6 Lampstand Churches

Will you turn with me here to Revelation chapter 1 in the New Testament, Revelation chapter 1 and we're continuing with our messages on the Sunday mornings on the 21st century church and as we do we're looking at what God wants that church to be. God does have a plan and I believe from Scripture we can know something of God's plan for the church in the 21st century. So turn into Revelation chapter 1. My message this morning is lampstand churches, lampstand churches. Last week in part 5 we looked at the lampstand in Zechariah chapter 4 and God's message to revive the lampstands but here I want to go a bit further. In Revelation chapter 1 reading from verse 12 to the end of the chapter, and I turned to see the voice that speak 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 gird about the paps with a golden girdle his head and his hair's hair 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 as the sound of many waters and he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun shineth in her strength and when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me hear not fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore 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 this sorry let me say that again and the seven gold candlesticks the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which I saw are the seven churches will you pray with me here this morning father we do thank you on this first day of 2022 nor God that we can come gathering around the Lord Jesus Christ we want to hear his voice nor God we want to see his face and his glory we want to experience his right hand being laid upon us we want to be fine prostrate at his feet this morning my God we want to begin this year as we desire and long to continue it we want a real experience of the Lord Jesus Christ father I pray this morning will you open our ears that we might hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ as thunder as a two-edged sword my God I pray for that voice of the spirit of God to speak under the churches this morning my God I pray anoint our eyes that we might see him do not let us be blind this morning my God give us a clear vision of Christ that we might see him for who he truly is I know God lay your hand upon us individually in this room Lord God let us feel the touch of the master's hand the nail-pierced hand not hand that has all power and all might and all authority Oh God show us the the seven golden candlesticks show us what you desire for your church in this hour in Jesus mighty name will you bless your word and reveal yourself by the power of your Holy Spirit this morning in Jesus mighty name my message here this morning is lampstand churches it says here in Revelation chapter 1 and I said it and emphasized it before I'm gonna emphasize it this morning again and I will emphasize it in the weeks ahead do not think I'm redundant please do not think I'm going senile I'm emphasizing it I want to repeat it I want you marked by the simple truth about what it says concerning these seven golden lampstands it is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us a vision of seven golden lampstands it's not a mistake and in verse 20 what does he say the seven candlesticks which thou saw'st are the seven churches seven churches seven golden lampstands and God gives the golden lampstand or candlestick to be the symbol of each church in other words when God is trying to convey the vision the desire the longing of his heart the plan of his heart for each local church in each time or each city you know what he does he shows them a golden lampstand and says that is my plan for you that is my desire that is all my working towards you as a church speaking working in your life revealing myself you know what why I'm doing all of this all the preaching all the written scriptures the moving of the spirit is to make you into that golden lampstand now I'm going to come back to these seven golden lampstands but we're emphasizing that the symbol of a real church is a golden lampstand there is no other and no better example symbolic prophetic spiritual symbol of the church than these golden lampstands we've already seen in the weeks ahead there's a history you have to understand this you need to go back into Exodus 25 you need to go back in the second Zechariah chapter 4 and as you see and understand what this golden lampstand was you begin to understand why God uses the golden lampstand or the golden candlestick as the symbol of the local church here this morning I want you to see the lampstand churches there are churches not all churches are lampstand churches but there are churches that are called lampstand churches and you're gonna see that actually there are certain churches who have either had the lampstand removed or never had a lampstand in other words there's things in our city and in our nation and in the world that call themselves churches that we think are churches and yet actually Christ says they do not have a lampstand or the lampstand has been removed but we will look at that further but I've got several things I want to point out to you this morning as we begin to look in the New Testament at this thing called the church and how it is represented by a golden lampstand and Christ has revealed this my first point this morning the centrality and the supremacy of Christ as you begin to look at a local church in a specific area or community and you see that it is represented by a golden lampstand the first and greatest thing that we see in Revelation chapter 1 chapter 2 and chapter 3 as the Spirit of God deals with each church do you know what's the first most important thing you see the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ in other words what is the lampstand unless Christ is central what is the church unless he is speaking to it what is the church unless he is dominating its vision dominating its hearing and he is laying his hand upon the members of each church look with me at Revelation chapter 1 and 1 and I said this many times but I'm repeating myself again you know I don't need to go back and repeat things I've got a lot that I've never preached I mean I'm not gonna live long enough and time is not gonna go long enough for me to preach all if I ever get on to preaching Isaiah I assure you we're gonna be here for years but look at this it says in Revelation 1 and 1 it names the book of the Bible most books in the New Testament are never given an official name in the text but Revelation is given a divine name the Holy Spirit names it what is it called the revelation of Jesus Christ the Greek word there is a coluptus where we get the word apocalypse when we think of apocalypse we