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#166 four dollars drawing us out.
Let us run and never time 26/6.
For our.
Sake.
Worship.
Our shame.
Well, perhaps we could read in chapter 2 of Revelation, verse 12 down to the end. We could read the 1St about Sardis as well, Chapter 3. I don't know if we'll have time to cover all three. That's.
Thank you help.
Revelation chapter 2, verse 12.
To the Angel of the church and bergamot, right? These things say a few which have the sharp, sharp sword with two edges.
I know thy work.
And where that dwellest, even where Satan seed is now, hold us fast my name, and it's not denied my faith. Even in those days where an antithesis was my faithful martyr who was slain among you were Satan dwelling.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed on bridles, and to commit ornication.
00:05:11
So hostile also then that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I.
Repent, or else I will comment to be quickly and we'll fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He that half a year let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth, saving he that receive it that.
And unto the Angel of the Church, and by a Tyra right these things say at the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and my patience, and my works.
And last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest the woman Jezebel.
Which Carlos, herself a prophet, has to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent and her fornication, and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and then that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent their needs.
And I will kill her children with death.
And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts, and I will give unto everyone of you according to your works.
But unto you, I say, and unto the rest, and find a Tyra, as many as have not this doctrine.
And which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden.
That which you have already, hold fast till I come.
And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to Him will I give power over the nations.
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received my father, And I will give him the morning star.
That happen here, plug in here. What the Spirit say it unto the churches.
And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis right these things, saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou hast to mean that thou live us and aren't dead.
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. For I have not found my words perfect before God. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast.
And who attacked? If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a key.
And thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon me.
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments.
And they shall walk with me in life, for they are worthy.
Leave it over, cometh 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, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit say it unto the churches.
Well, this assembly that's addressed next Pergamus really means I believe, is it twice married?
Yeah, corrupt marriage or twice married. It's really when the church left her position of separation from the world, enjoying hands, so to speak, with the world. And it was at the time, I believe it covers the period of time approximately 313 to about 680. So it's roughly that time period during which the Roman Empire was still active and it's Constantine's time when they.
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Christianity was made the.
Religion of the empire, the Roman Empire. And so there was a breakdown of separation between the world and the church. And so we have here this expression that the Spirit of God uses the Lord himself. These things say that he would have a sharp sword with two edges. It really speaks of the whole of the Word of God and the setting aside these ones that set aside the word of God.
And had set aside the principles that had been laid out in the New Testament scriptures and have joined forces with the world for personal advantage, and perhaps that with the thought of avoiding.
Persecution, avoiding the reproach of Christ.
That really that brought ruin in the Lord Jesus gives his pronouncement of what he felt this union with the world was.
There was a corruption and he speaks faithfully about it. I'll just say this too, in connection with this church, this assembly.
There was one man that was faithful and in all these different letters, the seven letters, no name of any other individual is mentioned, but just one man, and his name means against all.
And anticipates, it says in those days we're in Antifa with my faithful martyr. Or perhaps another translation.
Better translation is my faithful witness who was slain among you.
For a state as well as so it appears that there was one man who was faithful in speaking against what was a corruption of the truth in connection with the Church of God. That was not to be joined with this world, that was not to accept through the advantages that the world would.
Bestow upon it. And it cost him his life to be faithful. So there's encouragement here.
In the time of weakness, a time of ruined, yet there was with the Lord. He valued that one individual who was faithful. And so he values faithfulness and he rewards faithfulness and he rewarded antithesis. If I could put it this way, he rewarded antithesis by including his name in the Word of God. And it looked like he had lost 'cause there was a lost cause. There was going to be no fruit from antithesis life and standing against what he knew was wrong.
Wickedness from the sight of the Lord.
But the Lord saw to it that he was rewarded.
You find in that Smyrna that Satan is acting as the roaring lion.
That.
The promise to the overcomer and the.
Of life that also mentioned in the books of James.
We are rejected by the world and we use some of the.
Recompenses from the world because of our faithfulness to the Lord.
The same crown is mentioned there that we can.
Partake of.
By the grace of God.
We are.
Rejected by the world?
And passed out because of the name of Christ.
But now we find Satan is not so much of the roaring lion.
But rather as this serpent.
