Revelation: Lesson 2

Overview

How Should We Approach the End Times?

As Lutherans, we hold to amillennialism: there is the church age, then Christ's second coming to judge, and then eternity—no secret rapture, no literal thousand-year earthly reign. Sometimes Lutherans jokingly call themselves "pan-millennialists"—it will all "pan out" because it is all in God's hands. The serious truth behind the joke is this: studying Revelation should not produce anxiety or an obsession with decoding signs. Each of us is already living in our own end times, and God walks with us through them. Speculation that fixes our attention on worldly timelines pulls us away from the work God has called us to: proclaiming Christ and serving those around us.

Christ in the Midst of His Churches

Revelation opens with John exiled on Patmos, where he receives a vision of the risen Christ Revelation 1:11-18. Jesus appears clothed in a long robe with a golden sash, hair white as snow, eyes like flame, feet like burnished bronze, voice like rushing waters, holding seven stars, with a sharp two-edged sword from his mouth. He declares, "I am the Alpha and the Omega... I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades."

Two images carry pastoral weight: Christ stands in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (the churches), not far off, and he holds the seven stars (the angels of the churches) in his right hand. The Lord of the church is near to his church and holds her secure.

Words to Seven Real—and Representative—Churches

The letters in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 addressed real congregations in Asia Minor, but, like Paul's letters to Timothy, they speak to the whole church. We are Ephesus. We are Smyrna. Each letter follows a pattern: Christ identifies himself, names what is good, names what must be repented of, warns of consequences, and promises blessing to the one who conquers.

• Ephesus — Commended for endurance and rejecting false apostles and the Nicolaitans, but rebuked for abandoning their first love. Repent and return, or the lampstand will be removed.
• Smyrna — A suffering, impoverished, yet spiritually rich church. Christ's word is, "Do not fear what you are about to suffer... Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." The faithful will not be hurt by the second death.
• Pergamum — Faithful even where Antipas was martyred, but tolerating the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans—being wooed into idolatry and sexual immorality. Repent, or Christ will war against them with the sword of his mouth.
• Thyatira — Growing in love, faith, service, and endurance, yet tolerating "Jezebel," a false prophetess teaching fornication and idolatry. To those who hold fast: rule with Christ and receive the morning star.
• Sardis — A reputation for being alive, but dead. A few have not soiled their garments. Wake up, hold fast, and you will walk in white.
• Philadelphia — A faithful church set before an open door for the gospel. Hold fast; Christ will make them a pillar in God's temple.
• Laodicea — Lukewarm—neither hot nor cold. Self-satisfied and unaware of their wretchedness. Yet Christ stands at the door and knocks Revelation 3:20, offering purification, healing, and a place with him on his throne.

Pastoral Application

Several themes press on us. The danger of "anything goes." The Nicolaitans and the followers of Balaam and Jezebel reframed sin as freedom. Paul confronts the same logic in 1 Corinthians 6:12-13: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." When we say, "I know this is wrong, but Jesus will forgive me," that "but" is the problem. By God's grace we are forgiven through honest confession and repentance—not through presumption.

The danger of tolerance toward false teaching. Thyatira's failure was not active heresy but permitting it. Our authority is not the world's shifting standards but God's word. We can be kind without being silent.

The danger of lukewarmness. Laodicea is the most sobering letter. A faith that is merely present—neither passionate nor honest about its need—is the one Christ threatens to spit out. Yet even there, Jesus knocks, ready to enter and dine with whoever opens the door.

The comfort. To every church, in every condition, Jesus identifies himself first. He sees the works, the toil, the suffering, and the compromise. He calls his people to repent because he intends to bless: the tree of life, the crown of life, hidden manna, a white stone, the morning star, white garments, a name confessed before the Father, a place at his throne. These letters prepare the church to hear the rest of Revelation with open ears and open hearts—ready to repent, ready to endure, and ready to receive the hope of what is to come.

