1 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,520 Well, we're back into Revelation 2 this evening, having 2 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,080 looked at the first two letters to the churches there in 3 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:21,520 Ephesus and Smyrna. 4 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,200 And now we're coming to Pergamum and Thyatira. 5 00:00:26,010 --> 00:00:31,610 I remember hearing a Baptist preacher preach on this section of 6 00:00:31,610 --> 00:00:34,570 the letter one summer up in Coleraine at New Horizon. 7 00:00:34,970 --> 00:00:38,730 And every time he said Thyatira in his Scottish accent, 8 00:00:38,730 --> 00:00:41,530 it just sounded like it was a place you would want to live in. 9 00:00:41,930 --> 00:00:43,770 Well, maybe for the Scottish, anyway. 10 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:48,930 But it was a wonderful time to learn about these seven letters to 11 00:00:48,930 --> 00:00:49,690 the churches. 12 00:00:50,570 --> 00:00:53,890 And one of the things that was drawn out, and I hope you've seen 13 00:00:53,890 --> 00:00:54,170 that. 14 00:00:54,170 --> 00:00:56,960 I know we've had a few weeks on, a few weeks off just with the 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:58,200 different things that have been going on. 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,400 But right from the very beginning, John is painting a picture 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,640 for us of who Jesus is. 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:10,080 He's communicating what is the identity of Jesus to us as a people 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,040 who are waiting his return. 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,240 And I think we will all be aware that the ability to identify 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:18,840 people is an important thing. 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,840 Babies are able to recognize not necessarily people, but certainly 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,720 facial patterns of their parents within just a few weeks. 24 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,900 It is interesting that they lose that ability as they then start 25 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:32,580 to identify features. 26 00:01:33,060 --> 00:01:37,220 So there's a difference between facial patterns and features. 27 00:01:38,180 --> 00:01:41,220 We learn what our school teacher looks like and particularly 28 00:01:41,220 --> 00:01:42,860 for our P1s and P2s. 29 00:01:42,860 --> 00:01:45,660 They recognize them immediately when out in the playground 30 00:01:45,660 --> 00:01:49,060 and they need someone to care for them. 31 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:55,510 We know the facial features of our spouses and our children, and 32 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:59,470 it's frightening when you see your own facial expressions repeated 33 00:01:59,470 --> 00:02:00,990 in your children's faces. 34 00:02:01,550 --> 00:02:04,150 And even over this weekend, we've been presented with the image 35 00:02:04,150 --> 00:02:07,630 of a man incorrectly released from prison so that he would be identified 36 00:02:07,630 --> 00:02:08,510 and apprehended. 37 00:02:08,990 --> 00:02:13,510 The identity has been revealed so that we will know what to look 38 00:02:13,510 --> 00:02:14,110 out for. 39 00:02:15,310 --> 00:02:18,630 A few weeks ago, I shared my embarrassing story of walking up 40 00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:22,230 to someone, a lady, all confidently saying the name that 41 00:02:22,230 --> 00:02:26,100 I thought should be the name, only to be met with a blank look 42 00:02:26,100 --> 00:02:29,340 and a quiet, oh, sorry, I have the wrong person. 43 00:02:29,980 --> 00:02:32,660 And what was worse, I had to go back and tell Pamela of my silly 44 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:34,220 mistake and have her laugh at me. 45 00:02:34,940 --> 00:02:37,740 But, you know, we can be so confident, and I know at the door 46 00:02:37,740 --> 00:02:39,660 I'm so confident trying to say your name. 47 00:02:39,660 --> 00:02:40,780 And sometimes I'll get it right. 48 00:02:40,780 --> 00:02:42,300 Hopefully most of the times I'll get it right. 49 00:02:42,380 --> 00:02:45,180 And sometimes I'm going to call you wrong, and I'm so sorry. 50 00:02:45,180 --> 00:02:48,460 And sometimes your name comes to me three steps after you're away. 51 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:50,620 Identity is Important. 