And.
We will open the the book of the history of Israel.
The way that Balaam he could not curse the children of Israel, but he did.
Umm, orchestrate.
An alignment association.
The Moabites so that.
Fornication was was practiced with the Moabites.
And that was a snare to the nation of Israel and brought down the government of God.
And the same thing happened in Pergamus. Satan comes in as a as a subtle serpent.
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He's not attacking the.
The testimony for the name of Christ, as he did in Samurai.
The constant time.
Brings the brings Christianity into the foreground in his empire and he says this is an advantage. Christianity is a peaceful religion and.
The advocates are faithful and they're loyal and so on. I'm going to make Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. And that's what he did, in fact, on pain of being martyred.
Thousands of pagans were baptized at the point of the sword rather and and they took they were brought into the Christian profession without any real work of God in their souls. The Constantine now.
A Christianity, A national religion.
But it was just the world intruding into the Church and.
The the leaders they just submitted to.
Constantine's edx and a.
They adopted some of the Pagan customs. They all the, the churches that the pagans had now were consecrated to Christianity. So yes, this is a beautiful temple. No longer are we going to have the idols in here. We're going to transform this building into a Christian Church. And that was done.
However.
Along with it came some Hagen customs and so on. Constantine didn't care much about that as long as there was.
An outward.
Nominal profession of Christianity.
And that continued for several 100 years, but as as you mentioned, it's corrupted the Church of God.
Seriously.
So then it became evident that there were those that were believers, true believers.
That has accepted Christ as Savior and that knew that they were believers and those that were unbelievers. There was a great mixture and God hates the mixture.
And he desires purity. And so instead of going along with this, why we had those that were faithful like Antifa's or just say this in Revelation, there's the Spirit of God gives us 4 characters of Satan. And as you mentioned, there's different ways that he works. But in chapter 20 verse two, we find that he's named in four different ways. We have an enemy. He's a real enemy. And it says he lays bold on the dragon.
And when it speaks of his driving character, he's a destroyer. Satan is a destroyer who doesn't give life, doesn't create life, doesn't bring a blessing.
And he said he's called that old surface. So he's a very experienced deceiver. You and I are no match for the enemy. He was experienced deceiver. That's what he did in the in the Garden of Eden, which is the devil. And so his character is a devil, is a tempter. He tempts you and I to sin against God and to destroy our testimony. And it was a temptation of his brethren had the temptation to join up with the world and to compromise a little bit, so to speak.
To deflect the reproach of Christ that they felt. And then it says Satan, Satan, his character of Satan is the adversary and outright adversary and enemy. Those four things. And if we remember those things that the principles of those four characteristics of Satan, those four names all throughout the Scriptures. It's a little bit we'll find them as brother Eric would bring out in the previous meeting.
In some of the outlines in scripture.
Characters.
We didn't mention the dragon, I don't think it doesn't mention it. Yes, I did OK.
What are those four games? That's chapter 20 and verse 2.
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Says he laid hold on the dragon. That's his these characters, a destroyer, that old serpent.
An experience deceiver, which is the devil, a tempter. And remember, he tempted the Lord. It says the devil taketh him into the wilderness, and so on.
He is a tempter and then Satan. He's the adversary. Remember read Job chapter one. He's an adversary to Job. He's an adversary to God and man and so.
We find this character is going to be totally down for 1000 years during that millennial reign of the Lord Jesus in this world, and men will be released from that.
Influence Satanic influence in this world. But here is Satanic influence was felt Satan was very interested in the church.
Very interested. It names the name of Christ.
Glorifies Christ ought to glorify Christ. He's interested in the assembly today.
And he's interested in destroying it. He's interested in corrupting it. He's interested in deceiving the Saints. You're accepting that which is dishonoring for the name of Christ into the glory of Christ. He's very interested in destroying and he is acting even today. So we have this picture given to us, this letter given an actual assembly and what the Lord wrote to it. And it's instructive for us today as well.
It says where Satan see is. Well, that's that's the world.
God of this world religiously.
He is a Prince of the world politically and he's working behind the scenes.
The whole world lies in the lack of the wicked one, the whole.
Principles of society and so on.
Is really controlled by the enemy to.
To deceive man in his sins.
