Outlook Series - Week 4 - Soiled to White

  We have a lot to cover today, so we’re going to jump right back into our sermon series where we’re again returning to the book of Revelation, this week picking it back up in chapter 2, starting in verse 12. And as we open up to Revelation 2:12, let’s remind ourselves where we are in the series so far. 

In our first week we talked about both the two aspects of our relationship with God, the loving him and loving people aspects, and the holiness of God, which should motivate us to share the Gospel with others. We talked about how God has called us to an interconnected walk where our loving him is inseparable from loving people. If I don’t love God, I can’t love people properly, and if I don’t love people, I can’t love God property. Love for God is done through obedience to his will and word. As Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” 

Loving people is done through service and meeting needs. But the greatest form of love to people is sharing the Gospel with them. We cannot only meet a physical need, without also presenting the answer to the spiritual need. And so, we must love God with obedience and love people with proclamation and service.

And what motivates us to do just that is the holiness of God. When we understand the overpowering awesomeness of God, to which we cannot hope to stand in his presence, we understand the need of repentance and trust in Jesus as our Savior. And if we understand this as children of God, then we should understand the despair of those who are not found in Jesus but are separated from him right now, and possibly into eternity. This should then motivate us to get out there and be ready to be used by God for his Gospel work. 

Then in the second week we had Pastor Doug Haskins from the Navajo nation speak to us. In the way only God could do it, Doug brought us a message that to really experience God’s grace, we must go through times that cause us to endure. Grace that doesn’t wash over adversity, is grace that knows no reason for being. The very definition of grace includes God’s work on humanities behalf to overcome the bondage of sin. God’s grace was shown through the adversity of Jesus on the cross. And when we ourselves go through adverse times, our association with the experience of Jesus becomes tactile and we see just how potent and real the grace of God is. This can be seen in Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:5, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

Then last week we talked about the promise of tribulation. How, just being a follower of Jesus entitles us to trials. As we come closer to Jesus, we move further away from the world. In doing so, God sheds from us the world’s standards, placing on us his own, and this naturally causes rifts and disdain. But even greater trials await those that engage in Gospel work. There will always be push back of Jesus’ narrow way. The world wants the widest possible course of action, so that no one is wrong, and all may be saved. Yet Jesus’ unique only path to salvation means that anyone who proclaims it, will see the same sort of push back that Jesus faced, and could eventually find themselves as a martyr of the Church.

This is why Jesus gives us this information at the start, because it is a promise that as we follow God’s will, we will meet theses trials. Yet, when we keep eternity in view, the trials become joyful experiences, because they bring us closer to the God whom we obey, and our love grows deeper for the people who are lost. As Peter in his first letter writes, “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed (v.13).”

With the last three weeks now in mind, we now return to Revelation 2, starting in verse 12, let’s read about three church together.

“12 To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens). 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

“3:1To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Whereas the key word for the first two churches, that we talked about last week, was tribulation, for the next five, the key word is deeds. Ephesus and Smyrna was dealing with both past and future tribulation from outside sources. What we see in the three churches we read today, is the trial that comes from within. Let’s begin with Pergamum.

Pergamum was one of the three greatest Roman cities in Asia Minor. The reason for this is because Pergamum boasted some of the finest libraries, which housed many parchments. The city also had a grand theater, and many shrines to the many Roman deities. 

Pergamum was also a city where the worship of the Emperor was emphatically executed. In fact, to not participate in the worship of the Emperor, meant that a person would be ostracized from society. This is why Jesus states that Pergamum is the throne of Satan.

It is here that those Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens) from Ephesus appear again. In this case, the expression of this particular heresy was in the form that paralleled the sin of Balak. A person who is said to have sent Moabite women into the Israelites’ camp to seduce them to sin (Numbers 22-24). 

Jesus’ encouragement to the Church at Pergamum is that the church has been diligent in facing persecution from outside sources. Yet Jesus’ problem with the church is that they were not standing against heresy that had crept in. They stood against the imperial worship ceremonies, but they hadn’t stood against the enticement to sexual immorality. 

