Revelation Wrap Up--What if a Letter was written to Us?

A few weeks ago, Vicky and I went to the IBSA Annual Conference and as much as I hate to admit it—in the middle of a rather unimpressive sermon, my mind caught on to a single verse that’s very relevant to the series on the churches from Revelation.

—2 Timothy 4:8-- Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

The question that came to my mind was
Do I Love His Appearing? Does the reality of the Return of Christ for His Bride Thrill me? Jesus was speaking to & through the Apostle John to a group of churches that were struggling to come to terms with their place in a world they were convinced would be over soon. They longed for Christ’s appearing b/c of the great injustices they were seeing, for the pain and torment they were feeling, for the anguish. The return of Christ was and is a Very Real Event—and Jesus knows this and He sends them these letters—He preserved them in Scripture so that we as this church might benefit.
We as the church examine ourselves in light of the letters in Revelation.

In essence--what if Jesus wrote a letter to our church like the ones that appear in Revelation? What would He say?

If you love His appearing you will:

1) Hear His Encouragements
a. Almost every letter begins with a word of encouragement. Jesus has something explicitly good to say about 5 of the 7 churches.

b. You know you Love His Appearing When:
i. Ephesus—Persevere in your Hard Work, you do not tolerate Wickedness, but test all teachers for truth
ii. Continue to Bear your Afflictions and remain faithful even when Lacking
iii. Remain True to His Name & you don’t Renounce your Faith
iv. Growing & Doing More than at First
v. Remember the faith that you Received & obey it
vi. Keep His Word & do Not Deny His Name
vii. Fulfill Your Purpose
c. He will tell you what you need to know
d. He will tell you what you need to do—be faithful, overcome, proclaim
e. He will tell you what you need to hear
f. He will tell you what you need to say
g. If you are doing what God has called you to do

h. A demonstration that you love His appearing is that you want to see more and more people ready for that appearing, more and more people looking forward to it, more and more people ready to

i. When you are struggling in the face of great opposition, when you are depressed and wondering if it’s worth it, if you are making a difference—know that Jesus sees and recognizes your faithfulness—no matter the appearances of success, if you are being faithful, not taking advantage, not being lazy, not taking for granted your calling then Hear His Encouragement.

j. If you are doing what God has called you to do… you’d better keep doing it.

k. I don’t care who tells you to stop, who tells you to be quiet, who tells you you’re not doing good enough, who tries to discourage you—opposition which may come from outside the church but can also come from within the church if you are Faithful to the calling of God—Hear His Encouragement—Keep Doing What You Are Doing—Keep Being Faithful—Hear His Well Done—His opinion is the only one that matter

l. If you have the Approval of God, you don’t need the Approval of Men.

m. God knows our situation and wants to encourage you and me in our situation. He knows your works and all that you have been doing to serve Him and make Him known. He knows the spiritual darkness of our community, the apathy, the indifference, the coldness, the hibernation toward the things of God of so many living in Macomb—and how you and I are called to be the light that shines into a dark place—that is our calling as the church—to be the light—to fulfill our Mission—and in fulfilling that mission as a church—each of you has an individual calling and gifting to strengthen the church to do what God has called us to do. So hear the encouragement—if you Love and Look forward to your calling, then:

n. Obey Your Calling With Passion
o. Obey Your Calling with Faithfulness
p. Obey Your Calling with Persistence & Endurance—don’t quit just because it gets hard or not everyone understands it.


What Would Jesus Encourage Us About?

2) Loving Fellowship—people are welcomed and there is a strong desire for a sense of family love & connection
3) Sound Doctrine—we are unified around the essentials of the faith without being uniformists—we exemplify the traditional Christian phrase—“in the essentials—unity, in the non-essentials—liberty, in all things—charity”
4) generosity—UBC is a very giving church—I know not everyone tithes, I know your bills scare you into holding back—but I also know that when someone is in need—you will be generous.
a. Hear His Encouragements but also…

5) Heed His Warnings
a. Why should we?

b. Because you do want to be ready—heed His warnings because you want to accomplish the task, the calling He has given you. if you’re not doing what God has called you to do then Heed the Warning—Be about His business, the Business of the Kingdom—

c. Also, heed His Warnings b/c there is no perfect church. There are many things for Jesus to be pleased with—but every single church this side of heaven will need some correction—Always remember, this warning, this rebuke is a proof of His love—those He loves, He rebukes and disciplines—according to 3:19. So the fact that He warns and rebukes is not a bad thing—it is proof that He wants more for us.

d. If you’re not doing what He has called you to do—watch out—Shape Up—Stop Drop & Roll
e. If you’re not doing what He has called you to do—heed the Warning b/c Jesus wants you to fulfill His calling!

f. Symptoms that you don’t love His appearing:
i. You have Forsaken Your First Love and have stopped doing what you did at first—prayer, bible study, sharing, service
ii. You are Compromising your faith in Belief & Behavior excusing yourself and becoming a stumbling block for other believers.
iii. You have a reputation of being alive, but you’re really going through the motions and are in need of CPR
iv. You are not fulfilling your purpose—neither hot nor cold—remember, being cold in this context is not a bad thing—just like it’s OK for you to not have every gift that some other believer has—if your purpose and function is being cold—then do it. A symptom that you don’t love His appearing is that you have a Gift, you have a Calling and you’re not doing it—you’re resisting it—you’re ignoring it—you’re afraid of it.

g. Remember your first love or your lampstand/church will die

h. Stop Compromising your faith in Belief or Behavior and becoming a stumbling block for other believers or Jesus will oppose us to defend the truly faithful

i. Stop tolerating sinful beliefs and behaviors—no matter someone’s reputation or position, stand for the truth or everyone who follows them will suffer.

j. WAKE UP—if you love His appearing—then you can’t be dead and indifferent. The more we are lukewarm, the more you compromise our beliefs and behaviors, tolerate the attitudes of this world—the less you love and are looking forward to His appearing

k. We are in danger having lost our first love—the energy, the passion with which this church was built needs to be restored—we have such generosity, but

l. Peter lets us know that it is our faith that is more important to God than anything. He wants to refine it, to make it pure, to ensure that you are the best disciple you can be—He doesn’t want to see us going down the wrong road—so He will warn, He will seek to restore our Love—has your love grown cold? Have you forgotten your first love?

