Lesson 2: “Among the Lampstands” - 3ABN Sabbath School Panel - Q1 2019

the Bible tells us in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God it says to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls and to be diligent to present yourself approved to God rightly dividing the word of truth join us now for the 3abn Sabbath School panel our study today is The Book of Revelation hello friends welcome to our study the Sabbath School 3abn panel or 3abn Sabbath School panel you choose the order here we are ready to go on an excursion through an exciting book called revelation it's not a hidden book it's not a secret book it's a book that's power packed and we've learned that as much as we've known we are still learning more amen so get ready because we are fired up and ready to go and we are only on lesson 2 just imagine what's going to happen when we get to lesson 5 so pause whatever you're doing get your Bible your pens you're a Sabbath School Bible study guide but if you don't have one go to the following website maybe SGI adventist org and download a copy or go to your nearest seventh-day Adventist Church and say 3abn sent us we like the fellowship and we like a study guide on the book of Revelation what a beautiful cover and that nice the lion and the lamb which both are a representation symbol as it were of no body other than Jesus Christ surely good to have you here lefty pastor Kenny always good to see you Jill thank you thank you for the work you do and Ryan no longer a new kid on the block good to have you he's always fired up that's good when I was his age hey what am I talking about I'm still fired up further Ryan would you have prayer for absolutely let's do that Father in heaven Lord we thank you for this day we thank you again for the opportunity to come together like this and study your word the Lord we can't do it on our own we need your Holy Spirit right now to lead and guide us to give us the spiritual eyesight the spiritual hearing and knowledge and wisdom to be able to rightly divide your word of dream father I pray that each and every one of us will be drawn together as brothers and sisters in Christ but more importantly to Jesus Christ through his word we thank you for your continual love grace and mercy we ask these things in Jesus Holy Name the lesson is among the lamp stands it's a very short memory text and I'll read it in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 7 we are told and this is by the way repeated seven times actually eight because his later on in the Bible in the book of Revelation he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches how ironic that I read that text he who has an ear that's the one thing I do have is an ear of them often they stand out but you know what I like about this lesson that stands out to me is this lesson finds the servant of God in adverse circumstances when the author of this lesson dr. Ranko Stefanovic put the lesson together I thank the Lord for the way he was able to extract you know he has been gifted with that skill and ability colleague and ministry would praise the Lord for his wisdom but we know that it's the Holy Spirit ultimately that guides us as we begin to unfold the story of Revelation but go with me to Psalm 73 because this is a beautiful illustration of how dr. Steven ovitch decides to preview what appears to be adversity for John on the island of Patmos yeah it appears to be adversity but I know that everything that looks like adversity is not necessarily adversity my life began as a tragedy and abandonment that was in fact a prelude to God's blessings Dandan at three months old by my parents left in the home of an Adventist babysitter can you call that abandonment no that's an appointment to God's destiny for my life and so here in Psalm 73 we're going to look at a picture of a young man by the name of Asaph and he is somehow blinded by his circumstance and I want to make that point very clear because what we sometimes think of adversity or affliction can be appointment it's not necessarily adversity or affliction it could be appointment but sometimes God does not immediately deliver us from our affliction or our adversity and we wallow in the mire of our shortsightedness and when you read the story of ASAP he's his perspective on how God seems to be unfair I'm gonna go through that really quickly because Midway as he's really ranting about how the wicked seemed to be blessed and how many of us have seen people that we know by their lifestyle choices and by the world they live in a by the things that they do whether publicly or we may know some people that do that privately we say how could they live like that and be so blessed I mean we've said that before well ASAP is not an unusual character and if you would tend to come into that fall into that category there's a light turning on moment in the midst of his ramp at ranting look at what he says in verse one truly God is good to Israel to such as our pure in heart Shelley give me first two and three but as for me my feet had almost stumbled my steps had nearly slipped for I was envious at the beautiful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked I was envious of the boastful actually he was full when I saw the prosperity of the wicked he said he said these are the people that I'm really not I don't I don't like the fact that they are in such terrible life they lived so horribly but they're boasting about their wickedness and he goes on to chronicle their verse four he says there are no pangs in their death but their strength is firm in other words they don't ever seem to be weak and he goes on to continue chronicling how their pride how they're not in trouble like other men their eyes balls verse seven with abundance that more than heart could wish you ever felt like that I mean have you ever felt like that I set my wife and I once sat and watched an Oprah Winfrey Show but she was given off vehicles to everybody you got a vehicle you get a vehicle you got a vehicle you know that show that and here we are sitting at the edge of our bed our 4runner had been wrecked in a total it got total when our vehicle overturned in st. Louis Missouri and I'm sitting there and I'm thinking why could not we be on that show have you ever felt that way I mean like they don't need vehicles I need a vehicle but God is saying relax that's right but not a part of that year when I was at the general conference with Doug Batchelor we were doing a series of meetings I think was a prophecy code or one of