Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

The Laodicean Legacy | Revelation 3:14-22 | J. Allen Mashburn

This passage contains the last of seven letters the Lord Jesus sent to the seven churches of Asia Minor. This letter is harsher than all the others. The Lord Jesus comes to this church with no words of blessing and no words of commendation. He examines this church and sees nothing in it that is worthy of praise.
 
This letter is 2,000 years old, yet it is still very important today. We may wonder what a 2,000 year old letter could possibly teach us in 2012. The reason this letter still speaks is because the modern church is very much like the ancient church in Laodicea. While individual churches might not perfectly fit the mold of the church in Laodicea, elements of the problems that existed in Laodicea can be found in many churches. Those same problems can be found here, if we are not careful. They might even be found here, if we were honest!
 
Before we begin to look into these verses, let me give you a little background on the city of Laodicea.
•      This city was founded by Antiochus II sometime before 253 BC. It was named after his wife Laodice.
•      The city was located on a high plateau and it was very secure from enemy attack.
•      One problem in Laodicea was the fact that there was no ready source of water in the city.   The Lycus River was nearby, but the waters were too muddy to drink. Water had to be piped in through aqueducts. Water from the hot springs in Hierapolis six miles to the north was brought into the city. Water was also piped in from Colossae, which was located 10 miles to the east.
•      Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in 61 AD. The city was so wealthy and so self-sufficient that they rebuilt their city with their own resources, refusing an offer of aid from Caesar and the Roman government.
•      Laodicea was famous for three things:
1.  Laodicea was famous as a center of Finance - Laodicea was a center of banking and finance. The city renowned throughout the Roman Empire for its wealth and financial power. 
2.  Laodicea was famous as a center of Fashion - Laodicea was renowned for the soft, black wool produced there. This wool was considered a luxury item and was sought after for clothing and rugs. Laodicea was the center of fashion in its day. The newest styles appeared here first. It was like modern Paris, Milan, or New York in that regard.
3.  Laodicea was famous as a center of Medicine  - There was a large medical school in Laodicea which produced a tablet that was sold all over the Roman Empire. This tablet was crushed, mixed with water to form a paste. This paste was rubbed into the eyes and was reported to cure a variety of eye problems.
 
Laodicea was a very important city. The church that existed in Laodicea was important as well. It was very important to God. This church was the human representation of the invisible God. How the church was perceived, was how God would be perceived. That is why the spiritual condition of every local church is important to God.
 
The Lord’s words to this church are particularly relevant in our day. Churches like Laodicea, dominate the landscape in our world. We need to our church and place it alongside the church of Laodicea. We need to compare this church to that church, and see if there are any similarities between us and them. If there are, then we need to deal with those areas and bring them into line with God’s Word and His will.
 
It’s easy to tell if a church has inherited a Laodicean mindset. The characteristics of that kind of church are revealed here. 

The Church at Philadelphia | Revelation 3:7-13 | J. Allen Mashburn

Today, we will consider the church in Philadelphia.
·         Philadelphia was the youngest and smallest of all the cities addressed in these letters.
·         The city was located in a narrow pass between two mountain ranges.  It stood as a literal doorway between Asia Minor and Asia.
·         Because of its strategic location, it was used as a military buffer city.  Enemy armies passing through the narrow pass could be delayed by a small force at Philadelphia.
·         The city was named for King Attalus II, the king of Pergamum.  He was renowned for his love of his brother Eumenes, and he came to be called “Philadelphos”.  The word means “one who loves his brother”.  Thus, Philadelphia became known as “The city of brotherly love”.
·         Philadelphia was built on a geological fault.  As a result, the city was plagued by frequent earthquakes and tremors.  The citizens were often forced to flee the city to avoid being injured or killed by falling buildings.
·         Philadelphia was also the home to numerous temples desiccated to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece.
·         Philadelphia was the last of the seven cities to lose its Christian testimony.  There was a thriving Christian community there as late as 1,000 AD, when the city was captured by the Muslim armies of the Middle East.
       It is to the church in Philadelphia that Jesus speaks in these verses.  He comes to them with no words of complaint.  He comes to them with words of praise and words of promise.  I think the Lord’s words to this weak, but faithful church, have much to say to our own hearts today.  If we are going to model ourselves after any of these seven churches, it should be this church.  

