Address—N. Berry
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Would you please turn with me to Revelation Chapter 2?
Years ago when the gospel tent in Nova Scotia, one of the young boys that was saved now gathered the Lord's name, he said to me 85% of all that is said from that platform isn't understood and that never left me. I always tried to say things in a more simple way, to use words that we use in everyday language.
And not, as sometimes it has been described, Brethren, ease. And so you'll pardon me this afternoon if I speak directly and plainly, and I will endeavour to use words that we all can understand.
Now in Revelation chapter 2 and verse three we have the usual.
Application of the seven letters that John wrote to those seven cities in Asia Minor, and we have that privilege of hearing that side of truth.
It is not my purpose today to take that up, but rather.
To apply these lessons to you're in my life today.
There are two types of overcomers in the scriptures.
First, John, chapter 5 and verse four. I think it is. Yes, it says that this, that whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. That is true of every believer here. We're all overcomers and we're going to look in the second and third chapters of Revelation and we'll find the other type of overcomer.
Not so much to overcome the world and all that is without, but to have discovered to you and to me the evil that lurks within us. And the overcoming these things are that which promises brings promise.
Of bless, of joy in our Christian life.
There are three ways I want to look at these.
7 letters first of all.
Satan's.
Attacks various ways. He's attacking everyone of us here.
This afternoon. And he's going to tell you, don't listen to what he's saying. He's going to distract you by this atmosphere and so on. Satan has various ways of attacking everyone of us. We who are older. Yes. Young ones. Yes. Children, yes. I'm going to look at those things that are brought out in these 7 letters from the methods that Satan uses. Secondly, I'm going to show from the word of God, it's all plain there.
God's remedy, Remedy.
And then thirdly, the responsibility that you and I have now to avail ourselves of the blessed promises if you and I are willing to be obedient, submissive to the word of God. So we will look now at Chapter 2 of Revelation, and we will look at those three things in that order. Chapter 2, I'm not going to read these chapters.
Is going to take too long, but as I said, I'm going to show the three methods.
First of all, in the first letter, Ephesus.
Beautiful memories we have of the letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesian assembly. Highest truth in all the scriptures. And don't misunderstand me, I'm not condemning that, but I believe as I get older and as I see the days darkening, I believe that Satan is making you and me, particularly we who are older in the assemblies.
Unconscious of the drift into which we are being led by.
Satan No objection, of course, to the.
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Ephesian teachings have been brought up on it and I love to hear them spoken from but what the Lord I believe is showing us in this in these 7 letters is that the Lord is looking into your heart and mine and he sees what is below the surface. Not that we would disparage as I said, but we will see now Satan's ways of undermining.
And occupying us with all the lovely things in the scriptures and so on, and yet just making us unconscious of what is happening unconsciously. Things that we're allowing evils, death and evils that we're allowing in our life. And Satan is the perpetrator. He's the one who is causing it. So let us look now there at verse 2, Revelation 2/2.
I know thy works.
And then he goes on and he lists all those very good things we're not going to, and I just ask you not to take time to read them. Now you'll get distracted. They are the many occupations, and they're all good. And Satan is so clever that he will make you and me occupied with those good things and lose lose what we see in a few moments.
Nothing wrong with those things. Perfectly good. They're all good, but.
There he will just get a soul enjoying those nice things and the occupation in them. And as we will see in a moment, forget the main point. Now then, let's go down to the fourth verse.
Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Now there was Satan at work right away, affection for Christ fading. Oh, is that true today? It certainly is. Beloved ones affections for Christ. They're fading from our hearts, our lives.
Nice to come to the meetings. Wonderful. Very important. But or are we listening? Are we in? Are we getting the messages that the Lord is telling us?
Or are we just distracted by the good things that we might be occupied with? But there was that very special.
Trick of Satan to.
Take the heart away of affections for Christ. Now we've heard since we are children that we are to be occupied with Christo's love for us. True. Very true. But I believe that the days are getting so dark that we're forgetting the other side and our affections in response to Christ and His effect on his your life and mine. Now the Lord here is walking through these seven.
