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The night is far spent and the day in that time.
89.
333.
4.
Brilliant.
Revelations chapter 3, verse one.
And unto the Angel of the Church of Sardis right these things, saith he that has the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou has a name, that thou liveth and are dead. He watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou has received and heard, and hold fast and repent.
If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief. Now shall not know what hour I will come upon thee. And thou has a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 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.
And before his angels, he that has a heir, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and to the angels of the church in Philadelphia, right these things, saith He that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David.
He that openness, and no man shut us, and shut us, and no man open us. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee a open door, and no man can shut it, for thou has a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make of them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not but due to lie. Behold, I will make them to come and to worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
00:05:22
Because I has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou has, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make it pull over in the temple of my God, and ye shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God.
Which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven for my God, and I ride upon him my new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and under the angels of the Church of Laodicea.
Where the singing is right, these things say the Amen, the faithful, and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot, and I would that thou Wert cold or hot.
So then, because thou art Luke warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because I'll say it. I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, but thou mayest be rich in white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And anoint thy eyes with Isla, that thou mayst see. And as many as I love. I rebuke and chase these Ellis therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame.
And sat down with my Father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear with the Spirit saith under the churches.
I'd like to take up a little what?
The finish what was started in the last meeting.
But to back up to get the context.
The Church was given to be the testimony of the light and love of God in the world, and as long as it lived out individually in the hearts of the believers, the truth, the first John as to having that eternal life operative in the soul of love and light.
Satan could not touch it, could not attract it.
But if it was not, the soul was not walking in that.
Then Satan had an Ave. in which to attract.
And consequently, the Lord shows that there was the giving up and the vulnerability to Satan to rob the Church of being its light and love to the world. And in the second assembly, tribulation or persecution is allowed of God to sharpen up the hearts of the Saints and to act in preservation to them through that tribulation.
When Satan attacked them from the outside.
But failing in that way, Satan then used the same character that he used in the time of Balaam to attract the hearts of the people, to go out, if you will, side that which is in the church, to the world, and to mix with it and its pursuits and its interests and occupation, to tempt it into spiritual fornication. And it did successfully.
It also allowed the church to identify itself, make Christianity popular with the world.
But having opened the door in that way, then in the case, the next progression of it was to allow the world into the Church itself, and into its profession by way of its principles. And so in the Church were introduced the things that are of man and the way man sees things. But the problem is that man's in his condition is dead in trespasses and sins.
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And so when Jezebel, the world, the woman comes in and starts to act, he says in verse 23 in the end of the previous chapter, I will kill her children with death. That is as that teaching is allowed to go on from generation to generation, since it's not of God, it's teaching the world. It teaches death because man doesn't. Man of the world can't teach life.
He doesn't have it and consequently when you get to our chapter and it comes to the state of Sardis, the progression gets worse because he says thou has the name to live and are dead.
That is, Christianity brings man into a new condition before God. In Adam I'll die. That's the world man's dead in trespasses and sins. But.
In Christ shall all be made alive. But if you allow the principles of the first man to control, all it can introduce is that which is connected with one that's dead.
The world is a system of dead people operating on the principles of death, because Satan is the Prince of it, and that's all that he has to offer to man. He doesn't give life. And consequently, as he says that you have a name to live and are dead, you present yourself as that which is of God, of that which is of Christ.
But your practices, you can't be distinguished from the world. You act and live just like the world because you operate on the world's principles. And as so the case being such, he warns Sardis. He says when I come, I'm going to come like the thief. That is, I'm coming just like I'm coming to the world.
Because you're operating on the principles of which you can't be distinguished from the world. You're just like it.
And so she is treated in that way.
In the the next assembly in Philadelphia.
You'll notice it says in.
Verse in Philadelphia it says in verse 9, Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie.
One of the characteristics of God's work by the Spirit to recover to the Church of God truth that had been long lost. One of the first things that the Spirit of God did was work in such a way that after a long period of not knowing it and the Reformation didn't bring it back, was to be able to distinguish between the church and Israel.
And God so worked that the brethren of that time were given of God to understand that there was the Church had a heavenly calling.
And the world, Israel, had an earthly calling, and connected with that truth was then the recovery of the enjoyment of the rapture, because with a heavenly calling there was a sense of looking for something for the Lord to come before he appeared. And so the distinction between what we call today, the rapture and the appearing was recovered because of the understanding of that.