those wonderful meetings he does at the beginning of the meeting I stepped out on stage and introduced the television audience at the end of the meeting I was introduced to a lady her name was faith this woman said to me when you stood up there tonight God said that's my servant I want you to bless him the end result three days later the Lord gave me a brand new vehicle no payments no insurance no registration coverage she said just use it for the glory of God and everything is going to be here so God didn't need me on Oprah he needed me to do his will and so sometimes we find ourselves in this predicament this adversity is this affliction the God is saying it's not affliction it's happening according to my timetable so we're visiting John on an island where it's not affliction but it's assignment the Lord says you'll be too distracted if you stand wrong you need to go where I can have you right without any distraction and that's the same thing that happened to the Apostle Paul if he were not imprisoned and shackled his life maybe his prior life could have been a distraction to God getting the message to him but look at through all of his affliction he's one of the most prolific writers of the new Texas so first messages don't allow affliction to be an opportunity to doubt the Providence and sovereignty look at verse 17 I'm gonna read verse 15 to 17 Jill could you read that for us if I had said I would speak thus behold I would have been untrue to the generation of your children and what do you meant that he says if I decided to say good things I wouldn't been telling the truth but look at verse 16 and 17 173 when I thought how to understand this it was too painful for me verse 7 until I went into the sanctuary of God then I understood their end and then all of a sudden his his his his um his his script changes Benny all of a sudden now see as God's providence he says surely you set them in Slippery places I know you set them up like that some people live their lives for the prosperity right now but God is saying the Christians should not focus on circumstance adversity nor affliction to doubt the sovereignty of God I mean how could you both how could you be upset about somebody's mansion in Malibu or in Hollywood or Beverly Hills and God is building us a mansion in heaven so John is in this temporary condition and God was so got it so appointed him to communicate to us that they couldn't even kill him so I would rather be in trial with Jesus then in success without him and that's what situation was and we've had other examples we've had Shadrach Meshach and Abednego or Hananiah Mishael and Azariah their Hebrew names they was standing in the province in the court of Babylon they chose to serve God and here's the point and I think the lesson brings us out whenever you choose to serve God it may result in your not your demise but your discomfort discomfort and demise are not the same thing it wasn't a demise for John because at the end of that he says even so come Lord Jesus amen and when he closes his eyes and death it was not at the hand of his of his persecutors but by the will of God past the doug batchelor my good friend says we are immortal until god has done with us and then we still have the gift of eternal life when he returns we also have Stephen the stoning of Stephen that's right once again once again an adverse circumstance he begins from the beginning of the attempt on Christ a guy the Jewish leaders and he gets so convicted that his situation does end in a demise but you know what to give you a life for the Lord is better than to live without the leaders see blessed are the dead who die in the Lord that they may rest from their Labour's and their works do follow them but I'm gonna give you a couple of Bible passages that if you maybe like in a situation like John was on Patmos your Patmos maybe in Brooklyn or in California or in Texas won the Bahamas or some location you may be in the midst of the most successful thriving financial community and you may feel completely isolated and alone and somehow cut off from God but let me give you a couple of passages that will encourage you i they'e 43 verse 2 and I think many of us know that isaiah 43 verse 2 God is always with us in our times of trouble it says when you pass through the waters what's the next word I will be with you and through the rivers what not overflow you when you walk through the fire what you should not be burned nor shall the flame scorch you Shadrach Meshach and Abednego know that as a fact to be in a furnace and the only thing that burns all the Babylonian ropes and even then it doesn't even leave the smell of smoke on them praise God for that is another one who can get the second rent the second Corinthians 4 verse 8 and 9 whoever gets there first be there for us I think shelley's there looks like it to me 2nd Corinthians 4 verses 8 and 9 we are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed that's a lot of the Christians sometimes we have you have any of us ever gone through adversity are we still here and we get those moments in our lives I know that my wife and I I know that my wife and I could recall a moment in 1995 where we determine we would determined to quit this thing called ministry because it was just too tough but look at what I would have forfeited it shutters us when we sit down sometimes and recount the way that God has led us and when adversity comes remember this adversity comes not at the appointment of God but at the allowance of God God knows when we need to be refined and sometimes it takes warmer flames and we've ever been exposed to to get the things in our lives burned out and I know that who I was in 1995 to God be the glory I am not 1019 thank you praise God for that here's another one psalm 46 verse 1 God is our refuge refuge and strength a very present help when so God was on that island with John that island of patmos and I was as was pointed out the followers of Christ this is on the bottom of Sunday the paragraph closer to the bottom the followers of Christ should never forget that wherever they find themselves in circumstances similar to those of John they are not left alone and that wonderful acts 17 verse 27 so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him and find him though he is not far from each one of us so you might be looking for me but I'm right here road to Emmaus he was on that road with the disciples and friends he's with you in your set of circumstances revelation 1 in verse 10 and john is on the island he