And to prevent him from being awakened to his need of the savior. So Satan has is not not everything is not immoral. He has a lot of culture and education and.
Music and art and what have you.
He could use all of these means to occupy that, as long as he is not awakened to his knee of salvation. Is that right?
History speaks of the lust of the flesh, which you're all familiar with, but also speaks of the lust of the world.
And that's just what you're speaking about is there's all these things that are not bad in themselves, but we.
We turn to.
Luke's Gospel 17 was in it where it talks about what they were doing just before the Lord appeared. They were not bad things. They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving a marriage. It didn't sound bad, but they left thought out.
And that's the danger, isn't it? So it's been said that in Pergamos the world rules the church.
Entire tires. The church rules the world.
So there's a flip, is it there? And there's a degradation from the deeds of the Nicolaitans in verse six under Ephesus to the doctrine of Balaam in verse 14. It's the doctrine of worldliness, isn't it? It's a worldliness being accepted by Christianity. And you might mention about balaam, and I appreciated what John said. There's the doctrine of balaam, there's a way of balaam, and there's the error of balaam.
The and it's good to distinguish.
Commentators are always super clear on it, but I think Mr. Grant and some of those I think is helpful the.
The doctrine of Balaam is, I believe this letter. Brother John brought out it. Remember Bailey, Just to repeat it, summarize it a little bit. Baba could get Balaam to curse the children of Israel because they were blessed with God. But he said that, you know, get their young people to get together.
Get through young people to get together the Moabitess young people with the Israelites, young people who won't be belong. Won't be long until there's problems and imperiality of any time.
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And that was the doctor debate. It's a, it's a subtle thing, isn't it? They just get their young people to mix and then they'll be around and come in and then you come.
But the way of Bala we read about in second Peter is simply he was a hiring prophet. He was using his prophetic gift. He was really a he was really a demonic medium, wasn't it? But he covered it over with the Lords name. But he was really a demonic medium and he used this to make a good income and he wanted the wages of unrighteousness that Baylor could offer. He really wanted that to pretend that he didn't. But he was a liar. And that was the way of taking there's people like that today.
That are religiously followed away available.
But then finally, the error of Balaam that we have in June and June, as I understand, simply that he could not understand that the grace of God. And that's a great error that Satan makes, doesn't it? He doesn't understand how Balaam, for instance, had to bless Israel rather than person. Why was that? Because God had determined in His sovereign and His sovereignty that He was going to bless Israel.
They could not understand how we could bless the corrupt people, but God is sovereign and He saved.
Even lost in so that, I believe is the error abatement. Satan made the same error at the cross, didn't he? He thought it was all over. He led the world against Christ. He thought God's counsels would fall to the earth would be nothing. That was the error.
It was his greatest mistake. He couldn't count on the grace of God in his sovereignty of less mankind.
Thank you.
There's a progression as well in connection with the needs of the Nicolasians that says in verse six, so there was a tolerance of something that was dishonoring to Christ, a doctrine that was not according to the proof of God. There was a tolerance of it in Ephesus, but now in Pergamus it comes out as a doctrine. It comes out of the outbreak of the teaching in that particular assembly that.
Nicolaitans which thing I hate.
Now, you and I, sometimes in this politically correct world, we kind of try to soften our words, soften what we're saying and so on. But the Lord makes no attempt whatsoever to soften how he feels about this kind of things. He says, I hate it. I don't almost not like it. I hate it. And so perhaps Speaking of the clergy system, perhaps Speaking of the other aspect of things that you mentioned, I forgot exactly. Yeah, so.
You know, he hates those things and we ought to, if we have a desire to walk a community with the Lord, we ought to hate those things that he hates. And that is that will require self judgment and it will require walking in community with the Lord.
To dislike those things, I think it was brother Harry Hagel. We mentioned some of his that expressions in these meetings, but used to say that holiness is an authoritarian hatred of evil and a delight in that particular for that particular.
A delight in that, particularly a hatred of that which is evil, not which is human. So that's what often characterizes. As we might mention, we've been using the word sanctification.
Especially, but the word sanctification and holiness are really virtually identical in the original state.
They mean the same thing, but the thought was sanctification is to be set apart for a holy purpose. I know there's some exceptions, but that's a general rule that God has set us apart for a whole.