The Church at Sardis | Revelation 3:1-6 | J. Allen Mashburn

The church in Saradis had taken on the character of the city in which she resided.  A little background on the city will help us understand the condition of this church.
·         Sardis was the capital city of Lydia. 
·         It was founded about 1,200 BC. 
·         The original city sat on the top of a 1,500 foot high plateau.  There was one narrow road leading into the city. The other sides of the plateau were just steep cliffs.  This made the city very safe and nearly impenetrable by invading armies.
·         Sardis was the home of Aesop, who’s fables we all heard as children.
·         Gold and silver coins were first minted here.
·         The city of Sardis was famous for the industries that operated there.  
Carpet, wool and dyed cloth were their primary products.  It is said that the art of dyeing was invented at Sardis.
·         At one time, Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the world.  It reached its zenith under King Croesus. King Croesus and Sardis were famed around the world for their wealth.  In that part of the world, it is still common to hear the phrase, “As wealthy as Croesus”.
·         While Sardis reached its zenith under Croesus, it also fell under his reign.  He and the people of the city became complacent in their wealth, their power and their city’s apparent invincibility.  When that region where Sardis was located came under attack by Cyrus the Persian, King Croesus and his people retreated to their city, believing they were safe.  One night, one of the Persian soldiers saw a Sardinian soldier drop his helmet over the wall of the city.  He watched as that soldier followed a hidden path down the side of the mountain to retrieve his helmet.  
When nightfall came, Cyrus and his troops followed the hidden path up the side of the mountain, entered the city while the guards slept and conquered Sardis.
·         Sardis regained some of its former wealth under the reign of Alexander the Great, but was invaded and defeated by Antiochus the Great, who also entered the city at night while the guards slept.
·         When the Romans came, Sardis was still a wealthy, powerful city, but it was just a shell of its former self.  By John’s day, Sardis was just a shell of what it had been.  The people had grown lazy, degenerate, immoral and complacent. Sardis was dying through apathy and indifference.
·         The city was proud of its past; it was proud of its reputation.  But, its reputation was all it had left.  For all intents and purposes, the city of Sardis was dead, even while it lived.
 
Apparently, the church in Sardis had adopted the atmosphere of the city.  The church had become a thermometer that registered the temperature of the city instead of a thermostat that changed the temperature of the city.  It is to this church that had become lazy, apathetic and complacent that the Lord Jesus comes.  Just as surely as the city of Sardis was dying, so was the church if Christ in that city.  Jesus has no words of commendation for them, but He does have some words of counsel.  I would like for us to look at our Lord’s words to this dying church.  There is a word of warning for us in these verses as well.

The Church at Thyatira | Revelation 2:18-29 | J. Allen Mashburn

The city of Thyatira was the smallest of the seven cities mentioned in the letters to the churches.  It is also the city about which the least is known. Yet, it is to this little known church in a little known city that Christ addresses His longest letter.
While not a lot is known about ancient Thyatira, some things are known and they are worthy of mention.
·         Thyatira was probably founded by Alexander the Great some 300 years before Christ.
·         The name Thyatira means “Unceasing Sacrifice”.  It probably received this name because it was a military buffer city.  It was located some 40 miles south east of Pergamos, the capital city of that province.  When enemies invaded, they would naturally come to Thyatira first.  While its location did not allow it to defend itself very well, its mission was to hold the enemy just long enough for Pergamos to prepare itself for battle.  As a result, Thyatira was destroyed and rebuilt many times during its history.
·         It was somewhat famous in its day for commerce.  There was main trade route that went through the city.  Thus, tradesmen from around the world bought and sold there.
·         Thyatira was known for its woolen industry, especially for the dyes produced there.  They manufactured a very expensive purple dye that was valued by royalty and the wealthy of that era.  This dye was obtained from a certain shellfish.  This little creature was brought up by divers; its throat was slit open; and a single drop of this dye was obtained.  That dye, coupled with the chemical composition of the water of Thyatira, made colors possible there that could not be reproduced anywhere else on earth.  This industry is mentioned in the Bible.  We are told about a woman named Lydia who is called “a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira…”, Acts 16:14.
·         Thyatira was also known for its trade guilds.  These were like the ancient unions of the day.  Workers from the various industries of the city, bakers, wool worker, dyers, bronze workers, potters, and others, all banded together to set prices, guarantee work.  To refuse to join a guild was to give up all prospects of work.  This little fact will become important as we move through these verses.
·         Thyatira was also a center of occult worship.  There was a temple in the city dedicated to fortune-telling.  It was presided over by a female oracle named Sambathe´.
      It was to the church operating in this city that Jesus sends this letter.  We do not know who founded this church.  It is possible that the Gospel was brought to Thyatira was by Lydia who was saved in Philippi, Acts 16:12-15.  Or, as some think, it might have been evangelized by believers from Ephesus.  There is one thing we know for sure.  While the church in Thyatira might have been founded by a woman, it was certainly being confounded by a woman!  There were serious problems in the church of Thyatira and the Lord comes with a word tailored just for them and their need.
      Jesus comes to this church in verse 18 and presents Himself in three ways.  He comes as:
1.      The Saving One – “The Son Of God” – He reminds these people that He is the Savior and that He alone is worthy of worship.
2.      The Searching One – “eyes like unto a flame of fire” – He comes as one Who sees all.  He sees the works of the hands and the motives and thoughts of the heart.  He comes seeing all. He comes, not as the meek and lowly Jesus, but with His eyes ablaze with anger over sin.
3.      The Sovereign One – “feet like fine brass” – Brass, or bronze, in the Bible is symbolic of judgment.  Jesus not only comes as One able to see all; He also comes as One able to judge all.
If there is one word that describes the situation we find at Thyatira it is the word “compromise”.  This is a church that has left its founding principles and has gone off into compromise and apostasy. Let’s examine these verses and consider The Church That Compromised With The World.
Remember, these letters can be views three ways: Practically – They are literal letters to real churches with real issues.  Prophetically – They speak to the church in different periods of church history.  The church of Thyatira speaks of the period between 600 AD to 1500 AD.  The time known as the Dark Ages.  Many practices here similar to Roman Catholicism.  Personally – These letters have a message for every church and every believer who will hear and heed.  A church just like every one of these seven churches can still be found in the world today.  Folks, there is a word here for us if we will receive it today.
With all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to these verses and consider The Church That Compromised With The World.

