Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I'd like to suggest, brethren, that perhaps we might consider taking up Revelation chapter two and three, the seven addresses to the churches that the Lord Jesus addressed to his Saints. And we only have three reading meetings, so maybe.
Two of those.
Assembly addresses this reading meeting maybe 2:00 tomorrow and maybe three on the last.
Via.
A little difficult, but we live my exercise and suggesting it is there's a little expression that's used in verse seven, chapter 2 verse seven. He did half an ear. Let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.
And that's good to be here to the Word, but doers of it all as well. And we live right at the end of the church period. We're living at the end. We're witnessing the.
We're not at the beginning of the collapse of Western society. We're right at the end, just before Western society collapses and is judged of God. And we need to have a true sense of where we are in the Christian testimony. And so maybe this passage would be a help to understand those things.
So perhaps we could read chapter 2 if there's the desire to proceed with that passage.
Galatians, chapter 2.
Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus these things, saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. And thou has tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars, and as born, and as patients, and for my namesake has labored.
00:05:24
And has not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write these things, saith the 1St and the last, which was dead and is alive. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried.
And you shall have tribulation 10 days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamus right these things, saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.
I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. Thou hast holdest fast my name, and has not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Valen, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also sent them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate? Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He that hath an ear, 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 receiveth it.
And unto the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write these things, saith 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 thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou has suffered that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess.
To teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 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 in Thyatira, 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 but that which you have already.
Hold fast till I come. 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 of my father, and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
00:10:09
The Book of Revelation is the only book of prophecy that's given to the church. All of the other books of prophecy in the Old Testament were written to Israel and for Israel. And we can use those scriptures. We can apply them to our needs and to our situations often times, And we know that they speak of the sufferings of Christ and they present the glories that should follow. But those scriptures were written to the Jews.
They were written to Israel as a nation and to present their Messiah, and they ought to have identified him, being able to, uh, recognize him when he came because of those Old Testament Scriptures. But the last book of our Bible is the only prophetic book that is given to the church. And it's written in a very orderly fashion. And we know that the 1St chapter, it's a book of the judgment largely, but it presents the glories of Christ at the end.
And the supreme blessing of the church at the end of it all, the church is going to be seen with Christ in the glory and that glorious scene at his side in perfect subjection to him and reflecting the glory of Christ. And so we're on the winning side, you might say in that connection. But in chapter one we have, if it's a book of judgment, we have the judge presented. He's introduced in all of his judicial glories, he's produced, he's introduced.
He's the one that is the subject of prophecy and he's the one that is the that in all things, as we read on the card, that in all things he might have the preeminence. And so in chapter 2 and 3, then you have the church on earth and there's a sequential history that the Spirit of God brings before us. The Lord Jesus speaks of it. And those seven churches, those seven assemblies were in a line. You could trace them on a map. And you go north, you go from Ephesus north.
And then those first three, and then you'd start to go down, down. And the last one would be Laodicea. And so in a very sequential, orderly fashion, the Spirit of God presents to us the truth that Peter speaks of. Judgment must begin at the House of God. And so every one of these assemblies, they had something that the Lord was addressing, and he addresses the oversight in the assembly. So those that were bishops.
Umm, it's, uh, the same word, Bishop or overseer. He's a shepherd and he's one that's, uh, raised up of God in oversight in the assembly. And the God holds that one responsible or those ones responsible in the assembly for how it goes on. And so he dresses these things to the Angel or to the ones that are in oversight might just say to his introductory that these verses of scripture, these chapters are written in a symbolic style.
God has written, uh, some of the books of the Bible are historical, first and second Samuel, 1St and 2nd Kings, first, second chronicles, but this book is written in a symbolic style and, uh, he uses the same symbols in the Book of Revelation as he used the spirit of God used in the Old Testament. And so if we know what those symbols mean in the Old Testament, then we can understand the New Testament. So let's not be, uh, afraid of reading this, uh, book. There's a blessing associated with reading it.
And let's just read that in chapter one and verse three, it says, blessed is he that readeth, and that here they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand. And so there's a blessing for us if we read it. It's written, as I say, in a very orderly fashion. And so as we read it, we can understand the divisions in the book.
