our nation with renewed dedication. Bring back the glory to America. Bring back the If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, shall humble themselves and pray, I will forgive their sin. I will forgive their sin. I will forgive their sin and heal their land. Bring back the glory. all right now it's good to have the young people in here today that are normally in another service uh... revelation chapter one and um... i've been for a long time now preaching on sunday morning on the doctrine of the church and i'm gonna continue that this morning and then at least one more on sunday morning after this this morning now i'll always tried to point out home as we have been i guess we've been talking about the church on sunday morning for the last seven or eight months but always uh... try to make it clear salvation is not found in the church not in this church not in any other church including the ones that claim you can find salvation that now you can find salvation here but it won't be through the church will be through the person of the lord jesus christ uh... he's the one that died for our sins all of us are sinners uh... and uh... in the same boat as sinners sinners owe a sin debt the wages of sin is death which includes physical death and what revelation twenty in verse Verses 14 and 15 call the second death the lake of fire. We normally call it hell. It means that if we got what we, you know, something, I just want what's coming to me. No, you don't want what's coming to you. If we all, if we got what's coming to us, all of us being sinners, we'd all have to, if we had to pay our own debt, we'd have to go to hell forever and pay on the debt, never get it paid off. But that's why Jesus came and died on the cross. He took our debt himself on the cross and paid it in full. And then three days later arose from the dead, demonstrating his power over death, hails in in the grave. and demonstrating the fact that he has the power to give life to whoever will trust him for it. And if you've never received him personally as your personal Savior, I hope that you will today. And I'm not preaching on salvation. I'm preaching on the church. After you're saved, then you ought to get in a good church and serve the Lord there. But the church itself doesn't save anybody. Jesus saves. That's what the songwriter said, and he was right. Jesus saves. At the end of the service, we'll have an invitation. We'll invite you to come if you would like to. And if you're not saved, not sure you're going to heaven, if you'll come at that time, then we'll have somebody show you some scriptures, a few verses from the Bible. about salvation and you can be saved before you leave here today and my hope is that you will be if you're not already. Revelation chapter 1 and notice here John tells us in verse 9 about some things about himself and where he was when he received this book from the Lord. He said, I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The isle of Patmos is a rocky, barren, desolate island out in the Aegean Sea and it was used by the Romans as a prison island and John was there, not because he had committed some uh... uh... crime well it might have been a crime but it wasn't it wasn't a criminal crime it was a it was a it was a a good crime uh... because what he was there for was his faithfulness to the word of god and the testimony of the lord jesus so they put him there the prisoners on patmos worked in the mines there uh... but john was there because of his testimony and and because of his spying on for the word of god and he tells us something that happened to him on a certain sunday while he was there he says in verse number two and i was in the spirit on the lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet so you know this voice that sounded like a trumpet that john heard behind him said we lost I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." Now, Alpha, you probably know, is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. And so those two expressions go right hand in hand with each other, Alpha and Omega, first and last. And the first and the last, Isaiah three times used that and said that that was one of the titles of Jehovah God, the first and the last. And that's who this is. This is the one that's speaking to him. This is Jehovah God manifested humanly in the person of Jesus Christ. So the voice said, I'm Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and the voice also said this. what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia." So he tells John, I want you to write these things in a book and send it to seven churches over in the Roman province of Asia. And then he lists the cities, the seven cities that these churches are found in. unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." So those are the seven cities where these seven churches that the Lord instructs John to send this message to are located. Now, the actual messages to these seven churches are found in chapters 2 and 3. Now, let me do this right quick. Chapter 2, verse 1, unto the angel of the church of Ephesus." Right. And then down through verse 7 is the message to the church at Ephesus. Verse 8, "...and unto the angel of the church in Smyrna." Right. Now, are you comparing these to where he told them to send the messages? Back in chapter 1, verse 11, he said, send the message to the seven churches. And he said Ephesus. Well, chapter 2, 1 through 7, there's Ephesus. Now, then he said to Smyrna, chapter 2, verse 8, unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write, and the message to Smyrna goes down through verse 11. Then you get to verse 12 of chapter 2, and to the angel of the church in Pergamos write. The third city in chapter 1 verse 11 was Pergamos. Now the message to Pergamos beginning there in chapter 2 verse 12 continues down through verse 17. And then the fourth city back in chapter 1 verse 11 was Thyatira in chapter 2 verse 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira, right? And