Louie Giglio - The Perfect Church Is On The Way
So, in Smyrna, the first letter we’re looking at today. Isn’t that great? Nearby, so Cumberland get this, this is for you, apparently. It says in verse 8, chapter 2, «To the angel of the church in Smyrna,» right. Now, I’m just gonna try to touch down really quickly in five churches, and then make some big observations of all seven churches. «These are the words of Him who is the first and the last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions,» I’m commending you now, «And your poverty, yet you are rich».
This is the opposite of what he said to Laodicea. He said to them, «You think you’re rich, but you’re poor». He’s saying to Smyrna, «You are poor, but you are really, really rich». He goes, «I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan». Now, I know we’re getting some strong language, and there’s gonna be a lot of this today. «Do not be afraid of what you are 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 and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death».
You guys are doing great, that’s the good news. You’re about to suffer some, that’s the hard news. Stay faithful because even if you give your life for me, in the instant that you give your life for me, I give the crown of life to you. He says, «To the angel at the church of Pergamum, write, 'These are the words of him who has the sharp, double edged sword, '» okay, we get the idea about what’s to come in this letter. He’s setting himself up to say He’s truth, He’s sharp truth, He cares about truth. «I know where you live-where Satan has his throne,» hello.
So, Pergamum, apparently was a place… You know, do we take this literally? Like, is this literally the epicenter of Satan and His work or is this place so in the grip of the power of the darkness that Jesus is even recognizing, «Man, I know where you guys live. You live where Satan has camped out». He said, «Yet, you remain true to my name,» thank you. «You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was put to death in your city where Satan lives. Nevertheless,» so that’s great. I mean, that’s amazing.
I would say that’s a hundred out of a hundred. But I wanna keep raising the bar high. «I have a few things against you. You have people there who hold the teachings of Balaam who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by,» number one, «Eating food sacrificed to idols, and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise, you have also those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans,» now, these are just people who are off track. They are not holding to true, the doctrine of Christ crucified, died, raised from the dead.
And so, he says, «Repent therefore». You’ve got these people in your church that you’re tolerating, and they leading people to do two things that I really don’t want to be apart of my people. The eating of food sacrifice, the idols was obviously in the context of this moment in time, sexual immorality is what it is in every moment in time. And he says this in the next letter, we’ll dig in a little bit more. He says, «Otherwise, I’ll soon come to you, and well find against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes,» remember every church, there’s gonna be overcomers and the overcomers are gonna participate in and partake in eternal life.
And He describes eternal life different in every letter 'cause this one He says, «I’ll give us of the hidden manna». Now, I don’t know what the hidden manna is, but I know it must be pretty amazing. «And I’ll also give him a white stone with a new name written on it known only to him who receives it». When you overcome, God gives you a stone on which He writes for you a name that only you know. Meaning that it’s God, ultimately now, in Christ, and in eternity, because of Christ, who defines who we are. Our identity does not come from any other source on this earth. Our identity comes from the God who has already woven Himself into our being as we are made in His image, and who has now created us with a brand new identity in Christ.
And then, as we overcome, hands a white stone to us, the stone of the overcomer, with a name that He’s written on it that only the person then knows. I’m telling you, it’s worth it, whatever it is, to endure, because what’s coming for us is beyond our wildest dreams. «To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These are the words of the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love, and your faith, your service, your perseverance that you’re now doing more than you did at first,» He talked to another church and said, «You need to get back to doing what you were doing at first 'cause you’re doing less than you were doing at first».
They’re doing more than they did at first. «Nevertheless, I have this against you,» here comes the bar, «You tolerate that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess». Now, you need to be careful with people who set themselves up as authority in Christ’s church. Who decide that they’re gonna name themselves into the position of authority in God’s church. She calls herself a prophetess. The church is supposed to decide who the prophets are, not the prophets. «By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols».
Now, you can look in 1 Corinthians 10 and get more on the food sacrificed to idols part, but Christianity is the new way, it’s the new story, it’s the new gospel. But there is so much religion all around where these churches are being born, and all manner of god’s are being worshipped and all manner of sacrifices are being made. And Paul makes it really clear that we’re not under some legalism. And so, he said if you go with one of these unbelievers and you got to a meal with them and nobody mentions anything about where the meat came from, just eat it. You’re not under any law or any obligation, you’re free in Christ.
