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The Seven Letters



Introduction



Revelation 1:9–20



The beginning of the Church was Pentecost in Acts 2. 



In the Old Testament the same day is known as Shavot, or “The Feast of Weeks“, it was a harvest feast that was to be celebrated the day after 7 weeks from the passover, 50 days.



50 days after Jesus Christ, our Lord had given his life on the Cross, becoming the true passover that was foreshadowed in the Levitical law and remembered every year until the true passover came, was the beginning of the Church.



It was identified by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the gathering in Jerusalem and 3,000 Jews were saved, these were devout men from every nation under heaven says the passage in Acts 2:5.



That was the BEGINNING of the Church.



The word of God went North into Turkey, South into Africa, westward into Europe and Eastward into India. 



Those who preached the world were persecuted and troubled everywhere they went and yet the word of God was like a fire in their bones. Each of them were beaten, were imprisoned and finally killed for the word of God sake. 



But not before a multitude of Churches, “assemblies“, “called-out-ones“, or as the greek refers to it, “the ecclesia“, were planted in every City.



SLIDE



It was the City of Antioch, directly north of Jerusalem, in Syria (Today Southern Turkey) where those of that “Way” were first called “Christians” and it was this city which became the base of all missionary journeys for the early missionaries.



But this is not one of the Seven Churches referred to in Revelation 2 or 3.



The Gospel we know, went to Rome, SLIDE but she is not mentioned, to Corinth but nothing referred to there, to Thessalonica, indeed we have letters written by Paul to each of these Churches, but the report card given by Christ does not mention them.



Why then these seven?



We don’t know the answer in full, but in the fullness of the times of History, the geographical location of each of them, the order in which they are addressed and the names by which each are called, that these seven churches and these seven letters reveal some wonderful truths to us today. 



The Seven Churches of Revelation are;



Historical Churches.



These are churches of real history that existed in real time during the days of John. 



Geographical Churches



SLIDE



We also notice that, if the letters were to take their journey from John on the Isle of Patmos, they would travel in a clockwise direction beginning with Ephesus, until the last Church at Laodicean. 



Representative Churches



What is also interesting to note is that the Churches seem to be representative Churches whose character and effects seem to identify distinct Church TYPES.



The Ephesian Church indicates a doctrinally strong church unwilling for any error to creep in, being warned of Paul during his missionary journeys of the “Grievous wolves” that would come in after his departure and having warned them night and day for three years. This is the Ephesian Church of Acts 20:17-35.



The Church of Smyrna, being the persecuted church, who’s very name represents death, which died and then lived again.



Pergamos, being the compromising Church as it negotiated with the ruling elites of the day.



Thyatira, an interesting representation of the WORKS BASED Church.



Sardis, a church that had a name that it did live but was in fact a dead church



Philadelphia, the faithful Church that holds to the word of God. This church had little strength, in other words, it was a popular church, but it was faithful.



And lastly, the Laodicean Church, The Church that thinks it is rich and has no need of anything, but does not realise itself as poor and lacking in everything. It is the apostate Church. 



Representative Chronology of Churches, 



Now, what seems most fascinating is not only that they were real churches, that they were geographically arranged for

Be Careful For Nothing



Philippians 4:4–9



 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.



Fear Dispelled By Joy In Christ



Calmness Witnessed By The Authority Of Christ



Anxiety Overcome By Hope For Christ



Confidence Assured By Peace Through Christ



This week I found myself deeply considering how it is that a Christian is to live their lives in light of the Bible being fulfilled before their eyes. 



The MAYDAY Series that we embark on each year is a part of my responsibility as a Pastor to preach the “Whole Counsel of God” and when you have one third of the Bible as Prophecy, it truly would be considered completely negligent to ignore it simply because the topic is uncomfortable at times.



I learned many years ago that keeping my head in the sand does not change the actual events that are going on around me, but understanding them to be occurring and HOW they came to be this way is vital “IF” I am going to live my life in the service of the one who declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10)



But that does not mean that I do not occasionally get a tightness in my stomach and a heaviness in my heart building within me.



Times when I find my breath begin to become a little shallow. Before I know it, I become anxious and begin to make decisions that I might not have made if I were otherwise minded.



In this condition we reach the point we don’t think of the things that are TRUE, HONEST, JUST, PURE, OF GOOD REPORT, VIRTUE AND PRAISE, instead we fill our minds with excuses for the fears in our heart.



Before we know it we are in a cycle of self perpetuating agitation and it seems as if anything else that might come along at any moment, any misplaced word by a passer by or a friend, any sermon from the Pastor, would just tip us over the edge and we would break into a million shattered pieces. 



Ive been there. 



Im sure you’ve been there.



It’s at this point however that I begin to question the validity of my emotions. I begin to wonder if it is LEGITIMATE THAT I AM TO BE THIS WAY. I begin to look at my emotional condition and wonder how it is seen from GODS PERSPECTIVE. 



From the perspective of the one who tells me to trust him. To cast all my cares and burdens  upon him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. 



