 Okay, good morning everyone. Welcome to BC 308, our course on Revelation. And Daniel, thank you for joining the class. Let's pray together. And then we will start. May I request somebody to please pray with the class. And then we can start. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you under the name of Jesus. Thank you for this day. Thank you for the trust that we are about to have Jesus. And what I pray that will help us to open our mind and heart and listen to it. Understand the spiritual truths. We thank you for your word Jesus. What a blessing it is to read it, to understand it and to know more about you. Be the best Lord and give us that understanding and wisdom as pastor teachers. Thank you for pastor ashes. Thank you for all my classmates. It was a good life by connection throughout the session. May everything we do be here, be done for your glory in Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Okay, let's pick up from where we paused last week. We were in, are we looking at the seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three? We've gone through each one of these seven. I mean not all of them, but we've gone through church by church looking at the message the Lord Jesus is directing towards each church, primarily the leader of the church, the messenger of those churches through the Apostle John, which he then recorded and sent to them, which we get to read today. And we also using it as a benchmark for ourselves. We are trying to look at it and say, you know, this is the way the Lord Jesus looks at the local church. This is the way he would evaluate and the message he would give to a pastor or a leader of a local church. And so many of us who are involved, maybe we are leading, maybe we are serving. And so we want to take it to heart and say, okay, I need to be careful. I need to apply this in my own life as a leader or even as a part of a local church and see what I should be doing. So we were in chapter three was the first church in Sardis. We were looking at that where just to quickly review the church in Sardis chapter three, verses one through six, where the Lord is speaking to this church and he says, I know your works, you have a name that you're alive, but you are dead. So we mentioned last week, this is a very tragic place to be where the reputation is good. But before God, before the Lord, he says, you are dead. So that means on the earthly side, everything seems great. You have a name that you're alive. But on the heavenly side, before the Lord, it's not good. He says you are actually dead. So that's a very dangerous place to be. And so we said, well, it's okay to listen to what people say and all of that. But first and most important attention is Lord Jesus, what are you saying about me and about the church that you've given me to lead? What are you saying? Am I leading right? Are we doing what's right? The problem with this church, the church in Sardis, he says in verse two, your works are not perfect before God. So they've got things going. The problem is we put it in simple language. They're not doing the things the Lord wants them to do. So that's one lesson. The second is he says, verse three, remember how you have received and heard, hold fast and repent. So the very foundational things, the things that they were given, they received and they heard. They seem to have drifted away from it. So he says, you know, remember. So that word remember is very important. You know, there are times we don't need to remember. We should not remember, remember not the former things that go off the past. But there are times we should remember, remember the things that you were given, you know, the truths that you were taught. Remember those foundational truths don't drift away from it. That's the second problem with this church. So we looked at the church, the church in Sardis and the promise the Lord gives if they will repent, if they will come back and hold on to what's right before the Lord. Let's pick up, are we going to look at two more churches and then we'll move forward. We need to become a little speed because I want to make sure we finish things. I think we'll have time till second or third week of April. And then we'll have to give time for an assessment and so on. We'll pick up speed. So we're going to look at the next church, the church in Philadelphia, Revelation chapter 3 verses 3, sorry, 7 to 13. Please somebody could read that for us. Chapter 3 verses 7 to 13. Anyone could read it. Revelation chapter 3 verses 7 to 13. Enter the angel of the church in 7 to 13. Enter the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right? These things says, he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and shuts, no one opens. I know your works. See, I have said before you an open door and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength, have kept my word and have not denied my name. Indeed, I'll make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie indeed. I'll make them come and worship before you feed. And to know that I have loved you because you have kept my command to persevere. I'll also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I'm coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crowd. He who overcomes, I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more. I'll write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I'll write on him my new name. He who has an earth written here, what the Spirit says to the churches. Amen. Thank you. All right. So the church in Philadelphia. And now look at how the Lord Jesus introduces himself. He's pointing to aspects of his character wholly through. It means the one who's perfect, the one who is totally true, righteous, integrity, one who's true, who has the authority, the key of David. He's talking about David's throne, David. So for them, the Jewish, David was the greatest king, because he's the one who subdued all their enemies. Saul was the first king, but he was the greatest. He came in subdued all the enemies, established the people in the land, the key, the authority of David. Talking about his kingship. So he's holy, he's true, he's king, he's