think of World War 3 we think of Antichrist we think of judgments we think of famines we think of many things and yet the word revelation does not mean that apocalypse does not mean the end of all things or the judgment and wrath of God the word revelation actually means to disclose to take the cover off or to reveal what is normally hidden to individuals in other words the book of Revelation is the revelation of Christ the revealing of Christ the disclosing of Christ you naturally apart from God speaking to you you're blind to Christ isn't it true that we were all one day we could not see him we could not feel him we could not perceive him we did not know him we could not hear his voice there could be preaching we go isn't that a nice message all of a sudden God works and you hear Christ it's a human vessel and yet Christ is being revealed and so when we come to the seven golden candlesticks we see the first and most important thing to each church or to each lampstand is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ to each church this is God's supreme task that that church has a revelation of Christ that's why the Word of God was given to reveal Christ look at verse 12 for a second it says and I John turned to see the voice whoever turned to see a voice how can you see a voice and yet John hears this voice of thunder behind them speaking to him and it says that he turned to see the voice I want to tell you this voice you can see there is a voice that is a person and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ that's why he is central to every church if God speaks to you do you know what happens you turn your eyes to Jesus to see Jesus if God is really speaking to you if you really hear the voice of God if there's real preaching in this church you know what happens when you hear his voice it actually causes you if you're here in the voice of God through the preaching through reading the Bible through whatever means when you're hearing the voice of God it causes you to turn and to see the voice and it is the Lord Jesus Christ and being turned listen I saw the seven golden candlesticks if you're gonna see the voice you're gonna see the golden candlesticks so when you turn to see who this voice is to hear its message or to hear the true word of God you know the first thing that John sees he sees the seven golden candlesticks never separate the voice of God from the golden candlesticks there is a voice that turns you to see Christ and you're gonna find yourself in the church of God you see the voice of God brings you to Christ and if you ever find a real golden candlestick you're gonna find Christ there you're gonna find the voice of God there there is a drawing into this that is a remarkable thing and he says I turn to see the seven golden candlesticks do you want to find Christ is in the midst of the candlesticks it says in verse 13 and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man do you see that Christ is in the midst of the seven candlesticks in the seven churches in specific times Christ is in the midst he's in the middle he is the central person in other words you don't have churches without Christ he is at the center this is the purpose of the churches is that Christ will be found in the midst of them you know if you go to a church and you don't hear the voice of Christ and you don't see the person of Christ that church is a failure if you can walk into the church and they don't preach Christ and they don't speak about Christ and there isn't a voice there that's turning you to look upon Christ there is a tragic failure there is something wrong you see a real golden candlestick Christ is in the midst of it and where you see preachers and pastors and leaders and the talk about their cats and their holidays and their dogs and yet they never speak of Christ there is a tragedy there if you ever find the seven golden candlesticks I mean if you find real golden candlesticks real churches Christ is in the midst of it since if Christ is not the center of this church there is something terribly wrong with this church we have either failed or lost something or grieved the Spirit of God away this is the first great mark of when you find a real candlestick church or a lampstand church Christ is the center of it and it says that one is like unto the Son of Man then over in chapter 2 verse 1 it says who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks we know that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father he is in heaven he is in the throne room of God he is seated upon a throne and he is going to come again that's where he is physically and yet we see here that he is not only in the midst of the candlesticks he is walking in the midst of the candlesticks that means he's not static there are seven golden lampstands around him and he is not only standing there but he is moving around each of the lampstands in other words he is active he is looking he is speaking he is searching he is not passive towards the churches he is very hands-on he is active and that's what we see the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the candlesticks standing in their midst walking in the midst and he is ministering in the midst he is called the Son of Man this term Son of Man is used over a hundred times in the book of Ezekiel and the Old Testament the Son of Man is taught about a man in his humanity and when Jesus is called the Son of Man it is speaking about his humanity as the man Christ Jesus yes he is God but he is also man in the Gospels Jesus himself speaks about himself as the Son of Man about 70 times here in Revelation twice he is called the Son of Man and so we see him in the midst of the candlesticks never forget he took on flesh never forget he was born of a virgin never forget that for 33 years he walked as a man he suffered temptations he was crucified he was rejected he experienced pain he knows what you are as a human as a person he took on human flesh and this is the one standing walking in the midst of the churches you know he cares about the lampstands you know he cares about the church he is intimately connected so we see his humanity then you even see his dress in verse 13 it says he was clothed with the garment down to the foot some people in the church they think clothes don't matter doesn't matter how you dress the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation rejects that you know Adam and Eve they went after they sinned and they're ashamed and they realize they're naked and they ran and hid from God from the voice of God from the presence of God and they just covered their waist they thought that was sufficient they said I'll just cover my mid parts my private