the message to Thyatira continues through the end of chapter 2. Then chapter 3 and verse 1, the 5th of the cities mentioned in chapter 1 verse 11 was Sardis. Now chapter 3 verse 1, and under the angel of the church in Sardis, right? And down through verse 6 is the message to Sardis. The 7th city mentioned in chapter 1 verse 11 was Philadelphia, and that's not Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I've had people ask me that. That's not Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That's Philadelphia that used to be over in, well, what's now Turkey. Verse 7, and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right? And down through verse 13 is the message to the church in Philadelphia. And then the final city that he mentioned back in chapter 1, verse 11, the seventh city was the city of Laodicea. And in verse 14 of chapter 3, and unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, right? And the message to the church in Laodicea continues through the end of chapter 3. And so then you have these seven churches. Now, I've been preaching for the last couple of months about these seven churches. We've looked at each of the churches individually and the message that the Lord gave to them. Now, I'm going to do something this morning that you're going to have to listen on purpose and pay close attention, because it deals—you know, if you want to sleep, the best thing to do is get up and go back home and get in bed. I said, by listening. I'm serious. Church ain't the place to sleep. though many people take it as that. We're not a hotel, you know. If you're really, really bad off and so sleepy, you just absolutely cannot hold your eyes open. Maybe we can find a cot somewhere around here for you or something. But, seriously, I never understand, you know, why go to church to sleep? Wouldn't you be more comfortable in bed? Now, I'm talking both to young people and old people. You get a certain age, you kind of earn the right to sleep. Curtis Hudson told me, don't worry about them that sleep. They trust you. Worry about those that stay awake. but but seriously you are going to have to follow me closely and on purpose because i'm going to uh... now if you're a preacher or a serious bible student you probably may already know this uh... some will never have heard of what i'm going to talk about today but uh... using uh... these churches i'm going to uh... and by the way what i'm going to give you is i think you know that this is not Something that up now What Jesus said here to these churches obviously is the Word of God But the viewpoint that I'm going to look at it through this morning I'm not a hundred percent convinced of it but i'm i'm i'm i'm moving up on the left you know long time i've changed my view actually when i first got so i started studying this i thought there was nothing to this but now i think there may be you just you listen to all your own conclusion but again be aware if you're not so you've none of us has anything to do with you really you need jesus is who you need and you can trust him today and be safe father would you please Forgive my sins now and help me as I try to bring this message. Help me to say what I ought to say and leave out what I shouldn't say. I pray that you might edify and uplift and strengthen those who are your people. And I do pray that if there are those with us this morning that have never had a time in their life when they personally trusted Christ as Savior, that they might do so today. Please now help us to focus our minds on the Word of God. and remove from our minds that which would distract. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me unction and power and help me to preach with clarity this morning. In Jesus' name, amen. And so the Lord then commanded John to write to the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, as we saw in chapter 1, and then in chapters 2 and 3, the messages to these churches are given. Now remember the seven churches, the first one Ephesus, the second one in Smyrna, the third one in Pergamos, the fourth one in Thyatira, the fifth one in Sardis, the sixth one in Philadelphia, and the seventh one in Laodicea. Now, in a previous study, probably seven, eight weeks ago, we learned that there are three viewpoints concerning these messages and how to approach them, and so follow me here now. In fact, I preached a sermon just on this. when we first started looking at these churches, but three ways of viewing them. First, there's the contemporary view, and let me say that that view is 100% accurate. The contemporary view simply says that there were seven local churches in the Roman province of Asia in the seven cities indicated, which were in existence at the time John wrote, And these messages are first and foremost messages to these seven literal churches in these seven literal cities. In other words, this contemporary viewpoint simply says that there actually was, when John wrote the book of Revelation, there was a local church in the city of Ephesus that had left its first love. There was a local church in the city of Smyrna that was suffering from poverty and persecution. There was a literal local church in the city of Pergamos that was worldly and overly tolerant. There was a literal local church in the city of Thyatira that was dominated by false doctrine and error which centered around a woman that was promulgating it. Then there was a literal local church in the city of Sardis that had a better reputation than was her true condition. There was a literal local church in the city of Philadelphia that had an open door of God's blessing, and there was a literal local church in the city of Laodicea that had become lukewarm in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that's the contemporary viewpoint, that there were these seven literal local churches in the cities indicated that had the problems indicated in the messages sent to them. That is the contemporary viewpoint. And then