1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,680 I wanted to keep going, but here we are, God's Word. 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,080 We're still worshiping in the Word. 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:14,320 So turn your Bibles with me to Revelation chapter 2 and place 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,160 your eyes there at verse 12 of Revelation chapter 2. 5 00:00:27,130 --> 00:00:31,650 Let's read together into the Angel, the church, and Pergamum. 6 00:00:32,210 --> 00:00:37,000 Write the words of Him who has the 2, has the sharp 2 edged 7 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,760 sword. I know where you dwell, where 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,320 Satan's throne is, and you hold fast my name. 9 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,680 And you did not deny my faith, even though the days of Antipas, 10 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,840 my faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan 11 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,400 dwells. But I have a few things against 12 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,320 you. You have some there who hold to 13 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,360 the teaching of Balaam, who taught Bailek to put a stumbling 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,440 block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,760 sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 16 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,520 So also you have some who hold to the teaching of the 17 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,200 Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. 18 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,800 If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the 19 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,200 sword of my mouth. He has an ear. 20 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,560 Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 21 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,080 To the one who conquers. I will give some of the hidden 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,800 mana, and I will give him a whitestone with a new name 23 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,320 written on the stone that no one knows except the one who 24 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,080 receives it. Lord, we ask that you help us 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,640 with this passage. Help us see your heart, help us 26 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,400 know your mind, and help us be conformed to your will. 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,080 Help us be the church that you want us to be. 28 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,000 And so even now, provide us the ears that can hear what the 29 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,840 Spirit says to the churches. We wait upon you, O Lord, in 30 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,800 Jesus name we pray. Amen. 31 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,000 I want you to use your sanctified imagination for a 32 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,600 brief moment. Imagine that the resurrected 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,240 Christ wrote a personalized letter to us here at Maranatha 34 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,840 Bible Church and in his introduction he writes the one 35 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:14,240 who has the two edged sword. Would that comfort you? 36 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,240 Would that concern you? Perhaps your immediate response 37 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,240 would be, well, it depends what he does with the sword, and that 38 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,680 would be an appropriate reaction. 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,920 Thankfully, if we honor the context of the Book of 40 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:34,920 Revelation, we know what this sword is all about. 41 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,200 It's mentioned a total of three times in this book. 42 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,200 And interestingly, each time it is brought up in connection with 43 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,800 Christ, it is associated with his mouth. 44 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,160 And so in Revelation 116, we've already covered that chapter. 45 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,280 We saw how Christ in his manifest glory before John the 46 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,560 Apostle reveals a sword protruding out of his mouth. 47 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,720 It's not until we go to Revelation 19, verse 15, where 48 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,760 we have the account of the return of Christ, the bodily 49 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,520 return of Christ, where we see that sword in operation, where 50 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:17,240 we see it functioning and what was its purpose. 51 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,400 We're told they're in that verse that Christ will strike the 52 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,960 nations with the sword of his mouth. 53 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:32,280 And so we can conclude that the sword represents it represents 54 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:38,520 something obvious, the swift and sudden power of Christ's word 55 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:45,200 when he executes judgment and how his judgment is based upon 56 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:50,000 his Word. So with that understanding, you 57 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,400 might be impressed to see that this introduction to the Church 58 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:59,200 in Pergamum is Christ conveying that He is the final judge and 59 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,960 that He will bring vindication. He will ultimately put all 60 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:07,800 things right by just the word of His mouth. 61 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,640 However, that's not the purpose of Christ revealing this about 62 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,480 Himself to this church. No, no, no. 63 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,240 Instead, when you keep reading carefully, you'll discover that 64 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,280 the unstoppable authority of Jesus Christ, when He wants to 65 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,400 execute judgement, is not confined solely to his fiercest 66 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,360 foes. It also applies to those within 67 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,520 His church. Let's go down to verse 16 again, 68 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,280 Revelation 2, just to confirm that he writes to this church. 69 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,520 He's not speaking to the world, to this congregation. 70 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,800 Therefore, repent. If not, I will come to you soon 71 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,360 and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 72 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,000 This should lead us to ask something very important. 73 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,840 What did this church do to warrant such a serious threat? 74 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:03,520 And that's what this message is about. 75 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,000 We're going to discover together. 76 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,360 We're going to uncover what it is that these believers were 77 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:12,040 doing for Christ to say to them. If you don't change, I'm going 78 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,320 to go to war with your church. But before we go there, let's 79 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,360 consider his commendation in verse 13. 80 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:22,960 Look what he says here. I know where you dwell at all 81 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,160 the things that Jesus could say that He knew about this group of 82 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:31,920 believers, He tells them, I know you and I know where you live. 83 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:37,560 Now, many of us in here know that choosing where we live is 84 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,720 one of the most important decisions that you will make 85 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,200 throughout your life. But what I find here is that it 86 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,200 is not just crucial for us to figure out and pray about and 87 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,160 plan about. It is also something that the 88 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:54,560 Lord considers and cares about. When I was reflecting on those 89 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,760 first few words of verse 13, my mind went to Paul's sermon in 90 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,640 Athens when he was preaching there to all those pagans and 91 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,240 those Epicureans and those Stoic philosophers heard this new 92 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,120 thing. And so they grabbed Paul and 93 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,160 they said, tell us more about what you're preaching about. 94 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,280 And he took the time to introduce to them in a very 95 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:17,960 unique way who God is in his nature. 