The seventh church being measured by God was the church at Laodicea, wealthy and powerful city that was at the center of trade, banking, and influence. In a sense, Laodicea was a church in an environment similar to the church in America at this point in history. Because of the wealth of the region and city, the church had to be materially prosperous in a way that was not reflective of many other parts of the world. The church received two rebukes from Christ. First, they were characterized as “lukewarm, spiritually complacent as a church family. Christ says that reality about a church family makes him “sick to his stomach”. Second, they were characterized as “self-deceived in their pride”, meaning they were entirely wrong about how they saw themselves as a church. The answer for Laodicea was the answer for all church families – “salve your eyes” so you can see the truth about yourself! And the “salve” is the very Word of God, that teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us. And a church should trust what the Word says more than what they “feel” – listen to the Word as if it were Christ “knocking on their door”.

“SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS” are extended weekly Bible teaching times in which I go through a Book of Bible verse by verse. My current exposition is taken from the Book of Ephesians. The SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS are posted on Sunday each week

The sixth church being measured by God was the church at Philadelphia, a wealthy and powerful city that housed the major Roman military base that provided protection and control for the region. The church did not receive a rebuke from Christ – instead they got a message of encouragement. Christ began by reminding the church of two important facts. First, it is Christ, not our human strategies, that “opens doors for ministry”. Second, we should be praying as a church for God to open such doors of ministry. Christ then turned attention to two spiritual choices of the church that stood out for affirmation. First, the church “kept Christ’s Word”, they saw the Word as inspired and inerrant and were obediant to the commands and authority of the Word. Second, the church had “not denied Christ’s Word” even in the face of opposition from their culture, they were clear to their community that it was God’s Word, not the cultural norms, that was the true source of absolutes of morality and ethics. Christ concluded His message by promising both eventual vindication for the church before those who oppose their message, as well as escape from the coming time of Great Tribulation. They were facing trials, but would not face the Tribulation period. Christ also affirmed the promise of dwelling in His presence in intimate fellowship forever.

“SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS” are extended weekly Bible teaching times in which I go through a Book of Bible verse by verse. My current exposition is taken from the Book of Ephesians. The SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS are posted on Sunday each week.

The fifth church being measured by God was the church at Sardis, a wealthy and powerful city sitting built on an imposing hill that made it nearly immune to defeat by opposing armies, a city in which the culture was complacent in their position. While the church was wealthy by human standard, Christ strongly confronts it because of two major problems. First, the church had a reputation without reality, a church that many saw as prosperous and blessed, but which was actually dead. As II Timothy 3:5 explains, the church “had the appearance of godliness but denied its power. God is not impressed by what tends to impress us – numbers, wealth and facilities are not enough!  Second, the church was marked by “empty works” – they were doing things, but the works were empty and unproductive in terms of the Kingdom! They were merely “going through the motions”. The answer for Sardis was to wake up, strengthen what remains, and keep the Biblical commands. Christ warns of coming discipline should they continue in merely having the form without the reality.

“SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS” are extended weekly Bible teaching times in which I go through a Book of Bible verse by verse. My current exposition is taken from the Book of Ephesians. The SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS are posted on Sunday each week.

The fourth church being measured by God was the church at Thyatira, a smaller city that was a center for the textile and dye industry of that era. It was the home town of Lydia, the seller of purple goods that we encounter in Acts 16:14-15. While the church had some strengths, God confronts it because the church as tolerating the existence of two emphases that would destroy the vitality of the church. First, they were tolerating the teaching of prophets and prophetesses who were adding to the scriptures teaching they said were received directly from God through them and were thus authoritative (as in “God, or the Spirit, told me – or thus saith the Lord”. But the scriptures are the final Word from God and He is giving no other until the end of this age. Second, the church was tolerating teachers who were encouraging people to seek after “deeper things”, spiritual truths that are deeper than the objective Word of God. God confronted such toleration and called for the church to repent and stop permitting such teaching to be tolerated and go unopposed in the church. There is place for only one authority – the inspired Word of God!

“SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS” are extended weekly Bible teaching times in which I go through a Book of Bible verse by verse. My current exposition is taken from the Book of Ephesians. The SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS are posted on Sunday each week.

The third church being measured by God was the church at Pergamum. Smyrna was wealthy city, a center of learning, religion, and the arts – a sophisticated center of culture. The church is commended because it remained true to Christ’s Name in the face of false othe4r worldviews. The church was also commended because they people did not deny their faith in the face of community opposition, an opposition that even led to some of the people being martyred. Despite such positives, the church was unhealthy because they were tolerating false teaching by groups labeled as “Balaamites and Nicolaitans”. These groups were responsible for teaching that was having the effect of loosening moral absolutes, minimizing the need to avoid unequal yoking in marriages, and lessening the commitment to holy and surrendered lives as disciple. God called for the church to repent and stop permitting such teaching to be tolerated and go unopposed in the church.

“SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS” are extended weekly Bible teaching times in which I go through a Book of Bible verse by verse. My current exposition is taken from the Book of Ephesians. The SUNDAY EXPOSITIONS are posted on Sunday each week.