Address—C.H. Brown
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I expected of the Lords help to speak from the first three chapters of Revelation. Naturally you wouldn't expect any very detailed commentary when we speak in such a compass.
But we do desire to hit a certain important points there that.
We believe would be for our mutual education and blessings.
Thou shall be open to the first chapter of Revelation.
By the way, this is the only book.
Under 66 books in the Bible that one recalls has a definite blessing pronounced upon reading it, so we should give special attention to it. Blessed third verse of the first chapter is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written therein, for the time is at hand.
There's a message there for us, we read.
We're here and we keep these things.
How do we keep the things that are written in the Book of Revelation?
I believe that it brings before us but a week this present scene in which you and I moved.
I believe that gives us a look down to the corridors of time.
So that we can estimate just how much work this present scene is compared to what Oasis and the glory above, and if we are saturated.
With the spirit that's still John's soul when he wrote this will not find too much joy in this present evil world. It will have a tendency to take our hearts out of this world.
It's rather remarkable that this man John, was chosen for the task of writing this book.
John, you know, was one of the three favored apostles of our Lord, along with Peter and James.
We find them together over and over again. We find them together on the Mount of Transfiguration. Wonderful privilege.
And yet God has his ways that are inscrutable. Why was it that John's own brother?
Right should be taken out of the scene fairly at the start of his career as an apostle.
At the same time, his brother, his old brother, whom we might call Gentle John.
Was kept in this scene long after the other apostles were gone.
And he said to have lived at Ephesus.
Lived to a great age, perhaps 100 years, and he maintained the same lovely character. So tradition tells us right down to the end.
Finally, he had to be carried to meeting on a stretcher, and there he would lie and repeat to the dearest children of God His lovely words. Little children love one another.
Gentle John chosen to open up the Vista of judgment on an apostate world, on an apostate Christendom, on an apostate church. He's the one that commissions.
So to do. And now, before he enters on this solemn topic.
Before they go into that arena of judgment over the archway there.
Is a lovely, lovely model.
Oh, how it warms our hearts as we read it.
First word, John to the seven churches which are nature.
Great videos and peace.
From him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his clothes.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness.
And the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
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Now here he breaks out into this doxology.
Untrue. Him that loved us.
Or unto him that loves us hasn't ceased to do it, you know.
Unto him that loved us and has washed us from our sins and his own blood.
And it made us kings and priests, and of God and his Father.
To him, the glory and dominion, forever and ever, isn't that precious.
Unto him that loves us and has washed us from our sins in His own blood.
John's going to take us through some solemn judgment, but he said I want you to be assured before we enter the territory. It's all well. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins. Now we find.
Where John was when he got this revelation.
Nine verse I John, who am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus.
Was in the Isle of Karl Patmos for the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus.
I will stop there for a moment.
I Don your brother.
And companion. And tribulation.
The last chapter, John's Gospel Peter, was nominated for martyrdom.
But John was commissioned for a different kind of thing than martyrdom.
Perhaps this was more difficult than marching them.
We wish to continue right on down to the end. What does that mean?
All to him it was commissioned that he could give us.
The final end of all the scenes and the bringing in of the new heavens and the new earth.
Is going to take us right on into eternity.
Well, we find him here.
Not as enjoying popularity in this world far from.
Ninth verse I jumped your brother and companion in tribulation.
Brethren, do we realize the middle of it?
Your brother and companion and tribulation.
They that will to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
I suppose that we are living, you and I, in the most favored age.
And in the book David Land as far as our Christian liberties are concerned.
We're not persecuted in the sense that they were persecuted back in the days of the early church.
Ours is a different kind of a danger.
Perhaps it's more subtle.
As we trace the history of these seven churches, we find out that once the brightest of the seven.
Is the church that passed through that period of 10 persecutions, and in the address to that church not one thing is said critical of them, not one charge is made against them. No, they were being persecuted for Christ sake, and there was very little temptation then to have an empty, hollow confession of Christ.
Because if you had it, it cost you something in this world.
Well, it was John, your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus. Now Jesus has a Kingdom after a sort. Now it's a Kingdom in mystery.
Kingdom is a rather contradiction.
His subjects are down here and he's up in the gory hidden. He's not seen.
So it's not a permanent condition.
It's the Kingdom and faces of Jesus.
What does that mean?
Well, it means that our blessed Lord, and let me say it very reverently.
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Is exercising patience every day.
He's patiently waiting for the moment when he can walk out on the clouds of glory and give him a shout and call home his beloved.
