PHILADELPHIA   - THE FAITHFUL CHURCHText: Revelation 3:7-13Ephesus - lost first love Smyrna - persecuted church Pergamus - compromising church Thyatira - corrupt church Sardis - dead church Philadelphia - the faithful church In Philadelphia there was also a “synagogue of Satan,” full of people who claimed to be Jews, but who lied (pseudontai in Greek): because they rejected Jesus their Messiah.Phi...

THYATIRA - THE CORRUPT CHURCHText: Revelation 2:18, Acts 16:14Ephesus - lost first love Smyrna - persecuted church Pergamum - compromising church Thyatira - corrupt church Jezebel in the church Christ Himself warned His followers: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name…and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).BackgroundJezebel was the daughter of a king-priest of Sidon n...

Text: Revelation 2:12-17God is doing something fresh and new: Forrest Franks new song, “Your Way Is Better” and American Idol last Sunday night. Pergamum, located about two miles inland from the Aegean Sea. One of the early city leaders received a large sum of money to build many of the templesIt had a 200,000-volume library. This is interesting because there was no print press so wealthy people w...

Text: Revelation 2Smyrna - Smyrna, was about 35 miles (56 km) north of Ephesus. Founded as a Greek colony more than 1,000 years before Christ, it compared to Ephesus in wealth, beauty and commerce. It was filled with the pagan temples of Apollo, Asclepia, Aphrodite, Cybele, Emperor Tiberius, and Zeus. Although it was a free city, it gave full allegiance to the Roman Empire which ordered Polycarp, ...

Text: Revelation 2the location of the church, the One addressing the church, what Jesus knows about the church, a word of encouragement to all but two churches, a rebuke to all but two churches,a challenge to repent to all but two churches, and a promise to the faithful.Ephesus was located in what is now known as the western part of the nation of Turkey.  It was located along the western coast of ...

Text: Daniel 2 and 9, Revelation 20:4-8There is a lot about eschatology that we can’t know and will never understand. When you die you go to heaven or hell. When Christ returns, we get our glorified bodies back and heaven will last forever. In the meantime, the church will continue to exist on earth. We are living in what is know as the Church Age. This term came really in the last 110 years mainl...

Text: Matthew 24:3-25:46, Revelation 20:4-8The study of end times is ESCHATOLOGY. Terms To Know:There are three main positions regarding the Second Coming:Premillennialism(1) The present age continues to be a mixture of good and evil, believers and unbelievers. (2) Christ returns (the Second Coming). Christians living and dead receive resurrection bodies. There is a judgment on the unbelievers who...

Text: Matthew 18:5-6, Psalm 78:5-8, Proverbs 22:6, Daniel 1:3-4 Matthew 18:5-6William Butler Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. Education is not about the acquiring of information, facts, or even knowledge. Education is about igniting the soul with a passion to accomplish something yet undone.”In November 1951, the Board of Regents of New York proposed...

Text: Titus 3:14Background - Paul realized that operating in the business mountain while seeking to establish the kingdom of God in a region went hand in hand. This is why he spoke of this endeavor producing fruitfulness for the kingdom purpose. He also said it would meet the urgent needs of the ministry and of their own lives. Paul saw the involvement of his team in the business mountain as a str...

Text: Isaiah 59:14-15speaks of truth failing and justice being ignored. It also says that it greatly displeased the Lord.This is speaking of a society that has forsaken the Lord and His ways and there is no justice and no righteousness. This is so catastrophic that whoever repents and turns from evil becomes the enemy of that society and system. This can only occur when the mindset of a people has...

Background: Is America an Christian nation?We were founded on biblical principles.Some will argue that the Declaration of Independence only mentions God 4 times and the Constitution doesn’t mention God at all. Before we had America as we know it we were colonies. 9 of the 13 original colonies or states required you to be a Bible-believing Christian in order to serve in government. 13 of the 13 req...

Text: Malachi 4:5-6Stats: In a 2021 Gallup survey, 47% of all Americans belonged to some form of a religious congregation (church, synagogue, or mosque). These numbers are down from 70% in 1999. Prior to the 21st Century, the statistics in this area hardly moved. The first year that these statistics were recorded by Gallup was 1937, and in that year, the percentage was 73%. Now, in 21 years this s...

Text: Matthew 6:10Background: where this sermon series was birthed.I heard the Lord say that it was time for the church to arise and be the church.  We have worried about having church and not being church.I believe we, the church, have been commissioned to impact the world (SOCIETY AND CULTURE) around us.Let’s look at the difference between society and culture.The word society is defined as “the ...

Text: Exodus 26:31-33Review- Salvation - Altar - What He did for us! - FIRE AT THE ALTAR- Sanctification - Laver - What He did for us!- Illumination - Candlestick - what He put inside of us! - OIL PROVIDED THE FIRE- Communion With Him - Eat At The Table - His invitation!- We are now at the Table of Incense - Let Praise Arise - What we bring Him!!WE NOW COME TO THE HOLY OF HOLIES - WHERE DID THE FI...

Text: Exodus 37:10-16Review- Salvation - Altar - Sanctification - Laver- Illumination - Candlestick - Communion With Him - Eat At The Table We come to the Table of Showbread Scripture: Exodus 37:10-16To reject the meal is to reject the host. Only kids want a happy meal everyday.  We want a happy meal church and will look for a prize. We don’t want to share either.  Make sure I get a prize and that...

Text: Exodus 25:31-40, 40:24-25The weight of the candlestick was 90 talents (94 lbs). At today’s prices, it would cost approximately $30,000. All we know of the candlestick is its weight and general appearance. We know nothing of its dimensions. No limitations can be put on our Lord, who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He, not only, is unlimited and unrestricted, but His value is fatho...

Text: Exodus 30:17-20, John 13:8-10The salvation is where your journey as a Christ follower begins, not ends.The church has told the lie that, “Nothing else matters because the goal is to get to Heaven.” That’s why the altar is the first stop, not the last. You can’t go any further in until your sin debt is handled. God wants to get you to Heaven, but just as much, God wants to get Heaven to you. ...

Text: Leviticus 1We are really good at bringing Him our leftovers. He deserves the best. He desires the best. He denies the rest. If we are going to go any deeper in the Lord it will requires death.  Old Testament systemJesus became our substituteNow, we must dieLeviticus 1:3-4 The sacrifice had to meet His standard if it was going to cover the sin debt.  The sacrifice couldn’t take the sin away b...

Text: Exodus 27:1-8That I may dwell with my people. The Lord said I want a place where people know they can show up and the glory would meet them there.   Altars are important. Old church understood the altar - Sunday morning and Sunday night We have great crowds but not encounters. We have lost the altar in most churches . It’s not a picture of what is required of you - a sacrificebut what should...

Text: Exodus 25:1-9God instituted the Tabernacle as a place to meet His people.  Sin in the garden separated man from God. We were never intended to be separated from God, but to walk in close covenant with Him.When we come to the Tabernacle to worship, it should not just be an enter in ritual, but a “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary. Pure and Holy. Tried and True.”There were two courts: the out...