What Would Jesus Warn Us About?
1. A Tight Christian Family —Group Dynamics—a tight group can quickly become a closed, self-serving group--can easily dampen the burden for the lost and hurting. Our sense of family must never make us a closed group to new people with new ways to serve—with real hurts and struggles
2. Financial generosity must never take the place of hands on ministry to advance the kingdom of God
3. don’t forget your first & most important love—do what you did at first with more mature motives Now than then.
4. We are in Danger of being Distracted from Our Mission—Missions is not something you have to go off to Africa or Asia to do—Missions happens when you walk across the street to talk to a neighbor, you can fulfill the mission of the church when you go to the store, get in a conversation—don’t make an appointment for someone else to –we exist as a church not to serve ourselves but to Magnify His Name—to Advance His Kingdom—to Make Disciples—to see that others Long for His Appearing

6) Hold On to His Promise—don’t lose sight of it.
a. To him who overcomes…
b. The Tree of Life that had once been denied will be yours. The paradise from which humanity was thrown out—you’ll once again be able to walk in.

c. The Provision of God—the sustaining manna—even in the driest, most depressing times in life, God promises to be all you need—more than that He will give you the White Stone—the All Access Pass to the Creator of the Universe

d. You will See the Great Reversal—all the things that are wrong in this world will be restored to their rightful place under the command and leadership of God. You are promised the Morning Star—which is Christ Himself.

e. You will have the opportunity to walk hand in hand with your Savior and be Announced and even Celebrated before the Father and all the Angels

f. You will be made into a Pillar in the Temple of God and you will never have to leave the Temple of God—you will be a part of raising up the Temple—opening up the temple for God’s Glory to fill

g. Hold on to the Promise that says the Throne of Authority and Royalty is yours.

h. All of that is promised in the Second Coming of Christ—there are rewards—a crown of righteousness in store for you and me.

7) Do you love His appearing?
a. I hope that you haven’t lost sight of the vision of Christ’s Return—
b. Do you have a Vision of His Appearing? What happens when a people loses their vision?
c. Proverbs 29:18—“Where there is no Vision, the people perish” —where the church has no vision of our Savior’s Appearing, no Vision of our Mission and How to Fulfill it—no love for either—then we will perish.
d. Confusion—With NO Vision we won’t know What we’re supposed to be doing until He comes?

8) be like the servants, who when given talents while the master is away—doubles what has been given to them—because they loved their master—don’t be the servant who so feared the master’s return that he buried his talent in the sand—unused, unproductive.
9) you were never meant to be unused—you were never meant to be unproductive—find your passion

a. This vision of His appearing will lead us directly into
b. If you are not saved, if Jesus is not your Savior and Lord of your life, if you have not had your sins forgiven, then there’s no way you can love His appearing—you will be and should be afraid of it. The book of Revelation should freak you out. If you are nervous about seeing the Face

Letter to Laodicea--Revelation 3:14-22

We’re coming to the last letter to the churches in Revelation—and in some ways, it might be the most challenging one yet because it carries a warning not just a church like UBC, but for all the churches in the United States, even all the churches in Western Civilization.

Laodicea was a very, very wealthy city, founded by Antiochus II and named after his wife Laodicea. The city was strategically located where three highways converged, thus it was highly commercial. It was well known for its banking industry, its manufacture of black wool and a medical school that produced eye ointment. The wealth in the city had been used to build theaters, a huge stadium, lavish public baths and fabulous shopping centers. Sound familiar? Sounds like any typical American city. So wealthy was this city that when an earthquake almost entirely destroyed it in 60 AD, its wealthy citizens refused help from Rome in rebuilding the city. They did it all themselves. If you were a real estate agent at the time it wouldn’t be hard to sell Laodicea. It was a great place to live. The land of opportunity. The only real negative about the place was its lack of an adequate water supply—and that will come into play later

READ Rev. 3:14-22

Jesus identifies Himself as the Amen—used at the beginning of a statement, it signifies that it is a statement of truth—used at the end—signifying Agreement—particularly in terms of Divine Truth, Action or Will--Jesus is the Amen—always agrees and is obedient to the Will of the Father ands o He is the Faithful and True Witness—testifyer in Word and Deed to the Rightness and Goodness and Glory of God. Jesus is the example of everything He has called us to be—faithful and true—in spite of suffering and difficulty—When we have seen Him—we have seen the Father—when we hear or read His words—we are hearing the words of God. He is the

Originator/Ruler/Source/Beginning of Creation of all creation—Colossians 1:16-- For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

We take comfort in that b/c no matter how big and intimidating and threatening this world may be—Jesus is greater—creation is answerable to Him—so we have the privilege of going to the highest authority—and no matter what this world’s opinion of us may be—if He is pleased with us—we are truly blessed.