says I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day and I heard behind me a loud voice as it's perfect so what day in the Bible is specified as the Lord's Day let's look at Genesis 2:1 and 3 and in the very beginning the Bible says that as God is creating everything when he had finished creating everything says on the seventh day which is Saturday God ended his work which he had done and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had done then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified him that means God set it aside as a holy day now there's no question which day this is because in this passage seventh day is mentioned three different times we know in Exodus 20 verses eight three eleven this is part of the Ten Commandments and God says something interesting and as you're turning there just want to remind you or tell you if you don't know this Sabbath day is a Memorial Lumumba Memorial oh my god as creator it is a memorial of God as deliverer and as our signifier so he says in Exodus 20:8 3:11 remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God and he goes on to say in it they're not gonna do any work because in six days God created the heavens and the earth and then he rested so it is a memorial of God we look to him as our Creator Deuteronomy 5 verses 12 through 15 it is a memorial of God as our deliverer the Redeemer God and again I'm just going to jump through these in verse 14 it says the seventh day is the Sabbath once again of the Lord your God but verse 15 says remember in reference to the seventh that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and that your God brought you out from there Israel by a mighty hand by an outstretched arm therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the seventh the Sabbath day so we see it is an Oriole of him as deliverer and in my favorite exodus 31:13 God says surely my Sabbath he's laying claim to myself as you shall keep for it's a sign between me and you that I am the lord who sanctifies you I don't know about you but all my life I tried to sanctify myself for the Lord I tried to be holy I tried I tried I failed yeah but when I discovered the Sabbath I learned that it is God's job all he asked me to do is surrender - walk - just follow him he's the one that's going to work in me - willing to do according to his good pleasure hallelujah Isaiah 58 and verse 13 if there's any first that shows that the Sabbath are God's this is his says God says if you turn away your foot from the Sabbath from doing your pleasure on my holy day whose day is it is God's holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy day of the Lord honorable and honor him not doing you're always not finding your own pleasure not speaking your own words that God is saying this is my day and then Jesus said in Matthew 12:8 that the son of man is lord what even of the Sabbath so according to scripture when when John says I was on the island of Patmos I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day this was God's Sabbath day now you know there are some who say that well no now the Lord's Day is Sunday in honor of the Resurrection you know what we do in honor of the resurrection we're baptized that's right Romans chapter 6 we're buried with him we come up that's the honor of the Resurrection it happened once it goes for us now there are people though who try to say well no now sunday is God's day but that doesn't line up with Scripture there's not one single scripture that says that and in the New Testament in the entire Bible there's only eight different scripture references that use the phrase the first day of the week which would be sending five of these or when the women were coming to the tomb and here I mean here their Lord had died they go home and rest on the Sabbath according to the commandment it and then they go back on Sunday mornings with the fragrant oils but let me go through quickly the only other three references to the first day of the week John 20 and verse 19 it says then the same day this is Resurrection Sunday at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them peace be with you so you've got disciples that are trembling with fear they're hiding behind bar doors they don't believe the reports of those who've already come and said that he was risen they don't know that Christ is risen this was not a worship service this was something more they were locking themselves away so they wouldn't be caught no the second reference to the first day of the week that is remaining is first Corinthians 6 1 through 13 where Paul says concerning the collection of the Saints about giving orders to the churches of Galatia so you must do also on the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside storing up as he may prosper that there be no collections when I come there he's taking up a collection for those who are in a well-known yeah but what I've been trying to say they're starting is what I'm trying so he says what do you say to them when he says to lay it aside literally in the Greek its lay by him in store so he's telling them hey I'm gonna come through and these who are in the famine we're gonna collect this for them I want you to already have it laid up it's stored at by your in your house and this would be grains and different things that they're laying up in store and and then he wanted it to be ready so that they the people who came through could take it to those who were in suffering this famine in Jerusalem now the last scripture is acts 20 verses 7 through 12 this is the final of the eight references to the first day of the week says now on the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul ready to depart the next day spoke to them and continued the message into midnight now you know he's there breaking bread acts 2 44 to 46 talks how they broke bread day-to-day so this is probably a farewell meal heat Paul's been at Troas for seven days he's met with the disciples more than once and now he's getting ready to go away and they're having a farewell meal and it says in verse 8 you know Paul's kind of long-winded that there were many lands in ample room where they were gathered together so they're meeting in a private house the uppermost room probably the third floor and because they don't want to be interrupted and the illumination is smoking lamps it's thick stuffy and in a window set a certain young man named eutychus who was sinking into a deep sleep he was overcome by sleep in his Paul continued he fell down from the third storey