Transcript

Let's pray. 3s

Lord, we thank you so much. 5s

We thank you for the promises that are given to us through your word and that are answered 7s

for us through Jesus. 13s

Lord, we thank you so much for your awesomeness, for your goodness, for your glory. 16s

We ask that you would walk with us today during our time of study as you continue to walk with us every day, 22s

whether we are in church service or not, we know that you are with us always. 31s

Help us to keep our lips open proclaiming your good news and help us to work alongside you, alongside one another, 38s

to grow and expand your kingdom to and for your glory. 49s

Lord, we lift this to you in the name of Jesus, amen. 54s

I'm like thrown off by the skipping. 59s

Okay, so let's go ahead. 61s

No, no, it's all good. 64s

We never apologize for skipping. 65s

That is all sorts of good. 67s

Okay, so we're going to open up to Revelation. 71s

So, a couple of things just really quickly. 75s

So last week we defined some terms. 80s

And if you were not here last week, go back and watch you too. 83s

Watch the class because we do have it on there. 90s

We have it recorded. 92s

And I need to give Steve, okay, I'm saying this now. 95s

It's that out loud processing, but someone please remind me if some of the verses are not in the comment section, 99s

remind me that I need to give some verses to Steve because there are going to be more verses that we have, 108s

that we don't get to go over every single verse. 117s

So I want to make sure that I get as much as I can to you or for you. 121s

So we talked about the different understandings of end times. 126s

And it's really interesting, a couple of things. 134s

So we had the post-millennialism and remember that millennial is that 1,000 years. 136s

And we have the post-millennialism, the historic pre-millennialism. 141s

Okay, that horn out there for a second, I thought, is that the trumpet? 148s

Lord, well, we have the dispensational pre-millennialism, which this is what most people are familiar with, 158s

where it begins with that rapture. 168s

And then we have the omelennialism, which denies a literal 1,000 years. 172s

This is what we as Lutherans hold to, that we have the church age. 180s

There's the second coming when Christ will come to judge, and then we have the rest of eternity, right? 189s

So all eternity. 197s

And there's not this secret rapture, there's nothing, you know, quiet about it. 198s

I forgot one, because this is what we would hold to, but really as Lutherans, you know, 205s

it's been brought up a couple of times over the past week that, you know, I've never studied Revelation. 213s

I've been Lutheran, I've never studied this, or it's also been brought up, why are people so obsessed with studying the end times? 217s

And that brings us to really a really good Lutheran response, which is that we are pan-millennialists. 226s

Everything will pan out. 243s

Everything will pan out, all is well, because it is all in God's control. 245s

That was a joke. 251s

We are not, I mean, like this isn't a real. 252s

Don't, no, this is not a real. 254s

They're all like, oh, we have a fifth. 256s

Good, good. 258s

This is a joke. 259s

This is to lighten. 261s

Hold a bumble. 263s

Okay, so. 265s

So, but no, there is a reality in that, you know, we don't, in studying end times, 270s

we shouldn't get caught up and worried and concerned, because we're all in our own end times. 278s

We are all in our own end times. 287s

And God is with us, and He is leading us, and praise be to Him that He uses us as His imperfect vessels in which to abide and to proclaim His perfect word. 291s

And so, so our, you know, we shouldn't fret as a Christian people. 304s

We should not fret over end times. 311s

We should not be seeking out separate signs or different signs, because that gets us off course of who we are as a Christian people. 313s

It gets our attention focused on really worldly things and worldly timelines instead of God and His purpose and His work in this world, and how He may be calling each of us to work and serve Him by serving those around us. 325s

So, I'm going to just quickly tell you what we're, what the plan is for the rest of our study time these next five weeks. 345s

So, so last week we just kind of did that overview, clarifying some, some terms, clarifying a variety of understandings or viewpoints of revelation. 355s

Today we're going to talk about the letters to the seven churches. 367s

Then we're going to take a couple of weeks, and we're going to look at those cycles, those three cycles with the, with the bowls of wrath, the, the, there are seven, seven bowls, seven sensors, and, and so we're going to look at the seven cycles of that time. 374s

And then we're going to, so that's one, today, today, and then the day, and then we have three more? Yes. Okay, so then we're going to, we're going to look at what the new, and that may take us three, I don't know. 393s

We're going to look at the new, the new Jerusalem, the, the fullness of time when, when we are all resurrected, and then we're going to take some time to really dig into some of the, the symbolic things. 407s

Like we're going to talk about the four horsemen, we're going to talk about the dragon, we're going to talk about the woman. 425s

So we'll dig into those. So that being said, because revelation, I mean, we could, we could go for years in studying revelation. There's a lot. So this is a broad study, but being a broad study, if you have any specific questions or thoughts or, you know, that, that you just want to get out there or, or ask, 432s

email them to me, because then I know, just like we've done in other classes, where it's a broader topic, and you have questions, then I know, like, oh, okay, so this is what, because we're all different, and we're going to have different things, different questions pop up. 460s