As my insides shake like a leaf at times, I wonder what God, who is my ROCK and HIGHTOWER thinks of my anxiety in the light of the eternal life he has given me?



Can I justify my fears with the truth?



You see there truly are two main ways that we could deal with our fears, especially if you are a biblical Christian who has an understanding of the days we live in. 



You can either choose to put your head in the sand and “see no evil, hear no evil“, rebuke or turn way from anyone who might disturb your false peace and so PRETEND that everything really is ok, even though YOU KNOW it isn’t. 



Or you can admit that you don’t really know how to reconcile your hope in Christ with your fear of life!



I had to choose the latter.



You see I have been a Christian for almost thirty years and for twenty of those thirty years I have had a reasonably goo

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For Men Shall Be…



Last week we introduced the current Mayday Series titled “Perilous Times” and showed with absolute certainty that the passage of 2 Timothy 3 is referring to the state of the CHURCH in the last days.



We showed how todays “Fairweather Christians”, whose desire is to ONLY hear things palatable to their tender ears, are precipitating those days.



We did not go into all the evident madness of Charismatic Chaos, and how that moved so quickly to the spiritual insanity of Pentecostal Pandemonium. We did not speak of the state of contemporary churches that have abandoned the word of God and chosen to entertain the goats rather than feed the sheep, nor did we speak of the social gospel of the Emergent Church that naturally develops when the Bibles is cast behind their backs



We did not talk about Roman Catholicism, the Eastern orthodox Churches, The Reformed Churches, and nothing about about the shift to the ecumenical religious system that will usher in the Global Religion of the last days;



NO, we spoke about how Christians, even in Fundamentalist Baptist Churches, are helping to precipitate the very PERILOUS TIMES Paul warned of to Timothy, because THEY WILL NOT READ THEIR BIBLES nor spend time with the Lord in Prayer;



My charge against the brethren of the Lord, yes those who are wonderfully saved by the blood of Christ, true and genuine Christians, was that, “IF YOU ARE NOT READING YOUR BIBLES, NOR SPENDING TIME EACH DAY IN PRAYER, you are adding to a facilitating the perilous times to come”



TWO of the Seven Churches ‘TYPES’ identified in Revelation 2-3 remain before the Lords coming, one is Philadelphia, the other Laodicea  Which will you be a part of?



We will take a look at those Churches next time.



“This KNOW also….” Was the title of the Sermon



We demonstrated JUST A TASTE of the warnings found in 26 of the 27 books of the New Testament encouraging us to KNOW a description of the state and nature of the people who will represent the bulk of the Churches in the last of the Last Days.



And we beloved, have witnessed just a taste of it in our own congregation ten weeks ago!



Last time we introduced the Perilous Times as that which we ought to KNOW identifies the soon coming of Christ for his church, “THIS KNOW ALSO…” wrote the apostle to Timothy…



Today we will consider the sampling Paul gives of the character of the MEN who shall fill the churches of the Last Days.



The Title of the Sermon therefore is simply;



“FOR MEN SHALL BE…“



Lets take a quick look again at the passage, as you read I desire that you may gain for yourself the ability to IDENTIFY such people when they present themselves.



2 Timothy 3:1–9



1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.



Pray



Lovers Of Their Own Selves



2 Timothy 3:1–2




1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 




The specific phrase “The Last Days

 Perilous Times Shall Come. 



(2 Tim 3:1-9)



1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.



“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times“, is the opening line to the famous Charles Dickens book, “A Tale of Two Cities“, and it is curious how well the line fits respecting the biblical history of the world and the description of the last days.



For on the one had we all rejoice as we see the world developing in a manner that so perfectly identifies the nearness of the return of Christ for his Church.



The Word of God is confirmed as TRUE each and every day and our joy in the knowledge that we will not be ashamed of our faith grows each and every day.



We look for that “blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13) and know that all our sorrow and trials is coming to a close with noting but the absolute fulness of joy on our very doorstep. 



I have said it before and know it to be true, ‘there is no problem I have today that the Rapture will not fix’. That someday soon, and IMINENTLY SOON, we who have believed the Gospel to the saving of our souls, shall be “caught up…to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:7)



All that we see occurring in the world, and as we shall see through this 2024 MAYDAY Series, In the CHURCH, proves to us that the time is very near!



And yet we also despair as we see the suffering and trials of what can only be described as indicators toward “Perilous times“.



But it is when we consider further the lines that come after the first line of Dickens most famous novel that we ought to ponder its message as it seems to align with that “time yet future” the Bible tells us of;



  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.



The contrasting worlds written of by Dickens was that of London and Paris before and then during the French revolution, where great love together with innocent sacrifice for that Love was demonstrated, and all in the midst of the greatest societal transformation in the history of one city being undertaken.



The world is undergoing just such a societal transformation, not suddenly, but gradually yet with an almost routine suddenness jolts of change.



After the event we call “Covid”, People had begun to question the dramatic changes they were seeing around them, but could not believe.



The “Incredulity” that Dickens identified in his opening paragraph was reflected in this early 21st Century, just as it wa

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