Then we'll be able to appreciate what the Spirit of God was trying to communicate to the church.
I didn't know it was written to the Angel of each church like you say, the representative or the responsible ones? I sometimes say who is responsible in your home assembly?
Uh, there are those who are more responsible, but we all are responsible. And so it's interesting how it ends up in verse seven. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. So it's addressed to us all, isn't it? And there's that for us all, the profit by.
00:15:24
Address to each of the churches begins with I know thy works. What is the significance of that?
Go ahead, Brother John.
I I'm.
It's interesting that God in in the end of Revelation 19 it says of the wicked that they're judged every man according to his works.
Because that's the bottom line.
Not our profession, but what we actually do.
The Second Chronicles Chapter 7. Umm, in connection with that question, Brother John, it's, uh, Second Chronicles 7 and verse UH-16.
For now, have I chosen and sanctified this house that my name may be there forever?
And mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
Now I have thought of every one of us comes perhaps from a different assembly and there's different challenges in every assembly. And the Lord allows those trials to come in those testings of our faith. And, uh, but it says there specifically in chronicles that mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually until the Lord, his heart is taken up with his people and he addresses these, uh.
Saints in these different churches, because His heart was there, He loved them deeply, and it cost him his life to make Him their own. He it says that we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. What a price was paid to make us His own, and then to form us into a church. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with washing the water by the Word, that he might present it to himself. A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkles for any such thing.
And so the Lord is forming a church, and it says in Hebrews chapter 12 That whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. And so he's working with each one of us individually, that there might be fruit for himself. And He's training us. He's conforming us into the image of Christ. But he knew the works. He knew what was done for his own glory. He knew what was done in disobedience to His word. And His heart was such that he loved his people, and he sought to correct those things that were.
In disorder. So this first church, it's Ephesus means amiable or desirable, and the Lord loves the church. He desires the church.
He's going to see the fruit of the travail of his soul. He'll be satisfied when he sees you and I in that heavenly scene. You're going to be satisfied, Desirable. But there were some things here that were going on. The works were there, but the heart wasn't in it. The affections, the best love. And I think the word could be translated the best love instead of the first love, the best love, the very freshest.
Expression of affection for Christ had begun to wine and wane in the uh Church, and I believe this is just after the uh, the period is just after the Apostolic age. And so this is someone referred to it as the Second Epistle to the Ephesians, and it was written by the Lord himself. The heart was taken up with something else. The heart was distracted and the Lord was seeking to recall those Saints to Himself.
Robert that, uh, in the seven churches.
Is introduced with a characteristic of something that's mentioned in chapter one. Every one of them.
And when we look at it in chapter one, it's evidently like you say, it's a book of judgment.
Uh, John had known the Lord Jesus in life down here as the meek and lowly one, and now he sees them in a different character in a JA as a judge. And as such, he falls at his feet is dead. This is something that he had not known before. That's why it's called the revelation of Jesus Christ, because this is the way he will be made known in that coming day.
00:20:25
And it's, uh, wonderful, interesting that these characteristics that he's gonna take in the judgment of the world right now he's walking in the midst of the seven assemblies. What is he doing?
He's judging, he's observing, and like you say, here in Ephesus, he sees.
There's works.
But the heart is gone. They doesn't say they lost their first love. They left it.
Something more serious, really.
Thessalonians, Chapter one.
Interesting how it speaks of the Thessalonian believers.
Uh, chapter one it says.
In verse 3, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now you look at verse two of our chapter. I know thy works. It doesn't say work of faith.
And thy labour, but it doesn't say labor of love.
And thy patience, but it doesn't say patience of hope. Why is that? Because.
The object.
They lost sight of the object, the Lord Jesus.
That left their first love so.
It's the only Church of the Seven.
Where he threatens to remove the Candlestick.
You're not amazing.
Why is that, Brother Bill?
The Lord will take us, isn't it and this is the beginning of the decline, isn't it of the whole prophetic history here is leaving the heart of leaving in heart the Lord and to say what you said there were says nevertheless, I have somewhat we notice in our King James that's italicized. It's inserted to put somewhat in there. It minimizes it, but it was a very serious thing. I have against it because I was left. I first love Christ the first love no longer has his place in the assembly and it is a.