1. Jesus walks among us and takes our Temperature—

a. One of the things that I always hate about taking one of my kids to the doctor with because of a fever is because invariably—when we get into the office and they actually put the thing in their ear, they don’t have a fever. A fever is often times the only symptom to know that something is wrong—there is some sickness, some illness, some cold, flu, infection impacting the body.

b. Temperature has been recognized for most of human history as an indicator of health—too warm—you have a fever with any number of causes—too cold—you may be loosing blood, hypothermic, or dead. Jesus didn’t have to be the Divine Son of God to know that temperature is an indicator of health. But He would have had an even better understanding of it. And in this letter, He lets us know that temperature is also a way to assess Spiritual Health as well. Jesus walks among us and takes our Temperature to assess the health of each of us and the whole congregation.

c. He is using a local, well known problem relating to their water supply to relay a spiritual meaning. I told you we would eventually get to this. This is a sort of parable, if you will!
Laodicea, as rich as it was, had a serious water problem. The city’s water was “piped in” from six miles out. It came to them along an aqueduct. By the time it arrived it was lukewarm. The city of Hierapolis, just seven miles north of Laodicea, was famous for its hot springs. Colossea, less than ten miles away, was known for its cool water.

d. But they at Laodicea were neither—they were neither Hot, like the water pumped in from Hierapolis, nor Cold, like the water from Colossae.

e. Right now they were neither—essentially, they are not what they are supposed to be—they are not fulfilling their expected function—

f. Why would He rather they be cold or hot? I’ve always thought of being cold as a bad thing, and being on fire for God was a good thing.—He wouldn’t prefer us to be one or the other unless something more were going on. But I still cannot reconcile the idea that Jesus would “rather” us be cold” than warm.

g. Cold water is supposed to be cold—on a hot summer’s day when you’ve just finished mowing the lawn the last thing you want is a hot chocolate. You want an iced tea, a cold glass of lemonade. Hot water is supposed to be hot—with it you can make the hot tea, coffee, chocolate—you don’t want iced coffee when it’s 30 degrees outside.

h. They were a church that had a function, that had a role that was intended to fulfill their purpose—just like in your house—cold water has it’s place—hot water has it’s place. Being a faithful and true witness to the Glory of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ—

i. This church was either Not Doing the Right Things—i.e.—not fulfilling their purpose or What they were doing, they were doing for the wrong reason—the wrong motive—and so not fulfilling their Mission & Calling.

j. In this Case, when Jesus takes the Temperature of the Church—when He sticks the Thermometer in our mouth—He wants to get a reading—He gages our spiritual health by getting a reading—and having a fever is a good thing—because we would be fulfilling our intended purpose—having a cold temperature is a good thing—b/c we would be fulfilling our calling.

k. It’s the room temperature, it’s the average, it’s the blending in temperature that is problematic and not the church that is faithful and true.

l. Just keep doing what we’re doing, don’t draw attention to yourself, don’t cause a scene, don’t rock the boat, maybe they won’t notice you, maybe they’ll have a good opinion of you, maybe they’ll leave you alone, maybe they won’t harass you, maybe they’ll even like you.

m. Such an attitude of compromise in the individual Christian and the larger Church body both saddens and sickens the heart of God—we are not fulfilling our Calling. vs. 16—“Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you/vomit you out of my mouth.”—This church had become distasteful, this church had become unpleasant, this church had become potentially

n. Causes of Lukewarmness

i. Distance from the Source—the further from the source spring, the more like the surrounding temperature it was.


That is a humbling proposition—that we can be lukewarm because in reality are hearts are far from Him. Isaiah 29:13--The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”—when we are far from the source—the source of our power and strength—the ruler of God’s creation—we blend in—and that makes us distasteful

ii. Sitting Out W/Out being Used—perhaps we can be close to the source—but if we go unused for extended periods of time, then we become distasteful. I hate going to a restaurant, ordering a Coke only to have them bring me one that is flat—no bubbles. It’s no longer fresh—so it’s no longer fulfilling it’s purpose. I usually make them take it back and get me something else.

Think of all the things that when they get left out and sit around for a while or overnight that are no longer good for you or appealing—an ice cube tray, a gallon of milk, ice cream, coffee, leftovers

Think of all the skills and gifts and blessings God has given you that are untapped, unused.

iii. Scripture gives its own causes of Lukewarmness in vs. 17—not only does Jesus walk Among us and take our Temperature, but He also walks among us as our personal accountant—who knows our financial situation better than we do ourselves.

2. Jesus Walks Among us with a Calculator—vs. 17

a. Symptoms which make you lukewarm—I’m rich, I’m wealthy, I’ve got everything I need—life is good, so good that I’ve got nothing to worry about—I’ve got the best house, the best car, the best job, the best clothes—every symbol of the American Dream is mine--God was a convenience

b. Remember, this was a very wealthy city and maybe even congregation—they had refused help to rebuild. Imagine if New Orleans had said—No thanks to all the federal aid and assistance in rebuilding after Katrina.

c. They were the epitome of Self-Sufficiency—and it made them indifferent to the things of God—they thought they were Rich

d. But when Jesus calculated their wealth—He came up with different Numbers. They were ignorant of their real condition.

e. They lived like a superstar, demanded superstar/high roller treatment on a Minimum Wage Salary.

f. They thought they had it all—and were undoubtedly shocked to hear they had nothing of real value. They were the “Dot Com” or Enron investor who went to bed thinking they were a millionaire but overnight, woke up with nothing. They thought they were a Prince, when they were really a Pauper. They thought they were the #1 Draft Pick, when in reality, they were Mr. Irrelevant. They thought they were a part of God’s Best & Blessed, God’s Chosen

g. And when this Reality Check was put before them, when this mirror reflected the Truth, when this Faithful and True Accountant calculated their wealth—He came up with different numbers—and I guarantee it was a shock to hear.