52 00:02:50,940 --> 00:02:53,140 It's important for the person you're meeting, but it's important 53 00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:57,410 for you because you want to be most times recognized. 54 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:01,250 You want to be called by your name. 55 00:03:02,370 --> 00:03:05,890 And so we know the value that our identity has. 56 00:03:08,370 --> 00:03:11,730 And that's what this chapter or the first chapter of Revelation 57 00:03:12,290 --> 00:03:13,090 has been about. 58 00:03:13,890 --> 00:03:18,010 The vision of the Son of Man that John received was to tell us 59 00:03:18,010 --> 00:03:22,070 not what Jesus looks like in a reality, but but was an image presented 60 00:03:22,070 --> 00:03:26,790 to John and us of what the character and nature of Christ is. 61 00:03:27,510 --> 00:03:30,990 And in the two churches this evening, Pergamum and Thyatira, we 62 00:03:30,990 --> 00:03:35,510 see two of these descriptions of Jesus being used again and a deeper 63 00:03:35,510 --> 00:03:37,430 understanding of what they mean. 64 00:03:37,590 --> 00:03:41,190 And the whole purpose being that the church should not mistaken 65 00:03:41,270 --> 00:03:45,990 Jesus for who he truly is, nor ignore what he has to say. 66 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,120 And so as we think of these two churches, we think of the word 67 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:51,920 identity. 68 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,120 Who is Jesus? 69 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,680 Now we all have an idea, perhaps from the hymn that we used 70 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:01,200 to sing. 71 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,440 Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, look upon a little child. 72 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,600 And so we think of Jesus as this long haired man sitting in a 73 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,620 meadow with flowers around and, and you know, cuddling a lamb 74 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:14,620 or holding a lamb. 75 00:04:14,940 --> 00:04:19,260 And so we have those images of who Jesus is, but in reality, is 76 00:04:19,260 --> 00:04:20,460 that who Jesus is? 77 00:04:20,460 --> 00:04:22,940 Because John gives us a very different picture. 78 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:26,300 Because the Jesus that we meet this evening does not appear to be 79 00:04:26,300 --> 00:04:27,340 meek and mild. 80 00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:33,540 Yes, this morning in Exodus we saw that God is patient, but there 81 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:37,780 comes a moment where his patience, it won't run out, but it 82 00:04:37,780 --> 00:04:41,820 is challenged enough for him to respond and react to the one who 83 00:04:41,820 --> 00:04:43,180 is disobedient to him. 84 00:04:44,460 --> 00:04:48,460 So identity of Jesus is important for the churches that we're 85 00:04:48,460 --> 00:04:50,380 reading about, but it's also important for us. 86 00:04:50,380 --> 00:04:53,780 And so we begin with the church in Thyatara. 87 00:04:53,780 --> 00:04:56,339 And I always like to put this map up so that you can see where 88 00:04:56,339 --> 00:04:56,700 we are. 89 00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:00,980 Remember, Patmos is there in that white box on the map to the 90 00:05:00,980 --> 00:05:01,180 left. 91 00:05:01,180 --> 00:05:04,740 And then as you move across, all the churches go kind of the closest 92 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:07,290 first moving out towards those furthest away. 93 00:05:07,290 --> 00:05:09,890 And the church at Pergamum has been faithful. 94 00:05:10,370 --> 00:05:14,650 It's been faithful despite of severe persecution which may have 95 00:05:14,650 --> 00:05:18,690 come because of their refusal to participate in the imperial cult. 96 00:05:19,090 --> 00:05:23,170 Now that imperial cult was worship of the emperor who called 97 00:05:23,170 --> 00:05:27,370 himself a deity, whoever the Caesar was at the time they were 98 00:05:27,370 --> 00:05:28,210 to be worshipped. 99 00:05:29,010 --> 00:05:32,050 Now we read in this passage of a man called Antipas. 100 00:05:32,820 --> 00:05:35,620 He had given his life for the sake of Jesus Christ. 101 00:05:36,100 --> 00:05:38,820 He was persecuted because of what he believed. 102 00:05:39,780 --> 00:05:45,060 Yet on the other hand, the church that is standing strong despite 103 00:05:45,220 --> 00:05:51,380 severe persecution, is compromising their faith by eating 104 00:05:51,380 --> 00:05:55,060 food sacrificed to idols and participating in sexual immorality. 