Transcript Document

Presentation 03
Presentation 03
Letters To The Seven Churches
Pergamum : 2v12-17
The Romans had made Pergamum the capital of this
province and therefore the centre of emperor worship.
There the god of healing was worshipped under the
emblem of the serpent which, to believers, was the
emblem of Satan. There was also a proliferation of
pagan alters in the city. These facts may lie behind the
description, ‘where Satan has his throne... lives’.
The significance of the two edged sword may be to the
double judgement of God, disciplining his people and
punishing the wicked. A Church member called Antipas,
a faithful witness, had already been put to death. The
Greek word for ‘witness’ is ‘martyr’ and indicates the
costliness of witnessing a good confession of faith.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Pergamum : 2v12-17
However, some in the church lived undisciplined lives. Possibly attending the
heathen festivals and participating in immorality. Hence, again the reference to
Balaam [cf. Num 22-25 Balaam having been frustrated in his attempts to earn a fat
fee by cursing Israel, seduced her through
immoral pagan orgies].
When Christians fail to maintain an attitude of war
towards evil, then they must expect God to
wage war against them cf. v16. Sobering!
Those who do resist and conquer are promised
‘hidden manna’ a reference to Christ in all his fullness?
[Jn. 6:33, 35]. The grace of Christ in all its glorious
fruits will be the hidden, invisible, spiritual fruit
they enjoy.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Pergamum : 2v12-17
A number of suggestions have been made for the background to the ‘new name’
written on the white stone, e.g. ancient jurors signified innocence by casting a
white stone into an urn, they were also issued as admission tickets to feasts and
banquets. The stone may symbolise the triumph of the faith of one who has kept
himself pure from the pressures of paganism and authenticated his faith in a
gospel that provides access into the marriage supper of the Lamb [cf. 21:7, 27].
The new name may be the name of ‘Christ the victor’ written
on the believer’s forehead [cf. the High Priest’s mitre in the
OT] or, a name given to the believer himself [Rev. 19:12
Isa. 62.2]. In scripture a person whose character has
changed is given a new name to correspond with it cf.
the new holiness of character given the believer in
heaven and so too a new name.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Thyatira: 2v18-29
Thyatira was a garrison town; a trading city full of trade guilds,
woolworkers, leather workers, dyers, tanners, potters etc.
Each guild had a guardian god. If you wanted to succeed
you had to belong to a guild. Membership of the guild
implied worship of its god. The guild festivals were
grossly immoral. To walk out meant becoming an
object of ridicule and persecution.
In this situation, a self-styled prophetess described here as
‘Jezebel’, a synonym for seduction to idolatry and immorality
[1Kings 16:29 ff.], sought to persuade church members that in
order to conquer sin, they must become thoroughly aquatinted
with it, suggesting that, - ‘experiencing fornication will help you
to become a better Christian’.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Thyatira: 2v18-29
What the prophetess claimed to be the ‘deep
things of God’ is later sarcastically described as
‘the deep things of Satan’ [v24]. God gave this
woman time to repent. What patience! Her
refusal to do so invited his sore judgement.
First through sickness/suffering [does this
suggest that the door of repentance is even
open at this late hour?] and then by the removal
of her children - literal, or, spiritual? [cf. the fate
of Jezebel’s prophets in 1Kings 18]. There is no
blanket condemnation of the church cf. v21
‘I will give to each of you as your works deserve’.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Thyatira: 2v18-29
Commendation had already been given v19 of their ‘love, faith,
service and perseverance'. Indeed, there were noticeable
improvements taking place in the church ‘your latter works
exceed the first’. Now those, who had resisted both the
pressures of the local community to conform and the ‘spiritual
advice’ of the prophetess to adopt a sin binge mentality, are
commended and encouraged to stand their ground.
To ‘hold fast’ in the Christian life takes a great deal of moral fibre.
The more we resist the more severe is the pressure. Endurance is
encouraged by the assurance of Christ’s coming. While there is
an immediate application, his coming in order to equip them to
endure. It is the prospect of the new kingdom which his reign
will establish that seems to be principally in view.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Thyatira: 2v18-29
Then for the believer there is rest from his labours! The reward
of perseverance is to enter into Christ’s Messianic rule over the
nations [Matt. 11:28, 1Cor. 6:3 Rev. 5:10]. A Messianic psalm is
loosely quoted in v27. In Rev 12:5 and 19:15 the task of
shepherding the nations is said to belong to the conquering
Christ but here we have the promise that the overcomers will
have a share in that rule.
The shattering of the potter’s vessel depicts the absolute power
of the victorious Christ and his followers over the rebel nations.
The morning star in scripture is also associated with rule and
royalty of Christ cf. 22:16. The meaning here may well be
to reinforce what has just been said, that believers, the
co-heirs with Christ, will rule with him.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Sardis: 3v1-6
The people of Sardis were known in the ancient world
for their arrogance and overconfidence. They boasted
that their city was impregnable situated as it was on
the top of a near inaccessible hill. But on two
occasions the city had been taken at night by skilful
mountain climbers scaling one of the sheer faces thus
putting the proud inhabitants of the city to shame.
The arrogant self-confidence of the city was also
found in the church. They considered themselves
not only to be a premiere league church but top
of the table. Their reputation was undeserved.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Sardis: 3v1-6
Despite a lot of outward activity, this church was in a spiritual stupor. Theirs was
a nice ‘peaceful’ fellowship! They were unaware of the danger of their situation
and are told to ‘wake up’- the enemy was scaling the walls while they slept!