and was taken up dead so Eutychus was feeling sleepy he gets in that in the window to get a little fresh air he conks off he goes down and then what happens Paul went down fell on him embracing who said don't trouble yourself friend his wife sent him so this is like when he last she fell on the man to bring him back to life Paul falls on him and brings him back to life and many people believe this is the only reason Luke even recorded this so those are the only eight scriptures on the first day of the week does anything say that God transferred his sanctity from the seventh day Sabbath to the first day we know so the Sabbath was founded on God's specific and divine commandment it was set apart for him manatees benefit and when John says I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day it was on this happen yeah thank you very much Shelly wonderful treatise on the Lord's Day we're gonna take a short break and we'll be back in just a moment ever wish you could watch a three-bean Sabbath school panel again or share it on Facebook Instagram or Twitter well you can by visiting 3abn Sabbath school panel comm a clean design makes it easy to find the program you're looking for there are also links to the adult Bible study guide so you can follow along sharing is easy just click share and choose your favorite social media cheryline save a life for eternity [Music] welcome back to our continued study on the book of Revelation Shelley that was a wonderful treatise on on the Lord's Day but what yes I evidently misspoke the reference in Corinthians is 1st Corinthians 16 1 through 3 thank you very much pastor Kenny you have now the privilege of unfolding Tuesday's lesson John's vision of Christ on Patmos no you know what I thought read this begin without how overwhelming really are just overwhelmed with it just with the title encountering Christ man we need to encounter Christ every day you know and this encounter that John had is absolutely it's a simply amazing and this Tuesday's lesson it challenged us to read to begin with in Revelation chapter 1 12 through 8 now I'll just kind of go through that in just a moment so I hope you have your Bibles and whatever and you're jotting things down quickly because a lot is said in a very short amount of time is it disproves just take a lot of time and study it study at home so please study we go into a description of Christ and what he's doing knowing what he has done what he's doing right now so how interesting what he's doing now what he was doing then as it was when John saw him envision what was Jesus doing you know is it important to us today to know that absolutely and I think probably as I study through this and read these verses in here when it made gave the description of Jesus and it talks about his hair and it talks about him as his eyes and it's been it makes you want to just fall down and worship Him it really does it makes you one just fall down and like dig a hole if you don't mind me saying and crawl in took over so unworthy rather than stand on our feet and act like were some kind of equal to being the presence is every godly man or woman encountered angels or any kind of heavenly being what did they do they had a little fear didn't then they begin to shake because they realized it was something heavenly there and so you know as you go through that safety john simply would deal quickly John heard a voice and naturally as we hear a voice what do we do we time I hear a voice it what-who and usually they have to repeat it twice for me so to hear it but said you know he heard this voice is what the Bible said he turned around and he's What did he say I said seven golden candlesticks yeah that to me I look I said well now would that be the same well no you look at it seven golden candlesticks talking about here in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary X is chapter 25 but they're different this one here are different materially isn't this materially seven-branch candlestick of the Old Testament well John saw Jesus Oh excited Jesus walking among the seven candlesticks but if we didn't go to the Word of God and try to figure out what this was all about we'd say well good Jesus walking among the candlesticks what good is it doing but we realized he was walking among the candlesticks and revelation 2 verse 1 he saw him there revelation 1 verse 20 it says the lampstands represent what the seven churches the seven churches so I'd like to say maybe the whole church talking about detector in general Jesus has the oversight Jesus is looking out for the church and what did he see he says I saw one I like that I saw one like the Son of Man how would you know if you saw one like the Son of Man well John certainly did you can read Revelation chapter 111 and 18 you can read Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 and certainly when you study it out you're going to see and this one is what Jesus Christ the Son of Man John sees Jesus and vision I thought was in trees for the very first time they'd been separated for what 50 years he really hasn't seen him and beloved disciple God Jesus came showing his glory in that glorified body - John and I thought more wouldn't that be an awesome thing Jesus was this is my opinion Jesus was showing John all that he could show him that all the human could possibly stand without destroying him that's how much glory he was showing him that's a lot of glory that's right but he put it on him until he was it was good that's a dazzling overpowering brightness sometimes we see things as kind of overpowering a time look at the Sun and so it's nothing I think was more than that that the Christ glorified revealed to John and but it did in the likeness of a human you know because we realize what we know there's nothing's brought out and me being our first lesson that we know that Christ is eternally pre-existent we know that there's no doubt about in Scripture we know he's the second person of the Godhead we know that he has always been there never was the time that Christ was not with a father we need to stand on those things because it's true and it's right and it's the truth of God's Word and put going by every wind of doctrine pastored is blowing around a lot of times when we read things from Scripture let's take him for what they they say this you know let's just do that's good he's always been what did Jesus do he came down and he took on humanity for all eternity that still blows my mind in the ministry a long time I still can't I can't figure it out