The city of Philadelphia was positioned at the crossroads of trade and commerce which brought it great wealth. This wealth made the city a poster child for the benefits of Greek culture for which it had a missionary zeal. Christ's mission for His church in this city was to counteract the missionary zeal for Hellenism with a missionary zeal for the gospel. This message explores Christ's call to the Church to be a counter-cultural force through gospel witness.

Christ's seventh and final letter to the churches forcefully and poignantly summarizes the exhortations of the previous letters. At the heart of Christ's message to Laodicea is a diagnosis of persisting in sin on account of willful self-delusion (verse 17). The resolution to the spiritual problem is to stop hiding sin in the heart and to learn the discipline of being a repenting Christian. This message explores the message of Christ's tough love for His church.

The city of Philadelphia was positioned at the crossroads of trade and commerce which brought it great wealth. This wealth made the city a poster child for the benefits of Greek culture for which it had a missionary zeal. Christ's mission for His church in this city was to counteract the missionary zeal for Hellenism with a missionary zeal for the gospel. This message explores Christ's call to the Church to be a counter-cultural force through gospel witness.

No psalm is more dark and disturbing than Psalm 88. Heman describes his unspeakable sufferings which he regarded as tokens of divine abandonment. The tone of this psalm is summarized in the closing verse and its last word- darkness. This message explores the main point of this psalm which is that God sometimes abandons His people to great suffering to exercise them to identify with Christ.

No psalm is more dark and disturbing than Psalm 88. Heman describes his unspeakable sufferings which he regarded as tokens of divine abandonment. The tone of this psalm is summarized in the closing verse and its last word: darkness. This message explores the main point of this psalm which is that God sometimes abandons His people to great suffering to exercise them to identify with Christ.

an just learning- however, as Peter points out, the circumstance of this growth is putting away sin. The very same word which produces the new spiritual nature in believers is that word which sanctifies and sustains them in spiritual life.

The purpose of the book of Revelation is to comfort the militant church in its struggle against evil -Hendriksen-. At the heart of the believers comfort is the conquering Christ who reigns at the right hand of the Father. But that same glorious Christ also calls His church to faithfulness. John places the picture of Christ in His glory at the entry point to the seven letters to prepare the church to read Christ's message with humble and receptive hearts. This message explores basic points of introduction.

One of the great virtues of the -woke- class is tolerance. But when Jesus assesses the church at Thyatira He is critical of them because they are not intolerant. The problem with Thyatira is that they tolerate Jezebel and her teaching of the deep things of Satan. Jesus teaches the church that its calling is to be intolerant when it comes to moral and spiritual matters.

The church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive. If truth stood behind that reputation it would have been commendable. However when Jesus looked under the hood, He saw deadness rather than spiritual vitality. This message warns about the danger of putting reputation over reality.