Are You Ready || Pastor Adam Mesa

I could feel you guys right now. Are you interested in me opening this

letter right now? Okay? Okay, I can feel people going what just

happened with the letter? Okay? So I mean, as I can see,

this is a letter. It is addressed to me, not to y'all.

But because you guys are nosy, because you I know how nosy you

guys are, I will I will open. It's my business, okay.

But my wife does this all the time. She's like, Hey, a

check came in the mail for you. I tried. I tried, you

know, uploading it in my in my bank account, but it didn't.

At work, I'm always like Ashley, you know, what do you do?

But okay, because it's for me, I'll let you guys in.

Hey, what's going on? Family? Across all of our campuses, whether

you're at Rancho Pomona or you're joining us online, welcome to service today.

As you can imagine, we probably have had an incredible time of worship already,

credible time where God has moved and now we're gonna continue through the reading

of God's word. But before we do that, first, I want to

celebrate God's faithfulness and I want to give God glory for what he did last

Sunday. Last Sunday we had our mass baptisms. Look, people are already

cheering in here. We baptized over one thousand people last Sunday across our campuses.

Pomona had their record one day baptisms. Rancho had our record one day

baptisms. Our last record was in twenty nineteen. We baptized five hundred and

sixty ish individuals, where we pretty much doubled that last Sunday. And so

we're so thankful for God and his goodness. And lastly, let me say

this, So I really want you to lean in and lock in when I

say this is because what I'm gonna say, I'm not saying it out of

a spiritual a spirit of competition, or in any way out of arrogance or

bribing on our part or bragging on our part. But I was told by

Baptized California, of the three hundred churches that participated, our church had the

most single baptisms of any other church. And here's why I say that,

Not because we're saying, oh look we beat people, it's a competition.

I say that to say thank you so much. Across our campuses thank you

for inviting your friends, thank you for inviting your family. Thank you to

yourselves for connecting with what God is doing in your life. So many of

my pastor friends have called me and they said, how do you get so

many people in your church activated to do baptism like that? And really,

not only have we been doing the baptisms we do for seven years, so

we have really been relying on God for years now at this point in our

baptisms. But also there's nothing I can explain other than God is doing something

in our church. He's doing something incredible. We've been praying for people to

connect deeper in their faith. We've been praying for lost people to come into

the church and find a relationship with Jesus. We are seeing that. We're

seeing that in Rancho, We're seeing that in Pomona, and we know the

Lord is going to allow us to see it in the city of Corona as

well. And so I'm just thankful not only for what God is doing,

but I'm thankful for our church that you are inspiring other pastors, other churches,

other people to say, man, I need to start taking these next

steps of faith serious in my walk with Christ. So bravo. Thank you

so much. And as we'll see today we're going to be in the Book

of Revelation. You'll see that there are individuals in the Church of the Seven

Churches in Asia who took their faith serious and so I thank God that you

are doing that in the life of our church. Well, like I said,

we're in a series called you asked for over the next two weeks,

we are going to be in the Book of Revelation talking about the end Times.

During the Easter season, we asked everyone in our church who wanted to

share with us what you were interested in us talking about, and a majority,

next to anxiety and depression was in Times and the Book of Revelation.

So you may be new to church and you may have no idea what it

is we're going to talk about, but you may have heard in a church

setting before that we look for Jesus to return, and so everything we're going

to talk about is that idea that we anticipate the day that Jesus returns for

his church. And the Book of Revelation is written to us in a way

that we can understand not only that in Times, but understands God's desire for

us really to get right with Jesus, and that's what the Book of Revelation

inspires us to. So I'm gonna try my best over the next two Sundays

to survey twenty two chapters for you. Okay, so this Sunday is only

chapters one to three, because chapters four to twenty two they go together versus

chapters one to three. So if you have your Bible, you can turn

to the Book of Revelation, not the Book of Revelations, because it's not

multiple prophecies. It's one prophecy, and so it's not multiple books. It's

one book. We normally think it's called the Book of Revelations because it deals

with a long span of time, so we're thinking there's a lot of stuff

happening. So it's the Book of Revelations multiple No, it's one. It's

one revelation given to the apostle John. And so we're gonna look at Revelations.

What we're gonna to read today at first his verses one to eight.

And don't worry if at any point you feel like I'm not catching on,

I'm gonna try to break this down in such a simple way for us over

the next two Sundays that hopefully it'll get you excited and salivate for you to

want us to one day dig deeper into this. So here we are if

you join me in Revelations chapter one, and would you do me a favor

if you are there, would you stand for the honor of reading God's word

today as we give the Lord our full focus. Here's we refined ourselves at

the beginning of the book of Revelation. Here's what it says, the revelation

of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things

that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angels to

his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God into the testimony

of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one

who reads aloud the words of this prophet, And blessed are those who hear

and who keep what it is in written. For the time is near.

John, to the seven churches that are in asia, Grace to you and

peace from Him who is and who was, and who is to come,

and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. If you don't get

anything yet, don't worry. We're gonna share about it. And from Jesus

Christ, the faithful Witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler

of kings on earth, to him who loves us and has freed us from

our sins by his blood and made to us a kingdom priest to his God

and Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

A couple more verses. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and

every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the

tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, Amen,

here's Jesus's words. I am the Alpha and the omega. That's the

A to z. That's their alphabet. So alpha and omega, that's everything

in between. That's how we would have a to z. He's the Alpha

and the Omega, says the Lord, who is, and who was,

and is to come the Mighty. Amen. You may be seated at this

time, so let's begin to dial in and talk about what it is that

we've seen in the Book of Revelations. We can see that as John is

writing, Hello, Yeah, I'm pastor Adam. You have a message for

me. Thank you, mail man. I appreciate that this is for me.