sovereign. And this king, when he opens, nobody can shut it. When he shuts, nobody can open, meaning he is sovereign, he's absolute. So this is who he's speaking. The one who has absolute authority, the one who is absolutely holy, the one who is absolutely righteous, is the one who's speaking to this church. Almost saying that, look, this is my standard. This is the standard that he wants us to live by, adhere to, operate in. The standard of holiness, truth, and authority. That's what he's called us to operate in. And so this sovereign Lord, king and true, holy and true, he's speaking to the church. He says, look, I know your works. So we mentioned last week into every church, first sentence, I know your works. I mean, he's looking at what we are doing, and not, I mean, yeah, what we say is important. But he's looking, what are you doing? What's translating into your daily life? What's your daily life like? Well, I know your works. And then he says, look, I'm sitting before you in open door. Nobody can shut it. So this holy true sovereign king is saying, I'm sitting before you in open door. So there is supernatural advancement, supernatural open door that he is setting for the church for them to move. So open door means I'm giving you access. I'm giving you advancement. Nobody can stop that. And the same sovereign king is saying, the people of the synagogue of Satan, those Jews, I'm going to make them come and bow before you. So the Lord is extending his authority for and through this church. And this made us think, I think maybe two weeks back, I'm not sure when we had this discussion. Why is there this difference between the church in Smirna, for example, and the church in Philadelphia? Or why is the Lord relating to this church in Philadelphia in this manner? Because he loves every church. The churches belong to him. He loves every soul. He loves everyone. But this church is in a place that what we would say, we would all love to be there. We would all love to be like this church in Philadelphia, because there's nothing to rebuke, nothing to call them back to repent. But instead, the one who is wholly true and sovereign is extending that in and through the church. I'm going to give you an open door. Nobody can stop you. Nobody can stop you. You will be advancing and you will be in a place of dominion authority. The synagogue of Satan will come and bow before you. Definitely, we love to be that church. So that's something I want to really think about and say, God, we want to be like that. Like this church. Of course, no church is perfect. We see that. Ephesians, Myrna, Pergamos, and Paitr and Sardis. And we'll also see Laodicea that all these churches are having their own problems, things that... But eventually we work through our problems. We are all in a stage of growth and maturity and God is dealing with us. But we should come to this place of being like the church in Philadelphia. But the holiness, the character of the Lord, the holiness, the truth and the sovereign, sovereignty of the Lord, the sovereign Lord is extending that through us. And this church is in a place where he says you're invincible. I'll set before you an open door. Nobody can shut it. And you're in a place of dominion. Your opposers, the synagogues or Satan, they're going to come and bow at your feet. And they're going to acknowledge that I have loved you. So what we should strive for is God help us to get ourselves and our congregation to that place. But what's the key? He points out some things here. He says, you have kept my words. So they're a little strength. I mean, yeah, they were not like, you know, they started small. They had little strength. But what did they do? You kept my words. I will say it. You kept my words. You've not denied my name. You kept my words. They held on to the words. They lived by the words, whatever was given to them. Remember, you know, they don't, they didn't have a Bible like you and me. So we could always go back and read the scriptures and so on. But the word that was brought to them, that was ministered to them. So you kept my word. You held on to that. You kept it, kept, held on fast to my word. You kept my word. And he didn't deny my name. You were faithful to me. Faithful to me. He says once again in verse 10, you kept my command to persevere. You kept my command to persevere. So this was the church in Philadelphia. They held on to the word of God. They did not deny the name of Jesus. And they just persevered, persevered. That means they must have gone through their hard times. It's not recorded for us here. But they persevered through their hard times. So three things we learn here. We must stay true to the word of God, stay true to the name of Jesus, and journey through whatever we have to journey through. Stay with, stay the course. We're going to come into this place of being invincible. We can advance under this place of authority and dominion where our pauses will come and bubble for our feet and acknowledge that the Lord has loved us. And then he also says, he says, I will keep you from the trial, the outer trial, which will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. So what would that mean? You say, I will keep you from the hour of travel. It's going to come on the whole world. So the trial that would come on the whole world is what we see unfolding in the book of Revelation. Of course, there would have been smaller, localized tribulations and challenges. But he's talking worse than about the trial that would come upon the whole world. To test those who dwell on the earth. I mean, it's something that's global and what Revelation unfolds is something that's global that affects everyone. So worse than is again another indication for us that the church, while there is an immediate local understanding of what we're saying for the church in Philadelphia, there is also this understanding of the longer term fulfillment of the church being preserved. From all the tribulation that will come upon the whole earth and the whole world, the church will be kept from that trial. So Revelation 3.10 is understood both ways, both in terms of a localized, but also in terms