secondly, There's what they call the composite viewpoint. Now this view is also 100% accurate and there's a twofold way of applying this viewpoint. Number one, the messages to these seven churches are to be applied as needed by all churches throughout the New Testament age because these types of churches or churches with the characteristics of these churches will always be in existence somewhere throughout the New Testament age. And so then, and then the second way of making application of this composite viewpoint is that the messages to these churches are to be applied by individuals in all churches throughout the New Testament age because there will be individuals in the churches that correspond to the various characteristics of these churches here in Revelation. And then we come to the third viewpoint. Now, follow me here and stay with me. That's known as the chronological viewpoint. Now, again, I'm not dogmatic about this interpretation and viewpoint, but I think and am becoming more and more convinced that there's something to it. The chronological viewpoint says that in addition, listen now, in addition to the other two viewpoints which are accurate, that God also does a third thing in these messages to the seven churches And that is that he sets forth a prophetic chronology of the church as a whole throughout the New Testament age from the time John wrote Revelation at the conclusion of the apostolic age at the end of the first century until the time of Christ's return. Or stated another way, the Lord gives a foreview of seven stages in the development of the church as a whole throughout the New Testament age until the end time. Now again, I'm not dogmatic about this viewpoint. It's not something I'd argue about or fight about. But as I've studied these messages to the seven churches through the prism not of church history but of secular history, I've become more and more convinced and persuaded that there probably is truth to this view. Now then, before I show you the seven stages, I'm going to have to move quick, in order to get through. Let me say several things about this viewpoint and about how to approach it. Number one, this viewpoint is a very, very general viewpoint. It paints with a very broad brush and we can't be too rigid in how we view these things. You know, some people try to pinpoint things too specifically using this view. You know, the Smyrna Age, that began on October the 6th, 97 AD, and it ended on June the 4th, 313 AD. Now listen, you can't be that specific. You can't be that rigid. This viewpoint looks at matters from the standpoint of giving a very general and broad overview of things, not a steadfast and rigid rule where there's no room for fluctuation. So that's the first thing to keep in mind. Second thing, There is a good deal of overlapping in this viewpoint. This viewpoint does not mean, for example, that the Sardis age ended on some specific date and on that same date the Philadelphia age began and that all of the Sardis-type churches then became Philadelphia-type churches on that day. That's not that and that's not the idea. There's a good bit of overlapping in several, if not all, of these types of churches will exist up to the end time, and that's especially true of the last four churches. Then the third thing that I need to point out is that in making application of these messages to the churches, don't try to make every little minute detail mean something. rather approach it like you approach the parables where the main things are emphasized and not every little minute detail. And then the fourth thing is this, the key to using this method is to see it as representing, listen to me, the dominant feature of the church as a whole during the time period that I'm talking about. And so then in a nutshell, here's what this viewpoint says. It says that in a broad general overview of church history, there are seven stages in which the dominant and prevailing features of the church as a whole paralleled the dominant and prevailing features of the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. Now, exceptions to the dominant feature could be found in all ages, but the emphasis is on what was the dominant feature during the age that is spoken of. And so now, let's get to it, and I'll move as quickly as I can. So pay attention, try to anyway. and let's see what we can learn. First then would have come the Ephesus age, chapter 2, verses 1 through 7. I'm going to try to read these messages as I go very, very quickly. So chapter 2, verse 1, unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand. who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love, Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, to him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God." And so then, here you have the message to the church of Ephesus and the way we're looking. And it was a literal church that had the problem of having left its first love and the message is to be applied by all churches throughout the New Testament age. But in the way that we're looking at it this morning, the Ephesus age represents the church as it was at the time John wrote the book of Revelation, which would be of the church at the close of the apostolic age, at the end of the first century. Now, it's interesting the word Ephesus is a word that means desirable or beloved, and that's a good description of the church at that time, at the end of the first century. When John was writing this book, in the message to this church, Jesus says more specific and particular good things in praise of it than he says to any of the seven churches, and this is the only one of the seven messages to mention the word apostles in it. The rebuke from Jesus to this church was that while this church was a good and a praiseworthy church, yet the church had left her first love. Now, you contrast the church at the beginning of the apostolic age, which you can read about in the early chapters of the book of Acts. And what you find is