A warning to us, isn't it? Because we see this assembly was vigorous and dealing with evil and prosecuting what was wrong, but with all that side, the Lord Jesus did not have the preeminent place among them.
That in all of our lives is the lack of affection for Christ and the lack of belief in the goodness of God, the goodness in the heart of God. And so this I sometimes wondered if the contrast, you know, it says, I think it's in Luke chapter 15, maybe verse 22 it says it speaks of.
Bring forth the best role and put it on him. And so the Lord has given us the best robe, the robe of righteousness.
We're cleansed with the precious blood of Christ. God hath made him to be sin for us. Who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We couldn't be better clothed. We're sons, we're heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. He's given the best. God gave his best, the best of heaven, Christ himself. And he gave us the best robe. But now he wants the best of our lives, the 1St place.
Not the last place, not the leftovers, His real desires. We read these passages of Scripture. I trust that it will have an effect upon us that the Lord valued having the first place in that assembly. He valued the affections that they had for Him they had been saved out of.
00:25:08
A wicked.
Circumstances we might turn. I think it's chapter umm in the book of the Acts.
If we turn, we'll see what kind of a a place it was that they were saved out of.
I think it's chapter, uh.
19 of acts.
And umm, maybe just to get a little bit of a connection, uh, we'll read verse 15, Acts 19, verse 15. The evil spirit answered and said, Jesus, I know all I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, was leaped on them, overcame them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And that this was known unto all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling.
At emphasis and fear fell on them all. In the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Many believe that, and many that believe came and confessed and showed their deeds, and many of them also which used curious arts or the occult.
Brought their books together and burned them before all men, and they counted the price of them and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed so that it was a place that was, I believe it was the capital city of Asia Minor.
It was, umm, you might say, the heart of the enemy territory. It was the place of place of moral and spiritual darkness. And the Spirit of God said, light, let there be light. And Paul was sent into that place, and he preached Christ, and there was great light. And so they had left all of that darkness, and like the Thessalonians, had turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven.
But now a little time had passed. Now the Apostolic age was over and now I believe it was from the Apostolic age until about 8167, something like that. So the first Church, this is representative that period of time and there was a decline. The affections had begun to grow cold. And our hearts, can't we just say it that after the recovery of the truth, we read some of the old ministry, we wonder if the devotion of the heart of those Saints of God.
Mr. Darby and, and Mr. Kelly and all others, we read their ministry, Mr. Wigram, uh, Mr. Ballet and we, we think what men of God, what affection they had for Christ. And we look at our own lives and we say we don't have that same affection. And there are things that have come in and distracted us and we're not willing to follow the Lord with purpose of heart and cleave to him in the day that we live in. We'd rather have something else.
And so the Spirit of God records this so that we can learn that these instructions. The Lord desired to have their hearts affections. And if you didn't have their hearts affections, He didn't have what he wanted.
And he didn't want, he didn't need service. He didn't want service. If he wanted more servants, he'd make more angels. He didn't need their money. He didn't need, he wanted their heart's affections. And I think this is really the point in connection with this first church. And so he said, remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen and repent.
Rethink this, turn around in the thinking and do the 1St works or else I will come under the shouldn't quickly. Shouldn't be in there. I will come into the.
And we'll remove like Candlestick out of this place, except thou repent. So we know that there isn't an assembly in Ephesus. It's a part of the Turkish Empire. And, uh, there's no assembly there and it's taken up with the Muslim, the religion. And so the Lord has had to act upon this in his governmental ways. And may the Lord give us grace to search our own hearts and that our affections might be stirred towards the Lord Jesus.
In these last days that we might not give him the leftovers, that we might give him the 1St place.
Yeah, invitations again, there's the says he that happened here. That means to take it personally. If I we talk, we talk about emphasis being fallen. The Lord uses that expression.
Do you ever look yourself on the nearest side I'm falling. We use that about when he described a person who has fallen. We we think of that person is really, uh, failed badly. And God says the Lord says this of the church. They're fallen. What was the problem there? Yes, they left their first love, but the fact is that when we cease to enjoy the Lord Jesus.