Wow, I appreciate it so much. What I did. I thought

they weren't supposed to deliver the mail on Sundays, but I guess, uh,

I guess inflation and everything like that. We're still working well anyways.

Okay, what we see in the Book of Revelations is that the apostle John

has written this book and he's been exiled to an island called Patmos off the

coast of Turkey. I can feel you guys right now. Are you interested

in me opening this letter right now? Okay? Okay, I can feel

people going, what just happened with the letter? Okay? So I mean,

as I could see, this is a letter. It is addressed to

me, not to y'all. But because you guys are nosy, because you

I know how nosy you guys are, I will. I will open.

It's my business, okay, but I will. My wife does this all

the time. She's like, Hey, a check came in the mail for

you. I tried. I tried, you know, uploading it in my

in my bank account, but it didn't work. I'm always like, Ashley,

you know, what do you do? But okay, because it's for

me, I'll let you guys in okay. Oh man, hey, dear

Pastor Adam and Patriar, we heard that you guys have been faithful to come

in church, working really hard. It says that this weekend there's a special

treat for all those that are joining us in person, and it says after

each service in the courtyard, there's gonna be free popsicles for everybody. So

maa, okay, Rancho Pomona, free popsicles after service today. Okay,

all right. You may be wondering, what does that have anything to do

with this message. Well, the reality is, when we look at the

Book of Revelation, here's one thing that's really really important for you to remember.

This letter in this book was not written to you. It was written

to seven real churches in John's day. But just because it's not written to

you doesn't mean it can't be for you. That's the difference. And so

in the same way that this letter was addressed to me, the contents of

the letter benefit everyone who hears it because you can apply those words in your

life. A lot of times people reference the Book of Revelation as if it's

their little horror scope that they get to see today's message and news. Now

there is a reality that there are real things we're gonna talk about next week

of signs of the end times. But in comparison to what God is trying

to say, God is not wanting you to become a prophecy hunter. What

God wants you to do is hear the letter to the seven Churches. Here

the words of what the end times will come, what the end times will

look like. And then what God wants you to do is ask the question,

am I right with Jesus today if he were to come back right now?

That's the question that we have to ask. That's what the Lord wants

us to ask. So in the same way that you and I after services

in person, we are gonna benefit with some popsicles. But that's my letter

that was written to me. You get a benefit from it, though,

and so in the same reality this weekend and when we read the Book of

Revelations, you get to benefit from the words that John wrote to seven churches

in Asia. And so we're gonna dig into that today as we begin discover

what's going on. But as we begin to apply it. Here's what I

could not encourage you anymore about what this book is meant to do for you.

What this book is meant to do for you, It is not meant

for you to become a person that becomes you get all these books, you

get all these journals, you get all these news articles. Because I know

individuals that do that. They get the La Times every single day, and

then they just start chasing little nuances and messages about the end times. And

then you go to their house and they have little things cut and you know

where. And I'm not here to make fun of anyone because there is an

appropriate setting. We're gonna talk about that next week. But all of a

sudden, all we're talking about, Hey, did you hear there's a blood

moon coming? Hey did you hear that there's a hefer in Israel? Now

those are important things, but I'll tell you right now, if Jesus came

back today and saw that you were consumed with chasing moons and chasing heifers,

he would say, you don't get the point of why I gave that letter

to John. Because here's the difference. There's a difference between two type of

soldiers. And I want you to see if you can point it out,

how many of you guys can tell that on the left, which one do

you think if you had to guess which one was the active duty soldier that's

out there getting dirty and getting in the game. Is it the one on

the left or is it the one on the right. The one on the

right, he's it's go time. You can tell that he is going through

some things. He's been through some things. You can tell that he is

prepared for anything and everything. The person on the left, that's a person

that comes around every Halloween, that's playing dress up. But he looks good.

Oh man, the pants fit right, the boots are so clean,

and the oh the rifle it's just painted so perfectly, and the little bullets

laid pervy. He looked like Rambo, like he's ready to go. Though

he looks impressive, doesn't mean that he's ready for war. So the Book

of Revelation is not meant for you to sound impressive because you know when Jesus

is coming back, or you think you know when Jesus is coming back.

The point of the Book of Revelation is for you to get in the game.

You get dirty, you give glory to Jesus through the way that you

follow Jesus. And when the world looks at you, whether it be through

celebration, persecution, famine, trial, whatever it is you may face.

When you show that you have faithfully fought the good fight of faith, your

life will give glory to Jesus. So God is trying to inspire you by

the gift of this revelation to get you to point to say I'm gonna leave

the basement of hiding by faith, hiding by Christianity, and I'm gonna get

out into the real world, and I'm gonna show this world that Jesus is

returning soon. Now, the reality is he could be returning in person,

but we know every day it is appointed that people die every day. So

you will either be standing before Jesus in the heaven clouds when he returns,

or you will stand before Jesus in the throne room of God. So you

have to be ready. Either way. You can go on a freeway and

never get off. Are you ready? You could check into a hospital and

never check out. Are you ready? You could go somewhere and never return.

