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my dearly beloved brethren and sisters by this time you are tired by this time you are tired because you've had two because you've had two long sessions long sessions and you probably are looking forward to and you probably are looking forward to lunch lunch so i'm going to have to so i'm going to have to to wake you up at some point we may have to wake you up at some point we may have to pause to pause and sing a hymn without any and sing a hymn without any accompaniment accompaniment so that might be frightening enough for so that might be frightening enough for you because you sing awfully that might be frightening enough for you to wake you up and perk you up to wake you up and perk you up now now in this series that we will be doing in this series that we will be doing together please together please bear this one thing in mind bear this one thing in mind it is our common habit as human beings it is our common habit as human beings to not look at ourselves when we are to not look at ourselves when we are reading scripture reading scripture but to think in terms of who this might but to think in terms of who this might apply to apply to outside of ourselves outside of ourselves we in our ecclesial world all know the we in our ecclesial world all know the laodicean ecclesia down the street laodicean ecclesia down the street and we're all aware of the thyatirans on and we're all aware of the thyatirans on the other side of the state the other side of the state that we forget what we are as that we forget what we are as individuals individuals let's not look at these equations as let's not look at these equations as groups of individuals that are separate groups of individuals that are separate from each other from each other let's look at them as our own ecclesia let's look at them as our own ecclesia our own family our own family let us look at each of these let us look at each of these ecclesiastes ecclesiastes as me as me you or me you or me i'm looking at dev ramcharan i'm looking at dev ramcharan in all the stages of his life in all the stages of his life sometimes laodicean sometimes laodicean sometimes ephesian sometimes ephesian thyatiran thyatiran always with problems sometimes with a always with problems sometimes with a little strings little strings so when we look at these letters break so when we look at these letters break down any of those preconceptions down any of those preconceptions break down those ways of looking at break down those ways of looking at things things and look at them with new eyes and look at them with new eyes let's look for ourselves in these let's look for ourselves in these few short verses why would these letters go to asia well john well john john was in that region he was the man john was in that region he was the man of all the apostles specifically suited of all the apostles specifically suited to receive this particular book he'd to receive this particular book he'd been prepared he'd been tried been prepared he'd been tried he was the one who had a comprehension he was the one who had a comprehension of the spiritual aspects of the lord of the spiritual aspects of the lord jesus christ and his ministry his work jesus christ and his ministry his work what god was accomplishing through him what god was accomplishing through him far beyond that of the other brethren far beyond that of the other brethren when he writes when he writes he writes differently to the others god he writes differently to the others god is inspiring him to the same degree as is inspiring him to the same degree as any of the other writers but he writes any of the other writers but he writes in a different way god uses his in a different way god uses his personality this was the personality personality this was the personality suited to receive suited to receive these particular messages these particular messages he was the one man in asia he was the one man in asia who seemed to have been the preeminent who seemed to have been the preeminent strengthener of the ecclesias in that strengthener of the ecclesias in that region region asia at this time in its history had asia at this time in its history had experienced a period of growth experienced a period of growth prosperity prosperity like no period in its past history like no period in its past history at the same time asia had right in it at the same time asia had right in it looseness looseness worse than any other part of the empire worse than any other part of the empire and on top of all of that and on top of all of that asia was preeminent in the worship of asia was preeminent in the worship of the caesars of all the provinces of the the caesars of all the provinces of the empire asia was the one that was empire asia was the one that was strongest in that regard because it had strongest in that regard because it had been the most blessed been the most blessed by the roman peace by the roman peace now all these three things together had the potential to wreak havoc with the lives of the little ecclesias the lives of the little ecclesias that were in that region that were in that region we only need to think of north america we only need to think of north america experiencing a period of prosperity experiencing a period of prosperity greater than any period in its history greater than any period in its history ever ever at the same time experiencing a at the same time experiencing a looseness and casual way of living life looseness and casual way of living life that is worse than any generation before that is worse than any generation before it it in north america today in north america today wrestling wrestling with peer pressure to conform to with peer pressure to conform to standards behavior standards behavior lifestyles in the world around us lifestyles in the world around us more than any of our forebears have ever more than any of our forebears have ever had to relate to or to labor under ecclesiastic today as then as then of having the whole fabric of having the whole fabric of their existence of their existence unraveled unraveled because of what's in the world around us because of what's in the world around us these are letters not to the ecclesia these are letters not to the ecclesia down the street their ecclesias down the street their ecclesias here here our our ecclesiastes are letters to me to you as ecclesiastes are letters to me to you as individuals individuals as we struggle in our daily lives in the as we struggle in our daily lives in the truth truth ephesus is the first one that's ephesus is the first one that's addressed addressed unto the angel of the ecclesia unto the angel of the ecclesia that is in ephesus that is in ephesus first it's written to an angel first it's written to an angel now the word angel means a messenger now the word angel means a messenger a messenger brethren and sisters a messenger brethren and sisters somebody who brings a message to somebody who brings a message to somebody else somebody else in most instances where that word is in most instances where that word is used in scripture it is referring to an used in scripture it is referring to an individual who is a divine being a individual who is a divine being a divine messenger but it was likewise divine messenger but it was likewise used of people who were messengers sent used of people who were messengers sent bearing a message bearing a message and the word though it appears to be and the word though it appears to be singular at the beginning of each of singular at the beginning of each of these letters is not necessarily these letters is not necessarily singular at all because you will see in singular at all because you will see in one of the other letters that the word one of the other letters that the word you you is used in connection with the person or is used in connection with the person or the individuals represented by that word the individuals represented by that word angel we'll look at that when it comes angel we'll look at that when it comes around in the letter that it is in around in the letter that it is in the word you the word you in older english was plural in older english was plural you and thou you and thou both referred to the same thing but both referred to the same thing but singular and plural thou meant an singular and plural thou meant an individual you individual you meant meant plurality a group of individuals more plurality a group of individuals more than one than one and so where you see that word angel a and so where you see that word angel a messenger messenger it is referring i believe it can be it is referring i believe it can be referring to referring to a group of individuals a group of individuals in the midst of the ecclesia in the midst of the ecclesia who are messengers who are messengers within the equation they bear messages within the equation they bear messages to the ecclesia to the ecclesia why is a singular word used why is a singular word used because brothers and sisters because brothers and sisters these messengers are to work together as these messengers are to work together as a unit a unit what a challenge for us arranging what a challenge for us arranging brethren brethren to work together to work together as a unit as a unit remember the vision that john had seen remember the vision that john had seen of the one like unto the son of man of the one like unto the son of man one individual one individual consisting of a multitude all together consisting of a multitude all together a single a single unit unit but individuals at the same time but individuals at the same time working together working together the angel the arranging brethren the the angel the arranging brethren the servants of the ecclesia servants of the ecclesia are being issued a challenge by the one are being issued a challenge by the one of the very first words in each of these of the very first words in each of these epistles epistles they are being challenged to work they are being challenged to work together as an together as an individual as a unit individual as a unit united for the good of the ecclesia to united for the good of the ecclesia to the angel of the ecclesia the angel of the ecclesia it means a group of people called out it means a group of people called out group of called out ones group of called out ones called out called out called out of what surrounds them called out of what surrounds them there's another challenge to us little there's another challenge to us little words brothers and sisters words brothers and sisters they are so strong in the challenges they are so strong in the challenges that they present to us that they present to us are ecclesias are ecclesias groups of people groups of people who consider themselves do i consider who consider themselves do i consider myself do i behave myself do i behave like an individual who has been called like an individual who has been called out of that that is out there there's a challenge to us again this message goes to the angel of the this message goes to the angel of the ecclesia that is in ephesus ecclesia that is in ephesus ephesus brothers and sisters ephesus brothers and sisters was the most opulent magnificent city in was the most opulent magnificent city in all of the province of asia all of the province of asia all of the province of asia all of the province of asia it was a city in which the roads of that it was a city in which the roads of that portion of the empire met all of the portion of the empire met all of the crossroads that existed the major trade crossroads that existed the major trade routes and links crossed right in routes and links crossed right in ephesus from all the way down the road ephesus from all the way down the road coming up from the euphrates came coming up from the euphrates came through ephesus from south through ephesus from south right up through the land of palestine right up through the land of palestine there was another road crossing through there was another road crossing through ephesus when the governor of the ephesus when the governor of the province of asia which is in the area province of asia which is in the area roughly of turkey when the governor came roughly of turkey when the governor came to take up his duties it was a statute a to take up his duties it was a statute a law that he would disembark in the port law that he would disembark in the port at ephesus at ephesus that was the status it was the that was the status it was the most opulent of all of the cities most opulent of all of the cities it was so beautiful so rich it was so beautiful so rich so full of goods so full of goods it was called the marketplace of asia it was called the marketplace of asia preeminent of all of the cities even preeminent of all of the cities even though it wasn't the official capital though it wasn't the official capital it was the preeminent city of all of the it was the preeminent city of all of the province of asia province of asia crossroads and lots of money lots of money lots of goods lots of goods lots of materialism lots of materialism that's what ephesus was all about that's what ephesus was all about brothers and sisters brothers and sisters in ephesus there was a kind of worship in ephesus there was a kind of worship that involved that involved praying to praying to rituals connected to the goddess artemis rituals connected to the goddess artemis this wasn't really the greek goddess this wasn't really the greek goddess artemis this was a local deity that was artemis this was a local deity that was absolutely foul and rank absolutely foul and rank in whatever was associated with her in whatever was associated with her licentious behavior all manner of licentious behavior all manner of obscenity were connected in worship this obscenity were connected in worship this is how they prayed with that deity is how they prayed with that deity there were young women by the hundreds there were young women by the hundreds in one of the architectural wonders of in one of the architectural wonders of the age the temple of diana of the the age the temple of diana of the ephesians or artemis of the ephesians ephesians or artemis of the ephesians hundreds of young women largely drawn hundreds of young women largely drawn from the poorer section of the from the poorer section of the population and they were called hero population and they were called hero duels the word meant a temple virgin and what they did and what they did was the exact opposite of everything was the exact opposite of everything that a virgin is and that was their religion very popular very popular the whole society was connected to the whole society was connected to based on founded on based on founded on that that way of behaving way of behaving that religion and in the midst of all of that religion and in the midst of all of that there is a little ecclesia or maybe that there is a little ecclesia or maybe a number of ecclesias a number of ecclesias there are a number of ecclesias there are a number of ecclesias which had been worked in by paul which had been worked in by paul personally you remember back in the act personally you remember back in the act of the apostles of the apostles and and they struggled they struggled with courage and determination with courage and determination against everything the society around against everything the society around them them push them push them in the direction of doing and believing in the direction of doing and believing he says to them he says to them these these things things says he says he that holdeth the seven stars in his that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand right hand who walketh in the midst who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks of the seven golden candlesticks seven golden candlesticks seven golden candlesticks it deliberately is intended to remind us it deliberately is intended to remind us of the seven branched candlestick that of the seven branched candlestick that was back in the tabernacle and in the was back in the tabernacle and in the period of the temple period of the temple seven branched candlestick why is seven branched candlestick why is ephesus addressed first she was the ephesus addressed first she was the preeminent city of all of the cities of preeminent city of all of the cities of asia history also attests to the fact asia history also attests to the fact that she was the preeminent ecclesia of that she was the preeminent ecclesia of all of the ecclesiast whatever happened all of the ecclesiast whatever happened in ephesus in ephesus would spread to all the other ecclesias would spread to all the other ecclesias eventually eventually we do not operate in vacuums brethren as we do not operate in vacuums brethren as individuals what i do individuals what i do the decisions that i make are going to the decisions that i make are going to affect those who are around me affect those who are around me and it's the same with our ecclesiastic and it's the same with our ecclesiastic decisions that we make in our ecclesiastes around us even though we might consider even though we might consider whatever is being decided to be an whatever is being decided to be an internal affair and our business nobody internal affair and our business nobody else's business that's the way we might else's business that's the way we might look at it look at it our decisions our decisions affect everybody else affect everybody else ephesus ephesus was like the central was like the central branch or the central branch or the central central standing upright candlestick of central standing upright candlestick of the seven branched candlestick the seven branched candlestick in the tabernacle or in the period of in the tabernacle or in the period of the temple the temple the light that was lit first was the the light that was lit first was the middle one middle one and then from that one the others were and then from that one the others were lit lit funny thing is funny thing is ephesus was called by the romans ephesus was called by the romans the light of asia the light of asia that was what this city was called that was what this city was called and so whatever happened in ephesus and so whatever happened in ephesus would affect everybody else it was vital would affect everybody else it was vital for the lord jesus christ to give them a for the lord jesus christ to give them a bracing message that would strengthen bracing message that would strengthen them them because what would strengthen them would because what would strengthen them would in the long run in the long run strengthen all of the ecclesiastic he strengthen all of the ecclesiastic he says i walk right in the midst says i walk right in the midst of the ecclesias i have the ecclesias in of the ecclesias i have the ecclesias in my hand my hand in my hand in my hand right in my hand right in my hand when we might feel ourselves to be when we might feel ourselves to be powerless in the midst of difficulty and powerless in the midst of difficulty and trial trial when we feel as if we've been let go of when we feel as if we've been let go of and we're left drifting and we're left drifting now we don't know where we are how to now we don't know where we are how to pick up the pieces of our lives pick up the pieces of our lives we have no idea how to lift ourselves up we have no idea how to lift ourselves up out of the depression that we find out of the depression that we find ourselves in ourselves in we're in his hand we're in his hand look at what he said look at what he said christ himself christ himself also said these words also said these words in another book that john had written in another book that john had written john 10 john 10 between verses 27 and 29 between verses 27 and 29 my my sheep sheep hear my voice hear my voice and i know them and they follow me and i know them and they follow me and i give them eternal life and i give them eternal life and they shall never perish and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand my hand my father which gave them to me is my father which gave them to me is greater than all and no man is able to greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand pluck them out of my father's hand and i and my father are one and i and my father are one in our way of thinking in our way of in our way of thinking in our way of loving the eclegia being concerned for loving the eclegia being concerned for the welfare of not just the whole the welfare of not just the whole ecclesia but individuals little people ecclesia but individuals little people like you and me like you and me we're in his hand he's right in our we're in his hand he's right in our midst midst that's a sobering thought for us that's a sobering thought for us brethren isn't it brethren isn't it when we are fighting in our boards when we are fighting in our boards when we are fighting in our bible when we are fighting in our bible classes classes when we are fighting with each other on when we are fighting with each other on a personal basis a personal basis or on a collegial basis or on a collegial basis christ is right in the midst of us christ is right in the midst of us he walks about he walks about in the midst of us he knows in the midst of us he knows our state our condition our state our condition whatever is going on in our ecclesiastes whatever is going on in our ecclesiastes aware of let this be strong sobering aware of let this be strong sobering excitation to us excitation to us in the manner that we in the manner that we build within our ecclesiastes build within our ecclesiastes he goes on further and says he goes on further and says i know thy works i know thy works you might feel as if nobody knows you might feel as if nobody knows the labor that you're doing the labor that you're doing you might feel as if the labor you do in you might feel as if the labor you do in the truth is exhausting the truth is exhausting back breaking labor and it is back breaking labor and it is it is fruitless it is fruitless it does not yield any reward it does not yield any reward there is no discernible difference after there is no discernible difference after the labor the act has come to an end the labor the act has come to an end but christ knows but christ knows our works our works what does he focus on not our words what does he focus on not our words brothers and sisters brothers and sisters that is an issue likewise but here he that is an issue likewise but here he knows what we are doing knows what we are doing i know what you're doing i know what you're doing i'm aware i'm aware of your labor your works of your labor your works and i'm aware not only of your works and i'm aware not only of your works but of your labor but of your labor that word meant in the original that word meant in the original the greek word coppas the greek word coppas it meant it meant a cut a cut a beating a beating that's what it meant that's what it meant it meant brothers and sisters it meant brothers and sisters suffering suffering tiring tiring laborious toil that is laborious toil that is exhausting and wearying in its effect exhausting and wearying in its effect that's the kind of ecclesia that that that's the kind of ecclesia that that was was these are the kind of brethren these are the kind of brethren that worked within the ecclesia that worked within the ecclesia they worked until they were exhausted they worked until they were exhausted tired out that was the kind of labor tired out that was the kind of labor that they did that they did in in ease oriented recreational activity activity focused north american society this focused north american society this flies in the face of how we live our flies in the face of how we live our lives lives and how we conduct ourselves in our and how we conduct ourselves in our ecclesias and what we do ecclesias and what we do with our brothers and sisters with our brothers and sisters these were people who labored to these were people who labored to exhaustion exhaustion a challenge for us a challenge for us for you and for me for you and for me to work within the ecclesia to work within the ecclesia to keep the ecclesia healthy alive to keep the ecclesia healthy alive surviving surviving growing healthy growing healthy unto the return of christ unto the return of christ i know your work i know your labor i know your work i know your labor he goes on and says he goes on and says and thy and thy patience the word patience brothers and patience the word patience brothers and sisters means sisters means cheerful endurance cheerful endurance laboring to exhaustion laboring to exhaustion but still with that capacity to endure but still with that capacity to endure cheerfully cheerfully not just to passively put up with not just to passively put up with difficulty and strife or d or whatever difficulty and strife or d or whatever trials may come up trials may come up it means to endure them cheerfully yes it means to endure them cheerfully yes we have a problem we have a problem we shall work through the problem we we shall work through the problem we will get through the problem together will get through the problem together it's hard it's difficult it's hard it's difficult but we will make it through that problem they worked they labored to exhaustion but they still maintained but they still maintained their patience their patience he goes on further and he says and i he goes on further and he says and i know also that you cannot bear know also that you cannot bear them which are evil them which are evil and thou has tried them and thou has tried them which say they are apostles and are not which say they are apostles and are not and has found them false they're difficult words brothers and sisters sisters let's go back to an earlier time let's go back to an earlier time let's go back to acts chapter 20. let's go back to acts chapter 20. this is when paul beloved beloved this is when paul beloved beloved brother paul brother paul had worked for a period of three years had worked for a period of three years in the midst of this ecclesia to in the midst of this ecclesia to strengthen it why because he knew strengthen it why because he knew if you keep ephesus strong if you keep ephesus strong the the whole region will be strong overly whole region will be strong overly strengthened strengthened he says he says verse 20 verse 20 or chapter 20 of acts or chapter 20 of acts beginning at verse 17 beginning at verse 17 it is written and from my leaders he it is written and from my leaders he sent to ephesus sent to ephesus and called the elders of the ecclesia and called the elders of the ecclesia he called the arranging brethren he called the arranging brethren together that's what he did together that's what he did he called them together he called them together and when they were come to him he said and when they were come to him he said unto them you know unto them you know you all know you all know that from the first day that i came into that from the first day that i came into asia asia after what manner i have been with you after what manner i have been with you at all seasons at all seasons you know how i lived with you you know how i lived with you how i conducted myself with you how i conducted myself with you serving the lord with all the holiness serving the lord with all the holiness of mind of mind not lifting myself up above the ecclesia not lifting myself up above the ecclesia i was not a manager of the ecclesia i i was not a manager of the ecclesia i was not its supervisor was not its supervisor i was underneath in lowliness of mind i i was underneath in lowliness of mind i was the ground that the ecclesia walked was the ground that the ecclesia walked on to stay upright that's what he's on to stay upright that's what he's saying saying with all lowliness of mind with all lowliness of mind and with many tears and with many tears and temptations trials which befell me and temptations trials which befell me by the lying in weight of the jews by the lying in weight of the jews now i kept back nothing i kept back now i kept back nothing i kept back nothing that was profitable unto you nothing that was profitable unto you same with us brothers same with us brothers we are to keep back nothing we are to keep back nothing that is profitable that is profitable for the ecclesia for the ecclesia nothing that can strengthen and uplift nothing that can strengthen and uplift and aged elderly and aged elderly widowed sister widowed sister we are to keep back nothing we are to keep back nothing that can encourage a young man who looks that can encourage a young man who looks as if he's slipping out into the world as if he's slipping out into the world and will not accept the truth and will not accept the truth we are to keep back nothing we are to keep back nothing that will encourage him back in that will encourage him back in when we see a young family under when we see a young family under pressure and the marriage running the pressure and the marriage running the risk of cracking at the seams we are to risk of cracking at the seams we are to keep back keep back nothing nothing that is profitable to them to encourage that is profitable to them to encourage them lovingly them lovingly to help them to help them to bring them back together to bring them back