Jesus calls the church to repent for letting heresy grow, and to return to him. Jesus then gives what will happen if the church doesn’t repent. He tells them, “Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” There’s two parts to this metaphor of “sword of my mouth.” First, because of the favored relationship with the Roman Emperor due to the imperial cult worship, Pergamum had “the right to the sword,” which meant they could execute criminals at their discretion. This is also seen in Jesus’  address to the church in verse 12. The sword represents judgment from a social point of view and so Jesus is saying that he is the One who truly can judge. In addition to this, there is the biblical motif of the sword being the word of God from places like Ephesians 6:17 where Paul makes a direct connection, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” But also later in Revelation chapter 19 verse 15 where John describes Jesus, by stating, "Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” This has a parallel to Isaiah 11:4, “but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

So we see that Jesus revels his judgment, and his judgment is based on the Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures. It is also by this description that it is shown to us how we are to stand against heresy. In order to combat heresy, we must use the Word of God. Biblical understanding is how one stands against the heretical teachings that desire to infiltrate the Church.

Finally Jesus, like we saw last week, puts eternity into perceptive. This is done through an Old Testament parallel in the hidden manna, which was given to the Israelites by God to sustain them. And through a white stone with a new name. This carries a social connotation, because a white stone was given at the acquittal of an individual, i.e. salvation (Romans 3:24-26), and it was also used to gain access to special feast, i.e. the wedding banquet of Jesu and the Church (Matthew 1-14). 

Now, let’s move onto Thyatira. The letter to this church invokes Old Testament holiness passages when describing Jesus himself, another connection to Jesus’ deity as the Ancient One and Holy One of Israel. Like our previous letter to Pergamum, we see a church that is commended by Jesus. This church seems to be doing “all the things right.” They have love and faith. They have service and perseverance. These both speak of a church who is building both aspects of their relationship with God, by loving him and loving people. And not only do they have both, but it’s increasing. 

Yet, Jesus states that they are tolerating a false prophetess whom John connects with the Jezebel in the book of 2nd Kings in the Old Testament, and her teaching of “Satan’s so-called deep secrets.” The word tolerant is the Greek word apheis (af-ee’-is) and has at it’s root the word aphiémi (af-ee’-ay-mee) which carries with it the idea of not just tolerating, but of forgiveness. John uses two other variations of this word in John 20:23, when Jesus states, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” So the connotation here, isn’t that the church is merely tolerating the teachings, as if they are taking a stand against her, yet she was still active outside the church, no, they were actively forgiving her, acting like her sin was okay, about allowing it to continue in the church itself.

Jezebel in the book 2nd Kings, lead the Israelites into idol worship and killed the prophets of God. In John’s day, this modern day Jezebel, is leading the church into sexual immorality, idol worship, and a proto-gnostic belief where secret knowledge is to be found outside of the person of God.

Jesus’ judgment for those that follow this prophetess is to join here on a bed of suffering” which in the Greek is kline (klee’-nay), which is best translated as a bed of sickness. Which means Jesus will bring a great sickness upon those who follow the false prophetess that will effect their children as well. In Jesus’ judgment, he states that, “Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” In other words, because Jesus searches the hearts and minds of people, he knows true repentance and he gives out forgives to those who turn away from sin. The church is irresponsible in forgiving those that Jesus is pointing out have not repented, thereby, speaking for God where he has not spoken.

Finally, in Jesus’ reward, the person who is victorious and doing the will of Jesus will receive a place of authority to judge others and the morning star. The authority of judgment is a response to recognizing and standing against false teaching, such as this Jezebel’s preaching. If we can see and stand against such false teachers, we show true discernment of godly and ungodly things. In addition, Jesus gives the morning star to those who do this. In Revelation 22:16, we find out what the morning star is, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The morning star is an eternal relationship with the victor’s Savior.