00:30:28
We misrepresent him as well, and the the Saints and emphasis were very active, but they were actively misrepresenting the Lord. And that's why he was talking about taking away the Candlestick, because when we're out of communion, when we have lost our affection for Christ, we cannot properly speak or act for Him.
It's interesting that.
Five of the seven churches he uses that word repent. Sometimes we think that's the word we use in the gospel. That's true.
Medou we as Christians have to repent?
Tell me about it, brother.
Chapter 22.
And uh.
Verse 31 and 32.
Luke 22 verse 31 The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as we but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And so his heart was turned away from the Lord in pride. He thought I can do this. All the other disciples were going to fail, but I can do this and he failed. He denied the Lord and there was deeper sentence, but uh, repentance to speaks of.
Self judgment. We all need to exercise self judgment on a daily basis. We all sin and we all have thoughts. They're wrong thoughts and so we need to repent. But here the whole assembly was responsible. He's calling to those that were in oversight, but they were responsible for the state of the assembly. And if they were in a bad state, then the rest of the assembly would be in a bad state. And so they were responsible, he says to them particularly to repent.
And so.
We all need to repent.
For that, repent means to rethink.
And it says here and do the 1St works.
Rather than there's things that are connected with first love.
Taking time to cultivate fellowship with the Lord Jesus and I find what is a real killer is the lack of time we take to read the scriptures I'm talking about individually.
And so I want to encourage young people to get into the word. Seriously, get into it. Take time. Set time aside. If you don't have enough time, make some time. Get up earlier in the morning, whatever it takes. That takes time.
Sometimes, say my wife and I.
What would happen, what would you say, if you came to our house and saw that? She talked to me every once in a while, but I really never paid much attention. Once in a while I give her a short, brief answer.
Did you say that's a good situation?
I think you shake your hand, your head and say something's not quite right there, and you'd be right.
Brethren, the Lord is with us. He's in our midst, and he's walking in the midst, and He's observing and He sees this. So occupied with our business, our houses, our cars. Nothing wrong with them in themselves, but we don't have time.
To listen specifically to him, to read His word, to pray as well. Brethren, take time to pray. Always was impressed with.
A statement that I heard that Martin Luther made, he said I have so much work to do every day. I dare not take any less than three hours to pray.
00:35:12
Brother, no wonder God used that man.
Why is it that we don't have time? We rush out of the house and say a prayer and we're rushing out.
Let's take time to read the Word and to pray. Those are part of the 1St works, don't you think?
Yes, there's a word before a pen, and that's remember. I was singing back in the second chapter of Jeremiah We're called upon to remember, but.
This draws our attention to the fact that the Lord remembered. We know that Jeremiah wrote and prophesied right at the end before Judah was taken into captive and Jerusalem was plowed under by the Chaldeans, and they were taken captive to Babylon.
When the zero Maya 21 Says Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, go and cry in the years of Jerusalem, saying Thus saith the Lord, I remember.
The the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou winest after me in the wilderness, in the land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord in the first fruits of his increase. When was that?
That was right when they went out of Egypt.
It was very, for a very brief period of time, we know the wilderness was marked by failure, and as the kings of the end of the land was marked by failure. But here, right before they're taking capital, the Lord says, I remember, I remember at the very beginning when you left everything behind, the love of thine espousals. In other words, you said, I remember your first love. The Lord hadn't forgotten 40 years in the wilderness, all the history of the kings. He remembered it. It was so fresh and precious to him.
And so we have to say sometimes in our life, don't we have to remember? Remember there was a time when we were enjoying the Lord far more than we are remembering. We are enjoying Him now, but it's the second time that the Ephesians were called to remember. If we go back to the second chapter of Ephesians.
We know this great epistle that sets forth the purpose of God, our place in Christ. But in the second chapter.
When he lays out to the Ephesians how they've sat together in heavenly places of the Christ, he says in verse 11.
Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, and the flesh made by hands, that at that time year, without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, He who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. It's as if, as we come into the Epistle to Ephesians, we're standing on a mountaintop.
And he says, look back where you were. Remember where you once were. Gentile dogs, you had nothing. You had nothing. Even a part of earthly blessing and religion with the Jews, you had nothing. Remember what you once had.