together paul kept back nothing paul kept back nothing that was profitable to the ecclesia he that was profitable to the ecclesia he goes on says goes on says further further i kept back nothing that was profitable i kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have showed you and have unto you but have showed you and have taught you publicly and i went from taught you publicly and i went from house to house he didn't just do it in house to house he didn't just do it in the official meetings of the the official meetings of the congregation he went from home to home congregation he went from home to home meeting with people individually meeting with people individually ministering to their needs teaching ministering to their needs teaching instructing building encouraging instructing building encouraging he was the glue that held the ecclesia he was the glue that held the ecclesia together together as a ranging brethren as a ranging brethren that is what we have to become that is what we have to become brothers brothers we are not supervisors and managers we are not supervisors and managers this is not the office we conduct our this is not the office we conduct our meetings too often as if we are dealing meetings too often as if we are dealing with business at the office right let's with business at the office right let's deal with this issue make a decision deal with this issue make a decision let's get it over and done with quickly let's get it over and done with quickly so that we can get home so that we can get home more and more brethren are saying in more and more brethren are saying in their board meetings let's keep this as their board meetings let's keep this as quick as possible i've got to get home i quick as possible i've got to get home i haven't got time for this or that or the haven't got time for this or that or the other other i haven't got time for this activity or i haven't got time for this activity or that activity you ought not to be doing that activity you ought not to be doing the activity of that is a case the ecclesia is something that christ gave his life is something that christ gave his life for for it was not something that he dabbled in it was not something that he dabbled in it was not something the life of which it was not something the life of which he had a tentative concern for it was he had a tentative concern for it was his life his life and as a ranging brethren and as a ranging brethren that is the example that we have to that is the example that we have to follow follow we are the servants of the ecclesia it's we are the servants of the ecclesia it's slaves slaves we are not people who have to fit them we are not people who have to fit them into portions of our lives into portions of our lives they must be our lives they must be our lives our family and our ecclesia that's our our family and our ecclesia that's our life to keep these things strong somehow life to keep these things strong somehow to lift up the faint-hearted the to lift up the faint-hearted the broken-hearted to strengthen the broken-hearted to strengthen the weakness that's our job weakness that's our job and that's what paul did with these men and that's what paul did with these men but when we read what he says but when we read what he says as we drop down brothers and sisters to as we drop down brothers and sisters to verse 29 verse 29 he says i know he says i know i know that after my departing i know that after my departing shall grieve us wolves enter in among shall grieve us wolves enter in among you you not sparing the flock not sparing the flock also also of your own selves of your own selves shall men arise shall men arise speaking perverse things speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them to draw away disciples after them from the midst of those from the midst of those brothers and sisters brothers and sisters who were the shepherds of the flock from them would arise those whose way of thinking or teaching or whose way of thinking or teaching or behaving behaving would be stumbling blocks to the would be stumbling blocks to the ecclesia itself ecclesia itself and you might ask well why did paul and you might ask well why did paul bother to put all this work into it because he had to why do we bother to preach the truth in why do we bother to preach the truth in a world that seems largely to be a world that seems largely to be heedless because it is our duty to heedless because it is our duty to because wherever we are at whatever because wherever we are at whatever point in our lives we are point in our lives we are we are to make ourselves useful in god's we are to make ourselves useful in god's service service paul knew down the line what would paul knew down the line what would happen but he did everything in his happen but he did everything in his power while he had the strength power while he had the strength while he was with them to offset the while he was with them to offset the problems that would come we have to do problems that would come we have to do the same brethren today the same brethren today strengthening strengthening building building not people who are who are just casually not people who are who are just casually associated with each other associated with each other but near to each other with our arms but near to each other with our arms around each other around each other weeping with each other as paul did with weeping with each other as paul did with these men these men they wept with him likewise but they they wept with him likewise but they remembered what he had said they remembered what he had said they remembered that he had said there would remembered that he had said there would be those who would cause the ecclesia to be those who would cause the ecclesia to stumble and they were sensitive to this stumble and they were sensitive to this when we go back to the letter to ephesus when we go back to the letter to ephesus we see that they took heed to what he we see that they took heed to what he had said had said they listened they listened to what he had told them to what he had told them they they examined the claims that were made by examined the claims that were made by certain that they were apostles that certain that they were apostles that they had a special commission to lead they had a special commission to lead and teach and teach in these days in these days they tried them and found it was not so they tried them and found it was not so and they were rejected or they were and they were rejected or they were dealt with however they were dealt with dealt with however they were dealt with so there is a sensitivity in this so there is a sensitivity in this hard-working hard-working patient ecclesia there is a sensitivity patient ecclesia there is a sensitivity to wrong teaching to wrong teaching now before we judge them as we go now before we judge them as we go further on further on let us remember what they are being let us remember what they are being commended for commended for christ is commending them for their hard christ is commending them for their hard work work not for their casual labor not for their casual labor christ is commending them for christ is commending them for their cheerful endurance their cheerful endurance not for their grumbling murmuring back not for their grumbling murmuring back biting and criticism biting and criticism christ is commending them for their christ is commending them for their watchfulness and concern watchfulness and concern for the health of the ecclesia for the health of the ecclesia and whatever might lead to the and whatever might lead to the perversion perversion of the beliefs that they had received of the beliefs that they had received that we refer to as the truth that we refer to as the truth for all these things for all these things they are commended they are commended verse 3 verse 3 and also and also you have born you have born and hast patience and hast patience and for my namesake has labored and has and for my namesake has labored and has not fainted you kept working not fainted you kept working you bore the difficulties of life and you bore the difficulties of life and the difficulties of ecclesial living and the difficulties of ecclesial living and preaching the truth preaching the truth in a city where there was so much that in a city where there was so much that was adverse to what you were teaching was adverse to what you were teaching to bear means to lift and to carry a to bear means to lift and to carry a heavy burden heavy burden it also means to put your back into an it also means to put your back into an effort effort challenge for us brethren and sisters challenge for us brethren and sisters to put our backs into the effort to put our backs into the effort of preaching god's word of preaching god's word of keeping our ecclesia strong of keeping our ecclesia strong also to put our backs into the efforts also to put our backs into the efforts of of keeping our family life strong likewise keeping our family life strong likewise they they had had borne borne difficulty in trial difficulty in trial for the sake of christ's name for the sake of christ's name because they understood what a privilege because they understood what a privilege it was to be associated with christ's it was to be associated with christ's name name because they understood that the title because they understood that the title the name the name christodolphian christodolphian is an honorable name is an honorable name an honorable title an honorable title nothing greater than that nothing greater than that son or daughter of god son or daughter of god brother or sister of christ brother or sister of christ they were prepared to go through they were prepared to go through whatever they had to go through whatever they had to go through in defense of that name in defense of that name to hold firm steady to hold firm steady and to be faithful to it no doubt there and to be faithful to it no doubt there must have been the same problem here must have been the same problem here that there was in the other ecclesias that there was in the other ecclesias when it came to when it came to burning incense to caesar and saying burning incense to caesar and saying that he is lord that he is lord no doubt here they refuse to do it no doubt here they refuse to do it likewise because rather than saying likewise because rather than saying caesar is lord caesar is lord they put up with difficulty they put up with difficulty for christ's name for christ's name christ is lord christ is lord they stood firm in that and they endured they stood firm in that and they endured affliction as a result affliction as a result it would seem in the other ecclesias the it would seem in the other ecclesias the affliction was worse affliction was worse here here they had difficulty they had difficulty but not to the same degree at least not but not to the same degree at least not from what we read here from what we read here and you didn't faint and you didn't faint you didn't get so tired out you didn't get so tired out that you walked away and left it all that you walked away and left it all behind there are brethren behind there are brethren especially especially who exhaust themselves in the labor of who exhaust themselves in the labor of the truth who tire themselves out fully in doing what that why does that fully in doing what that why does that happen happen what is it what do we need to hold on to what is it what do we need to hold on to that we might survive and not faint that we might survive and not faint it is the understanding of what the it is the understanding of what the labor is intended to accomplish labor is intended to accomplish the end result the end result love out of a pure heart an ecclesia that will be ready for christ's return christ's return a little family that will be strong a little family that will be strong enough to endure enough to endure all the ups and downs of marriage and all the ups and downs of marriage and parenting parenting all the difficulties all the difficulties and the challenges that it might face and the challenges that it might face in order that that little family might in order that that little family might have the hope of being in god's kingdom have the hope of being in god's kingdom and when we are laboring with each other and when we are laboring with each other and we exhaust ourselves and we exhaust ourselves often times it is because often times it is because not everybody is laboring to the same not everybody is laboring to the same degree degree oftentimes it is because we are allowing oftentimes it is because we are allowing so much to rest on the shoulders of so so much to rest on the shoulders of so few because we feel it's their job it's few because we feel it's their job it's their responsibility their responsibility that we help them that we help them to exhaust themselves to labor to to exhaust themselves to labor to exhaustion exhaustion the faint out of the way the faint out of the way therefore the responsibility lies on all therefore the responsibility lies on all of our shoulders of our shoulders brothers and sisters brothers and sisters to strengthen and labor within the to strengthen and labor within the ecclesia not just the arranging brethren ecclesia not just the arranging brethren they must set us an example they must set us an example that we must follow that we must follow we must labor together with them we must labor together with them to keep whoever we know to keep whoever we know that is down-hearted that is down-hearted going and strong going and strong it's our duty it's our duty as brothers and sisters in the ecclesia as brothers and sisters in the ecclesia we do not we do not feel good feel good when a brother falls away from the truth when a brother falls away from the truth somebody who had been a laboring warrior somebody who had been a laboring warrior someone who had been looked up to someone who had been looked up to and we always ask and we always ask why did it happen why did it happen and we always blame the brother who left and we always blame the brother who left and we think hmm and we think hmm he never really believed the truth he never really believed the truth he never really loved the truth he never really loved the truth if that's what he's done rather brethren and sisters we ought to look at ourselves look at ourselves i never really helped him do what he was i never really helped him do what he was doing doing i ne never really helped i ne never really helped strengthen him and his family strengthen him and his family i never tried to take some of the labor i never tried to take some of the labor off his shoulders onto mine off his shoulders onto mine and to say brother let me help do such and to say brother let me help do such and such these people in ephesus labored labored they were exhausted but they did not they were exhausted but they did not faint out of the way faint out of the way they have a strong commendation they have a strong commendation for all the work that they did but brothers and sisters there was a problem problem the problem is summed up as follows the problem is summed up as follows nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless i have somewhat against thee i have somewhat against thee you notice the way he does this brothers you notice the way he does this brothers and sisters he's not like and sisters he's not like how we can be sometimes how we can be sometimes he starts off by telling them he starts off by telling them this is what you've done right this is what you've done right this is what you can draw on to continue this is what you can draw on to continue doing what is right he doesn't start with criticism and backbiting backbiting with finding faults and flaws with finding faults and flaws he presents to them what they have to he presents to them what they have to draw on to deal with the faults and draw on to deal with the faults and flaws flaws he says he says i have somewhat against thee i have somewhat against thee because because thou hast left thou hast left thy first love thy first love that has left thy first love you don't love the way you did before before what is he talking about what is he talking about what is he talking about what is he talking about sometimes we look at that verse and we sometimes we look at that verse and we think well think well they've lost their love of the truth i they've lost their love of the truth i don't believe that brothers and sisters don't believe that brothers and sisters i don't believe there's a clear i don't believe there's a clear putting up with what it did putting up with what it did living the way it did living the way it did bearing up under pressures with bearing up under pressures with cheerfulness cheerfulness i don't believe this ecclesia lost the i don't believe this ecclesia lost the love of the truth but what could have love of the truth but what could have happened and this is a suggestion from happened and this is a suggestion from brother bedwell and i think it is valid brother bedwell and i think it is valid is that this ecclesia is that this ecclesia because of the fact that it hadn't grown because of the fact that it hadn't grown used to used to watching out for wrong doctrine in its watching out for wrong doctrine in its midst midst had developed had developed an eye an eye that was watchful that was watchful that was critical that was critical that was bent on heresy hunting within that was bent on heresy hunting within the ecclesia the ecclesia and in that kind of way of viewing the and in that kind of way of viewing the ecclesia ecclesia keeping it pure focus on purity keeping it pure focus on purity there was a streak of judge there was a streak of judge judgmental judgmental attitude attitude that came into the ranks of the ecclesia that came into the ranks of the ecclesia there was always a watching for a there was always a watching for a seeking out of wrong teaching whenever seeking out of wrong teaching whenever something sounded off then the something sounded off then the assumption would be that person is assumption would be that person is teaching wrong doctrine teaching wrong doctrine and that watchfulness for mistakes and that watchfulness for mistakes that watchfulness for heresy that watchfulness for heresy resulted in resulted in brethren and sisters brethren and sisters not loving each other not loving each other as they once had as they once had earlier in earlier in their history brothers and sisters i know what it is i know what it is to deal with a difficult to deal with a difficult situation situation it's hard it's hard when we are dealing with a difficulty when we are dealing with a difficulty that comes up in the ecclesia that comes up in the ecclesia it's hard when there is a kind of teaching that is brought in that might not be good for the ecclesia it's hard for us not to rush in and it's hard for us not to rush in and strike out strike out we can take a brother who does that or a we can take a brother who does that or a sister and pursue them into a corner so sister and pursue them into a corner so that they have no other course but to that they have no other course but to turn and rend us turn and rend us so that we feel fully justified so that we feel fully justified in pursuing them in pursuing them right into the ground because we're looking for wrong teaching wrong teaching and wrong doctrine and wrong doctrine there's a balance brothers and sisters there's a balance brothers and sisters the balance is when we see it when we the balance is when we see it when we hear it we deal with it gently and hear it we deal with it gently and lovingly lovingly there is a course of action that christ there is a course of action that christ tells us about in matthew 18 tells us about in matthew 18 and there is a course of action that and there is a course of action that paul tells us in the letters to timothy paul tells us in the letters to timothy and titus likewise and titus likewise and the course of action does not begin and the course of action does not begin with fighting with fighting and sleeves rolled up and sleeves rolled up and fists clenched and fists clenched too often this is what we do when we are too often this is what we do when we are looking for looking for trouble trouble and oversensitive and oversensitive to heresy and wrong doctrine to heresy and wrong doctrine we've got to be aware of it christ we've got to be aware of it christ commends them for being aware of it and commends them for being aware of it and dealing with it dealing with it but we've got to be aware of the fact but we've got to be aware of the fact that when we pursue somebody into the that when we pursue somebody into the corner corner the behavior becomes addictive the behavior becomes addictive the board becomes more and more hardened the board becomes more and more hardened in its attitudes in its attitudes less less willing to yield to make compromises for willing to yield to make compromises for the good of the ecclesia not compromises the good of the ecclesia not compromises of doctrines but personality compromises of doctrines but personality compromises persons giving difficulty persons giving difficulty deal with them slap them right down deal with them slap them right down that's not right brothers and sisters that's not right brothers and sisters it's not right when we do that we've lost the love we had had at first at first in the final analysis it means we really in the final analysis it means we really have lost the love of christ have lost the love of christ and we stop loving our brethren and we stop loving our brethren with intense with intense love love the love that christ had for us the love that christ had for us then we've really lost our love for him then we've really lost our love for him how could we love him how could we love him if the brother that we see in front of if the brother that we see in front of us that is a source of irritation to us us that is a source of irritation to us is somebody that we detest or cannot is somebody that we detest or cannot work with or will not work with nevertheless i have this problem with you this problem with you you've lost the love that you had at you've lost the love that you had at first remember therefore from whence thou art fallen from whence thou art fallen fallen fallen your ecclesia might be strong and your ecclesia might be strong and healthy healthy we might be preaching the truth we might be preaching the truth we might be laboring away but if we've we might be laboring away but if we've fallen from our love from each other fallen from our love from each other when this is a problem when this is a problem christ says remember the word is a greek christ says remember the word is a greek word that was based on another little word that was based on another little word that meant to chew something to it word that meant to chew something to it reconsider reconsider go over in your mind remember go over in your mind remember remember remember the love you had at first remember that that from which from which thou hast fallen and repent thou hast fallen and repent and do the first works and do the first works not words not words the first works the first works the work of love the work of love of nurturing pastoral activity of nurturing pastoral activity for the health the emotional and for the health the emotional and spiritual health and well-being of the spiritual health and well-being of the ecclesia go back to the work that you ecclesia go back to the work that you did at first or else did at first or else i will come unto thee quickly i will come unto thee quickly and i will remove that candlestick right and i will remove that candlestick right out of its place the position that ephesus held the status status its very existence was threatened its very existence was threatened threatened threatened by the loss of the love that it once had by the loss of the love that it once had perhaps we never realized how important perhaps we never realized how important love is in our equations love is in our equations perhaps love was a thing that we perhaps love was a thing that we locked up into the period of an locked up into the period of an exhortation exhortation at the memorial meeting at the memorial meeting perhaps love was something that we perhaps love was something that we expressed from the platform expressed from the platform but love is more than that brothers and but love is more than that brothers and sisters sisters love involves works love involves works things that are done things that are done remember the kind of work you did at remember the kind of work you did at first first when you loved each other intensely when you loved each other intensely remember that but there's one thing that you do have this thou hast that thou hate is the this thou hast that thou hate is the works works at the nicolaitans at the nicolaitans which i also hate which i also hate remarkable isn't he just finished remarkable isn't he just finished talking about love is there a talking about love is there a contradiction here contradiction here now now there is the indication of of hatred there is the indication of of hatred the exact opposite of love the exact opposite of love you notice it's not the nicolaitans that you notice it's not the nicolaitans that are hated are hated it is their their works it is their their works who were these people who were these people what did they stand for what did they stand for their name means the conquerors of the their name means the conquerors of the people people and we shall deal with their problem and we shall deal with their problem in the next class in the next class in the next classes in the next classes yen's brothers and sisters by saying he yen's brothers and sisters by saying he who has the capacity to listen who has the capacity to listen let him open up his ears and listen let him open up his ears and listen let him hearken let him hearken let them hear what the spirit says unto let them hear what the spirit says unto the ecclesias whoever overcomes the ecclesias whoever overcomes overcomes what overcomes what overcomes that judgmental streak overcomes that judgmental streak that leads to a loss of love for our that leads to a loss of love for our brothers and sisters whoever overcomes brothers and sisters whoever overcomes that weakness that we all have i will that weakness that we all have i will give to that person to eat of the tree give to that person to eat of the tree of life of life which is in the midst of which is in the midst of the garden of god the garden of god so brothers and sisters so brothers and sisters there is not just there is not just a challenge that's issued to them a challenge that's issued to them there's also a real hope there's also a real hope look you overcome this and you continue look you overcome this and you continue to labor as you have to labor as you have you will receive eternal life in god's you will receive eternal life in god's kingdom you'll eat of the tree of life kingdom you'll eat of the tree of life your candlestick seven branched is like your candlestick seven branched is like a tree and you are the middle branch a tree and you are the middle branch growing up with all the time and if you keep that alive living with love with love i will give you to eat of another tree i will give you to eat of another tree the tree of life in god's kingdom the tree of life in god's kingdom let us hearken to this message brothers let us hearken to this message brothers and sisters

Transcript