Finally, we turn our attention to the Church at Sardis. Here we get the first of two churches who get no real commendation from Jesus. We read that this church has deeds and even has a good reputation among either the rest of the churches in Asia Minor, or perhaps among their own city. Yet, Jesus calls them dead. These deeds and reputation mirrors that of the city of Sardis. 

The legend of Sardis is connected to that of King Midas. The story goes that Midas treated a particular satyr, and companion to a Roman god, very well. This Roman god then granted Midas one wish. Midas asked that everything he touched would turn to gold, which led Midas to almost starving to death. In the end, this Roman god told Midas to wash in the Pactolus River to cleanse him of his wish. This river was then said to flow with the gold from Midas’ hands. This river flowed through Sardis.

Like the church who’s reputation did not reflect their true relationship with God, the river did not flow with the gold that people said it did. Instead Sardis’ wealth was in its clothing industry. An industry that produced fine linens and dyes. 

Here Jesus calls the church to hold onto, not their reputation of doing good, but the Gospel itself. Jesus words of, “2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.” Brings to mind his Parable of the Sower’s seed from Mark 4. Jesus tells the parable like this, “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

It is revealed later that the seed represents the Gospel, and the soil, four different responses to it. The first is a complete rejection of the Gospel, the second is a person who seems receptive at first, yet does not seek God to grow the relationship. The third is a person who allows the world’s desires and problems to choke the Gospel out of their lives. Finally, the fourth is a person that seeks to deepen their relationship with God and grows because of it.

Jesus is calling the church at Sardis away from the second and third soils to be the fourth. To not let the Gospel die in their midsts, but to return to it through repentance and holding fast to its hope and teaching.

Jesus then speaks of solid clothes and white linen. To the person in Sardis they would understand this. They live in a textile world of linen manufacturing. Jesus is revealing that though they live in a society that produces fine linen, their garments are soiled, they are stained with sin. This carries with it the words in the first part of Isaiah 64:6 that we looked at in our first week, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Only in Jesus can a person have fine white linen. Only in Jesus are sins forgiven and a right relationship with both God and people can be found.

All three of these churches speak to a common point. As believers, we can easily fall into the spiritual lifestyle of only doing what we think is most important for God. This has it’s expression either in legalism or in experientialism. Legalism lifts up certain rules, while giving a wink to others. Experientialism lifts up certain experiences, while giving a wink to the stated Word of God. Rules are good, if they are given evenly, and experiences are good as long as they are not in conflict with God’s Word. Yet here, we see both rules unevenly applied and experience that’s moving away from God’s Word.

We see in these churches, the legalistic wink to the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens) and Jezebel in both Pergamum and Thyatira, and we see the experiential wink to the taking seriously God’s Word in Sardis. We cannot follow these churches in how they carry out their Gospel work. We must instead joyfully carry out the work of God while at the same time taking serious the Word of God, not tolerating heretical and detrimental teachings. We must stand upon the Word of God, pointing others to Jesus, who the Scriptures point towards, and going about the work of God of sharing the Gospel and meeting needs. 

God is calling us away from worldly things and into his holiness. Away from the soiled garments, to be robed in white. We must stand against heretical teachings, not allowing some to fester, but against all false teachings. If we don’t then our ministry will become corrupt and have even more problems. Also, we must not think that our experiences of doing good and gaining a good reputation, whether with other churches or with our community, is a stand-in for true Gospel work. If we do then have lost sight of the power of the Gospel and the eternity in which Jesus calls us.

My challenge for you this week is take time in prayer asking the question, do I engage in legalism. Do I make certain rules more important than others, and in doing so give room for heresy and sin to fester? Or do I engage in experientialism, where I get the experience high of the praises of people for my good work, but at the cost of my time in going deep into God’s Word? We can do both at the same time, and it’s easy to fall into this trap. Yet God callus to stand from in all areas of the Gospel, and to proclaim in biblically to the world.

So let us then seek God to bring us to his Gospel, to hold onto what the Gospel and what God calls us to, and by doing so to be a people who stand separate from the world, yet loving it as God loves it. Amen.