Are you ready? Or Jesus could return to redeem his church, And

the question is are you ready for that? Jesus wants to prepare these seven

churches represent all of us at some point of our life, that what we

face, He wants us to get ready for His return. And so as

we're gonna continue to look at these things over the next couple days, I

want you to see through the Word of God, it's our prayer that firstly,

we're not just trying to understand the Book of Revelation, but we're trying

to obey the Book of Revelation. It's our focus not to decipher the message

that's in Revelation, but to do what's in the Book of Revelation. The

two very different things, and it's important for us to know that through your

Bible. If you physically have one, and I encourage you if you don't

physically have a Bible, get one. Go on Amazon. People always have

about translations. You can get an n IV, you get a New King

James, you can get an ESV. Whatever it is. If you want

to understand it and you're new to your faith, jump to it in IV.

I personally read out of ESV. It's a little harder to understand though,

but that doesn't matter. Just get a Bible and start to read it

for yourself. But you'll notice if you have a Bible. It starts with

the Book of Generation Genesis, which is the creation of the world, and

it ends with the Book of Revelation. There's a reason why that is because

they compare with one another. If you know the Book of Genesis, it's

God's desire that he created Adam and Eve. He wanted to create a land

and a people unto himself. And because of Adam and Eve's fall where they

ate from the garden, they fell and sin into the world, and then

we begin to see the effects of sin, even to the point that their

first two sons, one killed the other son. That is the effects of

sin. And then we start to see the degrading of humanity at that point

the moment that Satan and entered humanity. So for comparative analysis, I just

want you to see this when it comes to Genesis and Revelation, and if

you want to take these notes you can or you can revisit this at our

YouTube channel at any time, because what you're gonna see through the Book of

Revelation, it is comparing itself to what God's initial intent and desire was for

the people in the Book of Genesis. But the only reason why we can

now attain. God's perfect plan for humanity is because Jesus sits on the throne.

That is the only reason why. It's because of the blood of the

Lamb. And we're going to see this. The whole point of the Book

of Revelation is Jesus one. He wins. That's the point. The point

isn't I win. The point is Jesus won. And by Jesus winning,

I see that I am a winner because I've been adopted into his family.

And so here's what you see. The book of Genesis. You see the

creations of the heavens and the earth. Revelation you see the de creation,

and you see a new heaven and a new Earth, which we'll talk about

next week. You see in Genesis one, God speaks and all of creation

listens. Revelation nineteen, Jesus speaks and his enemies are slain. So now

the authority is given to Jesus. The next one we see in Genesis chapter

two and three, you see that God creates paradise for Adam and Eve.

In Revelation twenty two, you see that God gives paradise back to his people,

something that you and I wait for. Genesis chapter two, we see

the tree of life and a river flowing of water. In Revelation twenty two,

you see that God gives us back the Tree of life and this river,

but in full perfection. Now Genesis three, we see that the serpent

is cursed, being the enemy that has dissuaded and persuaded Adam and Eve.

In Revelation twenty the dragon is now cast into the lake of fire. So

God is now finishing what's say and try to start at the beginning of creation.

In Genesis three, it sees nothing but sorrow and death. You begin

to see the decay because sin has into the world many things we still see

to this day. Revelation twenty one, now we see that God has redeemed

his people. There's no more tears. It's no more sorrow, no more

war, no more death, no more famine. God has redeemed his people.

Genesis two and three, you see the prohibition from eating of the Tree

of life. Revelation twenty two you see nations eat from the tree of life.

God now can allow people to come because Jesus has fully redeemed his people,

and so now you can be consumed with God's knowledge that won't overcome you

because you have been bought with a price through the lamb of Jesus. And

we're gonna share these things. Part of this, this part's gonna be broken

down a lot of it next week. Genesis three, you see banishment from

God's presence. Adam and Eve cannot live in the Garden of Eden anymore because

of the sin. Revelations twenty two inclusion into God's presence. It says that

God will one day bring his throne on to earth, and Jesus will dwell

with his people as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So

God wants to bring his presence back here to earth. Have you ever heard

someone say, and even sometimes I say it, but then they're nothing wrong

with it. You ever heard someone say, oh, he's home now he's

in heaven. No, they're not home in heaven. You're still an outsider

in heaven. Heaven was for God's glory, in God's angels. Earth is

for humanity. And so we wait for the day that God sends us back

to Earth when he recreates creation. Earth is your home, that is the

point, but not a fallen Earth is your home in future. That's what

God wants to recreate Genesis the account of the world's beginning, Revelation the account

of the world's end. So you'll see, if you understand the Book of

Genesis, God is giving us the Book of Revelation to encap what we already

knew in the Book of Genesis. The only thing is many of these things

are still yet to come. So in the Book of Genesis we're looking behind

time hindsight being twenty twenty so things are very clear to us. We can

say, oh, yeah, that makes sense, that makes sense, that

makes sense. Majority of the Book of Revelation is still yet to come for

us, and so there is a lot of still, well, what does

that mean? What does that look like? That's why there are so many

interpretations of the Book of Revelation. Doesn't mean that it's wrong. It means

they're attempting to interpret something that's gonna happen still in some time. It could

happen tomorrow, or it could happen in five hundred years. But the reality

is, ever since the Church's inception, it was meant to be prepared for

Jesus to return. That is it. That is it. The apostle Paul

thought Jesus was returning the next day. So did it mean the apostle Paul

had it wrong. No, it just means that God wants you and I

every day to live this life thinking that Jesus could return at any moment,

At any moment, Jesus could return, and the Church for two thousand years

has been preparing itself for Jesus to return. I want us for some moments.