Assemblies these 7 letters.
Not as a loving savior, but as a judge who sees everything and he is showing you and me what lies below the surface. Are you and I going to be sensitive to this?
That's what I believe, at least. What the Lord has laid on my heart. I trust it for His glory and your blessing. But I believe that we can see if we have an opened ear, we're going to be able to see that Satan is undermining this deep affection for Christ. Now then, here comes the remedy. Let's go and look at it in another way. Verse 2 Again, I know Thy works.
Seven times it says that in these letters I know thy works. I'm going to ask you a question, and I'm going to ask myself when the Lord says to you and to me, I know thy works. What's your and my reaction to it?
I don't ask you to answer it to me, but you answer that question yourself. Does it bring out in your heart a fear of secret sins that you might be going on with, that I might be going on with in my life that nobody knows about? You dear young ones here attacked by Satan in different ways than older ones.
Or on the other hand, does that just fill your heart with encouragement to say, I know to hear the Lord say I know Thy works to know to see at least be conscious of the fact that the Lord is looking down and He sees everything that we do for His glory in this darkening world. I know thy works. Or might it be so? Then he goes on it. Might it be the latter, that we would be saying maybe 25 times a day.
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This one statement to my own heart, saying it over and over again. I know thy works. The Lord knows He's looking down. Break beside my shoulder. He sees everything that's going on. Are we living for the Lord's glory? We only can be beloved ones through the power that that affection to Christ will create in your heart and mind. Nothing else will. No self determination and knowing the scriptures and so on, wonderful as they are.
Its affection to Christ. That's God's remedy. That's God's remedy. Now let's go down a little bit farther.
Verse 5.
We have covered verse 4.
Affection for Christ. The Lord saw that.
But what does it say in the next verse?
Remember, oh the Lord, this is the Lord's side now. He wants you and me. This is his remedy. He wants us to go back to that which, first in your life and mine caused that drift.
Over and over in the scriptures we have the example of going back to the original sin when when Israel was drifting farther away. What are the scriptures? Do? They take the miracle, They take us right back to the to the building of that Taft, right back to the original sin. Ah, what is, What is?
Satan, or at least what is the Lord doing to you and to me? He wants to get to the root of it. Remember, remember.
Therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and here's a word. Now repent. I just want to say this.
They don't hear much about repenting in the gospel these days, do we? It's turning over a new leaf. And so on.
But are you and I applying the same word in our life? Are we not guilty a little bit amongst ourselves of neglecting that same word? We don't hear it very much in our assemblies. Sad to say, repent. Ah, this is God's remedy to get back to the very bottom of the troubles. You and I might have things that were not clear on Job 3432 Says that which I see not. Teach thou me immediately, it says.
Now if I have done iniquity, I will do no more the conscience. Remember from whence thou art fallen. Get back to that first love in our hearts for Christ.
Repent.
Now, what is our response? The third thing, How about your and my responsibilities?
Let's look back now at the second verse again and think of it in these ways. I know thy works again. I say are we conscious day by day that the Lords eye is upon us? I know thy works. What a comfort that is an encouragement in the dark days in which we live. You dear young people here you know things that I don't of all the awfulness of the conditions. But this is not this letter. This is more the lofty truth of Ephesians being undermined by Satan.
And you and me forgetting that there needs to be that repentance. So there there was those encouragement in verses two and three to do those things. He noticed every one of them.
Notice the promise in the seventh verse. The Lords remedy 2 for all these trials. They remember the reminder, the remembrance, the reminder, I should say, of the future. What does he say? I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Oh that fills my heart with July. What am I feeding on?
He tells me that if I am faithful to Christ, I'm going to be there feeding on the tree of life. Are you and I feeding on the bread from heaven? If we are, we're going to be we have that glorious promise that we're going to be eating up the tree of life. That's your destiny. That's mine. Oh, that it might fill our heart. And then where does it say we're going to be eating that in the midst?
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Of the paradise of God. Oh, what a destiny for everyone of us. And you are going to be enjoying it until my if we put into practice these different things that I have mentioned the God's remedy and then you're in my responsibility. Now we go to the second letter.