Was the love from the grave, is the love from the face of the earth? He is waiting momentarily when he will be able to do that. Isn't that a solemn thing? And isn't it a precious thing to think The file I'm addressing you this afternoon. Let me hear that shout. Every one of us but knows and loves our Lord Jesus Christ.
Suddenly caught up to me in all. We're getting very near, brethren.
Everything points in that direction.
The one that isn't gonna let it be. Expecting the Lord now must be a very bad, bad state of soul. Everything about us tells us a new approach of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom and patience of Jesus.
We are waiting patiently down here, he's waiting patiently up there, but it's for the same event, the time when he can have his bride.
Within the Isle of Paul Patmos, that's a rocky, very desolate island up in the Aegean Sea, about the last place you'd ever choose to spend a vacation. Shut off there, lonely even to this day. They point out a cabin there where John was supposed to.
Be when he wrote this wonderful revelation.
Be that as it may, he tells us very definitely where he spent the time when he was riding this wonderful revelation in the aisle that's called Patmos. Why was he there? For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Well, beloved, how about it?
Are you and I suffering for those two things, the word of God?
And the testimony of Jesus, how far is the word of God?
Having a definite active power in your life and mine. Or I fear and I'll plead guilty myself.
I fear that we neglect God's Word.
I wondered if there wouldn't be farther along in our spiritual lives.
It had given more attention to the precious, blessed Word of God.
All you young folks here, I press it upon you.
You need the Word of God.
Thy word have I said in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.
We need it in a world like this, but if you and I welcome the Word of God into our hearts and into our lives, it marks us all from the rest of the world.
You can't associate with the world on its own terms. If your heart is filled with the Word of God, you can't do it.
You will be most miserable and unhappy. You know that solution.
Oh, how good it is to have the word to cleanse our past day by day. Now are you clean?
With the words which I've spoken unto you as nothing like the word of God applied by the Spirit of God.
Your walk in mind that threatens our ways and associations and make us happy in our soul.
You know, I can tell you who the happiest person in this room this afternoon. Yes, I can. It's the person that has been enjoying Christ most in his individual heart and life. That's the one that's the happiest year. I mean truly happy.
Oh, there's no substitute for it if you want to live a happy life.
Yield to the Blessed Laundry, Let his world form your life and form your thoughts.
For the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.
Oh yes, he's rejected.
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He's rejected.
The brother in Des Moines.
What's in an office?
One day, his boss walked into the office.
In more or less of a unpleasant attitude. Called him by his name, and he says, if your Jesus came back to this world, I'd be one of the first to pacify. Now as I remember, that man was not a Jew, but a Gentile.
And he only spoke the truth. The world does not want Christ.
John was on the island of Tetanus for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, all that precious name.
You know, I thought our morning meeting here this morning.
Was one of the sweetest, happiest morning meetings that I've been in a long time. Why?
Oh, there was so much made of the name of Jesus, every him, every praise the winter, it's magnifying that method name. All that name came from heaven, you know. Oh yes, he was named.
His parents were told that his name was to be. What does it mean means failure.
Have a savior.
No, what a savior He is, you and I hear this afternoon because that day was born in Bethlehem, because God sent his Son into this book and his name was Jesus, a Savior. And here we are tonight, this afternoon, enjoying the public weather hours as Christians because of that blessed heavenly visitor.
That came down and stayed here with us for 33 years and 1/2.
10th verse I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
He heard behind me a great voices of trumpet.
19th verse. Eighteenth Verse. I am he that liveth.
And was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the team of death in Haiti. I have the key. Or how solemn.
He has the keys.
You or I ever see the inside of that glorious heaven for the weights to redeem. It will be because our blessed Lord Jesus use the key, knock the door.
The 13th of Luke.
We find them. Perhaps we could turn to it and look 13, just for a moment. It's a different scene there.
25th verse Luke 1513. Luke 13, verse 25.
When once the master of the house is written up and is shut through the door, and we begin to stand without and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord open to us.
And he shall answer and say to you, I know not when she got. Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in my presence, and thou is taught in our streets. And he shall say, I tell you, I know you're not what you are. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Isn't that solemn? That's the one that has the key speaking.
Depart from me today, he said. Come unto me, all you that labor, nor heavy laden, and I'll give you rest.
And here, he says, he packed something.
Now they were pleading the privileges that they had enjoyed here.
Would it not be a terrible thing to contemplate if there might be a soul here that's gone in and out of these lovely meetings, enjoyed these conferences, heard the ministry?
Get the soul has never been touched there's been no surrender there's been no work lost and when the moment comes and.