parts and I'll just be fine but you know what God killed an animal and clothed them from the neck down there was a covering of their body do you know nakedness is always connected unless it's in the right context it's always connected with demonology there is always an influence there but we see it here in Revelation when you see Christ he is clothed he is gone with a garment down to the foot here you have them not in shame or nakedness he is clothed in glory and majesty he is clothed upon he is rightly dressed and you know the Bible always identifies clothes as identifying you your clothes identify you now I'm not a clothesline preacher okay I don't tell you all the do's and don'ts of how to dress modesty is a mark but you know what the Bible does take note of this garment going down to the feet and he was girded about the paps with a golden girdle do you know this was the clothing of the high priest in the Old Testament do you know Jesus here is dressed in such a way for ministry he is standing walking in the midst of the candlesticks and this long garment that he's wearing and this golden girdle around the paps is showing us that he is standing in the position of ministry it was the job in the Old Testament of the high priest to walk into the tabernacle or walk into the temple and he kept an eye on the golden candlestick and he made sure in the house of God everything was functioning right only one high priest in the tabernacle and he made sure is that is that oil topped up is the light burning is there any danger of it going out some have you cleaned out and trimmed that lamp this morning we need to keep fire burning and so as high priest in the Old Testament the high priest went in there right into the house of God tending the lamps judging the lamps making sure everything was functioning correctly in the Old Testament the priest was responsible for judging the lepers the priest had a ministry and they said you know what there's something wrong with you there's something unclean you've got to go outside the camp the priest made sure the people of God were kept clean only those that were right with God could come right into the presence of God and so the priest judged lepers you know today in the church you go you can't judge anyone you're not meant to judge me and you're not meant to judge sin but the priest in the Old Testament it was a part of their ministry to judge an individual you may deny you're a leper but it's obvious on your body you may deny that you're living in rebellion to God but it's gonna be obvious and if you don't have enough sense to deal with yourself then someone in the church is gonna say brother sister there is something wrong here you see we see Christ in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks you know what he's doing I'm gonna make sure they keep burning anything that's wrong in those seven churches I'm gonna speak about it I want to keep fire burning oil flowing through the lampstand I want all seven churches to be a golden lampstand church we need to realize that when we come to the seven churches we get a vision of the person of Christ we begin to see who he truly is in verse 5 it goes further unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood the one who stands in the midst of the candlestick never you forget it he loves you see this morning as we go into a new year this one who died for you loved you he's so loved you he died for you don't you just think he's coming here to play around with your life or to point out something wrong or to condemn you when you see this high priest in the midst of the candlestick you've got to know he loves you and he washed us from our sins in his blood notice he didn't just mention the cross notice he doesn't just mention his death he mentions the blood there's some preachers well-known good preachers who they've replaced the blood with the death of Christ on the cross of Christ that's wrong you see here never forget he mentions the blood when you find Christ in the midst of candlesticks you know who he is he washes you and makes you clean in his blood only the blood of Jesus can make you clean only the blood of Jesus can save you and it's because he loves you he loves you with an everlasting love since when we deal with this high priest never forget he died for you he suffered for you he died he rose again and he'll reign for all eternity he is so real so real in verse six it says and he made us kings and priests under God his father to him be glory and dominion forever if you're washed in the blood of the Lamb listen this carefully do you know what he's just said here I loved you I washed you in my blood I have made you kings and priests unto God the father to his glory all of us every member of the church has been brought in through the blood and made a priest you become a part of this ministry it's not only Christ the high priest who has to make sure the flames burning and that the lampstands are golden oh no we are all a part of the priesthood you individually if you're born again I don't care if you're saved a day or saved a hundred years you are part now of this spiritual ministry that keeps the house of God functioning you are responsible your prayers your worship your open eyes your open ears you have been brought in through the blood of Jesus you have an interest in this golden candlestick if you're a real Christian you go I want the church to be represented by a golden candlestick I want there to be oil flowing in the house of God I want there to be flames of fire burning in the house of God in verse 5 we see his sovereignty over the nation's he's called the Prince of the kings of the earth never forget no matter what's happening in the nation's Christ our Christ our Redeemer our great high priest he is sovereign over every king and every politician on the earth in verse 7 it says behold he cometh we see his second coming we see his sovereignty we see his supremacy in the nation's and in time and eternity behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him meaning the Jews and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him even so amen when you see this person the son of man walking in the midst of candlesticks he's gonna speak to them gonna deal with them gonna move upon them encouraging them warning them he is the soon coming Lord never forget he's not only the one who died for you Calvary he's the one that's gonna come and all nations are gonna weep on that day do you realize entire nations our entire world there's an hour there's a day in which they are gonna weep they are gonna wail they are gonna mourn and you know what it's gonna be when this one who today walks spiritually in the churches speaking working in