Letters to the Churches (Revelation 2 and 3)

Chapter 2

As I previously indicated, these seven churches were actual churches which existed at the time John wrote the Revelation. There is no implicit or explicit biblical justification for believing otherwise. I will however focus on the secondary fulfillment of this prophecy to the churches. As I already suggested, all of the problems they faced, false teaching, false believers, idolatry, lusts of the flesh, and immorality, are problems we still face today. What we have perceived to be our greatest blessing, the freedom to worship without government interference, has become the church’s Achilles Heel. Lack of persecution has made us soft and lackadaisical.

We have become like the lukewarm church of Laodicea. Actually, calling us luke warm would probably be exaggerating the temperature of our commitment. As a nation that claims to be Christian, it seems to me that most churches (local bodies of believers) in America are overwhelmingly apathetic. I engage people in conversation regularly, who know very little about Jesus and even less about the gospel. And most of those who profess to know Him aren’t aware we are a spiritual battle in America for the souls of our children in our public schools.

I live in a small rural community of about 5,000 residents in Montana. I teach high school history. Every year, when I begin my history classes we read from a textbook that assumes we all believe planet earth has been around for billions of years. Recently, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper about the absurdity of such an approach to education. I indicated our textbooks are indoctrinating our children, not educating them. I pointed out that teachers in public education have the obligation to present both the Creation Theory alongside of the Theory of Evolution as explanations for the existence of man. I explained they are both theories and the whole point of education was to present both sides of an argument when there is more than one possibility.

A local resident responded, questioning both my veracity and my sanity. I responded to his response, expressing my dismay that he would attack me personally without bothering to address the point in question. One person, from the entire community, mention that he appreciated my willingness to defend my faith. Evolution is most assuredly a doctrine; and it is also most assuredly the doctrine of demons. It’s a doctrine, the main goal of which is to discredit the doctrine of creation. I have thirty-five or forty Christian friends in this community. Out of all of them, only one commented on the editorials. I find it disconcerting to realize that the majority of people who call themselves Christians in America are either apathetic or they are afraid to speak out against this continuous onslaught by the devil and his unholy angels against God and His word. I t seems most churches in America are filled with Laodiceans. But let’s begin the church at Ephesus.

To the Church at Ephesus
Jesus begins His address to the church at Ephesus describing Himself as, “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” It is worth noting that all of these churches were located in what is today a Muslim nation, Turkey. Paul had a special place in heart for the church in Ephesus. In Acts 19 we read of his encounter with the first group of disciples in Ephesus. These disciples had heard John’s teaching, but had not realized that Jesus had actually come, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of mankind, resurrected from the dead, and had ascended into heaven. When Paul clarified the rest of the gospel for them, they were immediately baptized in the name of Jesus, Paul laid hands on them, and they began speaking in tongues, thus verifying his apostolic authority (Acts 19:6).

Contrary to what some preach, Acts 19:6 doesn’t support the entirely false doctrine that all believers should have the gift of tongues. It was clearly and simply a testimony to Paul’s apostolic authority. It means nothing more than that. Those who would distort the scriptures interpret this verse with no concern for its context. I deal thoroughly with the issue in book on the spiritual gifts. It’s available for anyone who wants to learn more about the subject.

It was in Ephesus that Paul took those disciples out of the local synagogue into the school of Tyrannus where he taught them for two years (Acts 19:9). It was in Ephesus that the seven sons of Sceva attempted to mimic Paul by casting out a demon (Acts 19:13-16). The demon jumped Sceva’s sons, stripped them naked, and caused them to flee the house naked. It was in Ephesus that books of sorcery, worth fifty thousand pieces of silver (approximately fifty thousand day’s wages), were burned (Acts 19:19). The first letter to Timothy was written to him while he was pastoring churches in Ephesus (I Tim. 1:3). It’s difficult to imagine a group of born-again believers sitting under the teaching of the Apostle Paul would lose their first love. Yet the list of their accomplishments is most impressive.

1. How does Jesus describe himself to the church at Ephesus? 2:1



2. List the positive things that were going on at Ephesus. 2:2, 3, 6



3. What does Jesus have against the Ephesian church? 2:4



4. What three things does Jesus tell the Ephesians they must do to resolve their problem? 2:5a



a.



b.



c.