That's what sanctification they're holding, this is.
And even if we look at it, as you say, maybe 30, we can certainly understand that or we can say antinomianism rather than I heard that preached in the assemblies in our day. They, they call it Christian liberty and they close their eyes, Especially if if it's somebody that has deep family roots, it's OK Push it under the rug. It's not OK. That's that's Nicolette, isn't it?
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To call to combine Christianity with that which is evil and pretend that's not evil.
Well, the Lord always gives us space for repentance suddenly, and it says in the next assembly here that I gave her space to repent, but she repented on. And so He's giving us space to repent when we discover these things.
And that stirs our consciences. And there's the exercise of soul. He says, Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them, but with the sword of my mouth. He's going to ultimately use his word.
And power to defend his own glory, and to defend his assembly. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches to him.
That overcome it I will I give and you should to eat is not really in the text there will I give.
Of the hidden manner, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth.
You know, it's there's that sweet communion with the Lord. If there is repentance, then there is an overcoming in this matter of the liberal liberal liberality or.
I don't know what a good word is for it, but license. License.
License to allow the flesh to act in the presence of God is wickedness.
It's wickedness. And so he says, repent.
And.
He says here it's a wonderful thing to be able to have a hidden man that a relationship with the Lord Jesus, communion with the Lord Jesus, to feed upon him and to be nourished in the words of life and truth and to have a sense of his approval and then in a future day a new name.
A stone new name written which no man knoweth, say that he. So the Lord in the future day will reward those who are faithful and those that are overcomers in this kind of a situation.
Whose approval are we looking for?
Are we looking for the approval of our brother? Are we looking for the approval of the world? The lesson here in third of us, are we looking for the approval of a board?
Actually the.
The man that refers to the pathway of the Lord down here. It's often been explained upon the Lord in those three ways. First is your possible land redemption, then as the mana.
Meditating upon.
Is pathway down here in the world. The Lord was really a solitary man. No one understood him. It relates to pervasive the world was getting into the church and corrupting it with its ways and its philosophy and so on. The Lord walked through this world.
In complete separation from all the evil around him.
He suffered.
In that way because.
In a scene that was contrary to the nature of God.
And.
Yet he glorified his Father and every step of his earthly conflict. That's why we need the gospel. We need to meditate on the gospel. There we have.
The exhibition of.
The nature of God, the full revelation of the nature of God and manhood. We trace the Lords pathway through the world. It's marvelous, the full of grace and truth. You reproved evil, of course and.
We came under the.
Persecution of man, but he was faithful to his Father. So we see it upon the Lord as the hidden manna. And I'm not sure if what the thought is here exactly the hidden manner. But if we share the rejection of Christ down here and we will, if we are faithful, we will have that memory in the in the coming days.
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But we have.
By His grace walked the path of separation from His presence in the world.
Hidden man at the memorial. John was placed in New York.
As a memorial, so we never get beyond that doing.
We never, even though we talked about a progression, it builds one upon the other. We never get beyond Christ. Is it as a man here with God and man? It's a wonderful, wonderful thing, isn't it? Mr. Darby says.
Paraphrasing, but he says you look at Christ and you can say that's the life I have.
John's Gospel. That's what we get, isn't it? That eternal life which was with the Father manifest in this world. But in the epistles of John for second and third John, we get that life in the family.
And I've often had to stop and wonder, why was it that John, who was the affectionate, this apostle that leaned on Jesus bosom? Why did he give us the Book of Revelation, which is full of judgment and then read it? And we're not going to read about it, but it's full of judgment, particularly during the tribulation period. And I believe the answer is simply this.
We have grapes.
In the eternal life that came from the Father, the Lord Jesus is the eternal Son, taking man out into His person.
We have grace and as children of God, as members of the family, we have the life of Christ, not he and he don't, but we have eternal life, which is a Christian thing. That's great. If that's rejected, there's nothing left with justice.
It's interesting to notice that manna was part of the wilderness journey, wasn't it? They were provided as God and says in the Psalms that called it angels food, many angels food. And so you and I in this world, we're walking through the wilderness scene that has no use for Christ. Man has rejected Christ, crucified the Son of God, and isn't repenting at all. But you and I as we walk through this scene.