the midst of you it's gonna be when he comes back physically and visibly and literally what a terrible day that's gonna be how terrible for men who never made it into the church never washed in the blood of the Lamb you see John as he looks he sees the seven golden candlestick and he sees the Son of Man and this is what he begins to understand and listen to what Christ says here to John I am Alpha and Omega the first letter of the Greek alphabet is Alpha the last is Omega you know what Christ is saying I am the alphabet of God I am the Alpha and Omega I am the beginning and the ending you know what I believe also this means when he says I'm Alpha the beginning what was the beginning he's not talking about his eternity he is talking about the beginning I am the beginning he's saying I am the creator I was there at the beginning I was the one that created all things and nothing was created unless it was through me he also says I am the ending in other words there is an end saints of God this world is not going to go on time millennia after millennia there is an end and Jesus is I am the end I'll be there before anything was and I'll be there after all of this world of ours is rolled up he is the Alpha and Omega we also see his divinity in verse 8 saith the Lord which is he is the Lord you see anyone like the Mormons and the JWs they deny Christ oh they believe in his humanity they believe in his sovereignty but they deny his divinity that he is God manifest in the flesh but look at Christ speaking here he says thus saith the Lord he is the Lord that's the name for God which is which was and which is to come the Almighty the name Almighty means all mighty he is the only one who is all mighty with all power no one else has that power or that position and so we see this vision of Christ the centrality and supremacy of Christ and the seven golden candlesticks if you find the real Christ in the midst of real churches and real golden candlesticks this is what he looks like he is divine he is human he is a great high priest look at his appearance in verse 4 his head and his hair were like wool as wide as snow you're seeing his ancientness this is his eternity he is the eternal God he is the eternal creator he's not a 33 year old he is the ancient of days he is the one who's without beginning and without end saints of God if only we could see the Lord Jesus Christ in the church again it would radically change what the church looks like we wouldn't play around with sin we wouldn't play around with time we wouldn't play around with doctrine we are dealing with God Almighty and he is real we see further here it says and his eyes are as a flame of fire the eyes look the eyes search when it says his eyes are a flame of fire that means as he walks in the churches his eyes burn with fire when he looks upon you they're gonna be eyes of fire have you ever talked with someone and as you talk to him you said boy that their eyes it's like they're looking right into my soul I don't know whether you've ever been with a holy man or woman and as they're speaking they so walk with God they're in such communion with God that as you speak to them you almost feel now they're only a man they're only a person in the church and yet you feel they can see every sin they can see every thought they can see every attitude since that's a man I sat with godly people and that's what I experienced that's what I felt but what is it like when Christ looks into your eye what is it when you catch a vision of this one in the midst of the lampstand and his eyes are flames of fire what is it like for him to search into your soul and your innermost being and verse 15 it says and his feet is like on to fine brass as if they burned in a furnace do you see his feet like on to fine brass as if they burned in a furnace Christ is walking in fire don't tell me doesn't know what you're going through and he doesn't feel what you're going through you see brass is a sign of judgment he has had a walk through the fiery judgment of God he has walked through the trials you say where was Christ to my troubles he was right in there with you you may not have seen him or heard him or felt him but Christ walks with you this is the real Christ in the midst of the churches and then notice his message or his voice in verse 10 we read that there was a great voice as of a trumpet when you really have a revelation of Christ his voice is like a trumpet when he speaks to you do you know some of you's got converted when Christ spoke to you and it was like a mighty trumpet that woke you can you imagine sleeping there and you've been sleeping for several hours and and what would your brother or sister very kindly sneak into the room and you are sound asleep and they get one of those big long trumpets and they just blast it can you imagine how terrified for a second you're gonna be before you threaten to kill them I assure you the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ if you have a dealing with Christ you know when he's speaking because it's like a trumpet being blasted it's remarkable verse 15 says about his voice as the sound of many waters many do you know what it's like a Niagara Falls or some of these other places I'm mighty rushing water that's what the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is like many waters rushing forth in verse 16 it says out of his mouth when a sharp two-edged sword that is the Word of God it is sharp it cuts asunder and it deals with things in verse 16 lastly in this first point it says his countenance or how he looked or how his face was was as the sun shining in his strength church all of these things about Christ is what Christ is to the golden candlestick this is what is going to make it into a golden candlestick this is what keeps you gold this is what keeps the fire burning this is what keeps the oil pouring it's a revelation of Christ when you see him and catch a glimpse by faith he is bright shining as the as the Sun in all of its strength and all of its warmth can you imagine having your having the Sun as your best friend the energy of its heat its power its strength its influence and yet you have it on the face of Jesus look on the face of Jesus my second point and we're dealing with these seven candlesticks first you see the centrality of Christ second of all you see the seven spirits of God the seven spirits of God it says in chapter 1 verse 4 the seven spirits which are before his throne when you begin to find the seven golden candlesticks there are seven spirits of God here in verse 4 it says there before the throne in other words the seven spirits of God are ambassadors from the throne of God they represent the throne room they represent God