Is given, then shall they begin to cry. Lord, Lord, open to us, but no admission or if there's one such here that's living carelessly and you've been associated with all this blessing. Let me warn you solemnly this afternoon. Don't take the risk of hearing the Lord Jesus say to you, depart from me.
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Oh, I can't think of anything worse than that, can you? To have him baby part from me.
Oh, don't take the risk.
Now they go on into the second chapter.
We have in this chapter.
The church, Ephesus, and there's something said there that.
Is touching now it's left eye. First of all, it's sorrowful when you see that I'm reading the source word.
Nevertheless, I have against thee thou hast left thy first love. Ephesus, you know, was the Church of wonderful privileges, the highest truth that we have in the Apostles writing, the highest truth is given to that church. Eczema, truth, the heavenly side of things.
And yet, in spite of all that privilege, terribly fine that they'd left their first love. I recall a case of a brother that used to come to meetings like this and sit just like your settings attending. I've seen him sit there and just just his eyes glued on the speaker man with a family. Wonder where he is today.
Then how was the meeting for years the last time that a brother and I went to see him?
The TV machine is running.
The home had the appearance of Ohio. It had the appearance of anything but a Christian home. The atmosphere was always so different. Now the children have grown up and had begun scattering. I won't tell you the whole story. I wouldn't identify him for anything. I'm just using the illustration. I'm talking about a case that I know of personally.
He left his first love without something come in that took him away from Christ.
And you know when you start that world, you don't know where it's going to end.
All you say I'm only going to go so far. You don't know how far you're going.
When once you and I didn't liberally enter on the path of South will and disobedience, we have no choice.
Our fire was going to work well. We won't say much about.
They had so much persecution that it kept them bright and happy. You know if the Lord should be fit to postpone his coming, some of you young people.
And I think you'll remember what I'm saying to you 50 years from now if the Lord should not come, if you're not going to have a easy, prosperous time as Christians that you're having now.
I believe the time is not far missing. Does it? Make a full confession, an uncompromising concession of Christ and walk in the path of truthers that's laid down in the world is going to bring right here in our own nation.
It's on the way. I won't enter into the details, but Brother Wilson and his.
Magazine has been tracing some of these things. The word of God being ruled out of the school are various things that sold they were on the road. The very same condition that exists in other nations of the world.
If God sees fit to postpone it, we'll praise Him for it. We're not asking for it, but I believe it's on the way. But then when we go to Perkins in the 12Th verse of the second chapter.
We have the church that came out of the persecution. Constantine made love to the church and they accepted his advances.
And the sort of a marriage took place between Constantine in the church, and the result was that the church began to go down, down, down.
Furnace means much. Married and married, they joined up.
With the world at that time and see what's said here.
In the 13th verse, I know where thou dwelleth, even where Satan's seed is. I know where thou dwelleth, where Satan's seed is. Oh, what a solemn place to dwell now further down.
That things work.
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Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
There was looseness there. They've given up the truth of God.
They were throwing down the bar. They were letting moral looseness come in, carelessness in doctrine.
16th verse Repent or else I will come under the quickly and fight against them with a sword of my mouth. Now to go on to the next church by a tower. The won't comment a great deal on this church. I think we all realize that.
With Thyatira we have the introduction into this world of that great system that become the most powerful foot system in the history of the Church of God on earth.
Those that have worked in South America.
Down in Mexico and here and there, nations of the earth and their testimony as to what they find in connection with Thyatira. Now fire. The word Cyrus Pharaoh means burning incense.
And in the 20th verse of the second chapter notwithstanding, I have against thee, because thou suffers that woman Jezebel, the following itself of property.
Teach and to seduce My servants to commit foreign occasions and toep things sacrificed unto idols.
22nd Verse The whole I will cast her into a bed amendment, commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repented their deeds, and I will kill her children with death. Nor will the churches unknown that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts. Well, thank God, even in the midst of such awful corruption.
There were some that were real. Thank God for that.
44 so, but under you I say the rest in Sarah Tyler.
As many as have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other than. But that's what you have already. Hold fast till I come. Oh thank God, mixed up.
And all that ritual and all that display of pomp and possession.
With the mix of it, there are a few with more. Love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank God for that. And he gives them the promise. That's what you have already. All fast till I come. When the rapture takes place, when the Lord summons the church, they'll go along with the rest. And they go into the third chapter.
Find ourselves inside us now. Sardis is the reaction against that awful, corrupt system of Thyatira. And all was very promising at the start. There was much to praise God for. But oh, what a failure man is. What a failure man is.
Very soon, Sardis began crystallizing into dead journalism. They carried over wisdom out of the system from which they came.