96 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,080 And there's a part there in that evangelistic message that I'm 97 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,240 sure will bless you. And you're welcome to turn there 98 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,840 with me in Acts 17. Look at this little section of 99 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:30,800 Paul's sermon, verse 26 of Acts 17. 100 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:40,560 He says, and he speaking about God, and he made from one man 101 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,280 every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, 102 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:50,120 having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of 103 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,640 their dwelling place. Again, he's introducing to these 104 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,760 unbelievers who the true God is, and he highlights two major 105 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,080 areas of God's providential work. 106 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:07,480 It can be summarized with two words, time and place. 107 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,840 Look again. He has determined allotted 108 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,440 periods that speaks of duration and then he goes on to say the 109 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,120 boundaries of their dwelling place that speaks of location. 110 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:19,920 What is Paul trying to teach here? 111 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,640 Essentially that the Lord is continually arranging the timing 112 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,560 and the location of our living and this is not reserved just 113 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,080 for His orchestration of nations and governments. 114 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,400 No, no, it applies to your individual journey and mine. 115 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:44,000 If you have difficulty believing that, I think of a Psalm where 116 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,800 the Lord recounts the history of Israel and He reminds His people 117 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,640 through the psalmist of how their journey and Egypt came 118 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,720 about. Let me quote this to you from 119 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,960 Psalm one O 5 and verse 16. When he summoned a famine on the 120 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:06,120 land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead 121 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,760 of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 122 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:13,960 Who was the one that sent Joseph to live in Egypt? 123 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:19,440 God, from the human understanding, when you read the 124 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,960 story in Genesis, it looked like he was a victim carried as a 125 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,240 captive into a foreign land. It looked like a despicable 126 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,400 eviction, if you will. But as you continue in your 127 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,600 Bible and you come to one passage here, at least one, you 128 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,640 are granted the lens of Providence and you realize that 129 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:42,159 God was behind the scenes all along, leading Joseph in 130 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:45,600 unlikely circumstances and through unlikely means to plant 131 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,880 him in a place for a greater purpose. 132 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:53,720 He sent Joseph to Egypt because He determines the boundaries of 133 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,080 our dwelling place. You know, when Joel and I were 134 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,120 planning for a wedding and we were at the same time looking 135 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,160 for a place to live, I frequently borrowed the words of 136 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:07,160 the apostle Paul in Acts 17. When I came before the Lord, I 137 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,120 would tell the Lord, You have determined the boundaries of my 138 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,880 dwelling place. You know where we're supposed to 139 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,360 live. You know what city, you know 140 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,680 what neighborhood. I trust in you, but you got to 141 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:22,120 guide me there. And through a grueling searching 142 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:26,240 process, the Lord came through, and I can say on behalf of our 143 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,840 household that we can see how God LED us perfectly. 144 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,840 I encourage you. Many young families here praying 145 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,240 and looking and wondering. He determines the boundaries of 146 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,840 our dwelling place. Trust in Him, rely on Him, 147 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,800 believe in Him, and He will lead you wonderfully. 148 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,880 Now, as we come to this church, the Lord tells this group of 149 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,000 believers that He knows where they live. 150 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,960 And shockingly, He confirms to them that it's where Satan 151 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,520 lives. What language does he use? 152 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,760 Again, in verse 13, I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne 153 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,840 is. We're looking for a church 154 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,400 building, are we not? I haven't heard from one person 155 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:06,880 that they're interested in looking for the place where 156 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,720 Satan has its headquarters. But God the Holy Spirit raised 157 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,360 up a church in this kind of a neighborhood. 158 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,440 And that is significant for many reasons. 159 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,360 And we won't get there just yet. I have to give you a brief 160 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,240 reminder of the ontology of Satan. 161 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,520 He is He is not omniscient, though he is incredibly 162 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,880 knowledgeable. He is not omnipotent, though he 163 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,840 is fiercely powerful. And he is indeed not 164 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,560 omnipresent, though he has a vast Kingdom with his age and 165 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:38,360 spread throughout the earth. And at this particular time in 166 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,360 history, Satan the Strategist thought it would be most 167 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,800 beneficial to set up his headquarters in a place called 168 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,600 Pergamum. Why? 169 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:52,600 But you can imagine the range of speculations. 170 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,360 But I think if you just peek into history a little bit, you 171 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,400 might have some kind of an answer. 172 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:04,640 Though the Bible doesn't tell us explicitly, Pergamum was one of 173 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,400 the most influential cities in Asia Minor at the time. 174 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,520 In fact, it served as the capital for a great period and 175 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,800 it was innovative in many, many ways. 176 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:19,640 Many believe that it was the place that started imperial cult 177 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,360 worship, where they really were the ones who were pioneers in 178 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,360 honoring emperors as divine. And it spread, they flourish and 179 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,800 they influenced others. You can you can say that this 180 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,680 was a trend setting city. More than that, it was a 181 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:40,000 Learning Center, a major one. It boasts of a library that 182 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,960 hosted around 200,000 scrolls and it came only second to the 183 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,960 Great Library of Alexandria in terms of size and significance. 