my daily beloved brethren and sisters in the lord jesus christ i am the lord jesus christ i am concerned that the messages that come concerned that the messages that come out of the epistles to the seven out of the epistles to the seven ecclesias ecclesias will not will not be so hard edged as to depress you be so hard edged as to depress you remember in every letter there is that remember in every letter there is that phrase phrase he that overcometh he that overcometh and therefore no matter how bad things and therefore no matter how bad things might have been in the individual might have been in the individual ecclesia ecclesia no matter how difficult things may be in no matter how difficult things may be in your ecclesia or in your family your ecclesia or in your family it is possible to overcome the it is possible to overcome the difficulties that you your spouse your difficulties that you your spouse your family family or your reclusion might face or your reclusion might face christ christ puts that into every one of the letters puts that into every one of the letters as an incentive and also as something to as an incentive and also as something to hang on to hang on to there is always hope no matter how there is always hope no matter how difficult the circumstances may be difficult the circumstances may be now in ephesus if there was an ecclesia now in ephesus if there was an ecclesia that was at the crossroads of its that was at the crossroads of its existence and you'll remember that existence and you'll remember that ephesus was at the crossroads of all of ephesus was at the crossroads of all of the province of asia the province of asia here was another ecclesia that was at here was another ecclesia that was at another crossroads another crossroads in very difficult circumstances in very difficult circumstances brethren note that the the message goes brethren note that the the message goes to the angel of the ecclesia to the to the angel of the ecclesia to the messenger of the ecclesia messenger of the ecclesia that is a very important little word that is a very important little word we are to be messengers to our ecclesias we are to be messengers to our ecclesias as brethren as brethren remember a messenger took a message from remember a messenger took a message from someone to the ecclesia someone to the ecclesia in these in these circumstances the message involved life circumstances the message involved life and death for every one of the ecclesias and death for every one of the ecclesias and the message was and the message was the word of god given to them the word of god given to them too much of the messages that we give in too much of the messages that we give in north america are really light north america are really light entertainment entertainment we want to be entertained we want to be entertained we want to be made to laugh we want to be made to laugh we want to enjoy what's being said we want to enjoy what's being said we want to be able to put our arms back we want to be able to put our arms back on the chair and on the chair and and and give them to happiness and and give them to happiness as a result of what is being said as a result of what is being said and so too much of what we teach is not and so too much of what we teach is not entrenched in the word itself entrenched in the word itself there is too much there is too much allusion to allusion to psychological courses psychological courses theory that is related to management theory that is related to management that is being retailed reiterated from that is being retailed reiterated from the platform the platform instead of the word of god instead of the word of god you know i went to a course and i you know i went to a course and i learned such and such and really this is learned such and such and really this is something that we have to do in the something that we have to do in the ecclesia ecclesia that's not the word of god that's not the word of god that is current day philosophy that is current day philosophy that is humanistic reasoning it is that is humanistic reasoning it is today's state of psychology but it's not today's state of psychology but it's not the bible the bible and the message that we are to bring to and the message that we are to bring to our people to keep them alive and well our people to keep them alive and well is is the bible the bible that's what we have to teach that's what we have to teach this is the message we have to bring this is the message we have to bring this is the word that has got to be this is the word that has got to be presented presented it doesn't matter how eloquent brother x it doesn't matter how eloquent brother x or brother y might be or brother y might be it doesn't matter how knowledgeable it doesn't matter how knowledgeable how interesting and funny and how interesting and funny and entertaining they might be entertaining they might be if they do not leave the impression in if they do not leave the impression in our minds our minds that the word of god is strong and that the word of god is strong and powerful powerful and able able to lift us up out of and able able to lift us up out of whatever we might be in then they've not whatever we might be in then they've not done their job our job as speakers brethren is to connect our people to the world is to connect our people to the world itself that we might step out of the itself that we might step out of the picture picture the ideal circumstance is for them to the ideal circumstance is for them to forget who said what but to remember forget who said what but to remember that scripture has a message for them that scripture has a message for them so that when they are in their trouble so that when they are in their trouble and trial they can turn to it and trial they can turn to it not to what brother x or y said because not to what brother x or y said because none of us in the final analysis is an none of us in the final analysis is an authority we are all weak frail mortal authority we are all weak frail mortal creatures creatures just like you no different to anyone just like you no different to anyone else with the same troubles and else with the same troubles and weaknesses the same difficulty in living weaknesses the same difficulty in living the truth that anyone else has our job the truth that anyone else has our job is to connect the minds of our people is to connect the minds of our people not to today's philosophies not to today's philosophies not to the nonsense of this world but to not to the nonsense of this world but to the word of god itself the word of god itself so that when my sister so that when my sister is on the point of leaving her husband is on the point of leaving her husband she will go to the word of god for she will go to the word of god for comfort comfort and for guidance and for guidance because she will remember that somewhere because she will remember that somewhere in scripture in scripture there is something that talks about there is something that talks about couples under pressure couples under pressure so that when my brother loses his job is so that when my brother loses his job is laid off and finds that he has fallen laid off and finds that he has fallen into the pit of depression into the pit of depression and is very close to falling out of the and is very close to falling out of the truth truth he will remember that there are men in he will remember that there are men in scripture who have lost everything scripture who have lost everything and all that they had in the end was god and all that they had in the end was god how do we do that how do we do that not with our great eloquence brethren not with our great eloquence brethren not with the nonsense that we want to not with the nonsense that we want to entertain each other with entertain each other with but with the word of god itself but with the word of god itself and the message that the word of god has and the message that the word of god has in it in it and so our talks and so our talks must always be bible based and oriented must always be bible based and oriented always always always always even in a lighter evening program where even in a lighter evening program where there was room for laughter and there was room for laughter and enjoyment it must be bible based enjoyment it must be bible based because that is where we want people to because that is where we want people to go in trouble in need go in trouble in need not to the philosophies of the world not to the philosophies of the world not to the silly marriage manuals that not to the silly marriage manuals that are are put out in the christian world today put out in the christian world today that are a mishmash of of one or two that are a mishmash of of one or two slim bible passages and the rest is all slim bible passages and the rest is all just it's just marital counseling based just it's just marital counseling based on today's philosophies on today's philosophies we want them to know that the word we want them to know that the word is relevant to them is relevant to them that's what we have to accomplish that's what we have to accomplish brethren brethren it means it means that we have to be studying our bibles that we have to be studying our bibles it is too easy for us to look at a it is too easy for us to look at a at a brother x or a brother y and say oh at a brother x or a brother y and say oh well it's easy for him well it's easy for him he's able to speak it look at him it's he's able to speak it look at him it's easy for him it's not easy for anybody easy for him it's not easy for anybody the lessons that you hear through this the lessons that you hear through this bible school may be simple bible school may be simple but they are based on hours spent but they are based on hours spent brethren brethren sometimes till two or three o'clock in sometimes till two or three o'clock in the morning the morning reading thinking reading thinking breaking down the material breaking down the material breaking it down into digestible pieces breaking it down into digestible pieces for our people considering over and over for our people considering over and over again what is this saying i can't again what is this saying i can't understand this i don't agree with the understand this i don't agree with the commentary what is it saying to me what commentary what is it saying to me what can it be saying to my people to keep can it be saying to my people to keep them going them going that is labor that takes time that is labor that takes time it is not easy for anyone it is not easy for anyone and god develops your ability to speak and god develops your ability to speak to your brethren and sisters to your brethren and sisters if you have a mind to take the time to if you have a mind to take the time to do it do it and it is not for our glory and it is not for our glory it is not that we might be better or it is not that we might be better or worse speakers than than anybody else worse speakers than than anybody else it's just a labor that we do it's just a labor that we do to keep each other alive in this to keep each other alive in this continent everybody wants to be the best continent everybody wants to be the best of everything of everything the best and the greatest the fastest the best and the greatest the fastest the smartest the richest the smartest the richest the most knowledgeable the most knowledgeable but that's not but that's not scriptural scriptural and it's not helpful and it's not helpful and when these lessons were addressed to and when these lessons were addressed to arranging brethren those who would teach arranging brethren those who would teach those who would serve within the those who would serve within the ecclesia they were given to people ecclesia they were given to people who sacrificed and who must today who sacrificed and who must today sacrifice time sacrifice time labor labor energy energy to think and rethink and read and to think and rethink and read and re-read re-read the word of god we are not to entertain the word of god we are not to entertain each other each other this is not tv that we are looking at this is not tv that we are looking at when we are listening to a talk when we are listening to a talk this is something that is related to this is something that is related to life and death life and death for every one of us for every one of us it's a message to the angel of the it's a message to the angel of the ecclesia that is in smyrna ecclesia that is in smyrna if ephesus was if ephesus was the most famous city in all of asia the most famous city in all of asia if it was the light of asia as it was if it was the light of asia as it was called called then smyrna brethren and sisters was the then smyrna brethren and sisters was the most physically beautiful of all of the most physically beautiful of all of the cities cities of the province of asia of the province of asia it was a city that had the most gorgeous it was a city that had the most gorgeous gardens it had been planned out one of gardens it had been planned out one of the earliest cities in mankind's history the earliest cities in mankind's history to be planned and zoned just like we to be planned and zoned just like we have zoning laws and bylaws and cities have zoning laws and bylaws and cities grow according to specific criteria grow according to specific criteria rules specific rules you can't build a rules specific rules you can't build a certain kind of house in a certain area certain kind of house in a certain area the same thing happened with this city the same thing happened with this city it stuck out it was called the flower of it stuck out it was called the flower of asia by the writers of the time asia by the writers of the time that's what smyrna was that's what smyrna was something that was beautiful to look at something that was beautiful to look at it was the great rival of ephesus they it was the great rival of ephesus they were rival cities in everything were rival cities in everything they were always trying to be better they were always trying to be better than the other about 1000 bc roughly a thousand years before the roughly a thousand years before the birth of christ birth of christ this city was founded by greek colonists this city was founded by greek colonists it was destroyed 400 years later it was destroyed 400 years later completely destroyed by barbarians from completely destroyed by barbarians from the east and so the city was born and the east and so the city was born and then it died then it died and it was almost dead for 400 years and it was almost dead for 400 years before it was rebuilt again before it was rebuilt again and when it was rebuilt that second time and when it was rebuilt that second time that is when the city was was structured that is when the city was was structured and planned in a very careful way to and planned in a very careful way to emphasize its beauty and its points of emphasize its beauty and its points of defense it had a beautiful harbor that defense it had a beautiful harbor that was one of the best harbors to use in was one of the best harbors to use in all of asia it also had the added all of asia it also had the added benefit that a chain could be strung benefit that a chain could be strung across the harbor across the harbor in the event of poor weather or to in the event of poor weather or to protect it protect it very beautiful city physically beautiful very beautiful city physically beautiful this was a city that was one of the this was a city that was one of the earliest earliest of the allies of rome when rome was not of the allies of rome when rome was not yet the mistress of the world when she yet the mistress of the world when she was not yet a world empire when she was was not yet a world empire when she was having war with a nation in the east having war with a nation in the east and the war was going very badly for it and the war was going very badly for it smyrna smyrna struck an alliance with rome struck an alliance with rome when roman soldiers were shivering with when roman soldiers were shivering with cold and almost naked on the battlefield cold and almost naked on the battlefield the the members of the city of smyrna stripped members of the city of smyrna stripped off their own clothing and sent it to off their own clothing and sent it to the soldiers that they might be warmed the soldiers that they might be warmed that they might be clothed that they might be clothed and so you can imagine the romans had a and so you can imagine the romans had a a real feeling of a real feeling of great gratitude great gratitude for the people of smyrna and so smyrna for the people of smyrna and so smyrna like all the other cities of asia tried like all the other cities of asia tried to be a little rome to be a little rome whatever happened in rome whatever happened in rome whatever was done in rome whatever was done in rome however rome was structured in society however rome was structured in society whatever was worshiped in rome whatever whatever was worshiped in rome whatever was popular in rome was popular in rome was popular in all of these cities was popular in all of these cities and in smyrna in particular and in smyrna in particular it's the same with the world in relation it's the same with the world in relation to the united states to the united states whatever is done in the u.s whatever is done in the u.s whatever is believed in the u.s whatever is believed in the u.s whatever lifestyle exists whatever lifestyle exists in the u.s in the u.s whatever morays and standards morals whatever morays and standards morals come out of the u.s come out of the u.s flow throughout the rest of the earth flow throughout the rest of the earth to the dispersion of your culture by the to the dispersion of your culture by the mass media mass media it was the same effect that the us has it was the same effect that the us has on the world rome had on asia and all of on the world rome had on asia and all of these cities especially on smyrna these cities especially on smyrna because of smyrna's entrenched loyalty because of smyrna's entrenched loyalty to the romans to the romans when when there was the consideration of which of there was the consideration of which of the cities of asia would be the first to the cities of asia would be the first to erect a temple in the honor of the god erect a temple in the honor of the god caesar caesar augustus augustus smyrna was chosen above all the other smyrna was chosen above all the other cities because of its ancient cities because of its ancient faithfulness as an ally faithfulness as an ally to rome to rome can you imagine then brothers and can you imagine then brothers and sisters sisters what it must have been like what it must have been like to have been a crystal delphian in to have been a crystal delphian in smyrna smyrna with the worship of the goddess roma with the worship of the goddess roma and the worship of the caesars and the worship of the caesars and the way that smyrnans tried to ape and the way that smyrnans tried to ape to to imitate to be just like the romans can imitate to be just like the romans can you imagine what it must have been like you imagine what it must have been like to be a brother or sister to be a brother or sister in that society and to beg to differ in that society and to beg to differ with the lifestyle and the worship with the lifestyle and the worship of the inhabitants of the country that of the inhabitants of the country that you lived in or the city that you lived you lived in or the city that you lived in in it must have been terrible it must have been terrible brothers and sisters brothers and sisters there was an ecclesia there was an ecclesia that was surrounded that was surrounded by an utterly hostile group by an utterly hostile group of fellow citizens of fellow citizens so when we read this message so when we read this message bear in mind smyrna's history to the angel of the ecclesia in smyrna wright wright these things says the first and the last these things says the first and the last the first and the last the first and the last which was dead which was dead this is almost an add-on this is almost an add-on it's almost as it were an interpretation it's almost as it were an interpretation of the name yahweh itself of the name yahweh itself the name of god that brother warren was the name of god that brother warren was talking about talking about that name which means i will be that name which means i will be who i will be who i will be or i am or i am what i am what i am here here the lord jesus christ speaks in terms of the lord jesus christ speaks in terms of himself himself as being one who is part of that name he as being one who is part of that name he is the first and he is the last is the first and he is the last he's he's the beginning he's he's the beginning part of the beginning part of the beginning of the manifestation of god who has of the manifestation of god who has always existed the first always existed the first the first one and he will be with those the first one and he will be with those who are finally who are finally united with him united with him who will fully manifest god who will fully manifest god in and after god's kingdom is in and after god's kingdom is established established yahweh elohim yahweh elohim that was the that was the combined name that was given to moses at combined name that was given to moses at the bush the bush he who will be mighty ones he who will be mighty ones and if your hands are weak and you're and if your hands are weak and you're elderly elderly and you find you can't always retain and you find you can't always retain what you what you would like to say would like to say and you feel as if your place in the and you feel as if your place in the ecclesia is very limited ecclesia is very limited that you're not helpful to the ecclesia that you're not helpful to the ecclesia and that you're more a hindrance and a and that you're more a hindrance and a burden to those around you than a help burden to those around you than a help and a strength remember and a strength remember you will be a mighty one in god's you will be a mighty one in god's kingdom kingdom in his eyes today you are a mighty one in his eyes today you are a mighty one you are part of his children you are part of his children you you with all of your experiences of life and with all of your experiences of life and all that you've been through are a all that you've been through are a source of strength and encouragement to source of strength and encouragement to your younger brethren and sisters when your younger brethren and sisters when they see you out to anything they see you out to anything you're a living lesson to them you're a living lesson to them there is strength in that knowledge i am there is strength in that knowledge i am the first and the last the first and the last i am the first and the last i am the first and the last which was dead which was dead and lived again and lived again i was dead i lived again smyrna could i was dead i lived again smyrna could relate to that relate to that the city had died once it had been the city had died once it had been utterly destroyed and it rose to life utterly destroyed and it rose to life again again brand new brand new brand new better brand new better than it had ever been before than it had ever been before something that was compared to what was something that was compared to what was before almost perfect before almost perfect just just like what we shall be brothers and like what we shall be brothers and sisters the lord jesus christ who had sisters the lord jesus christ who had lived lived who had lived who had lived and died and died and rose again the first and the last which was dead which was dead and is alive and is alive he's deliberately connecting their minds he's deliberately connecting their minds back back to the vision that he had shown to the vision that he had shown to john to john the vision of the glorified the vision of the glorified image of the whole community of christ image of the whole community of christ with the voice of a multitude like with the voice of a multitude like rushing waters rushing waters who had said himself who had said himself i am the first and the last i am the first and the last remember smyrna whatever you are going remember smyrna whatever you are going to go through to go through whatever may have already happened to whatever may have already happened to you you what you are in now what you are in now is temporary is temporary and what i have shown you is what you and what i have shown you is what you shall be you shall live forever i know shall be you shall live forever i know what you have gone through i am the first and the last i lived and i died i died but i rose again but i rose again what else does he say brothers and what else does he say brothers and sisters he says sisters he says i know your works i know your works and your tribulations and your tribulations and your poverty in the other letters when he says i know your works your works he knows what they've done yes he knows what they've done yes he knows in full detail whatever they he knows in full detail whatever they are going through the mistakes that they are going through the mistakes that they are making are making but in this letter brothers and sisters but in this letter brothers and sisters when he says i know there's a there's a when he says i know there's a there's a special feeling to that even if the word special feeling to that even if the word isn't any different isn't any different because this was the ecclesia of all of because this was the ecclesia of all of them them that he could relate to that he could relate to with the most intimacy this is what he with the most intimacy this is what he was saying to them look at what we read was saying to them look at what we read in this letter in this letter there is not one single word of there is not one single word of criticism criticism it's all common commendation brothers it's all common commendation brothers and sisters and sisters and when we read through whatever we and when we read through whatever we read through in this letter we're read through in this letter we're reading all about what christ went reading all about what christ went through through so he sees in them so he sees in them an image of himself an image of himself he sees in their life he sees in their life something that reflected his life something that reflected his life he sees in their tribulations and trials he sees in their tribulations and trials his own tribulations and trials and to his own tribulations and trials and to the extent the extent to which the lord jesus christ will see to which the lord jesus christ will see himself in us himself in us that is the extent to which we have hope that is the extent to which we have hope as brethren and sisters because that is what he will look for when he sees us when he sees us reflected image of reflected image of something something of him of him in us i know your works i know what you have done i know what you have done i know what you're doing i know what you're doing i'm aware of your labor i'm aware of your labor he says i know your works he says i know your works and i know your tribulation i personally and i know your tribulation i personally know your tribulation i know the kind of know your tribulation i know the kind of tribulation you are going through tribulation you are going through because i've gone through it myself because i've gone through it myself i know that difficulty tribulation i know that difficulty tribulation pressure pressure crushing under the weight being crushed crushing under the weight being crushed under the weight of circumstances under the weight of circumstances persecution he himself likewise persecution he himself likewise had been persecuted had been persecuted he himself had softened the pressure he himself had softened the pressure trial trial of those around him of those around him to whom he brought a message for their to whom he brought a message for their own good own good to whom he gave the word of god as the to whom he gave the word of god as the angel is at the beginning of this letter angel is at the beginning of this letter letter as we are as brethren to our letter as we are as brethren to our communities he gave that message and communities he gave that message and suffered tribulation as a result and the suffered tribulation as a result and the smerlins were doing exactly the same smerlins were doing exactly the same thing brothers and sisters thing brothers and sisters giving a message giving a message that was for the good of the community that was for the good of the community around them and tribulation was the around them and tribulation was the result result tribulation tribulation severe trial and persecution severe trial and persecution and he says i know thy poverty and he says i know thy poverty poverty but thou art rich poverty you know brothers and sisters there are you know brothers and sisters there are two words two words two words in greek that mean poverty or two words in greek that mean poverty or that are used for poverty that are used for poverty there is the word pena the word penury there is the word pena the word penury comes from that word comes from that word and the word pena means the state of a and the word pena means the state of a man who's not wealthy and he has to man who's not wealthy and he has to provide for himself by the labor of his provide for himself by the labor of his own hands own hands now remember now remember this is in a time where everybody had this is in a time where everybody had slaves and servants slaves and servants but a man who has to go and be a laborer but a man who has to go and be a laborer to labor for himself to labor for himself that's the first kind of poverty that's the first kind of poverty penia penia then there is another greek word it is then there is another greek word it is the word tokaya the word tokaya and that word brethren and sisters and that word brethren and sisters describes describes complete destitution pena describes the state of a man who doesn't have anything left over doesn't have anything left over tokaya tokaya describes the state of a man describes the state of a man who has nothing at all who has nothing at all nothing at all brothers and sisters nothing at all brothers and sisters nothing at all nothing at all that was the condition of the ecclesia that was the condition of the ecclesia nothing at all nothing at all you know why it was roman policy for you know why it was roman policy for individuals that refused to worship individuals that refused to worship caesar or to abide by their civil duties caesar or to abide by their civil duties of worship to rome of worship to rome it was their policy to take everything it was their policy to take everything away from them that they owned away from them that they owned everything everything i want to read to you something i want