105 00:05:55,540 --> 00:05:58,660 And what the call to them is to repent of such actions, to avoid 106 00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:01,860 judgment and so gain entrance into eternal life. 107 00:06:02,740 --> 00:06:08,100 Pergamum boasted temples for the goddess Roma and the divine Augustus. 108 00:06:08,820 --> 00:06:13,700 Aspilochus or Asclepius as he sometimes called God of healing, 109 00:06:13,940 --> 00:06:17,340 had a temple and Zeus also had a temple dedicated to them. 110 00:06:17,340 --> 00:06:21,060 And anytime you see a temple of Zeus, Zeus is sitting on a throne. 111 00:06:21,540 --> 00:06:26,670 So when we come to hear of the throne of Satan in Pergamum, the 112 00:06:26,670 --> 00:06:30,350 image to us is giving of that false God sitting on a hill outside 113 00:06:30,350 --> 00:06:36,150 the city, overlooking everything on his carved throne. 114 00:06:37,670 --> 00:06:42,070 This was quite literally a city that was surrounded by Greek 115 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:42,630 gods. 116 00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:45,990 And the pressure for the Christians in Pergamum was to bow 117 00:06:45,990 --> 00:06:48,150 the knee to these gods. 118 00:06:48,150 --> 00:06:48,870 It was strong. 119 00:06:50,230 --> 00:06:53,870 And most of the Greco Roman world, they would have melded these 120 00:06:53,870 --> 00:06:54,510 gods together. 121 00:06:54,510 --> 00:06:56,750 There was no one God they would have worshipped. 122 00:06:56,750 --> 00:07:00,370 And so they happened happily chose and mixed these gods together 123 00:07:00,370 --> 00:07:04,450 up in some kind of happy pick and mix that suited them. 124 00:07:04,450 --> 00:07:06,930 And it would have been different, a different ingredient 125 00:07:07,090 --> 00:07:08,050 for each person. 126 00:07:10,050 --> 00:07:14,089 They worshiped and served the gods that they had before them and 127 00:07:14,089 --> 00:07:16,410 they enlisted the aid of any God that could help them. 128 00:07:16,410 --> 00:07:19,730 They weren't even committed to the gods they claimed to worship. 129 00:07:20,290 --> 00:07:22,930 And you see, this is what was different for the Christians. 130 00:07:23,900 --> 00:07:28,500 They stood apart, they were different because they refused to 131 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:33,540 recognize any God apart from the one true God who had revealed 132 00:07:33,540 --> 00:07:36,060 himself in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. 133 00:07:37,180 --> 00:07:38,700 This is Pergamum. 134 00:07:39,580 --> 00:07:43,500 This is the church to which Jesus speaks and John communicates 135 00:07:43,660 --> 00:07:44,620 that message. 136 00:07:44,940 --> 00:07:46,940 And so we're told in verse 12. 137 00:07:47,100 --> 00:07:50,700 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum, write the words of him 138 00:07:50,860 --> 00:07:54,010 who has the sharp two edged sword. 139 00:07:55,290 --> 00:07:59,450 The image of the sword here represents Jesus words. 140 00:08:00,090 --> 00:08:03,290 And Jesus words are penetrating to the deepest level. 141 00:08:03,290 --> 00:08:06,930 We've seen this sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus in the 142 00:08:06,930 --> 00:08:07,930 previous image. 143 00:08:08,170 --> 00:08:11,050 And what it's telling us against the church of Pergamum is 144 00:08:11,050 --> 00:08:15,890 that Jesus will judge and he will destroy by his word those who 145 00:08:15,890 --> 00:08:19,130 side with the emperor and or any other idol. 146 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,920 He will strike down the nations with this sharp sword. 147 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:30,000 So what comes next will quite literally be cutting for the church. 148 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,280 Now Jesus starts by saying that he knows where they dwell and 149 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,680 he knows that Satan's throne is in the midst of their city. 150 00:08:38,560 --> 00:08:42,000 A throne we know is where a king or an emperor rules from. 151 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,280 It is quite literally their seat of authority. 152 00:08:47,660 --> 00:08:52,180 And so we have in this place that is so twisted and entwined into 153 00:08:52,180 --> 00:08:56,820 the imperial cult of worshipping the emperor, that they 154 00:08:56,820 --> 00:08:59,740 have Satan on his throne all around them. 155 00:09:00,460 --> 00:09:04,540 It's a city that it seems that Satan is ruling and reigning. 156 00:09:05,180 --> 00:09:08,940 But in the midst of this pressure to bar and submit to these 157 00:09:08,940 --> 00:09:12,940 false gods, the Church has stood firm to the truth of the gospel. 