And now this church that was so greatly blessed, they've fallen from the enjoyment of first love. And there they are on the bottom of the heap. And he says, look back up, remember from where you falling.
Well, there is a possibility of the whole of the assembly, the whole of the Christian testimony being recovered at that time. And so he speaks to the whole assembly. He says, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Now to him that overcometh will I give thee to the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And so there is a reward for the overcomer, one that wasn't overcome with the spirit of the age that was characteristic of the day that they lived in.
There were some that had real affection for Christ and that were giving Him the 1St place, the very best of what they had in life, as it were, and they gave refreshment to His heart. You know, we sometimes come to the remembrance of the Lord and we wonder maybe what we might get out of it or something like that, but really we come into the presence of the Lord to refresh the heart of the Lord Jesus. Yes, our hearts will be refreshed as we think of Him.
And of the love that was behind the great work that he did at Calvary's cross and, uh, the suffering that he went through with the price that we paid and how he glorified God as to the question of sin. And, umm, we are refreshed. But really it's the heart of the Lord Jesus that is refreshed when he has his people in his presence. And the heart of God is delighted when we, umm, give, uh, praise to him and to reflect upon the glories of his Son and the beauties of his Son. And as we pray to God, why?
00:40:34
He is, he has his portion, his heart, and so he speaks and he offers this as a reward, the paradise of God, a garden of delight. And he presents to them the thought that is possible. I've thought of it in this connection as a walk in the cool of the day with the Lord and the walk in fellowship with the Lord in the garden of delight. And it's possible for you and I to walk in with a conscious sense of the approval of the Lord.
And in communion with him in this world, we might say two. I just was thinking in Matthew's Gospel chapter 13, some might wonder why he uses this little expression. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But the Lord uses it first in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew 13 and verse nine, who have ears to hear, let him hear. Isn't it nice, the Lord Jesus?
Just call to us as individuals. You're saved by the grace of God. You come to the knowledge of the truth by the grace of God. By the grace of God, He has gathered you by His Spirit under the precious name of the Lord Jesus, and He has an individual call for your individual affection for himself.
Let him hear.
I like to think too, brother, and that the faith that we have from God.
Is characteristically.
And overcoming faith says in first John 5, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. And faith is focused not on what we are, but on who.
He is. And it's so important to keep the focus, right? I find rather than that in the culture we're passing through here in the United States and North America that it's so centered on man and what you are. And I don't think that we can say that we're totally unaffected by it. We are affected by it. So I think the point is, is to recognize it.
And to confess it to the Lord, but to keep the focus on who He is. It's not about what you are or what I am, It's about who He is. That's so important to keep that focus, right?
Yeah, when you look at these.
Uh, these progresses to the assemblies to notice first how the Lord presents himself to that assembly. He presents himself in different ways, teach assembly according to the need. And also there's a promise to the overcomer, which is true for all believers. For example, in, in Smyrna, there he that overcomes shall not be heard of the second death. That's obviously all believers.
Why does he bring it in there? We'll get to that in due course. Because of the suffering. And they were faithful unto death. But here in the assembly and emphasis, the promise is to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. If we could just go back to the first two chapters of Genesis. I'm sure this isn't new to many here, but I believe it makes the point.
As to the need and emphasis and what was needed to correct it.
Genesis chapter 2 and verse.
9.
And out of the ground may the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But specifically says the tree of life in the midst of the garden, chapter 3 and verse three, as Eve is debating with the serpent why they shouldn't eat of it, she says, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said He shall not eat of it, neither shall he touch it lest ye die.
00:45:10
Well, we know God had not forbidden them to touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But that point aside, what did she do? What tree did she put in the midst of the garden? The tree of life? No, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And it seems that's what they did in Ephesus. Christ is the center of the assembly and the focus, not our responsibility. Or are we pleading for irresponsibility? No, we failed greatly in it. But you see an emphasis. They were a very responsible assembly.