Can bear the approach of Christ and we can meet angels.
We can have essentially more approval, we can have a sense of that which would nourish our souls.
As we contemplate Christ Himself and his faithfulness even under death.
Probably we need to move on here, perhaps to Thyatira. And what about the white stone here? Does anyone have a?
Steve, do you have a son?
I think it's the Lord's personal approval. You know, the white and black stones were used as in a way of, you might say, voting disapproval was black and white was approval. And so it's the Lord's personal approval of the path of one who's been faithful to him and a new name associated with that.
It was refused in the Roman court system as well, wasn't it? And so when one was tried and there was a trial, the evidence was prevent presented. And then there was a a judgment given as a jury would present a Blackstone or a white stone. And if it was a white stone, there was life and liberty. If there was a Blackstone, why it was the man or woman was guilty and there was judgment for it. But.
Let us speak of private individual acknowledgment. Just think of it.
God, the Lord Jesus who loved you, gave himself for you. We'll have the delight for this heart. Just think of the delight of his heart to give that light stone. And you say I accrued of what you did and how you bore the testimony to my name in this scene. I approve of what you did and how you did. It's remarkable that it said to this assembly.
It's a dire circumstances.
00:40:03
Well, we see a.
We see the Church now is controlled in large nature by the world and the principles of the world.
And the whole system of christened on there really corrupted.
With all sorts of error and.
Departure from the truth of God and if that's accepted.
So Satan has been successful.
You might say polluting the whole the.
The meal there, Matthew 13, the three guys are Neil and 11 working there.
Underneath, and that permeating through the whole mass of the.
A meal there is what has happened.
Interesting about Satan has brought in through.
Through men, through men that had a profession of Christ all sorts of error and.
And evil doctrines even concerning the person of the Lord Jesus.
Has been successful in that. Is that right?
Just one inversion note.
Before we leave.
It says and hold us fast my name and that's not denied my faith.
There was a contention for and we are the heirs.
Of those who.
I'll pass the faith.
The truth of the person of Christ not denied his name in those days. And there were great councils and they were difficult times and some lost their lives to forecast those truths and we're thankful because they have them today.
And a new name written which no man, no, I'll say neither received. The Lord cares about us individually.
We are special to the Lord, each one.
Not just a new group over there, you group over there, but the Lord has a special interest in each one of us. What fire tires you mentioned, as you mentioned, these continual sacrifice. This is Catholicism at its high point, isn't it? From roughly 500 or 600 to just before the Reformation, about 1500 and another, another meeting of firefighters burning incense. It's really the combination of paganism.
Christianity and Judaism into a corrupt system, isn't it? As we mentioned in Pergamos, the world rules the church. In Thyatir, the church rules the world. And that's been the purpose of the popes ever since.
That's interesting to notice that the first judgment that's given in connection with the Christian profession, Chapter 6, is that the Roman Church will rule Western Europe, will rule the United States of Europe or whatever it's called at that time.
But it seems the judgment of God.
And so here she sees control of the powers there, and the governments of Europe came under the influence of Roman Catholicism and she ruled that a brutal.
Domination of those kingdoms that she had influence over. But it's interesting here that it's piece of these things say it's the Son of God.
So the Lord Jesus is presented as the Son of God, and so largely his deity even is maintained in Roman Catholicism. They believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. There are other systems in Christianity that deny the Trinity, but in the Romans Catholicism there is an acceptance of the end. Perhaps I might even say a defensive the Trinity and the deity of the Lord Jesus. He is God the Son.
But it's mixed, as our brother has mentioned.
Matthew's Gospel chapter 13. I'm going to read it because I can't quote it.
00:45:01
Chapter 13 of Matthew, one of the women that Brother Eric mentioned earlier.
Verse 33. Matthew 1333 Another parable. Spake me unto them, The Kingdom of heaven is light. Unto 1111 always is a character, a picture of sin.
Which a woman took and hid in three measures of needle till the whole was 11. So the Lord Jesus gave these 10 little pictures, 10 little 10 little stories that give us different features of what Christianity would be like in the time of his absence. And this is one of them is that a woman would seize control and a woman you know is.
In in the Christian.