184 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,080 And when I learned that, I thought to myself, is it 185 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,600 possible that Satan chose to concentrate his efforts here 186 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,800 knowing that it would be more effective and spreading his 187 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,160 corruption? Being that this was a prominent 188 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,240 cultural place, being that this was an intellectual hub that 189 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,720 Satan know, if I really focus here, I can reach many other 190 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:15,960 places. We think of our own kind of 191 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,240 areas in America that influence not only the nation, but the 192 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:21,800 world. Think about Hollywood and what 193 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,280 they pump out. Makes you wonder who's really 194 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:25,480 behind it. I don't think really, it's a 195 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,480 guess. And so we see here that the 196 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:33,800 enemy was very, very mindful of where to go, where to be. 197 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,200 And whatever the reason may be, Jesus makes it clear that 198 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:42,720 Satan's presence and Satan's influence was especially potent 199 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,000 in this place. It wasn't difficult to see with 200 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:51,440 the natural eye, the crime, the violence, the Antichrist 201 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,320 communities. And I've mentioned this in the 202 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:59,800 past that it blesses me to know that the Lord built a church 203 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:04,200 here. But I don't want to focus on 204 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:05,360 that because we mentioned it before. 205 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,040 I want to applaud these Christians. 206 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:13,440 Assuming they had the choice, they chose to remain here, to 207 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:18,000 minister here, to gather here, to sing here, to hear sermons 208 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:22,600 here, to evangelize here. You know there are many 209 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,120 Christians who desire to be a part of a church where things 210 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:30,360 are most comfortable thinking. You know, the less political and 211 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,440 societal pollution and corruption there is, the easier 212 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,440 it will be to plant and grow something for God. 213 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,720 That's not true because you have to remember the purpose of the 214 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,320 church is not to be safe, it's to be salt. 215 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:49,240 And over the years I've heard some people even ask why we have 216 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:53,840 a ministry in Chicago given all the violence and corruption in 217 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,160 our government. And my answer is always the 218 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:57,040 same. Why not? 219 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,360 What, should all the Christians just pack up and move somewhere 220 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:03,880 just because there's a warmer state with less property taxes? 221 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,960 Is that really the goal of Christianity, to be as snugly as 222 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,360 possible in America? No, we're on a rescue mission. 223 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:17,480 That's why we're here. And I consider a great honor and 224 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,120 privilege to be in this city. And God's Providence that his 225 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,800 Spirit worked in the hearts of people to make Maranatha Bible 226 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,680 Church possible. If the Holy Spirit is doing 227 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,040 something here, it means he wants us to do something here. 228 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,880 And so we're we're looking for the heavenly mission. 229 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,160 That's our perspective when it comes to our dwelling place, 230 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,080 when it comes to where we're going to park ourselves, where 231 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,360 we're going to raise a family. Yes, we should be wise. 232 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,560 Yes, we should be stewards of different resources. 233 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,600 But consider your calling ultimately, as a follower of 234 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,360 Jesus Christ. We're all getting out of here 235 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,160 very soon. We're not trying to make this as 236 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,280 comfortable as possible. We're trying to rescue as many 237 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,520 people as possible. And I love this church for that 238 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,320 reason. And Jesus praises this church. 239 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,280 They stay here. They saw the opportunity to be a 240 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,760 light in a uniquely dark place. How dark was it? 241 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,720 So dark that this community threatened the believers with 242 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,760 death from time to time. We've been threatened before as 243 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:14,720 a church never received death threats. 244 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:22,360 Yet I say yet on purpose. And this assembly was never 245 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,200 deterred, even when faced with potential martyrdom. 246 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,720 They never denied the faith. They never were ashamed of the 247 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,600 name of Jesus Christ, and interestingly, the Lord wants 248 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,120 them to know that He was aware of an intense period of 249 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:39,440 persecution. Come back to Revelation 213 250 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,280 again. I know where you dwell, where 251 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:46,200 Satan's throne is, yet you hold fast my name, and you did not 252 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:51,000 deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness. 253 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,160 Who is Antipas? I don't know, because this is 254 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:56,600 all we have about him in the Bible. 255 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,000 You can look at some church fathers who give us a little bit 256 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,800 more understanding, and that might be helpful. 257 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,800 But when it comes to biblical data, all we have is this man's 258 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:06,520 name. Some believe he was an elder, 259 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,320 some believe he was just a faithful member. 260 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,520 But what I find interesting is that the Lord names him. 261 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,360 He could have been general about the martyrdom of this church, 262 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,920 but he actually highlights this individual by name. 263 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,600 And I believe there's a purpose because when you understand the 264 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,600 meaning of the name Antipus, there is profound insight. 265 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,640 Some believe Antipus is just an abbreviation of the name 266 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:35,160 Antipater, which could mean like the father or instead of the 267 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,400 father. But if you were to just derive 268 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,800 your definition with a name as it is, it's quite simple. 269 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,880 Anti. We commonly know that we're to 270 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,600 be opposed or against something anti. 271 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,120 And the Greek pass pause. Forgive me, Greek speaking 272 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:59,720 people simply means all or every or the whole of something. 273 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:05,520 So bringing this together, we could say that the name Antipas 274 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:10,200 means against everything, against all. 275 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:13,520 Do you see the significance of that? 276 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,680 I do, because if we go with that definition, then I believe we're 277 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,119 given a clue as to what it takes to be a faithful witness unto 278 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,240 Jesus. A willingness to stand against 279 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,200 everything he attempts or threaten us to disown Him. 280 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:30,400 In other words, if you and I want to be a faithful witness 281 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,400 unto Jesus Christ, be ready to stand alone if you have to. 282 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,880 And that is not even super Christianity. 