5. What does He promise to do if they don’t heed His warning? 2:5b





6. What were Jesus final words to the church at Ephesus? 2:7 (see also 22:1, 2)











The church at Ephesus was filled with people who toiled and persevered; they didn’t tolerate evil men; they tested those who called themselves apostles. They endured. But they had lost their first love. They no longer adored the One who died to set them free. They forgot they were redeemed sinners who were once doomed and determined to spend eternity in hell. They’d forgotten God saved them from the law of sin and death. Though they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (they despised immorality and wickedness), they needed to return to their first love, Jesus. I Corinthians 13 comes to mind where we are told without love nothing we do is of any eternal significance.

Maybe some of us need to take a moment and think about what life was like before Christ. Sometimes we get caught up in lits many challenges and forget what’s really important. Sometimes our love for Jesus takes a back seat to our lust for life. I recall a story about a man who was told he needed heart bypass surgery that would cost $50,000. He replied, “Do you really think I’d pay $50,000 for you to keep me out of heaven for a few more years?” Perhaps our love for Jesus can be measured by how much we’d be willing to pay to keep us out of heaven.

To the Church at Smyrna
I have been in churches that were very much like the Smyrnan church. They are filled with poor people who are rich in faith. They are also inhabited by those who are religious fanatics but spiritually bankrupt (they think they are spiritual Jews, but they are not). These foolish fanatics were Satan’s pawns (they were a synagogue of Satan). This church, which was ruled by spiritually bankrupt ideologues, had a few in it who were the faithful and true. Those few were admonished to take courage, even though they would soon experience imprisonment for a while, “ten days”. This crew of corrupt church leaders were admonished to repent. Jesus warned that He would make war with them using the matchless word of God to defeat their doctrine of immorality and idolatry. He ended His encouragement to the faithful in Smyrna with the words, “He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2:11) This second death, of course, is the eternal death that will be experienced by those false church leaders and members of congregations who have spent decades going to church pretending to be saved.

7. How did Jesus describe himself to the church at Smyrna?

8. List Smyrna’ accomplishments. 2:9



9. What did Jesus call the false Jews? 2:9

10. What does Jesus warn the faithful followers of Christ at Smyrna were going to have to endure? 2:10





11. What was His promise to those who were faithful until death? 2:10





12. What were Jesus’ final words to the church at Smyrna? 2:11 (see also Rev. 20:4-6)





This admonition to the leaders of the church at Smyrna is a solemn warning to church leaders today who are willing to sacrifice the purity of God’s word for the approval of men (James 3:1). I have personally spoken to countless pastors and elders who readily admitted they were willing to compromise God’s word rather than see members of the congregation leave. One actually had to audacity to suggest I’d understand the need to compromise when I became more spiritually mature. He was part of that 35% of pastors in America who don’t believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of scripture. He was more interested in filling pews with church members who tithed than building warriors who could storm the gates of hell and snatch lost souls from the flames.

Notice, in Smyrna God didn’t bother telling those who were a synagogue of Satan to repent. It seems those teachers had stepped over the line. They would find no room for repentance (Heb. 6:6; 12:17). Jesus’ stern warning to teachers comes again in His words as recorded in Luke 17:1, 2,

“Indeed, it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.”
Beloved, we can’t afford compromise the clear teachings of scripture. Those issues about which there is no clear teaching of scripture (i.e., dancing) are certainly issues that require tolerance for differences in understanding and application. But by their very nature, issues that are clearly taught in scripture divide the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:33). The clear implication of verse 11 is that these compromisers (liars) will be seriously hurt (they will spend eternity in hell) by the second death. Both those who follow false doctrine and those who teach it will spend eternity in hell. Pesonally, I’m convinced those who preach it will have an especially dismal place to spend eternity. They’ll have the hellist place in hell to spend eternity. I believe there is an especially disgusting place in hell reserved for those who teach false doctrine and especially those who claim to be preachers of the word who refuse to teach the whole counsel of God. Their reward will be according to their deeds. I believe they’ll find themselves in the deepest most despicable recesses of the eternal lake of fire for all of forever.