of for the church being protected from the time of tribulation. And then he promises them the reward of overcoming. Then you hold on to your crown, you'll make you a pillar in the temple of my God. I'll write the name of my God on you so that God's going to call us by a new name, a new identity talking about who we are going to be in the coming kingdom, which will be then revealed to us. So Philadelphia, church in Philadelphia, is something we must strive to be. We must strive for our local congregations to come into that place. The key is, hold on to the word, stay true to the name of Jesus, persevere through whatever you have to go through, persevere through it. They're coming into a place of authority and dominion and supernatural advancement because the Lord whom we serve is wholly true and sovereign. That's whom we serve. Any thoughts or any questions before we move forward? Okay. Sorry, go ahead. All right, let's move to the last one. The church in Laodicea is kind of a sad state. And it's something we also have to be very watchful about. Very watchful about the church in Laodicea. Let's read that. And to the angel of the church of Laodiceans. Right. These things says the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your words that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will bomb you. Because you say I'm rich, I have become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness that you may be clothed that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eye-salve that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chase him. Therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will come into him and dine with him and he with me. As soon as him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church. Thank you, thank you. So five out of the seven churches receive a strong rebuke and perhaps what the Lord Jesus is telling the church in Laodicea is probably the strongest rebuke. So he introduces himself as the amen, the final word. So be it to everything. He is faithful, he is true and the beginning of the creation of God we need to comment on that. The beginning of the creation of God. So sometimes people use this to say, look Jesus said, he is the beginning of the creation of God that means he was created by God. No, you don't understand or interpret that statement in that sense. When he says the beginning of the creation of God you understand it as he is the origin and the source of him came all the creation of God. The source of the creation of God. Not in the other sense that he was the first person to be created by God. No, he is the source, the beginning, the origin, the source of all of the creation of God which the Bible, it's consistent, all things were created by him, through him and they are held together in him. Colossians 1, 18, 19. So that phrase if it is sometimes and like you know, you could say the Jehovah's Witnesses would be very keen to take that phrase and say, look, look, look, look, he is created by God. No, he is not created by God. He is the origin, the source, the one through whom everything was created. That's where it came from. The beginning of the creation of God, the source of the creation of God. So this one, the one who is the Amen, who is faithful, he is a true, the one who is a creator of all things. Everything comes from him. Everything flows through him. He is speaking to this church. It's almost like there is a sense of disappointment, maybe a sense of and I use the word, I'm using the English word, disgust, you know, like I'm just, in the words that Jesus is saying. He is saying, I wish you were hot, you were cold. I mean, you need a hot, you need a cold. And so I can't even tolerate this, this lukewarmness. I cannot tolerate it. And it's like, I'm going to warm it, I'm going to spit you out. It's that sense of, you know, disgust. That's a sad state for a church to be. They look warm somewhere in between. They're not like completely dead, but they're not alive. It's lukewarm, so. And the Lord says, I don't like that. I find that so, you know, I can't tolerate it. I don't want anything to do with that kind of posture. So while we must, so here's the danger for us, right? While we want to be right there, you know, what we would say, we would use the word balanced or, you know, finding the middle ground between people going off on one side or people going off on the other side. We want to stay the middle of the road kind of thing, posture, which is a good thing. We must be careful that our desire to be balanced or to stay in the middle of the road does not lead us to a place of lukewarmness. So being balanced must not be confused or must not be misinterpreted or must not mislead us to being lukewarm. We should be red-hot and balanced, right? So that's a difficult place. I say difficult place to be, because generally sometimes when people are red-hot, they're very jealous. They tend to go off on a tangent and something and they, you know, are way off on some particular idea or some particular teaching or so on. They tend to go off like that. So our challenge is I've got to be balanced. I've got to stay the middle of the road. I've got to live this life in a very balanced, quote-unquote balanced way, but I shouldn't end up becoming lukewarm. I need to be red-hot. And I think that's the challenge for us. Like I'm just trying to apply it for us as believers, you know. But what was the problem with this church? The church in Laudicea? If I want to put it in one word, I would say this church was self-deceived, self-deception. They were self-deceived. So what do you mean? Because the Lord is saying, you think you are rich, you know, verse 17, because you said, so he's addressing the problem with this church, right? So see, you're saying you are rich, you're wealthy, you've got everything you need, but you don't know your true condition. Your true condition is, you're a wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. So that's self-deception. They think they are something that they're actually not. They think they're in a place, but they're not actually in that place. So they think, and we've got everything. We are