to read to you something that is out of a book called documents that is out of a book called documents of the christian church of the christian church it was edited by a man called henry it was edited by a man called henry bettinson bettinson and in this book and in this book he talks about he talks about a man called a man called pliny pliny planning happened to be working in an planning happened to be working in an area just north of asia he was in the area just north of asia he was in the province of by finia province of by finia and in this area roughly around the same and in this area roughly around the same time that these letters were written it time that these letters were written it was his job to go and investigate what was his job to go and investigate what was going on as far as the was going on as far as the christians the christodolphians christians the christodolphians were concerned these people who believed were concerned these people who believed in in a king other than caesar a king other than caesar look at what he says when he writes to look at what he says when he writes to the emperor trajan the emperor trajan meanwhile this is the course that i have meanwhile this is the course that i have adopted in the case of those brought adopted in the case of those brought before me as christians before me as christians i ask them them if they are christians i ask them them if they are christians if they admit it i repeat the question a if they admit it i repeat the question a second and a third time threatening second and a third time threatening capital punishment capital punishment if they persist if they persist i sentence them to death i sentence them to death for i do not doubt that whatever kind of for i do not doubt that whatever kind of crime it may be to which they have crime it may be to which they have confessed confessed their stubbornness their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy should and inflexible obstinacy should certainly be punished certainly be punished there were others who displayed a like there were others who displayed a like madness and whom i reserved to be sent madness and whom i reserved to be sent to rome to rome since they were roman citizens since they were roman citizens thereupon the usual result followed thereupon the usual result followed execution execution the very fact of my dealing with the the very fact of my dealing with the question led to a wider spread of the question led to a wider spread of the charge and a great variety of cases were charge and a great variety of cases were brought before me brought before me an anonymous pamphlet was issued an anonymous pamphlet was issued containing many names containing many names all who denied denied that they had been all who denied denied that they had been or were or were indeed at that time or were or were indeed at that time christians i considered should be christians i considered should be discharged because they called upon the discharged because they called upon the gods at my dictation and did reverence gods at my dictation and did reverence with incense and wine to your image with incense and wine to your image which i had ordered to be brought which i had ordered to be brought forward for this purpose together with forward for this purpose together with the statutes of the deities the statutes of the deities and especially because and especially because they cursed christ they cursed christ a thing which it is said a thing which it is said genuine christians cannot be induced to genuine christians cannot be induced to do it helps us get a sense out of a historical record historical record beyond scripture itself beyond scripture itself of what the brothers and sisters were of what the brothers and sisters were going through going through as we sit in times of ease and as we sit in times of ease and prosperity prosperity it's difficult for us to imagine what it it's difficult for us to imagine what it would have been like would have been like now imagine if the wife now imagine if the wife held firm in the truth held firm in the truth and the husband did not and the husband did not imagine if a child imagine if a child broke ranks with the family that was broke ranks with the family that was walking away walking away to make it easier and said no to make it easier and said no i will not worship caesar do we get a sense of the awful trial awful trial that our people went through at this that our people went through at this time brothers and sisters time brothers and sisters before these unfeeling before these unfeeling logical judicial judges do we understand what it was like for them to go before them to go before our judgment seat and be rejected we go on further brothers and sisters i know your works know your works i know your tribulation i know your tribulation and your poverty and your poverty but you are rich but you are rich you are rich in faith you are rich in faith you're rich in love you're rich in works you're rich in love you're rich in works even though you've lost everything that even though you've lost everything that the world has any concern for you are the world has any concern for you are rich in my eyes rich in my eyes you're wealthy brothers and sisters you're wealthy brothers and sisters there are other countries in this world there are other countries in this world you know you know there really are there really are and in these other countries and in these other countries there are brothers and sisters you there are brothers and sisters you know and some of these brothers and know and some of these brothers and sisters don't have enough sisters don't have enough to eat there was a family in jamaica not that far away from here far away from here that was so poverty stricken even with that was so poverty stricken even with whatever assistance they received whatever assistance they received that there was rarely ever any that there was rarely ever any little extra food in the house little extra food in the house there were many days when there was no there were many days when there was no food food brothers and sisters brothers and sisters members of the family would wake up in members of the family would wake up in the night with stomach cramps and move the night with stomach cramps and move around their little shack looking for around their little shack looking for food to eat food to eat and in the morning and in the morning in the morning they understood the in the morning they understood the principle principle gave us this day gave us this day our daily bread something that we mouth our daily bread something that we mouth but cannot ever understand and before the end of that day somebody would drop in would drop in a neighbor a neighbor or another christadelphian or another christadelphian with a little food for them to eat all that they had was the truth was the truth all that they had to hold on to all that they had to hold on to was the hope of god's kingdom was the hope of god's kingdom the love of their brothers and sisters the love of their brothers and sisters and in the final analysis when all is and in the final analysis when all is said and done when all the battles have said and done when all the battles have been lost or won all that will be left been lost or won all that will be left for us for us is the hope of the kingdom is the hope of the kingdom the love of a merciful and gracious the love of a merciful and gracious father father and the love that we had and showed and the love that we had and showed to our brothers and sisters to our brothers and sisters we like to throw dollars at problems and we like to throw dollars at problems and difficulties in other countries we think difficulties in other countries we think in some way it absorbs us in some way it absorbs us from any responsibility from any responsibility we feel better when we shell out our we feel better when we shell out our cash to drop it in to the collection bag cash to drop it in to the collection bag for the cbm for the cbm or whoever else we give our money to or whoever else we give our money to we admire we admire the dedication the love the conviction the dedication the love the conviction and the single-minded devotion to the and the single-minded devotion to the truth that these poverty-stricken truth that these poverty-stricken brothers and sisters have by giving them brothers and sisters have by giving them money we feel that's all we have to do money we feel that's all we have to do it's not it's not and it shouldn't settle our conscience and it shouldn't settle our conscience brothers and sisters brothers and sisters because we have to follow their example because we have to follow their example their example their example that's what we have to follow that that's what we have to follow that is what will clear our conscience is what will clear our conscience the money that we give is like a little the money that we give is like a little band-aid in fact it can spoil them in band-aid in fact it can spoil them in some instances if it's not done through some instances if it's not done through the appropriate agency but in the end we have to follow their example example do we not feel bruised inside do we not feel bruised inside when we read and hear about the devotion when we read and hear about the devotion of poverty-stricken brethren and sisters of poverty-stricken brethren and sisters in other countries the way that they in other countries the way that they they generously share what they believe they generously share what they believe to whoever will listen the way that they to whoever will listen the way that they care for each other care for each other it's heartbreaking for me i'm sure i'm it's heartbreaking for me i'm sure i'm sure it's heartbreaking for you likewise sure it's heartbreaking for you likewise and it bruises me deep down inside and i and it bruises me deep down inside and i think i've got to change with all of the think i've got to change with all of the materialism all of the ease of existence materialism all of the ease of existence all the desire for rest all the desire for rest that i that you may have we've got to that i that you may have we've got to change that change that and somehow and somehow the people who have the same kind of the people who have the same kind of activity activity the same kind of dedication that these the same kind of dedication that these brethren ins and sisters in smyrna brethren ins and sisters in smyrna the brothers and sisters in malawi the brothers and sisters in malawi the brethren and sisters in india the brethren and sisters in india hyderabad the brothers and sisters in hyderabad the brothers and sisters in south america and central america south america and central america somehow recapture their zeal somehow recapture their zeal it's all they have it's all they have for us it's just one thing competing for us it's just one thing competing with with so much so much so much abundance i know your poverty but you are rich but you are rich he himself he himself had made himself poor had made himself poor that we might become rich as a result that we might become rich as a result rich in hope rich in hope rich in hope of the kingdom rich in hope of the kingdom brothers and sisters brothers and sisters i know the blasphemy of them would say i know the blasphemy of them would say they are jews they are jews and really are not jews and really are not jews they are not jews inwardly they are jews they are not jews inwardly they are jews in name and by in name and by descent only descent only but they are the synagogue of satan but they are the synagogue of satan they are the synagogue of the adversary they are the synagogue of the adversary they are enemies to the truth they are enemies to the truth in fact if you consider satan as being in fact if you consider satan as being any adversary of the truth any adversary of the truth they were closer to being the synagogue they were closer to being the synagogue of rome and the romans than they were to of rome and the romans than they were to being being jews indeed the jewish section of smyrna was very large large very influential very influential later on in smyrna's history about 40 later on in smyrna's history about 40 years after this letter was written years after this letter was written there would be the persecution there would be the persecution and burning of and burning of christadelphian martyrs or believers in christadelphian martyrs or believers in the truth the truth one particular one who would be burned one particular one who would be burned at the stake at the stake the jews the jews were so angry with and hated were so angry with and hated so much they were prepared to break so much they were prepared to break their sabbath to go and bring wood so their sabbath to go and bring wood so that he might burn that he might burn that was the kind of that was the kind of terrible hostility that there was terrible hostility that there was towards our community by the jewish towards our community by the jewish people at that time people at that time you see the ones who had become you see the ones who had become christadelphians christadelphians had more than likely been drawn from the had more than likely been drawn from the ranks of the jews ranks of the jews that is why they hated them so much that is why they hated them so much sometimes sometimes i'm sure we must wonder i'm sure we must wonder if we preach the way we really ought to if we preach the way we really ought to might it not bring us into more conflict might it not bring us into more conflict with the the bigger grander with the the bigger grander more traditional christian churches more traditional christian churches around us around us it's a fear that they have in north it's a fear that they have in north industry ohio with the success of their industry ohio with the success of their learn to read the bible effectively learn to read the bible effectively seminar series seminar series there's a worry that there's a worry that organized religion as it is called here organized religion as it is called here is becoming more and more aware of is becoming more and more aware of christadelphian belief christadelphian belief and there might at some point in time be and there might at some point in time be a concerted effort to a concerted effort to squelch squelch to steal the voice of the crystal to steal the voice of the crystal delphian community delphian community to block their ability to speak at to block their ability to speak at certain places certain places to make life difficult for them if we really preach the truth i'm sure we would probably experience i'm sure we would probably experience more of what smyrna went through more of what smyrna went through he says fear none of those things he says fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer the jews were sheltered under roman law from worshiping the caesars as gods they from worshiping the caesars as gods they were the only people in the whole empire were the only people in the whole empire that had that that had that particular right particular right and for a long period of time and for a long period of time christodelphians were considered to be christodelphians were considered to be just a sect of the jews like pharisees just a sect of the jews like pharisees or sadducees or sadducees or herodians or whatever else jews might or herodians or whatever else jews might be they were just considered to be be they were just considered to be another offshoot another group connected another offshoot another group connected to the jews still jews to the jews still jews around this time brothers and sisters around this time brothers and sisters the jews began to make it clear to the the jews began to make it clear to the roman authorities roman authorities more and more those are not jews they more and more those are not jews they are not of us they've got nothing to do are not of us they've got nothing to do with us they're a renegade group that with us they're a renegade group that pretends to have jewish origins but they pretends to have jewish origins but they are not jews are not jews and therefore and therefore they became they became an illegal religion an illegal religion and there were religions under the and there were religions under the empire that were illegal empire that were illegal not allowed to exist not allowed to exist because they weren't connected to the because they weren't connected to the sheltered jews sheltered jews they were now exposed to whatever they were now exposed to whatever anybody might anybody might decide to do or say to them decide to do or say to them and so when the lord speaks about the and so when the lord speaks about the jews jews and the blasphemy the evil speaking and the blasphemy the evil speaking against the slander against the slander that they spoke against our brothers and that they spoke against our brothers and sisters that's what he's talking about sisters that's what he's talking about he's talking about a group of people he's talking about a group of people pushing pushing a small group of people a small group of people out out that they might be destroyed but they that they might be destroyed but they might be a sect might be a sect everywhere spoken against everywhere spoken against that's what they became that's what they became they were known under the title they were known under the title the haters of mankind the haters of mankind that's what our brothers and sisters that's what our brothers and sisters were called why were called why because they did not love caesar because they did not love caesar and they did not love the empire which and they did not love the empire which had given so much peace to the earth had given so much peace to the earth therefore they were the haters of therefore they were the haters of mankind mankind because they broke up families when one because they broke up families when one would accept the truth and the other would accept the truth and the other would not would not therefore they were the haters of therefore they were the haters of mankind mankind because they had because they had the breaking of bread and wine the the breaking of bread and wine the drinking of wine which represented the drinking of wine which represented the body and blood of christ and therefore body and blood of christ and therefore they were accused of being cannibals they were accused of being cannibals because they referred to their memorial because they referred to their memorial meetings as love feasts meals of love meetings as love feasts meals of love and therefore they were accused of and therefore they were accused of immorality evil spoken against them everywhere blasphemy blasphemy and the jews were preeminent in doing and the jews were preeminent in doing this to this to the brothers and sisters in smyrna the brothers and sisters in smyrna they knew they knew what the jews were doing they knew what the jews were doing they knew what faced them and so christ what faced them and so christ says to them says to them don't be afraid don't be afraid of what is about to happen to you of what is about to happen to you don't be afraid of what you are going to don't be afraid of what you are going to go through go through please don't be afraid please don't be afraid does it mean brothers and sisters that does it mean brothers and sisters that they would not go through whatever they they would not go through whatever they were going to go through were going to go through no it doesn't mean that at all no it doesn't mean that at all he's begging them he's asking them he is he's begging them he's asking them he is telling them hold firm telling them hold firm through what you are about to go through through what you are about to go through life in the ecclesia has trials life and life in the ecclesia has trials life and the truth involves difficulty life in the truth involves difficulty life in the truth involves loneliness the truth involves loneliness sometimes strife with the world around sometimes strife with the world around us if one is in the truth and one is not us if one is in the truth and one is not even within the truth there is strife life in the truth was never intended to be easy was never intended to be easy in the beginning of chapter one when in the beginning of chapter one when christ talks about the things which must christ talks about the things which must surely come to pass do you know what he surely come to pass do you know what he was saying was saying that word must mean it is necessary that word must mean it is necessary tell them the things that it is tell them the things that it is necessary must happen they have got to necessary must happen they have got to go through these things these go through these things these difficulties must arise the ecclesia difficulties must arise the ecclesia throughout its history must go through throughout its history must go through its trials and tribulations as we do as its trials and tribulations as we do as individuals we cannot have a life in the individuals we cannot have a life in the truth without trial and tribulation truth without trial and tribulation difficulty challenges that face us difficulty challenges that face us it is the nature of our life in the it is the nature of our life in the truth it's good for us in the long run truth it's good for us in the long run brothers and sisters brothers and sisters without it without it so we would just so we would just melt away melt away into nothingness into nothingness don't be afraid of the things that don't be afraid of the things that you're about to go through behold the you're about to go through behold the devil the slanderer devil the slanderer the civil authorities are about to cast the civil authorities are about to cast some of you into prison that you may be some of you into prison that you may be tried you know what prison was tried you know what prison was prison wasn't the holiday camp that it prison wasn't the holiday camp that it is in north america is in north america prison was a holding place prison was a holding place where you were kept where you were kept and tortured and abused especially if and tortured and abused especially if you were a woman you were a woman before you were executed before you were executed that's what prison was that's what prison was can you imagine getting a message like can you imagine getting a message like this this you received a message in the mail that you received a message in the mail that said what's about to happen to you how said what's about to happen to you how would you take that fear panic would you take that fear panic agony what is going to happen to my wife agony what is going to happen to my wife and daughters and daughters look at what he said look at what he said don't be afraid don't be afraid behold some of you will be cast into behold some of you will be cast into prison that you may be tried and you prison that you may be tried and you shall have tribulation shall have tribulation great trial and persecution for 10 days great trial and persecution for 10 days nobody really knows what the 10 days nobody really knows what the 10 days means means but it's a short period of time that's but it's a short period of time that's the indication the indication there will be a period of time maybe the there will be a period of time maybe the only reason he uses the word ten only reason he uses the word ten is to tell them there is a limit to the is to tell them there is a limit to the time time there is a limit to the time of your there is a limit to the time of your severe trial and persecution severe trial and persecution it will last for a limited period of it will last for a limited period of time so pull through time so pull through pull together and survive through this pull together and survive through this you shall be in tribulation ten days be you shall be in tribulation ten days be thou faithful unto death thou faithful unto death be thou faithful to me even unto death be thou faithful to me even unto death and i will give you the crown of life and i will give you the crown of life crown crown stephanos stephanos the word stephen is the same word the word stephen is the same word it was a crown that was given to it was a crown that was given to victorious generals victorious generals it was a crown of lore a laurel uh crown it was a crown of lore a laurel uh crown that was given to people who had that was given to people who had successfully completed and won a race successfully completed and won a race it was a crown that was given to people it was a crown that was given to people that were being that were being married married brothers and sisters brothers and sisters all of these things all of these things and the crown of life is the crown that and the crown of life is the crown that paul talked about i am now ready to be paul talked about i am now ready to be offered held in prison waiting to be offered held in prison waiting to be executed i am now ready to be offered executed i am now ready to be offered but the time of my departure is at hand but the time of my departure is at hand i have fought the good fight i have fought the good fight there are many fights brethren that are there are many fights brethren that are not good fights not good fights and are not worth fighting i have fought and are not worth fighting i have fought the good fight the good fight i have finished my course i have kept i have finished my course i have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which for me a crown of righteousness which the lord the righteous judge shall give the lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day is that where he stopped me at that day is that where he stopped look at the heart of this man look at the heart of this man always considering himself in connection always considering himself in connection to his brethren and sisters just like to his brethren and sisters just like his lord his lord never away from them never always never away from them never always separated from them always himself and separated from them always himself and them together them together i i and my beloved brethren and sisters and my beloved brethren and sisters he says not to me only but unto all them he says not to me only but unto all them also also that have loved his appearing that have loved his appearing that crown of life is there for you that crown of life is there for you it's there for me it's there for me if we will be faithful to our lord if we will be faithful to our lord faithful through all the ups and downs faithful through all the ups and downs of life ecclesially personally of life ecclesially personally professionally professionally maritally maritally in raising our children in sickness in in raising our children in sickness in else else if we will be faithful unto him brothers and sisters the message ends he that hath an ear to hear he that hath an ear to hear if only we will listen if only we will listen let let him him hear hear what the spirit saith unto the ecclesias what the spirit saith unto the ecclesias he that overcometh overcometh what he that overcometh overcometh what fear fear fear fear he that overcomes he that overcomes being afraid being afraid being anxious being anxious being full of panic and worry being full of panic and worry he that overcomes that forgetfulness of he that overcomes that forgetfulness of mind mind that makes us that makes us fail to remember that we are in christ's fail to remember that we are in christ's hand hand firmly held firmly held that we are in god's hand that we are in god's hand firmly held that he is a shelter for us firmly held that he is a shelter for us and that he and that he he is as walls and bulwarks around us he is as walls and bulwarks around us if we would only see if we would only see that he's around us that he's around us he that overcometh he that overcometh shall not be heard shall not be heard of the second death you may be rejected in judgment today by the world and its standards and the world and its standards and requirements requirements but at the second judgment but at the second judgment when i come back to the earth when i come back to the earth you will not be hurt by that judgment you will not be hurt by that judgment you will receive at that time a crown of you will receive at that time a crown of life life to him to him to her that overcomes to her that overcomes the lord jesus christ says the lord jesus christ says to every one of us to every one of us i will give i will give a crown of life

Transcript