Let's spend some time now looking at who Jesus is in heaven. As

you and I saw this entry point of Revelation chapter one. On the rest

of Revelation chapter one, it begins to tell us what Jesus looks like in

heaven. Now, if you have loved ones have ever gone home, gone

home to be in heaven, you'll know that as they're in heaven. This

ought to encourage you because this is the presence of Jesus, and this is

the person of Jesus that you mind and your loved ones are seen today.

It's who they're experiencing, and it's who we one day will come to experience

ourselves. I want you to see. If you have your Bible, you

can turn to Revelations one, chapter twelve, and we're gonna read through this

right here, and I want you to pay attention to what Jesus looks like

because it's beautiful and it's important. So now John has his spirit has been

brought to heaven to be shown a vision. And so at this moment,

John is in heaven, his body's on earth in Patmost. He's been exiled

to Patmost because he was preaching the gospel, and in preaching the gospel so

far as they didn't want to kill John because if he if they killed John,

that could have made Christianity spread even further because they're starting to kind of

learn a lesson the influential guys. If you kill them, the message will

go faster. That's what happened with Jesus. You kill Jesus, it's just

gonna spread that much faster. So he said, we're not gonna kill John.

We're gonna exile John. We'll put him on an island and we'll just

not let him leave. And then that way we didn't kill him, but

we also don't let him preach the gospel anymore. But he finds a way

to get letters out. So now he's getting letters out and God gives him

a vision. He brings them to heaven and he says, John, you're

gonna give this letter to seven churches in Turkey in Asia Minor. The reason

why he wants to give them to Asia Minor is because they're the biggest trade

routes. It's Rome's biggest trade route to Israel and to Rome. And so

if you share this message with the trade route people who come and go and

hear about this letter, they'll spread it everywhere else. Okay, that's like

if you ever heard the concept, and it's a real statistic, like the

statistic of if you win a father to Christ, the impact of the children

believing in Jesus goes up eighty percent, whereas if a mother is one to

Christ it stays at anywhere between twenty to thirty percent. Chance that the children

why because for a lot of ways, the father has acted as the trade

route. A lot of the family look to the father and they look for

him for leadership and guide into provision. And so if the father follows Jesus,

then he's pouring that into his wife, he's pouring that into his children,

and so therefore he serves as the person who spreads this kind of love

that Jesus has shown him. So this is what John's trying to do.

He wants to get into seven churches. Seven churches are getting their butt tapped.

They're getting some spakens, and we're going to see that right now in

a second. So they are being corrected because God wants to discipline and chastise

so that we get ready. It's all God wants you to do is get

ready. There are times that I come home from work and I want to

take my kids somewhere, and I tell my wife to put on speaker and

say, hey, tell the boys to be ready that when I get home,

we want to take him to X, Y and Z. And I

come home and they got their shoes off and they're hanging upside down on the

bed, and I go, we're not okay, we're not going to Chuck

E Cheese. I asked you guys to get ready. You don't. If

you don't want to go to Chuck E Cheese and you don't want to get

ready, then we don't have to go. And so what Book of Revelations

serves is you want to go to heaven, you want Jesus to return for

you, then get ready, get your clothes on, get dressed right because

Jesus is gonna return and you can't say, Oh Jesus, hold on,

hold on, hold on on, I gotta break up with this person first,

hol hold on, hold on, Let me put the bottle away.

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold up, let me just

smoke this onement time. I'll be ready. No, no, too late,

It's too late. So you gotta be ready. And here's what we

see. And just know you're not meeting the soft, docile Jesus that turned

water into wine, that healed the blind person. You are meeting the ruler

of the king of the ages. You are meeting a different It's the same

person, but a different authority that you know if you've read the Gospels,

and this is why it opens up. It says this. Then I I

turned to see a voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I

saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the lamp stands one

like a son of man, clothed with a long robe. The reason why

it's long is because only rulers and wealthy people wore long roades. Slaves and

unwealthy people wore short worbs because there were a working class long robes they would

trip over if it's a long robe. It means it means that they're not

doing physical labor in that way, they are ruling over everything. And so

it says he has a long robe. And it says, and with a

golden sash over his chest. Once again, everyone wore a sash, but

most of them wore it over their waists so that they can hold their robe

up. Where Jesus he now has a golden over his chest, which means

he's the ruler. He's the guy. Okay, he is the ruler of

the age. And his voice was like a roar of mini waters. Jesus's

voice is now thunderous. It has authority and power behind his voice. And

now you can start to see this, it says, here comes his hair.

The hairs of his head were white, full of wisdom. He knows

all. He has the direction of the world in his hands. And his

hair is white like wool, and it's white like snow. It's it's not

it's not. It's not that that was his hair color on earth. It's

through his wisdom, through his authority, and through his rulership. It's white

now it's pure. And his eyes were like a flame. A fire burns

his eyes are burned, not there actually are flames in his eyes. They

there, there is an ember, there is a glow to it, reminiit.