283 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,680 That's entry level discipleship. Do you remember the words of 284 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:47,040 Jesus in Luke 1426? If anyone would come after me 285 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:52,240 and does not hate his own Father and mother and wife and children 286 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,960 and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be 287 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:01,640 my disciple. Antipast is not a superhero 288 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:06,040 Christian. He's level 1 discipleship, yes. 289 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,120 Was he faithful to death? Yes. 290 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,840 Is it something to to applaud and to command? 291 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:13,800 Absolutely. But based on Jesus teaching, if 292 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,640 any one of us want to be considered a follower of his, 293 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,320 then you must consider him more important than any of your 294 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:25,880 closest relationships. You must consider more valuable 295 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,560 than your personal ambitions. That if your father or your 296 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,920 mother discourages you from following Christ, your siblings, 297 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,280 your cousins, your aunt, your uncle, whoever it may be, you 298 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,400 say no. I will stand against anyone who 299 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,920 stands in the way of me following my Lord. 300 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,360 This is what it means to be a faithful witness. 301 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,160 Antipus models that for us here, in a very brief way, just by his 302 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,840 name, we get an understanding, a reminder at the end of the Bible 303 00:18:54,840 --> 00:19:01,960 what it means to follow Christ. This church didn't flinch in the 304 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,400 face of demonic intimidation. Even when one of their members 305 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,280 was killed for their faith. They did not give in. 306 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:15,800 They were never moved. But tragically, they lacked one 307 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,560 thing. They lacked the one fear that 308 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,360 they should have had, and that was the fear of God. 309 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:27,440 That's why Jesus introduces himself in the way that he does. 310 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:34,200 It's as if to say, you stood firm when Rome drew its sword 311 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,040 against you, but you forgot that I have a sword. 312 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,880 And you might be wondering, how can you say, preacher, that this 313 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,800 church did not honor the Lord Jesus Christ? 314 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:49,280 They were willing to die for him. 315 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,440 Yes, without a doubt. But I'm here to tell you that 316 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,080 there aren't. Honor as a church was partial. 317 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,920 It was not total. What do I mean by that? 318 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,640 Well, let's come now to the criticism in verse 14. 319 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:07,440 But I have a few things against you. 320 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,520 Now pause there. The Church of Smyrna that we 321 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,720 heard about last week, Jesus had nothing against him. 322 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:16,520 He just encouraged him. Do not fear the church in 323 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,840 Ephesus the first time around He said this very specifically. 324 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,080 The Lord said I have this against you. 325 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,160 It was one thing you walked away from your first love, but with 326 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,960 the church in Pergamum, he says I have a few things against you. 327 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:36,040 What are those few things? Well, it can be summarized with 328 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,080 a number of the people in this church who are adhering to false 329 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,960 teaching. Let's finish here to see what it 330 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,040 is that they were believing. But I have a few things against 331 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,480 you. You have some there who hold the 332 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,640 teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block 333 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,200 before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food, 334 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,760 sacrifice to idols, and practice sexual immorality. 335 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,600 Verse 15. So also you have some who hold 336 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,720 the teaching of the Nicolaitans. So in this church you had 337 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,440 different pockets of people who are believing things contrary to 338 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,560 the Bible. And the Lord says, this is what 339 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,920 I have against you. Now, when we come to this 340 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:15,200 passage, we have to understand something that Jesus, as we, as 341 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,440 we heard when we started the series in Revelation, relies 342 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,040 heavily on the Old Testament. And so he makes it up. 343 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,880 He makes a commentary, He makes an allusion back to the story of 344 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,960 the character Balaam. You remember Balaam, do you not? 345 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,160 He was essentially a sorcerer. And when Israel was delivered 346 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,840 out of Egypt and was traveling through the wilderness leading 347 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,440 to the Promised land, there was a king of Moab, modern day 348 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,360 Jordan, by the name of Balak. Balak, like other kings, was 349 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:44,840 very fearful hearing the reports of what the God of Israel was 350 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,000 doing on behalf of his people. And Balak understood that they 351 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,720 are approaching his territory, his land. 352 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,680 And so in desperation, instead of submitting himself to the 353 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,360 true God, he wants to try to overthrow them. 354 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,720 And so he hires a witch, a warlock if you will, and he 355 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,360 hopes that he can defeat the people of Israel in the 356 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:10,080 supernatural. So the price was right for 357 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,760 Balaam, though initially he refused, he was recruited. 358 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,600 And we know there are numbers 22 to numbers 24 that Balaam over 359 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,280 and over tries to pronounce a curse upon the people of Israel 360 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,680 without their knowledge. And each time it failed, every 361 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,400 time he uttered a curse, God was right there and turned it into a 362 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,120 blessing. He gave up. 363 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:34,720 You come to the end of Numbers 24. 364 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,480 He gives his final Oracle, and you just read the simple ending 365 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,800 to that chapter. Balaam packed his bags. 366 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,560 He goes his own way. Balak does the same. 367 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,680 But then something incredibly strange happens in the opening 368 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,680 of Numbers chapter 25. You have to go there with me to 369 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:58,080 see it. Numbers 25, verse one. 370 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,960 This is immediately after we learned that Balaam failed to 371 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,960 hatch the people of God. What do we find in this chapter? 372 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:15,280 They experienced great defeat. Numbers 25, verse one. 373 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,840 While Israel lived in Shitham, the people began to whore with 374 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:24,200 the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the 375 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,360 sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to 376 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:30,200 their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal 377 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,400 Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 378 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:35,800 What was the consequence of that? 379 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,880 Verse 9? Nevertheless, those who died by 380 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:46,480 the plague were 24,000. So God in his discipline 381 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,120 unleashes A plague and it destroyed 24,000. 