158 00:09:13,900 --> 00:09:15,740 But as we've said, there has been persecution. 159 00:09:16,220 --> 00:09:18,540 And Antipas was killed for his faith. 160 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:22,500 And because of that, though the Church didn't run away and hide 161 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:26,220 and walk away from faith, they actually became stronger. 162 00:09:26,460 --> 00:09:29,180 They kept living it out in a pagan world. 163 00:09:30,620 --> 00:09:33,660 So we must be mindful of this, and we've said it before, we don't 164 00:09:33,660 --> 00:09:35,260 face hard persecution. 165 00:09:35,260 --> 00:09:39,980 We may face soft persecution by how our governments around us 166 00:09:40,630 --> 00:09:42,150 have laws that we don't agree with. 167 00:09:42,150 --> 00:09:46,710 And when we take a stand for our free speech, we are cut down. 168 00:09:47,830 --> 00:09:49,830 But we must stand firm in faith. 169 00:09:50,790 --> 00:09:52,950 It's not punishment when we're not heard. 170 00:09:53,590 --> 00:09:58,310 We need to trust in God, for he is the one, as we've just sung, 171 00:09:58,950 --> 00:10:02,390 who will not stand on that day when Christ stands as the victor. 172 00:10:03,590 --> 00:10:10,230 So Christian, keep going in the faith, keep standing strong in 173 00:10:10,230 --> 00:10:17,430 Christ, and do not bow the knee to any other idol or false God. 174 00:10:18,790 --> 00:10:21,910 But as we know from reading the passage, things are not good. 175 00:10:22,630 --> 00:10:27,110 Verse 14 tells us that Jesus has a few things against them. 176 00:10:27,430 --> 00:10:31,750 The first charge is that some hold to the teaching of Balaam. 177 00:10:31,990 --> 00:10:35,870 Now John is bringing us back here to the biblical story of Balaam 178 00:10:35,870 --> 00:10:39,900 in numbers, chapters 22 through to chapter 24. 179 00:10:40,300 --> 00:10:44,500 And Balaam was prevented by the Spirit of God from cursing Israel, 180 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:48,340 even though he wanted to and was compelled to bless them. 181 00:10:48,340 --> 00:10:51,300 But he found another way to subvert Israel. 182 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:55,420 He incited Israel to join with the Moabites in their sacrifices 183 00:10:55,740 --> 00:10:57,340 and sexual immorality. 184 00:10:57,820 --> 00:11:00,460 Sounds familiar as what's going on in pergamum. 185 00:11:00,620 --> 00:11:03,540 And he wanted them to do this numerous times as recorded for us 186 00:11:03,540 --> 00:11:06,300 there in Numbers 25 and Numbers 31. 187 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:12,100 But the outcome of this leading astray by Balaam, 24,000 188 00:11:12,180 --> 00:11:15,380 were killed in Israel for their unfaithfulness. 189 00:11:16,420 --> 00:11:19,780 And so now move forward to this letter to the Church in pergamum 190 00:11:19,780 --> 00:11:21,460 and thereby the letter to us. 191 00:11:21,620 --> 00:11:25,060 Jesus is telling the Church that the history of Israel was replicating 192 00:11:25,060 --> 00:11:25,540 itself. 193 00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:29,740 For some in the church were participating in worship in pagan 194 00:11:29,740 --> 00:11:32,260 temples and indulging in sexual immorality. 195 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:36,980 And they didn't merely do what was wrong, but also propagated their 196 00:11:36,980 --> 00:11:38,420 view by instructing others. 197 00:11:38,980 --> 00:11:40,900 This wasn't something that was just for them. 198 00:11:40,900 --> 00:11:42,660 They were encouraging others to come along. 199 00:11:43,300 --> 00:11:47,460 Both their words and Their actions functioned, as John records 200 00:11:47,460 --> 00:11:51,620 for us here, as a stumbling block for the believers. 201 00:11:53,060 --> 00:11:57,140 Now stumbling here isn't a mild misstep. 202 00:11:58,590 --> 00:12:02,630 It refers to losing one's final reward by falling away from 203 00:12:02,630 --> 00:12:06,630 the Gospel of Jesus Christ, something that Paul calls making 204 00:12:06,630 --> 00:12:08,990 shipwreck of your faith. 205 00:12:10,430 --> 00:12:16,030 Because those who follow false teachers will be judged by the words 206 00:12:16,030 --> 00:12:21,470 of Jesus, that sharp two edged sword, if they don't repent. 207 00:12:22,510 --> 00:12:27,340 Those who compromise aren't falling short in some trivial way. 208 00:12:28,380 --> 00:12:32,780 Their future reward is called into question because of their unfaithfulness. 209 00:12:34,620 --> 00:12:35,580 But there's more. 210 00:12:35,820 --> 00:12:38,620 It's not just Balaam that's an issue for them. 211 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:42,140 We meet the group that we've met before called the Nicolasians, 212 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:44,780 and it seems much like the Church in Ephesus. 