What Does Jesus Think of My Church? - Part 4

**Jim Scudder, Jr.** (0:04)
Can you believe this? This is the God that died for us, says, you are so lethargic, you are not hot nor cold, you're of no use at all, and you are lukewarm. I would spew the out of my mouth.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:22)
Welcome to InGrace with Jim Scudder, the senior pastor of Quentin Road Baptist Church in suburban Chicago. He is also the president of Dayspring Bible College, shaping the next generation of Christian leaders.

**Jim Scudder, Jr.** (0:36)
Hi, this is Jim Scudder. Welcome back to InGrace. Today, we're going to answer the question, what does Jesus think of my church? We're in Revelation chapter three in our verse by verse study of Revelation, and our series is called Armageddon's Dawn. And yesterday, we were talking about what Jesus thought about the Church of Sardis, and we will resume our study on that church. But then we're also going to be talking today about the Church of Philadelphia. We would call it the Faithful Church, the Church of the Revived Age, we would say, perhaps. And then Laodicea, the Seventh Church, the Foolish Church, and the Church of the Apostate Age. And I believe we're in that age today. And we really need to pay attention. What does Jesus say about seven actual real churches at the time of the Apostle John? And then all of a sudden, we see the Church disappear from Revelation. And so we would assume that's when the Lord takes the Church, the gathering away the rapture, and then beginning the seven-year tribulation period. This is a series that talks about the end times. And if you want to get a prophecy chart that follows along with this study, you can get it from us for free. Contact us right now. The number is 1-800-78-GRACE.
1-800-78-GRACE. You can also go to ingraceradio.com.
And when you're on our website, check out the InGrace Solidarity Tour to Israel. We need to stand with Israel, and I think the best place to do that is in Israel. We've led thousands of people to Israel, and I've been there 30 times now, and we would love to show you the country so that you can be a blessing to Israel. Give us a call. The number is 1-800-78-GRACE for your free brochure, or again, go to the website ingraceradio.com and click on travel.
So there's a day, there's a day that we'll have white. We won't have to worry about them being stained. Go back to verse 4
Not to file their garments, they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy, he that overcometh. By the way, remember, the overcomer in these chapters are those that have received by faith the message of the gospel. They are saved. It's as if you're in heavenly places already. You are in Christ. He is in you through the Spirit. You're sealed into the day of redemption. Yeah, you'll still soil yourself. You'll have to come back to the Lord frequently for confession of your faults and sins, and you want to maintain the fellowship. But none of that, when God looks at you, none of that does he see. He sees the pure white righteousness of Jesus Christ. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth. On to. The churches.
It was a cobbler. And if you think that's a dessert, you're right, but that's not what he was. He was a cobbler, you have no idea what a cobbler is, do you?
But in William's little workshop, and this was back in. In the 1700s. You could find all the tools of his trade, of course, and you would expect to find the tools of a cobbler in his workshop, but you'd also find a Bible. And you'd also You will... also find a copy of Captain Cook's Voyages. Another thing that people, as they entered William's cobble shop, they would see was a map. And the map was homemade, made out of paper and leather, but it was a map of the world.
And William, as he cobbled shoes, would think about the world, and think about the far-flung places that were darkened and suffering and hurting and desperately needing to hear the gospel. William was living at the end of the Sardis age.
And in 1792, he preached a sermon. His sermon in Nottingham, England was preached from Isaiah 54 verse two. Look at that verse with me. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy inhabitations. Spare not, strengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. And he just had this vision of bringing the gospel to the world as he was there cobbling shoes.