God's word is the same. God's word is not, unchanging. So, so we'll dig in together, but, but that will let me know, you know, what's, what's going on in your brains. 476s

Does that make sense? Awesome. Okay. So we're going to look at, at the beginning of revelation. So John is, he is in Patmos, in Ireland, off of, off of Asia. Oh, you can't see that, can you? That would be really handy. 488s

So, we've got, all right. So here's a land mass. Okay. It's a land mass. This is ocean. Here's Patmos where John is, and it tells us that he is there because of God's word. 519s

So he's been banished to this island, and he has, he has this vision. Jesus comes to him, and then he's writing to seven churches. There's, pergamum, there's thiatira. 544s

Let's see here, Smirna, which the first, this is a total off whatever, every time I hear Smirna, I think of Smirna, Georgia, because that was my first understanding. And then we have sardis, we have Philadelphia, which, this is another, I like this one. 564s

So Philadelphia, so Philadelphia in the United States, we refer to this as the city of brotherly love, but Philadelphia in the Greek is feminine. 584s

So, city of sisterly love, with a lot of brothers. Okay. So, then brothers and sisters everywhere, Ephesus and Leo Dyssia. So one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. 594s

So, these are actual churches that are being written to. These are actual churches that are being written to. However, however, these churches, just as we, we gain from Paul's writings to specific people like Timothy, we have revelation, we have a word for the churches, but it's for us. 611s

As the church, it's for all churches. So, so we don't just look at these churches and go, oh, can you believe what Smirna was doing? You know, because we are Smirna, we are Ephesus, we are, we are part of the church. So, let's first look at, at the description of Jesus in Revelation 1. 640s

So, so he, so John hears this voice saying, right in a book, this is in Revelation 1, verse, beginning in verse 11, where, where he says he heard an loud voice, this, this voice saying, right in a book, what you see, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smirna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Leodicea. 669s

Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands, I saw one like the Son of Man clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace. And his voice was like the sound of men 692s

and water. In his right hand, he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force. So he tells us, then this man standing there, who is in the midst of these seven golden lampstands, who has the seven stars in his right hand, and he tells, John, don't be afraid. 722s

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I love this. In verse 18, he says, I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 751s

So right from the start, we know that this is Jesus, that he has died, that he has risen, he is no longer dead. I love that he is in the midst of the seven lampstands. It shows us as a people that he is in the midst of the churches. He doesn't stand far off. He doesn't keep a distance. He is right there. 768s

And he holds the church in his right hand. He holds those seven stars in his right hand. 795s

So he explains that to us, what right what you have seen, this is continuing in verse 19, what is and what is to take place after this, as for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 809s

Okay, so then we're going to get into these words for each of the churches. Now the intent of this beginning, the intent of this prologue, the intent of these letters to the churches is so that they will be ready to hear what John is going to see. 830s

So this is a preparation for hearing the rest of Revelation. So we have a letter to each church and it's preparing them to not only hear what John is going to say but to have that open ear, that open heart so that they will repent and that they will come to the Lord. 851s

So let's begin with the first with the first church, Ephesus. 877s

So to the angel of the church in Ephesus, these are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 887s

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evil doers. You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them to be false. 898s

I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name and that you have not grown weary. 912s

So right here we're seeing Jesus is not far off. He knows what they have been going through. He knows that they have been enduring. 920s

He knows that they have had trials for the sake of his name but they are bearing up. He says in verse 4, 930s

I have this against you that you have abandoned the love that you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. 939s

If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. Yet this is to your credit. You hate the works of the nickelite, nickelite, nickelite, which I also hate. 950s

We're going to talk about that in a second. Let anyone who has an ear listened to what the spirit is saying to the churches, to everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. 963s

So we know that there are false apostles. We know that through other scripture we know that there are those in the church who are trying to push gnosticism, the letters that John wrote, 979s

first John, second John, third John, those deal with the gnosticism, with that secret knowledge, these false teachers. In those he says, beware. 997s

And the nickelite, nickelite, nickelite, nickelite, so that is probably a group. There are a couple of things that are possible with these people. And we see them in another one. 1008s

So in the next church letter, we see these people as those, compared to those who followed Baelum, that's from the Old Testament. 1028s