Outlook Series - Week 2 - Keeping the First Love in Trials

  When were in a situation, it’s really easy, and at times necessary, to be so engulfed in that moment that we loose track of all other things. I’ve seen it time after time with teenagers. They get into a relationship and begin to cut off their friends because their so enamored with that one person. If it goes on long enough, the friends tend to start dropping off, and if the relationship ends, what do they have left? A lot of apologizing and hope that they can restore those old friendships. I’ve seen in it the caring for a loved one who is passing away. Doctor visits, physical therapy, medication runs fill up all the time, and the constant watch over the person becomes everything. And when that person passes, the emptiness from their passing is all the more heavy because in those last months or years that was their life. It happens with jobs, where the job becomes everything. Making that next promotion doesn’t leave room for family, friends, and rest. And when we loose that job, because of the economy or other circumstances, who are we without it?

And when were in encompassing situations such as these, living life is put to the side. In some cases, like the teenage infatuations, it’s unnecessary; in the case of a passing loved one, it is vital. Yet coming out of both can make us forget how to function without the situation where our lives revolved around that moment. It’s hard to be around your family, friends, or just the world in general, because you haven’t been there in so long, that you have to relearn to function outside of that situation. Which, depending on the severity of the situation, can take years to adjust.

And it’s this idea of returning to a place outside of that moment that brings us back to our sermon series, where we’ll be looking at the first two churches of Revelation chapter 2 and how God calls us to have an out-look view by coming out of an all engulfing situation. That means that since there are two aspects to our relationship with God, that of loving God and loving people, a part of our relationship with God must include relationships with people. We can’t truly experience God in his fullness without loving the people that God brings around us. It’s when dealing with people that we must have this Out-look view. We must look beyond ourselves to the hurt and need of the people whom God brings into our lives. We must seek to help in whatever way we can, with the greatest help we can ever offer is sharing the Gospel. 

No amount of good deeds in this life will save a person, either ourselves or another, and so the Gospel must be shared so that eternal life may be presented. 

Yet, it’s hard, especially in our society, to present the Gospel. People say things like, “don’t preach at me,” “keep your religion to yourself,” or “I’ve heard it before.” Plus, we’re taught not talk about certain subjects, so it’s ingrained in us not to share. Yet, when we think on the holiness of God, how awesome and great he is, and how his holiness causes those in his presence to fall down as if dead (Revelation 1:17), we should be motivated to break through those rejections and social restraints.  

If we truly believe that Jesus could return at any moment, then the sharing of the Gospel by God’s people is the only work that really matters. The jobs we hold don’t matter, because the time is short. The chance of breaking friendships over the Gospel doesn’t matter, because Christ is on the horizon. The world thinking that we are crazy does not matter, because if we have the only way in Christ, then the crazy is the world and not the followers of Jesus. 

The sharing of the Gospel is what matters, and that means we need be doing a lot of prayer, a lot of work to earn the ear of those we share the Gospel with, and a clear understanding of what the Gospel is, both Christ’s work in the Scriptures, and our own personal testimony of Jesus’ triumph. 

All this was what we talked about in our first week. Then last week we had Doug Haskins, from the Navajo nation, speak to us. He shared how to experience God’s grace we must endure the trials and tribulations, the hard times that God brings us into. In any Gospel work, there are going to be roadblocks and disasters. When we engage in the work of God, there is going to be slander, gossip, and loss. Yet, as we endure in the strength of the Holy Spirit, we experience the grace of God all the more. 

And it’s this understanding of the promise of trials and tribulations that brings us back into God’s Word today. Lets read Revelation chapter 2, starting in verse 1.

“1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

“4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens), which I also hate.

“7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

“8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

“11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death."

The seven churches of Revelation have been divided and interpreted in many different ways. Yet for our series we are going to see how these seven churches, and the praises and chastisements that they receive from Jesus, can be grouped with the first two together, the next three, and then the final two. 

With the churches of Ephesus and Smyrna the issue of our response to tribulation is the main focus. 