They weren't LAX when it came to matters of discipline. They were not letting things go on that needed to be stopped, bad doctrine, etcetera. They were vigorous in dealing with that. And so it's a very great warning that we don't make a play for plea for being irresponsible. But Ephesus was, we can't, uh, help but be impressed as we read that they couldn't bear them that were evil. They wouldn't put up with it. Like Paul can see the Galatians who he gave space. No, not for an hour. But even that in itself is not the main focus.
The tree of life is in the midst of the garden, not the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Oh, it's saying verse eight, it really begins this address to Smyrna. And Smyrna means sufferings and, uh, where it has the sense of murder. And so there was a, represents the period in the church history from 8167 to about 313, umm, when the, umm, Constantine made an agreement with the, or really, uh, announced that Christianity was going to be the, uh.
Religion of the Roman Empire. So there was suffering, and it speaks of a time of suffering. He speaks and addresses them. These things say he that is first and the last, which was dead and is alive. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them that are say that they are Jews and are not, that are of the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison.
That you may be trying and you shall have tribulation 10 days. But be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee crown of life. And so the Lord Jesus knew that, umm, there was a need to have our hearts and the hearts of those that were in the church at that early period, to have their hearts turned back to Him and to have to be put in a place where they were dependent upon Him. They needed to depend upon Him. And he allowed ten days or 10 periods of persecution.
And so historically, there were ten different periods of persecution of the Church in that period of time, and many of our brethren were murdered. They suffered. And the Lord knew about it. He knew and He had allowed it, that they might arrest the Saints from their slide in their affections for himself. So isn't that sweet to think of how the Lord allows difficulties in our lives, Different trials.
That there might be more of a magnification of His grace in our lives and that our hearts affections might be taken up with Himself. There is a purpose of love on His part to allow the trials in our lives.
Tendency to do that, doesn't it? It sharpens the focus and uh, you hear about persecution that's taking place in the world today. I remember hearing, I forget where I read it, but uh, I think it was over in China that they asked for believers in other parts of the world to pray for them and they specifically said don't pray that the persecution ceased.
Because that's what keeps our testimony vivid. And that's the case, isn't it? It's, it's incredible how it does. And the beautiful testimonies that come from that part of the world. We have so much liberty here and we've been deadened. Oh, brother, Lord help us.
Brother in Christ in Ohio, his name is Dan Strong. He runs a, a printing operation and I used to do business with him years ago, brought up in the Roman Catholic religion and uh, the Lord was working with him And after several years of working with him and giving him the gospel, other people in his life giving him the gospel of the grace of God, he came to Christ one day sitting in his car in the rain and on Friday night.
00:50:15
He took Christ as his savior and, uh, we began to read the scriptures together at a restaurant Tuesday mornings. We would get together and read the word and, uh, he was only saved maybe for three or four weeks. And he said to me, you know, he says, Robert, he says persecution really didn't work very well for Satan in connection with the persecuting the church. He really wasn't able to stamp it out, was he? I said, yeah, you're right. He wasn't able to stamp it out, he says, but you know, he thinks, I think that prosperity is working.
Beyond his wildest expectations. I said, I think I have to agree with you that prosperity is working beyond Satan's wildest expectations. And so in the Western Christian world, we don't suffer persecution, but the Spirit of God records in the epistles to Timothy that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But we are able to live in such a way that we can slide in under the radar screen, so to speak.
And not suffer the way other believers suffer in other lands, But we do have the liberty of living in a country like this, that it has safety. And there are laws that protect, protect those that are believers and all citizens and so on. But these dear Saints of God paid for their affection for Christ, and they paid for their confession that they belong to Christ. And so as citizens, heavenly citizens, they identified themselves.
With the Lord Jesus, and they went forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach, and it cost them their lives. But remember here it says that in verse 10 He gives them an encouragement. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. So God is going to look you and I over when we get to heaven. He's not going to look us over for accomplishments.
And for all kinds of uh.
Converts and all those sorts of things. He's going to look us over to see whether we were faithful. Be thou faithful, He doesn't say. Be thou successful. He says, Be faithful unto death.
And I believe that there would be more enjoyment of the person of Christ, there would be more fruit for him, and there would be a happier spirit in the assemblies of those that are gathered to the Lord's name, if there was more faithfulness to Christ.
Thing about.
Verse 9 The blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Chapter 3 in the Address to Philadelphia.