h. This church thought things were great—they thought they were faithful—they thought things were going good—we’re rich—God must love us—we don’t need a thing b/c we’re not suffering, we’re not persecuted—so God must be pleased—NO—you’re ignorant of your true situation

i. You’ve got nothing—everything you’ve got is worthless—it’s fake, it’s virtual spirituality—you’re not rich you’re wretched & poor, you’re not well off—you’re pitiful, you aren’t seeing things clearly—you’re blind

j. Worldly wealth & comfort—misdiagnosis—the faithful and true witness says we are not as rich as we think we are, we are not as well off as we think we are, we are not doing so well as we like to think of ourselves.

k. Instead, we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked—we are totally impoverished, we’ve been ravaged by war, famine, we’ve lost everything to a fire, hurricane and earthquake—we’ve got nothing

l. The church in Smyrna had nothing—they were suffering. Jesus described them this way in 2:9—I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!”

m. The church in Western Civilization has it all—has peace and prosperity—the Church in America has more than anywhere else—we are rich—mostly self sufficient and it has made us largely cold and indifferent to the movement and the heart of God. The church in the West is overall Declining in numbers and influence. All while the fires of revival are raging in what we would call 3^rd World or Developing Nations—the Christian population is shifting to Africa and Asia—they are beginning to send more and more missionaries to the very places that first brought the name of Jesus to them.

n. We are so wealthy, so self-sufficient, so self-indulgent, that we no longer rely on God for Power and so we rarely see the Holy Spirit at work. We have become Self-Deluding. We’re kidding ourselves, I’m kidding myself if I think I’m sold out for Christ—it costs me nothing, there is very little price for me to pay, very little threat to my life or livelihood. I blend in nicely

o. The standards Jesus calculates our wealth by is not gold or silver—He says (Matthew 6:19)—“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up fro yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

p. According to Jesus we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. We can’t even afford clothes for ourselves. But thankfully,

3. Jesus Walks Among Us Providing Everything We Need

a. He advises us to get our wealth from Him. Their riches and wealth are not refined by Jesus—they will not survive the fire—what they have does not make them rich spiritually

b. Your house, as nice as it may be—is not nearly as good as the house Jesus is building and decorating for you. your clothes cannot cover your sinfulness, no matter how expensive or what brand—you are totally exposed unless you are covered by the clothes that Jesus gives.

c. Despite the best glasses, contacts, and laservision—you still cannot see clearly. Laodicea was famous for it’s eye ointment—but they were still blind and unable to See what was Really important. They were blind to the things of God, blind to the movement of God, blind to the heart of God, blind to the their own need, blind to the need of the lost around them, blind to the true remedy—their best homegrown remedy could not do it.

d. Jesus promise to heal our spiritual blindness—to make us hot—to make us cold—He desires to make us useful for His Kingdom’s sake He desires to shock us back to reality—He desires to step on our toes so hard that it causes us to cry out in pain, and jump up off our pews and fulfill our Mission and Our Calling—

e. One of these Sundays, I’m going to install a zapper into all of these pews that I can just press a button—and zap you—to get your attention—to wake you up

f. Vs. 19—He’s not saying all of this stuff to us because He doesn’t like us—b/c He’s done with us, given up or moved on. In reality, He is saying all this to us because He loves us—and hates seeing us so self-deluded—thinking we’re on fire when we’re not. Thinking we’re rich, when we’re poor and really so pitiful and weak, like sheep without a shepherd. He hates seeing us unwilling to come in under His wings. He hates seeing us poor, blind & Naked. He hates seeing us Lukewarm when we could be On Fire—when we Could be Hot Chocolate on a cold winter’s Day or a refreshing Iced Tea in the Summer’s heat. Instead, we are settling for mediocrity.

4. Jesus Walks Among Us as a Door-to-Door Revivalist—vs. 20

If you want to be amazed—if you are ready for a sobering encounter with Jesus—then answer this door. This Door Knocking is not for the Purpose of sharing the Good News with the Lost—this is for the Purpose of bringing a Reality Check to the Saved—of Bringing an Awakening of Passion for Jesus Christ—because it is so easy, in our comfort to be lukewarm.

There are a lot of people like that in the church today!
They come to church once in awhile but they aren’t enthusiastic about it.
They come to worship but they have little conviction.
They come to church but they aren’t interested in the church’s programs or projects.
They come to church but they give little or no support in finances or any other way.

Ask yourself these questions: (intimacy inventory)

1. Do my mind and mouth switch to auto-pilot during the song service?
2. Is my last answered prayer just a dim memory?
3. Do I feel guilty, angry or skeptical when I hear someone talk about what they got from their private devotional time w/ God?
4. Do I read my Bible because I’m supposed to, and not because I want to?
5. Do I find myself critiquing and criticizing the service, rather than growing from it?
6. During handshake time, do I wish everyone would just leave me alone?
7. Do those smiling and happy Christians get on my nerves?
8. Am I continually looking for ways of becoming less committed, rather than more committed? (quitting areas of service)

If you can answer yes to one or more of those questions, you may be drifting toward Room Temperature--in danger of losing your first love.

Those He loves –He corrects—He rebukes and disciplines. No discipline seems pleasant at the time—some of you may not like hearing these messages—it makes you uncomfortable—it makes me uncomfortable to have the magnifying glass of Scripture applied to my life. But it is supposed to reap a harvest of righteousness a greater and growing glory to the Kingdom of God.

Just like last week—there is a door—last week, Jesus told us that the doors He opens—they stay open—those He closes—they stay closed.