thank you brother president have been remiss remiss in not asking that we also read the in not asking that we also read the letter to pergamos together but brother letter to pergamos together but brother tennant has been doing something that tennant has been doing something that seems to be very helpful for everybody seems to be very helpful for everybody so let's read that one together then so let's read that one together then so we're in revelation chapter 2 so we're in revelation chapter 2 revelation 2 beginning at verse 12. revelation 2 beginning in verse 12 and let us begin together and let us begin together and to the angel of the ecclesia in pergamos to the angel of the ecclesia in pergamos write write these things saith he which hath the these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges sharp sword with two edges i know thy works i know thy works where thou dwellest and weather as well where thou dwellest and weather as well as even where as even where can we begin can we begin at verse 13 at verse 13 i know thy works and where thou dwellest i know thy works and where thou dwellest even where satan's seat is even where satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith not denied my faith even in those days wherein antipas was even in those days wherein antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among my faithful martyr who was slain among you where satan dwelleth but i have a you where satan dwelleth but i have a few things against thee because thou few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine hast there them that hold the doctrine of balaam who taught balak to cast a of balaam who taught balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of stumbling block before the children of israel to eat things sacrificed unto israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication idols and to commit fornication so hast thou also them that hold the so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the nicolaitans which thing doctrine of the nicolaitans which thing i hate repent or else i will come unto i hate repent or else i will come unto thee quickly thee quickly and will fight against them with the and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth sword of my mouth he that hath an ear he that hath an ear let him hear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the ecclesias what the spirit saith unto the ecclesias to him that overcometh will i give to to him that overcometh will i give to eat of the hidden manner eat of the hidden manner and i will give him a white stone and i will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it receiveth it evidently i need more practice reading evidently i need more practice reading together with other people likewise together with other people likewise but we've gone through so far the but we've gone through so far the letters to ephesus letters to ephesus and to smyrna and to smyrna the reason that we've linked pergamos the reason that we've linked pergamos and thyatira together is and thyatira together is that the problems that faced both of that the problems that faced both of these two ecclesias these two ecclesias were very similar were very similar in fact in fact fire tyra fire tyra was the city just before pergamos along was the city just before pergamos along the great trade route that linked all of the great trade route that linked all of the seven euclesias of the seven cities the seven euclesias of the seven cities that we're studying together right now that we're studying together right now pergamos pergamos was was the official capital the official capital of the roman province of asia of the roman province of asia it was called a most illustrious city it was called a most illustrious city as far as its commercial greatness was as far as its commercial greatness was concerned it never really concerned it never really met the same level of greatness from a met the same level of greatness from a commercial point of view that ephesus commercial point of view that ephesus and smyrna were able to achieve and smyrna were able to achieve but it was a center of culture that but it was a center of culture that surpassed both of these two surpassed both of these two separate cities separate cities it had a huge library that was one of it had a huge library that was one of the greatest libraries in the ancient the greatest libraries in the ancient world and much of the written material world and much of the written material that was in this library was on that was in this library was on parchment in fact the word pergamum or parchment in fact the word pergamum or the word pergamos the word pergamos is the same word for parchment in greek is the same word for parchment in greek that's that's something that is it's connected to it's something that is it's connected to it's connected to what is studious what has connected to what is studious what has to do with scholarship what is scholarly to do with scholarship what is scholarly it also has to do with it also has to do with authority authority this is where the roman governor had his this is where the roman governor had his seat seat this is where the roman governor judged this is where the roman governor judged cases that were the highest cases that were the highest judicial cases that had to be judged in judicial cases that had to be judged in the province of asia the province of asia there were two kinds of governor in the there were two kinds of governor in the roman empire roman empire there were governors who had there were governors who had what was called the eos gladiati what was called the eos gladiati and there were others who didn't and there were others who didn't the eu's gladia meant they had the sword the eu's gladia meant they had the sword of justice of justice they had the right of life and death they had the right of life and death the gladiators sword the gladiators sword a roman governor in pergamos a roman governor in pergamos could condemn a man on the spot to be could condemn a man on the spot to be executed right in front of him he had executed right in front of him he had that right that right and the symbol of that right was a was a and the symbol of that right was a was a two-edged sword two-edged sword that was carried in his presence with that was carried in his presence with which his authority to which his authority to have the right of of of condemning have the right of of of condemning somebody to death was associated somebody to death was associated the governor that was in pergamos had the governor that was in pergamos had that right that right another interesting thing about pergamos another interesting thing about pergamos and that is that and that is that this city this city being the capital of asia being the capital of asia was the center of the worship of the was the center of the worship of the roman empire roman empire empire and emperors empire and emperors the roman goddess roma and all of the the roman goddess roma and all of the emperors that were supposed to be divine emperors that were supposed to be divine beings on the earth beings on the earth this is where that worship was centered this is where that worship was centered there was a priesthood there was a priesthood associated with these temples there were associated with these temples there were all kinds of rituals there were holidays all kinds of rituals there were holidays and feast days it was almost a parallel and feast days it was almost a parallel religion to the truth in fact religion to the truth in fact the interesting thing is when the roman the interesting thing is when the roman catholic church developed catholic church developed it just fit right into the existing it just fit right into the existing religion religion the pope fit right into the particular the pope fit right into the particular role that was fulfilled by role that was fulfilled by priests priests within within that that form of worship form of worship and eventually the emperor his and eventually the emperor his particular divine status particular divine status fell on the shoulders of the pope fell on the shoulders of the pope in the course of time in the course of time pergamos was the place where this kind pergamos was the place where this kind of worship of worship was centralized was centralized so as you can well imagine brothers and so as you can well imagine brothers and sisters living in this city sisters living in this city would probably face the greatest would probably face the greatest peer pressure to conform with that kind peer pressure to conform with that kind of worship of worship with that form with that form of religion now when we read through this letter we are reading about an ecclesia in we are reading about an ecclesia in difficult circumstances difficult circumstances so let's bear in mind so let's bear in mind the authority of the governor in the authority of the governor in pergamos the kind of worship pergamos the kind of worship the kind of lifestyle that was the kind of lifestyle that was associated with all of these cities and associated with all of these cities and there's the little ecclesia in pergamos there's the little ecclesia in pergamos once again the letter is written to the once again the letter is written to the arranging brethren to the serving arranging brethren to the serving brethren those who are the servants and brethren those who are the servants and slaves of the ecclesia in pergamos slaves of the ecclesia in pergamos these things says he these things says he which have the sharp sword with two which have the sharp sword with two edges edges it's an immediate allusion to what the it's an immediate allusion to what the governor in pergamos had governor in pergamos had he had that right to condemn to death he had that right to condemn to death christ is saying christ is saying to the ecclesia to the ecclesia do not be afraid of those who can merely do not be afraid of those who can merely kill the body kill the body be afraid of the one who has the power be afraid of the one who has the power to do that to do that and to kill the hope and to kill the hope of the individual likewise in order that of the individual likewise in order that they would utterly perish without any they would utterly perish without any form of life after form of life after in other words in other words i am one i am one whose authority and power whose authority and power and whose right of giving life and death and whose right of giving life and death is superior to anything that any roman is superior to anything that any roman governor has governor has if anyone is to be feared it's not the if anyone is to be feared it's not the roman governor roman governor it's me it's me respect respect honor honor that fear of god that fear of god fear of the lord jesus christ is what is fear of the lord jesus christ is what is being spoken of here he gives his his being spoken of here he gives his his status status he is higher than the governor he is higher than the governor his right of judgment his right of judgment his giving of life and death are his giving of life and death are superior to that of the roman governor superior to that of the roman governor therefore fear not therefore fear not what the roman governor what the roman governor and his associates can do to you and his associates can do to you don't be afraid of that death don't be afraid of that death these things said he which had the sharp these things said he which had the sharp sword with two edges i know your works i sword with two edges i know your works i know what you're doing and i know where know what you're doing and i know where you dwell you dwell you are living even where satan's throne you are living even where satan's throne is is where the official throne of the where the official throne of the adversary is right in the territory of adversary is right in the territory of the official throne of the roman the official throne of the roman governor that's right where you are i governor that's right where you are i know what you have to contend with know what you have to contend with i know the difficulty that you face i know the difficulty that you face being right there in that territory and being right there in that territory and how much pressure there is on you how much pressure there is on you to confirm what the society around you to confirm what the society around you is doing is doing i know all that i know all that and i know that on top of that and i know that on top of that thou holdest fast to my name thou holdest fast to my name you hold fast to my name not denying my you hold fast to my name not denying my name name rather than saying that caesar is lord rather than saying that caesar is lord you affirm that i am lord you affirm that i am lord you hold fast to my name you hold fast to my name that would hold the two words hold fast that would hold the two words hold fast they come from a greek word or they are they come from a greek word or they are a translation of a greek word which a translation of a greek word which means to use strength or vigor means to use strength or vigor it doesn't mean to just it doesn't mean to just passively believe something it means to passively believe something it means to actively believe it to hold fast to it actively believe it to hold fast to it and use and use strength and vigor in that process strength and vigor in that process effort effort perhaps putting up with physical perhaps putting up with physical persecution persecution tribulation trial tribulation trial in the process of holding fast in the process of holding fast there is a use of energy there is a use of energy there is a zealous regard for the there is a zealous regard for the importance of what is being held fast importance of what is being held fast too too these are the things that are implied by these are the things that are implied by those words those words you win pergamos i know what you have to you win pergamos i know what you have to live with live with and yet through it all you've held fast and yet through it all you've held fast to my name to my name and has not denied and has not denied my name my name my faith my faith you haven't denied me you haven't denied me what i stand for what i stand for you haven't denied my faith the word you haven't denied my faith the word deny deny means means to pretend that you do not know somebody to pretend that you do not know somebody to pretend you don't know somebody when peter denied christ that's exactly what he was doing what he was doing he pretended he didn't know him he pretended he didn't know him i don't know christ i'm i don't know christ i'm you're wrong you're mistaken you're wrong you're mistaken i'm not one of his followers rather than deny the lord jesus christ and pretend they didn't know him and pretend they didn't know him and do what was required of them which and do what was required of them which was to burn a pinch of incense to the was to burn a pinch of incense to the image of the emperor image of the emperor to to curse curse the name of the lord jesus christ the name of the lord jesus christ and to worship and to worship the gods and goddesses of rome and of the gods and goddesses of rome and of asia asia rather than do those three things rather than do those three things they used vigor and strength to hold on they used vigor and strength to hold on never letting go to his name of his name never letting go to his name of his name never letting go of the faith that he never letting go of the faith that he had the faith that he had given to them had the faith that he had given to them they had his kind of faith they had his kind of faith and they stood firm in his faith and they stood firm in his faith and they are commended for that at the and they are commended for that at the beginning of this letter even in those beginning of this letter even in those days wherein antipas was my faithful days wherein antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where martyr who was slain among you where satan dwells where the adversary the satan dwells where the adversary the enemy the opposer lives right there enemy the opposer lives right there even in that time when antipas was even in that time when antipas was killed killed so there's a brother who was killed for so there's a brother who was killed for his faith brethren his faith brethren there was a brother who gave his life there was a brother who gave his life for the ecclesia but it would have been the easiest thing in the world in the world to justify burning that incense and to to justify burning that incense and to say listen say listen you know that caesar is no god you know that caesar is no god and i know that caesar is no god and i know that caesar is no god rather than do that rather than do that and put a stumbling block in the way of and put a stumbling block in the way of the entire ecclesia in the direction of the entire ecclesia in the direction of taking its principles and compromising taking its principles and compromising them all them all with whatever was around them with whatever was around them he refused he refused he held firm he held firm and he died and he died my faithful martyr my witness my faithful martyr my witness that's what it is that's what it is he was he was my faithful witness the revised version my faithful witness the revised version says it in the most tender way says it in the most tender way in the days of antipas my witness in the days of antipas my witness my faithful one my faithful one who was killed among you who was killed among you among you among you that means the ecclesia saw when antipas that means the ecclesia saw when antipas was killed was killed they were right there when antipas they were right there when antipas died for the truth died for the truth died for the ecclesia died for the ecclesia gave it gave it everything he had everything he had his whole life his whole life they were right there when it happened they were right there when it happened can you imagine that brothers and can you imagine that brothers and sisters sisters a man dying right in front of you for a man dying right in front of you for the truth the truth can you imagine the effect it would have can you imagine the effect it would have on you on you for the holy creature can you imagine the effect that the man who is willing that the man who is willing to labor as a servant to labor as a servant for the life of the ecclesia for the life of the ecclesia can have can have on that ecclesia can you imagine the effect that a sister who labors that a sister who labors to keep her sisters and the elderly and to keep her sisters and the elderly and the young alive the young alive can have on the whole ecclesia you can imagine that because you've seen people like that people like that you know that you look at them you know that you look at them and your spirits are lifted and your spirits are lifted and you feel as if you and you feel as if you you want to run along in their footsteps you want to run along in their footsteps and help in the same way and help in the same way that's the way we ought to feel at least bergamos saw saw when it happened the holy collision was when it happened the holy collision was there there he was slain he was slain among you among you where satan dwelleth where satan dwelleth but i have a few things against thee but i have a few things against thee because thou hast there because thou hast there them them that hold the doctrine of balaam that hold the doctrine of balaam that hold the doctrine of balaam that hold the doctrine of balaam remember what balaam had done way back remember what balaam had done way back in israel's history in israel's history balak was concerned he was terrified balak was concerned he was terrified because there was this people encamped because there was this people encamped two million strong two million strong with all of their exploits that they with all of their exploits that they have that they that they've done so far have that they that they've done so far all of the battles that they've won all of the battles that they've won all the people that have been conquered all the people that have been conquered and he is terrified and he hires balaam and he is terrified and he hires balaam to help to help balaam tries his best to curse the balaam tries his best to curse the children of israel but he can't god will children of israel but he can't god will not allow him to not allow him to but then there was a way that balaam but then there was a way that balaam found found to break down the resistance and the to break down the resistance and the walls walls the children of israel the children of israel to to break them down in their faith to to break them down in their faith there was intermixing between there was intermixing between the people around the people around and the children of israel and the children of israel there was a physical union there was a physical union that was not based on the spiritual that was not based on the spiritual tenderness tenderness the typing of the relationship between the typing of the relationship between christ christ and the bride that brother tennant was and the bride that brother tennant was telling us about telling us about but was based only on but was based only on what is base what is base what is fleshly what is fleshly what is instinctual what is instinctual what is bestial what is bestial what is selfish what is selfish and remember and remember that that the young priest came along with a spear the young priest came along with a spear and killed and killed one of the princes of israel and one of the princes of israel and one of these women at the same time one of these women at the same time and there was a plague that struck the and there was a plague that struck the children of israel children of israel remember these things this was all remember these things this was all balaam's idea balaam's idea he realized he couldn't curse them the he realized he couldn't curse them the only way to do it was do it from inside only way to do it was do it from inside the flesh the flesh was to pander to their fleshly was to pander to their fleshly instincts their lusts their physical instincts their lusts their physical weaknesses and frailty weaknesses and frailty and there was in the ecclesia of and there was in the ecclesia of pergamos pergamos them that held the teaching of balaam them that held the teaching of balaam now it's more than likely that these now it's more than likely that these people never considered that that is people never considered that that is what they were doing what they were doing they never thought that the consequences they never thought that the consequences of their actions or their teachings for of their actions or their teachings for the ecclesia would be the result that the ecclesia would be the result that the ecclesia might be destroyed they the ecclesia might be destroyed they never would have thought that in fact never would have thought that in fact they would have thought the exact they would have thought the exact opposite opposite they thought to themselves that what they thought to themselves that what they were teaching they were teaching would ensure the life would ensure the life and the continued existence of the and the continued existence of the ecclesia that's what they ecclesia that's what they must surely have thought must surely have thought it must have been what they thought it must have been what they thought the lord jesus christ says i have this the lord jesus christ says i have this against thee that thou hast their them against thee that thou hast their them that hold the teaching of balaam who that hold the teaching of balaam who taught balak to cast a stumbling block taught balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of israel something before the children of israel something for them to fall over for them to fall over to fall out of the way through to fall out of the way through a stumbling block before the children of a stumbling block before the children of israel israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication and to commit fornication so the doctrine of balaam so the doctrine of balaam whose name means whose name means conqueror of conqueror of the people this doctrine involves the word the eating of things the word the eating of things sacrificed to idols you notice it sacrificed to idols you notice it doesn't say the worship of idols doesn't say the worship of idols it says the eating of things sacrificed it says the eating of things sacrificed to idols to idols and fornication and fornication looseness looseness loose living two things that are associated that are associated with the doctrine with the doctrine of of balaam balaam so hast now also them so hast now also them that hold the doctrine of the that hold the doctrine of the nicolaitans nicolaitans which thing i hate which thing i hate and the word nicolaitan means and the word nicolaitan means conqueror of the people conqueror of the people they both mean the same thing those two they both mean the same thing those two words words balaam and nicolaitan balaam and nicolaitan very interesting isn't it brothers and very interesting isn't it brothers and sisters sisters within the ecclesia within the ecclesia there were those who had a particular there were those who had a particular kind of teaching kind of teaching the end result of which was the end result of which was that the members who followed them were that the members who followed them were prepared to prepared to fornicate fornicate and to eat meat that had been offered to and to eat meat that had been offered to idols idols let's go on further repent or else i will come unto thee quickly or else i will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth sword of my mouth that's the sword that i'll fight against that's the sword that i'll fight against you with the word of god you with the word of god of which i am filled of which i am filled i'm filled i'm filled with the word of god it comes right out with the word of god it comes right out i am the word of god made flesh right i am the word of god made flesh right out of my mouth my mouth that is what out of my mouth my mouth that is what will condemn you will condemn you the sword that i have is my word it is the sword that i have is my word it is my authority my authority greater than the authority of any roman greater than the authority of any roman governor if you do not turn around governor if you do not turn around if you do not if you do not change change your way of thinking your way of thinking this is what is going to happen to you he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit says let him hear what the spirit says unto the ecclesias unto the ecclesias to him that overcometh to him that overcometh will i give to eat of the hidden manner will i give to eat of the hidden manner and will give him a white stone and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it brothers and sisters in pergamos in pergamos and thyatira and thyatira there were professional trade guilds there were professional trade guilds you couldn't be in any profession unless you couldn't be in any profession unless you belong to one of these guilds you belong to one of these guilds it is like a trade union it is like a trade union and certain kinds of and certain kinds of professions or trades associated with professions or trades associated with those unions if you don't belong to the those unions if you don't belong to the union you cannot conduct your trade it union you cannot conduct your trade it used to be that way in certain trades used to be that way in certain trades but in thyatira and in pergamos but in thyatira and in pergamos great trade guilds existed the guilds existed for the mutual the guilds existed for the mutual pleasure and profit of the members pleasure and profit of the members so you might belong to the leather so you might belong to the leather workers guild workers guild you might you might belong to the belong to the slave dealers guild slave dealers guild you might belong to the garment you might belong to the garment dying dying guild guild lydia remember she sold garments that lydia remember she sold garments that were died she she dealt in those kinds were died she she dealt in those kinds of goods of goods well well whoever whoever labored in any trade labored in any trade had to belong to a guild had to belong to a guild to not belong to a guild meant that to not belong to a guild meant that you were an individual you were an individual who experienced little or no economic who experienced little or no economic prosperity prosperity you couldn't really work in one of these you couldn't really work in one of these cities and provide very well for your cities and provide very well for your family if you didn't belong to one of family if you didn't belong to one of these trade guilds the trade guilds held meetings brothers and sisters and sisters and in their meetings they usually had and in their meetings they usually had gods gods and the images of these gods and the images of these gods which were the gods that were the which were the gods that were the patron deities of their trade whatever patron deities of their trade whatever it might be it might be it was a god of the leather workers it was a god of the leather workers there was a god of this or that or the there was a god of this or that or the other kind of trade other kind of trade and in the halls where these trade and in the halls where these trade guilds had their meetings guilds had their meetings the image of the god would be placed the image of the god would be placed they would have big feasts to get they would have big feasts to get together together and in the feasts and in the feasts there would be drunkenness there would be drunkenness there would be there would be much eating of food much eating of food and meat and meat that had first been offered that had first been offered according to specific rituals