SECTION 1 Title 1 Title 2 Title 3

Chapter 3

THE CHURCH OF SARDIS: 1520 AD – the Tribulation

Rev 3 verses 1-6

This period of time covers the REFORMATION and its dead LUKE WARM CHURCH and is presently part of the Laodicean period as well. The reason for the deadness is that during the reformation, ENTIRE COUNTRIES, BECAME PROTESTANT WITHOUT BEING BORN AGAIN. PROTESTANTISM WAS MADE THE STATE RELIGION AND WAS FREELY EMBRACED BY MILLIONS WHO DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO BE NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST JESUS 2^nd Corinthians 5-17. Hundreds of churches follow =SARDIS TEACHING TODAY. No wonder people are leaving liberal churches today for gospel teaching. GOD IS CALLING ON HIS CHURCH TO REPENT. THE SARDIS CHURCH WAS COMMANDED TO:

1. RETURN TO THEIR FORMER DAYS, (The early days of their salvation when they were filled with zeal).

2. CHRIST CALLED FOR THE ENTIRE CHURCH TO CHANGE AND STOP TEACHING IDEAS OF THEOLOGICAL TRUTH. (one such doctrine was they (“failed to teach the return of Christ to the earth”) Therefore the Lord says this event will catch them unaware.

3. THEY WERE TO RETURN TO THE SIMPLY TEACHING THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL AND DISCARD THE EXCESS BAGGAGE OF POMP AND PAGEANTRY.

However in the midst of this churches deadness there were still a few WHO CAME OUT AND DID NOT DEFILE THEMSELVES BY CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THOSE DOCTRINES. NO WONDER PRESENT DAY OFFSPRING OF THE REFORMATION STILL SAY “NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION, IT IS A DEEP, MYSTERIOUS, SYMBOLIC BOOK”

THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA: 1750 AD UNTIL THE RAPTURE

Rev 3 verses 7-13

THIS CHURCH IS LOADED WITH GOOD DEEDS DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND ALTHOUGH IT DOES GO MUCH, IT KEPT THE WORD OF GOD, THEY DID NOT DENY HIS NAME.

SINCE THE CHURCH CONTINUES UP TO THE RAPTURE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP GOD’S WORD AND NEVER DENY HIS NAME. BECAUSE OF THEIR LOVE FOR CHRIST, THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH IS PROMISED TO BE KEPT FROM THE DAY OF THE LORD’S WRATH AND THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION.

See chapter 3 v 10 “ I WILL KEEP THEE FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION. IN THE GREEK THE WORD “FROM” MEANS “EK.” EK MEANS “OUT OF” GOD PROMISES TO KEEP THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH “from” not through

PERSECUTION BUT OUT OF –MEANING EVACUATION from the TRIBULATION.

THEREFORE THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH IS PROMISED TO BE REMOVED OUT OF THE EARTH WHEN THE TRIBULATION COMES TO TRY THE EARTH DWELLERS. Chapter 3 v 11 IN LIGHT OF THE COMING OF CHRIST- CHRIST WARNS THE BELIEVERS TO STAY FAITHFUL LEAST ALL REWARDS ARE LOST- NOT SALVATION BUT THEIR REWARDS THEIR CROWNS.

BLESSINGS ARE SLATED FOR THE FAITHFUL.

1. THEY BECOME PILLOWS IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD.

2. THEY HAVE THE NAME OF GOD WRITTEN UPON THEM THUS IDENTIFYING THEM AND ALLOWING THEM ACCESS INTO THE CITY OF GOD, THE NEW JERUSALEM.

3. THEY HAVE THE NEW NAME WRITTEN UPON THEM, THE NAME OF CHRIST ENTITLING THEM TO BE HIS SERVANTS, WHERE THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE. Chapter 22 3 & 4.

THE LAODICEAN CHURCH: 1900 – THE TRIBULATION.

The message is from the Lord Jesus Christ as all the previous messages.

This church renders services, but they were done in LUKE WARM fashion.

“Many are called but few are chosen” instead we can say to this church “Many are cold but few are frozen”

Rev 3 v 16 This church is so dead that God wants to spew it out of his mouth.

WHAT’S THE REASON FOR THIS LUKEWARM CHURCH?

The Laodicean era was a highly prosperous one, similar to today. Its people erected ELABORATE CHURCH BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. MONEY BEING INVESTED IN BUILDINGS…GOD WANTS INVESTMENT IN LIVES…..BUILDINGS USED A FEW HOURS PER WEEK. THEY THINK THEY ARE OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS WHICH CHRIST GAVE TO GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL.

ALTHOUGH BUILDINGS ARE NECESSARY FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TO WORSHIP AND SERVE, THEY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, RATHER THAN THE LATEST MULTI MILLION DOLLAR ARCHITECTURAL MONSTROSITY WHICH GLORIFYS MEN.

God tells the Laodicean church they are WRETCHED, NAKED, MISERABLE, BLIND, because they cannot see the needs of millions dying without the Savior. BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ARE NAKED NOW AND GOING INTO ETERNITY.

Jesus pleads to them to seek SALVATION. He tells them to open their eyes to the SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD AND REPENT. ----JESUS IS STANDING AT THE DOOR AND KNOCKING----THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES BARRING JESUS OUT EVEN NOW THAT HE IS AT THE DOOR. HE WANTS NON TO PERISH.

The fact that Rev. 1:1 - 3:22 deals only with the church on earth, and Rev. 4-19 deals with Israel gives us another proof of a rapture of the church and O.T. saints before the tribulation. Every individual is identified and recognized by his own features and characteristics. Even so, in this case a body of individuals is identified by its many features, characteristics, and peculiarities.

If the church is seen on earth and is being dealt with by God during the tribulation in chapters 4-19 in the book of Revelation, then we must see its earmarks. But they are not to be found there. The terms “church” and “churches” are not found once in this part of the book of Revelation. On the other hand, there are evidences of Israel everywhere in this section. And this fact is most striking: Israel is not mentioned at all in Rev. 1:1 - 3:22 which deals only with the church on earth. This fact shows that the two different institutions are dealt with in different parts of the book of Revelation: first, the church, comprised of both JEW and GENTILE, until its rapture in Rev. 1:1 - 3:22; then Israel after the rapture of the church, in Rev. 4:1 - 22:5.

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This site was last updated Monday June 07, 2004 01:05:01 PM -0400