rich, we are wealthy. We don't need anything. So the question is, how could this, you know, how to display out, and how could display out for us today in our day and time? How could a church, starting with the leadership, of course, come into this place where they think they're wealthy, they're rich, they have everything they need, but actually Jesus is saying, hey, your true state is you're poor, you're blind, you're naked, you're miserable, you're wretched. I mean, you're in a very bad state. How could this, sorry, how could this play out in today's context? Any thoughts anybody wants to share? I hope you understood my question. How could a church be self-deceived like this where they think they are rich, wealthy and they got everything they need, but actually their true state is they're poor, wretched, blind, naked, miserable, wretched. How could that happen? Please go ahead, call us. I think pastor, it's all about in the two, can I call them world views, one is spiritual, another one is world view, whereby people might look at their physical wealth and maybe their physical status like maybe they have a big parking yard, maybe when the pastor brings up an idea like they are making an extension, all building a hotel for the church, for the visitors. When they see that the offertory gets full, they say, wow, we've hit the jackpot. But when actual is spiritual, they're just as the Christ says the church are about loud to see that they are see, they are naked, they are empty. When they are not holding a lot, when it comes to the spiritual Rahim, when they are no longer preaching the word, when they are no longer, when they get their own ideas into the Bible yet it should be the Bible to interpret their own ideas. Let me put a full stop at that pastor. Thank you. This is true, right? So this is exactly how it plays out or could play out in many churches. Divya, your thoughts please. Thank you pastor. I was thinking about the two extremes of cold and hot. So cold in the sense, what I have observed is sometimes biblical principles would be applied to particular institutions and things like that. And it could be successful. And when it is applied to secular institutions and they get successful, the churches or Christian organizations they sometimes have an inclination to get adulterated with those things because when the secular world applies it, it gets very secular. For example, what to say, servant leadership or something like that. I see the concept of servant leadership being used in corporations, big corporates. It's a biblical principle which is being adopted but the glory is never given to God in a secular institution. And what happens with that is the world sees no difference between the church or the no difference between the church and the world. It's like the secular institutions are also as good as the Christian institutions. So it becomes like the principles that are being applied but never the glory is given to God. That's kind of one way where church can take advantage of it actually. Churches could take advantage of in the sense teaching, getting into these areas like institutions, secular institutions and such things where church could influence and give glory to God but I feel like the influence goes the other way around. The secular world comes and influences the church. The focus shifts. Whereas the heart, I feel I was just thinking of what you were pointing out like focusing on certain aspects and getting way off the tangent. For example, there are people who think that Jewish fees and all those need to be revived or it's exactly like what the church the New Testament churches were experiencing with judicers. They bring in this new doctrine of maybe we need to observe all these fees and all these rituals. So then the emphasis, the focus all these are good things and they indicate something biblical but when the emphasis changes from what God intends and what his will is the tendency is to just lean way off from the Bible. It just goes off from the so I've heard someone quoting like if we give emphasis on one particular aspect of Christianity there is a chance of us getting very distracted like only one aspect if we put emphasis on so I feel that churches are struggling to strike that balance between these two. Maybe there are other areas as well but these are some things I can I could think of. If for example grace of God has given more emphasis then people forget about the righteous God that he is. So there is a balance there is a balance that needs to be given and when that balance is taken off even the theology can get a little way off. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So I think Libya is talking about how institutions or just general and secular institutions can actually come into the church that makes the church cold and I was just trying to describe the whole process of when we actually try to go out but they end up coming in and the church becomes as they would say in old times the world comes into the church or they go swing off the other direction. Anyone else wants to share any thoughts? How could a church end up in a place being self-deceived where they think they have everything, they are wealthy they are rich but actually in the sight of what the Lord is saying is you are wretched, poor, miserable, blind naked. So how could a church end up like that? And therefore they end up becoming lukewarm and Jesus says I don't want anything to do with that kind of posture. So and Colin also shared earlier where and I think what Colin shared is something so common where sometimes just because we have everything we tend to equate that to our spiritual condition. That is a problem. We shouldn't do that. We should not equate what is happening in the natural I mean you have got a nice this, you have got a nice that you have got this, you have got money, you have got this. That is not always a reflection of our true spiritual condition. Now thank God for all these things you know thank God for his blessings. Thank God if a church is prospering, a church has money, if a church is you know has lots of funds thank God for that those are the you know thank God