To the Church at Pergamum
I have also been in churches like the one in Pergamum, which, like the Ephesian church, preached the doctrine of Balaam. Balak, the king of the Midianites (Numbers 22-24), tried to get Balaam—a non-Jewish prophet, the son of Beor at Pethor—to curse 600,000 Hebrew warriors as they camped beside his kingdom. The story is a little hard to follow. God tells Balaam not to go with Balak’s messengers, but then tells him to go. On the way, He nearly kills Balaam. Balaam told Balak he couldn’t curse those God blessed (Israel) We don’t discover until we get to the New Testament this Gentile prophet helped Balak plan a strategy that would get Israel to commit lewd acts against the revealed will of God. Realizing he couldn’t curse those whom God blessed, he told Balak they could get Israel to be a curse unto themselves if he could get them to eat unclean food and commit acts of immorality with the Midianite women (II Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11; Rev. 2:14). While we don’t sacrifice food to idols in America in the strictest sense, there are many similar ideas inherent in the act that are part of our culture (see explanation page 23 re: Jezebel). I’ve known several churches that had members living together out of wedlock whose pastors avoided teaching on the topic of morality for fear of offending them.

When pastors know members of their congregation are indeed practicing any kind of immoral act and refuse to confront them as instructed by Paul in I Corinthians 5 and Jesus in Matthew 18:15-20, they are, by implication, teaching that immorality is not an offense against God.

13. How does Jesus describe himself to the church at Pergamum? 2:8



14. What were their accomplishments? 2:13



15. What things did they need to fix? 2:15



16. What was the solution to their problems? 2:16



17. What did Jesus warn them He was going to do if they failed to heed His warning? 2:16b







18. What were Jesus’ final words to the church at Pergamum? 2:17









The church at Pergamos was in the very heart of Satan’s kingdom. It was probably very much like our central city churches in America which are fighting the good fight for the souls of lost creatures. While they were holding fast to the doctrine of God in one sense, in another, they, like the church of Smyrna, had those in their midst who were teaching the doctrine of immorality and idol worship. Like some contemporary televangelists preachers who have been caught up in their own immorality, those leaders preach holiness while living unholiness. They preached the doctrine of slavery to Jesus while worshipping the idols of lust, immorality, and wealth. And it appears these leaders of the church in Pergamum had sufficient control over the local fellowship that church discipline as defined in I Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18 was out of the question. Therefore, those who were faithful to the word were promised the hidden treasure of manna, a white stone, and a new name, the significance of which only its recipients would comprehend.

To the Church at Thyatira
I have been in corrupt churches like the one in Thyatira. It’s difficult to imagine a church with the long list of accomplishments as described in these verses would tolerate a Jezebel, but that’s exactly what this one did. Just try to imagine you’re the visitor in one of these churches. You go to your first adult Sunday school class and have an incredible time of fellowship and learning from a senior citizen who seems to love God with all his heart and to knows His word well. People share experiences where they were faithful through trials and tribulations and you’re even more impressed. You learn the church has a pantry they use to feed the poor and downtrodden. Wow! You think this just might be the church you’ve been looking for all your life. Sunday school ends, you go into the main sanctuary for church and there she sits. The senior pastor gets up and she begins to preach. Jezebel has entered the room.

19. How does Jesus describe himself to the church at Thyatira: 2:18



20. List her accomplishments? 2:19



21. What did they need to fix? 2:20



22. Did Jesus kill Jezebel immediately? 2:21a



23. Did Jezebel respond to her warning? 2:21b

24. What did Jesus say He was going to do to for her failure to repent? 2:22a, 23



25. What did He threaten to do to her bedfellows unless they repented? 2:22c



26. What was the long term purpose of Jesus’ punishment of Jezebel? 2:23b



27. What was Jesus’ promise to those who did not abide in Jezebel’s teaching? 2:24-28





25. What were Jesus final words to the church at Thyatira? 2:29



Jesus had numerous praises for this church. He knew of her deeds, love, faith, service, and perseverance. He even noted that her current deeds were greater than when they began the church in Thyatira. Her problem was that she tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel, who taught heresy. This woman Jezebel taught two false doctrines rampant in many of today’s churches: 1. Immorality, as strange as it may seem, is alive and well in many of today’s churches. The number of pastors, elders, and deacons who have been divorced and remarried is reaching epidemic proportions. And the number who are having adulterous affairs with members of their congregations is embarrassing. One would be too many, but it seems the rising accounts of unfaithful spouses in pastors households knows no bounds.

Jesus told his listeners all divorce is repugnant to God (Matt. 19:8). Under no circumstance does He define it as a good thing. There are three circumstances however, under which God accounts the separation legitimate: 1. Adultery; 2. desertion by an unbeliever; 3. death.