that at that point the church was absolutely fervent and passionate in their love for Christ, in their love for one another, and in their love for the lost. But as the apostolic age continued through the decades of the first century, you can tell by reading the New Testament epistles that various problems came into the church so that by the time John, the last apostle to still be alive, wrote the book of Revelation at the end of the first century, the church as a whole still loved the Lord and was a good church, but that passionate, fervent, some would say fanatical love for the Lord Jesus Christ that characterized the church earlier had cooled off somewhat. The church had left her first love. And so then the age of Ephesus, the Ephesus age, represents the church as a whole as it was at the time John wrote the book of Revelation at the end of the Apostolic Age, at the end of the first century. And then secondly comes the Smyrna Age, if you'll notice chapter 2 and beginning in verse 8. And under the angel of the church in Smyrna, right, These things saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive. I know thy works in tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Now, the Smyrna Age represents the church as it was from the end of the Apostolic Age, the end of the first century, up to the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine around 312-313 AD. This was the time of the terrible sufferings of the church under the persecutions of pagan Rome. Now, the word smyrna is a form of the word myrrh. Myrrh was a substance that came to be associated with suffering. It was used as a pain-killing drug, and it was also used for embalming the dead. And so then, smyrna, a word which has to do with suffering, And in this message to the church, we find that this age was the age of the suffering, poverty-stricken, persecuted church. Jesus spoke in the verses, as we read, of 10 days of tribulation for this church. Now, first and foremost, That means that that church in Smyrna that existed at that time would have ten days of special suffering that they would have to endure. But applied in the way we're looking at it chronologically, John Fox, the author of Fox's Book of Martyrs, says that there were ten specific times of official persecution of God's people by the Roman Empire and many see these ten days that Jesus talks about that they would suffer persecution related this way that it represents the day that the ten edicts went into effect calling for persecution on God's church. It was during this period of church history that multitudes of God's men and God's people were put to death by pagan Rome in this very city of Smyrna, some probably fifty-five, sixty years after John wrote this, one of his converts, a guy by the name of Polycarp, was the bishop, the pastor of the church in Smyrna, and they took Polycarp and bound him to the stake to take his life, and someone asked him as he was bound to the stake if he would renounce Christ Polycarp answered, eighty and six years have I served the master, and he never did me wrong. How shall I then deny him? And he gave his life as a martyr. And understand, by the way, what a martyr isn't somebody that flies a plane into a building. But Polycarp gave his life as a martyr and went home to heaven through the fiery stake and set that example for us in this age of suffering. It was during this age of the suffering church that the great preacher Tertullian made the statement that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. And so then you have the Ephesus age, representing the church at the conclusion of the apostolic age, the end of the first century, We have the Smyrna Age, representing the next couple of hundred years after that, during the persecutions of pagan Rome. And then thirdly, we come to the Pergamos Age. Now, notice in chapter 2, verse 12, and to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things say of he which hath the sharp sword with two edges, I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. And thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it." Now, the Pergamos age represents what the church became, starting with the time of the Roman emperor Constantine, 312-313 AD, and then for the next couple of centuries thereafter. The word Pergamos is a word which means exalted, elevated. The word for marriage comes from the root word that the word Pergamos comes from. Now what happened was that the Emperor Constantine, he exalted and he elevated Christianity by officially recognizing and favoring it as the religion, the religion of the Roman Empire. But in receiving this temporal and worldly exaltation and elevation, the Church compromised her purity and became married to the present world system. Jesus rebuked this Pergamos church for tolerating what he calls the doctrine of Balaam, which if you study it, what you'll realize is that the doctrine of Balaam is the doctrine of no separation. It's a breakdown of separation to the point that you can't tell the difference between God's people and the devil's crowd. And so then, this church in Pergamos and in this Pergamos age was exalted and favored by the Roman emperor, but in receiving the temporal and worldly exaltation and elevation, the church compromised her purity and became married to this world system. Jesus said they tolerated the doctrine of Balaam, the breakdown of separation, and during this age of church history, separation broke down between the church and the world as the church received the approval of the world and became part and parcel of this present world system by being married to the state. And then Jesus also rebuked them for tolerating the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Now, the next time I preach, I'm going to preach on the Nicolaitans. At this point, suffice it to say, that the doctrine of the Nicolaitans refers to priestly domination of the laity. And it was during this age of church history, as Catholicism developed, that the doctrine