He mentions that again I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not.
Brother Bill, can you help us on that?
Bob, but I, I could just share a little bit what I, umm, have considered on that. And we might sound blasphemy as well. We generally think when we use that word, it's, it's uh, that which defames the person of the Son of God, blasphemous doctrine and so on. But the way it's used here is railing, isn't it? It's something that, well, you can't blasphemy me. I'm not deity. But the point is railing and it's hurtful words, things that were said against them.
And we know that under the law, and you find that Deuteronomy 2720, it's very clearly clear that.
If the Jew is walking with God, he will be blessed without word, abundance and material goods and large families and plenty of goods and, and, uh, it was a mark of God's, uh, provision for them. But that's not so for the faithful believer, is it? And so it was very difficult for the railing of those which say they are Jews, they took that place. They're not Jews, they're not, but of the synagogue of Satan. How important it is for us that we know what the Christian calling is.
And it's not earthly prosperity. That's not a that's not a true that's not a true teaching. And so if there is a going on in faithfulness to the Lord that we find even that there is they the work with the enemy behind it which on the ninth verse, the next chapter which say they are Jews and and are not but but do lie. Well, there was a time coming and then they would have to acknowledge what the truth is. But suffice to say, not only is it difficult enough when you're going through hardship and persecution.
00:55:13
But to have railing on top of it and to be treated as if you're not honoring the Lord at all. But maybe you got a little bit more on it, brother.
Uh, like you say, the principle that, uh.
Earthly prosperity and that's that's a kind of a thing that's going on in the world today. Prosperity gospel if you please God, you'll be prospered economically. Why that's not the case, Is it the fact that the Lord Jesus his life looked like a total failure.
He died as a criminal.
And there was no justification of his life.
Before he died.
God's answer is in resurrection. And so it was with the apostle Paul too. And so he tells Timothy in second Timothy, one, be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Neither of me his prisoner. Paul, you're just a little bit too radical. Look, you got yourself thrown into prison. They're going to take you out and cut your head off. Wouldn't it be better to just compromise a little bit?
And things will go well for you.
And so.
I suppose there is something, too, about Judaizing. The thought of Judaizing. It's always there.
The going back to the Judaistic principles, brethren, what we've been called to in Christianity, somebody has said it's not an addition to Judaism, it's the opposite of it. So the Lord help us to keep the precious truth of.
Scripture that we have been taught vivid before us not to go, not be affected by those that say they are Jews and are not.
Would you say Jewish principles into Christian profession or the Christianity that they at the beginning of the testimony, we know that there was a mighty work of Satan to try to corrupt Christianity and Christianity as a person is the person of Christ and the work of Christ is complete. It's finished. We had nothing to it. And so we have in Acts chapter 15, just that little example that the Spirit of God gives us as to the work that was going on.
Umm, false individuals. Paul calls them false brethren. At chapter 15 of Acts verse 1. Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren they were. They came to a Gentile assembly, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined to send that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem both.
Under the apostles and elders about this question.
And so there's really the work of the enemy is to seek to corrupt the purity of Christianity.
The Judaism was characterized by an earthly religion, and it was an earthly thing. They had physical sacrifices and it was all temporal. It was only for time. But what you and I have is eternal, and it's connected with the person of Christ, the finished work of Christ. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and the two don't mix.
And so it's, uh, that's why brethren were gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other name that is worthy. And so we have and christened them all kinds of other names, all kinds of temples and tabernacles and everything else that are raised up and a priest priesthood, so to speak. All of those things were foreign to Christianity, but they began to make inroads very early.
In church history, and I believe this is what the Spirit of God is addressing here, that there were those that were seeking to Judaize Christianity. Well, thank the Lord that we are believers, that we do have the heavenly umm, a heavenly inheritance, promises that are eternal, and that we don't have anything in this earth.
01:00:10
Mention it, but in Ephesus one of the things he says in verse 6.
Is that this style hats that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
And that's repeated.
In uh the address to Pergamus in verse 15 he says so. Hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? Which thing I hate?
