Fresh Speaking
(Nancy's notes from Lord's Day fellowship, Feb. 14, 2010)
In Matt. - a merchant finds a pearl of great worth and sells all that he has to purchase it. What is this pearl? Are you a pearl?
In Eph. - Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. God has a purpose. God has a goal. Christ is the body(reality) of the shadows(picture). To reach His goal, God has a process. He moves step by step. The old testament is a picture of this process. The new testament is the reality of this process. Chapters 21 & 22 of Rev. - we see the completion of Gods purpose. Rev. chapters 1-22 are written to the churches. (about 90-95 AD). This book shows the church from the beginning until now. From Pentecost until the Lords return.
1st letter was to Ephesus. The Lord is walking amidst the seven lampstands - the churches. Today we know where He is! He is walking in the midst of the churches. We must keep our first love to the Lord. The enemy will do anything he can to distract us from our love for Jesus!
2nd letter was to Smyrna. The suffering church. The enemy will bring in much persecution. We need to be faithful unto death.
3rd letter was to pergamos. The church became mixed with the world. (Antipas - means against all.) The Lord must be our first love, we must lay down our lives, and we must take a stand against all - against the world. v.17 - to him I will give a white stone. What is this? If you are faithful to the Lord a little bit in your walk with Him, He will give you a new name (like He did to Peter) - a stone. He begins to show us His purpose. Once we see He has a purpose, we realize how small our concerns are. Why am I so concerned with such small, pittly things?
4th letter was to Thyatira. The dark ages. You tolerate the woman(or your wife)Jezebel. He is the one with eyes like a flame of fire- searching our hearts. we have all experienced this to some extent. Exposing, penetrating eyes. Bronze feet- when we are around the saints, we begin to realize we are not so good. We tolerate so many things. The Lord is even more thorough. He shines in our heart, exposing every item. He never lets one thing remain. Now He has a way to change our heart.
5th letter was to Sardis. This was the beginning of the Reformation. (Martin Luther) Beginning with life, not completed. Reputation of being living, yet dead.
6th letter was to Philadelphia. We have some experience of these first five churches. In Philadelphia the Lord comes as the Holy One - one who is separate and unique. True One - reality. Before Him, our lives were vain. Full of vanity. This was the only church that did not receive a rebuke from the Lord. They received more of a praise - "I have put before you an open door." The One who has the key of David - what is this? (old testament) Man was made in Gods image and given dominion. Man fell, and never accomplished this dominion. With David we see the completion that God was after.
I Sam. 13:14 God was after a man after His own heart.
I Sam. 16:7- Jehovah looks on the heart.
II Sam. 7:1 David was anointed at about age 15 and made king at about age 30. After being made king, he still had to go out and fight the battles. Here in II Sam. he has defeated the enemies. Here is a house of rest. Then in v.2 he says "I dwell in a beautiful house, while God is still in a tent!" v.3 this was in David's heart - Gods house. v.7 - God never asked anyone for a house - He never even mentioned it. Yet this thought rose up in David's heart. Then in v. 13 - God told David that Solomon would be the one to build His house and who's kingdom will be established. David's seed. So with David we see the matter of Gods house and Gods kingdom. Then the glory of the Lord filled the temple. This is the high point in the old testament.
In Rev. 22 we see a river flowing out of the throne - kingdom. With David is the completion of the house and the kingdom. The Lord is the One with the key of David. In the church in Philadelphia - the Lord says "all that I have been after is here." He is the One with the key - I have put before you an open door! Keep going! Accomplish Gods eternal purpose! - You and me! Walk into Gods purpose and complete it. He has put before us an open door. Lord, open our eyes! We want a heart like David's!