of priestly rule came to the forefront and became commonplace. And so then you have the Ephesus age, the Smyrna age, the Pergamos age, and then the Thyatira age. Notice chapter 2, verse 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last be more than the first, notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works, but unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already. Hold fast till I come. and he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my Father, and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Now, the Thyatira Age represents what we might call the Church of the Dark Ages as it developed in Catholicism, both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. And so the church of the Thyatira age would represent what the church was from around 500 AD to around 1500 AD. Now, the word Thyatira comes from two words which together mean continual sacrifice. Interestingly, during this Thyatira age, the doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass became prominent. Some interesting things about the message to this church. The Lord Jesus brags on this church for many good works. Interestingly, during these years of the Thyatira Age, many good works were performed by the church. Hospitals were founded, homes for the destitute, things like that were founded during this Thyatira Age. In Thyatira, you have an intensification of the Pergamos error of the doctrine of Balaam. And you can see that if you simply compare chapter 2 and verse 14, what he said to the Pergamos church, In chapter 2 and verse 20, what he says about the Thyatira church, so things continued on out of the Pergamos age into the Thyatira age, only the errors were intensified. in Thyatira, and then the false teaching and error in the Thyatira church centered around and were promulgated by a female, the Lord calls her Jezebel, and points out that she called herself a prophetess, which means that she was claiming infallibility when speaking for God. Now, it's interesting that during this Thyatira age, of church history, false doctrines of the cult of the female came to the forefront. It was during this age that the cult of Mary, Mariolatry, and worshipping Mary came to the forefront and became the big thing. Maybe that's why to this church and to this church only, In the entire book of Revelation, it's to this church that Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God. See, he understood that during this age, Mary, his mother, was going to be exalted to an unscriptural position, not only an unscriptural position but an anti-scriptural. position, and Mary began to be worshipped during this. Now they'll tell you they don't worship her, but when you start to break it down what they actually believe about Mary, they believe you can't go directly to Jesus because Jesus is mean. You've got to get the heart of wonderful Mary and get her to go to Jesus for you and all this kind of stuff. Absolutely unscriptural. Mary was a godly woman, but Mary was a who had to be saved by the son that she gave birth to, just like everybody else. And she said that in that prayer she prayed, that prayer of praise called the Magnificat. She said, My soul doth rejoice in God my Savior. You know who needs a Savior? a sinner and that prayer indicates that Mary understood herself to be a sinner just like the rest of us but God used her to bring his son into the world and Mary got saved by trusting her son just like we get saved by trusting her son. It was during this age of church history that the concept of Holy Mother Church came about and the claim that the church is infallible. That's what the infallibility of the Pope is about. When the Pope speaks on behalf, in his official capacity, as the head of the church, which he's not, but that's what they call him, that he's infallible. Holy Mother Church cannot be wrong in her interpretation. That's why you can't interpret the Bible for yourself. You've got to find out what all the holy fathers and everybody said it meant 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 1,000 and 1,500 years ago. in order to know what it means. All of this came about during this church age of Thyatira. And many Bible students see this expression of the church as being what ultimately morphs into the one-world religious system of Revelation chapter 17, where the Lord refers to it as the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. And then, fifthly, comes the Sardis age, chapter 3, verse 1. Under the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know thy works that thou hast to name, that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with thee in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I'll not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Now the church in Sardis, this age, represents the church of the Reformers and the Reformation, the Protestant groups beginning around 1500. The word sardis means remnant or escaped ones. The Reformation church escaped the clutches of Thyatira, a Thyatiran Catholic heresy, to a large extent. But the message to this church, this church is rebuked for, number one, having a good reputation but a bad condition, They had a name of being alive, but they were in reality dead. That's a pretty good description of most Protestant groups and most Protestant churches. And then he rebuked this church because he said, I've not found thy works perfect. The word perfect means complete. before God. You see, they stopped short of where they should have been. The Reformers escaped some of the more blatant errors of Catholicism, but they didn't complete the job. They didn't go far enough. They stopped short. If the Bible position is over here, And the Roman Catholic position or Eastern Catholic position is over here. The Reformers started over here and they moved toward the Bible but they didn't come all the way to the Bible. They stopped short. Their works weren't complete. And that's why you go into a Protestant church today