The Church Today
Intro
Chuck invested thousands of dollars in a fellow church member’s business called JTL Financial Group or “Just the Lord” Financial Group. But the investment didn’t pay off as almost 60 million dollars was scammed from unsuspecting investors—largely from fellow church members. What is going on in the churches of today? I’ll be back in a moment with the prophetic perspective on The State of the Church Today.
Message
Hello, this is Cody Francis with Prophetic Perspectives. This investment scheme was geared at the members of a church in Corona, California, but unfortunately it is not an isolated instance. Pastors have become involved and not only recommend these investment schemes, but one pastor was sentenced to 27 years in the penitentiary for swindling $448 million from his followers. The victims are not just the wealthy, but anyone who has equity in home or retirement funds. Religious fraud has increased drastically to over 2 billions stolen in religion-related scams. What is going on among the churches of today? Abuse scandals are rocking churches and entire dioceses are declaring bankruptcy. Can anything be trusted anymore? Did the Bible predict that this low level of piety would exist in the churches of today? To answer these questions we will turn to the delineation of church history as given by Jesus and focus in particular upon the last church. But before we study “The Church of Today” from Revelation, let us ask the Lord to guide as we open His Word.
Outline
A. Thyatira – Apostasy
1. Jezebel – Rev. 2:20
a. Wicked idolater at helm
b. Church controlled state
2. Dark Ages fits exactly
3. Faithful in depths of apostasy – Rev. 2:24, 25
B. Sardis – Dead
1. Name living, but dead – Rev. 3:1
a. Great Protestant Reformation
b. No corresponding revival
2. Remember & repent – Rev. 3:4
C. Philadelphia – Revived
1. Kept Word – Rev. 3:8
2. Keep holding on – Rev. 3:11
3. Great Revivals of 18th & 19th centuries
a. John Wesley/George Whitefield
b. Joseph Wolff
c. William Miller
d. British & Foreign Bible Society
e. American & International Bible societies
D. Laodicea – Lukewarm
1. Laodicean problems
a. Lukewarm – 3:15, 16
1) Warm springs
2) Aqua duct – thick incrustation
b. Think rich – 3:17
1) Sent 9 kg. gold annually to Temple
2) City destroyed w/o help rebuilt
c. Miserably poor – 3:17
1) Terrible condition of the church – 2 Tim. 3:1, 4, 5
2) Abuse scandals rocking churches; pastors laundering
3) Low piety among majority of Christians
2. Laodicean solution
a. Repent – 3:19
b. Buy gold – 3:19
1) Faith – 1 Peter 1:7
2) Faith working by love – Gal. 5:6
c. Buy white raiment – 3:19
1) Righteousness of saints – Rev. 19:8
2) W/o naked when judged – Matt. 22:12
d. Buy eyesalve – 3:19
1) Isaiah 29:10-12 – Lord closed eyes, because will not read
2) Mark 8:23-25 – see men as trees walking
3) Acts 9:18 – scales fell from Paul’s eyes
4) See our own condition
5) See our need of deep study of God’s Word
e. Must Buy
1) Buying requires giving up everything – Matt. 13:44
2) Feet out of world & fully into Lord’s camp
3. Jesus is knocking – Rev. 3:20
a. Will we heed Jesus’ voice?
b. Lord has brought us out of Dark Ages, out of Dead Ages, Revival has come & gone; now great light, but Lukewarm
c. Path of just – Pr. 4:18
d. Will we follow, will we buy or be vomited out?