Adultery (Matt. 5:32; Mark 10:11)

In Matthew 5:32 and Mark 10:11 Jesus makes it clear the sin for which God has clearly stated it is acceptable for the offended believer to divorce the offending spouse is adultery. I believe Ephesians 5:22-33 and I Corinthians 6:18 will help us understand why this is so. Ephesians 5 tells us that the relationship between the husband and wife is a type of the relationship between Christ and His church. I Corinthians 6 tells us that immorality is the dumbest sin of all sin. These two biblical truths place adultery at the top of God’s list of disgusting sins. He doesn’t want His children to be a party to such unholiness, so He tells them they can divorce themselves from one who has breached the covenant of trust he made when they were united in Christ.

There are some who teach it is not essential one to divorce an adulterous spouse. Certainly there is ample evidence to suggest adultery can be forgiven and the marriage covenant continued. My counsel goes something like this: I can forgive the act without continuing in the relationship with the one who committed it. I believe adultery so taints a relationship that both parties are better served by severing the ties of the marriage covenant. I don’t believe in our human bodies and with our human minds we can ever function effectively as a believer of the gospel once such an act has been perpetrated against us. If you believe otherwise, I am sure you have God’s blessing to do whatever He leads you to do. If children are involved, it complicates the situation even more. Weighing the effect the divorce will have on them against the affect of continuing to live with the adulterous spouse is an important consideration. Even the age of the children may determine whether or not one chooses to stay married to the adulterer. The pain that goes with being so betrayed is something that takes most people years to overcome, though a person can begin healing immediately when God’s abundant grace and mercy leads the way.

Desertion by an Unbeliever (I Cor. 7:10-16)

This one is interesting. God knew there would be those who would be converted whose spouses would not. He also knew the converted spouse would always be in a position to bring the unbeliever into a covenant relationship with Him as a result of the believer’s testimony in that relationship. Thus, as long as the unbeliever doesn’t choose to leave the relationship, the believer is instructed to remain. If the unbeliever leaves, the believer is instructed he or she no longer has the responsibility to honor the covenanted vows of marriage. The reason is blatantly obvious. The believer has no control over the life of the unbeliever who chooses to leave a relationship. Thus, through no fault of his/her own, the relationship ends. In that instance, the believer is told he/she is free to remarry as long as he/she marries a believer.

It’s difficult to comprehend the number of people I’ve personally known whose lives have been destroyed by multiple marriages. I’ve known women who have had four or five children and some of them don’t even know for sure who the father is of some of them. I’ve known men who made good money but lived like paupers because they had to pay most of what they earned on alimony and child support. The consequences of the “divorce on demand” philosophy we have fathered in America has wreaked havoc on family life. I strongly suspect the number of dysfunctional families far outnumbers traditional, nourishing, loving two parent homes, even among members of the local church. If we don’t get a handle on the problem in the local church, I fear it will eventually be our undoing. It appears America is coming apart at the seams. Therefore, I reiterate, unless the unbeliever leaves, the believer is commanded to remain in the relationship.

Death (I Cor. 7:39; Rom. 7:1-3)

While this one should be obvious, for some it isn’t. There are some who pine for decades over the loss of a loved one. Such pining is tragic, unbiblical, and unproductive. When a Christian dies, he goes to be with the Lord. That should be a cause for celebration for those left behind. It’s both logical and biblical for the one left behind to grieve for a few weeks, maybe even a few months. Beyond that, it’s counter productive for one to continue to grieve the loss of a loved one. Such grief is usually the result of self-centered egotism that is only heightened by the believer’s loss of a loved one. Life does not end for anyone who still breathes when a loved one goes to be with our heavenly Father. If your spouse dies and you are still at an age when your sexual drives need to be satisfied, you definitely should remarry. I pray if I die before my beloved wife, she celebrates my departure and moves on with her life. She’s already nearly sixty, so whether or not she would choose to remarry is certainly not a mandate. It would be strange indeed for her to mourn my physical death for long while I am in heaven rejoicing with Jesus.

Immorality covers everything from masturbation to adultery. Masturbation, watching triple X rated movies, homosexuality, lesbians, pre-marital sex even by those who vow they are in love, prostitutes, and whores all fit into this category. Please forgive my blunt use of terms, but we have so perverted bible terminology it is nearly impossible to make the appropriate connection sometimes. Masturbation is unbiblical for two reasons: 1. it requires the one doing it to visualize himself with an unknown counterpart having sex with that person for the one masturbating to reach the desired level of sexual gratification. 2. It is self-gratification. Sex, as ordained by God is only acceptable when it is engaged by a man and a woman who have taken the vows of marriage and whose goal is to bring pleasure to the other person (Matt. 5:28; I Thes. 4:3-8; I Cor. 7:1-5).

Homosexuality is a blatant disregard for God’s intended role for sex. His word makes it abundantly clear in Romans 1:27 that both homosexuals and lesbians are committing indecent acts for which they will burn in hell if they do not repent (see also Gal. 5:19, 20). Homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle; it is a direct affront to the holiness of God. It is a perversion of all that is holy. It is an act that will send those who practice it into eternal hellfire and damnation.

Any form of pre-marital sex is prohibited in scripture. If you are a woman of God reading this, do not allow your male friend to convince you your love for him hinges on whether or not you have sex with him before you are married. If that’s true, your love for one another is incredibly shallow. God calls you to save yourself for that one person He has chosen to share your love. When he comes along, you’ll have no trouble recognizing him. He’ll not pressure you into dishonoring your body so he can experience a fleeting moment of ecstasy.

The number of church goers who are living together out of wedlock is staggering. In 1998 one of the most respected televangelist preachers of conservative churches in America got divorced. He told his congregation before the divorce he would resign his position if he wasn’t able to fix his marriage. When the divorce was final he, all of a sudden, had a vision. He then told his congregation that God had spoken to him in that vision and told him He would move him to another church when He was good and ready. Apparently, not wishing to argue with God, the congregation allowed him to remain on as the senior pastor.

I suggest any pastor, elder, or brother in Christ who knows such a condition exists and doesn’t address it as instructed in Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 5 is teaching by example that immorality is acceptable. And it seems logical and biblical any pastor who has gone through a divorce needs to step back from full time ministry for a time of deep reflection, prayer, and re-evaluation of his calling. A divorce for desertion or adultery shouldn’t disqualify him for pastoral ministry; but it does take a period (sometimes long, sometimes short) of spiritual rehabilitation before a man who experiences it should be allowed to resume pastoral duties.

The reference to eating food sacrificed to idols, was a literal reference in its original context. I suggest for us today it could include anything one indulges daily that feeds his body, soul, and spirit in such a way as to make a separation between himself and God. For example, the number of men in America who feed their souls overwhelming doses of football for at least six months of the year is ever increasing. NASCAR, the NBA, the NHL, boxing, wrestling, and professional baseball are the religions of choice for millions of Americans who also profess to be followers of Christ. Most are faithful church goers until the season of their favorite sport rolls around. Recently, I heard a highly respected conservative televangelist, confess on national television and in front of some three or four thousand members of his church that he’s addicted to Chicago Bulls basketball. He said it in such a light hearted fashion it made most of his audience laugh. God forgive us for thinking such foolishness is the least bit comical.

We in America are eating food sacrificed to idols in this figurative sense in epic proportions today; and the truly sad thing is our universal refusal to understand why so many of these events are often scheduled on Sunday mornings. We prefer to call this addiction to sports stress relief, relaxation, or a little time for ourselves. Of course all of these labels are created to appease the minds of those who don’t wish to call them sin. Excuses are always worth what you pay for them. He who is a liar from the beginning has made this one so very palatable. Few sports are inherently evil, but spending more than a very occasional amount of time once in while watching them is at best bad stewardship of one’s time; and we’re supposed to be “redeeming the time because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5). Furthermore, missing the opportunity to grow in the faith or minister one’s gift to watch 30 seconds of a sporting event is most assuredly a complete waste of time. When they began paying twenty-two year old boys millions of dollars to play a game, I figured that one out without any help. Gorging oneself on hours of any professional sport is very much like the sin of eating food sacrificed to idols.

It seems when a person spends inordinate amount of time viewing or participating in sports, his love for Jesus begins growing cold (Is. 59:1-3). He discovers the power and joy he once had fellowshipping with God in his local church begins waning. After an extended period of such foolishness, one’s love for Jesus will grow cold; he’ll find himself glibly following the ritual of occasional church attendance, feigned love for the brethren, praying over meals, saying an occasional, amen at something the preacher says, and he may even take the opportunity to teach a class for a few Sunday mornings or lead a connections group once a week in someone’s home.