the work they do in the earth is from the throne of God or the government of God in chapter 3 verse 1 it says these things says he that hath the seven spirits of God who has the seven spirits of God Jesus when you see him in the midst of the churches only one person has the seven spirits of God and it's the Lord Jesus Christ again let me just explain what are the seven spirits of God look at chapter 4 and verse 5 it says and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God so what are the seven spirits of God they are seven lamps of fire burning that's what it says here they are the fire on top of each of the lamps when you get the golden candlestick there are seven burning lamps on top of it and you know what it represents the seven spirits of God this fire that burns on each candlestick is the Holy Spirit of God now don't misunderstand us there's only one Holy Spirit not seven spirits there is only one sovereign Spirit of God connected to the throne of God connected to the person of Christ the real Holy Spirit if you find them is always connected to Jesus always connected to the throne room if you ever find a preacher who commands the Holy Spirit what to do you better run at the speed of a thousand gazelles that man is a danger to your soul you know if I can manipulate the Holy Spirit and tell him what to do Holy Spirit I want you to do this Holy Spirit you need to do that that is not the real Holy Spirit the real Holy Spirit comes from the throne of God and he reveals the person of Jesus Christ and he is the burning fire you know the only fire in the church is the Holy Spirit if you get fire and preaching it's from the Holy Spirit if you get fire in the prayer meeting it's from the Holy Spirit if you get fire in evangelism on the streets it's from the Holy Spirit this is what keeps the church burning since we need fire and the church again and the only fire you have is the real Holy Spirit the seven burning lamps are the seven spirits of God you see seven is the number of perfection completeness nothing lacking in fullness and so when it talks about the seven spirits of God it's talking about the fullness of the Spirit of God or nothing lacking in the Spirit of God throughout Revelation we read of seven many sevens seven trumpets seven seals seven vials seven thunders seven churches but we also have here the seven spirits of God what does it mean by saying seven spirits of God it's one about is seven full perfection it is the seven fold spirit of God it says again in chapter five and six there stood a lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the spirits seven spirits of God sent forth into all of the earth he come from the throne of God but the seven spirits are the work of the Holy Spirit when they're sent into the earth it is the seven flames burning on the church that's what it means by the seven spirits of God it's one Holy Spirit but he reveals himself in seven ways let me show you this in a very practical way you know in the New Testament in the Gospels Jesus quoted the Old Testament and applied it to himself he said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me do you remember that Christ was saying that prophecy of Isaiah was about me but let me quote the exact scripture in Isaiah 11 it is talking a prophecy about Jesus and it says and here is the seven full spirit the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon me number one the spirit of wisdom number two understanding number three the spirit of counsel number four and the might five the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord and so we see this prophecy about Christ it is the real Holy Spirit the one Holy Spirit and yet he is named in seven distinct ways that the Holy Spirit was going to rest upon Christ on the earth in his ministry amongst men and women when the Spirit of God would come upon him it would be in seven different manners you know the Spirit of God can come as the fear of God you know the Holy Spirit can fall on you and you'll tremble under the fear of God have you ever had it when the Spirit of God come on you and you know it's the presence of God and you begin to tremble or there can be the might of God the power of God comes on you or the Spirit of the Lord and look what it says in Isaiah 11 3 and shall make him that is Jesus of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither approve after the hearing of his ears look when the Spirit of God is on you in a sevenfold manner as counsel as knowledge as the fear of the Lord seven distinct ways and in the church when the church has the seven full spirit do you know what they don't judge according to their eyes they don't that's what it says here they will not judge according to their ears do you know how many in the church they judge according to their eyes and their ears do you know what shows they're not being led of the Spirit of God their words show that they're not seeing and they're not hearing by the Spirit of God that the Spirit of God is upon you you operate you minister according not not by my eyes not by my ears I'm gonna minister by the Spirit of God Christ's entire ministry was like that it was under the influence of the Spirit of God when these seven flames burn in the church of God since we need fire again I don't want your opinions I don't want your ideas I want the Holy Spirit and control I want his fire I want his influence it says again in Revelation 1 and verse 10 I John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day now notice that John is saying I was in the Spirit we know that a real Christian the Holy Spirit is in you he in dwells you he lives in you remember what Jesus said to the disciples the Spirit is with you but he's gonna be in you and we know that that's what happened a real Christian has the Spirit in them in dwelling that means you're converted you're regenerate you have the witnesses spirit but this isn't talking about that John is saying I was in the Spirit not that the Spirit was in me I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day if you're in the Spirit this morning something happens I believe there's many Christians who the Spirit is in them but they're not in the Spirit there's a whole realm of the Spirit of the fullness of the Holy Spirit of the baptism and the Holy Ghost of the influence of the Spirit of God and they come and go and I'm saved the Spirit of God is in me I love the Lord Jesus but they are so blind to the work of the Spirit of God they judge by their own eyes their own mind and their own ears what a desperate thing this is you say to be in the Spirit means you're submerged in him you're lost in him you're caught up in an atmosphere of the Holy Spirit and a realm of the