and you'll find a lot of trappings that's left over from Catholicism. That's why they have the high church ritual. Well, they got that from the Roman Catholicism. That's why they baptized babies. They got that from Roman Catholicism. And so then, they came toward the Bible, but they didn't come to the Bible. Okay, now, so the Sardis age. Then comes the Philadelphia age. Can you stay with me for just a few more minutes? Okay, I'll take that as being enthusiastic enough. Chapter 3, verses 7 through 13. and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem. which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I'll write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The church at Philadelphia, this represents the Bible-based Christ-confessing church of the end time, the so-called evangelical movement. The beginning of this started with the missionary movement, the modern-day missionary movement, around the mid to late 1700s and continues up to the Rapture. As you know, the word Philadelphia means brotherly love and the message to this church, one, was that they had an open door of God's blessing as the end-time church has sent out missionaries all over the world. God has opened doors of blessing and opportunity and has brought salvation to millions of people across the world. And then it's this church that gets the great pre-tribulation rapture promise of verse 10 where the Lord said, "...because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly." The pre-tribulation rapture promise, you see, the church of the Philadelphia age is the church, or at least one part of it, that will be raptured out before the tribulation begins. Now let me say, that much of the time period of the Philadelphia Age overlaps and runs concurrently with the next time period, that of the Church of Laodicea, with the Philadelphia Church providing the true witness for Christ and his Word in the midst of the end-time apostate, lukewarm Laodicean mindset. And that brings us then to the seventh and final stage, and that's the Laodicean Age, verses 14 through 22 of chapter 3, and under the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, right? These things saith the Ammon, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot, so then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father, in his throne, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Now, the Laodicean Age, this represents the apostate, lukewarm church of the last days beginning with the so-called modernist movement of the late 1800s and continuing to the end time, running much of the time on a parallel track with the Philadelphia church age, the word Laodicea comes from two words which together mean people's rights or people's opinions or people's customs. Brother, you couldn't find anything better than that to describe the modern-day expression of the church overall. People's rights, that seems to be what's the concern about this type of church nowadays. What do the people want? might I remind you that the church is supposed to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and the question is not what do the people want? The question is supposed to be what does the Lord want? Now, this Laodicean church is described as being materially rich spiritually apathetic and self-satisfied and completely unaware of their spiritual poverty. Jesus is pictured with this church as being on the outside of the church knocking to come in. But only some individuals will open their heart's door to let Jesus in. Do you notice the change in number? It changes from plural to singular in verse 20. He's talking to this church and he says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock if any man, talking about an individual, hear my voice and open the door, I'll come into him and will sup with him and he with me." In other words, the church was in such terrible spiritual condition, Jesus knew he couldn't expect the church as a whole to open the door and let him in, so he extends this invitation to the individuals on the inside saying, if you'll open your heart's door, I'll come into you and bring salvation and fellowship, you see. There's no second coming promise given to this church of Laodicea. Apparently in the end time Laodicean age, which I take to be the age we're living in, that the church, and I'm talking about the church as a whole, not any one particular church, is so filled with unconverted people that most of them will be left behind when Jesus comes again, so he doesn't even give a second coming promise to this church. I know I've given you a whole lot of material, too much for you to remember. I'm aware of that. But I hope you at least kind of got the idea. of how this view works. And again, some people think that this viewpoint's invalid. And I used to think that myself. But the more that I've studied it and compared it to secular history, which by the way, you can't study secular history without church history entering into it. It's impossible. It can't be done. And so it's interesting how well this view fits church history. Now, let me finish by saying what I said at the start. If you're not saved, if you can't go back in your mind at some point in your life when you purposely and deliberately called upon the Lord Jesus Christ and asked Him to come into your heart and be your Savior, you need be saved, and you don't get saved by coming to church. Now, I'm glad you come to church. I'm glad you're here. I hope you come back. But whether you come to church or don't come to church, Jesus is the one that saves. And he's the only one that can say, he said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. And if you're not saved, I hope that you'll come today and trust Christ and get that matter settled. Father, I pray now that you'll take these things that we have brought forth this morning, and I pray that you'll make them understandable to your people and build them up as a result. I do pray, if there's anybody here who's never trusted Christ,