Many things unjust, contrary to the word of God, and before long they themselves were just Well see what he says in the first book Word chapter. Aren't the Angel of the church and started right. These things that he that have the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works that thou hast sudden name, that thou livethest and art dead.
That started a name that thou living and our death. Some of the things that are coming out today in connection with churches that are represented under silence are almost unbelievable.
Open blasphemy not coming from some careless member of the system, but from the top, the head man.
Coming out in open blasphemy.
What days? These aren't which we live now. We're going down seven. First under the Angel in the Church of Philadelphia, right? Philadelphia means brotherly love.
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Of Philadelphia has this in common with Smyrna. There's no criticism offered to Philadelphia.
Not one word of criticism. There are certain things that characterize it. We can notice them here.
Unto the Angel of the church in Philadelphia right these things, that he that is holy, and he that is true.
Even at the key of David, even openness and no man shut us and shut us and no man open us.
When our Lord across the different churches, he takes the character that's in keeping with the condition that's in that church.
So here, as he presents himself to Philadelphia, he's the holy and the truth. In other words, you have holiness and truth.
Now, if you don't have those two things, you can have Philadelphia as I read the story of these seven churches.
There is kindled in my heart.
A deep longing, a deep curse of a deep conviction. I want to be a Philadelphian when my blessed Lord comes back to get the Church.
Thank you. Is there anything wrong about longing to be a real Philadelphian?
Well, I'm confessing to you, that's that's my longing of my heart.
But don't let anybody ever go away from this meeting and quote, Brother Brown is saying it is a Philadelphia, but you do that. I'm making no such decisions. But it's a deep longing in my heart. Among my savior comes I might be found.
That he that is fully, and he that is true. Now do you notice that word Holy holiness, God, which no man shall see the Lord? What is holiness?
It's separation from evil with delight in good.
All beloved Saints of God. I'm thinking of special new young folks. Don't ever link up the idea.
I've been in the Philadelphian position.
With a life that's unfold, don't be guilty of it. It's blasphemy.
Oh no, if you die, have a desire.
To be of the Philadelphia testimony.
There must be fully separation in our lives, holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Oh, how full the Word of God is asked this question of Holy Deuteronomy 7.
Just a couple of verses there.
Water Army 7 and verse 6. Deuteronomy 7, verse six. For thou art and holy people unto the Lord thy God.
The Lord thy God has chosen me to be a special people under Himself.
Above all people are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor children, because you were more in number than any people where you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you.
You know, one of the saddest things in the world is the sin against love.
The sin against love.
I have often been struck in reading the Epistle to Malachi, where the Lord has sold many sad things to lay between people.
One thing after another he brings before them to show how unfaithful they've been.
And yet, how does it begin? How does it begin? That official?
The first thing he says to them? I've loved it. I loved it.
All of your tempted to go on in a life of sin unholiness. You're spinning against infinite love.
It's a solemn thing, the holy and the truth.
Now look at Hebrews 12 was already put in this verse, but I think it's good to read it. Hebrews 12 verse 14.
Follow peace with all and the holiness.
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Without which no man shall see the Lord. Now that's the word of God.
If you're going on in the path of unholiness, are you going to see God?
Are you?
Fair enough, without which no man shall see the Lord.
I'm just putting forth these words at the Word of God, and I hope it will search our consciences. But now we go on to the next thing.
We have here in this address the Philadelphia he's the truth.
Oh yes, I am the way, the truth and the life.
A young person in connection with your contacts with the world and especially your educational life, I wanted to seek you to trust the Bible.
You know scripture is driven by inspiration of God. Holy man of God, fake as ever, moved by the Holy Ghost.
Learn to trust your Bible. Believe it.
Act. It'll keep you from a great life of sorrow as you pass through this world.
Right now and some of our young people.
They were brought up in the meeting and no matter where the school.
And they listen to the temptations of the enemy as their professors.
Attack the word of God. They listen with open minds and present ladies found themselves doubting words. Then they stopped reading it.
Dad seems to have its power in their lives.
And where are they today?
You think that you could go in canvas those young people about whom I'm speaking?
And find one of them.
That's happy, no?
Cannot.
All he might say was Apple, but to no conscience never turns into this.
Your head may turn into the book, never your conscience.
And all the time you're saying once a happy down on the inside, you know it's Nazi what kind of heard these things and brought been brought up in the nurse and admonition of the truth and then turn aside to Satan's loss and go on and live a happy life. It just can't be done.
All I do are just stay by the word of God.
If you select anything, enter your mind.
That the cause is a doubt what God is looking. Let God be true in every man alive. Don't be afraid of it.
Let's take that the sermon stands right at the threshold of your Christian life, and don't let anything off it. You have nothing to fear.