But what has happened, because the church hasn't been aligned with the world and the principles of the world have come into the church, is that in recent times, beyond the days of those who saw and recovered, God used to recover that truth, has developed a lie that Satan is using against the earthly people to be restored to their blessing, he has said.
And the sad part is, the condition is so bad that now Satan is actually using the church for his own purposes.
And that's part of the condition that's seen in Philadelphia, not among the faithful remnant, but in the overall picture of things and what has happened today under the name given for those that follow such things. It's called replacement theology. And replacement theology is the error that is characterized by they say they are Jews and are not, but do lie is that.
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The Church replaces Israel in the purposes of God.
And consequently, Israel has no right and it is being used of Satan to make it difficult for the Israel's position now in the world, in the land, because those under the name of Christianity support the idea that they have no, that land isn't theirs and the church has its place. That is, they're saying they're Jews.
We have taken the place of the Jew, but it's a lie. But the consequence of it is, is that in the bigger picture of it, Satan has so destroyed the testimony of God in the earth and the church that not only has he spoiled it, but he's now using it. And the church is the false. That which is false in it is being used by Satan against the purposes of God described later in the Revelation.
Finally, the final characteristic of it and Laodicea is seen in the very beginning in the way in which the Lord describes himself. He says in verse 14 under the Angel of the Church of Laodicea right. These things say at the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. And then verse 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door.
I will come in to him and we'll Sup with him.
Satan has so successfully ruined the testimony of the church and the those responsible in it have given in to it by joining as they have with the world, that the situation is that the Lord here is seen on the outside. He doesn't even have a place in the church. He has nothing. And in fact, when it's a matter of testimony, as it says, as he introduces himself, I'm the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.
He has to go all the way back to his testimony and creation to be a testimony to the world, because that which should have been a testimony for God has been totally spoiled.
And so he reverts to his own claim of testimony himself apart from the church, because within it he only can, as it were, stand on the outside and knock on the door to the individual, and say, can I come in? Will you Sup with me?
Well, this is all what's happened and we can say, oh, that's interesting. But brethren, the application that I believe is so important to our souls this afternoon is the very same things are tested in every one of our lives. Every one of us has been given the life and nature of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, which Satan cannot touch.
The last words of John in his epistle was little children, keep yourselves from idols. And the moment the idolatry of the world gets any place in our hearts, we're going to go down the road of the seven churches morally, individually, in our personal lives, in our family lives, in the assembly and the principles of the world. Once they get a chance to come into our lives, they destroy us. They destroy our children.
We ultimately can get to a point where Satan actually uses us for his own purposes. Uh, and it's a solemn and it's a serious thing. It's a warning to us to apply these, the moral intent of these to our own lives. And one last comment.
If you try to mix the hot and the cold, you get the mixture of lukewarm. You can't mix the 1St man.
The hot man, if you will, with the dead man, the cold man, if you try to mix the two, you'll get something that's lukewarm, that is nauseous to the the one who has given us life in Christ and it is of not no value to him. And it leaves the soul in the state that's described there, which is a state of the soul says I'm rich.
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I don't need anything. The Lord looks at the soul and says you're naked, you're miserable, you're blind, you're poor. Think of those characteristics. Do you think many people in the world go around saying I'm rich when they're absolutely poor? It happens, but it's a sad condition. They're not. A lot of people that go around in the world and say I, I, I got everything I need. I need nothing.
And someone else says, but you're blind and so on. How many people say I'm rich when they're actually miserable? In other words, the condition can get to be if you allow this to take place, the soul has no, no understanding of its own state. And that's the state of the church today as a whole. It has no understanding of its own state. It is blind to it. It doesn't see it, it doesn't understand it. And the Lord himself has to come individually. And if we allow our lives to get into this condition of things.
Will be the last to know. We will not be able to discern our own condition and the Lord will have to come in grace to us individually and say to us, can I come in?
In a historical way, you can say that Sardis was what came out of the out of the Reformation.
And we can be thankful for the light of truth that was recovered at the Reformation, truth of justification by faith. But it was a partial recovery. And it's like it says in verse.
Verse.
Two.
Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. For I have not found thy work.
Complete, I think Mr. Darby's translation reads before God. In other words, it was a partial restoration. But Martin Luther, although he was a tremendous instrument in getting back the truth of justification by faith, didn't get too much further than that.
I think it was uh.