Quite different if the Lord doesn't reach your heart and my mind and our conscience by that word, repent.
And to remind us that our affections to Christ have faded.
Here comes catastrophe.
And beloved ones, we sure are seeing it today.
Everywhere, every assembly, almost that I visit, there is something happening now, touching our very lives, illnesses.
All kinds of sorrows like the van burning up there. Oh, this is Satan's other method if I don't listen carefully. You dear young people, are you listening in the meeting? That's Ephesians side. But oh bear in mind that if we are not, then the Lord is going to use a stronger method. Now let's go to look there at the second book, which is Smyrna.
Smyrna means crushed, crushed. As I said, I'm not replying applying the history of this, but I'm applying it in ways that Satan uses allowed by God. Just bear this in mind each one of us, that Satan is the instrument of God to touch your and my conscience. He never is allowed to go beyond what God.
Permits and so we'll look now and we will see some of Satans methods in this book of.
Smyrna This letter to Smyrna.
Verse 2 verse nine. I know thy works there again, it's seven times in the scriptures. In these scriptures and tribulation and poverty. But thou art rich, that's the whisper that he says. But and I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation.
10 days.
These are the things that Satan is trying to do. I put it this way. When you and I are going along well in our souls, Satan tries to frighten us. And that's what this message I believe is. If I'm going along carelessly, he deceives me. We'll see that at the end of the seven letters. But there is Satan now, bringing on all these things I've told my children.
When something happens to you, don't come to me and say, dad, it wasn't my fault to somebody else that to 'cause it, or a car ran into me and so on. I told my children, go to your bedroom and get on your knees and say to the Lord why? That's what sensitivity to his heart of love means. And it's only when the Lord speaks gently and we don't listen that he has to speak louder. And I believe that that voice of the Lord is growing in strength. As the end comes to an end, he's speaking louder and louder. Are we sensitive to what he is saying?
10 days.
That means that there's a limit to the trial. I just say that. Don't get discouraged if you think this is unbearable. No 10 days. There was a limit. God was setting that limit.
As in case of job.
Now that is what Satan is doing trying to frighten. Now let's look at some of the Lords remedies.
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Verse 10.
I will give thee a crown of life. There is a promise.
Even if it means death.
I will give thee a crown of life. What about the Lord himself in the disasters? I shouldn't use that word. In all the desperate life to which he was exposed, he was tried to death.
He was. What does he say? Later on, in the same book, I'm alive forevermore. Oh, if death does come, what a comfort to hear the Lord sing. I will give thee a crown of life. Be thou faithful unto death, I just apply it in this way. We may not be called upon to die, but are you and I going to be faithful to the Lord all through our life until the time when the Lord takes us within? We're faithful unto death in that way.
Oh, how beautiful that blessed promise is. I'll give you the the crown of life.
He doesn't say there I'm going to take you out of those difficulties.
And I think it's Mr. McIntosh who says that if I ask the Lord to Take Me Out of the difficulties, it's a sure sign I'm not ready. Well, that's true, isn't it? The Lord knows all about it. I know Thy works, and He is encouraging you and me to look to the end, the crown of life.
And then he says in the end of the 11Th verse, he that overcometh shall not be hurt.
Of the second death. The second death, I'd just like to explain is might be death to the body.
But there won't be any second death and resurrection life.
We're raised with the Lord.
And there will never come that second death, which will come to those who are unsaved. They will be separated, body, soul, and spirit from God that made them to be separated forever in hell. But you and I have that blessed assurance. We never will experience that second death.
I want to just say this too.
That there is a sin to death.
First, Thistle of John chapter 5 speaks of that. We don't like to talk about that these days, but I believe I have to be faithful.
And say it.
There is a sin unto death. What is that?
That an unpardonable sin? No, no, there are none in this.
Dispensation But there is a possibility that I go on in self will, and the Apostle John says I do not say that you should pray for him. I can't pray for some that I see are going right on in deliberate self will, in sin and flaunting the word of God and as we just had to experience last week.
