November 12, 2011

  • Churches at Sardis, Philadelphia by Pastor Don Moore

    Taught June 22, 2011

    God does things in seasons and times.  Many of those in the church who are over forty are playing church the way we always have and are not aware of the change in season or the times.  We need to get ready, get on the express, or we can sit and watch the tribulation. it is our choice.

    Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesy.

    There is a new prophetic voice in the Church.  We can’t use old church doctrine to romance the muslims.

    Revelation 3:1 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.“

    The seven spirits of God – what are they?  We can find that out in Isaiah 11:1-4

    Isaiah 11:1-4 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;  He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 

    The Rod, the stem of Jesse refers to Jesus.  

    The seven spirits are:  The Spirit of the Lord, The Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of counsel, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

    In Revelation 3:1 it mentions the seven stars, angels of the seven Churches John will write to.  The people in this church at Sardis were physically alive but are spiritually dead. Sometimes, unless someone points out our spiritual death, we don’t know it.

    People can think they have and are functioning in the Holy Spirit, but not realize they don’t have it.  

    We all think we are good, wise, Biblically knowledgeable.  If we feel we are good we think that means we have the Holy Spirit.  We have formulas so our ego is pleased and we think we are okay.  We think we are validated in our own eyes.

    When we accept the Lord we are born again and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, but that is different from receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  

    Peter was born again, but not completely.  He still made errors.  After he received the praise of Jesus for recognizing that Jesus was the Christ, he immediately turned around and told Jesus not to go to the Cross.  Jesus rebuked him saying, get thee behind me satan.

    We can be saved, born again, or spirits are born again, but there are still areas of our flesh that are still acting in the same way we did before we got born again.  We are works in process.

    We receive the gifts of the Spirit by faith.  Everyone has been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

    In the Bible Jesus breathed on people to receive the Holy Spirit.  We don’t see many ministries with breathe on services.

    John 20:21-23 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

    The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so we turn to Jesus.  We receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved, but we don’t operate in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit until we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

    The disciples in John 20 received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them, but they still had to travel to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit to reside in them and give them the courage and power to do the work of the Lord. 

    John 16:5-11 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;  of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 

    The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit resides in us, and we need to stir up the gifts of the Spirit.

    2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

    There is a laying on of the hands to receive the impartation gift of the Holy Spirit. Doubt and unbelief can block the ability to receive.

    In our personal lives the true purpose of self is to meet with God, obey GOd, and deal with our flesh.  Come to church prepared to worship and minister to God.

    The Holy Spirit will guide us in our lives.  For example, Paul wanted to go to Macedonia, but initially the Holy Spirit forbade him to go there.  Later he was sent there and God had people in place for Paul to do the work God wanted him to do.  Had Paul gone earlier to to Macedonia he would not have been as effective and would not have had the people in place.

    1 Corinthians 12 speaks of the Spirit, and how we are one body in Christ and the gifts of the Spirit are to edify the Body of Christ. 

    Josh McDowell says that we are the last Christian generation.

    The Spirit of Christ brings wholeness, completeness, health, prosperity and salvation.

    When the Holy Spirit comes to reside we need to choose righteousness and acceptable cultural behavior.  THe Holy Spirit helps us to operate and do what Jesus did.  And don’t forget that Jesus gave many of His sermons through His sermons through His actions, healing, feeding and freeing those who were bound.  

    Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.

    God wants our work to be perfect.  We can do works, good works, but they may not be the perfect works that God wants us to do.  We have to assess if our works are the ones God wants us to be doing.  Sometimes we do works but we do them halfheartedly.  God wants us to give 120% and do the works with a right heart.  If God doesn’t want us doing a particular work, it may be that we are doing it out of our flesh.

    If the Church focuses on missions and charity, but doesn’t also teach the Word of God the Church is out of balance.  

    The power is always with us, the main thing is the Word.  God equips us to do what He calls us to do.

    Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 

    Jesus will come as a thief, and we will not know the hour of his coming.  The Bible tells us what will happen so we will be prepared.  His main thing is the heart and minds of the people.  We need to make sure our minds and hearts line up with God’s will.

    Revelation 3:4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 

    There are always a few people, church people, who do the right thing.  There is the enemy in the Church, but there is also a remnant. The Bride of Christ is a small group, not all believers (remember the 10 virgins – all virgins were saved, not all had enough oil).  Know the season, keep sanctified, keep the love of the Lord pure. Be discerning of worship and your inner heart.  Don’t focus on lifestyle, but on the love and obedience of God.  God is concerned about the heart.  God judges.

    We want to stay undefiled.

    Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

    Some today teach universal salvation, but there is no such thing. One who is impure can have their name blotted from the Book of Life.

    Revelation 3:7-10 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:  “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

    These believers persevere and Jesus will keep them in the hour of their trial. We are to guard our selves and keep your eye on what you are supposed to do. There will be tribulation and testing, but we need to be faithful.  This happened in modern times too from the 1730′s to 1900′s.  And this opened doors all over the world.

    Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 

    A new name of God, one that has not been blasphemed on the earth, a name that is not known to the enemy. When we go into places of darkness, the enemy will have to respond to us, for we have the seal of God, an anointing of God on us. 

    God knows the pressure of our cares, accusations and situations, and these can be altered. We will be sent and are able to deliver a word in season to people in need and in situations that are difficult.  They will respond in kind even if they don’t want to.  We are covered with the blood.  

    I hope this teaching blesses you.

    Heather