There's so much. It's like all on top of each other. 1047s

So the nickelite, nickelite, they were probably, so they would have been gnostic, but they also were probably wooing the people, the believers away from God to false gods. 1050s

So that is where the story of Baelum, he is being used to try to woo the people of God in the Old Testament. 1071s

The other thing that is very likely is that part of what these false teachers, these false faith leaders would do, was that they would woo the people away from the true God. 1084s

And then they would bring in pagan practices. A huge pagan practice was the cult prostitutes, a lot of sexual immorality. 1103s

So in Corinthians 2, we read about, or first Corinthians, 5 and 6, and 7, we read about this, where Paul is writing to the church, and he's talking about the sexual immoralities that are there. 1116s

And in chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians, he says, he says, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. 1136s

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated for anything, or by anything, food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy both one after the other. 1146s

The body is meant not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1156s

And it goes on to talk about being joined or united to a prostitute, and that is a harm, a sin against the own person. 1163s

So if you have these unbelievers, or pagan followers, who are wooing, and they say, well, it's not unlawful. 1176s

And so they try to use God's word in saying, no, no, no, this has already been fulfilled. Christ has answered for this, and so anything is lawful. 1186s

And I think that we do that ourselves. We try to live in that anti-nomialism, that anti-law, that, well, anything goes, because we're forgiven. 1197s

Yes, no, no, yes. Right? When we sin intentionally, we're sinning intentionally. 1210s

When we are sinning intentionally, we are saying, I don't care about what you have to say, Lord, it's when we repent. We confess our sins, we repent of our sins. 1222s

We are promised forgiveness. Jesus says to the church, he says, what you lose on earth will be lost in heaven, what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. 1233s

When we do not repent of our sins, this is why we say in our confession, sins known and unknown, because we do have sins that are unknown. 1247s

But have you ever heard or said this yourself? I know this is wrong, but I know this is wrong, but Jesus will forgive me. 1256s

Okay, yes, he will, but why? Why, if you have that but, just stop. Right? By God's grace, we are forgiven. 1270s

By God's grace, his own spirit abides in us, and we know. So, okay, that was a little bit of a tangent, but I can't not tell you what it is. 1285s

It is not a tangent, and it is not helpful in a circular book, but, okay, so Ephesus, we have Ephesus, oh my gosh. 1298s

Okay, so we have Ephesus, that first church that is being addressed, the false apostles are called out, the Nicolayotans are called out. 1309s

We know that we have this image of Christ given that he is walking amongst the seven golden lamp stands, he is holding the seven stars in his hand. 1322s

He says that Ephesus has had good endurance, that they don't like evil people, they don't bear evil people. 1335s

They hate the works of these false teachers, but he says that they left what they had at first, which is love. 1349s

They left love. And so, so they need to come back to that. So they have a call to repent, to do what they first did, to love one another. 1360s

And he says the consequence of abandoning who they are in Christ, their identity in Christ as his people, as his church, is that their lampstand will be removed. 1371s

They will cease. So, he says to the one that conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God. 1386s

What are we promised as the church? We are promised that we will be there in paradise, in the fullness of time, and that the trees, in season, the tree of life, it will all be ours, sorry. 1399s

So, then we have the message to Smirna, and to the angel of the church in Smirna, these are the words of the first and the last who was dead and came to life. 1416s

So, here again, we have that descriptor of Jesus, he is the first and the last. 1428s

So, we again see, see, he is the alpha of the Omega, he was dead, he is back to life. 1437s

I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 1445s

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison, so that you may be tested and for ten days, you will have affliction. 1456s

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches, whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death. 1465s

So, Jesus knows that they have had suffering, and they have had poverty, and so let's see here. 1482s

They gave up their love, so that's that. Okay, so they have had suffering and poverty, and the problem with the church in Smirna is that they are scared of suffering. 1496s

They are scared of having that suffering, and he says, stop being afraid, be faithful, be faithful until death. 1508s

Keep in the Lord, keep in the Lord, and you will not be hurt by the second death. 1519s

The second death is that judgment time. So, as a Christian people, as believers, as God's family, we die our physical death, that is our first death, and at the time of judgment, 1529s

there will be those who go to the second death. For all eternity will not be with God the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 1546s

Jesus is saying to this church in Smirna, you won't be hurt by the second death. 1557s