Brother saying I don't care. I know, I know what I'm in for, but I want to do what I want.
That's a sin unto death. Very serious, 1 Corinthians 11 tells us. For this cause. Many are sickly amongst you and many sleep. Now, I'm not for a moment. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that all sickness is that is caused by this. But I am saying that we have to be very careful that we aren't going on in self will and doing what we want in defiance to what our parents tell us. And defiance to what? The word of God.
Tells us how important that is, and then that blessed assurance that there are 10 days, there's the limit. He never allows us to go beyond what we can bear.
But he will make a way of escape. So there is that letter, crushed, crushed. Oh, that you and I might be sensitive in what the Lord is allowing. And then to get those blessed, precious promises that he's going to give us the crown of life. Now let's go on to the third one.
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Pergamos chapter verse 12.
Serious one, too. Pergavas means married, much marriage. We're living in a day when the Christians and the Church, or I should say the world drifting together, marry.
Unsaved friends.
Find your pleasure being with unsaved friends. That's what this letter is. Warning again. Marriage with the world that happened in the history in the days of Constantine. But as I said, I'm talking now. The application of your life and mine. What a danger there is. What a danger Now that sounds very narrow, doesn't it? We we sang in our hymn, Keep us in the Narrow Way.
I have to admit, when I was younger, I wanted to kick over the traces a bit and I didn't feel that there was enough room, that there it was too narrow. But the older I get, the more I realized that is what the Lord is saying to every one of us. If you and I have an ear, doesn't say ears, it says an ear. The day is going to become very so dark that we just have to have one ear on what the Lord is saying, and if you and I are sensitive to that.
Then we are going to keep away.
I'm speaking to younger ones, possibly from affections for those who are.
Not the Lord's or even affection for those who are not walking to please the Lord. Oh, it is nothing. Your path is just going to be fraught with all kinds of dangers and the next thing there's going to be a marriage and there is going to be buckets of tears shed.
If you have any sensitivity at all or that we might be warned marriage with the world is so dangerous. If we are warned, we are pre warned, then we're going to be safe are we not? Sometimes you see big signs. I remember. I don't know whether they have them around here but high tension power lines and they have a skull and crossbone and it says danger. Well none of the mothers say, oh don't frighten the children.
Oh, they're very thankful for that. But I hear Mother saying, well, don't don't be too hard on my children. Oh, I want to be faithful to the word of God. We need to be on our guard so that we won't be drifting into with worldly friends and then even with those who do love the Lord.
And are not walking in the path of obedience. They're going to harm me. Now, you might say. That's terribly narrow, But we've just come back from Europe and from from Cairo, and we sure have seen what compromise is doing there to those believers falling into the trap of not walking in the path prescribed by the Lord.
B.
I just want to.
Say this in connection with Pergamos.
But you might find yourself in circumstances. That's what Pergamos is like, dead.
And it's not the Lord's will to take you out of them.
For instance, a young person might get saved in your family is not saved. You've got to live there. It isn't the Lord's will to get out. It might be unsaved, married to an unsaved person and you the partner. Or you get saved. Doesn't say that you should leave them.
But it is the Lords will not to quit. That's what this is telling us to keep on now Deadness. Notice that verse?
Verse.
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is.
And thou holdest fast up my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days, or in Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain even among you, where Satan dwelt.
Might not have any room to do any big glorious works for the Lord, but if you and I just keep on in a circumstance that the Lord has allowed, oh, there is going to be that precious promise, these promises. Let's just look at 1:00.
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Verse 14.
Well, we'll go down to 16. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly and.
So on warning again, as I said in everyone of those 7 letters, that there is that word repent or that we might be sensitive to in a circumstance in which, as I said, may not be the Lord's mind to take us out. But if we are faithful in that, maybe no great works at all. But if you and I just continue on, you'll see what the Lord will do for you. Now let's go on to the next one.
Verse 18.
Thyatira.
Middle of verse 19.
And all thy works, and charity and service, and faith, and thy patience and thy works, and the last to be more than the 1St.
