Women, Called and Serving in Leadership

“How Can the Church Repent From Her Wicked and Evil Ways if She Knows Them Not?”

May 21, 2009 on 3:34 pm | In Prophetic Word | 1 Comment

I was interceding on behalf of the church – calling for its repentance from its evil and wicked ways. God asked me this question as I prayed, “How can the church repent from her wicked and evil ways if she knows them not?”

He then instructed me to look at the seven churches found in the book of Revelation in order to know the evil and wicked ways Jesus found in the church and called for repentance from.

Ephesus – A call to intimacy

Revelation 2:2-6

“’I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place–unless you repent. 6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Ephesus was a church of service – Jesus commends her for her deeds and toil. Ephesus had persevered and endured for the sake of Jesus’ name and had not grown weary. They did not endure evil men but put them to test. They did not look at “title” by which men called themselves but tested the “title” for proof of the ministry gift the title implied was given by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 4 -5

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place–unless you repent.”

From where had mankind fallen? They had fallen from walking intimately with God in the Garden of Eden.

Jesus tells Ephesus to remember from where they had fallen – to remember the intimacy with God lost through the fall and now restored to mankind through His finished work upon the cross.

Jesus tells Ephesus to remember the place of intimacy with Him. Jesus tells Ephesus to remember the place of lavishing Him with their love.

Jesus is calling back to intimacy with Him a church which had fallen into doing good works for Him and in His name and did not walk intimately with Him.

Jesus is calling Ephesus back to an intimacy which produces good works.

~ Evil Way = Good works without intimacy with Jesus ~

Jesus instructs Ephesus to repent and do the deeds – intimacy with Jesus – they had done at first.

Verse 6

“Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Many only look at one aspect of the deeds of the Nicolaitans – their doctrines of “free love” and sexual licentiousness. Yet, these doctrines do not encompass all the deeds of the Nicolaitans which Jesus hated.

The Nicolaitans deeds also encompassed setting up a hierarchical system in the church. They separated the church into priest and laity. This separation – this hierarchal system – broke down the unity of all believers. This separation – this hierarchal system – broke down the priesthood of all believers.

Jesus hated not only their doctrines of licentiousness; He also hated the hierarchical system they set up in the church. This hierarchical system was a direct violation of the unity of believers and the priesthood of all believers He had purchased at the cross.

Verse 7

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus instructs us to HEAR what the Spirit says to the churches. We can not ignore what is spoken to these seven churches as not applying to us. Jesus tells us to HEAR – to pay attention to and heed – what the Spirit says to the churches.

Smyrna – A call to faithfulness

Revelation 2:9-10

“’I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. “

Smyrna was a church who endured much persecution through tribulation, poverty, and blasphemy.

Jesus tells the church of Smyrna to not fear what lay ahead of them and to be faithful until death.

Jesus found no evil or wicked way in the church of Smyrna.

The ten days referred to in Verse 10 must likely refers to ten periods of persecution they endured under Roman emperors from Nero to Diocletian.

Pergamum – A call to purification

Revelation 2:13-16

“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.”

The church at Pergamum dwelled where satan was enthroned. Jesus commends them for holding fast to His name and not denying the faith even when Antipas, a faithful witness of the gospel, was killed.

Pergamum was a church who did not deny Jesus or their faith even when they were threatened with possible death.

Verse 14

“’But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.”

Jesus said He had this against the church at Pergamum – some held the teachings of Balaam which were stumbling blocks.

1Corinthians 8:9

“But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

1 Corinthians 8:12-13

“And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.”

~ Evil Way #1 = Teachings which cause others to stumble ~

Verse 15

“So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. “

~ Evil Way #2 = Clergical hierarchy ~

As we learned from the church of Ephesus – Jesus hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans which included a hierarchal system which separated the church into priest and laity.

This doctrine separated believers into groups of “have” and “have not” concerning the anointing of God and thus ability to be used of God.

This separation broke down of the unity of all believers. It was broke down the priesthood of all believers. It broke down the truth of ALL anointed and ALL gifted by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 16

“’Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. “

Jesus calls the church at Pergamum to repent from these teachings will cause others to stumble and which separate and divide the church into groups of “have” and “have not”.

Jesus called the church at Pergamum to purification from unclean teachings.

Thyatira – A call to cleansing from false teachings

Revelation 2:19-25

“’I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them–I place no other burden on you. 25 ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.”

Jesus commends the church at Thyatira for their deeds, love and faith, service, and perseverance. These deeds were greater that at the first.

Thyatira was a church who did greater deeds through faith working in love.

Verse 20

“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

Jesus said He had against the church of Thyatira that they tolerated Jezebel who “called herself” a prophetess.

The church of Thyatira did not do as the church of Ephesus – who did not endure those who “called themselves” and were not – instead the church of Thyatira tolerated her.

This false prophetess taught and led Jesus’ bondservants astray. She taught them to commit acts of immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Jesus calls this woman Jezebel because she is doing as Jezebel of the Old Testament who filled Jerusalem and Judah with idolatry through her teaching and leadership.

~ Evil way = Tolerate false doctrines and those teach them ~

Verses 21-22

“I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.”

This woman had departed from the truth of the gospel and having departed from it she began to preach and teach a perverted gospel. Jesus gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent.

Jesus then calls the church to repent of her deeds.

Verse 23

“’And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”

Jesus’ statement that he would kill her children with pestilence meant that He would destroy the fruit of her false teaching. Pestilence equals pests – insects – who eat plants and the fruit of plants. Jesus said that her false teaching would be destroyed.

Verse 24

“’But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them–I place no other burden on you.”

Jesus placed no other burden BUT not tolerating false teachers and their doctrines.

Verse 25

“Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.”

What did they have? They had greater deeds done through faith working in love. Jesus tells them to hold fast to this work until He comes.

Sardis – A call to wake up

Revelation 3:1-4

“”To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

Jesus says of the church of Sardis, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” He then commands them to, “Wake up and strengthen what remains and were about to die. He tells them that their deeds have not been completed before God.

~ Evil way = Deeds are undone – the good works God prepared beforehand that they should walk in them are not completed or being completed (Eph. 2:10). They are not running the race that has been set before them. Instead they are asleep / dead – not moving. ~

Verse 3

“So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.”

Jesus commands them to remember what they have received and heard – and upon remembering to keep it. He then commands them to repent.

Jesus also tells them that if they will not wake up His coming would be like a thief in the night to them – they would not know the day nor the hour.

Verse 4

“But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

God can be very graphic at times. He reminded me of the season I worked as a nurse’s aid in a nursing home. Those who were in the state of constant sleep latterly “soiled” their garments with excrement. Jesus is saying some have not gone so far asleep as to soil themselves. These ones will walk with Him and be clothed in robes of white, which equal robes of righteousness.

Philadelphia – A call to steadfastness / perseverance

Revelation 3:8-11

“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

Jesus commends the church at Philadelphia for their deeds – they had kept His word and not denied His name.

Jesus tells them He has set an open door before them which no one can shut because they have a little power. He would make those of the Jewish race come and bow down at their feet and know that He has loved them.

I personally believe Jesus is promising a wide open door of effective ministry to the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation will come to know the love God has for them and for the gentiles.

Jesus tells the church of Philadelphia because they had kept His word of perseverance He would keep them from the hour to testing that is coming upon the whole world.

Verse 11

“I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

Jesus told them to hold fast to what they have. What did they have – a little power and a wide open door for effective ministry.

Jesus found no evil or wicked way in the church of Philadelphia.

Laodicea – A call to dependence and reliance upon God

Revelation 3:15-20

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus says of the church at Laodicea that He knows their deeds and they are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm.

Hot water is used for cleansing. Cold water is used for refreshing. Lukewarm water is used to induce vomiting.

Laodicea was a church whose deeds induced Jesus to vomit – spit them out of His mouth – just as lukewarm water is used to induce vomiting.

Verse 17

“Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,”

Jesus was induced to vomiting by the church of Laodicea because they said they were rich, wealthy, and had need of nothing. They did not know their true condition was wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

~ Evil way = Pride of self sufficiency and not dependant upon God. Pride of “I can do it myself” and not relied upon God.
God is no longer their source of provision. ~

Jesus was induced to vomiting by their pride of self sufficiency. Jesus was induced to vomiting because Jehovah Jireh was no longer their source of all provision.

Verse 18

“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”

Jesus’ words “buy from me” was commanding them to return to their true source of provision.

They were to first buy from God gold refined by fire that they may be truly rich. They were to have true riches – which are treasures stored in heaven which do not rust or run out.

Secondly they were to buy from God white garments and clothe themselves that the shame of their nakedness was not revealed. They were to be clothed in the white robes of righteousness and being clothed in Jesus’ righteousness their shame / sin is covered.

2 Corinthians 5:2-3

“For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.”

Romans 4:7

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”

Third they were to buy from God eye salve that they may see.

Matthew 13:16

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

Eye salve would open their eyes and being opened to see their eyes would be blessed.

Verse 19

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”

Jesus commanded them to be zealous and repent.

Verse 20

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

We have made a full circle as we finish the words Jesus spoke to the churches. Jesus began this discourse to the churches with a call to intimacy and He ends with a call to intimacy – to open to him so that He may come in and dine with us.