382 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:53,160 And if it wasn't for a righteous man named Phineas who stood in 383 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:54,680 the gap, it would have been much more. 384 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:02,080 This is strange. And if you don't finish books of 385 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,160 the Bible, if you don't honor beginning to end of a book that 386 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,720 you start, then you might miss the insight because it comes 387 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,400 later. Numbers 31. 388 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:11,400 Is there an explanation for this? 389 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,720 Yes, there is. Look at what Moses says in 390 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,120 review of what happened here in Numbers 25. 391 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:27,480 Numbers 31, verse 16. Behold, these, on Balaam's 392 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:32,160 advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously 393 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:35,800 against the Lord in the instant of Peor, and so the plague came 394 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,280 among the congregation of the Lord. 395 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:42,520 Here's the main take away from this. 396 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,120 When Balaam learned that he could not curse the people of 397 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:50,560 God, he taught Bailek, the king of Moab, how to corrupt them. 398 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:54,920 And this was his advice to the king of Moab. 399 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,960 Listen, I've tried over and over. 400 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,960 You saw it with your own eyes. You heard it with your own ears. 401 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:03,160 I cannot pronounce a curse upon these people. 402 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,120 They are blessed. But I'll give you a different 403 00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:08,440 strategy. Find the most beautiful woman 404 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:12,920 you have in your Kingdom, send them off into the camp of 405 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,320 Israel. Let them seduce the men sexually 406 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,520 and they will be seduced to spiritual adultery. 407 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,120 Guess what? It worked. 408 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,200 You see, Balaam had enough knowledge of the character of 409 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:31,560 God that if he can get the people of God to embrace sin, 410 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,520 then they would invite God's judgement. 411 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,880 So what's the strategy if I can't get him from the external, 412 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,600 If I can't get him from the outside, I'm going to work 413 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:48,520 within. And that is what Balaam did. 414 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,560 And now we come to the final book of the Bible and we read 415 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,160 Jesus drawing from this very account to speak to a local New 416 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,720 Covenant church, saying some of you in there are believing the 417 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,200 teaching of Balaam. Meaning what? 418 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:07,240 It's very simple. Just as Balaam's seduction LED 419 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:11,520 Israel back into worldliness, there was a group of people in 420 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,080 this church who are embracing A doctrine that encourage 421 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,480 compromise as well. Does that make sense? 422 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,160 How did that look like for these Christians? 423 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,640 It looked like this perhaps, that they would go to temples, 424 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,520 they would indulge in their feast to false gods, they would 425 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,440 engage in sexual activities, and they would come every Sunday to 426 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:38,360 worship Jesus Christ. They were persuaded that this 427 00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:41,240 was OK. They were told that they could 428 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,880 relax. They were convinced that they 429 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,760 can enjoy the world and still serve God. 430 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,640 There's so many things that we can say about this, but let me 431 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,760 make one thing clear. If Satan can't frighten a 432 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,880 church, if he can't intimidate them, if he can't pressure them 433 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:04,240 from the outside, he will try to weaken a group of believers from 434 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,880 the inside. His strategies have always been 435 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,400 the same. Think about it. 436 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:13,440 Back in Numbers, we find that the curses did not work against 437 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,760 Israel, and we come to Revelation. 438 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,760 We realize that threats from the government did not move this 439 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,920 church and Pergamum. So what does the enemy do? 440 00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:25,880 Something that proves to be more effective than anything else. 441 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,520 He sends his agents to mingle with the people of God to 442 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,960 corrupt them. In the former case, he sent 443 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,560 unbelieving women. Listen here young men, be 444 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,480 careful of the women that are introduced to you. 445 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,680 Be careful of the women that walk into your life. 446 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,840 Same thing for you ladies. Be careful of the men that show 447 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:55,640 up in your DMS. Satan has won many of the people 448 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,280 of God. Lure them away by sending a girl 449 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:04,080 with pretty eyes and a nice voice, sending a guy that seems 450 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,600 promising and reassuring and comforting. 451 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,520 In the former case, he sends beautiful woman. 452 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,840 In the latter case, he sends in false teachers. 453 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,960 That's how he works. Which brings us to another 454 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,400 crucial point. Notice back in Revelation 2 that 455 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,520 he also mentions the teaching of the Nicolaidans. 456 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,360 We don't know exactly what the Nicolaidans taught. 457 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:31,080 It might have been very similar to what these Balemites 458 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,480 believed. But the mention of the 459 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:39,080 Nicolaidans in Revelation 2 verse 15 does show us what false 460 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,880 teaching promotes. Is this the first time in our 461 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,160 study of Revelation that we heard about these Nicolaidans? 462 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,360 Good. No, we heard about them in the 463 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,680 letter to the Ephesians. Go back to Ephesians, or rather 464 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,680 Revelation 26. Notice what the Lord says. 465 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,560 This, better yet, this you have. You hate the works of the 466 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:02,960 Nicolaitans, which I also hate. So in the first part he mentions 467 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,000 their works. In this letter, he mentions 468 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,160 their teaching. This was a movement. 469 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,400 This was a sect. And here's what we learned 470 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,120 putting this together. Bad doctrine will always lead to 471 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:21,920 bad behavior. Wherever there is corrupted 472 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:26,640 teaching, it will in one way or another, corrupt character. 473 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,600 Always. And that is one of the reasons 474 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:37,160 why Jesus values what a church teaches. 