Let’s look at Ephesus first. They have gone through some sort of resistance to the Gospel work and have endured it. This resistance to God’s work has come on a theological front, with false apostles, and a group of people called the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens). Now we don’t know a whole lot about the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens), but what we know of their teachings is that they are a mix of Christian belief with Balak worship and sexual immorality. The Ephesus Church stood against this heresy and Jesus commends them for it. 

Remember, this is the same church that Paul wrote the famous Armor of God passage. And they are standing strong against the work of Satan from people like the these Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens). Yet, Jesus has a problem with the church. They have fallen away from their first love. The word for “forsaken” or in some translations “abandon” in verse 4, means to send away. It brings to mind the idea that the Ephesus Church was so engaged in defending the Gospel work from heresy, that they let go of the fundamental aspects of loving God and loving people. Their works of standing against wrong teaching, though commendable, became the focus of the Ephesus Church’s ministry and the love for God and love for people fell to the way side. 

The roadblocks and trials became more important than the God whom they served and the life giving Gospel message that they were to proclaim. And so, Jesus calls them back to their first love. He calls them back to the primary aspects of their relationship with God, loving him with everything and loving people as themselves.

This is then followed by Jesus’ address to the church of Smyrna. Smyrna was north of Ephesus and was a center of commerce and Emperor worship. Jesus speaks to the church as being poor, yet rich. This could be taken one of two ways: It could mean that the church is poor in spirit yet rich in finances, or it could mean that the church is poor in finances yet rich in Christ. Only one of these interpretations could be right, because they are opposites of each other. To me, in the context of what follows, I believe it is the latter, that they are poor in finances yet rich in Christ.  

The reason for this is because the church has already experienced tribulation in the form of confrontation from the Jewish community. Most likely the majority of these early Christians were Jews who would have been ostracized from their community and therefore would be suffering financially because of it. The same would go for the Gentile believers, though not to the extreme as it would be in later years.

Yet Jesus doesn’t bring a reprieve to the tribulation, instead he brings a message of more to come. This would be immediate and future. We know that eventually John’s, the writer of Revelation, disciple Polycarp, who became Bishop of Smyrna, would be martyred in the city. Eventually the city would become a focal point of persecution for the church with many Christians losing their wealth and status in society.

Yet with each of these two churches, Jesus gives them hope. To Ephesus Jesus states, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (v.7).”

And to the Smyrna church Jesus states, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death (v11).”

Jesus calls each church to remember the reward that awaits them if they endure to the end. Jesus puts eternity into focus for the believers, as they are being called to return to loving God and people in the case of Ephesus, and to endure the tribulation in the case of Smyrna.

So how are these two churches connected, other than the focus on eternity, if they are being called two different circumstances of endurances?

Let’s step back and first look at Ephesus. The Ephesian Church is lauded for standing their ground against heresy, yet they are admonished for losing sight of loving God and people. In their tribulation against the Nicolaitans (Nick-o-lay-tens) and false apostles, they failed to keep their eyes on the eternal purposes of why they were standing against these people. They fell into the trap of the debating becoming more important than God. It seems they let the fight become more important than what they were fighting for. 

I’ve fallen into this trap in my own life, where winning the argument is more important than pointing a person back to Christ. Where being right means beating another down with knowledge, without a care for how my actions and words reflect back on Jesus. 

When we fall into this trap, the battle means everything and the reason for the battle means nothing. We become conditioned to winning at all costs. Like the Ephesians, we can lose sight of why we’re standing against the heresy in the first place, which is to love God and love people. We stand against heresy, not because we’re right, but because we want people to know Jesus as Savior, and we must correct those that would warp who he says he is. 

The Ephesian Church did not handle this tribulation correctly, and so is seems like Jesus is calling the Smyrna Church to handle their tribulation in the right way. Jesus speaks to them to let them know they may feel poor because they lost the physical things they once had, but they are still rich in Jesus, so it was worth. Though Jesus informs them that even more tribulation is coming, their focus needs to be on him and the eternity that they have through his sacrifice. The two churches are connected by one being a learning example for the other. And both need to face tribulation with a focus on eternity with God.