He keeps saying like like like, because he's not he can't really explain

what it is, because there sometimes aren't words to explain something. So he's

saying, I'm compared. It's like it's like this. It's eyes are like

fire, but it's not fire, but it's like they glowed and they burn

and so much authority behind his eyes. And then he says his feet were

like burnished bronze and refined like a furnace, and and and so it's not

that his feet are bronze or are dark. It's an authority of command that

Jesus stands on. The Old Testament speaks of bronze, many things being built

in bronze, as worship. So it means that he has the authority of

worship. And what he's done has been refined through his victory over the Cross

and his victory over resurrection. And so he says, and his voice once

again was like roaring thunders of waters. And we go to the next verse.

In his right hand he held seven stars, which we'll talk about next

week, and from his mouth came as sharp as a two edged sword.

If you know your Bible, the word of God is likened to being as

sharp like a two edge of sword. So what he's telling us now,

Jesus's words and authority is is the same as scripture. And so every word

that Jesus chooses it is authoritative to fallow the same way we look at our

Bible and we say, hey, even though we're all trying our best,

but we look at them, we say, hey, the Bible's non negotiables.

You can't look at God's word and be like, oh God, I

know you say that, but like, how about you do me a solid

and you let me get a pass. No, God's word is authoritative.

So what he's saying is every word that Jesus speaks is an authoritative word,

the way that you would be responsible and respectable to the word of God.

And he says this, and his face is shine like the sun in full

strength. Had he has a glory and an authority that shines. He says,

when I solemn, I fell at his feet as though I was dead.

He says that his presence is so powerful that John becomes immobile because of

Jesus's grace, glory, and authority. This is who Jesus is. This

is the Jesus that we'll see when he returns. This is the Jesus that

your loved ones have stood in front of to see his beauty and his glory

and his wondering. He said this, but he laid his right hand on

me. This is big. This is important because he says this, he

says, fear not. Jesus says, I know I hold all authority.

I know I held all the glory. But John, fear not. The

only reason why Jesus can say that is because Jesus knows he won the victory,

and he knows that John is following him. So he says, John,

there's nothing to fear in this moment. And he goes, I am

the first and the last. I'm the living one. I died, and

behold, I'm alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and hades.

Jesus says, he holds all authority in his hands. This is the

Jesus that we see. And then Jesus looks at John and he says,

right there, for the things that you have seen, those that are those

that are to take place after this. So here's where Jesus says, you're

gonna share about seven churches that are currently going through some things that's gonna apply

to every church until I return. And then he says, and then we're

gonna share with you some things that are to come in the end days,

the end of days. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you

saw in my right hand and the seven golden lamp stands, the seven stars

are the angels of the seven churches. So there's angelic beans that from what

we could see here, they have oversight over God's churches still to this day,

and so they hold our churches together. They could also close our churches

if they so decide, and so they hold an authoritative position under God's authority.

And he says, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,

and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches. So now he's telling

us this picture that he sees in heaven. Seven lamp stands by Jesus,

seven stars, seven lamp stands represent seven churches in Asia Minor, which he's

gonna ask John to write a letter. And then the seven stars are the

authoritative angels that he's placed as overseers over these churches. And so now that

he gave him a picture of who he is, and he gave us a

picture of who these seven churches are, he now begins, this is now

so far just chapter one. Then he's gonna spend Revelations chapter two and three

writing letters. And I encourage you on your own this week to read all

of Revelation two and three, because I can't read it all with you.

But he writes letters to the seven churches, and I'm just gonna hold you.

I'm gonna tell you what those seven churches are. And there are things

that Jesus says he is proud of about those churches, and there are things

that Jesus says in each church that he is discouraged by, and they need

to change. And the way that we're supposed to apply this to our life

is that you and I need to take a constant reflection into our life and

say, what is it ways that I'm following God well? And what are

ways that I have completely fallen short? Because Jesus says, I cannot return

until these churches begin to walk fully into repentance. And each church has their

own version of repentance that they have to go through. So these are real

letters written to those seven churches. But God chose those churches because those churches

all represent the churches we still t see to this day, and I'm gonna

break them down really simply for us. But Warren Wersby says this, the

Book of Revelation is not a puzzle book, but rather a picture book.

God is painting us a picture, not necessarily giving us a puzzle. A

lot of times we treat Revelation like a puzzle because we're like, oh,

you know, is that new drug that they're trying to give us? Is

that the mark of the beasts? And we're trying to treat it like a

puzzle. They're trying to figure out while I get in trouble, if I

do this while I get in trouble, And it's less about that, and

it's less about what we're gonna see here, that God's trying to paint a

picture for my life and your life and Jesus's return. And so we see

this, and as we begin to see the first church that has broken down,

and just for the rest of the time, because I only got a

little bit more time, I'm just gonna share with you the seven churches,

who they were and what Jesus wants them to correct, what Jesus is out

of about them, because we cannot get to chapters four to twenty two unless

we understand that Jesus wants you in your own life to address chapters one to

three. Okay, so chapters if you say, pastor Adam, what is

the most applicable part for my life in the Book of Revelation, Chapters one

to three, that's the most application that you need to make. Chapters four

and twenty two are there to convince you that you need to be ready.

It's to complete the picture. It's not meant for you to go like,

okay, now do I watch the news tomorrow and see no, no,

no, no no. It's the fact that is that stuff is happening.

It's going to happen. You cannot stop it. They are the things to

come. But what you can control is your own personal life. Well,

we can't control is our churches and how we navigate what the Holy Spirit is

doing in our churches to be repentant in all costs, so that when Jesus

returns, you and I are ready. So I want you to look at

this map, and then we're gonna jump really quick into these seven churches.