213 00:12:44,780 --> 00:12:47,940 Here in Pergamum, the Nicoletians have been able to influence 214 00:12:47,940 --> 00:12:51,180 the church and as we said a few weeks ago, we have very little 215 00:12:51,180 --> 00:12:53,340 information about who these Nicolaitans are. 216 00:12:53,930 --> 00:12:57,370 Now some have identified a connection to the proselyte Nicholas, 217 00:12:57,530 --> 00:13:01,730 who was appointed to help the Hellenists, the Hellenistic widows 218 00:13:01,730 --> 00:13:05,490 of the early Church, in that distribution that they had called 219 00:13:05,490 --> 00:13:07,530 for in Acts 6 and Verse 5. 220 00:13:07,850 --> 00:13:12,410 Well, if this connection is accurate, as many do believe, Nicholas 221 00:13:12,490 --> 00:13:15,610 must have later departed from the faith that he confessed. 222 00:13:16,090 --> 00:13:19,450 Perhaps the teaching was the same as the teaching of Balaam, because 223 00:13:19,450 --> 00:13:23,630 interestingly, Balaam in the Hebrew and Nicolasians in the Greek 224 00:13:24,030 --> 00:13:25,550 both mean the same thing. 225 00:13:26,510 --> 00:13:29,470 Conqueror or conquer the people. 226 00:13:29,550 --> 00:13:30,670 Conqueror of the people. 227 00:13:31,630 --> 00:13:36,430 And so here we have two groups whose name means that they will conquer 228 00:13:36,430 --> 00:13:36,910 the people. 229 00:13:38,110 --> 00:13:41,950 Is that not what sexual immorality aims to do? 230 00:13:42,270 --> 00:13:45,790 Is that not what the worship of idols aims to do? 231 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:48,840 It desires to conquer. 232 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:51,920 It is interesting. 233 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,880 I've been reading in preparation for Reformation Day on 234 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,840 31st October, I've been reading Martin Luther's Bondage of 235 00:13:58,840 --> 00:13:59,240 the Will. 236 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:02,360 If that's a book that you haven't heard of, it's been translated 237 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:03,160 numerous times. 238 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,800 And the striking opening chapter or so of it, or the first 239 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:12,840 opening paragraphs is that humanity thinks it's free, but humanity's 240 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:13,640 never been free. 241 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:20,080 We are either someone in Christ or we are bound to Satan. 242 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,600 The bondage of the will is automatically to Satan because we 243 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,440 are born in sin and shapen in iniquity. 244 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,560 And ultimately isn't that what Satan wants to do through idolatry 245 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:30,800 and sexual immorality? 246 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:36,720 To conquer the people, to pull them away from God? 247 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:42,150 And so this false teaching of Balaam and the Nicolasians desires 248 00:14:42,150 --> 00:14:43,470 to draw God's people away. 249 00:14:44,830 --> 00:14:48,670 But there is hope, and the hope comes in the form of a command 250 00:14:48,910 --> 00:14:49,830 to the church. 251 00:14:49,830 --> 00:14:56,430 In verse 16, Jesus says, Therefore repent. 252 00:14:58,670 --> 00:15:02,670 He goes on to say, if not, I will come to you soon and war against 253 00:15:02,750 --> 00:15:04,590 them with the sword of my mouth. 254 00:15:05,390 --> 00:15:07,310 So there is an opportunity to repent. 255 00:15:08,090 --> 00:15:10,970 There is yet time, there is yet patience to repent. 256 00:15:11,130 --> 00:15:13,250 The Christians who have allowed themselves to be influenced 257 00:15:13,250 --> 00:15:17,330 by these false prophets and false teachers can return to the 258 00:15:17,330 --> 00:15:20,330 Lord and his Gospel and know full restoration. 259 00:15:20,970 --> 00:15:25,050 They can know that wonderful assurance that only Christ can give 260 00:15:25,290 --> 00:15:29,050 that they are his children and that they can rest in his loving 261 00:15:29,050 --> 00:15:29,530 arms. 262 00:15:30,890 --> 00:15:33,610 But we also have this warning that we can't ignore, because if 263 00:15:33,610 --> 00:15:38,210 they don't repent, then they will know the full judgment of Christ 264 00:15:38,210 --> 00:15:40,290 as those who turned from him. 265 00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:44,050 He is the one who will speak judgment against them. 266 00:15:44,690 --> 00:15:49,250 He is the one who will declare them sinners and their sin needing 267 00:15:49,250 --> 00:15:50,130 to be punished. 