But if they tell you that the meat was sacrificed to an idol, don’t eat it. Because if their conscience, you wanna make sure that you’re distinguishing for them that there is one true God, only one God, and that God is your God and there needs to be a distinguishing factor so that you’re not gonna say, «Oh, great. So, what we’re eating now is apart of a sacrifice for who knows what God, and I’m sorry but I have a God, and I believe my God is the one true God. And so, I’m gonna have to pass on the meat, thank you». It goes on to say about her. He said, «I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling». In other words, «I’ve been patient».
Can we just say that again? He’s been patient. That somebody in the church claims to be a prophetess, leading people into sexual immortality, and leading people to lose their edge, and their distinctiveness of being salt and light in the world, and He’s being patient. «I gave her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So, I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, until they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and,» make no mistake about it, «I will repay each of you according to your deeds».
This is not saying that your salvation is something that you earn based on your deeds. What Jesus is saying is, you reap what you sow. It’s a place in the Proverbs paraphrasing this says, «We dig a pit by our rebellion and then we fall in it». And He’s saying, «Repent. I’m giving you time to repent». «Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching,» He’s still focused on her, «And who have not learned,» please see this, «Satan’s so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, only hold on to what you have until I come.' To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations, he will rule them,» now, He’s quoting scriptures, «He will rule them with an iron scepter, He will dash them to pieces like pottery. Just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star».
This is to the overcomer, and Jesus is the morning star. «He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches». I am telling you, there is somebody in this church and she has set herself up to be a spiritual authority, and the means by which she is gaining followers into her spiritual authority is by Satan’s so called deep secrets. And this is what is pulling people in today. «Have you read such and such? Have you heard about the teaching of so and so? Here’s the link. Have you been to one of the meetings»?
People setting themselves up to have an inside track, some higher spiritual, mystical knowledge that other people don’t have operating, not out of themselves, but operating out of Satan himself. They have the ability, maybe, to tell you something about your life. «I’ve got a word from the Lord for you,» and it happened, and you went, «Woah, what is going on here»? And then, «Oh, I’m gonna take another step». Or maybe they were telling you something about your future or telling you how your life was gonna go.
I’m telling you, you go down Google searches and people looking for the deep secrets of Satan is everywhere, and it’s pulling people in. I’m telling you, these are the deep secrets of God and this is all you need for your life right here. And you don’t need anybody to give you anything else but what God has already given you. Two more churches really quickly then we’ll get to the overview. Sardis is up next. «To the angel of the church in Sardis, write,» this is chapter 3, «These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds,» every letter. «You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead».
Okay, I think we get the point of this church. «Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches». He said, «You got a little, tiny, tiny shoot left connected to the root, water it, breathe on it, save it, protect it 'cause you’re about to die».
Don’t get too tripped up on the end, «I’ll never blot his name from the book of life». That doesn’t mean that God is arbitrarily going through the book of life and if someone’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life and then at some point, He, kinda, looks at him and goes, «Eddie, you’re not gonna make it». It really more means that if the book of life contains your name, then you are truly in Christ and you are gonna overcome 'til the end. And in the end, this is what He’s gonna do, «I will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels».
When you arrive in the throne room of God, the way you will get in is only because Jesus will acknowledge your name. This last letter is to Philadelphia. «To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David, '» this is just authority, «What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open». Amen and hallelujah. This is the one. His name is Jesus and if He opens it, nobody can close it and if He decides to close it, nobody can open it. And that should give you encouragement today because a lot of you want some doors to be open in your life. You need to be praying.
«Jesus, I’m just trusting you today to open before me whatever doors you wanna open before me today because I don’t know how to open that door. I’d like that door to be open, but as far as I’m concerned that door is probably not gonna be opened. But you can open any door you wanna open it, and when you open it nobody can close it». In other doors in my life, you should be asking Him that as well, I should as well. We should be saying, «Jesus, if there are any doors open in my life that you wanna close that need to be closed? Close 'em. And I know that when you close 'em, nobody can open 'em». This is my God. My God opens doors and closes doors and does what He wants.
And here’s what He wanted for them, «I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door,» I just wanna pause for two seconds and ask, is anybody sensing that right now? In your life, in your sphere, your corner where you’re standing, that God is saying to you, «I’m opening a door for you right now. Nobody else could open this door but me, but I’m opening it for you». You’re like, «How did this happen? Where did this come from? What is going on»? And He’s saying, «I placed an open door that no one can shut right in front of you. I know that you have little strength left, but I can be strength».
I’m just reading between the lines. «Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently,» thank you, «I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth».
Now, I think Smyrna, if they saw this letter would be going, «Hello, can we get a little bit of that»? «I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one,» no Jezebel, «Will take your crown. Him who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches».