475 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:42,000 You know, we're coming here week after week. 476 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,720 We're trying to understand what Christ desires from his church. 477 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,320 Yes, the universal church, ultimately the local church. 478 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:50,320 And here's what we learned at this point, doctrine is up, is 479 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,320 not up for negotiation. Doctrine is incredibly important 480 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,480 to the heart of our God, and it should be equally important to 481 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:05,560 us. What a church teaches, Christ 482 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:10,320 considers carefully, and the purity of doctrine of what's 483 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,560 being taught, of what's being believed by the people in the 484 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:18,040 church is not the only thing that Christ considers. 485 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:23,360 In the unique cases where you have a mixed group, Jesus, 486 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,000 according to this letter, also holds responsible those who know 487 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:31,720 the truth yet refuse to confront error in the church. 488 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,400 Who does he call to repent here? Who does he ask to turn? 489 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,640 Look again here in verse 16. Therefore repent. 490 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,440 If not, I will come to you soon and war against Him with the 491 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,160 sword of my mouth. We might assume that Jesus is 492 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,640 threatening those who are believing the lies of Balaam's 493 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:53,720 teaching or the Nicolaitans. That's not who He is primarily 494 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,720 addressing. Say, what are you talking about? 495 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,000 Look at verse 14 again. But I have a few things. 496 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,120 Against who? You. 497 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:06,360 Who's the you? The church, the entire church. 498 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:08,880 So do you know what this teaches? 499 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,560 That not only did you have people believing different 500 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,280 things, the people who knew the truth, who were faithful to his 501 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:19,320 name, who were faithful to the faith, refused to confront the 502 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:23,160 error in the church. And Jesus says, I'm looking at 503 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,200 you. I'm looking at you leaders who 504 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:31,240 refused to address this issue, You elders, you know, some in 505 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,760 your church are not believing, are not upholding the Bible, and 506 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:36,920 you're not doing anything about it. 507 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:41,360 You members of the church, you refuse to in love, according to 508 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,280 Matthew 18, approach the one who is in sin and call them to 509 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,560 repent. And instead you fellowship with 510 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,760 these ones who are unashamed of their compromise. 511 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:54,080 And so he's calling the entire church into account, not just 512 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,400 those who are following false teaching, even those who are in 513 00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,520 the truth and know about their false teaching and don't do 514 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:03,000 anything about it. This is profound. 515 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:08,080 This is very important for us to hear because again, it 516 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,400 reinstates what the church is about. 517 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,360 We're supposed to look out for one another. 518 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,560 You know, an elder is not just here to just preach sermons and 519 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:19,880 do weddings and funerals. That's not what a pastor is 520 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,480 about. He watches over your soul. 521 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,720 And this idea of false teachers creeping in the church is more 522 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:28,640 complicated than ever in church history. 523 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,640 You know why? Because at this time, it would 524 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,520 be people physically walking through those doors, sitting at 525 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,400 the Love Feast and talking to people, inviting to their home 526 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:37,720 and teaching them and lead them astray. 527 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,080 You know how false teachers work in many times, in many ways 528 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,120 today. They don't need to show up here. 529 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:47,520 They're in your pocket. They're in your YouTube history. 530 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,160 They're on your social media, they're on your podcast, they're 531 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,720 on those one minute reels and people build their theology in 532 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,760 60 seconds. TikTok. 533 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:01,880 I know people that are getting their theology from TikTok. 534 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:07,920 God help us, but it doesn't lessen the responsibility. 535 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,160 The Lord wants His church to be pure, not just morally but 536 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,400 doctrinally. Yes. 537 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,040 Is there room for differing opinions with secondary and 538 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:20,800 tertiary matters? You better believe it. 539 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,320 We have to be compassionate and understanding. 540 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:28,440 But with these clear things, these non negotiables or 541 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,480 anything that is so obvious in the word of God that's not up 542 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:38,840 for debate. I am personally worried about 543 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:44,520 any minister that refuses to talk about sin from the pulpit, 544 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:46,960 and you should be worried about them too. 545 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:51,560 I don't believe a church should every week be a time where 546 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,760 people are rebuked and are called to repentance. 547 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:56,560 Ultimately, we should all know greater encouragement. 548 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,280 And if repentance is preached rightly, it will encourage 549 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:01,720 people. It'll bring life to them. 550 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,160 But for somebody to never mention sin, for somebody to 551 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,600 never warn about false teaching, from time to time to warn 552 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,520 people, hey, be careful what you're hearing out there. 553 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:17,280 They're in danger. I'm worried about any church 554 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:21,440 that doesn't have church discipline, that doesn't have 555 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,040 membership, that calls people accountable, that if they live 556 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,639 in unrepentant sin, then there's going to be concept. 557 00:34:27,639 --> 00:34:29,080 I worry about that. That's what the Church of 558 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:33,400 Pergamum is teaching us. So yes, they were faithful in 559 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,400 many ways, but they just let people do their own thing. 560 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:38,520 Let people believe what they wanted to believe. 