Satan occupying us sometimes with those works.
Thyatira is a picture of organized religion. We see it everywhere. How you and I, you dear young people, are you listening in the meetings? Are you using these days before?
The dreadful times, I believe, that are coming on us have arrived. Are you strengthening yourself? Am I strengthening myself for those awful days ahead of us? They are surely coming.
And Satan is organizing massive attacks upon us, no other worse nor more serious than the truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The organized systems that are around us, pictured by Thyatira. Oh, you and I need to realize that Satan is behind them all. What for? Oh, to take away the glory from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Me, you and I, be sensitive to that.
Now then, in the middle of the 20th verse.
To teach and to seduce my servants? To commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Let me just say this too. I have to speak plainly. Fornication. It's everywhere, isn't it? I have to tell you that one of the girls at the Lords table.
Bringing a boy to the meeting he professed to be the Lord, fell into sin a couple of weeks ago, Told his she told her father and mother about her. Just crushed the parents talked to the boy and he said I didn't know there was anything wrong with that.
That's how I'm sure you young people know it more than I do. Fornication. Why, it's just like shaking hands these days.
You need to be warned, these are Satan's methods. As the days get darker, he was teaching them how to commit fornication.
Let's look at the promises.
The end we might just briefly Satan, at least the Lord is saying in verse 22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and so on testing them verse 23 And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and the hearts. That's what the Lord is saying in all these things. There is an end to this one of the Psalms. It says that I think it's the 73rd.
Psalm. There he was complaining that others seemed to be getting away with things.
And their eyes were bulging out and they were prospering, the wicked were prospering, and they were surrounding the righteous and so on. And he said, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood either end, oh each one of us, young and old alike. Satan may be looking as if he's got full control of this world, and it is getting more and more so. And it's more difficult than ever to distinguish what is the work of God and what is the work of Satan.
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Beloved ones, we need to know that God is on His throne.
And he knows everything. I know thy works, and if you and I are faithful to the Lord, oh, we're going to be kept. We're going to be kept from all the filth and the corruption. I just read recently that one of the early brethren.
His son is now. I'm talking about maybe 100 years ago. I won't mention his name. He's he is working amongst young people to corrupt them, teaching them three evils.
One of them is illicit sex.
It doesn't matter.
Secondly.
Pop music, somebody might smile at that one man that was recently converted who had been engaged in it, he said. I can't understand how any young Christian would be involved in that type of thing.
Satan deceiving again. And the third thing? Drugs. I'm not going to speak about that, but I'm sure we all are realizing where this is leading the minds of young people and older ones too. Even executives are here getting into this. All the days are so dark, beloved ones, and we need to have the word of God to encourage us.
Now to to go on.
Verse 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. How blessed that is, hold fast till I come.
That's the first time, I believe our sadder Thyatiri. Yes, the first time that that promise is mentioned. Now let's go on to the third chapter.
Sardis.
Deadness.
What is Satan doing?
Occupying us the worldly things. That's what Protestant really Protestantism has done. Occupying us with the worldly religions and the politics of the world and indifference to the to the truth as we find in.
The end of the second verse, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
What is the promise of the Lord in that letter verse 3 to begin with? The end of that first sentence? Repent.
Dark days. Look at verse 4.
Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis. Oh, we're getting down. How would you like to be the only person in your town that was going to be faithful to the Lord? We're getting down to that.
The twos and the threes, I believe that our assemblies are being tested as never before, and I believe that we are. We're just going to see what that meaning of that word two and three is as the days get darker.
A few. Just a few. Don't get discouraged if they're only a few. In your little, in your little assembly. Are you one of those ones that is continuing on faithful till he comes? You're going to be rewarded. I know thy works.
And then he says in the end of that fourth verse, and they shall walk with me.
In white, precious.
Not going to be occupied with the wonderful place in heaven, but it's going to be to walk with the Lord in heaven, with me. Oh does that attract your heart? And then not only in heaven, but to be walking with the Lord these days. No substitute for that, No happiness compared with that.