268 00:15:50,689 --> 00:15:53,650 And because they have rejected him, it will not be under Christ 269 00:15:53,650 --> 00:15:56,730 which they will stand for that forgiveness of sins and that punishment 270 00:15:56,730 --> 00:15:57,490 taken by Him. 271 00:15:58,210 --> 00:16:01,570 They will have to receive that punishment themselves. 272 00:16:02,820 --> 00:16:05,940 You see, Jesus says he is coming soon, and they must pay attention 273 00:16:06,180 --> 00:16:07,220 to what he says. 274 00:16:08,260 --> 00:16:13,900 This sword in Jesus mouth, these are the mighty words that he 275 00:16:13,900 --> 00:16:14,580 speaks. 276 00:16:15,060 --> 00:16:19,300 This is the sword that will be wielded against those who have given 277 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:21,060 themselves over to evil. 278 00:16:21,620 --> 00:16:24,820 And as with all the churches, the Christians in pergamum are told 279 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:28,260 to pay attention because Jesus says, he who has an ear, let him 280 00:16:28,260 --> 00:16:30,340 hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 281 00:16:31,220 --> 00:16:35,060 To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. 282 00:16:35,220 --> 00:16:39,660 And I will give him a white stone with a new name written on 283 00:16:39,660 --> 00:16:43,700 the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. 284 00:16:44,660 --> 00:16:48,100 Now, here we have two things that maybe we're not familiar with. 285 00:16:48,740 --> 00:16:50,260 In the first instance, we. 286 00:16:50,260 --> 00:16:53,820 I'm sure as soon as we hear manna, we'll automatically take them 287 00:16:53,820 --> 00:16:54,780 back to Exodus. 288 00:16:54,780 --> 00:16:57,940 And so once again, we will allow scripture to interpret Scripture. 289 00:16:57,940 --> 00:17:00,730 And as to what it means, the white stones are slightly different 290 00:17:00,730 --> 00:17:01,170 for us. 291 00:17:01,170 --> 00:17:02,730 And we'll come to that in a moment. 292 00:17:03,290 --> 00:17:05,690 Hidden manna, white stones. 293 00:17:06,250 --> 00:17:11,050 The hidden manna will have that connection that manna of God 294 00:17:11,050 --> 00:17:15,290 rained down on his people during their 40 years in the wilderness. 295 00:17:15,770 --> 00:17:20,530 That manna signified God's provision for them each and every 296 00:17:20,530 --> 00:17:20,890 day. 297 00:17:21,210 --> 00:17:24,690 And so God here is promising these people who might have been 298 00:17:24,690 --> 00:17:27,650 afraid that they would lose their livelihoods, that their refusal 299 00:17:27,650 --> 00:17:31,790 to compromise now would result in receiving his heavenly provision 300 00:17:31,790 --> 00:17:32,870 in the age to come. 301 00:17:33,110 --> 00:17:34,950 This was the assurance that they need. 302 00:17:36,550 --> 00:17:40,310 And so God is assuring them that even though they will face things 303 00:17:40,310 --> 00:17:44,110 in this world, he is the one who will continue to provide now 304 00:17:44,110 --> 00:17:46,710 for them and in eternity. 305 00:17:47,590 --> 00:17:51,710 So just as the children of Israel depended on manna, that blessing 306 00:17:51,710 --> 00:17:56,390 from God, so too must God's people today depend on him for everything, 307 00:17:57,390 --> 00:18:01,470 so that they will know it now and in eternity in heaven. 308 00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:06,110 But the white stone is slightly different for us. 309 00:18:07,550 --> 00:18:11,110 And in the ancient world, the white stone was used on different 310 00:18:11,110 --> 00:18:11,790 occasions. 311 00:18:13,390 --> 00:18:16,590 The first is a white ceremonial stone called a tessera 312 00:18:16,990 --> 00:18:20,190 had a number of different meanings, and each one could be applied 313 00:18:20,190 --> 00:18:21,630 to those who overcome. 314 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:26,040 Champions in athletic games in John's day were given a white stone. 315 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,960 So perhaps this promise communicates that they would overcome 316 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,720 the temptation to compromise, that they could anticipate receiving 317 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,680 recognition of their victory from Jesus. 