Uh, was mentioned the other day that Swingley recovered a little bit more and there were some of the reformers that did, but it wasn't until later on that there was a fuller recovery, which we have really reflected in Philadelphia. And I'm, I'm giving the Don is giving the point of view of how the enemy works and giving more the historical picture. So we have the recovery of the truth.
In Philadelphia, Philadelphia itself means brotherly love.
Which is significant.
They do not have great strength, but they have a little strength. It's the same strength as they had in the beginning of the church's history.
Great power was evident then. It's the same power today. But not.
In large measure it's little power, but they have kept my word, it says, and not denied my name. So the Word of God was what was opened in the time when the truth was recovered in a special way. So we can say that.
Philadelphia is what pleases the Lord, what we can desire for ourselves. Brethren, I trust we don't take it upon ourselves to say we are Philadelphia. If we do that, we are.
Really qualifying to be Laodicea because Laodicea pronounced their own judgment on themselves, not realizing that it was totally.
The opposite of what the Lord saw. And so, brethren, let us not.
Be self complacent. Let's desire, as Philadelphians do, to keep his word, to not deny his name. But let's not pass judgment on how well we're doing. That is not proper for us.
00:25:01
And then Laodicea is, as Don was saying, the last state, which is probably most characteristic of the Christian testimony today, and the Lord Jesus on the outside of a closed door.
That is so incredible to think about. This is the reality today and the call in verse 20. Notice it brother and it's individual if.
Any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him individual and Sup with him and he with me. And so he's not saying if you all inside can hear my voice and I'll come into you all. No, it's individual. So let's ask ourselves, do we have place in our lives for the Lord Jesus? You have time to read his word.
To really get serious in His presence, to listen, to pray. Is there time in your life for that? You meet so many dear young people. Real energy.
But so often they tell me I just don't have much time to read the scriptures.
Let's give place to him. It's so important. So if we will do that, we can become overcomers even in this awful state of the church.
Those men that God used in the Reformation that ushered in what we often refer to as Protestantism, they were men used mightily of God, although they didn't understand the true calling of the church. They felt that they needed to get ready to usher in the Kingdom and so on. And Dawn has mentioned replacement theology. We often speak of covenant theology too, and so on. But God used them at the beginning because.
Things were moving back towards the truth and God doesn't recover things all at once. He doesn't flip flop things just as if just as there was a transitional period at the beginning of the Church of the church period in the book of the Acts. So there was a a a slow recovery, so to speak, at the beginning of the Rep with the Reformation that led to what we have characteristically at least.
In Philadelphia, where there was eventually men who opened the scriptures and prayerfully searched the scriptures and the Spirit of God revealed to them more than just justification by faith and and so on.
But the danger is, brethren, that in a day when things are moving away from the truth again, when things are are on a decline, the danger is not always to look for something new, but to go back to what there was when there was partial light or partial recovery. And that isn't that what we find today? We find that Christians are going back to that which.
The church fathers taught that which the reformers taught and believed, which was not completely accurate, which had some truth, but they didn't understand true Christian position. They didn't have the truth of the discerning between the, as Dawn says, Israel and the Church, the heavenly calling of the church versus an earthly people that are yet going to be brought into earthly blessings. They didn't differentiate between the rapture and the appearing, the Lord's coming for his Saints and the Lord's coming with his Saints. And so we want to be careful, brethren, that in the day of decline.
And a day of regression, we don't go back to those things. And that's why they're told very clearly here that what they've been given there to hold fast. And how long are they to hold it fast? Till, Till I come. We need to be exercised, brother, that we don't let these things slip. You know the enemy, he doesn't flip flop things either. He comes in with things gradually. We often refer to it as the thin edge of the wedge.
Just a little here and there, but we need to be exercised that we would hold fast to these things. And it's interesting too, We talked about repentance this morning in connection with Ephesus and leaving their first love. But both in the church to Sardis and to Laodicea, he speaks about it again, showing brethren that this is ongoing individually and collectively. There needs to be that change of thought, that change of mind.
00:30:15
We get, so we, we, we get so saturated with the spirit of the age, with the thoughts of the day, with what's propagated. If I can just make this practical suggestion to, to all of us, but maybe to those who are younger, who are perhaps beginning to pick up ministry and read it, you know, we need to be careful. There's lots of good ministry written today. And I'm not discrediting contemporary writers in any way, but let's be careful.