I have to admit that I have tried in this world since I've known the Lord to the taken up with business and success. And I say it over and over again. I had a handful of ashes. That was what I found that I had at the end. It is impossible to find the joy of the Lord walking with us unless we have our affections centered in Him.
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Walk with me in white verse 5. And he that overcometh the same shall be clothed. Oh, I would like to take time to talk about that clothing. That's our testimony. What about our our testimony? If we were occupied with Christ, the Lord will take care of that testimony, I know, but he's going to. As he says, there shall be clothed in white, raiment, and will not. I will not blot out his name.
Out of the book of life. But I will confess his name before my father, I asked my little grandson the other day, Which would you like to have? Would you like to have a lot of people think that you are going on faithfully for the Lord? Or whether you would like to have the Lord seeing your life as he can see it and have his approbation?
Well, how important that is. It's the Lord then shall every man have praise of God.
It's not the praise of the brethren that counts. It's not our approbation for our faithfulness by people around us and thinking that we are faithful to the Lord. It's the Lord. It's the Lord. His eye is upon every one of us. Here, right at this moment. He knows your works, and if you are going on for the Lord, oh, I just say in the words of the Apostle Paul, continue.
So he'll confess that name before your name before his father. Now I'm going to make a little change. I'm going to leave Philadelphia for a minute. The next one go over to the last to fill it to Laodicea, Verse 14, Chapter 3.
Laodicea. Very interesting. It means the people's rights.
I believe it's about 100 years ago in the days of Lincoln when he said a government of the people, for the people, by the people.
That's not God's methods at all. That's democracy. That's the will of the people, what's happening in the world today, the will of the people.
Not the authority of the word of God has passed on into the laws, dear children, being allowed by parents to do what they want and saying, well, we don't want to interfere with them and spoil their happiness and so on. Oh, you fathers and mothers, we must realize that we must teach our children obedience, obedience, and then we're going to tell them, If you are obedient to me, I'm training you so that you can be obedient.
To your father.
Laodicea, the very opposite. The will of the people. You young once again, I say you know more than I do about the winds that are blowing everywhere, throwing over authority. What's going to happen in this world when those who are disobedient to parents are forming our laws? They're going to be no loss. Everybody is. We're just drifting rapidly into anarchy and that will be the result. Sure, we can just see it ahead of us.
Beloved ones, may we be warned.
Verse 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would say this, that we've often said it, and I heard it, that the worst testimony in the world through the ages is by the Christians.
We've just recently, in these last six months, heard of the absolutely disgraceful.
Behavior of those who would be preaching the gospel. Sometimes I speak to the people, somebody just the other day on the phone said to me, How is it affecting you, this fellow? I won't mention his name.
What he was saying was, how do you feel about being a Christian?
Oh, this is what is happening, beloved ones.
This is what Satan is doing. He's just undermining our our as a Christianity of today, making it cause to go into Christendom.
May we be preserved.
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Neither hot nor cold. Isn't that so true of my own heart? I'm not willing to take a stand, I ask you.
Are we willing to take a stand the Lord is waiting to see and He would encourage us?
And then he says, I will spew thee out of my mouth. I want to explain carefully that this is not talking about a Christian Christian and never will be spewed, spewed out of the Lords mouth. But it's getting harder and harder to distinguish between what is a Christian and what is not. Just as we are seeing in the religious world, the days are so dark.
What's another trick of Satan in Laodicea? Not a word about the Lord's coming. He would blot that out of our memories.
Oh, we need to remind ourselves, don't we? The Lord is coming, Satan would say. Forget about it.
Now let's look at some of the.
Remedy that the Lord has.
Verse 14 The one who speaks is the one who says the He's the Amen, the faithful and true witness. Just the very opposite of what Satan is.
And then he says in the end of 17, And know us not that thou art wretched and miserable. Notice these three things poor, blind, naked. Now I realize that this is not said to believers.
But then he counsels, Here is his counsel in verse 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest hear the three opposites, rich, clothed.
And quite raiment. And the last part of 18 May see, blind may see and then.