This puts the reason to stand against heresy into perspective. This puts tribulation that is to come, into perspective. When we put the momentary things into eternal perspective, then we’re not winning the argument to win the argument, but to point others to Christ. We’re not facing tribulation with sorrow over losing our earthly riches, but with joy, because people may see my life following Christ and seek him because of it. 

We are called to these very same things today. There is so much heresy permeating the Church, we could spend a year of Sundays talking about it, and there would be more creeping in and added to the pile. We must face these and answer them, but we must keep in focus eternity. We stand against these things, so that people would know the path Christ has laid out for them to follow. We must point them to Jesus, the only way, truth and life, to which no one goes to the Father except through him (John 14:6).

And as tribulation comes, we must not allow ourselves to be bogged down with the tribulation itself, becoming callous to God’s purpose for allowing us into this tribulation. This is why James writes in the opening to his letter, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (1:2-4).”

Trials and tribulations are to bring our focus on the eternal reality of God. To help us become more loving of him and more loving of the people around us. Therefore let us take seriously Jesus’ call to the Ephesus church to always return to our first love, and his call to the Smyrna Church to be ready for the tribulation that is to come. And when we engage in God’s Gospel work, there will be many tribulations, both large and small that follow. Yet this was promised by Jesus. He sates in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We can walk in the tribulations God has for us, by trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit and focusing on the work of Jesus in our lives.

My challenge for you this week then, is to do a little leg work. The town of Quartzsite is basically divided into four quadrants. Northwest of 95 and I-10, Northeast of 95 and I-10, Southeast of 95 and I-10, and Southwest of 95 and I-10. I want to challenge you to pick one of these quadrants and either drive or walk, maybe when visiting the vendors, and pray for the people you encounter, and the town itself. Pray that the all these people, from all these different places, would encounter the Gospel. Whether that be by you or another believer. But take this week and walk or drive all over one of these quadrants praying for the work of the Gospel to be active and while you do, pray also that you would keep the focus of the reason why we engage in Gospel work. We do not do it to make money, or to win arguments, we do it because eternity is ahead, and there’s only two locations a person will spend it. Either in the joy of the Lord, or the sorrow of the lake of fire.

Let us be a people who’s hearts are broken for the lost of this world, as our God’s heart breaks for them. Amen. 

Outlook Series - Week 1 - Holiness to Motivate

Not a lot of people know what the Alliance Church is. We get people that will call up, or search the internet, or walk through the door, not knowing a thing about the Alliance. I’ve had people ask if we’re a cult, or new age, or just some fringe group. The reason for this is because the Alliance, as a denomination, isn’t the biggest well known of Christian denominations. Someone hears Baptist or Assemblies of God and they have a general idea of what that means. But the Alliance is such a small denomination compared to some others, that not many people know about it. And so, when people arrive for the first time, we have the welcome bags that give some brief information about who we are. 

Which in reality is the basic doctrine that every Christian church believes. But it’s the uniqueness of the Alliance that drew me to it. A lot of denominations started over strife concerning doctrine. I call them secondary doctrines that don’t hold salvation work, but rather human interpretation. Primary doctrine that all Christians adhere to are things like, God is Creator, we are sinners, Jesus is the only Savior. Secondary doctrines are things like when’s the rapture, is it premillennial or amillennial, is it slacks or jeans, is it hymns or contemporary. Primary doctrine is what concerns clear salvation work, secondary doctrine is what concerns our interpretations of non-salvation work. 

Since the founding of the Alliance, our focus has been on the primary. An old mantra of the Alliance was “Bring back the King.” This mantra focused on the work of bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth until the return of Jesus. And so, unlike some denominations, the Alliance was birthed, not out of secondary doctrine disputes, but out of the primary desire to see men and women come to know Jesus as their Savior. 