When we pick up something that has been written in the last few years that we don't become slowly tainted and saturated in our thoughts.
In the vein of justice, what we've been saying that we're spiritual Israel, that we need to be a moral force to change the world, that there needs to be a certain moral level amongst Christians to usher in the Kingdom and and so on. Let's be careful that our thought, our minds aren't turned in that vein of things and it can be very subtle sometimes. And if we pick up that which is written by those who are are holding that.
We're gonna begin to think that way without even perhaps realizing it.
Let's go back to that which was written in the days. Again, I'm not discrediting contemporary writings, and certainly there's much that sound that's been written recently. But let's go back to those things that God allowed men to write back in the days when the truth was recovered and the the hope of the Lord's coming, the calling of the church and so on. Those things along with your Bible, with the Scriptures, are going to be a help to confirm.
Consolidate in your mind, but not only that, to keep those things before you, lest your thoughts become otherwise. And so we need to have constantly that change of of mind. And so it that repentance stands the whole church period, doesn't it? From Ephesus to Laodicea, there needs to our thoughts, our minds need to be brought into tune with what God has established in his living word.
Just like to mention though that more about the what was mentioned, the replacement theology or covenant theology which says that.
The church has taken Israel's place and it's become so prevalent in Christian circles and.
That's what's behind the push to get Christians into the political procedure. If it is true that the church has taken Israel's place, then it would be proper for us to get into political arenas, would be correct. And many that are Christians, because of that bad teaching, are in there. And I think they're in there sincerely. We need to recognize that that that doesn't make it right.
Here I have a heavenly calling, and as beautiful to see in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus never got into political arenas.
He lived in a time when there were terrible injustices done.
He never got into that. It is said My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight that I might not be delivered to the Jews, but now is My Kingdom not from? Hence, brethren, Our Calling is heavenly, and our place in this world is to preach the gospel, give people to hear the message, and get saved, so when the rapture comes, they can go too to the glory, but to get into involved in political things.
Like Don was saying, the result is that in the end the enemy uses it against the Christian testimony in the world and it it is a backlash. You can see it sometimes happening. I think it's going to happen even more. The Lord help us brethren, to live in the enjoyment of our heavenly calling. We've been called the greater things here and the enemy in this world is going to carry the his way.
We're going to see the rise, and I don't think we'll see it while we're here. We're going to, but there's going to be the rise of the Antichrist, the lawless king and the beast, and they're going to go directly against the Lord Jesus when he comes out of heaven. So our place is not in the political arena, our places in the heavenly calling. Sometimes I see young people, they seem to not grasp that. And I just want to encourage you to get into the Scriptures.
00:35:21
To enjoy, not only understand it, but walk in the enjoyment of our heavenly calling. It's far greater than anything that could ever be involved in in this world. Get into it, enjoy it, walk in the power of it, and you'll find that it'll be a blessing in your soul.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he wrote to a young man, and he didn't encourage him to go out and lobby against the government or the abuses of humanity. And it's interesting that it's in Timothy where he's told to pray for those who are in power. And I suggest that if believers would spend more time praying for those in power, as the Scripture enjoins us to do, it would have a lot more effect.
It's interesting, too, that when Paul wrote to Timothy to pray for those in power.
Who was in power? One of the worst tyrants that ever reigned in this world. Nero was in power. I remember some years ago being in Nigeria in the early 90s when they tried to implement democracy and there was a dictator in power who was reputed to be one of the worst dictators of the 90s. And it was really exercising to my soul to go to prayer meeting on several occasions in Nigeria.
And to get down on our knees and to hear the local Nigerian brethren pray for General Hibachi. He was a ruthless man. But I thought, you know, it's easy for us to pray for the Prime Minister of Canada, the president of the United States. We may not agree with all his policies or his Mor morality, but you know, they leave us alone. We're able to meet freely in a facility like this. We have the doors open. We're not afraid of the authorities coming in and arresting us or shooting us.
For having viable meetings. One thing to pray for the authorities under these circumstances. But what if we lived in some of the circumstances like our brethren have lived? What if we lived like in the days of Timothy where our brethren did in the 90s in Nigeria, or our brethren in Egypt today, or our brethren in Cuba, or many of these places? That's the real test. But I believe to pray for the authorities rather than lobby against them will have more effect.
And if I can just make a practical comment in connection with the reformers and what is happening today?
