THE SEVEN CHURCHES REVELATION 2 3 TIMELESS TRUTHS

THE SEVEN CHURCHES REVELATION 2 & 3 TIMELESS TRUTHS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH o o Revelation Overview Church 1 - Ephesus Church 2 - Smyrna Church 3 - Pergamon o o Church 4 - Thyatira Church 5 - Sardis Church 6 - Philadelphia Church 7 – Laodicea LESSONS BY: CONNECTSDA. ORG

Laodicea “The Lukewarm Church” Revelation 3: 14 -22

OBJECTIVES • Engage • Laodicea ”The Lukewarm Church” (The Last Church) • Connect • Announcements • Spotlight: First Time Visitors / Testimonies • Series: The Seven Churches • Lead: Abel presents Laodicea, “The Lukewarm Church”

DEFINITIONS / PRIMER • What does lukewarm mean? What is the definition? • Definition: • 1. (of liquid or food that should be hot) only moderately warm; tepid. • 2. showing little enthusiasm. • Synonyms: indifferent, cool, halfhearted, apathetic, unenthusiastic, tepid, uninterested • What are your opinions on people at work & life who are indifferent, uninterested and apathetic about something that matters to you? Are they respected? • Do you want to be described this way? Why or why not?

EXAMPLE FROM THE MILITARY VS. CHRISTIANITY • lukewarm were called “slackers” (actually a worse word) by fellow Marines. • Christianity = lukewarm. People who claim to be part of God’s special forces but don’t really want to do anything at all. • They were corrected by peers first then seniors, told what they were doing wrong and given instruction on how to do things properly. (Counseled) • Discipleship and personal action. Other Christians are to reprove each other because we know what lies will do. The Kingdom is YOURS to seek ALONE. (Prov. 9: 8; 2 Tim 4: 2, Heb 3: 13) • In boot camp if they continued on this pattern they would be separated from the armed forces under a “failure to adapt” and discharged without honor. It was not a social club, it was a group of people on a mission for a purpose that cannot accept people who refuse to change their lives. • Repentance is turning away from the wrong way to the right way. Failure to do so results in a false Christian.

THE FORMAT OF THE SEVEN MESSAGES 1. Identifies church by 3. Jesus’ spiritual 5. Church is urged to hear name appraisal of the church. what the Spirit says the churches. “to the messenger of the church in West Houston SDA write” “I know your works…” 2. Identifies the 4. Appraisal to speaker counsel “What Christ says to those 7 local congregations in the 1 st century is what the Holy Spirit says to the Universal church and individual Christians everywhere and in every time. ” (p 83) Provides unique Repent vs Remain 6. Message concludes with a description of Jesus as faithful word of promise to the sender of the overcomer. message SDA Doctrine: Seven churches to be the seven major periods of the Christian church, covering the Christian Era.

STEPS TO BIBLICAL EXEGESIS Step 1: Determine what the text meant when it was written Interpreter must to get know Readers -social setting -concerns Explore the text -linguistic -literary -historical -geographical -religious -philosophical -culture contexts Step 2: Ask what the text means for the reader of today Principle of interpretation: A timely message then becomes God’s timeless message applicable to any place today. 2 Peter 1: 19

STEPS TO BIBLICAL EXEGESIS Step 1: Determine what the text meant when it was written Step 2: Ask what the text means for the reader of today 1. Describe what Leodecian society and culture like in Biblical times. What were their priorities? Was it a successful or poor nation? 3. Describe what Houston society and culture is like today from the Biblical perspective. Is it successful in the terms of this world? 2. What issues did they deal with in infrastructure and society? 4. What issues do we deal with in infrastructure and society?

Fast growing, commerce and banking rich, full of pride and wealth vs oil and medical rich, fast growing city Chief complaint was with water that had to be piped in vs. Too much water and flooding issues LAODICEA VS. HOUSTON Despite wealth, Leodicea’s spiritual condition was like their water neither refreshing and cold to drink or satisfying and hot like the hot springs. Jesus is correcting them to seek the Gold of Faith. PRIDE got in Leodicea’s way of humbling themselves and seeing their true condition, is it doing the same in Houston?

READING OF REVELATION 3: 14 -22 Anyone who feels prompted, please give your brief comments

”THE LUKEWARM CHURCH” GROUP EXERCISES Group 1. What is “lukewarm” and what is the result of this “comfortably numb” state? Verse 15 -17, 1 John 2: 15 -16, Titus 1: 16, Matt 7: 21 -23, Luke 6: 46 Group 2. What does Biblical rebuke accomplish? What is the purpose of rebuke? (verse 19, Neh 9: 30, Job 5: 17, Ps 39: 11, Ps 94: 12, Ps 119: 21) Group 3. What are “white garments”? How can we gain the “white garments”? (verse 18; Rev 3: 5, Rev 16: 15; luke 14: 15 -24, James 4: 7) Group 4. What do we need to overcome? (Rom 3: 23) (Gal 5: 19 -21)(Rev 2: 4, 14, 20) How does one “overcome” the lukewarm state? (Verse 20 -21, 22) (john 3: 16) (luke 11: 13) James 4: 7

CLOSING THOUGHTS “…the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them. The True Witness condemns the lukewarm condition of the people of God, which gives Satan great power over them in this waiting, watching time. The selfish, the proud, and the lovers of sin are ever assailed with doubts. Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. ” EGW 3 T 255. 1 • The Lukewarm Church is today’s church. We are that anti-typical church Jesus was saying will come in end days. • We must turn from the pattern of Houston (the world) and renew our lives in the Word to truly live our purpose and gain meaning and true love. Everyday we reject correction we risk everything of eternal value for things that will be surely destroyed. • We must see the war to be able to pick the winning side. Seeing means reading the Word and being changed by it.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES REVELATION 2 & 3 TIMELESS TRUTHS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH o o Revelation Overview Church 1 - Ephesus Church 2 - Smyrna Church 3 - Pergamon o o Church 4 - Thyatira Church 5 - Sardis Church 6 - Philadelphia Church 7 – Laodicea LESSONS BY: CONNECTSDA. ORG

QUOTE ON LAODICEA “It is not enough to merely profess to believe the truth. All the soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to enter the crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong and sustain righteousness. But the message of the True Witness reveals the fact that a terrible deception is upon our people, which makes it necessary to come to them with warnings, to break their spiritual slumber, and arouse them to decided action. ” -EGW *We have to stand against sin and against lies (in our lives and the lives of brothers and sisters) just like ALL the prophets, disciples and Jesus Himself. How? Through the Word.