You won't be hurt by the second death. Then we have continuing in chapter 2, verse 12, we have the message to Pergamum, and to the angel of the church in Pergamum, these are the words of him who has the sharp, two-edged sword. 1565s

We have him coming back to that first descriptor in Revelation of himself, that he stands in his mouth as a two-edged, sharp sword. 1580s

What do we know about the Word of God? Well, we know that Christ is the living Word of God. We also know from Hebrews, it says that the Word of God is a sword. 1591s

It's a sword. Here we have that he has the sharp, two-edged sword. He says, I know where you are living, where Satan's throne is. 1602s

You are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 1614s

But I have a few things against you. You have some there who are holding to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balaam to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food, sacrifice to idols, and practice fornication. 1624s

Here again, we have that popping up. So we have that comparison of being wooed away, of sacrificing food to foreign idols, to false gods, of practicing fornication, practicing this sexual immorality. 1639s

He says, so you have some who hold to the teaching of thenicolietans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 1656s

Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches, to everyone who conquers, I will give some of the hidden mana, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. 1669s

So there are some, I know there are some cults of Christianity that really have glombed onto this, this secret name, and they pretend that they have the secret names. 1684s

If you meet someone who tells you they have a secret name and they know their secret name. 1701s

Repent, repent, tell them to repent. No, so I like how with each of these, notice how Jesus describes himself. He says, I see what you've been enduring, I see what you've been doing. 1707s

This is good, and there are some things that you've been up to that are not good. Repent of those. Repent of those. Because there are consequences to not repenting, but the joy that will come in the fullness of time. 1728s

And so there's this sort of cycle even within each of these letters to the churches that he is bringing. So we have to the church of Pergamum. 1750s

We have that Satan's throne is there, he lives there. Antipas was martyred there, so there is... 1765s

This is, this would be a really weird thing to see out of context, wouldn't it? 1778s

Okay, so we know that he is the sharp to edge sword, and he says that they have done good with holding on to his name. 1783s

They have done really good in holding on to his the name of Christ. They didn't deny the faith even when there was one martyred amongst them. 1794s

But what he has against them is that some of them hold to idolatry, some of them hold to immorality. They're following and being wooed away to false gods by these false teachers, by these anti-Christ, these people who are trying to teach something other. 1811s

He says, repent or I will war with the sword of my mouth. He says, if you repent or when you repent, I will give the hidden manna and a white stone and a secret name. 1834s

So there are blessings. He will provide. He will give. So then we have the message to Thyatira. 1851s

Again, he describes himself. These are the words of the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 1860s

I know your works, your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 1868s

So again, he sees all of the good works being done. He sees that those good works are growing. But he has this. I have this against you. 1876s

You tolerate that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 1889s

I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 1902s

Beware, I am throwing her on a bed and those who commit adultery with her, I am throwing into great distress unless they repent of her doings. 1909s

And I will strike her children dead and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches the minds and the hearts and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 1916s

But the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden, only hold fast to what you have until I come. 1926s

To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations to rule them with an iron rod as when clay pots are shattered. 1941s

Even as I also received authority from my father. 1950s

So, Thyatira, I have a couple of Thyatira. 1957s

Okay, this is an interesting one. He gets into a little more description. 1964s

He says that this prophetess, this false prophetess Jezebel is there and that some have come to know the depths of Satan. 1972s

And he says that she is tolerated. 1984s

That she is tolerated. 1990s

So, as a church, we have to think about what we tolerate. 1993s

Right? What false teachings we tolerate. 2002s

What false gods we tolerate. 2006s

Does that make sense? 2009s

We don't have a God. We don't serve God who is anything goes because anything doesn't go. 2012s

And we can't be a people who is, and I don't want to say we can't be a people who is tolerant because in today's word, tolerance, or today's world, tolerance has a whole other meaning. 2024s

So, it has nothing to do with liking or disliking people. 2037s

But it's holding two gods' word. 2042s

And when we tolerate bad theology, when we tolerate false teaching, when we tolerate anything that is completely against or outside of the word of God, then we are not being the church that we're called to be. 2045s

Right? 2065s

We allow ourselves to get bullied as a Christian people. 2067s

We allow ourselves to get bullied because we don't want to cause a scene. 2073s

We want to be kind. 2078s

And I'm not saying cause a scene. Please do not hear that. 2080s

Oh my gosh. 2083s

Well, Pastor said, no, she didn't. I promise she didn't. 2084s

So, just, and this is, and maybe this is, you know, a personal conviction that I hear from the word of the Lord, that, that, where do we receive our authority? 2088s