I knew a man who regularly missed church during the high school girl’s basketball state playoffs. He had committed himself to lead music in his local church, but during the playoffs, he was often gone. By attending those games and allowing his children to play in them, he was inadvertently teaching them church attendance wasn’t as important as basketball playoffs. One of two things was true in that brother’s life. Either the preaching and teaching in his local church was so lackluster and powerless that he really believed he wasn’t missing much, or his confession of faith was sorely lacking in substance.

I’ve taught bible studies for decades and have discovered that few who attend them are willing to spend any time at all during the week preparing for the coming study. As a teacher in the public school system, I expected teens to treat public education with such disdain. We seldom had anything significant to teach them, so it’s little wonder the average teenaged boy or girl doesn’t take what we teach seriously. But, when one who professes to be a Christian, doesn’t think it’s important to study a given lesson daily in preparation for class, I have to wonder if that brother has any kind of relationship with Jesus to begin with.

Jesus describes four different reactions people have to the gospel (Matt. 13). There are some who are compared to the rocky soil, a metaphor of the one who receives the word with joy, but has no firm root, so that when the temptations of the world come along, he easily yields to them and falls away from the pure love and doctrine of Christ. While his body is at most of those events in the life of the church that make him appear to be saved, he continually gorges himself with food sacrificed to idols. And those who don’t repent will suffer the same fate as Jezebel. They will be thrown onto a bed of sickness and into a time of great tribulation. If you are one who has been deceived into thinking a few hours a week feeding your soul with sports is harmless, I challenge you to start spending equal time each week studying to show yourself approved unto God. It’s not likely His eternal kingdom will be filled with many who gorged themselves with food sacrificed to idols. Jesus won’t play second fiddle to the NFL, NASCAR, the NBA, or any other god.

God promises to the members of the Thyatiran Church that each of them will receive from Him according to their deeds. Those who hold fast until He comes, he who overcomes and keeps His deeds until the end, will receive authority over the nations to rule them with a rod of iron. The promise of the morning star is a promise that the one who endures will finally know Jesus in all His fullness at that time. He is the bright and morning star (cf. Rev. 22:16 with II Peter 1:19).

To the Church at Sardis
In chapter 3 John addresses the last three churches, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Of course, I trust everyone realizes there were no chapter divisions in the original writings. If it helps you remember these churches in the order they are addressed I use the letters E S P T S P L to help me remember them. I just find grouping the first letters of each church in groups of three makes them easier to remember.

God’s reprimand of the church at Sardis is rather pointed.

1. How does Jesus describe himself? 3:1a

2. What are their deeds? 3:1b

3. What is Jesus’ warning? 3:2, 3

4. What is the only redeeming words Jesus has to Say about this church? 3:4



5. What does “they have not soiled their garments” mean?



6. What does “they will walk with me in white,” mean?





7. What three promises does Jesus make to those who overcome? 3:5

a.

b.

c.

8. What are Jesus’ final words to the church at Sardis? 3:6







He knows this church has a reputation it is alive when in actuality it is dead. He warns them to wake up and strengthen what remains, remember what they have received and heard and keep it. It is clear the church at Sardis had, at one time, received good teaching. Verse 4 indicates some were still abiding in that teaching. Those received the promise that they will walk with Jesus in white, for they are worthy. The phrase “he who overcomes” is used numerous times in scripture. It is a reference to those who have made a profession of faith that was genuine. All of scripture makes it abundantly clear that anyone who does not overcome only fails to do so because the Holy Spirit has never regenerated his dead spirit, thus they have no power to overcome.

This church was like the hundreds in America today which are packed with healthy, wealthy, and prosperous men and women who, like the Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke, appear to be religious, but inwardly they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness (cf. Matt. 23:27, 28). Each week the pastors of these infamous churches make sure to have famous personalities entertain their congregations before they deliver sermons filled with possibility thinking and the, I’m okay, your okay psycho-babble begun by Dr. Robert Schuler and Norman Vincent Peal. It seems most of these preachers of the health, wealth, and prosperity doctrine have memorized only one verse in their entire lives which they quote without regard to its context. Of course, it never occurs to these wolves in sheep’s clothing to know the context of a verse. One isn’t concerned about such things when he is purposefully using God’s word to mislead the sheep. These would be prophets quote Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” as if it is a promise from God to obtain health, wealth, and prosperity. In actuality, it is a proclamation by Paul that in spite of the incredible trials, tribulations, and misery he has had to face, he is standing firm in the gospel because God has strengthened him to do so. He has learned to live in poverty, pain, anguish, and suffering with joy in his heart because God strengthens him. This biblical truth is the antithesis of what the health, wealth, and prosperity preachers would like the whore mongering goats they call sheep to believe.

