"PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE"

December 27, 1998 am
MF Blume

There are great truths that we can learn about and apply in our daily lives as we serve the Lord.

However I want us all to think about this carefully before we begin.

Will we take these truths and indeed apply them to our lives?
Will this simply be another sermon to you?
Or will it be added revelation that you will indeed live by.
How many know that God gives us truths that we might live by them.
"To whom much is given, much shall be required."
God expects us to live by what He makes us to know.

Reve 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:

Reve 1:10-20 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Strange verses, to some, concerning the context I am referring to, past present and future.

However, I want to stress verses 17-19.
Past, Present and future.

Jesus was behind John amidst seven golden candlesticks.

Jesus later calls the candlesticks the seven churches.
Aren't you glad that Jesus refers to us golden candlesticks?
Truly, the gold is from Him.

John sees all these glorious characteristics about Jesus, and then falls as one dead.

I want to say at this point that John saw Jesus as one with the churches.

Jesus speaks, John turns and the first thing John sees is seven candlesticks that symbolize the seven churches.
He does not see Jesus immediately, but sees what symbolizes seven churches.
Then He sees Jesus in the midst.
This is a picture of how Jesus is one with the church.
Thank God He is one with us.

This idea of union with the churches is carried on into the actual letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3.

We must see this before we continue
Notice that each description John sees of Jesus in chapter 1 is noted in the letters to the churches.
For example, 1:13 says Jesus was in the midst of the candlesticks.
2:1 reads Jesus saying He walks in the midst of the candlesticks.
1:16 says a sharp twoedged sword proceeds out of his mouth.
2:12 reads Jesus saying He has the sharp sword with two edges.
1:14-15 says He has eyes of fire and feet like burning brass.
2:18 reads Jesus saying he has eyes of fire and feet like burning brass.
Jesus incorporates the characteristics that are true of Him into His letters to the seven churches that He is symbolized as walking amidst.

Not only that, but each characteristic John saw that is again mentioned by Jesus in His letters to the seven churches, is linked to the dilemmas we read about in each letter to each church.

The easiest to see is in the second church letter.
Jesus says He was dead, is a live and will live forever.
Then he refers to that church's dilemma of facing so much persecution that some will face death.
He told them to be faithful until death and they would receive a crown of life if they overcome.
Notice that this is linked to the description of Jesus as He who lives, was dead and is alive forevermore.
They needed the power over death to come out on the other side, risen from death with a crown of life
Their unions with Christ, who was dead but alive forevermore, provided them with that.

The problem or issue referred to in each church is linked to those descriptions of Christ.

Jesus is dealing with an issue in each of the churches that is solved by applying what He described Himself as to their situation.
When Jesus gives us a word, thank God that it is truth that helps us overcome our problems.

OVERCOMING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY SEEING OUR UNION WITH HIM

The reason John hears him say, as he stands among the seven churches, that he has the keys of hell and death, is because he is amidst a church called Philadelphia to whom he wants to say:

Reve 3:7-12 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

The reason he said in 1:17 that He is the first and the last is because a church in Laodicea would be told that He would sit the overcomers of that church with Him in His throne.

He has the power for He is the first and last.

Why else would Christ ascribe to Himself certain characteristics which could actually allow the believers to solve the issue at each church should only those believers in the church have the same qualities?

Thank God for His walk amidst us all.

Whatever we need, He is.

He has all this power and He is one with us.

Hebr 13:5-6 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Now John saw Him with all these characteristics, and then fell as a man dead.

Jesus told him to not fear.
Why should not John fear?
Read it in Rev 1:17-18
Jesus is alive, was dead, and is alive forevermore.
That is the reason John need not fear.

Jesus referred to His own past, present and future.

Past: He was dead.
Present: He lives.
What about future?: He is alive forevermore.

Notice that John fell as one dead and then Jesus refers to His own death and everlasting life in order to explain why John ought not fear.

John saw union of Christ with the churches.
Then John falls as one dead.
The first thing you must see about Christ and union with Him is that you died with him.
But that is all that most ever see about Christ.
What about the present and future?

We are alive unto God and we will live forevermore.

Then Jesus in the same breath tells John to write what was, what is and what is to come.

There is more to this message than simply historical events that Jesus wants John to write of.

He says he was dead, is alive and will live forever, past present and future.
And in the same breath tells John to write what was, what is and what is to come, past, present and future.
This is more than coincidence.
He is referring to his past, present and future when he told John to write of the past, present and future.
And this was said after John falls like a dead man, and after Jesus calmed him by saying he too was dead but is alive and will live forever.
UNION.
Jesus is saying that John needs to see more than what he had seen -- death with Christ.
He needs to also see what is present and future.
Alive to God is present and life forevermore is future.
See more than the fact you died with me, John. See that you live now and will live forevermore!