You have a door—while He is strong enough to overpower you and knock your door down—He knocks & waits for you to open it and invite Him in—then that door remains open

You are the host & He is the guest, usually that means that you provide the dinner—but not this time. I believe in this case, Jesus does, He serves you the best meal-a foretaste of the Marriage Banquet Feast that is in the Future of the Bride of Christ

When you overcome—remain faithful and true witnesses—following in the footsteps of Jesus. He gives you the right to sit on the Throne with Him, in a place of power and rule. Each of these churches may, when reading these overcoming statements be looking around at their situation and thinking—I just don’t see how it’s possible. The rest of Revelation is God’s answer to that concern—it is supposed to be a validation, an assurance, an encouragement to the churches that each of those statements will come to pass.

Sermon--Revelation 3:7-13-- Philiadelphia-- Access Granted

The ending gets a little ragged b/c it represents ideas that came up on Saturday night. So I hope it makes sense.

When visitors go to the White House, they cannot just wander around, they cannot go wherever they want to--they have to stay with the tour, there is limited access to the overall building—ZERO access to the President himself. But when you go into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, you are given a VIP Access Pass—no one can stop you, no one can deny you entry, no one can prevent you from going straight in to the Holy Presence of God—you don’t have to make an appointment—you don’t have to sit down and wait at the receptionists’ desk. The Door is Open to You!

This Letter is about Promised Access

Here we come to a church that had much to be commended for even in the midst of disinformation and hardship. READ vs. 7-13

Philadelphia was a city strategically located on the road from Rome to the east, and was a strong fortress city. It was a city of major influence in the area and was located on the edge of a great volcanic plain which was fertile as a result and perfect for growing grapes. It was the centre of worship of the greek god Dionysius, the god of wine – no surprise really. It’s proximity to active volcanoes was a constant threat and the people in the most part lived outside of the city due to the threat from falling buildings within the city walls.

The church in this city had little strength—not great in numbers—but they had a great faith—a faith that was continuing to overcome hardship and difficulty. And in this Church

Jesus Walks Among Us In Righteousness & Authority

Jesus is holy & true—He is sinless, set apart from you and me—He is the Truth—and as He walks among us, He will not lie—about His love for us, about what He sees in our lives that are right, about what He sees in our life that is wrong—He is Holy—He is True—

Holds the Key of David—a very Jewish reference—it comes from Isaiah 22:20—The Key of David—is the Authority of the Messiah—the Promised King of the Line of David who will Restore the Kingdom of God—bring about the Promises of the Covenant.

Jesus is the one who has the authority in the Kingdom of God. Since He has the key—there is no blessing that is unavailable, no riches that are off limits to Him—only those who call upon Him will He allow to truly enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom. No one can just waltz in and go wherever they want—they must be given and granted access to the Covenant of God through the One who Holds the Master Key. Jesus is the One who holds, the one who Wields that Authority.

He has the authority to open and close all access. He is the Way, the Truth & the Life—no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Terms of the Covenant—the Terms of Relationship with the Father are set and determined by Jesus and His Death & Resurrection.

Jesus walks among us and He is not a “Yes Man”

Many companies, many colleges will hire an Outside consultant every few years to give a fresh evaluation of the company’s effectiveness. Sometimes, the findings are not welcome—as a result those that hired the consultants question their motives, question their qualifications—the more the outside consultant challenges or questions what you do or how you do it—what they’ve actually been called in to consult on—the LESS likely they are to be well received. In many cases, consultants are brought in with the expectation of “confirmation”—no you really are doing a good job—most things are fine—all the problems are minor.

We need to remember in our walk as the Church, that Jesus is not a consultant that we bring in every so often for an outside opinion. He is not a hireling, He does not wait to be invited in

He is the Owner & Founder, He is the CEO that takes a daily/weekly walkthrough to Inspect the Effectiveness of One of His Branch Offices/Departments/Productions

His assessment is Valid. His assessment in Unbiased. His assessment is Authoritative

What He opens cannot be shut—what He shuts cannot be opened. There is no one to appeal to; no one to overrule Him, not even a majority vote—His decisions are Final.

He has the Key, the authority of David as the Messiah. The One with this Authority is also the One who invites us to pray-- LK 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus Walks Among us and Knows Some Want to Close Doors—vs. 9

The Jewish Community wanted to

Close the Door to the Synagogue for any Jew who Believed Jesus Was the Messiah

Close the Door to the Covenant and Blessing of God because anyone who Believed in Jesus ceased being a Jew

Close the Door to the Love of God for anyone who received baptism in Jesus’ Name

Close the Door to Family & Friendships for their betrayal

Close the Door to a Relationship with God for any Gentile—that did not have the lineage of Abraham.

Just by accepting Jesus—a believer would suffer hardship and loss and only if they renounced their belief in Jesus would those doors be opened to them again.—they taught that God would shut them out, that God didn’t love them, that they were under the same curse that Jesus experienced. They had ceased being Jews anymore by claiming this false Messiah and for accepting Gentiles into the faith.

They claim to be Jews—with a true zeal for God--but in God’s Assessment, Faith in Jesus is the Determining Factor of someone being a Member of the Chosen People of God—Faith in Jesus makes you a part of the TRUE Covenant Community—not based on Lineage, Ethnicity or anything other than FAITH--Trusting Jesus brings you Under the Blessing of God and

Paul had to address this confusion Romans 2:28-29 --A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 9:6-8-- For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

Some of you may be seeing some doors closed to you b/c of your faith in Christ. Some of you may have felt the sting of having doors closed, relationships ended, friendships denied or maligned. Be assured that Jesus knows all about it and He is encouraging you to stand with your faith.

In today’s world there are attempts to

Close Doors to Biblical Truth—the Bible is so old and outdated, you can’t possibly believe it anymore

Close the Doors of the Church—not to keep them out, but to keep us in and without influence--just keep your faith inside these walls and don’t bring it out—then we’ll accept you, then we’ll like you and let you

Close Doors to The Exclusivity of Jesus—it’s so arrogant of you to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven—what about all the other beliefs out there—they are just as valid.