to the according to specific rituals to the idol that was there idol that was there you remember remember paul talking to you remember remember paul talking to the corinthians about that but eating the corinthians about that but eating meat offered to idols you know that meat offered to idols you know that there's no idol there's no idol but because of the fact that it could but because of the fact that it could make your weaker brother or sister fall make your weaker brother or sister fall don't eat it don't eat it don't buy it don't buy meat don't buy it don't buy meat that is left over from a feast or some that is left over from a feast or some kind of temple celebration kind of temple celebration that had previously been offered to an that had previously been offered to an idol don't eat it stay away from it for idol don't eat it stay away from it for the sake of your brethren and sisters the sake of your brethren and sisters well well in this ecclesia in this ecclesia there were a group of people there was a there were a group of people there was a group of people group of people whose teachings whose teachings went according to the following ideas if our brothers and sisters are not allowed are not allowed to belong to the trade guilds to belong to the trade guilds and to eat the meat within these rooms and to eat the meat within these rooms not believing in the idol not believing in the idol but just participating in the meal and but just participating in the meal and eating the meat so that they can eating the meat so that they can function function as individuals living in their society if if they can't do that then we're going to be destroyed as an ecclesia going to be destroyed as an ecclesia not only did they eat meat offered to not only did they eat meat offered to idols but according to the standards of the time prostitutes prostitutes were also were also present at these meetings of the trade present at these meetings of the trade guilds guilds and the looseness and obscenity and the looseness and obscenity that took place after the meal was that took place after the meal was finished finished involved fornication involved fornication that was so common that was so common in the society that these brothers and in the society that these brothers and sisters lived in sisters lived in that it's as common as as it is in our that it's as common as as it is in our society today it's it's not it's not society today it's it's not it's not just something that's tolerated it's just something that's tolerated it's it's encouraged it's encouraged what the school system puts into into what the school system puts into into into school washrooms into school washrooms for for young men and women to purchase young men and women to purchase encourages the activity encourages the activity they say ah what you're trying to what they say ah what you're trying to what we're doing really is to limit the we're doing really is to limit the damage of what they are doing damage of what they are doing but they encourage it but they encourage it the entertainment that these young the entertainment that these young people and we all have access to people and we all have access to encourages encourages those things those things it encourages adultery it encourages adultery it encourages young people it encourages young people to have physical to have physical unions with other young people before unions with other young people before they're married before long before they're married before long before they're ready to even realize the they're ready to even realize the importance of what they're doing it was so common in these times that the brethren and sisters who that the brethren and sisters who believed that it is important for the believed that it is important for the ecclesia to be similar to the people ecclesia to be similar to the people around them that they might continue to around them that they might continue to function function it was so common in that society that it was so common in that society that they felt well they felt well you eat the meat it doesn't matter and you eat the meat it doesn't matter and well whatever happens in these trade well whatever happens in these trade guild meetings god will forgive you guild meetings god will forgive you it strengthens your opportunity to it strengthens your opportunity to preach the truth to them you see because preach the truth to them you see because if you're with them in their life if you're with them in their life you are able to talk to them about the you are able to talk to them about the truth truth if you are with your friends doing if you are with your friends doing whatever they do then it increases your whatever they do then it increases your opportunity to be with them to talk to opportunity to be with them to talk to them about the truth to attract them to them about the truth to attract them to it this is possibly the kind of reasoning that was used pergamos was unwilling or at least the group within pergamos or at least the group within pergamos that believe these things that believe these things these were people who were unwilling these were people who were unwilling to be different to be different to be ostracized from to be ostracized from to have a different material standard of to have a different material standard of living living to the nation around them the peoples to the nation around them the peoples around them around them how do we apply that to ourselves how do we apply that to ourselves brothers and sisters when our young people want to go out into the world around us want to go out into the world around us i want to participate in the i want to participate in the in the revelry in the revelry of the young people around them of the young people around them when we think to ourselves ah yes when we think to ourselves ah yes they're young people and they have to be they're young people and they have to be with other young people with other young people or else they will be rejected by the or else they will be rejected by the young people that they have time with in young people that they have time with in school school and when we allow them to go knowing and when we allow them to go knowing full well the kinds of things that full well the kinds of things that happen at these young people's happen at these young people's gatherings and we still let them go gatherings and we still let them go we're doing what these brethren and we're doing what these brethren and sisters did sisters did when we ourselves and our careers when we ourselves and our careers brethren brethren find ourselves surrounded by people find ourselves surrounded by people whose language is obscene whose language is obscene whose lifestyle is is is not what ours whose lifestyle is is is not what ours is supposed to be is supposed to be and who want to draw us into their and who want to draw us into their lifestyle they want to go drinking with lifestyle they want to go drinking with us after work us after work they want to take us to do whatever they they want to take us to do whatever they do and to go wherever they go and we do and to go wherever they go and we feel that there's a limit there's a wall feel that there's a limit there's a wall beyond which we will not go until we beyond which we will not go until we find that as time goes by the wall find that as time goes by the wall becomes thinner and thinner becomes thinner and thinner before long it's just paper thin before long it's just paper thin and easily collapsed and broken through and easily collapsed and broken through when we do that when we do that we're doing what these brothers and we're doing what these brothers and sisters sisters wanted to do wanted to do we want to be accepted we want to be accepted by the world around us by the world around us we want to be respected by them we want we want to be respected by them we want to have what they have to have what they have brethren brethren if there is the potential that that if there is the potential that that promotion promotion within the company that you have been within the company that you have been offered offered will result in more and more of a will result in more and more of a commitment of time commitment of time and and leisure time leisure time to those that are in the workplace and to those that are in the workplace and outside of the truth outside of the truth consider saying no because as we rise within companies in this country i don't know what it's like this country i don't know what it's like in england i don't know what it's like in england i don't know what it's like anywhere else but in this country the anywhere else but in this country the compromises that we are asked to make compromises that we are asked to make are larger and larger are larger and larger in their impact on our families and in in their impact on our families and in on our on our ecclesiastes that are not baptized that ecclesiastes that are not baptized that look at us and see what we're doing look at us and see what we're doing we may be hurtling away in the direction we may be hurtling away in the direction of some kind of growth within our career of some kind of growth within our career and yet what are we doing within the and yet what are we doing within the ecclesia what ecclesia what kind of kind of message are we giving to our young message are we giving to our young people people when we when we find ourselves spending more and more find ourselves spending more and more time time away from the ecclesia away from the away from the ecclesia away from the family and with those who are in the family and with those who are in the workplace is it right for us to do that workplace is it right for us to do that no it isn't no it isn't it's not right for us to be away it's not right for us to be away that way that way it's not right for us to be in their it's not right for us to be in their lifestyle lifestyle it's not right for us to be out with it's not right for us to be out with them them eating and drinking and eating and drinking and being involved in the life of the being involved in the life of the conversation conversation that they want to have with us that they want to have with us and do we talk about the truth under and do we talk about the truth under those circumstances those circumstances do we indeed draw them closer to us do we indeed draw them closer to us or do they suck us into their life or do they suck us into their life when god said when god said at the time that balaam did what he did at the time that balaam did what he did look what he said let's go back to look what he said let's go back to numbers 25 just to have a quick look at numbers 25 just to have a quick look at what god himself said what god himself said to this to this way of thinking way of thinking to this manner of behaving to this manner of behaving chapter 25 chapter 25 and israel abode in him and the and israel abode in him and the people began to commit whoredom with the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of moab daughters of moab and they called the people unto the and they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods sacrifices of their gods and the people did eat and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods and israel and bowed down to their gods and israel joined himself unto baal peor and the joined himself unto baal peor and the anger of the lord was kindled against anger of the lord was kindled against israel the lord said unto moses take all israel the lord said unto moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up the heads of the people and hang them up before the lord against the sun that the before the lord against the sun that the fierce anger of the lord may be turned fierce anger of the lord may be turned away from israel away from israel that's what was done the individuals who were involved in this this life life this mixing of truth and untruth this mixing of truth and untruth are pure and profane are pure and profane they they died as a result died as a result when christ says i am the one with the when christ says i am the one with the two-edged sword two-edged sword is he using these words lightly is he using these words lightly when he says later on when he says later on the sword of his mouth the sword of his mouth is what he will come against them with is what he will come against them with he's talking to us he's talking to us this is serious business we don't see it this is serious business we don't see it as such sometimes because we think well as such sometimes because we think well we can survive through all of these we can survive through all of these little kinds of intermixings little kinds of intermixings we don't see it for what it really is we don't see it for what it really is it's an unwillingness to be separate it's an unwillingness to be separate from the society in which we live from the society in which we live what it does what it does what it believes and we all feel pulled what it believes and we all feel pulled by that we talk to teenagers about peer by that we talk to teenagers about peer pressure it is strongest when we are pressure it is strongest when we are full grown adults because then there are things like career and employment that are at stake career and employment that are at stake in our minds and so these people people who christ said in the letter to ephesus who christ said in the letter to ephesus whose works i hate i detest whose works i hate i detest what they do what they do not that i i'm displeased with it i not that i i'm displeased with it i detest what they do detest what they do he's saying the same thing here he's saying the same thing here this ecclesia ran the risk of losing this ecclesia ran the risk of losing everything that it had all that it is everything that it had all that it is accomplished and yet the very things accomplished and yet the very things that it had accomplished it could draw that it had accomplished it could draw on on to strengthen it to pull through the to strengthen it to pull through the rest of the way rest of the way it could draw on the fact that it had it could draw on the fact that it had held fast to the name of christ held fast to the name of christ as we do as we do because we love his name because we love his name and we are striving to hold fast to him and we are striving to hold fast to him and to hold on to his faith and to hold on to his faith they did those things and those were the they did those things and those were the things that they could draw on to things that they could draw on to strengthen them strengthen them to pull them through the difficulty of to pull them through the difficulty of being sucked into the society in which being sucked into the society in which they lived they lived they thought that this was a way for the they thought that this was a way for the ecclesia to survive ecclesia to survive the lord jesus christ was saying the lord jesus christ was saying that's the way to kill the ecclesia that's the way to kill the ecclesia by mixing up the principles of the world by mixing up the principles of the world with the principles of the truth with the principles of the truth the requirements of the truth with the the requirements of the truth with the behavior of the world around which we behavior of the world around which we are living are living and then we go to the letter to thyatira and then we go to the letter to thyatira these things says the son of god who these things says the son of god who have his eyes like unto a flame of fire have his eyes like unto a flame of fire burns through everything sees right into burns through everything sees right into us burns away all of the the outer us burns away all of the the outer garments all of the protections garments all of the protections all that we choose to show to each other all that we choose to show to each other burns through all of that burns through all of that right inside right inside eyes like a flame of fire and his feet eyes like a flame of fire and his feet are like burnished brass are like burnished brass yes it means that these are feet that yes it means that these are feet that have been made glorious but it also has have been made glorious but it also has to do with what is hard and pulverizes to do with what is hard and pulverizes and pounds small and pounds small because that's what he's talking about because that's what he's talking about here here i am the one with eyes of flame of fire i am the one with eyes of flame of fire and feet like fine brass i know your and feet like fine brass i know your works works i know your love i know your love so this was a loving ecclesia and your service and faith your ministry your ministry you're running to serve each other you're running to serve each other that's what the word ministry is based that's what the word ministry is based on to run to serve not not to run away on to run to serve not not to run away from serving to run to serve from serving to run to serve that's what the ecclesia was like that's what the ecclesia was like look at the compliment that he pays them look at the compliment that he pays them he says he says i know i know also also that your last works are more than the that your last works are more than the first first so this was an ecclesia that that had so this was an ecclesia that that had steadily grown steadily grown in its ability to labor in the works of in its ability to labor in the works of love love preaching preaching the works of the truth that were done it the works of the truth that were done it grew in its labor that's what we have to grew in its labor that's what we have to do as a cliche do as a cliche strive to grow not to become stagnant strive to grow not to become stagnant and unchanging and unchanging but but to grow in ability grow in labor but but to grow in ability grow in labor grow in work pastoral activity preaching grow in work pastoral activity preaching activity that's what we have to strive activity that's what we have to strive to do as individuals to do as individuals as arranging brethren we have to as arranging brethren we have to move within our ecclesia move within our ecclesia to labor to encourage the growth of that to labor to encourage the growth of that spirit and to show it ourselves growing spirit and to show it ourselves growing in our willingness to labor in our in our willingness to labor in our ability to labor in the labor itself ability to labor in the labor itself this ecclesia had done that this ecclesia had done that but he says notwithstanding i have a few but he says notwithstanding i have a few things against thee because thou things against thee because thou sufferest you allow you tolerate sufferest you allow you tolerate that woman jezebel that woman jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess which calleth herself a prophetess to teach to teach and to seduce my servants to commit and to seduce my servants to commit fornication fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to eat things sacrificed unto idols and i've given her time that she might and i've given her time that she might repent repent i've given her why do you tolerate it in i've given her why do you tolerate it in your midst why do you put up with this your midst why do you put up with this teaching and let her continue teaching and let her continue more than likely a sister lydia had been more than likely a sister lydia had been the one that was instrumental in the the one that was instrumental in the start of this meeting remember she was start of this meeting remember she was loving she was hospitable and all these loving she was hospitable and all these things are commended at the beginning things are commended at the beginning that sister had had a seminal influence that sister had had a seminal influence on the growth of the on the growth of the the whole personality of that ecclesia the whole personality of that ecclesia she she helped give it life helped give it life she'd nurtured and strengthened and she'd nurtured and strengthened and shown a type of service that spread shown a type of service that spread throughout the ecclesia now throughout the ecclesia now it seems there was another sister it seems there was another sister another sister whose influence was another sister whose influence was leading leading to what could potentially be the death to what could potentially be the death of the ecclesia of the ecclesia sisters are sisters are a most powerful influence in their a most powerful influence in their ecclesia ecclesia they are a most powerful influence for they are a most powerful influence for good good they have the ability they have the ability to carry the ecclesia to carry the ecclesia to carry their brethren to carry their brethren through difficult times through difficult times a woman can through instinct be aware of a woman can through instinct be aware of something that a something that a brother would never see in a million brother would never see in a million years years and be able gently and tenderly and be able gently and tenderly to minister to that need to minister to that need quietly do it quietly do it she has the ability to she has the ability to raise children raise children that are like glorious plants for god that are like glorious plants for god rising up unto him rising up unto him she has the ability when brethren she has the ability when brethren cannot seem to pull together to work cannot seem to pull together to work behind the scenes with the husbands behind the scenes with the husbands to encourage and to to build bridges to encourage and to to build bridges she has the opportunity to be the glue she has the opportunity to be the glue that holds the ecclesia together that's that holds the ecclesia together that's what the truth is that's what christ is what the truth is that's what christ is but she has that special ability to do but she has that special ability to do that that a woman is a most powerful influence in a woman is a most powerful influence in an ecclesia an ecclesia whether she's single or married whether she's single or married she has a powerful influence on its life she has a powerful influence on its life and this woman and this woman regrettably regrettably seems to have had a a very negative seems to have had a a very negative influence because what she taught influence because what she taught she didn't want to change she didn't want to change christ said look i've given her the christ said look i've given her the opportunity to change and she doesn't opportunity to change and she doesn't want to change her way of thinking want to change her way of thinking she willings not to change she doesn't she willings not to change she doesn't want to terrible thing to talk about this fellowship fellowship or withdrawing from somebody or any kind or withdrawing from somebody or any kind of internal ecclesial discipline we we of internal ecclesial discipline we we don't like words like that at all don't like words like that at all but the truth is not always just but the truth is not always just happiness and joy and happiness and joy and resolving problems in an easy fashion resolving problems in an easy fashion sometimes there are difficulties that sometimes there are difficulties that come up that just come up that just cannot be resolved because of the cannot be resolved because of the the stubbornness of either the person the stubbornness of either the person trying to work with the individual or trying to work with the individual or the individual him or herself the individual him or herself sometimes the only thing that we can do sometimes the only thing that we can do after an extended period brethren it after an extended period brethren it doesn't happen instantly we do not doesn't happen instantly we do not hammer down on problems hammer down on problems we try gently we try gently quietly individually to deal with quietly individually to deal with difficulties that come up difficulties that come up and over a period of time as christ gave and over a period of time as christ gave her time he was doing what the arranging her time he was doing what the arranging brethren should have done but for some brethren should have done but for some reason didn't have the strength of reason didn't have the strength of character or the understanding to be character or the understanding to be willing to do willing to do i gave her time i gave her time i tried to work with her i tried to work with her she doesn't want to repent she doesn't want to repent and so he will do what the arranging brethren seem to have fallen down in their seem to have fallen down in their responsibilities in doing responsibilities in doing but what he will do but what he will do is even worse is even worse he says he says behold i will cast her into a bed into a behold i will cast her into a bed into a sick bed sick bed she'll become ill she'll become ill and them that commit adultery with her and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation into great tribulation tribulation tribulation except the repent of their deeds unless except the repent of their deeds unless these people turn around these people turn around they're going to go through terrible they're going to go through terrible difficulty that i shall bring upon them difficulty that i shall bring upon them now that beggars the question does now that beggars the question does christ bring difficulty into our christ bring difficulty into our ecclesiastes ecclesiastes in order for us to learn lessons in in order for us to learn lessons in order for us to have the opportunity to order for us to have the opportunity to to rub off rough edges we may have to rub off rough edges we may have you'll notice that for some reason your you'll notice that for some reason your ecclesia experiences the trials that are ecclesia experiences the trials that are perfectly suited to it perfectly suited to it it it the problems go straight to the weak the problems go straight to the weak points points of the ecclesia whatever they may be of the ecclesia whatever they may be wherever they may be and there are wherever they may be and there are problems that problems that strike you right where the the the strike you right where the the the ecclesia might have a weakness might ecclesia might have a weakness might might have a a a tendency to to have quiet conflict under the surface i'll give you an example a very common i'll give you an example a very common example your recliner may have in it example your recliner may have in it those who are very liberal in their those who are very liberal in their understanding of scripture as it relates understanding of scripture as it relates to divorce and remarriage to divorce and remarriage it may also have those who are extremely it may also have those who are extremely conservative in their interpretation of that issue and then those who are very moderate and then those who are very moderate and the greatest fear that you may have and the greatest fear that you may have is that a divorce and remarriage issue is that a divorce and remarriage issue comes up where the couple refuses to go comes up where the couple refuses to go to another ecclesia that will accept to another ecclesia that will accept them them and that's exactly what might happen and that's exactly what might happen you may have gone through it already you may have gone through it already there are ecclesiastes that have gone there are ecclesiastes that have gone through things like that through things like that so there's something under the surface so there's something under the surface that's not been resolved that's not been resolved comes right up to the four comes right up to the four is this something a trial that's brought is this something a trial that's brought by the lord jesus christ i don't know by the lord jesus christ i don't know the answer to that question you can ask the answer to that question you can ask brother tennant that brother tennant that he answers the questions that i fall he answers the questions that i fall down over more than likely down over more than likely the lord oversees the lord oversees whatever takes place in our whatever takes place in our ecclesiastes it is what he does he moves ecclesiastes it is what he does he moves in the midst of the ecclesias in the midst of the ecclesias ceaselessly tending them ceaselessly tending them laboring within them laboring within them with individuals and with holy creatures with individuals and with holy creatures we're in his hand like this the seven we're in his hand like this the seven stars stars and whatever problems may come up and whatever problems may come up they are to strengthen us in the long they are to strengthen us in the long run run they are to test our ability to make they are to test our ability to make choices choices to be able to continue to work together to be able to continue to work together in love even when we cannot agree in in love even when we cannot agree in this country it's so difficult for us to this country it's so difficult for us to do that do that because we are so because we are so strongly dedicated to the idea that we strongly dedicated to the idea that we have the right to believe what we want have the right to believe what we want to believe because we're individuals to believe because we're individuals it's how you began as a nation americans it's how you began as a nation americans that's what you fought for over 200 that's what you fought for over 200 years ago years ago and it's something that has dribbled and it's something that has dribbled down or dribbled up north of the border down or dribbled up north of the border likewise we have the same mentality and likewise we have the same mentality and so on aboard it's very common for so on aboard it's very common for decisions to be split decisions decisions to be split decisions may i shock you with the knowledge that may i shock you with the knowledge that that is very north american and doesn't that is very north american and doesn't happen elsewhere happen elsewhere that most arranging brethren's meetings that most arranging brethren's meetings and other ecclesias in the british isles and other ecclesias in the british isles end with all the brethren agreeing end with all the brethren agreeing can you imagine that happening in your can you imagine that happening in your meeting meeting can you have a business meeting where can you have a business meeting where there is not a huge falling out and there is not a huge falling out and ruckus over something as essential as ruckus over something as essential as whether or not we should have air whether or not we should have air conditioning for instance well then we have something wrong with us as north americans us as north americans that we've got to work out well brethren the lord jesus christ said that he would the lord jesus christ said that he would kill her children with death that means kill her children with death that means sickness illness sickness illness this mentality that came into the this mentality that came into the ecclesia made it ill ecclesia made it ill made it sick we'll end this letter made it sick we'll end this letter tomorrow tomorrow morning