Some of our your and my responsibility.
Verse 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him.
And we'll Sup with him and he with me.
I know we use that in connection with the Gospel, but that really isn't its proper application. It's talking about Christians who are going on carelessly, the Lord outside your heart and mine. I have to admit that this so often happens to us. There He is outside that door knocking. He wants the intimacy of a walk with you. You hold the key.
You hold the lock of that door. Oh, are you and I inviting him in? This is what he wants. As the days get darker, oh, that knock gets harder. He wants to be intimately associated. And notice what he says and will Sup with him The end of 20 and he with me to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.
Oh, Satan's seat is in control.
The promise of the Lord is that we are going to sit with him on his throne. Now let's go back to the last one, Philadelphia.
Cap over 7. Beautiful.
Encouragement. But there again, Satan works.
Verse 9.
Behold, I will make them two of the Synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not. Here is a situation might be comparable to assembly, life happy. I've been brought up in the arms of the assembly. My family's been gathered for over 100 years. I know the sweetness, the intimacy, the loveliness, the warmth.
Of family, happy family life and assembly happy life.
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But even in that Satan can attack us.
Willingness to mix things. Even in this lovely atmosphere of being gathered to the Lord's name, I just say a little bit of a word of warning. We're living in a time when Satan is just trying to mix everything up. I know some of you young ones are confused. I was too, I have to admit, until I got my my priorities straightened out and I saw that in myself. I was going on with things that weren't pleasing.
To the Lord. Oh, he wants to give you and me that right instruction that I was just mentioning about those those warnings now then look at some of the encouragements.
And verse 87 promises there I won't take time to read the mall. First, he says I know thy works. Secondly, he says I have set before thee an opened door. Pardon me for just a minute on that. What is this? This is a promise that the Lord I believe. I know I'm not popular for saying this. I believe that the Lord is going to keep an open door.
There is going to be a testimony to the name of the Lord Jesus until he comes, He says, I set before you an open door. Nobody can close it. He's not going to close that door. I don't believe, I believe that he is going to have that door open. Are you and I going into that door? Are we realizing that Christ is the one gathering center on this earth? Sounds proud to say it, doesn't it?
Does it sound proud to say I'm saved? I'm saved by the blood of Christ, not by anything else. Oh no, it doesn't make me proud. It makes me humble. And so it is when you and I realize this wonderful truth. The open door. Christ. Christ the center, one center, just as it was when the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord's table. I often say this, that they the Lord's table is older than redemption because the Lord.
Established the Lord's table the night before he went to the cross.
And many city, many people were in that city of Jerusalem keeping the Passover.
How many places was the Lord when he established the Lord's table? One. And it's just going to be the same ever since that time. I'm not saying it's a place, but I'm saying it's Christ, the one gathering center. If we just get our eye on the Lord, if we're willing to judge those things of our own self will and our own presumptions of thinking that we can know more than the word of God, oh, we're going to be.
Enjoying that? Now that is the open door.
Then it says.
Verse nine, I will make them. He's going to do it. I will make.
And verse at the end of verse nine I have loved thee.
Verse 10 middle of the verse I also will keep thee.
Isn't that wonderful? Wonderful.
Seven of them there. And the last one, verse 11. I come quickly, Blessed truth. Jesus is coming soon.
Are you and I going to be faithful? That's the question, isn't it? Are we going to have Christ before us? Am I going to say this blessed book?
I'm going to bow to it. I'm going to say to you, younger ones have been gathered to the Lord's name for 60 years.
So he's this privilege, get sweeter every year and blessed Lord Jesus, we're going to be in thy blessed presence soon and he has afforded you and me.
The privilege of meeting from week to week in his very presence. We're not, he's not in our presence, but we are in his presence. Do you value him? Has he worn your affections or that? That might be so.
There's a nice little poem that I could close with. How perfect.
Are the ways of God.
How great, How just his compensation, How long the path they humbly trod, How great the exaltation.
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Needless load on thee, he'll lay no unrequited sorrow. The burden bearer of today is the singer of tomorrow that's bound for.