because all I do is look in the mirror I look in the mirror at myself I just can't figure out why he would do what he did for somebody like me it doesn't make sense except in the light of heaven I try when I praise God for that I know each one you praise into he came down and noticed this and as he came down he came down as a world like say in human form it tells me right here that he's he's our brother hurry up he's our elder brother but yet he's still gone something just over over my head again actually apostle page five everything I read scripture I just say it's over my head so just bear with me if you can't because I'm just I'm just I get so excited about it I I think how wonderful this is how could this be so good we've got it made we have a Jesus something awesome that is a think about it that cares so much for us he cared so much for John he cares so much the humor he came down with an important message that angels wouldn't bear only Jesus could bring that message and those when says here in actually apostle 582 it says John is once more permitted to behold the Lord but oh that was good how can his notice how his how he's changed in his appearance that's the change right he's no longer a man of what Isaac says no matter bam star he's clothed the garments of heavenly brightness and his countless as the Sun Christ took humanity entirely notice that completely I'll give you three quick culture because why that's your heart some people get confused on it don't want anybody to get confused on it this is so important this is life and this life and death issues for us I'm concerned right why because too many people come to your face and they make excuses for why they continued to live a life of sin and they can't possibly gain victory they say that's not true no it's because they say Jesus had an edge over us that's why he's able to not at all this is this quote in manuscript 1 1893 he says this Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh by pure and what kind of life holy life to condemn sin in the flesh flip each to 7 says he was made in the likeness of men so not only that spirit of prophecy but Bible certainly this is it's in the scripture you can find a manuscript 93 1893 say Christ humbled himself in taking the nature of man notice in its fallen condition did you get it but he did not take the taint of sin this is very very important Romans 8:3 what does it say I'm someone who was familiar says God sending his son right in the likeness of sinful flesh it just backs it up we're sense what the Bible says right here one more manuscript 984 1893 notice notice this one says his human nature was created who's Jesus his human nature was created it did not even possess angelic powers Wow it was human it was identical to ours a human body a human mind were his he was born of our bone and flesh of our flesh they say wow that's good you go to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 16 says for verily what he took not on him the nature of angels but took on him the seed of Abraham becomes very very clear doesn't it and also in Revelation chapter 2 verse 3 you know there's just so much about Jesus you know as we read that just by the way just jot down Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 read them all together there because you'll see that Jesus says since over seven times or at least seven times I know your were I know you was he saying Jesus is the high priest Jesus when John saw him had the priestly attire on he was walking among the candlesticks representing his love for us I mean I see that as the priest the earthly priest he would take care of the the wicks and he would take care of putting the oil in there he would make sure and that way he became acquainted with every you know who is everyone on every church every church member that Jesus is you know he's wanted to be acquainted with and so he keeps shining brightly you know as you take care of these lamps the Moors you take care of the more you cut the wick more Holy Spirit and we talk about all you put into the brighter they shine and naturally that's to talk about shining our way to heaven we need that don't we we need that light of Jesus so Jesus just simply reminds us here as we close with this part of it that he's he's always been I mean I just seen that in the scripture he has always been he's the first he's the last revelation 1:7 he talks about and he lives forever he has the keys of a power right he has in life and in death revelation 1:18 and Jesus says I love it I can't say it enough Jesus simply says I will never leave thee know what Hebrews 13:5 I'll never leave thee and I'll never forsake thee and he says I'll be with you and Matthew 28 verse 20 he says I'll be with you always into the end of what promise that is the promise we need him I'm thankful that he's got a watchful eye over the church over every individual every Church and he knows what we're in need of and he's promised to give us that praise God thank you so much pastor Kenny what an incredible privilege that the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior the Redeemer of the world wants to dwell with us wants to dwell with the seven churches and by extension each one of us in our own lives in our churches in our communities I have Wednesday's lesson here and we're looking at Christ's messages for then and now and there's one verse I wanna read before we pick up here when revelation verse 11 I know we've already read it here revelation 111 saying I am Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Alpha being the first letter of the Greek alphabet Omega being the last letter of the Greek alphabet he is from everlasting to everlasting no beginning no ending I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and said what you see speaking to John write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia to Ephesus to Smyrna to pergamus to Thea Tyra to Sardis to Philadelphia and to Laodicea so right now we're just beginning to kick off our study of the seven churches I know Ryan has the first church the Church of Ephesus and then next week we'll look at some of the rest of those churches these churches have kind of a three-fold application there is a historical application or there's an application to the churches at that time first century then there is a prophetic application or an application through the Christian history from the beginning of John's time all the way down to the present day then there's also a universal application in other words I could read any any