And that’s really what it’s about. When we come to know Jesus as our Savior, eternity is opened up to us. We who know Jesus, pass from an eternity of death to an eternity of life. We pass from darkness into the light of God. We move from being children of wrath to being children of grace. From enemies of God to his adopted children. This is the great gift that is given to all those who have put their trust into Jesus as their Savior.

Yet there are countless millions who have not put their trust into Jesus as Savior. From our neighbor that we shoot the breeze with, to the African woman getting water. From the harden atheist to the communist revolutionary. There are countless people in this world that need to hear the life changing Gospel message, and God’s primary prescription for that work is you and I. It was the disciples of Jesus that were given the Great Commission of Matthew 28. Through Jesus’ authority, we are told to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded…”

When we come to know Jesus as our Savior, we are brought into a two part work of God. This two part work comes from Jesus response in Mark 12, “‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The first work of God in our lives is Jesus’ work on the cross, this is the Gospel. The second work is the work of the Gospel impacting the lives of people through us.

Yet the majority of the time, we tend to error on the side of the work of Jesus in our own lives. Countless devotional books line our bookcases. Sermons are focused on the three ways God can help you in your marriage or finances. The majority of our focus of the modern Church is God’s help in our lives, but when our focus is primarily on this personal work, we miss out on the greater work of God that surrounds us. The two are joined in a separable work that cannot be done one without the other. We cannot love God without loving people, and we cannot be transformed by God without being involved in Gospel work.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, this link of loving God and loving people is made clear through Jesus’ example of sacrifice and dispute. In Matthew 5:23 Jesus states, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

The worship of God, and the work that God is doing between us and the people around us is inseparable. And so we must be about the work that God has called us to if we desire to be brought into a deeper relationship with the God who saves. We must have as much of an outlook focus on life as we do an inward focus. The inward focus looks to seek God on a personal level; the outward focus seeks to make God known to the world around us. The inward is our devotion and worship, the outward is the good works and proclamation of the Gospel. 

Both are needed in seeking God and as God’s people we must engage in both as we follow our Savior.

With this Outlook focus, we’re going to spend the next several weeks looking into God’s word to better understand the work that God has given us as individuals and as a church ministry to accomplish what he has given us to do. Each of us has individual ministries that we are to engage in. We have neighbors, family members, acquaintances that need to hear the Gospel and whom God has brought into our lives to do just that. 

In addition, God has brought us together in this ministry here in Quartzsite to accomplish his work in this town and to the ends of the earth. It isn’t happenstance that each of us are here today. We are here in Quartzsite for salvation purpose. We are meeting together today in the Alliance Church of Quartzsite, for Gospel work. We cannot be of the mind that I’m attending because I like the pastor, or the music, or my friends, or it’s convenient, but rather realize that God is calling us to his work together. 

And so what is that work? What is God calling us as individuals and as a ministry here in Quartzsite. 

In the opening chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus gives seven messages to seven churches in Asia Minor, which is in the area of modern day Turkey. These seven churches have been interpreted in a lot of different ways, one of which is a part of the dispensations of biblical history, with each church representing different eras of church history. 

In the coming weeks, we’re going to step back for a moment and look at these seven churches from a different angle. Looking at the churches in the moment in which Jesus spoke to them, can tell us a lot about where the Church as a whole is today, and where God is calling us specifically to his work.

These seven churches can show us what it means to have a balanced work of God in our lives. To have both an inward relational focus, and an outward Gospel focus.

Would you turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter 1 verse 1. Here, we’re going to see the basis for both works of God.

John begins his book by writing this, “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

“4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

“7 ‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen.

“8 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’

“9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’

“12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

“17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

“19 ‘Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’”

Now there’s a lot going on in this passage. From the son of man title that connects to Daniel 7:13, to the seven lampstands representing seven churches. But through all that imagery what is the focus of the passage? What is the center point of it all? It’s Jesus. 

Its Jesus’ word that will be spoken to the churches. It’s through Jesus’ death and resurrection that this word has come. It’s by Jesus’ will that we enter into this understanding of what he is calling us to. And this is where we must begin, we have to come to a place where we realize it’s about Jesus. 