Holy Spirit do you know there's more of the Holy Spirit for you to experience not just one baptism but many fillings not just one filling but many many fillings it's like being submerged in the ocean that's what the Holy Spirit would you like to measure the Holy Spirit would you like to put an estimation on the size or the experience of the Holy Spirit would you dare to say that you have experienced everything of the Holy Spirit you know we as a church we don't minimize the Spirit I wanna as a church we want to be in the Spirit that means there's no limitation do you realize how much more we have to experience to the Spirit of God of what is talked about in this Bible it is utterly remarkable notice what happens to him I was in the Spirit in the Lord's day then he had this vision of the candlesticks of the Lord Jesus walking in the midst you see if you're in the Spirit you will see Christ you will see the golden candlesticks I'm afraid many in the church they don't know about the golden candlesticks they have no revelation do you know why they're not in the Spirit I see people all the time they claim to have the Spirit and yet they're carnal they contradict the Bible they say we're gonna reinvent the church you think you're that smart we're gonna reconstitute it we've got a new vision that I super mega pastor I've got a new book a new strategy a new way of doing church you really think you're that smart why is there no fear of God that those men would be scared to touch the ark of God why don't they tremble at the thought it's like reinventing the wheel the Holy Spirit gave us the golden candlestick and yet you think you can do better you see they're not in the Spirit therefore they change the mind of God if you're in the Spirit you'll see that golden candlestick you'll say that's what the church needs to be I know what the church is I know what God desires of the church I just want to submit to it you know Revelation 1 and the entire book of Revelation who is it written on to servants not Apostles not great Christians servants could it be Saints of God that with chapter 1 chapter 2 and chapter 3 there's so much ignorance in the church because we come in pride in arrogance trying to use it instead of as a servant submitted listening being taught by the Spirit of God in this realm of the Spirit you hear things you see things you do things this is taught about being in the Spirit for ministry anointing enabling gifting and for the fire of God it also says in Revelation four times that John was in the Spirit the first time is here when he sees the golden candlestick the second time is in Revelation 4 and 2 and it says and immediately I was in the Spirit he was saying not that the Spirit was in him he was in the Spirit immediately have you ever had an immediate of the Spirit of God where the Spirit of God comes on you or you are caught up into the Spirit and it says behold a throne was set in heaven I believe so few Christians see the throne of God in heaven I'm not talking about in a vision or physically or being caught up there bodily I'm not talking about that but I'm talking about an awareness of the throne of God the government of God the church is filled with people saying I think you know through this door of ours how many people they're not even saved they don't even know the basics they've never even read the Bible they come in here for a couple of meetings and they say I think you need to do this in this church it never ceases to amaze me and they come in and go you need to change everything and you need to do this and you're preaching and you ought to be doing this with the kids I go who are you who are you you're definitely not in the Spirit you're definitely not and they have no awareness of the throne of God over in Revelation 17 says so he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness oh I don't like that do you know there's being in the Spirit you may get carried into a wilderness it may not be a nice experience what you see there but as he was in the wilderness I saw a woman set upon a scarlet colored beast could it be so many are blind to the religious institutions of our world because they're not in the Spirit if you're in the Spirit you'd see through Roman Catholicism it'll cause you no problem you go that's an apostate woman that's not a real church that's not a golden candlestick but they're not in the Spirit many charismatics of the charismatic renewal they said we are all one Pope John Paul is the greatest evangelist of the 20th century David Duplessis he said the Catholics have the Holy Ghost just like we do that man was not in the Spirit when he said that and in Revelation chapter 21 and 10 he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and he showed me that great city the Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God many in the church do not see the bride of Christ the real Church of God the Holy Jerusalem you know why they're not in the Spirit if you had a work of the Holy Spirit you'd see the real church you'd go it's a holy bride she is pure she is chaste she is making herself ready my third point the seven letters to the seven churches there are seven spirits there are seven candlesticks but there's seven letters here it says in chapter 1 the revelation of Jesus Christ it was given by God to Jesus by Jesus it was given to an angel the angel then gave it to John an angel brought this message and it says that John bear record to the Word of God as he began to write Revelation he was bearing record to the Word of God he was testifying and of the testimony of Jesus Christ it says in verse 3 blessed is he that readeth some people put little value in reading the Bible and yet here is the Lord communicating that there is a blessing upon those that read the Word of God if you're not faithfully reading the Word of God you are missing out on a blessing there is a blessedness a happiness you know down over the years I'd read something I wouldn't feel anything first thing in the morning I just faithfully read it my mind would wonder I'd forget what I read I'd be trying to concentrate I felt nothing and many times a scripture I read that morning would be vital later in the day for a trial a trouble or to give someone an answer it happened times without number blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the word of this prophecy and keep those things that are written therein for the time is at hand it's remarkable that these seven letters are part of the Word of God they were given by God to John to give to the seven churches they were words from God put in written form and there's a blessing there look at verse 11 I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and he's