In this sermon, we will look at the last four churches: Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. According to a report by Pew Research, if the trend continues, by 2045 America will no longer be a majority Christian nation. So, while the church in the East may look more like the church at Philadelphia, it is now blatantly obvious, the church in the West looks more like the church at Laodicea. God help us!

We will explain this further in tonight’s sermon: The Age of The Apocalypse: “Hear What the Spirit Says unto the Churches,” based on our study of Revelation 2:1-17

“The Day of Atonement” starts at sunset Tuesday, October 4, and ends at sunset Wednesday, October 5, which also ends the “Ten Days of Awe,” which began at sunset Sunday, September 25, with the celebration of “Rosh HaShanah” the Jewish New year. “Yom Kippur” is still respected as the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

While the death of Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Day of Atonement for the Gentiles, not so for the Jews – there is a “Yom Kippur” yet to come for Abraham’s seed, and it will occur at the end of the Great Tribulation.

We will explain this further in our next sermon, “The Day of Atonement,” based on our study of Leviticus 23.

While the interest in the study of the Book of Revelation is primarily about the events of the end times, it is important that we understand why Jesus began His revelation to John with seven personal letters to seven particular churches in Asia.

First, while these seven churches were actual, historical churches in that day, the Lord’s letters were intended for every local church of every age, and even more importantly, The Church of the ages.
Second, like the nation of Israel failed in their calling to be God’s representatives on the earth and God had no choice but to chastise them, so the church will also reach that point where it becomes so entangled in the world it can make no difference in the world, and it will face a time of severe persecution.
Third, while those believers who remain “faithful” to their calling will be spared from God’s wrath, those who reject Jesus Christ will be vomited out into the time of Tribulation.

We will explain this further in tonight’s sermon: The Age of The Apocalypse: “Hear What the Spirit Says unto the Churches,” based on our study of Revelation 2:1-17

The Feast of Tabernacles is symbolic of Christ’s Second Coming, when He will establish His kingdom on this earth for 1,000 years. Just as God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt through their faith in the shed blood of a lamb, protected and provided for them during their wandering in the wilderness until they entered the Promised Land, so will He deliver those of us who believe in the shed blood of the Lamb of God to deliver us from our bondage to sin, protect and provide for us while we are in the wilderness of this world until He returns to tabernacle with us on this earth for 1,000 years. Maranatha!

We will explain this further in our next sermon, “The Feast of Tabernacles,” based on our study of Leviticus 23.

While the interest in the study of the Book of Revelation is primarily about the events of the end times, it is important that we understand why Jesus began His revelation to John with seven personal letters to seven particular churches in Asia.

First, while these seven churches were actual, historical churches in that day, the Lord’s letters were intended for every local church of every age, and even more importantly, The Church of the ages.
Second, like the nation of Israel failed in their calling to be God’s representatives on the earth and God had no choice but to chastise them, so the church will also reach that point where it becomes so entangled in the world it can make no difference in the world, and it will face a time of severe persecution.
Third, while those believers who remain “faithful” to their calling will be spared from God’s wrath, those who reject Jesus Christ will be vomited out into the time of Tribulation.

The Feast of Pentecost was fulfilled 2000 years ago when the Holy Spirit filled that upper room where Jesus’ closest followers were empowered to take the next step in His plan for our redemption. According to the Scriptures, over 3000 people responded to the gospel message, and the Church was born.

Look around, the harvest is greater than ever before, but the workers are fewer than ever before. People around the world are hurting, and they need to know healing is possible. They need to see the love, grace, mercy, and peace of God manifested in our lives, so they can be drawn to Him.

Beloved, in Ephesians 5:18, the Apostle Paul said every believer is commanded to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Have you had your Pentecost experience? If not, why not?

While the interest in the study of the Book of Revelation is primarily about the events of the end times, it is important that we understand why Jesus began His revelation to John with seven personal letters to seven particular churches in Asia.

First, while these seven churches were actual, historical churches in that day, the Lord’s letters were intended for every local church of every age, and even more importantly, The Church of the ages.
Second, like the nation of Israel failed in their calling to be God’s representatives on the earth and God had no choice but to chastise them, so the church will also reach that point where it becomes so entangled in the world it can make no difference in the world, and it will face a time of severe persecution.
Third, while those believers who remain “faithful” to their calling will be spared from God’s wrath, those who reject Jesus Christ will be vomited out into the time of Tribulation.

In the Book of Leviticus, God called His people to bring the first full sheaf of grain to the temple priests to be lifted up as a wave offering unto the Lord, not only to show their respect and reverence for Him, but to also show they trusted Him to provide enough crops to feed their family. This was called the Feast of Firstfruits.

In 1 Corinthians 15:20, the Apostle Paul said, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus was not the first to be raised from the dead, but He was the first to conquer the effects of death in that while He was recognizable as He had been in His natural body, He was the first person to pass from the natural to the supernatural; from the temporal to the eternal, and that’s what Jesus promises those who receive Him as their Savior and Lord.

While the interest in the study of the Book of Revelation is primarily about the events of the end times, it is important that we understand why Jesus began His revelation to John with seven personal letters to seven particular churches in Asia.

First, while these seven churches were actual, historical churches in that day, the Lord’s letters were intended for every local church of every age, and even more importantly, The Church of the ages.
Second, like the nation of Israel failed in their calling to be God’s representatives on the earth and God had no choice but to chastise them, so the church will also reach that point where it becomes so entangled in the world it can make no difference in the world, and it will face a time of severe persecution.
Third, while those believers who remain “faithful” to their calling will be spared from God’s wrath, those who reject Jesus Christ will be vomited out into the time of Tribulation.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread points to the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, and in Hebrew, Beit-Lechem means “House of Bread.”
Jesus said He was the “Bread of life, “and that all who came to Him would never hunger or thirst for righteousness again.
The exact moment the Jews were bringing their leaven to the synagogue for public burning, Jesus was being nailed to the cross as God’s judgment upon our sin.
Just as the feast of unleavened bread was observed on the 15th of Nisan, so the lifeless body of the Lord Jesus lay buried in a rock hewn tomb and guarded by a Roman soldier.

   The main application of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to us today is to constantly rid ourselves of the leaven of the world through continual confession, for even as those who are saved by God’s grace, if we choose not to confess our sins we are also choosing to accept the consequences that go with that choice. This one verse should drive us all to our knees: “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long,” (Psalm 32:3)