Close Doors to Evangelism—don’t try to tell me my beliefs are wrong

Close Doors to Public Expression of Faith—the mistaken notion that the First Amendment to the Constitution says the Gov’t has the responsibility to provide “freedom From religion” not “freedom of religion”

Close Doors to Friendship—your desire to live differently may cost you friends who want to live it up and don’t want to be reminded that there’s another way to live.

Close Doors to Business Partnerships or Jobs—such opportunities are a very real occurrence-openly in countries where Christianity is a minority, but even subtly here in America—where you’re expected to “tow the line”, be willing to fudge a little bit.

Many will try to close doors to you as a believer in Jesus Christ. But there is Promise-

Jesus Walks Among us and Holds the Door Open—vs. 8

They are commended for

Keeping His Word—meaning they were obeying and growing in their walk with Christ—they believed and tried to live out their faith and the teachings of Jesus

Not Denying His Name—even though there was great temptation and pressure to just stop talking about Jesus, to stop making decisions with your faith in mind, to just do things that the rest of the world is doing because it’s not a big deal anyway—when we compromise our faith, we are denying His name

Even with Limited Strength—

Keeping His Word and the Pressure to Deny our Faith are tiring—it wears you down. And yet Jesus commends these believers in Philadelphia. He does not focus on the nuts and bolts, the details of every little thing they do, He speaks generally of their deeds, but it is their heart, their obedience, their endurance which truly draws His attention. It’s not so much what they are doing as the faithfulness behind the deeds. They are Keeping True to the Teachings and Faith of Christ. They are Keeping True to Christ and not mixing their Christianity with other faiths, not being a Christian and a Pagan, a Christian and a Bhuddist, not a Christian and a Capitalism, Communist Christian—they were remaining true and faithful to Him.

They had little strength—few numbers, not a great amount of influence—but they were faithful in what they had been given.

And so there is an Open Door before them—a Door of Access.

Door of Salvation--door mentioned in scripture is the door of salvation For instance, in John 10:9, Jesus said: (John 10:9) I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. Jesus was teaching the remarkable truth that he is the only way to salvation. Inside that door or gate, there is safety and everything we need.

Door Into the Presence of God-- HEB 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Door to the Gentiles—Acts 14:27-- On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles”—There is a desire to Throw open the gates and let anyone who is willing to come in—not limited to a select few, not limited to a particular race or ethnic group—but open to anyone who believes.

There’s a another type of door mentioned in scripture that is still about accoess

Door of Opportunity--For instance, Paul says in Colossians 4:3: “and pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains”. This is a Door where God allows us to be at Work in His Kingdom—He’s Hiring—There are Job Openings to be had—access and employment in the Kingdom. God gives wonderful opportunities to Serve and Glorify Him—opportunities to share the gospel, opportunities of prepared hearts and lives to receive the VIP Access Granted through Jesus Christ.

Throughout history, people have found that God has a unique way of providing opportunities for fruitful service, and hearts ready to accept the gospel.

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He has placed an open door—one that cannot be shut--For What?

For them to come in Before the King—no one can deny them entry—no one can block their way, no one can say—“No Philadelphian Christians Allowed”

No matter what anyone else tried to say—that they were Locked Out, Cut Off, Denied—Jesus is Saying ---NO-the Way is Open for You

The Great Promise is that Jesus Walks Among us With Reward—9b-13

The promise is that they will fall down by the “making” of Christ—they will then learn and know that He has truly loved them—where the Love of God for Christians was called into doubt, He will receive you and love you and shower His blessings upon you.

There will be a Great Reversal—the believers in Philadelphia may not be strong now, there may not be very many—but they will be glorified at the Coming of Jesus.

They have Kept the Command to Endure—to hold on to what they have and so Keep the Crown of Righteous Victory that is promised.

Jesus Walks Among Us With Instructions

Hold On to What You Have—Forgiveness & Salvation in Jesus Christ, A New Hope & Future, a Community of Believers—With Total and Complete VIP Access to God and His Blessing--Hold On to it-don’t Go Back, don’t Quit, no matter the opposition, no matter the closed doors.

He will make you into a Pillar in the Temple—you are not the foundation, but upon the foundation that has already been laid. In most cases, the foundation is not a highlight—we don’t typically see the foundation. But a pillar is supposed to open up the structure—it’s supposed to make it open and visible so the beauty put into the structure can be seen.—open for worship

Pillars let you build a large open space. Allows you to build higher

But there’s even more here. Most scholars believe Revelation was written in the 90’s AD—meaning that it is about 20 years after the Temple in Jerusalem had been Destroyed—so the idea of the Temple standing is a powerful promise—but they would all have heard just how the pillars of the Temple could be removed. And it wasn’t the first time.

1 Kings 7:15, 21—“ 1KI 7:15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high.-- 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

2 Chronicles 3:17 – He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

Jakin means—He Establishes

Boaz—means “In Him is Strength—but it was also the name of the Kinsman Redeemer from the book of Ruth

2 Kings 25:13-- The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon.

25:18-- The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.” There were supposed to be 4 who controlled access to the Temple

Jeremiah 52—destruction of the Pillars

They had read about the Temple being destroyed and the Pillars carried off. They may very well had been lamenting the loss of Herod’s Temple—so the idea of a permanent place—permanent access to God was uncertain. But that is what Jesus promises they will be.

2 Corinthians 6:16— For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

In describing the New Jerusalem—and the New Temple—Revelation later says:

Revelation 21:22-- I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

21:25-- On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.”

There will never be a time when Access to God will be closed off.