318 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,440 White stones were given as a token of admission to pagan feasts 319 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:40,280 and festivals. 320 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,120 So while they might not be welcomed into the pagan feasts of 321 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:47,800 Pergamum, they could be assured of a place at the table at 322 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,320 the marriage supper of the Lamb. 323 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,360 Additionally, white stones were used in courts of law, as jurors 324 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:57,720 would vote for acquittal by setting forth white stone, in contrast 325 00:18:57,720 --> 00:18:59,600 to a black stone, for conviction. 326 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,840 So while like Antipas, they might be convicted in the courts 327 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,360 of pergamum, they could be assured that the courts of heaven 328 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,800 would be the ones that would declare them not guilty, all because 329 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:12,560 of Jesus Christ. 330 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,790 Two images, two wonderful images to encourage God's people 331 00:19:19,110 --> 00:19:23,430 that to remain with him will be a great reward. 332 00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:29,750 And this is what we see also in the letter to the church in Thyatira. 333 00:19:30,390 --> 00:19:34,790 Now, Thyatira was not a major city in the Roman world, but it was 334 00:19:34,790 --> 00:19:38,950 known for its trade guilds, especially in metalworking and textiles. 335 00:19:39,670 --> 00:19:43,430 Believers were clearly tempted to compromise in order to belong 336 00:19:43,430 --> 00:19:44,390 to such guilds. 337 00:19:44,390 --> 00:19:47,180 If they wanted to do business, they needed to be part of these guilds. 338 00:19:47,650 --> 00:19:52,290 And we find here the only use of the phrase Son of God. 339 00:19:53,650 --> 00:19:58,770 The church is addressed by the one who is uniquely related to God. 340 00:19:59,170 --> 00:20:03,010 We've known him as the Son of Man, but he is the Son of God, son 341 00:20:03,010 --> 00:20:03,730 of the Father. 342 00:20:04,290 --> 00:20:07,970 The Gospel of John does emphasize Jesus as the Son of God. 343 00:20:08,210 --> 00:20:13,490 And so Jesus majesty and his authority of his words are underscored 344 00:20:13,490 --> 00:20:15,170 by the title that he's given here. 345 00:20:15,730 --> 00:20:18,770 This is perhaps in opposition to the so called glory of the Roman 346 00:20:18,770 --> 00:20:22,690 emperor as the Son of God, or in opposition to Apollo, the son 347 00:20:22,690 --> 00:20:26,210 of Zeus and a prominent deity in Thyatira. 348 00:20:27,090 --> 00:20:31,330 The Son of man is described here as one with eyes like a flame 349 00:20:31,490 --> 00:20:34,810 of fire and feet like burnished bronze. 350 00:20:34,810 --> 00:20:37,290 Once again, that image that was Given to us in chapter one, we 351 00:20:37,290 --> 00:20:38,210 now see here. 352 00:20:38,450 --> 00:20:39,890 Given to Thyatara. 353 00:20:40,290 --> 00:20:43,690 The flaming eyes of the son of man, who is also the son of God, 354 00:20:43,690 --> 00:20:46,690 reflect the intensity of his vision and holiness. 355 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,960 This means he won't tolerate any evil. 356 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:57,520 This is especially fitting message for the compromisers in Thyatara. 357 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,600 Not only does he refuse to compromise with evil, but he will 358 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,160 crush and destroy those who oppose him. 359 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:10,480 His bronze feet are of a metal far superior to any made in Thyatira, 360 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,800 where military grade brass was made. 361 00:21:13,580 --> 00:21:18,140 And no one can stand before the feet of him who tramples those 362 00:21:18,620 --> 00:21:20,460 who do evil. 363 00:21:21,740 --> 00:21:23,940 So this is the context of Thyatira. 364 00:21:23,940 --> 00:21:28,300 But as we have come to expect, there is a commendation for the church, 365 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:30,060 and it's in verse 19. 366 00:21:31,340 --> 00:21:36,340 I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient 367 00:21:36,340 --> 00:21:41,020 endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 368 00:21:42,380 --> 00:21:46,620 This is a church that is actually saluted for its works. 