Time is to be in a hidden place, in a place of submission, and it's those that are brothers, those that are men that are to take a prominent place, and the man is to come into the presence of the Lord with his head uncovered. The sister who represents Christ, the bride of Christ, in some sense she hasn't had covered because she represents the glory of the natural man and her head needs to be covered.
And so there's this order, but it was reversed here. And the woman Jezebel was suffered, she called herself a prophetess to teach for the seduced my servants to commit fornication of ethane, sacrificed unto idols. And so there was a progression of evil under Roman Catholicism until the whole of it was corrupt, the whole of the Church at that time, and God had to come in and intervene.
And so that's what we have in Sardis, the intervention of God.
It's almost in the object of the Rome to rule.
In a secular way, you read the history, you see that the folks really had control of the governments of Europe. That's what they wanted. They they wanted submission to the Roman sea.
That was the object of the whole system, was to control the world, whole political system, and it came to pass in large measure.
And.
Although they have a.
They have a very moral wound in the.
Formation the woman is going to ride the beast in that coming day for the first half of the tribulation of the seven-year period, the last week of Daniel, the woman's going to ride the beast The woman is Catholicism is going to be revived. She's going to gain control the the secular domination of the of the western world will be.
Will be completely dislodged and it should be destroyed in the center of the week.
But.
Of that system, I mean, but it goes beyond that though, doesn't it, John? The woman in Matthew 13 is the beginning of corruption. Jezebel here is the is the.
Is the established corruption, but the heart of it is ecumenicalism, isn't it really? So it's not just Catholicism, but it's Catholicism having brought all our children back. It speaks about that in Revelation 17.
So it's the ecumenical movement.
They called it the one church. Well, that's what Kapoor, that's what the word Catholic means, doesn't it? The one church. But it's beyond. The following is a really incident. The harlot includes all of her children, all of her wayward reformed children coming back under her seat again. And they call it the great Church. God calls it a harvest.
Those speakers that in verse 23 here I will kill her children with death.
And all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the range of hearts. So what is it referring to? Her children? Well, they went out in the Reformation and broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. And there was a degree of life. And the truth of salvation by faith alone in the finished work of Christ was restored in some measure and justification by state. I know that they use some of these terms and they didn't understand the full import of it.
00:50:08
But those church systems, they, what we might call the Protestant churches, put this stuff, they were in pro, established in protest to the Catholics system, but they borrowed a lot of those things that she already possessed. They mimicked her order. They still had.
A clergy system. They still had some of those features that the Catholic system had. They still had covenant theology.
And so their children, they're not too far away from the mother, and so in the future day they'll join up with her again.
Just a word from the last church that we were looking at it, this one. It's easy to look at some of these things as we see their historic, historical significance and rightly solved and we can learn and we can profit, but there is that which is distinctly applicable.
To to the angels of the different churches in the day that we're living in right now. And so there's an Angel of the church in, in Hammer Bay. You would say there's those in, in other assemblies, those responsible ones and how they're to conduct themselves.
So just one point that I'd like to draw out. In the previous church, as we were reading about, you haven't commented verse 14. I have a few things against these so that those are the ones in responsibility in the assembly.
Thou hast there then that hold the doctrine of Balaam verse 15. Thou ask them that pull the doctrine of Nicolaitans.
Those in the responsibility in the Assembly.
Were called out and pointedly called out because there was that which was simply held in the assembly that was wrong. And so those that are in oversight, those that are the teachers are not just responsible that the outward is is good.
But as far as what is being held and they're responsible to know the state of the flock and to to have a care and to make sure that those things may be appearing to be going on well.
To be close enough to the sheet, to be close enough to those that are in that assembly that they can deserve these things. These ones were not in Pergamos and they were called out sharply. But it gets even worse. And so you could, you can see this, but it gets worse in in thy Attire. We're reading about verse 20. I have a few things against the end. So this is, this is speaking to those, to that, to that Angel, to that one in responsibility I have.
A few things against you, because thou suffers that woman Jezebel, which call it, calleth yourself a prophetess to teach.
And so now we see the responsibility for those in oversight as far as what is taught. So as was mentioned as much we hear much of tolerance and acceptance and all these other ridiculous terms that are floated around in this world, perhaps a kernel of of good in them, but misapplied. That's not to be what is to characterize the the assembly of those who are in responsibility held responsible before the Lord.