speaking to John what thou seest write in a book now notice this for a minute see in chapter 1 and throughout Revelation John is seeing prophecies visions angels beasts all of these things where does he bring it to he writes it in the Word of God he bears testimony to the Word of God the church of our generation has got it back to front they set aside the written scriptures and go we know that oh yes that's basic but we want something more we want the dreams the visions the angels and Revelation chapter 1 we see that the visions the symbols the prophecies were given to give you the Word of God to place within your hands the written scriptures there's a very low view of the Bible in our day there's something wrong with the preachers who do not preach the Word of God it is dangerous it is very very dangerous and it's a big problem God here commands John write it in a book and send it on to the seven churches which are in Asia on to Ephesus Myrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea again in chapter 1 verse 19 write the things which thou has seen in Revelation 1 the things which are that's chapter 2 and chapter 3 and then the things that shall be here after that's chapter 4 to chapter 22 it's a complete breakdown you need a ride in a book it was so important to get the book the written Word of God these letters to each church it was so so vital that the written scripture gets to the church a church that does not value the written Word of God the inspired scripture given by the Lord Jesus Christ it's not a golden candlestick if Christ isn't central if the real Holy Spirit isn't there if the Word of God isn't precious the written Word of God I assure you it's not a golden candlestick there may be many problems there but if they believe in the written Word of God there is all there is always hope you see they were written to all churches these seven letters they're limited in number seven churches but they're all written to all churches of all times and all places and all cultures and in all circumstances these seven letters are for the churches they apply to all of us at various different times you see Jesus gave a specific letter to a specific church at a specific time with specific promises and specific problems he was very particular although it's the Word of God it's the written scriptures it was so specific and it still is it's common for all the churches throughout history and yet it is Christ speaking here no it's the Holy Spirit speaking no it's an apostle that is writing no it is more than that it is messengers who are preaching in the churches this actual message I want you to notice here before we go to the fourth and final point each letter begins by revealing the person of Christ that's where each message begins they don't reveal all the revelation of Christ to each church but what is applicable to that church at this time at this hour that gets applied to each church but it always begins with the person of Christ who he is and what he does and what his desire is let each letter let each preaching begin with the person of Christ also to the seven letters Jesus always says I know thy works good and bad and he reveals them but I want you to understand here to every church and every individual he says I know your works you know what you've done for the Lord your labor of love I'll never forget it others may not see it others may forget us others may despise you but you know what Jesus is saying I know your works I record it I encourage it I strengthen you in it as he talks about their works there are things he encourages and things he corrects the Jesus of most churches today he only encourages but he never corrects he never deals with sin and yet the real Jesus here who knows your works when when you're doing what's right he encourages you you know some people want to rebuke you all the time they'll never tell you well done well done you're doing good they'll never tell you that over what is good you know even five of these churches that needed to repent Jesus and four of them always find something to encourage if you're always pointing out what's wrong and you cannot point out anything that that's right maybe you're not speaking from Christ's perspective it could be very different so he encourages you and your troubles persecution opposition but he also rebukes false doctrine he names names of individuals he pinpoints doctrines that are dangerous to your spiritual goods five of these churches he calls the entire church to repent you know today repentance is unpopular but the real Christ if you find him he'll deal with sin he'll deal with heresy and he'll call you to repentance it is a message of the Lord Jesus Christ only two of the churches Philadelphia and Smyrna were not called to repentance and even those he did call to repentance he said Jezebel I give you time and those that have followed you I give you time to repent Christ gives us more time to repent than some Christians do you may be very quick to judge no hope no future no answer no redemption and yet Christ is here saying I'm giving you time to repent you may never repent and yet Christ gives you time here's another thing in all seven of the letters this is what he finishes with he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches it's not only Christ speaking but the Spirit of God but will you hear what he's actually saying and also each letter finishes with to he that overcometh and there's a promise to all that overcometh if you overcome if you hear what I say and you obey what I say and you overcome and get the victory here's the promise it's for you fourth and lastly the seven stars we sing Christ in the midst we see the seven spirits we see the seven letters the written Word of God and we see the seven stars verse 16 and he laid his right hand and sorry let me and he had in his right hand seven stars what are the seven stars verse 20 the mystery of the seven stars notice the seven stars and the seven churches are a mystery something hidden something obscured unless God shows you unless the Spirit of God teaches you you cannot see it but he goes on in verse 20 to say the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches now notice with me these angels are seven angels that John writes a letter to a physical literal letter he writes it to an angel and he says you angels have to minister it to the individual churches John is on Patmos he's a prisoner he's a prisoner of room but he writes them to individual angels or they're called stars and those stars are to bring them to the churches then Daniel chapter 12 and verse 3 it says they that turn many to righteousness or as the stars forever and ever soul winners are symbolized by the