scripture in here and I might be able to find myself and I might be able to see counsel that I need in my own life at that day so let's look at the historical application first hopefully we'll get to all of this the message was originally sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor which is really modern-day Turkey the Christians there were facing great challenges great persecution there was idol worship there was the Emperor worship that was compulsory there were public events and pagan ceremonies and things Ryan that no Christian should be involved in and this is a message of encouragement to the churches there it's kind of almost a travel route if you look at the map and you see say this is Turkey here if I can do this backwards and the Aegean Sea is on this side so Ephesus would be a Harbor City it's right on the coast and then Smyrna is a little bit north on the coast and then it starts to go pergamus starts to go north but it's east and then it circles although back around almost all the way back around to where we started with Ephesus so Ephesus we know was the largest city in Asia Minor it's the fourth largest city of the Roman Empire at that time it was a center of worship to Artemis which was an immoral figure and there was a great deal of immorality in that city at that time there was a great deal of cult prostitution we know that priscilla and aquila went to Ephesus remember on Paul's second missionary journey he met them in Corinth they went to Ephesus and then on Paul's third missionary journey he came back and spent three years in the city of Ephesus we go north about 30 miles and we come to Smyrna Smyrna is second to Ephesus as a commercial center at that time when John was writing probably 200,000 people living in Smyrna it was also a harbor city and it was a center of worship to the goddess Roma and it had compulsory Emperor worship in fact this city Ryan was the first city that had a temple to the emperor Tiberius that was all the way back in 80 26 then we go a little 50 miles north to Smyrna and that city was a wealthy city and it was actually the capital of Asia Minor maybe a hundred and twenty thousand to two hundred thousand people there it was a center for learning and for medicine it had the largest library in the Roman world outside of Alexandria Egypt it had over 200 thousand parchment Scrolls it was known as a center for healing they also had Emperor worship and a temple for the god Zeus there where they required people to worship we go 30 miles southeast we're starting the journey coming back around the circle now and we go to Thyatira it's a smaller City it was known for its trade and I had numerous trade guilds it had a temple to Apollo the Sun God a temple to Diana the Love goddess Lydia the seller of purple remember Paul and Silas met her on one of their missionary journeys they met her in Philippi but Philip is fairly close to so they met her at that time then we come about 30 miles southeast again and we get to Sardis and it was a large wealthy city and it had a great military position being probably 1500 feet up on a mountain spur and it had a defensible position they also had pig and worship and pagan gods then we come to Philadelphia which is the newest of all of the seven cities it's 25 miles southeast again we're still making the circle of Sardis it was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake that took place in AD 17 it was located on a plateau protected by water and it also was a center for required Emperor worship then we moved to the last cities the city of Laodicea which is probably 40 miles southeast as we complete that circle around from Philadelphia it was known for its wealth it was a major banking center it was known for its medical school incidentally it had special ear in ICF which as we get into the study of the church Christ counseled them to buy that from him and then it was also known for its lukewarm water there's also a prophetic application to each one of these seven churches they represent the spiritual condition in the church throughout history from the time of the Apostles beginning with the Church of Ephesus we call that the passionless or loveless church because they lacked love approximately from eighty thirty-one which would be the Ascension of Christ to about eighty one hundred of course these dates could give her give or take for a few years and then we go to the persecuted church that is Smyrna this is the the early Roman persecution of the church underneath the different Roman emperors that's about from 80-100 to 313 then we go to the third church which is pergamus that's the tolerant or the compromising Church this is when the Emperor Constantine he joined the church and there was so much paganism and so many other things that crept into the church during this time the fourth church the Church of Thyatira being the compromising or corrupt Church we call it simply the Hertz of the dark ages beginning about 85 38 and continuing to the 1500s this would be the dark church the church with immorality the church with the false doctrines then we go to the fifth church Sardis also known as the dead church coming out of those dark ages moving into the 1700s then the Church of Philadelphia the missionary or the faithful Church the Church of the second great awakening meaning brotherly love from the 1700s and that takes us all the way up to 1844 and then we have the final Church the Church of Laodicea which is the lukewarm Church or we could even say maybe it's a little arrogant the arrogant and the lukewarm Church the church feels it has a need of nothing this is the condition from 1844 to the present that many of us find ourselves in and the Lord Jesus wants to rescue us from that and wants to pull us out each one of these churches though has a almost a universal application in other words I could read this and I could see that there's a promise in here for me I could read it and see there's a commendation for me or I could read it and I could see there's a rebuke for me that I need to be paying attention to and that in a special way I need to listen to each one of the churches Christ gives them a promise okay each one of the churches have a commendation except for Sardis and Laodicea interestingly enough those two churches no good thing is said about them Christ does not have any good words to say about them but there is always a promise so no matter if there's no good words or not at the end there is a promise so there's always always hope and then each church