561 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:39,880 Let people live how they wanted to live. 562 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:44,480 And the Lord says, I'm calling you all to repent because the 563 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:49,280 church has a responsibility in wisdom and love to approach 564 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,880 those who are not in the right and to invite them back into the 565 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,000 truth. Now we come to the last verse 566 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,120 because the Lord ends on a good note, on an encouraging note in 567 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:00,960 verse 17. Let's revisit it again, shall 568 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,920 we? He who has an ear, let him hear 569 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,000 what the Spirit says to the churches, to the one who 570 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,320 conquers. I will give some of the hidden 571 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,480 mana and I will give him a whitestone with a new name 572 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,360 written on the stone that no one knows except the one who 573 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:20,520 receives it. You can imagine the countless 574 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,360 theories that have circulated over the centuries about this 575 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,040 verse. Hidden mana, a whitestone with a 576 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:31,920 name on it. It can get quite complicated, 577 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,480 and people try to go to the culture of this time to make 578 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,440 reference of what these things could mean. 579 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,600 I think the hidden mana is more obvious to us as people who 580 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:41,160 understand the totality of Scripture. 581 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:42,320 But what's this Whitestone all about? 582 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:43,760 Let's look at these things separately. 583 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,960 In fact, let me just start here. This is not as complicated as 584 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,640 people make it out to be, because when you look at this 585 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:55,160 letter, you'll learn that what Jesus is offering here counters 586 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,360 the evil substitutes that some of these Christians were tempted 587 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,840 by. What were they condemned for? 588 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:09,760 Going to these feasts that were dedicated to false gods and 589 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,640 engaging in sexual immorality. What the Lord is saying, Hey, 590 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,760 instead of indulging in those feasts, why don't you eat some 591 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,520 of the manna that I have? And instead of finding your 592 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:27,920 trust and finding your thrill and illicit behavior, why don't 593 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:34,720 we deepen our relationship? I have hidden manna, remember? 594 00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:37,440 What manna was right? The name actually means what is 595 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:41,080 it? Back in Exodus, they didn't know 596 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:42,640 what it was. It was a flake like thing that 597 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:44,080 would show up in the dew every morning. 598 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:49,800 What is it? And had like a honey flavor to 599 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,760 it. But more importantly, it was 600 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:56,880 supernaturally provided. It was something that God gave 601 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,800 every single day. And interestingly, the Lord is 602 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:03,040 so precise. He says I have hidden manna. 603 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,480 He didn't just say, manna, I have hidden mana. 604 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:07,760 Oh, how do we make sense of that? 605 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,000 Well, we learned that when this mana first arrived on the scene, 606 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:14,520 the Israelites were instructed to take a jar of that mana and 607 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:19,120 to put it where in the Ark of the Covenant to be preserved. 608 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:24,480 And that mana never rotted. If you had mana one day and you 609 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,560 try to, because of your unbelief, puts them in your 610 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,160 pocket or in your cupboards because you didn't know if God 611 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:31,320 was going to provide the next day, it would turn into worms. 612 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:35,560 But this one little jar of mana was kept in the presence of God 613 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,040 in that little compartment and it would serve as a memorial for 614 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:42,920 the rest of their time, signifying I am faithful to 615 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:48,040 provide for you. Jesus says to the church, I have 616 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:53,400 hidden mana for you. In other words, I have spiritual 617 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:56,760 nourishment because that mana points to another substance. 618 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:01,240 Jesus made it clear in John chapter 6 when he made bread 619 00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:03,800 multiply in the wilderness. They said this is this is the 620 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:07,480 prophet that Moses spoke about. He goes, no, I'm here to tell 621 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,200 you that I'm not offering physical bread, the bread of 622 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,640 heaven, me. So when he says I have this 623 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,560 hidden mana, it's a symbolic way of saying I have spiritual 624 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,080 nourishment. It will never waste, it will 625 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:22,680 never rot, it will never dissatisfy. 626 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:30,360 And it's it's able to sustain you, it's able to satisfy you. 627 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,040 So think about it. Why go to those feasts? 628 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,840 Why fellowship with unbelievers? Why go to those places that 629 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:41,280 dishonor my name when I have something more permanent, more 630 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:46,160 lasting, more pure for you? And then he follows it with 631 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:49,280 this. I have a whitestone with a new 632 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:55,520 name written on the stone. Again, there's no biblical cross 633 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,240 reference that can help us understand this. 634 00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:00,400 And there's many, many, many ideas out there that in Roman 635 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:04,400 times, a whitestone would be used as an admission ticket into 636 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:09,480 a feast if you successfully won an athletic competition, or it 637 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,040 was used in a judicial setting to say you're innocent. 638 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,600 And so they would extend away. There's all these ideas, but I 639 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:16,240 believe the mystery is intentional. 640 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,840 So imagine we never preached on this and you read Revelation. 641 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:24,000 You came up to me and you said, hey, what's this Whitestone 642 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,800 about with a name written on it? You know what the right answer 643 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,120 would be? I don't know, and you won't know 644 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,520 either. That's the point. 645 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:40,960 Christ is making an invitation to each individual believer that 646 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,800 if they overcome worldly Christianity then He will give 647 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:47,280 them something that will be a secret. 648 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,680 The name that is written on it. Is that a name for me? 649 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,920 I don't know. Is it a name about him that no 650 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,080 one's ever heard about? Quite possibly. 651 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:08,760 Either way, this depicts intimacy because what defines a 652 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:14,920 rich deep bond is 2 people who share an experience, who have 653 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,160 knowledge about something. That no one else does. 654 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,720 Some of your husbands and wives, you have names for each other 655 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:27,800 that no one else knows about. And that's good because you 656 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,880 don't want somebody else calling your husband what you call them 657 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:34,200 and vice versa. Here's the Lord saying, I want 658 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,240 to share a unique name between you and me. 659 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:42,240 So instead of going to these women and sleeping with them, 660 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:47,200 justifying it with this false doctrine of grace, instead of 661 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,200 you ladies throwing yourself at one guy to another from 662 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:52,000 relationship to relationship, even if it's in this, in this 663 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,440 case, even if it's in the context of spiritual practice, 664 00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:00,680 false spiritual practice. Instead of doing that, I'm 665 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:05,520 inviting you closer to my heart. I want to exchange something 666 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:08,160 with you that will be more meaningful than anything else 667 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:12,000 outside. Are these things ultimately 668 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,240 realize in heaven? You can make a case for that, 669 00:41:14,240 --> 00:41:16,240 yes. Can you say that it's going to 670 00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:19,440 be a physical stone, a Pearl of some sorts, a gem that he'll 671 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:21,320 give to you? Sure. 672 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,320 But I also believe that in both cases, the hidden men and this 673 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:26,800 whitestone, the idea behind it is available. 