God’s Name will be written on our Heart—His Name name will be permanent—our citizenship, our membership is secure and irrevocable-

Jesus’ New Name will be written on us.

And we will never Leave the Temple—Never Leaving the Presence of God—is the hope and dream of this community—that there is no greater or better existence—no better way to spend the day than in the Presence of God surrounded by those who Praise Him. That is what Heaven will be like.

And how many of you are just counting the minutes until we get out of this building?

He is standing before us—walking among us—there are some doors that He has shut for us—but there are other doors that He is holding open—Doors of Opportunity that are before us that He wants us to walk through.

Alive or Dead Church?

1. What does a dead church look like?
   

2. What does an alive church look like?
   

3. What does a "faking it", reputation church look like?
   

4. How do you tell the difference?

Sermon--Revelation 2:12-17--Jesus Walks In Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17 Letter to Pergamum

Gov. Rick Perry said recently that Texans who are legally licensed should be able to carry their concealed handguns anywhere, including churches, bars, courthouses and college campuses.

“I think it makes sense for Texans to be able to protect themselves from deranged individuals, whether they’re in church, or whether on a college campus or wherever they are,” he said.“The idea that you’re going to exempt them from a particular place is nonsense to me.”

Religious leaders argue against guns in church

Bill would allow conceal-and-carry option for those OK'd, trained

By Tim Carpenter
The Capital-Journal

Three bishops representing 200,000 Kansans denounced Thursday a bill allowing people to carry concealed weapons into houses of worship.

United Methodist, Lutheran and Episcopal bishops said in a joint statement to legislators that a Senate-passed bill should be amended to include churches on the list of places where people couldn't take concealed guns.Private entities, such as churches, could prohibit concealed weapons on their property if they placed conspicuous signs declaring that policy."

The idea of someone armed in church makes me uncomfortable. What if my sermon is too long? We also need to realize that we do have someone who is armed in church with us today. Jesus is armed—and He doesn’t try to hide the fact—though we usually ignore the fact.

He walks among the Church with a Sword—He is armed—this should be a good argument to use for those in TX where they want the conceal and carry law to apply to churches as well.

1:16--16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

This is Jesus as we rarely see Him or look at Him. He is no longer defenseless, He is no longer like the sheep before the shearers—no longer unarmed. He is not a wimp.

He carries a double edged sword—which in many ways symbolic of Life & Death. The weapon Jesus wields is not the same as one held by the nations—it is held in His mouth. His weapon is His word.

Sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God—Ephesians 6:17-- Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Sharper than any double edged sword—Hebrews 4:12-- For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

This sword acts more like a surgical scalpel that can slice away the diseased tissue, leaving the good and healthy parts behind. Jesus carries a sword for a couple of reasons. One because.Jesus walks among us and knows the Spiritual Darkness of the Community

He knows we’re in a bad neighborhood.

Where Satan has His throne—could be a throne to Zeus, the 2 Emperor temples, or the god of Healing, Asklepius, who had a temple that was practically the Mayo Clinic of the ancient world—More and more, I’m beginning to think this was the one that John was referring to.

This god was represented by a serpent wrapped around a pole—sometimes the god would be holding it like a staff—other times it would stand alone. The god was supposed to be the patron of physicians and healers—to bring life back from those dying. Interesting that the serpent in the earliest biblical text does not bring life, but death—so there is a reversal—something is worshipped as a bringer of life when the serpent brought death to all of creation.

Progression of pictures--the god held a staff with a snake curved around it.It could also be represented merely with the snake curved around the pole.In some depictions, they are place 2 snakes entwined around a pole with flying creatures on either side.Perhaps it will look more familiar in a modern context.

this same serpent-staff concept was adopted by the American Medical Association in its development of the symbol "Caduceus," which looks something like a winged flagpole about which a pair of serpents is entwined.

He knows the persecution, the death, the ridicule, the hardship and the faithfulness. He knows everything about the situation they are living in and He commends them for remaining faithful through it all by not abandoning their faith in Christ.

The city of Pergamum had a tremendous spiritual darkness in control—one strongly opposed to faith in Christ. It was a stronghold of evil, of idolatry. Jesus knew exactly what they were up against. And He commended them for remaining faithful even in the face of persecution and execution.

Once again we see that faith in Christ does not remove us from Darkness, rather our faith may take us into the heart of Darkness.

Listen to Jesus’ verdict-- John 3:19—“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

The smallest light is blinding in total darkness. And we are called to be Light in the Darkness—Ephesians 5:8--For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

In the same way, I know Jesus walks among us here In Macomb and knows the Spiritual Darkness in our Community. It may not be as violent, it may not be as deadly or physically dangerous, but it is still spiritually dangerous and there is still an indifference to the things of God. Jesus walks up and down our streets and sees the drunkenness, the avoidance, the neglect, the abuse. He also sees the pain, the hurt, the fear—all those things that take us away from the true and living God—He sees, He knows, He is aware of the obstacles we face.

His desire is that we not remain in Darkness. John 12:44--Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Colossians 1:13--For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He knows we live in a rough neighborhood—and He is armed, but not just for out there.

Jesus Walks Among Us Even With Our Compromises

In spite of all this great faithfulness, this unwillingness to walk away from Christ—what they were able to withstand physically, they were not so faithful spiritually. And in many ways, Jesus could not look at one and ignore the other.

I hold this against you

Rev. 2:14-15—NASB-- “But have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”

This is a church that has compromised either in Belief or Behavior

What is John referring to when he talks about the teaching of Balaam and Balak—it depends on who you read and talk to. There are all kinds of attempts to identify exactly what it is. I believe they are missing the point. The specific teaching is not as important as the result—becoming a stumbling block for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

In this particular instance—it had to do with their previous life in paganism—would they leave it behind and follow Jesus exclusively or would they play both sides of the fence? Every day they had before them the choice—just walking through the market gave it to them. Do I claim the name of Christ and live just like I always lived—or do I let Christ Change Me?