receives a rebuke except again for two churches that would be the Church of Smyrna the persecuted Church in the Church of Philadelphia those two Church has received no rebuke so that's kind of the broad strokes as it were as we look at the historical application as we look at the prophetic location and the universal application that we can have for each one of these seven churches and I know Ryan you have the first Church yeah absolutely I'm gonna launch us into this study of the seven churches beginning with the Church of Ephesus and so just want to give a little bit of a background you've already kind of established a few of these things but I'm just gonna kind of overlap here and talk about the literal city of Ephesus so just a few things I just wrote down seven points here Ephesus was the fourth largest city of the Roman Empire and the capital of Asia Minor it was the number one seaport of Asia and therefore very important for the commercial trade industry the city was known for its theatres gymnasiums bath houses brothels and of course the famous Temple of Diana which brought thousands of tourists to that particular city the worshipers of Diana were known for their mystical practices of the magical arts and astrology the city was notorious for its immorality and idol worship as seen on display and we're kind of given an idea of this in Acts chapter 19 with the big riot and contention that was going on with Paul's preaching of the gospel and of course this idol worship pagan worship going on in Ephesus at the time but I'll let you study that on your own number seven while there seem to be resistance to the Christian message by pagans Ephesus still was home to the most influential Christian Church in Asia Minor in fact if you study the missionary journeys of Paul before he had died he actually spent the longest time in Ephesus approximately three three and a half years and so it was a special city indeed and had a very strong Church what I would like to do is go ahead and launch us into the actual scriptural study of this particular message to Ephesus we're going to begin with Revelation chapter 2 verses 1 through 4 at this moment the Bible says to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write these things say he who holds the seven stars in his right hand who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands he says I know your works your labors your patience and that you cannot bear those who are evil and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars and you have preserved and have patience and have labored for laboured for my namesake and have not become weary nevertheless I have this against you you have you have left your first love so I just want to unpack just those first four verses just for a moment first of all you'll notice that Jesus presents himself as holding these seven stars in his hands of course and in the Bible stars are representative of either angels or in the case of Daniel chapter 8 as we're told stars can also represent God's people the Saints of God I found this interesting quote in gospel workers page 13 and 14 I may not read the entire quote but notice what it says here at the beginning God's ministers are symbolized by the seven stars which he who is the first and the last has under his special care and protection so these stars that he's holding in his hands they are his special ministers who are carrying out this gospel word and I just figured I would add that because that's very important he's walking amidst these seven-branched candlestick sand of course we know that these are his people this is his church and Christ is always with us right these promises that he will never leave us or forsake us as of course Matthew 28 reminds us that lo he will be with us always so always remember Christ never will forsake you you another said in this particular text we just read he starts with I know your works not I know your face but he says this to all of the churches by the way I know your works and that always astounds me that he says this because in the Christian world today what do people say in regards to works we're not saved by works were saved by grace through faith which is always interesting Christ could have he could have chosen to say hey you know what I know your faith but that's not what he says here in fact we know as we study in the Bible that without works of course our faith is dead of course the James chapter 2 verses 17 and 18 the specific Greek word that is used here for the word works here when Christ says I know your works it's the Greek word ere gone which means to toil to labor to put forth effort so Ephesus was not shy of working for God they were very much on task and on target and forgoing the gospel minute a ministry and putting forth the effort and communicating the wonderful love and grace of Jesus you also notice here that he says he says I know your works your label your labor your patience and so the word patience here there's two different words that's used in the New Testament for patience the one that is used here specifically is the will see if I can say this correctly Hoopa Monet who Pomona which means endurance that's perseverance and we have text in Scripture they help us understand this I'm not going to read all of them but the famous one from Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us notice what it says and let us run with there's that word endurance okay patience couple moaning endurance the ephesian church were an enduring people they were all about holding holding on to the gospel message preserving the the doctrines that Christ had passed down to them in fact we get a little bit of insight in this because in the text that we just read he says that you he that they could not bear those who are evil yes the Church of Ephesus had a very low tolerance for evil and for those who were teaching heresy in fact we get a little bit of insight when you go back to the book of Acts chapter 20 verses 28 through 31 notice what Paul says here to the Ephesian elders of the church he says therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to Shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood for I know this this as a prophet of tone to him so he's telling he's he's telling them what they can look forward to for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves and then he says therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears and so the Ephesian Church were always on the lookout and so in this case when God is telling them look I