So here are are the seven churches that we're looking at. You have them

right here. You have Pat Moss over here. This is where John's at.

He's over here. So this is the trade route. Everything up here

goes to Greece, everything down here goes down to Israel. So it's a

trade route. So these are seven active churches. But each active church has

their own emphasis, their own communities, their own trials, their own struggles,

and that's what we're gonna see from today. And so the first one

is you're gonna see it leads. So they start to send out to each

other, so you're gonna see them they lead like this. That's how the

letter is leading, all right. And so the letter was meant to go

to Ephesus, and then once they've done with theirs and they heard everyone else's

laundry aired as well, they were to pass it off to the next church,

and the next church to the next church. And then from theres people

would come in trade. They'd say, hey, did you hear about Philadelphia?

Blah blah blah blah, like, oh, shoot, our church kind

of looks like that. We need let me get okay, get I need

to get that settled. I need to work on that all right. So

here's the first one. Ephesus will take a look at all right. Revelations

chapter two one to seven is where we see ephesis addressed. What did they

do well? Okay, here's what they did well. Jesus is the first

person. If you grow up in a leadership setting. They always say in

leadership that you do a leadership sandwich. Like if you don't want to correct

someone, you tell them something they're doing well, then you throw in the

middle where they need to improve, and then at the end you give them

a little hope again. Right, so, hey, you're doing so good.

You always show up on time. But when you show up on time,

it still takes you thirty minutes to get started with your work. And

then you say, but man, I sure love the way you're dressed every

day at work. See a little sandwich, right, is a little love,

little meat, little correction, and then a little grace at the end.

That's a leadership sandwich. You can use that on your spouse later on.

This is what Jesus is doing. He's the first. He's doing a

leadership, Sandwich and So Revelations, chapter two, two to three. Jesus

says this, I know your hard work. Man. You guys are working

hard out there for the Jesus, working hard for your man. You out

there, you baptizing people, you praying for people. I mean you're working

hard. And he goes, I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people.

Man, you hate sin. Oh my gosh, you look at people sinning.

You see what they're doing. You're just like, Oh, that's not

us. That'll never be us. We are not gonna fall in time.

Jeez. Like, man, I'm so proud of you guys. It's so

incredible that you guys are doing that. And he goes, I know that

you've tested those who claim to be apostles. And he's like, so when

people come to teach the church, you don't accept them right away. You

first wave them. You guys are doing so good, you're air tight.

You don't let everyone come and guest preach at your church. Man, you're

doing so good with that stuff. Good job. And he goes, and

you found them fall. So you've persevered and you endured hardships for my name

and have not grown weary He's like, man, you guys are doing great

job, great job in that area. And he goes, but here's where

they were correcting on. He said, yet, I hold this against you.

You have forsaken the love you've had at first. He's saying, basically,

what you're doing now is not because you love me. It's because you

love the church. You love the culture of the church. You lost your

love, you lost your love of why you do it because you want to

see lost people say, because you want to see God being holy and people

being holy. Like now, you're doing it because it's a it's a religion,

it's a religious thing that you've created. And so he goes, you

forsaken the love that you had at first. He said, consider how far

you've fallen. And he says, repent. Do the things you did at

first. You know, yeah, don't fall into false teaching, don't love

wicked things, but love Jesus, love him. Do it because you love

him. So that's what he's telling Ephesus. You guys are doing well,

but you lost love. So and then Jesus says, but and it's not

too late. You guys are going to hell now. He just says,

you need to repent. You need to turn away and you need to go

back to loving me and loving people. That's what you need to do.

That's the first commandment that Jesus gives us. So then now okay, there's

ephesis. Now next one we go to. The next church is Smyrna,

andess what did they do? Well? Jesus says, I know your afflictions

and I know your poverty, yet you are rich. What Jesus says,

this area is really controlled by a lot of Jewish people. They were hated,

they were given no opportunities because they were Christians. They were shut out,

they were cast aside. The moment someone heard they were a Christian,

they immediately cut them off. They had no opportunity. So Jesus says,

I know that you guys could easily hide your faith and you could get work,

you could have relationships. But you're being proud about following me. So

he goes, you're you've fallen into poverty, but man, you spiritually rich.

Your spirit man is rich. So someone can be in poverty, but

your spirit can be rich. And he goes, I know about the slanders

of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of

saying, he goes, I know there's a lot of Jewish people that coming

at you. Don't worry. They're not with me. No, people aren't

with me, but you are. And then he says, and what they

were correct on. Do not be afraid what you're about to suffer. I

tell you the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,

and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the

point of death. I will give you life as victors. And so in

their case, it's not necessarily they're corrected on anything. It was more of

a warning to say, hey, you're gonna go through some things, and

those things may want to tempt you from turning away from me. And he

says, but if you hold fast, I will give you the victor's crown,

which means that they'll stand before God and they will be in victory because

they held strong for Jesus. Then the next one is this Pergamam. What

did Pergamam do well? He says, I know where you live. Oh,

shoot, like you imagine that Jesus one day he comes you in a

dream and he's like, I got your address. I have your address.

You thank you hiding from me. But I know where your address is.

And he goes, and I know where Satan has his throne. I know

where Satan is every single day. Satan can't hide from Jesus. And Jesus

says, but yet you you remain true, And he said, you did

not renounce your faith in me, not even then in the days of antipis

my faithful witness who was put to death in your city where Satan lives.

