THE SARDIS CHURCH AGE

1. Understanding the Timeframe

a. This church age begins in the ______of the Dark Ages and continues until the times of the ______(1000-1500AD) – Often called “The Midnight of the Dark Ages”

i. This time was horrific and gruesome as Bible believers were ______and murdered by the ______under the encouragement of Roman Catholic ______and ______during the Crusades and Inquisitions

ii. The Roman religion of this period is at its ____ – “The Golden Age of Papal Power”

b. This time period introduces us to…

i. The ______

ii. The ______Inquisitions

iii. The Invasions of Saladin and Genghis Khan

iv. An influx of Asian culture, Hinduism, and Muslim philosophy begin to creep into Europe by way of the ______

v. The Bubonic Plague reaches ______proportions

vi. The ______Period began to sweep throughout Europe

2. Understanding the Text – Rev. 3:1-6

a. Consider the meaning of the name “Sardis” – Red Ones

i. The saints at this time are not referred to as “Red Ones” for nothing. This age is typified by ______, torture, and martyrdom

ii. Who is doing the killing? An overview of the bloodshed of this time period is seen in Rev. 17:6 – Who is this woman?

• Rev. 17:4 says she is “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand…”

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia …

- Cappa Magna A cloak with a long train and a hooded shoulder cape that is ______for bishops and ______for cardinals

- Cassock The official garb of Catholic clergy… ______for bishops, and ______for cardinals

- The Pectoral Cross A chain around the neck should be made of _____ and decorated with ______

- The Golden Chalice The most ______of the sacred vessels

• Rev. 17:9 says there are “seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.”

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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia

- “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of ______hills that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined.”

• Rev. 17:18 says she is “that great city that ruleth over the kings of the earth.”

Pope Leo XII had a medal made with his image on one side, and the Church of Rome symbolized as a “woman” with the words ‘Sedet super universum’ around her – meaning The whole world is her seat

World Leaders kneeling at the funeral of Pope John Paul II

b. The Introduction – Rev. 3:1 God introduces each letter with an aspect of His character that the church of that period needed to be reminded of as they endured opposition from the Devil

i. The Seven Spirits are His ____ – Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6; Zech. 3:9; 4:10; 2Chron. 16:9

ii. The Seven Stars are His ______(God’s messengers) – Rev. 1:20

iii. This church has the testimony of saying that it is _____, but in reality it is ____!!

• God’s angels and God’s eyes are everywhere

• He sees what is going on, and He hasn’t missed anything

• He sees the lies and deception of those that say they are the “.” 43

c. The Condemnation – Rev. 3:2-3

i. This church claims that her works are the ______will of God – God disagrees

ii. God warns this church to ______or she will go up in smoke – Rev. 18

iii. What are her works that she needs to repent of?

• The Crusades - There were basically ______crusades designed to take the Holy Land from the Muslims o First 1095-1099AD – Captured Jerusalem o Second 1147-1149AD – Postponed the fall of Jerusalem o Third 1189-1191AD – Army failed to reach Jerusalem o Fourth 1201-1204AD – Captured and plundered Constantinople o Fifth 1228-1229AD – Took Jerusalem, but soon lost it o Sixth 1248-1254AD – A complete failure o Seventh 1270-1272AD – Accomplished nothing

- Bible believing Christians were ___ behind the crusades! – it was the counterfeit of Rome

o Many people today try to accuse Christianity of being a tyrannical religion because of the Crusades

o They use the Crusades as an excuse for not becoming a Christian

- Throughout the Crusades ______of Bible believers, Muslims, and nonconformists lost their lives under the heavy hand of Rome

o This was all done under the name of God!

- Rome claimed to have three basic reasons for the crusades…

o To ______and assume the Holy Land

o To stop the spread of the ______Religion

o To unite the ______and ______branches of Catholicism

o From a Scriptural standpoint, Satan was using the Crusades to gain control of Jerusalem in an effort to establish a throne for the false Christ (antichrist)

• The Inquisitions

- These are probably the most horrific and barbaric events in the ______of mankind – Hitler’s atrocities don’t even compare!

We shall give a description of the severe torments that would happen from the account of one man who suffered it three respective times, but did survive the cruelties that he endured.

At his first torturing, six executioners stripped him to his underwear and laid him on his back onto a stand a few feet from the floor. They then put an iron collar around his neck, and a ring to each foot, which fastened him to the stand. With his limbs being stretched out, they wound two ropes around each thigh: each rope was then fed through holes in the stand. At a given signal, four men pulled on the ropes 44

simultaneously. The ropes cut through the prisoner’s flesh to the bone. This was done four times in a row, because the believer would not recant. After a few months, this same torture was done again.

Two months later, he endured an entirely different kind of torture. A thick chain was wrapped around his chest and then were fastened to his wrists. A rope was tied to the chains on his wrists, and with his back against a board, they began to pull the ropes behind him until his wrists and shoulders were severely dislocated. Surgeons then quickly set the bones and he endured the same torture again. He was then thrown into the dungeon for quite some time until he was released crippled and diseased for life.

- The Roman Church has never officially ______of these acts!

- Every believer ______take time, periodically, to read about the Inquisitions

IMPORTANT NOTE: • After the Crusades and Inquisitions, the was still set on taking their religion to the ____ of the earth. • This introduces us to the time of ______… o A Roman Catholic that wanted to see the world become Catholic o Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria o God’s Providence and a flock of birds

d. The Commendation – Rev. 3:4

i. There was a remnant that would not _____ themselves with the Harlot

• These were the saints that were _____ part of the Roman religious system

• These were the saints who were against Rome ______the reformers came along

• The street Preachers of this period motivated much of the

IMPORTANT NOTE: • Baptists are often referred to as ______• Our spiritual lineage did ____ come out of, or attempt to ______the Roman Catholic Church

ii. The few who believed during the Sardis period were…

• Albigenses, Bulgarians, Waldenses, Cathari, Petrobusians, Arnoldists, , Henricians, New Manichaeans, Lollards, and Anabaptists

• These groups were branded as “______” by the Roman Catholic Church

iii. There were at least five major points of theology that all these groups had in common

• The Bible alone was the final authority for all matters of faith and practice 45

• was not connected with salvation in any way, was for believers only, and was to be done immersion • Separation of Church and State – No State Churches • They would never pray to or for any person that was dead, and did not give any credence to the mythological place called “purgatory” • Complete rejection of the Roman Catholic Mass, and anything connected to it e. God’s Credence and Council – Rev. 3:5-6 i. Verse 5 is often used to teach that you can _____ your salvation – it is actually the reverse!

• It guarantees that anyone who overcomes will not be blotted out of the Book of Life, but Jesus will confess his name before the Father, and before His angels.

• 1 John 4:4; 5:4

ii. ______needs to hear this message – too bad everyone won’t

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