You know what really brought down persecution on the heads of the reformers was that they didn't understand true Christian position and they were go again. God used them, but they rose up and they were fighting governments and state churches. You know John Knox would go in and reason with Queen Mary till all she wanted to see was his head roll in the tower. Some of those men would go into the cathedrals of Europe and smash the images of the Apostles and the Virgin Mary.
Well, no wonder the authorities wanted to burn them at the stake. They didn't understand true Christian position.
And brethren, if we suffer persecution in the western world before the Lord comes, and we might.
I'm looking for the Lord to come this afternoon. But we might if the Lord doesn't come. But I have often wondered if what may bring down persecution on our heads if the Lord leaves us. Here is the fact that Christians are rising up, going back to what the Reformers taught, seeking to lobby against governments and states. They're not gonna stand for it. That may be what brings down persecution on our heads, but Our Calling is to go on quietly.
As the Philadelphian brethren are commended here, keeping His word and not denying His name. Now, I'm not saying that what brings down persecution on the heads of believers is solely what I have just cited, but I say we need to be very careful. Let's seek by grace to go on keeping His word, not denying His name. But, and this is the point I want to get to, but we don't want to give the impression in doing that, that we are indifferent to the abuses of humanity.
The reason I say that is I've had a number of young people come to me at late and say, Mr. Highlander, Jim, if we don't get out and plot hard against abortion, if we don't get out and vote and exercise our what we feel is our right as a Christian and try to be a moral force to change things, we give the impression that we're indifferent to these things. No, we don't want to give the impression we're indifferent. Let me use the illustrate the example of abortion.
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I am not about to get out and plot card in front of an abortion clinic this afternoon.
But I am not going to give the impression for one moment that I am indifferent to abortion. It is against God and against Scripture. And if my neighbors or anybody else ask me what I think of it, I trust I have the grace to show them from the Word of God why it is wrong. But I'm not going to get out and try to be a moral force to change things. I'm thankful for any Christian influences. Bob says that there is in high places. It's a check on things and God can use it.
And I'm not indifferent to the abuses of government and the things they're carrying on with, But I am not going to get out and run for political office. I'm an ambassador for Christ. I have a a far greater calling. And so we're responsible to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age as citizens of heaven, reflecting Christ, representing heaven, keeping his word, not denying his name.
Not but not involved in this world, but not involved with its policies and with its programs, but pointing others to heaven so that they can become citizens of a world where these things will never affect us again.
In verse 7 where it speaks of the key of David, wouldn't that in some respects speak of what you're talking about? The key of David would speak of royal authority?
It doesn't say that Philadelphia has the key of David. It doesn't say that he gave the key of David to Philadelphia. It says that he has the key of David and he opens which no man can shut and he shut up which no man can open. So he is in control. And as I mentioned the other day with saddest we see that it says that, umm, in verse one of chapter 3, these things says he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. But that's in contrast to what we find in Ephesus where it says he holds the seven stars in his right hand.
There wasn't that recognition with the reformers that he held those seven stars in his hand.
There's, uh, parallels in the Old Testament with A2 recoveries that are mentioned here in Revelation 3, and that's Hezekiah.
And, uh, Josiah Hezekiah is very, uh, extraordinary recovery, very broad and even affected the 10 tribes that were up in the north part. And uh, uh, it was, it was very momentous event in digital history, Josiah and recovery was, uh, not as.
And it affects, but there is a verse and a second Chronicles 35 that has impressed me in connection with Josiah.
I'll start at verse one a second final 35 we're over Josiah chapter Passover unto ward and Jerusalem and they killed the Passover the 14th day of the first month and it's kind of time to they weren't able to do it in that time. They delayed it, I believe it was by one month.
So it wasn't on the exact day, but when they did it. But in Josiah's time, there was the opportunity to do it intensely.
The right time shall we say, and in verse 3 is really the verse that I had in my mind. Instead I didn't Levites that taught all Israel which were wholly under the Lord put the holy heart in the house which is all over the son of David, the king of Israel did build and it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders. Serve now the Lord your God, the people Israel. The situation with Israel or Judah at this time was so bad.
That apparently the priests were carrying it about.
00:45:27
I'd like to also comment on the fact that Hezekiah recovery had greater breadth than Josiah's, so maybe it didn't have as much of A depth as Josiah's.
The Reformation had a tremendous breadth to it. I mean astonishing. It affected virtually the entire world.
And it was, it was known what was going on. One of the.
Shall we say large results of the Reformation of the formation of this country, the United States?
And it has, matter of fact, the United States has been called a light upon a hill, and it's been held up by both secularists and, uh, uh, those that are religious, uh, Protestant.
Grand Pinnacle.
Of of accomplishment, and you know, in many ways it is. The very fact that it wouldn't gather a room like this with 650 people or so really is an astonishing accomplishment in world history. There's no doubt about it.
But that in itself becomes so attractive. That is one reason why we are right now, in this year, these years, going back to come next, theology, why we are going back to the writings of university performers, because we see what the threat of it was, and we like that. The sense of power is a sense of accomplishment. We see a great country that was born. We say wow.
We just do this again.
But #1 is not going to happen again and #2 That's not our call in this world. Our Calling is really and suicide time. But to see to it that the person of Christ has in place that the artist placed properly in that temple. And that is a thrill to God that we can simply acknowledge the one who is the board of Savior and is becoming Him.
Will not be a king under the present circumstances of this world.
In the future and we have to see that in our hearts. Have that heart in the right place and and let it rest there.
I'd like to make a comment on the moral ways of God that are seen in Sardis and Philadelphia as well.
God's a giver.
And God likes to give. It's it's according to the very nature of his own heart He gives.
And in the time of the Reformation, as we call it, God gave from his own heart to his people on earth. The time of, described historically of Philadelphia, it's the same way. He gave. Everybody in this room has received from the hand of God. Every one of us have received. We've been given. And after God gives, if there's something that requires responsibility, then God leaves us.
To the responsibility of keeping that which he is entrusted to us as having given it to us. And what's seen in Sardis is the result of how that responsibility wasn't carried out. It says remember, therefore, umm, how thou hast received. They tried to keep it in ways that they had were different than the way they had received it, and in a certain sense they lost it because of that.
They were told to remember that and as a result, repent, go back to the way in which you received and keep.
Umm, when the children of Israel were given the articles of the Tabernacle in captivity to carry back to the land, everything that each one was given to take back was recorded. It was recorded by number, it was recorded by weight and when they got at the end of the journey.
They collected up everything that had been entrusted to each one, and it was measured out by its number and by its weight. And everything that God has given to each one of us is the truth of God.
00:50:16
When we get home.
There's gonna be an accounting that I not only keep it by number, but did I value it by its weight? And it's not simply that I will be able to recite the truth of the rapture or the truth something about the truth of the church. But did I keep it by weight? Did I keep it in my soul in the same value with which the giver gave it to me or to you? It's, uh, something that exercises the heart when it's considered.
I want to say by contrast to it, think of the young man in Luke 15, he said. Father, give me.
And so he took everything that his father had given him. He went into the far country and he wasted. He wasted the substance with his riotous living. Woe to us if we take what God has given to us and as it were, taken into the far country of the world and wasted.
Each one of us has not only been given spiritual truth, we've been given gifts from God.
Those gifts that have been given to us by God have a measure. They have a weight. It's different for each one of us. But the day is coming when the Lord will say to us, did you use it? Did you use it by its measure? Did you use it by its weight? For me, uh, and so that's what seen in Sardis and Philadelphia as well.
And it's, it's put there because if it's not held in the manner and there's truth that's given to us, that's given to us in a certain way, but it can only be kept in the way in which it's given. Uh, you can't take it in one form and take it in from the word of God and then establish rules and regulations to maintain it. It has to be maintained in the same character.
In which it was received. So in the Reformation things were given, but then they tried to use human means to keep them. And in that way they couldn't. Some cases they lost their lives trying to hold them as they understood them, even though in some cases they didn't understand it perfectly. At least the Lord said to him, what you do have, keep it. And so the Lord says to us, as it were, I've given you my word.
That's one of the things I've given to you. Are you going to keep it? Keep it. Don't let it become a matter of opinion, as the Lord brought before us yesterday. But will you keep it? And so, brethren, may the Lord help us to keep them by measure and by weight. I'd like to make a further comment in that connection in regard to this well known statement at the end of verse 8, where they are commended for keeping His word and not denying His name.
No, I think it was mentioned by someone earlier that we cannot hold our heads up as to being Philadelphia.
And that's true, brethren, but we do see in Philadelphia that which met with the Lord's approval.