He says, I know your city has gone to hell. And he goes,

but you have not followed, and he goes. But nevertheless, I

do have some things against you guys. And he says, there are some

among you who hold the teaching of Baalim. It's a false teaching. And

he says, who taught Bailick to entice the Israelites to sin? That they

ate sacrifice, food, sacrifice to idols, and they're committing sexual immrahit.

So he goes, I know some of y'all are falling under these false,

pretentious teachings, and he goes, likewise, you also have those who hold

the teaching of nickelations. So now he's saying basically what he's saying if it

were today he goes, I know that you guys are in church. I

know that you guys are faithful me, following me. But there are those

around you that you're being okay with that are starting to do horoscopes every day,

that are starting to do ayahuasca, that are starting to take on elements

of the Koran and elements of this in their life and elements of that in

their life. And they're yet they're saying, you're with me. You know

you're going you're going down into Hollywood and you're trying little prayer circles that have

nothing to do with me, and you're doing this, and you're doing that,

and you're doing sound therapy. That what welcome spirit. He goes,

you're following false teaching and he goes, you're something. You're not all doing

it, but you're allowing some to do it without correction, and so he

goes, so you need to address that. And then the next church,

here's what Thyra Tyra did, here's what they did. Well. He says,

I know your deeds. I know your love and your faith, your

service and your perseverance that you were doing among that you did at first.

So he says, you guys are out there. You're loving, you are

doing great works, you are praying for people. You got generosity centers everywhere.

You are doing the work. And he goes, But nevertheless, I

have this against you, the little leadership sandwich. He loves doing it,

and he says, you tolerate that woman, Jezebel. It's a spirit,

spirit of Jezebel who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching, she misleads

my servants into sexual immorality and eating of the food sacrificed to idols. You

know, a lot of times today we don't think that there would be this

massive idea of Jezebel, but you would see that not for people new in

church, but even for people that are seasoned saints. They live together,

they sleep around with people, they hook up with people. And if you

don't think that you're being ascribed to the Jezebel spirit, then it don't come

in. Jezebel didn't stand on a stage and be like, Hi, I'm

Jezebel. You follow me, and I'll say, oh no, no,

no, no no no. Jezebel comes in as a thought. Jezebel comes

in as a teaching. Jezebel comes in as a two handed approach being a

follower of Jesus. But my sexual life, that's a Jezebel spirit, my

sexual life. And so you're wondering where God is in your life. But

you have yet to give God your boss your sexuality. You have yet to

give God your authority in your sexuality. To do it God's way and repent

God's way. And so we Our faith is perfect, but we are addicted

to pornography. Our faith is perfect, but we are addicted to people and

sexual and arousal and all these. And so God said Jesus, saying,

listen, your faith is right, you're persevering, but that Jezebel's fears all

over you. And so he continues, you gotta repent of that. Don't

allow that prophet Jezebel to have authority in your life, and convince you to

think that that level of arousal has anything to do with God, has anything

to do with God. Let's do these next three right now. We have

Sardis. What they did well, he says, Yet you have a few

people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They walk with me,

they dressed in white, for they are worthy. And so he says,

there are people there who are faithfully following him, and he goes, I

know your deeds, what they were corrected. I know your deeds. You

have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up,

strengthen what remains and is about to die for I have found your deeds unfinished

in the side of my God. Let me tell you about this person for

just a second. This is the person that they just man. They carry

their Bible around. They've read this thing through and through. Oh, they

love God. They pray every day, read Bible every day. They're faithful

to coming church. They listen for all intentsive purposes. They love Jesus,

they follow Jesus. But then as they're walking on the side of the road

and they see someone hurting, someone cut, someone bleeding, they just go,

oh, man, I guess fortune got them wrong. And they keep

walking. Someone who comes you says, man, I'm hungry. I'm well,

you better go ask God for that. It's a he says, You're

a life. Your personal life is life. But the way you activate your

faith is dead. So he says, you know it. You know the

scriptures, you know the Bible, you come to church, faithfully. You

man, you're the picture of what a member of a church is supposed to

look like. But you don't care about nobody. You don't love any your

compassion is gone, your love is gone, you know. And so he's

telling them, don't walk in death. You're alive, but you're actually dead

because the way that this faith is supposed to express, you've lost it.

You lost it. You don't pray for anybody, you don't care for anybody.

But on the outside you look. Yeah, your picture of your picture

of perfect Christian, but your love walk and your spiritual life is dead.

It's dead. And so this last two here Philadelphia, which is known as

the city of brotherly Love. He says, what they did, well,

I know your deeds. See I placed before you an open door that no

one can shut. I know that you have little strength, Yet you have

kept my word and have not denied my name. They've just gotten hit,

and they've gotten hit with trial, and they've gotten hit with trial, but

they've been faithful to follow Jesus. But he says this, since you have

kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour

of trial that it's going to come on the whole world to test the inhabits

of the world. This is the one. He says, you guys are

doing well. You're doing well. I'm so proud of you guys. You

guys are doing well. You are faithful, you are trusting me, and

he goes, there is gonna come an hour in time of need that I

Am going to redeem you. And you will not have to live through those

temptations. You won't have to live through those tart trials, you won't have

to live through that tribulation. And so this is just this right here.

Philadelphia is loved by Jesus. These are the people that are just faithfully following

Jesus and following him the best they can and giving him glory in their life.

And Jesus says, I'm with you, I'm with you. And so

then lastly though, it ends with lao deshia, and we'll close with this.

