I'm preparing for a gun about my field, cause I'm looking for a harvest for my God, He's real. Hey everybody, welcome back to Spiritual Impact. And once again, it's a privilege for us to come in to your home and to join you and we're going to talk about the favorite subject in the world today. And that's the Lord.
And I tell you, as we rejoice together, says our name will be written in the Book of Remembrance. We'll be brought up before the Lord, according to the Book of Malachi. And I'm Steve Rose and I'm joined by my pastor today, Tim Parton. And I know he's going to have something special for us today.
And we're going to get into some, I think of the deeper things of God. Oh yeah. Pastor Steve, I got one question for the folks out there today. Are you washed in the blood in the soul?
Cleansing blood of the Lamb. Are your garments spotless? Are they white? As no, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
We better have our garments washed in the spotless blood of the Lamb. He's coming back. I thought today, Pastor Steve, we take a little dive off into the deeper part. First off, Bible tells us that there's a blessing simply by reading the Book of Revelation.
So automatically we're going to be blessed today, because that's where we're going to study from. But we're going to 2nd chapter. We're going to read verse 7. And first I want to do Revelations 1 and 4, because it says John to the seven churches which are in Asia.
Now let's jump over to 2 and 7 says, He who hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. What we want to talk to you today about is the condition of the Revelation churches. Pastor Steve, as we read in here, the Lord has a specific message for each one of these churches.
And you can look at what he was saying to them through John in the writings here. And not only did he apply to those seven churches in that day, but it would apply to every church even down to the modern times which we live. Because when God is telling you what, he sees good. And then he's giving you some warnings about some things that need to change.
He would pay for us to listen to him. And so a lot of this message has to do with warnings, because I believe Christ is getting the church ready for the rapture. One of the things I saw too about this too, some of the things these churches may have been doing well. But there's a few things they may have lacked.
When I was looking at the church at Ephesus right there, verse 4 says, well, it says they've done several things well. Then he told him plainly, verse 4, he says, you've left your first love. And I'm going to tell you how bad is that when you've left the first love who's Christ himself. One thing that I noticed when I was studying this is in John's writings Christ had spoken to the churches that I know your works.
See, there's nothing hid from God. He knows everything about us. He knows our thoughts. He said even the very hairs about head are numbered.
So he sees everything and he knows everything. Not only did he know their works, he knew their deeds, well, he knew their hearts. So he only God can look into the heart of man and see what truly is inside of man's heart, which is his character. And while some of the churches were faithful, others were filled with a lot of worldly compromise.
So we'll take a look at them. But first off, you've done spoken to the church at Ephesus. They had lost their first love. And would you like to expand a little bit more on that pastor's thing?
Well, I just, it was really surprising to me because when he goes in there, he tells, I know your works, he says, I know that works and I labor, he says I patience and how their accounts not bare them, which are evil. So they were standing up doing some good stuff here. He says, and thou has tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars and has born and has patience for my name's sake, has labored and has not fainted. So they were out there working.
He says never left. I was somewhat say against him because I was left their first love. They forgot the reason. They were out there doing what they were doing.
And see, I think when we get out there, we can get so caught up in the works and we start thinking, you know, look at what I'm doing, look at what our church is doing for you, Lord. And you know what, that's not the way the works are supposed to work for the believer. It says, you know, the race is the gift of God, not according to man or not according to, you know, it's supposed to be not by our works, but it's the gift of God that God gives us these things. But you know, James, he says faith that works is dead being alone.
But what it is, the spirit of God is the one who's supposed to produce those works in the believer. And I think here they were doing a lot of stuff in their own power. It's looked like the right thing they were doing. He says, but you missed the point.
He says, you've forgotten why you're doing what you're doing. You know, a lot of times I think whether in church or even in our own lives, we think the answer is we have to be busy, that if we're not accumulating a lot of things, if we're not doing X amount each day and this and that, that we're not pleasing God. So in our mindset, we think busy is pleasing to God. What God looks at the church is he doesn't want a busy church.