And the reason it is so important for them to get their disciples to believe such foolishness is that they can then convince these fools all they have to do is give money to their ministries and God will enable them to “do all things” (i.e., get rich) as a reward for their faithfulness. The real tragedy is that occasionally one of their followers does actually get rich, which only serves to perpetuate the lie. I sometimes wonder how many of the famous people they have entertain their goats even care or know how utterly ridiculous they appear as they stand beside these wolves in sheep’s clothing talking of how God has blessed them so.

Beloved, if you are a follower of any preacher who has convinced you God wants you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, run as fast as your feet can carry you out of that church to one that is preaching that we must bear our cross daily if we wish to be a follower of Jesus. We must die to the lusts of the flesh each and every moment of this life before we can live to Christ. That is the gospel preached by Jesus, Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Jude, James, and the writer of Hebrews. It is not a gospel of prosperity; it is a gospel of self-sacrifice and humility. And such a life can only be lived by one who is indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God almighty.

Dying to the self daily does not necessarily mean one will have to suffer physically, emotionally, or economically each and every day he follows Christ. Paul makes it clear he experienced times when he had more than enough to meet his own personal needs and he also experienced times when he didn’t have the bare necessities (Phil. 4:11, 12). The point is that a believer doesn’t need to make sure he is in a place where he suffers for Christ. Jesus has not called any of us to take the vows of a nun or a priest of the Catholic Church. He has not called anyone to go to a convent to live a life separated physically from the world. As a matter of biblical fact, Paul teaches the exact opposite of that idea in I Corinthians 5:9-11. It is categorically absurd to think that anyone can be a warrior for Christ while locked up in a place where he has no contact with the outside world. We can’t be lights shining in the darkness if we are hiding under a table.

I counsel inmates at the local county lockup facility on a regular basis who think what they need to do when they get out of jail is to move to some other city where they will not have to deal with the people they hung around with who helped them get into trouble in the first place. I suppose there are times when such a move is warranted, but I suggest that unless the prior acquaintance poses a physical threat to one’s health, the counselee needs to seriously consider God’s promises as found in places like I Corinthians 10:13,

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

It isn’t the temptation that gets anyone into trouble; it is when one yields to that temptation, to do something he knows is displeasing to God that he falls into sin. And beloved, temptation is present in every nook and cranny of every city, suburb, or podunk town in the world. If a woman is being physically abused by her husband, it might well be necessary for her to move to an area where he can’t find her so he can’t physically abuse her. God may choose to protect her from such a threat right where she stands, but he might also choose to move her to another location. He spoke to Jacob and told him to move back home because his father-in-law meant to do him harm (Gen. 31).

I think great wealth is usually more of a curse than a blessing. It is the rare man or woman who can live meekly when he makes over a million dollars a year. Such people are rarely rich in faith. Jesus taught on more than one occasion that those who live in luxury during this life will not do so in the life to come (Luke 16:25). In America, I think we have lost sight of what true poverty is. The overwhelming majority of the world’s population would be thrilled to live at the economic level we have labeled poverty in this country. I’m actually embarrassed when a missionary writes me personally and asks for a $50 donation to help him meet his minimal needs for a rather extended period of time. I can easily spend $50 on one meal at a local restaurant. Beloved, we need to wake up in America and smell the burning souls of sinners who are going to continue burning for all eternity if we don’t reassess our priorities and begin living sacrificial lives. There is little point in sharing with others about the atoning work and sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the sins of mankind while we continue living self-indulgent lives (James 2:14-16).

To the Church at Philadelphia
The Philadelphian church (3:7-13) is the second church that is lauded as faithful in all things. Jesus had nothing corrective to say to the church at Smyrna; and he has nothing corrective to say to this church at Philadelphia.

9. How does Jesus describe himself? 3:7



10. What is Jesus putting before the Philadelphian church? 3:8a Discuss what “the open door mean.” cf with opening comment to this church





11. What are the Philadelphian church’s good deeds? 3:8b

a.

b.

c.