674 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,520 Now you know what the secret is to overcoming the seductions of 675 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:33,120 this world? Satisfaction in Jesus Christ. 676 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:38,880 You will never listen to me. You will never overcome 677 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,120 temptation unless you first taste the sweetness of Jesus. 678 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:46,640 Never. And this is what he is reminding 679 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:51,880 this church. He who has an ear, let him hear 680 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:53,200 what the Spirit says to the churches. 681 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:58,640 So I must do my duty, my brethren, I must do my job, my 682 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:03,320 family. This church is growing. 683 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,720 It's exciting. I think we see new faces every 684 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:10,240 single week and I'm thrilled about it. 685 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,040 Not because of numbers, but because I hope that what God is 686 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,800 doing in this place is he's raising up people who are 687 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:21,000 craving the Bible, the word of God being taught. 688 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,720 But it's also very possible that there can be an esteem for the 689 00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:27,640 truth. There can be passionate about 690 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:30,680 the faith, there can be a level of faithfulness to the name of 691 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:35,400 Jesus, while there's also compromise somewhere else. 692 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,160 Does your life align with what Jesus says it means to be a 693 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:49,320 disciple of His? Are you with some people doing 694 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:55,320 some things, believing ideas that contradict His word? 695 00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:00,320 How much does His word govern your life? 696 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:04,920 Let me say it this way. Are you an Antipus? 697 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:09,520 Have you determined that I'm willing to stand against 698 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:13,560 anything and everything? Think about how fascinating this 699 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,920 man was. He refused to continue to live 700 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:23,720 if it meant denying Jesus. Death was something that he was 701 00:43:23,720 --> 00:43:27,400 willing to accept if it meant that he would end faithfully. 702 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:33,280 Life was not life if he had to disown his Savior. 703 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:38,880 Is that the level of conviction that you have and it's not 704 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:40,840 proven? Ultimately, with your head on a 705 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:47,720 chomping block and terrorists threatening you. 706 00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:49,400 Deny Christ or you lose your head. 707 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:54,160 It's also proven in you looking out into the world, hearing all 708 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,760 the seductions even within Christendom and you saying 709 00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:58,320 that's false because I know my word. 710 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:00,080 That's something that Christ does not want. 711 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:02,520 I will not accept it. Jesus said this and you're 712 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:03,760 saying something else. I refuse it. 713 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,360 No matter how much it benefits my flesh, no matter how much it 714 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,960 helps me in society, I will deny it. 715 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:15,800 That's an antipas for those here who have determined that. 716 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:19,720 Be fortified in your faith because Christ promised that 717 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:23,120 when you overcome, you will know a level of satisfaction now, and 718 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:26,200 there will be a depth of your knowledge of Christ that awaits 719 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,920 that will make anything that you resist now so worth it. 720 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:33,160 May the Lord Jesus Christ help us. 721 00:44:33,560 --> 00:45:05,640 Let's pray. Lord, we trust that we have ears 722 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,160 to hear what Your Spirit says to this church. 723 00:45:11,240 --> 00:45:15,240 Thank You that You know where we dwell, and thank You that You 724 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:17,600 know the condition of our hearts. 725 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,320 We ask, Lord, that You would probe and that You would examine 726 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:26,160 every person here and highlight anything that goes against what 727 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:31,800 You asked of us. Lord, may this church be a 728 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:35,520 church that is pure in its teaching, that will never 729 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:38,720 deviate from the word of God, that will never be ashamed of 730 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:42,160 the Scriptures, that we'll be able to say confidently thus 731 00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:44,640 says the Lord, and never shy away from it. 732 00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:48,280 We pray that every member of this church would also have that 733 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:52,760 same conviction, that we would not have a mixed crowd here, but 734 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,560 that every person would uphold the truth, that in love and 735 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:00,200 gentleness and compassion we would help each other stay in 736 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,520 the truth. And so, Lord, give us eyes to 737 00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:06,800 see and ears to hear all the falsehood that's being promoted 738 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:10,800 around us, all the teaching that seems to be Christianity, but 739 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:14,160 it's distorted. Give us discernment. 740 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,640 And thank You that you've given us the tools to be discerning 741 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,080 your Word, Your Spirit, your people. 742 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,720 Lord, if there's one person in this place who knows that 743 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:27,600 they're living in compromise, perhaps they're being seduced by 744 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:32,720 the doctrine of Balaam, unequally yoked with others, but 745 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:35,960 justifying it. Rescue them today. 746 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:42,960 Rescue them today, Lord, for anybody else here who knows that 747 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:46,680 they are turning their back on some component of your Word. 748 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,560 Lord, may your conviction be louder than ever. 749 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:54,640 Louder than ever, even now. We want to please you. 750 00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:57,040 So Lord, we pray that you sanctify the pulpit. 751 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:00,280 Keep it holy. Sanctify our hearts and our 752 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:03,040 minds. Keep us near you. 753 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:06,440 We celebrate now because you love us enough to speak the 754 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,000 truth to our hearts. In Jesus name we pray. 755 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:10,600 Amen. Amen. 756 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:13,720 Let's sing to the Lord, shall we? 757 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:14,560 Let's stand.