It's been suggested that Nico means to dominate and dominate the lady. That's the beginning of the clerical system that is so common in Christian circles today. And they admit that it was taken from the Old Testament, in which of the 12 tribes of Israel, only one tribe was chosen to do the service of God. Of that one tribe, only one family could go into the very pre, into the holy place.
Now that one family, only one person could go into the holiest of all.
And so that principle of being a separated priesthood was begun. And he says, I hate that brother. And we do need to be exercised because.
In verse six it's the deeds of the Nicolaitans, whereas in verse 15 as the doctrine.
They first started practicing it, and then they came up with the doctrine later on. And it's so easy in our assemblies if we're not exercising the Lord's presence.
Who are priests? Everyone of us. Every believer is a priest.
So when they come into his presence, there should be exercise. There's no no gift needed to exercise priesthood.
It belongs to all of us, but there is the tendency, oh, there's brother so and so and brother so and so. We just kind of leave it to them. They will take the lead here.
And we do that and then later on we come up with a doctrine that kind of supports that. No, brother, and that is not Christianity. We are all priests and we need to be exercised in the Lord's presence. I I'm so enjoy it when there's liberty in giving out the hymns of praise to the Lord, those that get up and praise the Lord.
Let's say Latin America rather than sometimes they stumble over each other and doing it and we have to explain to them that there needs to be the direction of the Spirit of God and to wait on the Lord. But sometimes I feel up here we go the other extreme.
Silence. Long silences. How can we be so silent?
In the presence of someone so glorious, Lord exercise his breath.
In verse verse six in the new translation, it says He hath made us a Kingdom of priests under God and his Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Isn't it wonderful to be able to go into the presence of the Lord without any fear, and to offer up a sacrifice of praise, the Thanksgiving of our lips?
We know that audibly, the brothers in Christianity are the ones that give the audible praise and Thanksgiving to God, and the sisters can do it silently. And in the hymns, we oftentimes can sing a hymn that has worship and praise in it. But we stumble along, don't we, brother? We make mistakes. You know, my brother, my father-in-law, if you forgive me for just giving this little story, he umm.
Had a man working for him, his name was Rolf. And uh, he came from Finland, never got his English quite right. And he would, he was a Carpenter and he would make mistakes every now and then and he would say, well, you know, the man he works, he makes a mistake. The man he know works, he no make the mistake. And so you and I that are trying to exercise our priesthood, we're going to stumble along a little bit here and there. And why do we make a mistake? God is God.
01:05:14
Man is man and every time I make a mistake.
I quote the wrong scripture, whatever it is I think of that God is God, man is man. I thank the Lord that he revealed it, that I made a little bit of a mistake. And So what man he no work and he works. He makes a mistake. What man he no work, he no make the mistake. If you don't exercise your priesthood, brother, then you won't make that mistake and you won't have the communion with the Lord in connection with that priesthood.
Me too, don't they? Yes.
There, priestly, privileged.
The suffering Church, you know, it's something that.
Like myself, how can we even speak about what we know nothing of experientially, but I really appreciate how the Lord presents himself to the suffering assembly. These things set the 1St and the last, which was dead and is alive, or the Darby renders it that.
The 1St and the last who became dead and lived.
As he's their Saints of God went to be martyred, to suffer, and to die.
The Lord could say I've gone before I have died and lived. And so there was one that was there and was on the other side waiting for them. And what a comforting way that this was that the Lord presented himself to them. Now I just noticed it on the Darby. Didn't notice it, but in the Darby translation there's two assemblies.
Where the Lord doesn't say, I know thy works. The first one is Smyrna. And why is that? It's the suffering church is not the working church. And so the Lord takes account of it. And we know that Smyrna coming from myrrh, the sweet fragrance that comes from suffering. And isn't it a beautiful thing to see Saints of God that have suffered? And yet what God has worked in their souls is a fragrance and a beauty. That's only His work. It's not what they did, it's what He did in them.
And so it is a great fragrance to them, to him. And so I just mentioned that because the, uh, there's so much emphasis often made on activity and all, but to see the suffering Saints of God and especially those for Christ, how much the Lord values them. And it will be with them, as it says in Isaiah, uh, how's it there? When now it goes through the waters, I will be with me.
Maybe next time we can take up the.
224.
OK, OK.