From whom do we receive our authority? From God. 2104s

He gives us His word. His word is black and white. 2107s

We find gray in the mercy of Christ because our sins can and are, can be and are forgiven. 2111s

But that doesn't mean that everything is okay or anything goes, right? Does that make sense? 2119s

Okay. So, I'm not trying to, okay, I was just about to say, I'm not trying to be preachy. 2127s

Just a little bit. Okay. So, so, Thia Tira, beware. Don't tolerate this. 2135s

This is not okay. Jezebel is not okay. The, the depths of Satan coming to know the depths of Satan in your group of believers is not okay. 2142s

All right. He says, have faith. They do have faith. They do have love. They have service. They have endurance. 2152s

So, every church, no church is perfect. No church is perfect. Every church has good. Every church has ways in which they can repent or should repent. 2167s

Okay. Hold on. We're going to get through all these churches. We're doing it. 2180s

He says, I'm going to give you the authority to the nations, to rule the nations with the iron scepter and the, will give you the morning start. 2184s

So, then we have the church at Sardis or Sardis. 2193s

The church of Sardis, he says to them that they have a reputation of being alive, but dead. 2200s

Alive, but dead. He says, a few have not polluted their garments. A few are worthy to be in white. 2208s

Remember those are the white robes of righteousness. We are clothed in the white robes of righteousness from Christ. 2218s

He says, I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but dead. He says, keep what you received and watch, because I will return. 2225s

He says, you will be dressed in white. I will not remove my name from the book, or your name from the book of life. 2242s

I will confess his name before my father and the angels. That is those who deny me. I will deny before the father, those who confess my name. I will confess their name before the father. 2248s

Then we have Philadelphia. Philadelphia has an open door for evangelism. The Jews from the synagogue of Satan will acknowledge that Jesus has loved them. 2260s

He describes himself as the holy and true one who has the key of David and who opens and closes the gates. 2274s

He says, I have placed before you an open door, you have kept my word and have not denied my name. What he has against them, what they must repent of, is that... 2282s

Hold on a second here. This is a very shortened version of this. We are at the Philadelphia. I am sorry about that. Philadelphia. 2297s

Yes, he says, if you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God. You will never go out of it. I will write you on the name of my God. 2309s

The name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the spirit is saying to the churches. 2317s

Then we get to Leodicea. If you read these or listen to teaching on these churches before Leodicea comes up a good bit. 2329s

Leodicea is known as the church that is lukewarm. Neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. It's just there. It's just there. 2342s

It is really exciting to be a part of ministry here at Living Word because we see the hot in good ways. 2359s

We see the hot. We see that there is a lot of spirit moving in and through the people of this congregation. 2376s

The lukewarm is... What a boring place to be. What a boring Christian life to lead. 2385s

This is not a commentary on anyone at all. It is really just I think about the lukewarm. 2396s

They don't know their own wretchedness. He says, think of the work that the Lord does through us and with us. 2406s

We see the church that we get to engage with others, that we get to share him and how exciting that is. 2416s

And the missions that we have, whether they are local or Costa Rica or Chicago, wherever we engage in mission, how exciting that is. 2422s

The Bible studies that we have growing in faith, the relationships that we get to build here together as a community of believers. 2433s

I feel sorry for the ones who want to hold or maintain a lukewarm, leidesian sort of faith. 2441s

No one likes lukewarm. You don't want to eat lukewarm food. You don't want to drink lukewarm coffee. You like it hot. 2450s

Or cold because you know what you're getting. 2459s

So with leidesia, he says, I'm about to spit you out, repent and receive purification and healing from me. 2464s

I knock at the door if anyone opens, I will enter and eat with them. And he says that he will grant them to sit with him on his throne. 2475s

The promise in that, where he says, I'll spit you out, but receive purification, receive healing. 2488s

It's not go and do this, go and get this for yourself. I am here, I am knocking. I will get. 2497s

Okay, so next week, I don't think, so all to be said, the letters to the church are written so that these words are not written. 2508s

These churches will be ready to receive the rest of Revelation, whether it is a call to repentance, whether it is the hope and the comfort of what is to come. 2517s

The letters to the church are readying the hearers for what is going to be given through John. 2531s

We're going to get to all the cycles starting next week. 2539s

Thank you. 2550s