There's a real.
Care that they're exercising if not, they will be get called to give account so we.
We need to take these words of the prophet. You need to take them to heart because the words of prophet are intended to distinguish they they hurt when they reply to each one of our hearts. They need to. We need to let that word sting.
I was wondering verse 23 there where it says it will kill her children or death, is that referring to the second death?
I would have to say yes. I believe it's referring to the tribulation period where he will judge all that is false and.
There will be a separation, eternal separation from those that are false. They claim to be the Church of God. The Pope claims to be a direct defendant for Peter. He claims to have an inside track with the Lord Jesus and.
It's a false claim. And so all of these ones, these false systems that are dead, they have what they think is life, what they present is life, but they're dead.
00:55:01
Let's just read it. I know chapter 3, verse one. I know that I worked about names about it. It's in our bed.
So they profess to have light, but really it's that separation from God, His principles.
I think it's an encouraging word here in verse 19. It's the most profuse commendation of an assembly in connection with their works. It says I know thy works and charity and servant and state like patient by work that allows to be more than the 1St. I believe there are real believers in the Roman Catholic system and the Lord.
I believe this is a word to them specifically, that there are those that are in that system and are afraid to leave it, whatever it might be. But he sees that there is real life and that there's real service, there's real faith. And so it's in connection with that system and perhaps their services in connection with that system publicly. But there are real believers and the Lord sees it. And so we can rejoice and what is done for Christ.
And while we may not be able to approve of the system, why we can rejoice, but there's something that the Lord sees that meet with His approval and the lives individually of these different ones.
Now there's an important transition beginning with verse 24, isn't there? Maybe we should even go all the way back to.
Verse 21 and verse with the Ephesians. Notice in verse five. Remember therefore, for once our fallen and repent. They fell, but there was room to repentance. Severna, there was no need to repent. There was nothing, no Lord reproaches them about. But in Pergamus, again there was a need in verse.
60 Is it 16 Yeah. Repent. So there's possibility of repentance back to the original, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against you with the sword of my mouth. But now in verse 21, I gave her space to repent of her fornication.
And she repented not. This is what we call the ruin of the general testimony.
The fall allows for repentance.
But the ruin, Now with the ruin there's a separation of a remnant. Verse 24 But unto you I say, now I'm getting the county translation, the remnant in Thyatira. That's clearly the beginning of the Reformation.
Sardis is really not the Reformation poster information, but this is really the beginning of the Reformation. They were still in the Catholic system, but they were starting to realize they needed to come out of it. People like John Huss and and Wickliffe and so on, the forerunners of the full Reformation and even Luther and so on. But unto you I say the remnant, and by a tyrant many as if not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak. I will put on no other version but that would she have.
But that would she have already hold fast till I come, doesn't speak of repentance. That speaks of the Lord's coming. So they look forward rather than backwards. And so this is a transition. There's a lack of repentance, there's the ruin of the general testimony. A separation is necessary and the remnant is the one that affects that separation and they are to look forward.
To the Lord's coming rather than to look backward to to repentance. And then we have really three things here. The Lord's coming is mentioned in the last four churches.
The remittance distinguished in each in the last four churches and we noticed 2IN verse 29 just to get a little bit ahead, but.
For time's sake, notice the difference now in the final formula.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches. It's now said to the remnant, not to the whole. Whereas before it was he that had the ear, let him hear what the Spirit said under the churches, Now it's he that had been here. Let him hear with the Spirit says to the churches. A call to hear the Spirit comes after the promise to the overcomer. I guess I should have read that.
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Of verse 26 is to the overcomer, so the call to he that had to hear after the overcomer is mentioned now verse 27 and 28.
The whole church is not is not addressed now.
Has been the first three churches. Now it's only to the overcomer that becomes.
Notable.
The other thing is that these four churches continue on to the end and so you can see today the Roman Catholic Church is still in existence. You can see Sardis or what the Reformation degraded into, the Protestant churches, the national churches.
They're still in existence in Philadelphia. There are still those that are gathered by the Lord's name to the Lord's name, gathered by the Spirit of God through his grace, and then lay to see us what really is.
