REVELATION CHAPTER 3

Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying our continuing journey through the Book of Revelation. This is one of my favorite books in the bible as it deals so much with that which is still to come. Today as we study chapter 3 we find ourselves seeing "things which are" concerning the ORDER of the prophecy. Christ continues his dealings with the seven churches in Asia Minor which are meant to be representative of his churches in all locations. The encouragement as well as rebukes that Christ delivers unto the churches serve as potent warnings to those of us alive today as to how we conduct ourselves in the work of God.

We will take a look at verses and groups of verses:

1. (1-6) Here Christ admonishes the Church at Sardis that they aren't walking right before the Lord. In fact they "have a name that they live, but are dead." It would appear that either many unbelievers were involved here or that the church had taken up a worldly stance..."there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Folks, it is sad to say that many churches claim to be doing God's work, but rather than following the biblical mandate to preach the gospel and win souls, they are watering down the word and giving lost people anything they want in order to provide entertainment or psychological coddling to get them to come to church! Entertainment is not the job of the church! We have a job to do - a great commission to fulfill and we can't do that our way. It must be done God's way or it is dead!


2. The warning, again, is to repent or turn from the identified wrong-doing to right-doing...in other words, obeying the Lord's commands regarding the work and our conduct before man and God.


3. (7-13) Here we find Encouragement and praise from the Lord to the Church at Philidelphia. This is one of two (Smyrna) churches that receives no rebuke from the Lord. Oh how we need to be like this Church today! This church had little strength in appearance, but they held fast to God's word and to his name! Folks, its not about big buildings and campuses and all of the glitz and glam we see taking place in churches today...it is about holding fast to God's Word and to His Name, period!!


4. Finally we find Christ's admonishment to the lukewarm Church at Laodicea. This church appears to have it all...but their spiritual condition is completely opposite of the appearance! They appear rich and increased with goods, having need of nothing...but nothing could be further from the truth. Before the Lord, they are poor, blind, wretched, miserable and naked! WOW! How often we think things are going well in a church...I wonder how surprised we would be if we understood how Jesus sees our condition?!


5. There is a startling example shown here: Christ on the outside of the Church knocking for admittance. There are many churches that are so far away from scriptural service unto the Lord that he's not even in it at all!!

From Revelation 3 we depart the here and now of the Church Age to journey into "things which shall be hereafter," or the future! Stay with us as we'll soon find ourselves surveying God upon the throne in Heaven and then the opening of the Tribulation period!