He wants a loving church. Therefore, we'll also, they're first loved. Because if, first off, if we don't love God whom we have seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, have not seen, get it right there in a second. But they had left their first love, and when we first get saved, there's a passion, there's a fire, and there's not a whole lot required.
You're excited like a child, just turned loose in the department store and you're looking at everything with eyes wide open and you just, can't get enough. You want to read your Bible, you want to pray, you want to go to church, you just want, you want to learn. But as we mature, something happens and we get complacent. I think the church at Ephesus we're getting very complacent and they and they were relying too much on what they were doing instead of looking at what the Word says about, instead of putting their faith in Christ, finished work at the cross, because that's the message that we should be preaching.
That was the message Paul preached back then. That's the message that we should preach today. Jesus Christ, Him crucified risen and coming back. His finished work at Calvary, we've often said, now God doesn't expect you to get saved and just sit down, it's not by our works, but your faith in God will produce.
Absolutely. But they'll be works that will please and please them. That's right. Jesus, He was busy.
I mean, doing the things He did, but it says even, there were certain times that He said He would pull away from the people and He would pull away from the people and He'd go and He'd be along the mountain. Why? Because He wanted to spend time with the Father. And see, when we're trying to build the church that God wants, shouldn't we spend time with Him?
Otherwise, we're building the church we want. And so He says, it may look good, but He says, but when you've lost that first love. And again, how can we love? If this relationship between us and God's not right, how can this relationship be right?
See, that's the thing you can't be. Because God is love. And so I guess I'm looking at a heading here. So they have called the Church of Ephesus the Loveless Church.
So that's probably a good thing there because Jesus had told them that you lost your first love. And you know, when the Word of God tells us, what's the greatest of all things love is the greatest of all things. Now we look at the Second Church, the Church of Smyrna, and we find that they were faithful. And because of their faithfulness, they were persecuted church.
And you know, Jesus said, the world hated me, they'll hate you and the world will persecute you. So the church here at Smyrna, they were a faithful church. You could call them a faithful church. And you know, they were suffering lots of persecution.
Some of them were being thrown into prison. We read here and he says, you know, you may be tested that you will have tribulation, you know, for 10 days. But to be faithful unto death, I will give you the crown of life. So it doesn't matter if what we have to go through and the Apostle Paul was well-versed in sufferings for Christ's sake.
But he knew that the rewards were far outweigh the sufferings. So we look at the Church of Smyrna and they're called here the persecuted church. And people, if we're going to take on the mantle of being a child of God, the world's going to persecute you. So he says, all who live God in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
I love this one part of your verse 9. He says, I know thy words. Again, he's telling them, none of these things he's church is doing. God don't know.
And he knows the motivation behind it too. He knows everything. He says, I know your tribulation. I mean, every trouble they were facing.
He said, I know it. He says, and poverty. But look what he says. He says, I know you don't have a lot, but he says, but thou are rich.
I like that. He says, you're doing it right. He says, they may look at you and say, well, that may be a small church. And you are rich.
And he says, I know the blasphemy of them which say they're Jews and they're not but are the synagogues, Satan. Satan says, I don't mean you to try to stop this church right here. There's what the persecution was coming from. Sometimes persecution can come from within.
But he says, there'll be a day that he'll separate the week from the child. Amen. So, you know, I like the fact that Jesus, before he starts telling what's wrong, he tells them what's right. So even though some of these churches were lagging way behind where they should have been, God wants to encourage us.
And that's what he wants to do to you today. God is an encouraging God, an uplifting God, creating God. But he has to be balanced. So therefore we have to be told.
We have to be chastised when we do wrong. It's not because he's mean. It's because he's full of love. And he wants us to grow in mature in the right way so that when the times of testing and the persecution comes, we can stand.
