken heart
• God’s intention & accommodation
• The tablets
• Moses records and reads the laws and rules
• The sins of the fathers and sour grapes

This review is intended to remind us of all we learned over the course of our 9 years studying the Old Testament. The things listed are major lessons which are often “first mentionings” of patterns, procedures, principles and truths repeated throughout scripture. Meaning, learning them early in our journey through the Bible will greatly aid us in comprehending all that comes afterwards.

Much of the foundational lessons of Exodus are not really found in Israel as much as they are in the person of Moses. At many times and in many ways, he IS the lesson, and the lessons are relational to their core!

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To Thyatira, Stop tolerating the intolerable!

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It appears the problem with the real church of Thyatira was that they were too tolerant!

They had those believers who had almost certainly stopped gathering in the assembly due to the seductions of a false prophetess, to participate in grade guilds that worshipped idols and even participate in sexual sin. This woman Jesus calls “Jezebel”.

There were four judgments being given.
1. To the faithful, they were to maintain and continue Jesus’ works until He returns.

2. Those Jesus was about to place in a condition of unavoidable distress. These had begun participating in some of Jezebel’s ways, and had almost certainly stopped fellowshipping around the faithful, but they had not fully committed to her as disciples.

3. Those Jesus was going to destroy who were identified by Jesus as her “children” meaning her proteges’. These had been part of the assembly in Thyatira but had separated some time ago. However, the text seems to imply that in one way or another, they maintained some affiliation with the church or the title of “Christian”.

4. Jezebel herself was going to be thrown into a bed of violent sickness.

For groups 3 & 4 there was no repentance offered – that ship had sailed. There only remained a fearful sense of impending doom.

Jesus identified Himself as the One Who from the secure position of total holiness, judges all with the authority of the Father. He sees everything, even down to hearts intentions and offers the faithful the same future of ruling and reigning with Him. He also promises the greatest gift of all – Himself!

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Old Testament Review – Exodus Part 2

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This is our second week reviewing Exodus and these are the high points we addressed:

• 400 years… 430 years or 179 years of bondage?
• Moses’ mom recognizes his call at his birth
• When God calls He provides
• God’s power in our weakness
• Late life does not disqualify – in fact, it may actually help
• The Hardening of Pharaoh’s heart
• The rules are for everyone – (God threatens to kill Moses)
• 3 Days in… 2½ months in… Water & Manna
• God test’s Israel’s hearts and obedience
• The Manna becomes a testimony against Israel
• Water from the Rock (which represented Christ)
• Moses discovers a new name and attribute of God
• The establishment of Israel’s tribunal
• God encounters… Israel retreats

This review is intended to remind us of all we learned over the course of our 9 years studying the Old Testament. The things listed are major lessons which are often “first mentionings” of patterns, procedures, principles and truths repeated throughout scripture. Meaning, learning them early in our journey through the Bible will greatly aid us in comprehending all that comes afterwards.

Much of the foundational lessons of Exodus are not really found in Israel as much as they are in the person of Moses. At many times and in many ways, he IS the lesson, and the lessons are relational to their core!

Continue reading→

To the Faithful in Pergamum Pt. 2

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Today we finish Jesus’ letter to the saints in Pergamum.

There are two groups of people in this church. They are addressed as “you” and “some among you”.

Those addressed as “you” are the faithful in Pergamum.

Those addressed as “some” are the unfaithful.

This letter is unique in that Jesus calls not upon the unfaithful, but upon the faithful to repent!

The repentance is a call for the faithful to judge the sin of lasciviousness in those who were unfaithful in their assembly.

To cross reference this same situation we also read from Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5 and 1 Corinthians 11. Not all of these refer to the same sin, but rather the fact that sin in the church needs to be addressed.

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