TP 31 WEEKLY

On this Saturday's additional truth matters. Dr. Cheryl Davis concludes the seven churches of Asia series and takes us deeper into studying the remaining chapters of the book of Revelation from the letters. Jesus writes the seven churches Dr. Davis and truth train will take us in coming weeks through four additional key themes that lead up to the return of Jesus.

These four major themes are essential in gaining spiritual insight of the message of this extraordinary book. The book of Revelation is. Dr. Davis concludes with the first part of the book, the seven churches of Asia she continues the prophecy series with the four remaining themes of the book God and the church in heaven. The seven seals, trumpets and plaques. The punishment of Babylon and the destruction of the nation and finally the new creation now for today's lesson.

Here's Dr. Cheryl Davis with the last church in the series.

The church of Laodicea Dr. Cheryl Davis and I want to thank you for listening to truth matters. Every last couple weeks we covered the book of Revelation, and particularly in our last session, we covered the church of Laodicea. The last church in the series that the seven churches of Asia minor. I have to admit we have taken a deep dive into each church. We have examined the forest by looking at each tree.

Today I want to take a broad look at the forest.

I'd like to get into church history and try to empathize.

The first three churches of Revelation as a whole, but I call this session is the interlude the history of the church age. A summary of revelations chapters 1 through three. Let me begin by saying out Revelation self outline book in Revelation chapter 1 verse 19 says, write the things that you have seen and the things which are in the things which will take place after this. We have studied Revelation from the first two perspectives mainly the things which you have seen, and which are, and that is the first three chapters, John saw Jesus in chapter 1 and the things which are was the letters that were inspired by Jesus to be written by John to the seven churches of Asia minor.

As we know after the third letter the fourth letter comes to the church at Thyatira, and this is known as the fourth stage of church history, which is labeled that woman Jezebel. If you remember the letter to Thyatira.

It is covered in Revelation chapter 2 verse 20.

Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. This time frame is 8500 to 1500, which is the thousand years and we know Jezebel is the woman he married King Ahab and brought in taken adulterous practices and Israel. She became the power behind the throne and relentlessly persecuted the people and prophets of God. This is known as the period of time known as the dark ages where the church was headquartered in Rome, but Rome fell in 476, a new movement called monotheism started, which is mainly monks and hermits. A famous monk, Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation was alive at the end of this error.

Let's move on to the fifth letter of Sardis.

As you know Sardis had a name but was dead. This is known as the stage V of church history and name but did and this is covered in Revelation chapter 3 verse one and to the angel of the church in Sardis write these things says he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead this time frame is covered in A.D. 1500 to 8700, which is the span of about 200 years. The condition of the church at the time was under the Papo authority of Rome that when that became unbearable.

Martin Luther initiated a Reformation in 1517.

This came known as the Protestant Reformation, which is from the root word protest. Martin Luther was well known for his 95 thesis document listing various oppressive and un-biblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the father of the Protestant Reformation. Also at this critical time in history the printing press was invented in 1440. Martin Luther had two main beliefs. The Bible not the church was ultimately an authority in salvation is by God's grace alone, not works.

He became the father of the Protestant Reformation, which is known as the protesting church the Protestant church had a difficult time breaking free from the ritualism it inherited from Rome. The church had a name that little life. However, the printing press is critical, as now the Bible is able to be reproduced and not hailed in the hands of the priests who are the only ones that have access the material and also are the only ones that can read this language Bible than later becomes translated and distributed in ways that it hasn't been before which moves us onto the six stage of church history.

The church at Philadelphia. The six letter in Revelation is to the church in Philadelphia which is the six stages known as an open door, and as I said before, this is a key juncture in church history is covered in Revelation chapter 3 verse eight I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it for you have little strength. You have kept my word and have not denied my name. This is the timeframe of 8780 1900 is a 200 year period of time represented by the church of Philadelphia. This is an explosive period of revival and missionary expansion.

It originated primarily in England and the US. Preachers like Whitfield Charles Spurgeon Moody and Fanny arose during this time missionaries answered the call Taylor to China Judson to Burma patent to the Heber days God opened the door and the church went through it. Also, with the expansion of the word, it can be reproduced with revival. The work can be distributed and moving on from the church of Philadelphia. This gets us to the seventh and final stage of church history, the church of Laodicea and as we know they key word to describe the church at Laodicea is lukewarm. This is covered in Revelation chapter 3 verse 16 so then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth timeframe for this. In church history is 80 1900 to the present, which currently is 121 years. This is the age in which we live today as we know, the main church on the scene. The main spiritual condition of the modern day church today is lukewarm.