If we've never been corrected or we've never been taught how to persevere, when times get a little tough, we might falter. We might lose faith, lose heart and give up. And God doesn't want that. He wants to encourage us.
So even though we may be in a season of correction and we all go through that from time to time. God is always encouraging us in every step that we go. Because he wants us to be all that we can. But he sees not what we see.
He sees what he has created us to become. And we, you see many times when people say, I'm a work in progress, well, we really are. We really are. None of us have attained full knowledge yet until he comes back and takes us home.
But he's trying to get all these churches. You know, some of them are doing great. Some of them are not so great. And his desire is from all to get ready because this is ushering in pointing toward the rapture.
The church is today, we're soon leaving this place. And we're not going to dwell on this earth forever until we go in the rapture and you can believe in the rapture or not. But it's scriptural. And the thing about the rapture pastor Steve, guess who's going to see it?
Only the believers. Nobody else. The world is going to wonder where we're at. Only those that believe in Christ.
The Bible says, then that if died in Christ, we'll rise first. And be changed. We all will in a moment in Fink and the life. They're going to be raised up, united with body and soul changed.
We'll be caught up in social everything. All that's going to happen in a moment in Fink and the life. The world is going to look around and wonder where have these people gone. And only the believers will get to see when he splits that Easter sky.
You know, when you look at this too, he told them, he says, I know your works, the tribulation, the poverty. And he said, I know the blasphemy, they say they are the Jews and they're not. But look what he says, verse 10 says, fear none of those things which else shall suffer. I like that he says, don't worry, when you suffer these things, he's going to be there with you.
And think about that as Paul suffered so many things at the hands of people and all these, you know, what it says, the angel knows that spirit that troubled wherever he went, started up trouble for him. But he says, you know, his strength was made perfect in weakness. And that's what he's saying here. Fear none of those things which else will suffer.
And you're going to prison, that you may be tried. And you shall have tribulation ten days. He's a big, faithful unto death. And I will give the crown of life.
He says, just be careful. And I say, I like that. He says, don't fear, but he says, just be faithful to that. And think about that.
That's why Paul could sit there and go through all the things he went through. And you know, he says, I reckon the sufferings at this present time are not worthy to be compared. And I like that because Hallelujah, I mean, he suffered a lot of things, but a lot of wrong things too, because he preached the truth in love. And that's what this church was doing here.
But yet they were persecuted. But he says, listen, while they may think you're poor, he says how will you amen? We look at the third church here, the Church of Pergamos, and they're considered the compromising church. And when we look at what Christ is saying to them, he says, I know your works, where you dwell.
We're Satan's thony is. And you hold fast to my name and deny my faith, even in the days which Antipas was my faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you because there are those who hold the doctrine of Valom. So this church, even though they had faith, they compromised.
And I think we see a lot of that in some of the churches today. We've had enough of the world in to entice the people. Christ didn't call us to be ear ticklers. And I'm going to speak to pastors just a minute.
I don't have any maybe watching, but I'm going to tell you something. When you take the position as a pastor, then every time pastors say we step behind that pulpit, I believe that there's a huge responsibility. And every word, every deed, we are going to give an account for. And so we better take heed in the way that we conduct ourselves behind the sacred pulpit because we're to teach the children what thus saith the word of God.
Not my opinion, not watered down, not so that people won't get mad or they won't get their feelings hurt. Now we have to preach in love, even though you're preaching the truth, and the truth can be a hard thing to swallow, you preach it in love. But these people, the church of Pergaments, pastors, Steve, they were compromising and letting doctrine, it was not even biblical doctrine in just, I guess, for a crowd's sake. And even people who start out with the right intentions, if they're not careful, and God is not their source.
That's why when you look back at all this, it goes back to what he's talking about. He says, that first love, doing it for the right things, for the right reasons. It goes all the way back to that. That's what all this is about, doing it for Jesus.
But they were doing it because they wanted to please people too. But you know, you may be sitting there in a church and maybe that church is having financial troubles. And all of a sudden somebody comes in as money. And then what do they do?
They give a lot of money. Then all of a sudden, what does that pastor start doing? Well, that's giving, okay, well now what if that person doesn't like a certain type of music? Well, we get it out then.
Now who you're being led by? You're not being led now by the Spirit of God. You're being led by the love of money. And see, we've got to be led by the Spirit of God because always remember that person that comes in there, God loves them.
And yes, he does love them. But always remember, they will never be your source. The source has to be the Father. He has to be our source in all things.
You know, and we talk about embracing the vision. And I believe that God gives us a vision because without a vision, the people perish. But in essence, everything that we do or striving to do still has to point toward Christ. Absolutely.
He has to be the focal point. And God's not against a church, you know, being prosperous and blessed. But we do have to preach the Word. We can't compromise the Word because if I try to water down the Scriptures, then I'm not giving people the full dose of the medicine.
This is good medicine for our soul. So when testing times come, not only are they weak because they've not been taught the full strength of the meat of the Word, I've poured a lot of milk out. But it's time that we get on the meat of the Word because times are not going to get any easier. You know, people keep looking, you know, they make, well, if this person gets elected in the office or that person does this, or if that person does that or if this could change, perilous times are on the way.
Those that have their life hidden Christ. We're not concerned about that. We're concerned about winning the lost as many as we can before he comes back. So we can't afford to be in a compromising situation.
We must preach the Word of God as it is his true, unfalable Word. And I'm going to tell you something. Pastor Steve will say the same thing. There's been many times I've been up preaching a sermon and I've had to say, ouch myself.
Absolutely. And you know, when you look at that, talking about a test as a pastor or as a teacher, when you get up to stand, if you're ever sitting there and you're putting this message together, that God's giving this message, is anything you're talking about, well, I can't preach that because someone's up and I get offended. Well, that's where you're on the dangerous grounds. That can't be a reason for not preaching what God wants you to preach.
It says we've got to be instant in season out of season. We've got to preach in love. We've got to tell them the truth. It says when we preach the Word, he says be not afraid of their faces because we've got to preach it.
And you know, he says he'll accomplish a task. Wherein' to I've seen it. So don't let the love of man stop you from preaching what God wants you to preach. You know, our fourth church here is the church in Thadara.
I guess that's why you pronounced that. They're considered here according to this header as a corrupt church. Even though there were some things that they did well, he said, I know your works love, service, faith and your patience. And as for your works, the last are more than the first.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess to teach us to do my servants. This church had immoral areas within their body there. And you know, we see that happening. You see a lot of circumstances where somebody runs off of somebody else's husband or wife and things like that.
So you see that happening. Well, all seven of these churches you can mirror and you can see and you can look at churches down through time and in modern days, how that the enemy has come in and attacked the churches. Because if you're doing well, the enemy's going to come in and try to attack you and stop you. So like Pastor Steve said, sometimes with the best of intentions sidetracked with the wrong focus we fall.
That's right. It's something that you know, it says in there that the one thing we need to protect above all things, you know, is our testimony. Amen. And see, that's where you got to stand on the things of God.
And you know, I love people, but there'll be sometimes people who disagree with you. There'll be some people that like you. There'll be some people that don't like you. It doesn't matter what you think.
That's just the way it is. But you know, it says above all, it says we should be seeking the approval of God, not the approval of man. And we love him, but we've still got to seek what God wants us to do. That's say of the Lord.
When you talk about that revelation, just a minute ago, that revelation is a revelation that comes from man. The revelation is a revealed revelation that comes from God. We're seeing the vision he wants us to have and see as a pastor that's hard sometimes to share the vision. Because you see it perfectly when he's giving it to you.
Then you've got to go, okay, I've got to get the people that can do those things to build those things, to put these things in place and share that vision. But you know, we can do all things to the Spirit of God. Amen. I know we're getting short of time.
