In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, John the
apostle was directed by the Lord Jesus Christ to write letters to
seven literal churches that were in existence throughout Asia Minor.
The current political entity of that part of the world is the nation
of Turkey. In the first century that region was under Roman rule,
today it is under Islamic rule. The local churches that were
established by the apostles of the Lord have long since disappeared.
Some would interpret the messages to the seven churches as if they
were a compacted history of the whole church age from its beginning
until the end of its pilgrimage on earth. While there may be some
validity to that view, I believe that the letters to the seven
churches also constitute a Divine exposition of the conditions that
exist in different local churches throughout church history
including up to this present day.
Each church is symbolized by a "golden candlestick" (Revelation 1:20)
because a local church is to be a source of spiritual light in the
world. The members are the vessels, the Holy Spirit is the oil and the
light is the life of Christ fueled by the Holy Spirit in the believer.
Whenever a congregation ceases to yield to the Holy Spirit it begins a
countdown in which it is in danger of having its candlestick or lamp
stand removed. A disobedient congregation will have its candlestick removed out of
its place due to the fact that its usefulness to Christ has ceased. A
disobedient congregation becomes more of a liability to the kingdom of
God than an asset. The letters were addressed to churches in seven locations in Asia
Minor; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and
Laodicea. Of these seven only two congregations, the one at Smyrna and
the one at Philadelphia, escaped the reproof of Christ. The church at
Smyrna was commended for its faithfulness in the midst of severe
persecution and for the fact that she was impoverished. There are poor
Christian assemblies in different parts of the world that are currently
experiencing persecution and all manner of hardships and they need our
prayers and gifts. However, most churches in the West are not currently
experiencing harsh persecution. The Philadelphia Type Church. There are several unique traits attributed to the church at
Philadelphia. It is the only church that was given an open door to
spread the Gospel in its community and the world. They were promised
unlimited opportunities for ministry. Even their adversaries would
be unable to impede their progress. They were noted for their
"little strength." Literally, they had micro power. It wasn’t
omnipotence like God’s holy power, but it was great enough to
accomplish God’s will in a heathen culture. Secondly, the church
corporately kept (guarded) the word of God. They treasured the
scriptures and were instrumental in their preservation. They had a
complete Old Testament cannon and the New Testament books were
recent writings, with the book of Revelation completing the cannon
of Scripture. Obviously, the written word of God occupied a place of
supremacy with the leadership of the church. Thirdly, they did not
deny the name of Christ. They were faithful to the Lordship of Jesus
even when the temptation to compromise and apostatize was mounting.
The church of Philadelphia was not a very large church. It was
nevertheless a sound New Testament assembly of sincere believers in
Jesus Christ that were committed to the service of the one true God
in their generation. Their light was bright and their candlestick
was secure in its place. Revelation 3:9
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. The sincere Christian living of the believers at
the church of Philadelphia was in contrast to the fake profession of
certain individuals who claimed to be descendants of Abraham, but
really didn’t exhibit the faith of Abraham. If they had, they would
have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. They were Jews
outwardly, but not Jews inwardly. (See Romans 2:28) There was coming
a day in which they would have to acknowledge that God had poured
out His favor upon the people of this church. R The faithful believer within this church will be kept from the awful judgments of the Tribulation period which is going to come upon all the earth. This is the only church to which this promise was extended. They honored the written word of God and the living Word of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Laodicean type church. The Lord told John to write to the angel or messenger of the church at Laodicea to express His displeasure with the condition of the assembly. This church stood in contrast to the church at Philadelphia in that every statement made about it was negative, from a divine perspective. The congregants thought they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing. From Christ’s vantage point though, they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (Revelation 3:17) A lukewarm church. Tepid accurately describes the condition of the church as the church age draws to a close. Many congregations pay lip service to Jesus, but their hearts are far from Him. In some cases a counterfeit Jesus is promoted whose gospel and spirit do not agree with the biblical revelation of Jesus Christ. Let’s examine the characteristics of this Laodicean church. An individual decision. Each person must be certain that he is trusting Jesus Christ as his only Saviour, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, there is NO other way for sinful man to be forgiven and allowed into Heaven. The name on your church sign is not as important as the spiritual state of your church members. Jesus is knocking on the door of hearts that individuals might truly come to know God spiritually. If your church operates like the church at Laodicea, you may attempt to reform it, but if it rejects the truth then there is nothing left but to find an assembly of believers that will honor the Word. Your fellowship with God is more important than the vanity of false religion. Dr.Tony Smart Jude 3
|