The lack of spiritual life, motivation, and vision would result in the
disciplinary judgement of God unless they repented.
Despite the fact that the church seems to have succumbed to
secularisation there were a few people who had not ‘soiled
their clothes’, i.e. contaminated their Christian witness and
they are promised reward, namely to walk with Christ in white a reference to ones justification or sanctification or both.
The robe of Christ’s perfect righteousness is the gift given to the
true believer as distinct from the religious activist, they are
made white by washing in the blood of the lamb. [7:13].
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Philadelphia : 3v7-13
Philadelphia was situated at the intersection of
three roads leading to the provinces of Mysia,
Lydia and Phrygia. It was a gateway to the east
and had become a centre for the expansion of
Greek influence and culture.
The city was situated near an area of hot springs
and had been affected by earthquake in A.D. 70.
The church is given an excellent report. Jesus
describes himself as a key holder [cf. Isa. 22:22].
As a result of his death Jesus held the keys [Rev.
1:18, Matt .16:18-19; 28:18-20] to deliver men
and women from the realm of death, the penalty
of sin and the dominion of Satan.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Philadelphia : 3v7-13
The ‘open door’ that the risen Christ sets before
them is understood to be a door of opportunity
to preach the gospel where God has gone
before to create an appetite to listen and hearts
eager to receive [cf. Acts 16:14 ].
Despite the fact of their numerical minority and
lack of influence and status in society, they had
remained faithful to Christ, they had not denied
his name. It is this faithfulness that gives them
access to the spiritual power which will result in
their evangelistic success via the ‘open door’.
Faithfulness precedes fruitfulness!
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Philadelphia : 3v7-13
The risen Christ promises to ‘keep’ this church safe in the hour of
trial and give them sweet victory over their Jewish accusers. And
the form of that victory - the conversion of their persecutors!
Thirdly, the conqueror is promised the place of ‘pillar’ in God’s
temple- something that is permanent. In their recent past they had
seen buildings collapse as a result of a great earthquake but no
earthquake could fill their heart with fear in the heavenly kingdom
for nothing can shake God’s kingdom. Future security is theirs.
Finally, Christ promises that he will write upon the conqueror, God’s
name and that of the city of God and His own new name. In other
words, the conqueror will be given assurance that he belongs to
God, to the kingdom of God and to Christ.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Philadelphia : 3v7-13
During the Reformation there was a certain
man named Glover who had been miserable
for years. He had no assurance of salvation.
He found himself condemned to be burned at
the stake for his faith and as he made his way
towards it he suddenly shouted in ecstasy,
“He is come, He is come”.
At that point in time he experienced the sealing
of God by his Spirit and to the amazement of
his captors made his way to the stake with a
triumphant and joyful spirit praising God.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Laodicea: 3v14-22
Laodicea was situated at the junction of the Lycus
and Meander valleys, at the intersection of three
roads commanding the approaches to Phrygia.
This rich commercial city was the millionaire
centre of the ancient world and famous for its
wool, its medical school, its banking system and
its seat of justice.
There was a large colony of Jews in Laodicea who
were allowed their own laws. [Paul wrote to the
church here cf. Col. 4:14, 16 but the letter has
either subsequently been lost, or it may be
identical to the ‘circular’ letter to the Ephesians].
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Laodicea: 3v14-22
It would appear that many in the church interpreted
their wealth as a sign of God’s blessing, a view that
persists to the present day. The church had certainly
been influenced by the spirit of the city, the
Laodiceans were noted for their pride. They had a sort
of ‘here’s tae us whose like us’ approach to life and
were smugly self-satisfied with their spiritual state.
Jesus’ reaction towards this church reveals an
emotion that is not ascribed to him anywhere else in
this book. He is disgusted/nauseated with them! Their
religion was lukewarm, half-hearted. They were like
the local springs that produced water not cool enough
for drinking or warm enough for a hot bath.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Laodicea: 3v14-22
The words of Christ contain a provisional element
and are still words of warning, ‘I am about to spew
you out of my mouth’. Would they repent? Some
striking contrasts are set up to expose their spiritual
bankruptcy.
In the wealthiest of commercial cities they were
spiritually poor. In a city with a famous hospital
stocking the celebrated Phrygian eye-salve they
were spiritually blind. In a city that was a centre for
wool and clothing manufacture they were spiritually
naked. In their arrogance they had thought
themselves without need. They had great need but
it could only be satisfied by Christ [Isa. 55:1 ff. ].
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Laodicea: 3v14-22
The ‘gold’ of spiritual wealth begins by recognising our
own poverty of spirit [Matt. 5:3]. Their nakedness
could be covered by the ‘white garments’ of Christ’s
righteousness [Isa. 61:10; Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9]. Their
spiritual blindness required the ‘eye salve’ of Christ’s
Word [Ps. 119:130].
Verse 20 reminds us of the amazing respect that Jesus
has for the individual. He does not push open the door
of the human heart and violate our wills. He awaits our
invitation for him to become a permanent guest. And
when he comes he brings real family life into our lives.
His presence within our hearts is the only safe antidote
to Satanic attempts to quench our love for him.
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Letters To The Seven Churches
Laodicea: 3v14-22
It is certainly true that these seven letters
were addressed to seven historical churches
in the opening centuries of the life of the
church.
Yet, at the same time, throughout the entire
church age, congregations of God’s people
have fitted into one of these seven
categories.
It is incumbent upon each congregation in
every age to understand what the Spirit is
saying to them.
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