And the thing is, we know this simple truth. We know that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We know that he is the one to whom we are to conform to (Romans 8:29). We know that we are to be his disciples and it’s he that will make us fisher of men (Matthew 4:19). Yet, we try to walk this world in our own will. We know we are to say, “your kingdom come, your will be done (Matthew 6:10),” yet we more often than not seek our own will. Our devotions are about helping us. Sermons are about helping us. A lot of the modern Church is about us, rather than Jesus.

Every time we sense the need to share the Gospel and we don’t, we have followed our will and not Jesus’. Every time we have seen a need of brother or neighbor and know that God has brought them into our lives to be helped, yet we don’t, we have followed our purposes and not God’s. The reason for this, is because we are not taking seriously the work of God that is laid before us. 

Notice the reaction to Jesus that John experiences. Verse 17, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.”

The prophet Isaiah had a similar experience when he encounter God on his throne. Isaiah 6:1 begins, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’

“4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’

“6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’

“8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!’”

The common factor between these two experiences of God, are the realizations of the holiness of God. John fell down as if he were dead by peering at the holiness of God. Isaiah understood his utter depravity in sin at the holiness of God. Yet, in the holiness of God, there is forgiveness. There is a calling out of sin and into the work of God. Isaiah is cleansed of sin and called to the work of God. Jesus points John to his work on the cross and resurrection, and calls him to write to the seven churches.

We must grasp the holiness of God, because when we do, the work of God becomes all consuming. When we enter into God’s holiness, his work becomes a call that we cannot deny. It’s the consuming fire of God’s holiness that motivates the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

So how do we begin to grasp this holiness? We study and meditate on the difference between us and God. We must hold in balance the understanding that Jesus is God with us from Christmas, and that Jesus is far beyond us in goodness. We must think on how much God has done for us to bring us out of sin and to himself. We are not simply tainted with sin, as if a glob of the wrong color paint got on the wall. We are cleansed from sin that permeates every cell of our being. 

Isaiah understands just how deep sin goes when he writes in his 64th chapter, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away (v.6).”

The imagery of a shriveled leaf and being blown by the wind means that without the work of Jesus, every action, every purpose, every movement of our lives is dictated by sin. We must come to a realization that this is who we are without Jesus. We are not a little bit good, we are not just slightly influenced by sin, we are solely unholy and lost without Christ. He is holy, perfect, and good. So much so, that even the angels in heaven do not look upon him, because even they are not as holy as he is. 

Through pondering the holiness of God, the work of God is brought into view. The angel says to Isaiah, “‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!’”

We have been brought out of death into life. The darkness has been washed away in the light of Christ. We are no longer enemies of God but his children, so God what will you have us do? This should be our response. Because of God’s great work on behalf of this sinner, what would you have me do God? 

And this is where he is calling us. To the Outlook. What is the next work of God that there is? If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, what work am I being called to? Who is the next person I should share with? What next project, cup of water, ministry should I support or do?

In the holiness of God, the work of God becomes vital to our very relationship with the holy God. Because we are seeking to do whatever God desires, because in his desire he saved me. The wretched person that I am apart from Jesus’ work, is made anew and now what would God have of me?

The Alliance was founded on this primary principle. Jesus saved me, now how can I be used in his salvation work?

This week I want to challenge you to study and meditate on Isaiah 64:6. Think on the holiness of God. Think on the separation between God and man because of sin. Think on the vast work of God to bring us out of sin. Think on how sin permeates every cell of our being, and how Jesus washes us clean of that sin. Then think on the work of God. From God’s holiness are you actively saying, send me? We need to struggle with this this week. We need to be asking God, what would you have me do? Who would you send me to? 

There are so many ministries that are vying for our attention, we need to step back and say, ok God, what would you have me do? In your holy work, where shall I go, send me.

Let us be a people who seek to understand the holiness of God, and who are willing to be used by God in whatever capacity he deems necessary. Amen.