You know day is coming.
When the Lord Jesus Christ is going to publicly litigation.
Who is going to do it? He is going to put you on display, public display.
Is going to come to be admired. He is going to come to have the multitudes amaze as he returns.
And this, this, this play of the Lord returning is in the midst of all the regimes that are coming back with it to be admired in all believe, because they beg the God.
Now it's not to be admired by them that believe, but admired in them that belief.
If the diamond set in the cluster of four, and you admire the diamond in the pool, you and I will be the poor. Christ will be the 90. But he's going to surround us with an existence and put us on the stray before the poor. Guilty work. Oh yes, He's going to vindicate it.
Don't tamper with the unbelief of the world. Oh what a sad thing it would be to come down to the end of your life here and have to acknowledge to yourself, I have betrayed my love. Now the Lord says here to this Church of Philadelphia, I know thy work. Behold, I have said before the an open door.
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No man can shut it.
Now he said that what do I learn from that, brethren, I learned this from.
If you and I want to walk the Philadelphian past, it'll always be great.
Will never wake up some morning and say well I'm so sorry I wanted to be found the Philadelphian when the Lord comes but the path is peace. There is no such opportunity. I can't be a such effort. It's disappeared that can't be not if our Lord speaks the truth here I have set thee before thee an open door and.
No man can shut all that comforting. Long as you and I are here, we'll be able to find that pathway.
Within you shall find. Now can it be opened unto you. It's there, for thou hast the little strength, And has kept my word, not denied my name.
Now, those are the three characteristics of the Philadelphia testimony. What are they? A little strength. Philadelphian testimony will never be a great.
Powerful, proud marching band.
The Philadelphian testimony will always be a despised remnant, a remnant testament. God has always had remembered.
In this world, if I remember lightly, in the first chapter of Isaiah. Let's turn to that for a moment. The 1St chapter of Isaiah. Yes, where it is.
I there 19 except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant. We should have been a Sodom. We should have been like the more well beloved. That's what's taking place around us and Christians today. The expansion is awful.
And it's going on at an accelerated pace.
And the brave ecumenical movement is tearing down some men that formally seem to have a major strength. It's forcing them to compromise.
Oh thank God for the one that said I've set before then open door. No man control this.
Thou hast a little strength, nothing to boast God.
How did they use that little strength to keep my word and not deny my name?
Oh, how precious that is to keep His word. The Word of God is true, as is pure. Forever thy world is settled in heaven.
Thank God for that.
When I don't have to fear the time when we stand before God, that where we've obeyed the word of God that they're going to be reduced. We're never going to be reduced at the gentleman seat of Christ. For going by the book. Thou hast a little strength and has kept my word.
Not denied my name.
Oh, how wonderful it is not to go wearing a name, but honor some man or that marks out some particle, but just be satisfied with the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you satisfied with it? Are you satisfied to confess it or do you like some kind of a cover up? Do you like to shrink from letting people know where you are?
Are you willing just to tell them the plain truth?
I'm gathered by the grace of God for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or could we ask anything better than that? I believe that's the happiest confession you could possibly make.
Because it has his own word to back it up. For where two or three, that's not many of them. Where two or three gather together under my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Precious blessed privilege.
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Not denied my name.
Now, he says, I'll make them of the Senate or the state.
But say they're Jews or not, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and know I love these.
That is all the ritualistic powers around us that are provoked and irritated by our simplicity.
Times come when they're going to own publicly. That path is the path of gold. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all worlds by the Earth brothers.
Before thy come quickly.
Hold that fast, for thou hast that no man take thy crown.
Oh, let me sound it again and again. And remember, as I am speaking to her this afternoon's beloved bread, I'm talking to the secretary. I'm just sitting right down there. But I need all this.
Hold that fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown. It's worthwhile to keep his word, and not deny his name and all the promise. And if I read this.
This blouse First I want you to notice this little word MY.
The close personal attachment of Christ to his own. How he's associating us with himself in this verse.
And that overcometh. Will I make a pillar in the temple of my God? And he said, go no more out.
And I will write upon in the name of my law.
And the name of the city of my God, which is new to this.
Coming down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon Him my new message. Isn't that blessedly personal?
As the Lord doesn't speak, throwing his arms alone is supposed to him.
Mine, mine, even half an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit says in the Scriptures. All I trust appear this afternoon as we're hearing here.
I thought there is. It's worth it brethren. The time is short hearing the end. Or let's not give up, let's not let the hands hang down. Let's strengthen the people needs. Let's make straight paths for our feet. But that's what the blame be turned out of the way.