Now, every one of these churches got a whole lot more than you and I probably would in these letters. To Smyrna, he wrote, «These are the words of Him who is the first and the last». They had a coin in Smyrna and the inscription on the coin said, «First city of Asia in size and beauty». And He said, «Oh, okay, write this to Smyrna, 'I am the first and the last.'» And they went, «Hmm, He knows what’s going on. He knows where we are. He knows what world we’re living in». And then, He says to Philadelphia, «I’ve placed an open door before you».
Philadelphia was on a main artery, the main artery from Europe to the middle east and Asia. And there was a big contingent of people there who were Hellenistic, and they were, in the midst of the Roman world, pushing the Greek world. And their mission was to Hellenize the world from Philadelphia because of its strategic place in geography. And Jesus said, «I got a better plan. I’m opening a door before you right on the highway to everywhere, and I want you to tell the world about Jesus. I want to Jesusize the world from Philadelphia. Go». Couple of high-level observations, number one, there is a glaring focus in these letters on the person and the work of Satan. I don’t know how many times you’ve used that word in the last five days, six days, two weeks.
Six times in seven letters, the King of kings says, «Satan». The problem in the church is many things, falling asleep, lukewarm. But the causes is one thing, the cause is one thing, Satan. So, yeah, people are being used be Satan, like Jezebel, but the ultimate problem is Satan. It’s like Paul wrote to us. He said, «For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against this spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms».
So, yes there are human instruments, but it’s a spiritual enemy, and what Jezebel represents is the anti-God spirit. And at the end of the day, that’s gonna be the enemy of the church. It’s not somebody or somebodies, it’s somebody or somebodies controlled by the enemy with a spirit that is anti-God, and ultimately in Revelation, anti-Christ. And that is what all of us need to be awakened to. We are more focused on people, and we need to be more focused on Satan. Doesn’t mean that we’re looking around every corner, every bush. I’ve said this all through the years that, you know, my car won’t start today so I open the hood and I’m casting Satan out of my battery, you know, and then I’m gonna get back in and crank the car. No, you probably just need jumper cables for your battery. But in the things that are ripping apart earth, let’s don’t just stop short of poking our finger at people.
Let’s elevate our thinking and understand that we’re in a spiritual battle, and praise God, we have the name of Jesus and the authority of Jesus. And instead of poking at people, we should be calling on Jesus. And yes, it’s important how we align ourselves. Yes, it’s important what we support. Yes, it’s important that we vote. All those things where it comes down to people matter. But ultimately, it’s not about the people. And so, I’m just seeing in these letters that God is calling us up to a higher frequency to understand that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Some of you may have to go to arbitration this week and you’re gonna be across the table from flesh and blood, and there is gonna be contentiousness in that moment, but you also have spiritual authority to say, «You know what? This may go this way or that way, but I still have a higher appeal today».
Second big thing that I see, is that the church is far from perfect. We’ve always had problems. He’s writing this in 96 AD. Jesus went to heaven somewhere around 33 AD. These churches aren’t 40 years old, and they already got all kind of problems. We’re not the first church that had problems, but we’re still here. These are our spiritual fathers and mothers, and they were far from perfect, but we’re still here, why? Because Jesus is perfect and we are His body. And even though, in this earth, we are desiring to be more like Him, we’re still rough around the edges, and we’re imperfect, and we have a lot to repent of, but we are still here. Thousands of years later, we are still here. And Jesus is saying to us, «I wanna keep calling you up». Why? «Because you’re my bride». «I wanna keep calling you up». Why? «Because we’re one».
And when He’s telling husbands how to love their wives, He says, «Love them just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her, the church,» to present, not you, not me, not him, not her, but to present the church, «To himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless». This is what Jesus is doing. He is purifying. He is calling us up. He is loving us enough to invite us to become more. And in the end, trust me, the church is gonna be a perfect bride for the savior of the world. This talk is called, «The perfect church is on the way».
And then, last, just to close with this, the name of God is paramount to God. And one of ten things, He wrote in stone on a mountain top was, «Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain». That does not, by the way, mean, don’t say, «GD». You and I take God’s name in vain all the time. Taking God’s name in vain means either calling on Him as if He were a vending machine that we check in with when we have a need, or saying that we belong to Him and yet totally being infatuated by a hundred other names. And I believe He’s just calling these churches to understand how much He cares about the name, 'cause what sin does, is it makes our lives about names, but what revelation does is it makes our life about The Name.