The Church at Pergamos | Revelation 2:12-17 | J. Allen Mashburn

As we study these verses, we are going to discover that this church was doctrinally pure; but they had drifted into compromise. Jesus comes to call them back to the right path. In these verses, there is a word for our hearts today. There is always the danger that we too might drift off center. There is the danger that we might hold the right doctrines, but still drift into compromise with the world around us.

The Church at Smyrna | Revelation 2:8-13 | J. Allen Mashburn

In this beautiful, wealthy pagan city, there existed a struggling Christian community.  The church in Smyrna was undergoing intense and withering persecution.  The Lord Jesus comes to them with a word of comfort for their dark days.  He tells them that even though they appear to be so week and so poor, they are, in fact, rich beyond imagination.   
Prophetically, this church pictures the terrible persecution inflicted upon believers by the Roman emperors between the years of 100 AD and 312 AD.  Practically and personally, there is a word here for everyone who has ever or will ever suffer for Jesus’ sake.  Let’s look at our Lord’s words to this struggling little congregation to find the encouragement we need to be able to stand when everyone else is against us.

The Church of Ephesus | Revelation 2:1-7 | J. Allen Mashburn

What we have before us is the first of seven letters written to seven different churches that existed in Asia Minor in the First Century. These letters could be considered from three different perspectives.
1.  They can be viewed Prophetically – These churches represent different stages of the church over the last 2,000 years.  The church at Ephesus represents the time period between the Day of Pentecost and 100 AD.  This was a time of great expansion for the early church.  It was also a time when some began to lose their zeal and fervency.
2.  They can be viewed Practically – These letters were sent to literal, real congregations that were actually functioning at the close of the First Century.  While they were written to real churches existing in that day, they still speak to every church in existence today.  
3.  They can be viewed Personally – These letters speak to congregations, but we should also be mindful that the Lord has a word for the individual in these letters as well.  He has something to say to you and to me about our relationship with Him.      

Stop, Drop & Roll | Daniel 3:16-18 | J. Allen Mashburn

Stop, drop and roll is a simple fire safety technique taught to children, emergency services personnel and industrial workers as a component of health and safety training.
Primarily, it is a method to extinguish a fire on a person’s clothes or hair without, or in addition to, the use of conventional firefighting equipment.
In addition to extinguishing the fire, stop, drop and roll is an effective psychological tool, providing those in a fire situation, particularly children, with a routine that can be focused on in order to avoid panic.
Stop, drop and roll consists of three components.
 
Stop - The fire victim must stop still. Ceasing any movement which may fan the flames or hamper those attempting to put the fire out.
Drop - The fire victim must drop to the ground, lying down if possible, covering their face with their hands to avoid facial injury.
Roll - The fire victim must roll on the ground in an effort to extinguish the fire by depriving it of oxygen. If the victim is on a rug or one is nearby, they can roll the rug around themselves to further extinguish the flame.
Most folk would agree that this is a technique that everyone should know if you ever find yourself in a blazing situation, but there are principles here that are pertinent to us as we go through our fiery trials.  Join us....