Those that tried to live with no real change were making it hard on all the others. They were becoming stumbling blocks in the larger church.

Stumbling Block to your brothers (NASB, HCSB)—

RO 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

RO 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

1CO 8:4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

1CO 8:7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

1CO 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

1CO 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

2CO 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

I am convinced that the principle is what is important for us today, more than identifying the particular false practice or deceit. The problem is the attitude and immaturity and over-indulgence of the Christians practicing it—by claiming freedom, by claiming “it won’t hurt anyone”, by claiming God’s standards of righteousness don’t matter in this day of Grace, by not leaving behind things we are called to leave behind, we are compromising our faith and become a stumbling block—to people coming to faith at all, to people truly struggling to be who Christ has called them to be..

By eating food sacrificed to idols—going on with their pagan life as if X had not changed them—they were not considerate of those who had given them up and were still coming to grips with the fact that these are false, that they are not even real.

Much of the pagan worship and lifestyle was centered around sex and promiscuity—it was ritualized and socially expected. That kind of ritual had to be left behind in faithfulness to X. Those things are not compatible with the Xn faith

Perhaps they thought they were strong enough and could resist the temptation so they could still go to the parties and ceremonies. Perhaps they thought it was no big deal—they wouldn’t compromise themselves despite the fact that everyone who saw them there assumed they would. Perhaps they thought that type of behavior was ok for the church and they wanted the church was becoming just another place to hook up with new partners

You may be looking at me funny right now, b/c the world has certainly changed. We don’t deal with the idols, we don’t deal with sex as a competitive worship—those are not stumbling blocks for us.

But we haven’t changed so much that we cannot be a stumbling block to our brothers and sisters in Christ, either in belief or in behavior.

How many times have you had a drink in your hand and someone thought it was alcohol, or thought you were drinking to get drunk. Alcohol is not evil in and of itself—but our culture has a problem with it, college students, many of your friends have a problem with it—and if they see you as a Christian—they’re going to assume that you’re doing the exact same thing they are. It becomes a stumbling block to unbelievers and believers—with their own indulgence or their increasing judgmentalism.

How many times have you suggested, shown or gone to the movies with crude, degrading humor, with excessive cursing, with sex and violence. You’re lying to yourself if you think it has no effect on your spirit. You’re lying to yourself if it doesn’t cause some confusion in the hearts and minds of those who are impressionable.

How many times have you spoken of a prayer need, and proceeded to gossip about someone else’s life?

How many times have you become a stumbling block to a brother or sister in Christ who looks to you for maturity, for leadership, for the example of what a Christian is supposed to be—and they are reeling because they cannot reconcile this claim of Jesus Christ and this behavior.

For us to be true, faithful, overcoming Witnesses—we must not be compromised in Belief or Behavior

The enemy is not always “out there” it is also within

We complain about the world “out there” and the culture in decline when we tolerate the culture of the church declining—the church that is Compromising. We are no different. We divorce the same, abuse the same, lie, cheat & steal the same, cuss the same. It can be pastors, deacons, leaders, lay members—just know that Jesus walks among our compromises and He sees them clearly.

The sword Jesus holds is not just for the world out there, but the life of the church “in here”. Jesus walks among us, even with our weaknesses—but His goal is to root out our compromises so we may live true to Him. The Victors are the ones He fights for, not against.—the sword separates, it disciplines, it escorts out those who are unwilling to conform their lives to the holiness of Christ—much like the whip He used to cleanse the Temple.

Belief and Behavior both must be true to Christ—do we believe things that are contrary to true faith in Christ, do we believe the right things but fail to live the right way?

Once again, the remedy is repentance—once again it is turning away from one way of life and believing and living an uncompromised faith that does not cause anyone else to stumble.

The only stumbling block that people should have is the Cross, the Resurrection—it is a “stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”—1 Peter 1:8

The Cure for our Compromise is Repentance

Jesus Walks Among us with Promise

Hidden Manna—the Bread of Life, Hidden Fellowship—the blessing that the rest of the world may not see, recognize or understand. This is the blessing of Fellowship—or God’s full and abundant provision—His sustaining when everything else has been taken away. Where they were not to compromise and participate at the pagan festivals, where they suffered socially b/c they wouldn’t party like they would; the faithful are fully and completely welcome at the table of Christ and true fellowship with God.

White Stone—in the day when emperor worship was mandatory—they would give out some kind of marker saying you have done your duty to sacrifice at the temple. They needed this in order to be full citizens to buy, sell or trade. It was like a driver’s license or a Membership Card. In some cases, it would bear the name of the emperor and was good for one year. To carry such a document, or in some cases a stone was Proof of their loyalty and fidelity to the pagan gods. To not have it could cause arrest or fine.

This stone was a stone of compromise and one which would do nothing for their eternity or relationship with God. They will be given their own stone by faithfully following Christ. It is a stone of promise, that will never expire, that will grant them access to Almighty God. With this stone, unknown to the world, known to those who believe, they will ensure full participation in the True Kingdom of God and they will not be excluded

New Name—New Name—the Name of the True Emperor & Creator of the Universe. That stone is supposed to be the cornerstone of the temple of your heart—and it has the name of your Savior written on it signifying that you are an Uncompromised, Unashamed Temple of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God.

I hope that Foundation Stone has been laid in your life. Everything else that survives into eternity will be built off of that foundation. If you are trying to build on your own name—the structure will fall—but if you are building on the Rock of Christ Jesus—nothing will shake it.