Once again we see this reference to those who are a “synagogue of Satan.” 3:9a cf. 2:9

11. What is Jesus going to do to those liars? 3:9b



12. What special promise did Jesus make to the Philadelphians, and why? 3:10



13. What were Jesus parting promises to the church at Philadelphia? 3:11-13





It is interesting to note that Jesus knows her deeds (II Chron. 16:9; Heb 5:15; 12:1, 2; I Pet. 3:10-12). He acknowledged that this church was relatively powerless. It is also noteworthy that He praised her for keeping His word, and not denying His name. It is especially interesting to me that Jesus did not praise this church because it was overflowing with superstars from Hollywood or some professional sport jock. Not even one gladiator is mentioned. This church’s commendation comes from the simple fact that she is keeping the word and not denying His name. God’s warning to any pastor/teacher who may be reading this is that you keep the word and do not deny His name. Nothing you do as a pastor/teacher is more important than that you preach and teach God’s word faithfully and in its entirety. Do not allow anyone to suggest you ignore any part of God’s revelation so you can remain politically and culturally correct.

Democracy promotes tolerance of homosexuals, lesbians, and the idea that women can do anything a man can do. God’s word does not. God’s word teaches men and women can be forgiven of any sin against God but the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But it does teach homosexuals, lesbians, liars, murderers, thieves and everyone else who has violated the clear teaching of God’s word are all going to hell when they die unless they repent (Gal. 5:19-21). These activities are not alternative life styles; they are not cultural norms; they are sin; and before anyone practicing them can be follow Jesus, he must repent of them, confess Jesus as Lord and God, believe God raised Him from the dead, be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins, take up his cross, and carry it daily (Acts 3:38, 39; Rom. 10:9).

In verse 9 Jesus addresses a group that apparently has been claiming to the church at Philadelphia that they are Jews. They are not only not converted Jews, but they are not Jews of any kind. It appears the only synagogue they have ever attended was specifically gathered to learn how to deceive church members. Thus, they are called the synagogue of Satan. Of course, the other possibility is that those Jews who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah were now just as bent on destroying Christianity as was the emperor of Rome. They were therefore referred to as the synagogue of Satan. Either of these are possible interpretations of the text. Either way, Jesus promises the time will come when these false converts will come and bow down at the feet of the true followers of Christ. He closes with, what I believe is proof positive this particular group will be supernaturally protected during the tribulation. “Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from (in) the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The Greek word translated here “from” is en. It can be translated “in” or “from” depending on the context. I deal with this point later. The translators of the NAS demonstrate their pre-tribulation rapture bias here when they translated the word “from.” In this particular case, the context does not make the choice clear. What is clear is that historically, God has kept His chosen safe “in” the midst of the outpouring of His judgment on towns or nations (see Genesis and Exodus). He moved Noah and his family into the ark before the flood (Gen. 6), righteous Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), before raining down fire and brimstone upon it, and he divinely protected Israel when He poured out His wrath on Pharaoh in Egypt (Ex. 6-12). The most important point of all for us to recognize here is that the church has been undergoing persecution since its inception. The thought that God would remove it during the time of its greatest perse-cution is nonsensical. We have always been God’s light shining in the darkness. And during planet earth’s darkest hour, we’ll be its brightest light.

Jesus finishes His address to the church at Philadelphia with some astonishing promises,

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. (v. 12)

I’m not sure any of us can fully grasp the magnitude of these statements. This may sound trite, but just imagine you are the CEO of Microsoft. As such, you are a highly respected leader. You have the responsibility to travel world wide to meet with those over whom you have charge. While your job pays well, you have no real life. You work 80-100 hours a week not counting the time spent traveling. If one really thinks about it, such honor is not something the average person would covet. Now imagine you are the CEO of Christ’s Home for Children in heaven.

You need no pay because, absolutely and without limitation, anything you want or need is at your fingertips. You live in a mansion that makes the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (the White House) seem insignificant. Hundreds of servants wait on your every need daily. No matter where you go, everyone knows who you are because you have your corporate seal clearly pasted on everything you own. You have just entered the eternal abode of those who have kept the word and have not denied Jesus’ Name. Oh yeah, one final requirement exists for membership in this exclusive club. You will have had to have overcome the evil one; and one can only overcome the evil one when he has been transformed by the blood of Christ (II Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5).