Transcript

brothers and sisters we ended our session yesterday ended our session yesterday with with an incomplete letter or a letter that we an incomplete letter or a letter that we hadn't yet finished hadn't yet finished the letter to thyatira the letter to thyatira now remember what had happened in now remember what had happened in pergamos pergamos remember where pergamos was remember where pergamos was what their brethren and sisters had to what their brethren and sisters had to contend with it was the official contend with it was the official seat seat of the governor in the province of asia of the governor in the province of asia it was the capital of the province of it was the capital of the province of asia you remember likewise it was the asia you remember likewise it was the capital it was the centralized location capital it was the centralized location of the worship of the emperors the of the worship of the emperors the worship of rome worship of rome remember somebody remember somebody died died in pergamus in pergamus in the midst of the euclesia in the midst of the euclesia one of my brethren put it this way one of my brethren put it this way he said he said to make the exhortation close to home to make the exhortation close to home that brother was somebody's father that brother was somebody's father somebody's husband somebody's husband somebody's brother somebody's brother somebody's friend somebody's friend somebody's son somebody's son that's who that individual must have that's who that individual must have been been a real life flesh and blood human being a real life flesh and blood human being who was prepared to die who was prepared to die and to lose everything that he had and to lose everything that he had from a worldly or a fleshly or material from a worldly or a fleshly or material point of view point of view in order that he might hold on to what in order that he might hold on to what he could not see with his eyes he could not see with his eyes but what he believed in surely but what he believed in surely things which must come to pass things which must come to pass a kingdom to come and a reward in that a kingdom to come and a reward in that kingdom kingdom you remember that he encouraged the you remember that he encouraged the ecclesia to hold on to that example to ecclesia to hold on to that example to not be afraid of the sword of the roman not be afraid of the sword of the roman governor governor but to bear in mind and take heed to but to bear in mind and take heed to the sword of christ the sword of christ his status as judge his status as judge his his judgment seat his judgment seat his judgment which would result in judgment which would result in acceptance or rejection acceptance or rejection and at the end of that letter and at the end of that letter christ said he that hatha near verse 17 christ said he that hatha near verse 17 let him hear what the spirit saith unto let him hear what the spirit saith unto the ecclesias to him that overcometh the ecclesias to him that overcometh will i give to eat of the hidden manner will i give to eat of the hidden manner and i will give him a white stone and i will give him a white stone now remember in pergamos there was a now remember in pergamos there was a problem with the group called the problem with the group called the nicolaitans the conquerors of the people nicolaitans the conquerors of the people whose ideas resulted in the end whose ideas resulted in the end in brethren in the ecclesia in brethren in the ecclesia participating in what was going on in participating in what was going on in the society around them in order that the society around them in order that they might not be ostracized or pushed they might not be ostracized or pushed away away by the by the society in which they lived but they society in which they lived but they might be able to function and prosper might be able to function and prosper right within that society right within that society through participating in the through participating in the license and looseness license and looseness of the society of the society remember that remember that remember the meals that were had in the remember the meals that were had in the trade guild meetings trade guild meetings and the and the unlawful physical unions unlawful physical unions that took place after that and then this that took place after that and then this stone this white stone has a special stone this white stone has a special meaning meaning it was like a ticket it was like a ticket these white stones these white stones they were given to the population of they were given to the population of rome the poorer classes rome the poorer classes in order that they might present them in order that they might present them and receive food in exchange for the and receive food in exchange for the white stones white stones in times of judgment the white stone was in times of judgment the white stone was given to the individual that was judged given to the individual that was judged to be guiltless to be guiltless in an argument a dispute between two in an argument a dispute between two individuals individuals the white stone was also given to the white stone was also given to gladiators gladiators who had labored for an extended period who had labored for an extended period of time and had won the acceptance of of time and had won the acceptance of the general population and were then the general population and were then excused from duty given the white stone excused from duty given the white stone which proved that they had been which proved that they had been warriors or people who had fought in a warriors or people who had fought in a manner manner that was admired by the population that was admired by the population whether that was good or not is not the whether that was good or not is not the point point but there was also a special but there was also a special reason for these white stones or a reason for these white stones or a special use special use they were given to people they were given to people who were going to attend banquets who were going to attend banquets or large feasts and dinners they went to or large feasts and dinners they went to the banquet presented the stone the banquet presented the stone and gained entrance and gained entrance the white stone that christ is talking the white stone that christ is talking about about involves a feast superior to any feast involves a feast superior to any feast or any kind of gathering that a trade or any kind of gathering that a trade guild could have guild could have that involved that involved marriage a marriage feast marriage a marriage feast entrance into a marriage feast with the entrance into a marriage feast with the lord lord and a union that was lawful that will be and a union that was lawful that will be lawful that will be pure in contrast to lawful that will be pure in contrast to the impurity of the unions that took the impurity of the unions that took place in the trade guild meetings and place in the trade guild meetings and banquets banquets so there is the contrast between the so there is the contrast between the marriage feast of the lord and entrance marriage feast of the lord and entrance into it into it and the feasts of the trade guilds the and the feasts of the trade guilds the life of the truth and the hope that we life of the truth and the hope that we have have made real when it's fulfilled made real when it's fulfilled and the hope and the hope and the offers that and the offers that the world around us offers the world around us offers with all of their uncleanness and with all of their uncleanness and all of their emptiness in the end all of their emptiness in the end so that is what is put before so that is what is put before those who will overcome those who will overcome the looseness taught by those within the the looseness taught by those within the ecclesia who said go out and make ecclesia who said go out and make compromises with the world compromises with the world a world that in itself as brother bill a world that in itself as brother bill said said thinks it's strange thinks it's strange that those who are in the truth will not that those who are in the truth will not run to the same excess of riot run to the same excess of riot as the ones they used to associate with as the ones they used to associate with still still run to run to and when we get into thyatira we find a and when we get into thyatira we find a woman woman who has a powerful who has a powerful negative negative influence over the life of the ecclesia influence over the life of the ecclesia as sisters can have as sisters can have a powerful a powerful negative influence negative influence but of course there was also a sister but of course there was also a sister here who had had a powerful positive here who had had a powerful positive influence lydia influence lydia what nurtured and built from within and what nurtured and built from within and set an example for hospitality and love set an example for hospitality and love and pastoral labor care for the needs of and pastoral labor care for the needs of the ecclesia the ecclesia that had stayed with the ecclesia right that had stayed with the ecclesia right up to this point it was an ecclesia that up to this point it was an ecclesia that had grown in its ability from its had grown in its ability from its beginning to the time at which christ beginning to the time at which christ writes they've done better than they've writes they've done better than they've ever done before ever done before but there are still but there are still things that have got to be changed things that have got to be changed and there is a kind of teaching going on and there is a kind of teaching going on within the ecclesia that the arranging within the ecclesia that the arranging brethren are tolerating that they are brethren are tolerating that they are not dealing with it's not that they not dealing with it's not that they don't like the individual that's not the don't like the individual that's not the issue whether they get along with this issue whether they get along with this strong-willed individual or not because strong-willed individual or not because sometimes we can make that the issue the sometimes we can make that the issue the issue is what is being taught will harm issue is what is being taught will harm the ecclesia the ecclesia will destroy the fabric of the life of will destroy the fabric of the life of the ecclesia will make brethren and the ecclesia will make brethren and sisters fall away from the hope of the sisters fall away from the hope of the truth and they were not dealing with it truth and they were not dealing with it so christ says so christ says i will deal with her i will deal with her i will deal with her i will deal with her he gave her space to repent he gave her space to repent she didn't want to repent she didn't she didn't want to repent she didn't want to change want to change and in the end and in the end she and her children those who accepted she and her children those who accepted and behaved according to her teachings and behaved according to her teachings would be destroyed would be destroyed for i am he that searches the reigns i for i am he that searches the reigns i go right in to people go right in to people i know what's in their hearts the reigns i know what's in their hearts the reigns and hearts and hearts and i will give unto every one of you and i will give unto every one of you according to your works according to your works verse 24 but unto you i say and unto the verse 24 but unto you i say and unto the rest inside torah as many as have not rest inside torah as many as have not this doctrine which have not known the this doctrine which have not known the deep things the depths of satan deep things the depths of satan no doubt the people who were teaching no doubt the people who were teaching here thought that their understanding of here thought that their understanding of the truth was deeper than the the truth was deeper than the understanding that the the rest of the understanding that the the rest of the brethren and sisters in neoclear had brethren and sisters in neoclear had they thought that they saw their way of they thought that they saw their way of building into the world building into the world making use of what the world has to making use of what the world has to offer and making compromises with the offer and making compromises with the world they saw that as an extension of world they saw that as an extension of the gospel of the gospel of grace god's the gospel of the gospel of grace god's desire to forgive when we sin desire to forgive when we sin and they considered whatever they were and they considered whatever they were teaching teaching whatever associated doctrines and whatever associated doctrines and beliefs came with this lifestyle that beliefs came with this lifestyle that they advocated they saw that they advocated they saw that as the deep things as the deep things deeper truths deeper than what we deeper truths deeper than what we believe as crystaldelphians believe as crystaldelphians something that was an offshoot and a something that was an offshoot and a corruption corruption they saw as a development an enhancement they saw as a development an enhancement of what of what the truth already was i will put upon you will put upon you none other burden none other burden i'm not asking you to do anything more i'm not asking you to do anything more than what i've already asked you to do than what i've already asked you to do what's he asking them to do what's he asking them to do well it's interesting because that idea well it's interesting because that idea of putting a burden upon somebody of putting a burden upon somebody reminds us of something that had reminds us of something that had happened happened during the period of the acts of the during the period of the acts of the apostles i'm sure you remember that apostles i'm sure you remember that brethren and sisters acts 15 and verses brethren and sisters acts 15 and verses 28 and 29 what we refer to today as the 28 and 29 what we refer to today as the jerusalem conference jerusalem conference when the decision of what to do with the when the decision of what to do with the gentiles was brought before gentiles was brought before the elders the elders in jerusalem and it was said at that in jerusalem and it was said at that time in verses 28 and 29 it seemed good time in verses 28 and 29 it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you you no greater burden no greater burden than these than these necessary things necessary things that she abstained from meat offered to that she abstained from meat offered to idols idols and from fornication and from fornication from which from which if ye keep yourselves you shall do well if ye keep yourselves you shall do well stay away from me to offer to idols stay away from me to offer to idols stay away from fornication stay away from fornication if you do these necessary things if you do these necessary things you shall do well you shall do well necessary necessary and in our day and in our day it refers to it refers to all manner of things all manner of things that we can do that are not good for the that we can do that are not good for the ecclesia as a whole ecclesia as a whole every decision that we make as every decision that we make as individuals individuals is going to affect somebody else in the is going to affect somebody else in the meeting meeting we don't exist in vacuums salvation is we don't exist in vacuums salvation is not an individual matter brethren and not an individual matter brethren and sisters until we're at the judgment seat sisters until we're at the judgment seat then then it's an individual matter it's an individual matter at every point before that point in time at every point before that point in time salvation is worked out in the midst of salvation is worked out in the midst of a community of brethren and sisters a community of brethren and sisters the stuff of which salvation is made the stuff of which salvation is made involves what i am doing today involves what i am doing today in connection with those who are around in connection with those who are around me the decisions that i make me the decisions that i make affect my family in the truth my affect my family in the truth my brethren and sisters young people my brethren and sisters young people my wife my children those on the outside wife my children those on the outside who are learning the truth who are learning the truth we have to realize that we have to realize that the decisions that we make the decisions that we make involve other people involve other people we might choose to do something to take we might choose to do something to take a job a job that carries us off into an area that carries us off into an area that will involve us raising our family that will involve us raising our family in complete isolation in complete isolation a decision like that a decision like that you might consider yourself to be strong you might consider yourself to be strong enough enough to pull through to pull through to survive through to survive through and then another brother sees you do and then another brother sees you do that that and follows and follows and he and his family and he and his family fall away fall away that's like that's like eating meat offered to idols eating meat offered to idols it's making a decision it's making a decision that you might be able to survive that you might be able to survive through through while still being hurt in many ways while still being hurt in many ways but which in the long run but which in the long run will be harmful to the holy cleaver will be harmful to the holy cleaver that's meat offered to idols for us that's meat offered to idols for us that's just a poor example that's just a poor example but we must always consider what we are but we must always consider what we are doing with our careers with our families doing with our careers with our families with our with our ecclesiastic decisions we make as ecclesiastic decisions we make as individuals individuals how will these decisions how will these decisions be perceived by and affect be perceived by and affect my brothers and sisters well she repented not brothers and sisters sisters and we go on further and we go on further but what you already have is 25 but what you already have is 25 hold fast hold fast till i come till i come whatever's left in you whatever's left in you whatever is worth hanging on to whatever is worth hanging on to hold fast to it what the truth hold fast to it what the truth the beliefs the doctrines the beliefs the doctrines hold on to these unassailable truths hold on to these unassailable truths which we were exhorted so wonderfully which we were exhorted so wonderfully this morning to rediscover and re-affirm this morning to rediscover and re-affirm for ourselves generation after for ourselves generation after generation generation to rediscover why we believe what we to rediscover why we believe what we believe believe and the validity of what we believe and the validity of what we believe that we might give a good answer to that we might give a good answer to those that ask why we believe what we those that ask why we believe what we believe believe hold fast put your heart and your hold fast put your heart and your shoulders into holding on to the truth shoulders into holding on to the truth that's what he's telling us that's what that's what he's telling us that's what he's telling them he's telling them he that overcometh and keepeth my works he that overcometh and keepeth my works until the end to him will i give power until the end to him will i give power over the nations and he shall rule them over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron what's he talking with a rod of iron what's he talking about about well no doubt it is a it is a reference well no doubt it is a it is a reference back to psalm 2 which talks about christ back to psalm 2 which talks about christ ruling the nations with a rod of iron ruling the nations with a rod of iron but it's very interesting brothers and but it's very interesting brothers and sisters the word rule means to shepherd to shepherd that's what it means that's what it means the word should be taken in the sense of the word should be taken in the sense of of wheeling the shepherd rod of wheeling the shepherd rod to protect to protect sheep sheep from marauding animals from marauding animals that would destroy the sheep that's what that would destroy the sheep that's what it means it means isn't that wonderful isn't that wonderful what's he saying what's he saying he's saying arranging brethren he's saying arranging brethren look to the condition of your flocks protect your brethren and sisters from what is harmful to them what is harmful to them labor in their midst as slaves labor in their midst as slaves servants servants and protect them from harm and protect them from harm sister bernice talked about the fact sister bernice talked about the fact that there is the need to build that there is the need to build a hedge a hedge about young families today about young families today we need to do the same thing we need to do the same thing with our with our ecclesiastial ecclesiastial family and it rests heavy on our family and it rests heavy on our shoulders as a ranging brethren serving shoulders as a ranging brethren serving brethren brethren to labor to do this to labor to do this to look after our flocks in which we are to look after our flocks in which we are sheep likewise as we have been looked sheep likewise as we have been looked after he goes on and he says after he goes on and he says i will give that individual authority i will give that individual authority and and as the vessels of a potter shall they be as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as i received of broken to shivers even as i received of my father my father he says in the kingdom he says in the kingdom those who are given the privilege of those who are given the privilege of sharing in my authority sharing in my authority will not tolerate that which is harmful will not tolerate that which is harmful to those who are in the earth they will to those who are in the earth they will not put up with that that harms not put up with that that harms the sheep of the earth the sheep of the earth they will not tolerate what you have they will not tolerate what you have tolerated in your ecclesia brethren of tolerated in your ecclesia brethren of thyatira thyatira that's what he's saying that's what he's saying to them then to them then to us now likewise to us now likewise and i will give him the morning star and i will give him the morning star the son of righteousness that shall the son of righteousness that shall arise with healing in his beams arise with healing in his beams the day star on high the day star on high that which comes up and shines that which comes up and shines brilliantly brilliantly after the period of greatest darkness after the period of greatest darkness darkness darkness that's what i will give the individual that's what i will give the individual who overcomes who overcomes the willingness to tolerate what is the willingness to tolerate what is harmful within the ecclesia harmful within the ecclesia i will give that individual i will give that individual light light the opportunity to share in my light the opportunity to share in my light the opportunity to be a light throughout the opportunity to be a light throughout the earth and a shepherd the earth and a shepherd throughout the earth as you arranging throughout the earth as you arranging brethren must be to your people brethren must be to your people to give light and a shepherd to give light and a shepherd gently gently lovingly lovingly firmly even as i have received of my father he that as i have received of my father he that hath an ear hath an ear let him hear what the spirit says unto let him hear what the spirit says unto the ecclesias and under the angel of the the ecclesias and under the angel of the ecclesia in sardis right ecclesia in sardis right sardis brothers and sisters sardis brothers and sisters had been a city that was once glorious had been a city that was once glorious in its ancient history in its ancient history seven years before 700 years before this seven years before 700 years before this letter was written it was one of the letter was written it was one of the greatest cities greatest cities in the civilized earth in the civilized earth and then and then all of its splendor had been lost all of its splendor had been lost so it was a so it was a a city a city once full of splendor once full of splendor having a good name and a good reputation having a good name and a good reputation throughout the earth throughout the earth that had been destroyed that had been destroyed in war in battle in war in battle just completely obliterated just completely obliterated and then it had risen again and then it had risen again it had been rebuilt the name sardis is plural because there were really two cities were really two cities in a mountain on the top of a ridge in a mountain on the top of a ridge there was a a high there was a a high conical hill conical hill on which the city was built it was on which the city was built it was impregnable impregnable the original city with its walls up on the original city with its walls up on its hill with steep sides of the ridge its hill with steep sides of the ridge on either side there was no way that on either side there was no way that that city that city looked looked as if it could be taken it looked as if as if it could be taken it looked as if everything was everything was unassailable unassailable it was extremely wealthy fabulously it was extremely wealthy fabulously wealthy wealthy one of the richest men who ever lived one of the richest men who ever lived king krissus king krissus was its greatest ruler in his time was its greatest ruler in his time sardis reached its pinnacle in his time sardis reached its pinnacle in his time sardis felt fell to its its depths sardis felt fell to its its depths he was so wealthy that when people came he was so wealthy that when people came through through who were famous individuals from the who were famous individuals from the from the from the from the countries from the from the from the countries around around he would take them around the streets he would take them around the streets show them the beauty and the richness of show them the beauty and the richness of a city what had happened in process of time in process of time is that sardis because of its feeling of is that sardis because of its feeling of unassailability unassailability and and self-confidence because of its wealth self-confidence because of its wealth all of its riches all of its riches it began to become soft and it failed to be watchful so when chris got it into his head to go so when chris got it into his head to go and fight against the persians and fight against the persians cyrus came against him and trounced him cyrus came against him and trounced him on one side of the river he fled back on one side of the river he fled back with his forces without much concern with his forces without much concern into the high unassailable city into the