stars in Revelation sorry and Jude chapter 13 he talks about false teachers as wandering stars they don't keep their place they're moving all over the place and to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever know what are these stars they're called here seven angels the seven stars are the seven angels to the churches the word angels a low use for angelic beings are also used for men or messengers the word means to be sent or commissioned to do a task here these are called the angels of the churches and when he writes to the seven churches writes the letter how does he begin Revelation chapter 2 and 1 on to the angel of the church of Ephesus I write or what about chapter 2 and 8 on to the angel of the church in Smyrna right and so this letter was written to an angel in a specific church and that angel was symbolized by a star that would be in the heaven John gives the letter to these seven angels to minister publicly at a certain time to the church you know these are preachers Bible teachers and evangelists and you know how they're symbolized as stars that shine in the darkness of night they shine in the heavens above us this is the spiritual perspective of them they are stars shining and stars are actually given in Genesis as signs there to be there in the clouds of heaven as signs amidst the darkness they point the way they bring light they give direction you can actually guide yourself by the stars of heaven if you understand the stars by looking at the stars you can find out where is north and where is south how to find your destination you can actually the stars are a sign and to give you direction in the midst of darkness they are called seven in number and they're in his right hand these are preachers the preacher of each church that has to minister God's message are in his right hand to be in the hand of Christ means that each preacher to each church is secure in the hand of Jesus Christ isn't it wonderful if you're a preacher you can know that you have security in the hand of God he keeps me in his hand he'll hold me he'll protect me he'll guide me it also speaks of sovereign control no preacher has a right to write his own message did you notice that the preachers are to deliver a written message they are given a written message in Scripture the Word of God and they've got a minister that to the church don't add to it don't take away from it don't improvise on it just give the Word of God and so being in Christ's hand we see his sovereign control over the stars or over the messengers or the angels he possesses them he controls them to know what he can keep them in place or he can remove them a wandering star he can remove he can remove an unfaithful preacher but also he can help you uphold you give you ultimate power strengthen you in the ministry saints of God we need stars again in the church angels then minister the Word of God but lastly in this message notice the seven stars are distinct from the seven candlesticks they are connected to the seven lampstands or candlesticks but they're distinct the churches are represented by candlestick the preachers are represented as stars they are distinct from the body of Christ and you know I've always said I'm a member of the body I'm part of the body I'm not greater than anyone else but I'm called to a specific task but here as you look at the stars they are distinct they are given a task other members of the body are not given these angels are given the Word of God to minister to the church you know again in our day we're told we're all stars everyone wants to be a star and yet they're limited to seven seven is the number of fullness completion and perfection there's people who call themselves to be stars they're not in Christ's hand he didn't commission them he didn't send them he didn't call them he didn't raise them up but you know what they are distinct from the body of Christ in the church of our day there's a disrespect for the stars they go we're all the same they're no better than me they're no different than me we're all called to minister we're all called to lead we're all called to give our opinion that's a very dangerous teaching the Bible teaches specifically God has given stars with specific letters to specific churches to deal with sin to call the repentance to look at the golden candlestick to make sure that Christ is central and all things and things of God when you realize that even Laodicea was represented by a golden candlestick it says in Revelation 2 and 5 that Ephesus a good church that could expose false prophets that done many great things Jesus himself says therefore remember from whence art fallen it was a great church I'd have been happy to join this church and yet he says you've fallen what do you mean we've fallen you've lost your first love this was a dynamic New Testament church but he says Christ exposed it you've lost the first love you had at the beginning and he says repent do the first works or else I will come on to you quickly and remove thy candlestick out of its place Ephesus would have continued as a church praying worshipping preaching and yet the candlestick would have been removed to remove the candlestick does not mean to remove the church but it means that God says I've removed the candlestick that plan that purpose that desire and you know what you'll never become that golden candlestick that's why I say you can be a church and yet not be a lampstand church you can have lost your testimony you can have lost your purpose in the hand of God and I've watched over the past three decades churches that were once lampstand churches the candlestick has been removed the light has been removed the influence of God the fire has been removed and I'm shocked the same size the same buildings different preachers and I go they had the candlestick removed saints of God you need to realize that we do have a lampstand here in this church but God gives a warning that candlestick can be removed please stand with me here Lord Jesus we worship you oh my God thank you Lord Jesus father we pray Oh God this morning that we begin to see and understand what this lampstand is what your plan is what your purpose what the testimony of a real golden candlestick is nor got a do pray for a moving on each one of our hearts give us a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ give us a vision of these golden lampstand my God make us to understand even these seven stars appointed to preach the Word of God father we are praying that in this hour in our world as we reach the end of time and the prophecies contained in Revelation will you stir again will you raise up churches that are going to be lampstand churches in this hour and Jesus mighty name