Col. 1:28-2:14

Paul said that he desired that the believers knew about the treasures that are hidden in Christ.

He was in conflict for the Ephesians and for those at Laodicaea.
He desired they had full assurance in their walks with God.
And he said this in case people should come along and beguile them and mislead them.

He said he thrilled in their faith in Christ.

Jesus was all to the Ephesians.
When they were saved, nobody else could save them but Jesus.
They knew that.
They knew of their pasts.
They trusted solely in Christ's death for their salvation.
But what about their presents?
They trusted (past tense) in Christ for the past, but do they trust God NOW for their troubles?
Verse 6 says they must walk like that now that they are saved.

They have faith.

They need PRESENT and FUTURE faith.
They need to know that everything is secure NOW should they enter into trouble, because they are in CHRIST.
They trusted IN CHRIST for their past problem of being lost.
Now they had to trust in Him for their present problems.
Now they must get rooted in it.
They must build a fortress upon it.
Send down roots into that faith that make us stay there.
Dig a foundation for a solid unmovable structure to actually live in on that faith.
Get even more established in Christ.
Go further than simply trusting Him to save you from sin.
To such an extent that no one can carry you off and away from it today.

1:28 says he wanted to present every man "perfect" or complete in Christ.

2:8-9 says that all the fullness of deity is in Christ bodily.
Bodily.
We are in the Body of Christ if we believed and were baptized into Him.
You are above all powers for you are in Christ who is head of all powers.

This is like Ephesians 1.

God raised Him far above all powers.
And we are in Him, thus seated above all powers with Him.

Our attempts at trying to secure our salvation more perfectly by doing better things is doing nothing for us.

Paul said that Jesus was everything to the Colossians when they received Christ.
Nobody else could save them and they could not save themselves by their own good deeds.
So therefore walk i Him as they received Him.
In other words, Jesus is so much everything, that forget all about adding your own efforts to secure yourself in Him.
He is not only everything in your initial salvation, but also in securing yourself more perfectly.
Simply see that he is everything you need today and tomorrow.
Not just for salvation, but for everything.

Paul told the same thing to the galatians.

They begun in the spirit and should continue in the Spirit.
They should be made perfect in the Spirit.
COMPLETE their walks just as they started them -- in the spirit.

He is trying to say that all our efforts to being good are only attempts at completing our walk in the flesh.

Did they save themselves by good works?
No.
Then where did they get off track thinking they would finish by good works?

Starting the journey is easier than finishing it.

Many have started, but gave up and quit.
But to think that we can start in the Spirit and then finish n the flesh by doing good deeds to COMPLETE our walks is insanity!
How do we complete ourselves?
We are complete by simply being in Him.
All the fullness of godhead is in Him.
That means that in Him is all the power of deity.
Anything God can do for anybody is available in Him.
Bodily.
That means get into the Body of Christ and see that that gives you all of God's power.

Hebrews 10:5

A body hast thou prepared me.
THE BODY is what it is all about.
Just get in and stay in.
Trust in the fact that you are in the Body of Christ for all your progress in the Kingdom of God.
Grow stronger by realizing that no good deeds of your own to impress God are going to do one iota of improvement in your life.
You do not earn anything from God.

All that will be responsible for your presentation to God at the end of the world as blameless and unreproveable saints is going to be in the fact that you are in Christ.

Col. 1:21-23
Do not add to the work God did in putting you into Christ.
You are complete in Him.
That is it!
If you need patience, claim it and say "I am in Christ, and Christ is unlimited patience. So let that patience of your's, Lord, work for me."
All that you need in life is found for you in Him.
And if you are in Him, then you have all you need.

The very thought of adding to your salvation good deeds of your own is simply walking by the flesh.

It is fleshly efforts, so it is nothing better than flesh.
Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom.
Sweat and works of the flesh cannot enter.
Doing works to improve your position in the Kingdom only steals you out of the kingdom.

Stand in Christ.

What that means is that whatever you need in whatever problem you run into, realize God's power, all the fullness of the Godhead, is in the body of Christ to work for those also in that Body.
So just make sure you trusted in Him alone for your salvation, and realize that any work to improve yourself has already been done on the cross.
You simply have to realize that and then claim it.
Ask God to make it come alive for you.

Gal. 5 says stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

Christ did all the work.
It is finished.
Call it the finished work.
Stand in the liberty He accomplished.
There is no greater liberty than the liberty He used to make us free. He id it.
You cannot, despite all your sincere efforts.

All our deeds are nailed when Paul said that circumcision nkr uncircumcision does not matter. Only faith counts.
Gal. 5:6

When you stand still and believe that you already have all that you will ever need from God simply by being in Christ, then God's power moves mightily.

Standing still means forget about personal efforts of your flesh to see the battle won.
It means expecting God to move on your behalf simply because you are in Christ and you asked Him to help.