Here's what they did well. Those whom I love I rebuken discipline.

So he gives a warning. It's like almost if you've ever given your child

a spanking before, and you say, you know, I'm doing this because

I love you. Right, this is what Jesus is doing. He says

those I love, I rebuken discipline. Just know I'm a good parent.

I'm gonna tap that. But and he's gonna tap it, he says,

So be earnest and reap propa. They don't get nothing said good about them

at all. There is nothing good. He cannot leadership sandwich this church at

all. But all he can say is I love you, and I'm doing

this because I love you. And then he closes with this, I know

your deeds. I know that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish

you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither

hot nor cold, I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. You

say, I am rich, I have acquired wealth. I don't need a

thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor,

blind and naked. This person, they are just arrogant up the wahs.

They they they think they got this church thing figured out. They think

they got following Jesus figured out. They look at everybody and like, ah,

man, they don't got it. We got they got material wealth,

they got material money. They got great families, they got great houses,

they got great cars, they got great things and they just think they got

it all figured out. But Jesus says, you are poor, you are

pitiful, and you are blind. Because you are lukewarm, you bless nobody.

You give to nobody this wealth. You have never given it to anyone

else in need. You have never shared with anyone, You've never prayed with

anyone. You have never welcomed anyone into your home. You ate, Oh

you got a big house. How many people have you brought into your home?

Nobody? Oh so glad that you're Oh you got a nice car.

How many people have you picked up in need? How many people have you

cared for? And so what Jesus is challenging me saying, I just wish

you all were hot or cold, But because you're lukewarm, I will spit

you out if you don't repent. And so Leo Decia got called in a

place that said, I'm glad that in life you have done well and you

are successful, but you are living both sides of the fence. And he

tells them, unless you repent, you will not see that day of glory

that Jesus will return. And so through Jesus's great love is I close.

It is his heart and desire that you and I would hear those churches and

we would say where do I fall in that? And let the Holy Spirit

now let you answer that, because if you answer that, we're all gonna

like to think that we're Philadelphia. God. I'm just faith, I'm just

nothing wrong with me. I'm doing all that. But let the Holy Spirit

share with you where do you need to work on your faith? Where do

you need to walk on your faith? Because we all one day will stand

before Jesus. Next week as we gather, we'll finish, will overlook chapter

four to twenty two. Because now once Jesus says, now you know what

to repent of. Now I can tell you what the future looks like.

Now I can tell you what my return. But the first at God wants

us to do is to repent, ask for forgiveness, and get right with

Jesus. You gotta get right because he will return, and he'll return with

you, or he'll return without you. Revelation is a warning sign to say

he will return. And on that day, that is not the day to

start negotiations with God. That day is too late. And so let today

be the day that we choose, not only who we will serve, but

who we will love and who we will represent as we follow this walk with

Jesus Christ. Let us all be faithful to Jesus so that on that day

he returns You and I know that we have been ready every single day.

Every time we fall in. We've trusted on God to pick us up.

Let's pray and we'll close. God, we thank you so much for this

word today. Lord, I pray that you continually encourage us, guide us

and mold us into the church and the people that you have called us to

be. God, not the people that we want to be, not to

the people that we think we ought to be, but the people you want

us to be. God. We give you all the praise and glory in

this message today in Jesus' name a man, God bless your church. As

you're still joining us online, I love to encourage you that there's no better

time to get right with Jesus than today. Part of what we saw today

in the Book of Revelation is that Jesus holds all authority, all power,

all forgiveness because of his death and resurrection. We will see next week that

Jesus holds the keys to the kingdom, and he also is the Lamb that

was slain for you and I so that you and I could give our faith

and our hope fully on Jesus Christ. To know that if I stand before

God and I have fully given my trust to Jesus as my Lord and Savior,

my name will be written in the Lamb's book of life. My future

is held in the eternal arms of God should I receive Jesus as my Lord

and Savior. So I want to encourage you today as you're watching online,

if you have never given your life to Jesus Christ and you feel the Holy

Spirit stirring your heart today, because there's nothing I can say that can convince

you to be ready for Jesus. It's only your obedient yes to God.

The Holy Spirit already speaks to you. It's our responsibility to say yes to

that message that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and he rose

three days later in complete victory. Jesus told us today that he has kings

of Hades and the keys of Hades and the keys of death in his hands.

He holds that authority of forgiveness today. So would you join me in

saying this prayer out loud, as we just affirm the work that God is

already doing in your life. Right now, would you join me in praying

as you watch this right now, Dear Lord Jesus, in this moment,

I confess you as Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that you

died on the cross and you rose three days later, and from this day

forward I will follow you for the rest of my days in Jesus' name.

Amn, God bless you. Hang on. Our team's going to get you

some more information and we'll see you next time. God bless you. Hey,

family, We're so excited that you made the decision to follow Christ and

we want to equip you with some next tools on how to develop your faith.

So all you have to do is go to grow dot Faith and there

you'll see a free PDS book of the seven steps to growing your Christian walk.

Believe in helping you take off the next steps. But we want to

challenge you for the next twelve months as much as you can get to your

local church to see what God does. But if you're in the area,

if you're in Rancho or Pomona, we'd love to see you at one of

our Patriot Church campuses or here's the thing. It doesn't stop here. This

is only the beginning, so take a look at a couple more sermons to

help develop your faith. We love you, thank you so much for tuning

in, and we'll see you next time.