To perhaps know the truth, know some of Philadelphia and take a Philadelphian position, you might say, and have the knowledge of some of the truth, but not the heart for it at all.
We go on in the form of having Philadelphia power and strength, but really is obnoxious to the Lord.
So this is the pattern we spoke about. We see in every dispensation at every.
Type of the church history, we see the hall and the establishment, we see the fall, we see the decline, and ultimately we see the ruin of the general testimony, and then we see a remnant separated, and then ultimately there will be judgment.
But that's a pattern that repeats over and over and over again. And yet, I might say, as far as dispensations go, every principle that man is tested upon is something that will be perfected in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So he will have his church, won't he? There's a false church, there's an anti church. Whatever you want to call the apostate church is kind of a misdoer because to say you're a Christian, you mean you haven't given it up yet in a certain sense. But anti church is probably a better term. But nonetheless.
There is a true church, and Christ will come and claim his own. But again, the end of this dispensation will come when that which has the particular calling of this dispensation Christianity.
Is a little distinguished from that which was called out, but there are overcomers. There is a remnant now. There's always a moral remnant in every dispensation, those who act according to the truth they have. But we're talking about a positional remnant as well. It's important to be both. We can be in the right position, like they were in Malachi Day or in the Lord's Day, and yet still be morally all wrong.
Yeah, yeah.
In verse 28 mentions the morning stars that the Lord himself.
That comes before the day dawn there, Robert, doesn't it?
The morning star three, the planet Venus, but.
I've been reading a biography of the work in Angola and the brother missionary who was traveling.
Many, many days by foot through Angola.
For the first time early in the morning, he saw this bright heavenly body which he had never seen before.
Beaming down upon him, he actually made us what it was. They had a name for it. It was really the Morning Star. There it was, he said. It was magnificent.
And shortly after.
The Dom came, so I think the morning star refers to the rapture.
What we are looking for but.
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The dawn will be the establishment of the Kingdom, and the Lord comes through judgment, puts down all opposition, and establishes this Kingdom that will be the the dawn of the of the Lord's 7.
Return. He's appearing to.
To set up the millennial Kingdom.
When we shall ring within.
But it seems that they had a sense of that heavenly hope of being with Christ, and that was the Morning Star. I believe they realized that their home was not here.
Above they could sacrifice everything and.
So encourage young people especially to read church history. I understand when The Pioneers came out West that they would bring as many as three books. They couldn't carry much. You read histories of the Oregon Trail and so on. And then the often it said that people started out with organs and, and all these kinds of things all along the trail. They were thrown away. They just couldn't the, the, the horses or the oxen or whatever. They had the *****.
Would die. They would lose their strength.
They had to get rid of anything that was non essential. But they had their Bibles, that was essential. They had over progress, that was essential. They had Foxes, Book of Martyrs, that was essential.
Read boxes both of barters, you'll see what the Catholic Church really is.
There's a book on the shelf, There's the story of William Farrell. And I believe that if there's any young person here, older one too. But if there's a young person that has not read the story of William Farrell, it's a must read. It's shows the darkness of this time that we were Speaking of Pergamus and Thyatira. Thyatira in its power, in the grip that it had on Europe.
And how the Lord worked to deliver a small company from the collections of the Roman Church. This beloved brother, William Farrell has a tremendous story. And so I would concur. Read Church history and that is one of the books that must read.
The Miller's Church History is a series, I believe, of lectures that Brother Andrew Miller gave years ago.
It's a thick cook, maybe infantry quarters or so, but if you read one section at a time, it's very helpful and it helps you to focus on what is really what life is real and what is it that that Paul says to Timothy lay hold of?
What it's really like.
It helps you to focus and to recognize that we live in a wicked world of Christ rejecting and in history of those brothers that we're reading about here. That's our character, which isn't it? Some people like to look into their DNA and find out what what their background is, but it's Christians. That's a real heritage. Some people like to look into their, their, their history of their family. Often it's not very pretty, but as Christian, that's a real heritage, isn't it?
Church History.
Close #258.
258.
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Their sins.
And being gone with the Lord.
Where we shall be.
Servant of the Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball.
We are on our way to God, waking up our Lord to God.
Oh, sweetheart.
We are on our way to the door.
We will hold our own your way to God.