It is sickly is wretched is blind is naked torn by Colts is been kept off balance by offbeat theologies too weak to work a remedy in relating the world's ills. The church that lives in the world and is of the world is consumed with itself and its comfort. I'd like to talk about another aspect of looking at this if you look at seven stages. Each stage has its own letter, but really and looking at the seven ages.

You can divide the seven ages into two groups and chapters 4 through 19.

We will encounter seven seals, seven vials and seven bowls in each Group of Seven. They were divided into subgroups and in group 1, there are four churches are four stages in group 2. There are three let's get it group 1 subgroup one I'm describing as a successive.

The first four periods of church history, followed one another, meaning as the first. Rise and falls in the second period starts, rises and falls the third. Rises and falls in the fourth. Rises and falls they come in succession, one on the end of the other emphasis which is the post-apostolic was followed by Smyrna, which was the period of persecution which was followed by Pergamum's which is the time of Rome, which was followed by Thyatira, which is the time of the dark ages that I'd like to really spend more time on group 2, as I believe these churches exist contemporaneously, meaning that they exist around the same time. It's just the height of these churches may differ in their time frames. What I mean is that currently in modern day.

I believe there are elements of Sardis. They are elements of Philadelphia. There are elements of Laodicea. Laodicea is the most prominent church at this time but I believe they all coexist together. As you remember. Sardis was the church that was dead but had a name. Philadelphia was alive with an open door, and Laodicea is sickly.

What I mean by contemporaneous is that when the door to ministry was opened in the Philadelphia.

The previous Sardis. The dead church did not in. We still have the Roman church today and churches bogged down in deadness and apathy when the expansion of the church began the Reformation. Did not end it continues today. The effects of the previous periods are still around but the Laodicean characteristics are dominant. I believe we had three forms of church on the scene today. The Sardis form the Philadelphia form in the Laodicean form.

Our challenge is to recognize that the Lord could come today. So what is keeping us from laying our sins down. We are on the threshold of the end of the age. Luke 18, eight says nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith on the earth and according to the three contemporaneous forms of churches that are on the same today as we said before, when we study the church of Philadelphia Philadelphia is the remnant in which the Lord is coming back for in the rapture.

The letters to the seven churches are God's x-rays given to us so that we might examine our own lives and our own ministries, knowing that your church or even your Christian life could fall into these three categories dead name only alive and thriving or sickly sinner righteous or ungodly. Which one do you fall into have even taken the time to survey your own life and even your own church speaking to pastors what is the spiritual condition of your church is it more like Philadelphia is it more like Laodicea or Sardis. First Peter four and 17 says for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first. Where will the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God. I hope that you glean some information and really realize and have open their eyes to the spiritual condition of the modern day church by examining its history. History is important because we need to be knowledgeable of history and the mistakes that are made in the past so that we don't repeat them. I hope that this study has given you a viewpoint into the spiritual landscape of today.

Like I said before, and now we will begin to study those things that will be in Revelation chapter 4 through 19 describes the coming judgment to the world and we will begin with chapter 4, next time I pray that you are well. Thank you for listening to truth matters. Dr. Cheryl Davis, thank you for joining us today for our lesson. We pray that it is not only been informational but also insightful as we study conditions existing in the world prior to the return of Jesus church in Laodicea was greatly popular culture of its day. Having 1 foot in the world and 1 foot in the we hope you listen to truth matters. As Dr. Davis takes us deeper in our study of the world's most profound and extraordinary book of Revelation. Truth matters with Dr. Cheryl is a division of the truth project conservative Christian ministry committed to the teaching of sound biblical doctrine in Christian theology. Learn more about the truth project. Truth matters with Dr. Cheryl by visiting our website project. Truth matters.com or contact us by email. Cheryl project truth matters.com for connect with us on Facebook. You can also write Dr. Davis and Christine PO Box 159 St. Paul's, NC 28384. We would appreciate hearing from you. This is truth matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis