Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Arizona Conference 2006, Part 1. The Church at Sardis.
Friday AM, January 20, 2006
Angel – noun angeloo – a*ggevlw/ = the messenger or the future pastor-teachers of the church of Sardis or the Sardis type of believers.
Sardis “had a reputation that she was a church filled with life, but it was a carnal religious life not a doctrinal one.”
When a person just lives for pleasure and forgets about the calling of God upon their life, it is just like being dead.
Whether you are a believer with PVTD or a local assembly communicating doctrine, there are always some demonic influences that try to stop believers from going forward.
“I have known your works or accomplishments, namely that you have a reputation that you are alive [allegedly living in the PPOG].”
“Wake up” = to be alert, to know what is going on, to be able to read the historical trends or the society in the time in which you live.
Heard – verb akouo = positive volition toward doctrine, which includes both the recognition of the authority of one’s right pastor and concentration as a result on the message.
One thing that authority does for people in life who respond to it is that the proper use of authority keeps you from making an issue out of people.
In the spiritual realm, recognizing the principle of the authority of the pastor, does not mean liking the pastor, or loving the pastor, or having any attitude about the pastor; it means recognition and acceptance of the content of his message, i.e. Bible doctrine.
In a true situation in learning doctrine, doctrine is the issue – not the one who communicates it; it’s not the man, it’s the message.
Part of divine discipline is that you are surprised by it and the suddenness of it.
Verses 4-6 – the uniform of glory, which accompanies the decoration of the order of the morning star.
The uniform of honor, worn by the mature believer today, and the uniform of glory, a translucent light worn over the resurrection body of those believers who receive the highest of all decorations at the judgment seat of Christ, the order of the morning star.
1. Just as the impact of the mature believer in time is invisible, so is his uniform worn in the soul invisible.
Think of the invisibility of God, which is a manifestation of the power of God and the nature of God not only to those who believe but even to the unbeliever.
ISA 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
ISA 55:9 “For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
2. The uniform of honor is the life of the mature believer living in the PPOG, attaining spiritual maturity, glorifying Christ, and having maximum impact on history as he forms part of the pivot.
3. Such a believer is not found in the textbooks or pages of our histories;
his influence is nevertheless real, but invisible.
4. During the Church-age, the historical impact of the mature believer is invisible, yet very real under the principle of blessing by association.
5. At the judgment seat of Christ, the invisible historical impact of the mature believer wearing the uniform of honor will become known to a select group, the elect angels and the Royal Family of God.
6. The mature believer will receive certain decorations, such as the crown of life for life in the PPOG.
7. At the Second Advent of Christ, the entire population of the world will know and recognize the mature believers.
8. The uniform of honor, which is invisible in the Church-age will be exchanged for the uniform of glory, which will be visible in the Millennium.
9. Those mature believers who receive the order of the morning star will rule with Christ over Gentile nations in the Millennium.
10. When the invisible Christ, now seated at the right hand of the Father becomes visible at the Second Advent, the invisible mature believers of the Church-Age will become visible with him.
1. The positive mature believer lives constantly inside the PPOG, which does not imply perfect life, but the daily use of rebound when necessary; and he wears the uniform of honor.
JOH 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
PSA 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his ways? By keeping {it} according to Thy word.
1JO 1:9 If we acknowledge [name and cite] our sins, He is faithful and righteous, with the result that He forgives us our sins [known sins] and purifies us from all unrighteousness [unknown sins].
2. Clothing in natural life represents thinking, motivation, organization and judgment of the individual.
3. Clothing in the spiritual life represents the Christian way of life, or the carnal way of life for the Royal Family, whichever you happen to be.
4. In this passage, unsoiled clothing represents the believer living in the PPOG.
Hence, the uniform of honor, integrity, virtue in this life.
5. Soiled clothing here refers to the believer living in the cosmic system. Hence the uniform of dishonor, the uniform of carnality, evil, and reversionism.
6. The believer living in the cosmic system has clothing of dishonor and contributes to the historical down-trends of the society in which they find themselves a part of.
7. The believer living in the PPOG wears the uniform of honor, and not only produces personal virtue, integrity and honor, but contributes to the historical up-trends of the society in which they find themselves a part of.
Intensive use – conjunction kai = “in fact”
Fut-act-ind – peripateo – walk = “In fact, they shall walk,” referring to the mature believer.
To walk – peripateo = to walk, to live, to progress, to conduct oneself.
It is not like the word stoicheo, which means to march in ranks, or to advance in ranks.
We are privileged when we are able to march with others who think the same things, maintain the same virtue-love, are united in soul, and are concentrating on the same objective, PHI 2:2.
2CO 12:15 And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less?
2TI 4:16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.
There are times when you will face sorrows and hardships, grief and burdens, but we learn from the Bible that life must go on.
God has a purpose for you being alive and that purpose includes growing in grace, spiritual momentum,
utilizing the ten problem-solving devices, and executing the PPOG.
ECC 3:4 “There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh. There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”