And isn't that what we really desire in our souls, brethren, the Lord's approval? The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted or approved of Him. And that ought to be the desire of each of our souls. But what met with the Lord's approval in Philadelphia were these two things that go well together. And in this order, just take a moment. I could quote it, but let's go back to the 138 song because I believe it's connected with a statement back there.
In the 138th Psalm.
And just the last part of verse 2.
Per Thou has magnified thy word above all by name. Now notice that it's the word 1St and then the name, just as the commendation to Philadelphia. It doesn't say they didn't deny his name and kept his word. The order is very important. Why does it say Thou is magnified thy word above thy name?
Well, I'm going to make this suggestion, brethren, and that is that we are never justified in doing anything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without the authority and sanction of the Word for what we do.
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You know there is much done in the name of the Lord Jesus.
That, I fear, does not have the authority and sanction of the Word of God. You know, when the apostle wrote to the Corinthians, there was a very serious problem in Corinth, the moral issue, and they were to take up that issue and deal with it for the Lord's glory in the name of the Lord Jesus. But when they did that, they had the authority of the Word of God for what they did.
Paul wrote to them by inspiration. Now if a similar problem arises as to as the same problem that we was there in Corinth, what do we do? We turn to 1St Corinthians 5 and we say here's the authority to act in the name and for the glory of the Lord. Sometimes people go out with the gospel and I've heard it said, well, all that matters is that souls be saved. It doesn't matter how it happens. It doesn't matter how we propagate the name of Christ, as long as souls get saved, brethren, it's wonderful.
For souls to get saved. And Paul said, Whether in truth or pretense, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice yet, and will rejoice.
But, brethren, if we go forth bearing the name of Christ in the gospel.
It must be in a way that conforms to the word of God. He's magnified His word above His name. Don't put the name above the word. He professed to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus according to Matthew 18 and 20. Wonderful privilege. But you know there are many who say they're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus too. But when I go back to this book, it's the word above the name. We can't profess to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Unless we have searched the Word of God and vowed to the authority of the Word of God, the Word of God is the basis and authority for being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And so I think it's very beautiful to see here in Sardis they had many names, but here they kept His word. That was the basis. As we said, men search the Word of God, the Spirit of God.
Exercised them according to the truth.
That they were reading in the word of God, and as a result they sought them to act in the name of the Lord Jesus.
What accommodation? Don't you and I, as I say, covet a commendation like that?
Something else that is so wonderful here in verse 10 of this chapter about Philadelphia. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world. Try them that dwell upon the earth.
Go back to the first chapter. We mentioned that when we were going through it in verse 9.
By John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. That's what's our character now brethren, to have patience. We're not going to get everything straightened out here in this world. We're going to have to have patience until that day when he will come in power in glory, but because.
We have kept the word of that patience. His promise is that He will keep us from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world. So we have there a real wonderful promises to being taken out before the tribulation ever comes upon this world. Wonderful promise that we need to. This is something else that is challenged sometimes in the Christian world. This is a wonderful promise we can rest on.
Just like the comment in connection with it, it's his patience. In other words, he wants us to be like himself.
He's saying I don't just want you to be patient and wait, I'm patient and I want you to enter into my patience. And so as he waits.
The father's time to accomplish his purposes. So he wants to teach us to enter into that same character that he has, which is the patient one. And when the father says it's time, son said everything right, he will do it. And he will appreciate those who have identified themselves in his own character with himself and says, and when that time comes, I will express my appreciation. I will keep you from that hour.
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That it has to come. And that's not only applied here, but rather than in a broad sense, there's a certain measure in the natural heart of everyone in this room. There's impatience at time. You see it in a little less child. You say Saturday, we're going to do this. And after a while you learn not to tell them that much ahead of time because it's too much for them to hold it patiently until the day comes. The Lord has chosen to tell us.
And he's also, in God's wisdom, not chosen not to tell us the day or the hour, but he has done it in a way that we can learn to be patient with him.
Something else for our encouragement as our time is almost gone. You know, we began with Ephesus and we spent some time Speaking of how they had left their first love and so on. And that pointer that that point of departure from which the church has never returned collectively. But it's interesting in these last two churches that we have a confirmation of his love. You know, it's the only Philadelphia and Laodicea are the only two churches where he confirms his love to them.
Just notice it first of all in connection with Philadelphia at the end of verse nine, he says.
I have loved thee. And we read this and we say, Oh yes, I can see why. He confirmed his love to Philadelphia.