high unassailable city not the lower portion that had extended not the lower portion that had extended down to the bottom of the ridge down to the bottom of the ridge the upper section that was unassailable the upper section that was unassailable and there they ate and drank and made and there they ate and drank and made merry because there was no way that merry because there was no way that cyrus could enter cyrus could enter now the kind of rock that sardis was now the kind of rock that sardis was built on built on was rock that develops cracks easily was rock that develops cracks easily and one of the soldiers fighting under and one of the soldiers fighting under cyrus had seen one of creases cyrus had seen one of creases generals generals drop a helmet down drop a helmet down and he'd he'd come down and he he'd and he'd he'd come down and he he'd fetched it back up again fetched it back up again and so this man realized well there must and so this man realized well there must have been a fissure in the rock there have been a fissure in the rock there must have been a crack somewhere in the must have been a crack somewhere in the rock that an agile man could climb into rock that an agile man could climb into and climb up again and so cyrus offered a reward to any man who would be able to enter to any man who would be able to enter into the city or find a way into the into the city or find a way into the city city and he had seen this and he had seen this he took a group of armed persians with he took a group of armed persians with him by night him by night found the crack in the rock from found the crack in the rock from underneath underneath up through the crack up through the crack when he got into the city when he got into the city there wasn't even a guard there wasn't even a guard posted posted there were no watchmen there were no watchmen because they were sure there was no way because they were sure there was no way that anybody could enter the city that anybody could enter the city they had everything they needed to be they had everything they needed to be safe safe what need of a watchman was there what need of a watchman was there and the city was destroyed and the city was destroyed the people were butchered the people were butchered those that were left cyrus by decree those that were left cyrus by decree forced forced to become effeminate to become effeminate and soft and soft it agreed that it was illegal for a it agreed that it was illegal for a sardian to possess a sword or a spear of sardian to possess a sword or a spear of any kind of implement of defense or any kind of implement of defense or warfare warfare he decreed that the sons of the sardians he decreed that the sons of the sardians should be taught dancing and music should be taught dancing and music and that the boots the very boots that and that the boots the very boots that they wore they wore should be the boots worn by actors should be the boots worn by actors things that you cannot really work in things that you cannot really work in or fighting or fighting and so the society that was already soft and so the society that was already soft became soft and effeminate became soft and effeminate brothers and sisters brothers and sisters that's what happened in sardis later on that's what happened in sardis later on after alexander died many many years after alexander died many many years after after exactly the same thing happened again exactly the same thing happened again two of alexander's generals were two of alexander's generals were fighting with each other fighting with each other one of them fled up into the fortress of one of them fled up into the fortress of sardis sardis and his soldiers the soldiers of the and his soldiers the soldiers of the opposing army found the crack opposing army found the crack got up into the city and found it wasn't got up into the city and found it wasn't even being watched again they hadn't even being watched again they hadn't learned from history learned from history sardians hadn't learned from their past sardians hadn't learned from their past experiences brothers and sisters experiences brothers and sisters and so he writes to the ecclesia in and so he writes to the ecclesia in sardis sardis these things says he that hath the seven these things says he that hath the seven spirits of god spirits of god and the seven stars and the seven stars now the seven spirits of god spirits may now the seven spirits of god spirits may refer to spirit beings such as the refer to spirit beings such as the angels that go throughout the earth and angels that go throughout the earth and do the will of the lord do the will of the lord it may refer to it may refer to the spirit gifts that were given to the spirit gifts that were given to people people who lived within the ecclesias at this who lived within the ecclesias at this time that they might draw on these time that they might draw on these things for the strength and benefit of things for the strength and benefit of the ecclesia the ecclesia may simply have been the work of the may simply have been the work of the spirit of god represented as seven spirit of god represented as seven spirits perfection spirits perfection whatever it was whatever it was there was strength to be drawn on there was strength to be drawn on from jesus from god from jesus from god if this ecclesia wanted it if this ecclesia wanted it and the ecclesias are in his very hand and the ecclesias are in his very hand he's saying he's saying he has the seven spirits and he has the he has the seven spirits and he has the ecclesias they're right in his hand ecclesias they're right in his hand if he wants or if they want his strength if he wants or if they want his strength he says i know thy works and that thou he says i know thy works and that thou has to name the thou livest has to name the thou livest that are dead you've got a reputation that are dead you've got a reputation for being alive for being alive but you're really dead sardis but you're really dead sardis the reputation you have is based on the the reputation you have is based on the fact that you're doing everything that fact that you're doing everything that would appear to be what a living would appear to be what a living ecclesia does ecclesia does you've got your unassailable fortress you've got your unassailable fortress you're having your bible classes you're you're having your bible classes you're having your evening lectures you have having your evening lectures you have your sunday morning meetings you do all your sunday morning meetings you do all of these things but there's something of these things but there's something that's lacking that's lacking all the formality all the formalism all the formality all the formalism is lacking in what is lacking in what has to do with faith has to do with faith the heart the heart commitment commitment completion of duty completion of duty you have a reputation for being alive you have a reputation for being alive but you're not but you're not well well when we look at ourselves as individuals when we look at ourselves as individuals when i look at myself as an individual when i look at myself as an individual there are times when i'm exactly like there are times when i'm exactly like this this and i need this message and i need this message to pull me out of that way of thinking to pull me out of that way of thinking when my focus is more on when my focus is more on rules and regulations when my focus is more on purity and defense and when my focus on jesus of the kingdom of the kingdom and the love and forgiveness and the the and the love and forgiveness and the the continual pastoral work that is required continual pastoral work that is required of us as shepherds of us as shepherds becomes a little bit out of focus a becomes a little bit out of focus a little bit of skew little bit of skew and i need to be reminded that it is and i need to be reminded that it is necessary not just to preserve necessary not just to preserve the organization and formality of the the organization and formality of the truth truth but to fill it to enliven it but to fill it to enliven it with the love with the love of god the lord jesus christ of the of god the lord jesus christ of the kingdom kingdom with his character with his character the giving the joyful giving of service the giving the joyful giving of service to my brothers and sisters to my brothers and sisters with not just a desire to do things for with not just a desire to do things for them them but the willingness and the fortitude to but the willingness and the fortitude to carry through with that desire and do carry through with that desire and do things that are for the good of my things that are for the good of my ecclesia ecclesia he says he says i know your works you've got a name that i know your works you've got a name that you're alive and you're not you're alive and you're not be watchful be watchful wake up wake up wake up that's what he's saying be wake up that's what he's saying be watchful and strengthen the things that watchful and strengthen the things that are about to die are about to die the things that are left the things that the things that are left the things that remain that are about to die remain that are about to die your ecclesias about to die your ecclesias about to die you're about to lose the truth you're about to lose the truth you're focused on formality but you're you're focused on formality but you're not looking at the hearts of the truth wake up be watchful be watchful don't just assume because you are doing don't just assume because you are doing the things that christadelphians do the things that christadelphians do in your ecclesia in your ecclesia that those will carry you through there that those will carry you through there must be more must be more internally internally the commitment the zeal the love of the the commitment the zeal the love of the truth be watchful wake up who better than sardis to realize who better than sardis to realize the necessity for being watchful they the necessity for being watchful they never set a guard they were taken twice never set a guard they were taken twice they thought they were unassailable they they thought they were unassailable they weren't weren't trouble came right into that little trouble came right into that little crack that even they were unaware of or crack that even they were unaware of or had forgotten about be watchful be watchful phillips be watchful phillips in his rendition says in his rendition says now wake up strengthen what you have now wake up strengthen what you have before it dies before it dies the new english bible says the new english bible says put some strength into what is left put some strength into what is left which must otherwise die keep up the formality of the truth that is right keep the structure the that is right keep the structure the organization organization keep the workings of the ecclesia going keep the workings of the ecclesia going but infuse them with life but infuse them with life make them living make them powerful make make them living make them powerful make them important and real them important and real when you get up to preside preside with when you get up to preside preside with your whole heart your whole heart when you conduct a business meeting do when you conduct a business meeting do the same thing be concerned for the life the same thing be concerned for the life of the ecclesia and your brethren and of the ecclesia and your brethren and sisters sisters infuse the formality the structure infuse the formality the structure with life with life he goes on and he says he goes on and he says be watchful strengthen the things which be watchful strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die remain that are ready to die for i have not found thy works perfect for i have not found thy works perfect the revised version says the revised version says i have found i have found no works of thine fulfilled he's talking no works of thine fulfilled he's talking to a ranging brethren to a ranging brethren whatever that you have decided to do or whatever that you have decided to do or you've seen that needs doing you've seen that needs doing you have not completed it you have not completed it there's work that's not being completed there's work that's not being completed in the ecclesia in the ecclesia brethren brethren we can look at so many problems in the we can look at so many problems in the truth truth we look at problems and the truth and we look at problems and the truth and they become for us they become for us this this paper on the ground we know it's there paper on the ground we know it's there somebody has to pick it up but i'm busy somebody has to pick it up but i'm busy we know it's there there's a need to be we know it's there there's a need to be ministered to ministered to but somebody else is closer to that but somebody else is closer to that problem and should look after it problem and should look after it we know that there are young couples we know that there are young couples under pressure pressure pressure like no under pressure pressure pressure like no generation ever before generation ever before pressure pressure and we don't want to get involved and we don't want to get involved because it might hurt their feelings because it might hurt their feelings they might become irritable with us they might become irritable with us we know that they are young people we know that they are young people wrestling with a world that will conquer wrestling with a world that will conquer anyone anyone when we leave it up to other people to when we leave it up to other people to look after it we know that they are elderly cast down into a feeling of depression and into a feeling of depression and worthlessness worthlessness and we leave them there for somebody and we leave them there for somebody else to pick them up brethren else to pick them up brethren when we see a need when we see a need it's important to fulfill that need it's important to fulfill that need to minister to it to minister to it to see the problems that exist in our to see the problems that exist in our ecclesia and deal with them ecclesia and deal with them we have to want to do that that's what we have to want to do that that's what the shepherd does the shepherd does or the sheep die or escape or or the sheep die or escape or hurt themselves somehow hurt themselves somehow that's what christ is saying that's what christ is saying i've seen that none of the work that you i've seen that none of the work that you know has to be done none of your works know has to be done none of your works have ever come to fruition or been have ever come to fruition or been completed oh let's do this let's do that completed oh let's do this let's do that there's a need for this is a need for there's a need for this is a need for that we ought to do this we ought to do that we ought to do this we ought to do that and nothing ever comes of it that and nothing ever comes of it you've never completed the works because you've never completed the works because you're listless and lazy and sleepy you're listless and lazy and sleepy and you're not watching and and you're not watching and oh oh life is life is life is life is everything but what needs to be done that's what he's saying to them to me that's what he's saying to me that's what he's saying to me he may be saying something different to he may be saying something different to you but that's what he is saying to me you but that's what he is saying to me strengthen what remains you see that strengthen what remains you see that little ecclesia that it is your little ecclesia that it is your privilege privilege to be in the midst of to serve to be in the midst of to serve keep it alive keep it alive because the only privilege you will because the only privilege you will receive in god's kingdom receive in god's kingdom is to keep those that are left in the is to keep those that are left in the ecclesia of the earth ecclesia of the earth alive and growing alive and growing keep them alive keep them alive strengthen what is left what is ready to strengthen what is left what is ready to die die remember therefore how thou hast remember therefore how thou hast received why how why not what thou hast received why how why not what thou hast received received why not say remember what you received why not say remember what you received how how little words you don't have to be a little words you don't have to be a greek scholar brethren to find this look greek scholar brethren to find this look at the little words in the english what at the little words in the english what is it saying is it saying remember how you've received remember how you've received remember how remember how those who preached the truth to you those who preached the truth to you gave their lives for you gave their lives for you that the man who gave himself for you that the man who gave himself for you that you might have the truth remember that you might have the truth remember how how he gave it to you he gave it to you remember his whole lifestyle remember his whole lifestyle paul's lifestyle the lifestyle of the paul's lifestyle the lifestyle of the brethren who taught this ecclesia brethren who taught this ecclesia who brought it into existence who brought it into existence remember how remember how you received you received it wasn't just speaking from the it wasn't just speaking from the platform it was day-to-day labor with platform it was day-to-day labor with them from house to house problem to them from house to house problem to problem issue to issue misunderstanding problem issue to issue misunderstanding to misunderstanding need to need to misunderstanding need to need remember how you received remember how you received remember therefore how thou hast remember therefore how thou hast received and how you received and how you heard and hold fast heard and hold fast and repent and repent if therefore thou shalt not watch if therefore thou shalt not watch i will come on thee as a thief i will come on thee as a thief thou shalt not know what hour i will thou shalt not know what hour i will come upon you will be completely come upon you will be completely unprepared unprepared remember christ in the parable the good remember christ in the parable the good man had known man had known when the thief was coming he would have when the thief was coming he would have watched i will come as a thief take you completely by surprise completely by surprise and i will steal from you and i will steal from you everything you thought was worth everything you thought was worth anything anything everything in this world that you held everything in this world that you held on to that you thought on to that you thought would give you salvation would give you salvation all your possessions all your all your possessions all your professions everything that you wrapped professions everything that you wrapped your life up in so that you could not your life up in so that you could not minister to the needs that existed i'll minister to the needs that existed i'll steal all of that from you and you'll steal all of that from you and you'll see it was nothing it wasn't worth see it was nothing it wasn't worth anything anything it wasn't worth a thing it wasn't worth a thing i'll come as a thief i'll come as a thief and you will not know what hour i will and you will not know what hour i will come upon thee come upon thee thou hast the few names thou hast the few names even in sardis even in sardis which have not defiled which have not defiled the garment that they put on when they the garment that they put on when they were baptized were baptized they put on christ they put on christ and a way of life that is laid out in and a way of life that is laid out in colossians three all associated with colossians three all associated with that garment that garment there were some even in sardis there were some even in sardis who continued to labor according to who continued to labor according to what was associated with their garment what was associated with their garment christ christ with love with dedication with love with dedication you notice what he's saying thou hast a you notice what he's saying thou hast a few names in sardis few names in sardis he's saying people other than the he's saying people other than the arranging board arranging board who's he talking about you know your brethren on the board you have even in is a few names have even in is a few names so he's not talking about them so he's not talking about them he's talking about people other than the he's talking about people other than the arranging brethren arranging brethren there were some there were some in the ecclesia who continued to in the ecclesia who continued to labor the elderly brother or sister whose understanding of the truth is simple and basic simple and basic but who in kindness but who in kindness is always doing what little he or she is always doing what little he or she can can to relieve the pain the sorrow to relieve the pain the sorrow the grief of mind the grief of mind that other brothers and sisters have that other brothers and sisters have in the ecclesia in the ecclesia that person will go into the kingdom that person will go into the kingdom ahead of me ahead of me far ahead of me to care for the needs of the ecclesia so that it is not an academic thing so that it is not an academic thing it is not an exercise in studiousness it is not an exercise in studiousness and scholarship and scholarship it's real everyday life it's real everyday life and looking after the needs of those who and looking after the needs of those who are every day ordinary people are every day ordinary people with an with an extraordinary hope extraordinary hope the truth is not a body of principles the truth is not a body of principles that are believed that are believed the truth is a body of principles that the truth is a body of principles that are done are done that's what we believe that's what we believe we are believers who do things we are believers who do things the world consists of people who the world consists of people who believe principles that are flexible believe principles that are flexible that change according to the whims and that change according to the whims and circumstances circumstances of the age in which they are living but of the age in which they are living but our principles do not change we've been our principles do not change we've been told that by brother tennant brother told that by brother tennant brother peter told us that this morning peter told us that this morning we need to think about why we live in we need to think about why we live in ecclesias ecclesias what is the reason for having ecclesias what is the reason for having ecclesias it is to give forth light within and it is to give forth light within and without without and the light involves keeping the light and the light involves keeping the light shining when people are in darkness shining when people are in darkness in dark times in dark times the world is in darkness yes our the world is in darkness yes our brethren and sisters can be in brethren and sisters can be in situations of darkness situations of darkness and if we ignore them and if we ignore them or wait for them to spiral out of or wait for them to spiral out of control control if we wait for divorce and remarriage to if we wait for divorce and remarriage to come up without doing something in the come up without doing something in the beginning beginning to not to not or to do everything in our power to or to do everything in our power to prevent that from happening prevent that from happening then we're beginning to do our jobs then we're beginning to do our jobs as arranging brethren as arranging brethren and as ecclesias he says thou hast a few names even in sardis they shall walk with me they shall walk with me in white in white for they are worthy who walked in white for they are worthy who walked in white the priests in israel the priests in israel brothers and sisters brothers and sisters they walked in white they walked in white they labored they labored they instructed they instructed they purified they purified and they offered sacrifice for the and they offered sacrifice for the people people continually continually day in and day out day in and day out so these people were doing the labor of so these people were doing the labor of priests they would be clothed and made priests they would be clothed and made priests priests in the time when we shall be kings and in the time when we shall be kings and priests in god's kingdom priests in god's kingdom he that overcometh he that overcometh laziness laziness unwillingness to labor unwillingness to labor the desire to pass off responsibility the desire to pass off responsibility and problems to other people because i'm and problems to other people because i'm doing all i can what i'm doing is enough doing all i can what i'm doing is enough he that overcometh that frame of mind he that overcometh that frame of mind the same shall be clothed in white the same shall be clothed in white raymond he will be a priest raymond he will be a priest because our job is to labor in the because our job is to labor in the kingdom not to sit back and relax kingdom not to sit back and relax so we must be doing now what we will do so we must be doing now what we will do in the kingdom now is the time to learn in the kingdom now is the time to learn what we will do what we will do if we want to be priests and kings if we want to be priests and kings we've got to labor as they were meant to we've got to labor as they were meant to and i will not blot his name out of the and i will not blot his name out of the book of life every roman city every book of life every roman city every asian city had a book in which all that asian city had a book in which all that was citizens were registered was citizens were registered and if a person died the name stayed on and if a person died the name stayed on the register the family name the register the family name but if somebody for crimes but if somebody for crimes was no longer considered to be a citizen was no longer considered to be a citizen somebody refused to somebody refused to live up to their civic obligations live up to their civic obligations that name was expunged wiped off blotted that name was expunged wiped off blotted out out from the book of the city from the book of the city it's the same with us in the truth it's the same with us in the truth we have work to do brethren let us be we have work to do brethren let us be working working we have work to do sisters let us be we have work to do sisters let us be laboring laboring he that hath an ear to hear he that hath an ear to hear let him hear with the spirit saith unto let him hear with the spirit saith unto the ecclesias the ecclesias i will confess that person's name i will confess that person's name before my father and before the angels before my father and before the angels when you read luke chapter 12 as you do when you read luke chapter 12 as you do the readings or in your spare time the readings or in your spare time you will see that when christ talked you will see that when christ talked about confessing his name about confessing his name he talked about preaching the truth he talked about preaching the truth being willing to admit i am a disciple being willing to admit i am a disciple of christ jesus is lord i believe in him of christ jesus is lord i believe in him i am looking for him to come but he that refuses and denies christ refuses and denies christ that person will be denied before that person will be denied before christ's father and the angels christ's father and the angels so the sardians were not so the sardians were not preaching the truth preaching the truth that's why christ says this they didn't need to they didn't feel the need to need to they'd grown soft they'd grown soft well well the public isn't responding they don't the public isn't responding they don't come out to the lectures anymore come out to the lectures anymore let's stop having lectures why look what let's stop having lectures why look what what are we bothering to come out on a what are we bothering to come out on a sunday evening to have lectures for sunday evening to have lectures for nobody comes out why don't we just mail out a hundred thousand invitations to a a hundred thousand invitations to a lecture rather than going out ourselves lecture rather than going out ourselves to distribute to distribute pamphlets and leaflets and invitations pamphlets and leaflets and invitations but we don't need to do that we can use but we don't need to do that we can use the mail system the postal system the mail system the postal system we can we can we can we can we can we can get rid of our lectures and try and find get rid of our lectures and try and find some other way some time of preaching some other way some time of preaching the the truth if you've ever fallen prey to that truth if you've ever fallen prey to that way of thinking way of thinking then this is a message for you it's a then this is a message for you it's a message for me message for me i need this message let us listen to what the spirit said unto the ecclesiastes