understand that you cannot bear those who are evil God was commending them for their doctrinal orthodoxy because they held truth to those those wonderful teachings but yet here comes the review you have left your first love what in the world does this mean but one thing that comes to my mind when I think of you have left your first love is the the illustration of marriage you know one is reminded of marriage where at the beginning of the relationship love is alive and vibrant but the husband and the wife they spend quality time together and regularly express their love one for another that's just normal but over a period of time that can dissipate as they begin to spend less and less time and we can attest to this because divorce rate and and separation rate is higher than ever in this country where people are busy busy busy busy busy and they're not spending time with each other our families are fragmented marriages tearing apart and we see this here but I think of you have left your first love is it possible that you can hold on to those doctrinal truths yes but still lose it possible absolutely right here I think of Mary and Martha Martha and Mary so Martha was the worker she's me she's doing the work she's ready to press it forward where's Mary at Mary's at the feet of Jesus and she's soaking it in and so you know we have to have that healthy balance God wants us to hold on to those two the doctrinal orthodoxy he wants us to hold faster those truths but yes without a daily relationship intimate relationship with Jesus Christ we will lose our first love and that's a lesson we can learn from this Ephesian Church his response to that of course is to do your first works you've left you you lost your first love you know you left your first love now you know what let's fix that you have to go back and do your first works so Christ promises us here that if we do our first works we're good if we don't notice what the end of verse five says he says I will come on you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place on unless you repent now basically this is Christ telling us I'm gonna remove the light I have given to you you're not gonna have that guiding light anymore because you chose not to repent so we need to make sure that we return to Jesus we repent of that lifestyle we repent of all the deeds that we have done that's wrong but I want to spend the rest of my time the little time that I have on these Nicolaitans notice verse 6 here but this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate now I have to say this because I have little time but I'm going to come back to this when we talk about Pergamus or Pergamum in the future who are the Nicolaitans according to history they were a heretical group of followers of Nicholas now Nicholas is mentioned in Acts chapter 6 verse 5 he was actually one of seven deacons and he wasn't a true deacon he was actually a hypocrite and if this is true Nicholas of course apostasy is from the faith the Nicolaitans were a group who taught a radical dualism between the body and the soul and so in other words they basically rejected the truth it was basically just live my life however I want with the belief that I'm going to be saved but no law no discipline you know and so we have to understand that Christ is telling them I appreciate the fact that you're not like the Nicolaitans you've rejected that mentality and of course finishing up here we have this beautiful promise and by the way we're going to come back to the Nicolaitans and pergamus URF when we study Pergamum but notice the beautiful promise Jesus leaves us with here in verse 11 he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God in that a wonderful promise that tree of life I know there will be Abba kados on that tree of life thank you pastor Kenny I'm gonna give each of you a few seconds or so to go and summarize because it's so wonderful as we walk through it but sometimes it's good to go back through that door and remember where we started and what we talked about Shelley yes well John said he was in the spirit on the Lord's Day here he is on this rocky island I can just see Matt Sabbath day he's worshiping the Lord in spite of his persecution in spite of his conditions he's worshiping God and Jesus comes to him and brings him this wonderful revelation you know saying this lesson here I just see that the more that was the time that we spend with Jesus the more that we should become to love him and serve Him and I think we need to avoid becoming lukewarm we need to avoid becoming burnout or to die out and so today is the day to shine I just see the incredible love of a God who would come and dwell with us a God who loves us so much that he doesn't want to leave us in our sin he doesn't want to leave us in our stuff or junk and he says here's a way out here's a promise and that's what I see in the seven churches and the whole book of Revelation absolutely you know I desire like the Church of Ephesus you know I want to uphold the truth of God's Word I want to be a worker for Jesus Christ but I never want to lose the passion and the love for spending time with my Savior that I may present and project that love of Jesus to my fellow brethren to everyone around me so that's my prayer for myself our church and for everyone thank you so much and thank you also for taking the time to study with us as I said at the beginning of the program we're just getting started revelation is just beginning to unfold before us like a spiritual artichoke or and we're going to enjoy every time we is it artichoke is that the right one work with that one but we want to invite you to come back when our next study next week is going to be Jesus's messages to the seven churches this is vitally important they're only seven and the next one is the glorious church at the coming of the Lord so we invite you to come back stay tuned walk with us through the most powerful message for this time which is in fact not just symbols and signs and beasts but the beautiful revelation of Christ Jesus god bless you till we see you [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN)

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Keywords: 3ABN, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, yt:quality=high, The Book of Revelation, Sabbath School, Bible Study, 3ABN Sabbath School Panel, On the Lord's Day, Which is the Lord's day?, Message to the Church in Ephesus

Id: 5v6VVDtA48I

Length: 58min 30sec (3510 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 06 2019