They were seeking the Lord's approval. They were keeping His word and not denying His name. I can see why He confirms His love to Philadelphia. But brother, notice what it's what we read in verse 19. This is Laodicea. Now this is a state of indifference. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, You know, precious to my own soul, that after confirming His love to Philadelphia, where there was this beautiful state of things.
Then lest we think he loved them any less, and Laodicea or any other assembly, he says as many as I love, I rebuke, and Chasten have enjoyed it too. In connection with the end of the Old Testament, you come down to Malachi, a state very similar to the state of things in Laodicea, indifference to the claims of Jehovah. He brings many things before them in Malachi, and they're so indifferent that even when it's brought before them, they say, wherein have we done this?
But that little book begins with this confirmation. I have loved you, saith the Lord.
And maybe we feel like our love hasn't been what it should be, collectively or individually or collectively. But let's go back, brethren, as we said before, to His love. Let's rest on that. We have to hang our heads and say we're in the Laodicean Church days of the church. But brethren, don't let that discourage us. He loves us, and if He loves us, He's going to review contastin us. He loves us too much to let us go our own way.
Why are things allowed amongst the people of God today? Serious things.
Why are things brought out at the beginning of prayer meeting that burden our hearts and make us?
Weep and fall on our faces. It's because He loves us.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. And if He allows His hand to come upon us in some rebuke or chastisement, I'm not saying it's always, that's always the reason. The trials are always the result of that. But if He allows those things because He sees a need, oh, let's be exercised. Let's go back to His love, that our hearts then might be warmed. And brethren, isn't it wonderful that even in Laodicea there's an overcomer?
Right down to the end.
You know, one of the, I guess it was the last visit I ever had with brother Eric Smith where he could communicate. I, I think I did visit him once after that where he couldn't really communicate. He was well over 100 years of age. Notice the last words that man ever said to me was this Jim, Remember, we can still be overcomers, not be overcome. I never forgot that from a man who served the Lord for many, many years.
A man who lived to be over 100 years of age, he said. Jim, remember, we can still be overcomers, not be overcome. And I know there's brethren sitting here in these seats today who are concerned about going home after these meetings are over. You say there's just overwhelming problems and difficulties in our lives, personally, in the family, often in the assembly, but don't be overcome.
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What are we told here in these chapters to hold fast till He comes to be overcomers? We can, brethren.
We have all the resources that are needed to overcome individually as families and collectively as assemblies gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if the day ever gets so dark that we cannot overcome with the resources that God has given us in and through Christ, then the Lord will take us out.
But as long as we're left here, these resources are at our disposal. And even like the Laodiceans, we can overcome even amidst the indifference in which we find ourselves.
Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
What a word for us, brethren, when we consider that the Lord is walking.
In the next and observing today, the Lord help us to be exercised individually.
We be not ones that pronounce how good we are.
And find out later that the Lord's estimation was totally the opposite. The Lord give us His thoughts and walk before Him as overcomers. Like you're saying, Jim.
Till that day.
Could we sing hymn #169?
Stop.
Umm.
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109.
Nsnoise.
Comments. One is from history. Actually they're both from history, but Jonathan Edwards, a very remarkable person connected with great awakening in this part of the world in the United States.
And he actually became the Dean of Princeton. First Dean, I guess.
But he was a pastor of a church there in that area and.
After he'd been passing the church for some 25 or 26 years, he saw from Scripture that only people who were saved should break bread.
And so he preached that and said this will now be the requirement of this little church.
Well Needless to say he was kicked out and was replaced pronto. Very interesting.
You know, I have an attraction to a lot of Reformation type concepts.
Our own day.
And there was a quote that was made from another person back in, uh, great awakening times, John Wesley. And this quote comes from Jim here last night. So I'm going to read it because I noted it down. It was in the sink.
And I think it's it's worth pondering. It's out of context of what Mr. Wesley said, but for anyone else who's like me, who has certain.
Visions of what could happen in this world, you know what I mean?
I'm going to repeat what John Wesley said, says I too.
Have a liking for these things, but there is another world.
Let's skip. Thanks.
Our God and our Father, we just do thank Thee that Thou hast provided for us.
Uh, the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ, thy well beloved Son. That was also provided a sense of where we are in history and the eminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ that will probably be today. But if not.
Certainly be in the next couple of weeks or months. We just do pray that we might have our visions turned to the other world. In Jesus name we give thanks, Amen. Amen.