for it but we have to be very honest we examine our spiritual conditions. God what is my real spiritual condition? Where am I really? We have to evaluate ourselves by the plumb line of God so about the standards God has set right? Simple things loving God worshipping him loving his word walking in truth and integrity and character these are simple things he's told us so many times and that's what we have to evaluate ourselves we can't evaluate by how much money I have how big a building the blessings are good but they don't give us a true representation of our spiritual baby our spiritually right so and if you get that confused we end up like this we become look warm but anyway what's the solution? What is the Lord telling this church? He says this is your condition you are in that place but here's the solution what's the solution? He says I counsel you to buy from me gold white garments and anointing for your eyes so he says look church I want you to do something I want you to buy from me gold white garments anointing buy from me now think about that phrase the Lord is telling the church buy from me give me money buy from me what does that mean? so here's a very interesting thing everything God gives is free everything God gives is by grace everything God gives is because of the cross of Jesus but for us to receive we pay a price so when the Lord is saying buy from me he is literally saying I want you to pay the price to receive you pay the price buy from me it's not like I'm sending God some money that's not what he's saying buy from me it's being you pay the price for what? gold refined in the fire it's like real gold this God who is the Amen who is the faithful who is the creator of all things this one he's going to offer you pure gold he's going to offer you white garments and he's going to offer you real anointing that you pay the price gold represents whatever is divine so in the Bible you understand gold represents what's divine meaning what really comes from God the true riches that comes from God so he's saying you pay the price for gold refined in the fire whatever is the true riches the things that come from God those are the true riches you pay the price for it that's the righteousness that comes from God that's our true covering you pay the price for it so on the one hand righteousness is a free gift it's a gift of grace we receive by grace but there's a price I pay you pay we as believers pay to receive what God has freely given to us the true whatever is divine God the righteousness the white garments he cares and the anointing he cares this anointing brings revelation he says anoint your eyes with eye salt that you may see so this anointing is going to give me the revelation these white garments are going to be my true clothing covering the naked as a shame this true gold is what's going to make us really rich so what's the key? the key is pay the price pay the price what's really valuable what's eternal, what's really divine the true riches pay the price for walking in righteousness before God pay the price for the anointing that comes from God so that's what it's called in the church too buy from me you pay the price for this on the other side it's been provided freely by grace available through faith for us to receive you've got to be willing to pay the price so how does this translate to everyday life God may have blessed us okay just think about this scenario where God has blessed the church maybe you have all the money you need you may have all the buildings you need you have everything whatever so that could make us think oh I am wealthy, I am rich, I have everything I need God's blessed, wonderful but in the midst of the blessings of God you're still paying the price to seeking God for what is true the true riches that come from God so God, you know all these things they're earthly, they're temporal okay God has given us given that to do some work but I am pursuing the true riches that come from God I am pursuing intimacy with God I am pursuing the truth of God I am pursuing worship of God I am pursuing our genuine work with God true riches, gold refined with fire what's eternal pursuing righteousness before God I have received the gift of righteousness those white garments but I got to walk in it and I am pursuing the anointing that comes from God God gives it freely but in order for me to receive there's a price to pay so really in the midst of all that we are continuing to pray we continue to seek God we continue to pay the price of the disciplined life of prayer and seeking God he says that's what that's the posture we should be in and when we are in that posture then our spiritual condition is taken care of we have what is true gold white garments the anointing we need so even though there may be all these things God has blessed us with this is our posture we are buying from God we are paying the price right and just a few things here he says I am standing at the door of knocking so it's like I get a very sad picture because it's like Jesus is outside the church thanks for having church hey you left me outside so you are all gathering together he promised the two of you together in my name I am there but the sad part is because these people are like this I want to come in I want to come into this place of fellowship with you I want to come into this place of intimacy with you so let me in I want to change everything and then he says if you overcome look I am going to let you sit with me this one is the beginning of all creation who is the faithful true and faithful witness who will sit with me meaning I will put you in this place of authority that's the promise he gives right so I think that's a key takeaway even if God has blessed us with everything we should still be in a place where we are paying the price buying from God the real thing these other things are temporary don't get caught up with it we shouldn't get self deceived by those things so let's pause here I will go for a 10 minute break we will come back and now we are going to move forward we are going to get into the things Jesus said we will come to pass we will meet at 11, 10, 10 minutes thank you