We'll try to get through. And if we don't get through today, we'll come back another time. But the next church is the church of Sardis and they're considered a dead church. Have you ever, have you ever, I used to travel around the country and sing.
And I've been in spiritual churches and I've been in some of those dead, dry churches. And you know, if there's no life where you're at, God is life. First off, pray for your pastor. Try to fix the church.
I don't believe in just bouncing around from church to church. I believe that God gives us roots. But sometimes pastors see we find ourselves in a situation that we just have to get away from. Or we're going to drive ourselves.
But you know, I believe in first trying to be a fixer and try to, you know, through prayer and through encouragement things. Try to be a lie in your church. But you know, when you've done all you can do and you've seen no change or no hope of change, then maybe sometimes you might have to look around and ask God to lead you to another thing. And I believe the Spirit of God will lead you to do those things.
So many times people get their feelings hurt and they jump. And before they get a release from the Spirit of God. And brothers and sisters, we can't do that. We still have to be obedient.
You might preach something, hurts my feelings. Okay, you know what that's called convictions. Okay. Just because I mean, you know, it hurts me.
It doesn't mean I can get up and leave mad and go someplace else because, you know, hurting people hurt people. And I have to wait for the Spirit of God to tell me when to move and where to move. It says, in him we live, we move and we have our being. That means we don't do anything without the Spirit of God telling us.
But so many people have left before they were given the release to leave. And like the pastor says, you may be the very one that God's wanting to turn the church around with. To bring that light in the darkness that might change the whole situation. Amen.
Our next church here is the church in Philadelphia. And they could be considered another faithful church here. As a matter of fact, that's what the heading says here. And I like here God says, I'm coming quickly whole fast what you have that no man may take your crown.
He who ever comes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. I will write on him my new name. Now that church was, they were truly a faithful church.
And that's what we strive to be is to be pleasing unto God. We'll try to get one more. We got the seventh one here at the church of the Laodiceans. They were lukewarm.
Pastor Steve. We talked about lukewarm. It says that, he'd actually said there was some water that ran into the church. One cup or a hot spring, one cup from a cold spring.
He said they'd meet in the middle of his lukewarm when people drink it and make him sick. Well, that's what God's saying here. He said, I wish you'd eat a hotter cold. He said, because you're just lukewarm.
It's like they had a, who cares attitude about serving God. He says, that makes him sick to his stomach. You know, at any time when the church is led by fleshly desires of power, hungry leaders, that church is in trouble. We need to be led by the Spirit of God.
Pastor Steve Fakus, the Lord and prayer. Father, we thank you Lord that Lord, we can be faithful by the Spirit of God. And dear Father, we Father, Lord, help us Lord to do that by wisdom and understanding and be word and doing things out of love. And dear Father, first of all above all, the love of God.
And dear Father, let that spread into the life for the love of man. And dear Father, we praise you and thank you. Thank you for every door of opportunity that you do open. And dear Father, help us to speak the word in love and in truth.
And dear Father, standing upon the word of God above all else, loving Jesus above everything else. And Father, we praise you and thank you and we know you hear us while we're asking Jesus name. Amen. So glad you joined us.
You know what we find places where we're coming up short. Just ask God's forgiveness. He's faithful and just keep going. We'll have our church information on the bottom of the screen.
Pastor Steve, it's been good. We hope to see people soon, but until next week, take us home. Well, come see us. 932 Dolly Parton Parkway.
But remember above all things else, God loves you. Amen. Hello everybody. This is Pastor Tim Parton of Abundant Life Worship Center.
For those of you that live in the Subrival area, or maybe you just visit from time to time, we'd like to take a moment and invite you to come visit us at the church. We're located at 923 Dolly Parton Parkway right here in Subrival. Our service times are Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Wednesday evening at 630.
We just love sharing the Word of God. We're just a family church, so we invite you to come grow with us. God bless. We're just a little faith.
We are never alone. So this battle I won't fear, cause I can hear the sound.