369 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:49,500 They're not a church sitting idly by. 370 00:21:49,820 --> 00:21:52,140 They're not a church sitting there doing nothing. 371 00:21:52,860 --> 00:21:55,900 Their actions testify to the reality of their faith. 372 00:21:56,540 --> 00:21:59,580 They differ from the church in Ephesus in being commended for their 373 00:21:59,580 --> 00:22:02,860 love, that is their love for God and for fellow believers. 374 00:22:03,100 --> 00:22:06,840 Because here in Thyatira, it's alive and radiant and it's driven 375 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,400 or it is driving their works of service. 376 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:15,160 They are faithful, they're engaged in service, and they're engaged 377 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,200 in love for one another as the people of God. 378 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:20,600 And they are enduring. 379 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,960 In fact, they're persevering in their life as Christians. 380 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,480 And what is perhaps most remarkable of all is their growth 381 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:29,960 as believers, because look what said. 382 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,240 They're making progress. 383 00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:35,970 Their works now exceed what they did as new believers. 384 00:22:36,530 --> 00:22:39,610 They're maturing, they're disciples, they're faithfully following 385 00:22:39,610 --> 00:22:40,770 the way of Jesus. 386 00:22:41,250 --> 00:22:44,290 And even though their commendation is limited to one verse, 387 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:47,890 the strengths of the Thyatira church cannot be missed. 388 00:22:48,130 --> 00:22:53,130 This is a living, vibrant church because it continues to be 389 00:22:53,130 --> 00:22:58,880 a church that is seeking Jesus and living out his way where they 390 00:22:58,880 --> 00:22:59,160 are. 391 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:01,640 But they're not perfect. 392 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:09,000 And so they need to look to the real Jesus to learn how to return 393 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,240 to him and live his way. 394 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,560 In spite of their love and in spite of their faith and service 395 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:15,880 and patient endurance. 396 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,560 There was a problem in the church and a problem with regards 397 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,480 to holiness because there was a toleration of sexual immorality, 398 00:23:24,180 --> 00:23:24,900 idolatry. 399 00:23:25,300 --> 00:23:28,580 Here we have another church that is plagued by these things. 400 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:32,460 And so, as we now know, Thyatara was a trade city with the 401 00:23:32,460 --> 00:23:33,060 guilds. 402 00:23:33,140 --> 00:23:37,780 And each guild paid homage to pagan gods, Christians who would 403 00:23:37,780 --> 00:23:42,140 Work in these guilds or in these trades would have been pressurized 404 00:23:42,140 --> 00:23:46,500 to participate in sacred festivals to these pagan gods, which 405 00:23:46,500 --> 00:23:49,780 would have included eating meals in their temples and participating 406 00:23:49,780 --> 00:23:53,840 in in sexual liaisons with temple prostitutes. 407 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:58,840 They had it all around them, and this has had an influence in 408 00:23:58,840 --> 00:23:59,440 the church. 409 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,960 And perhaps a woman in the church claiming to be a prophetess 410 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,720 who was encouraging the believers in the church to go ahead 411 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:09,280 and participate in these feasts in sexual immorality. 412 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,800 We have a name presented to us as Jezebel. 413 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:18,120 And calling her Jezebel was a way of connecting the nature of her 414 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:21,600 influence in the church to the Jezebel that we read about in First 415 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,580 Kings, who urged the Israelites to worship BAAL and Ashtaroth 416 00:24:25,820 --> 00:24:30,820 alongside the Lord, which also involved sexual liaisons at the pagan 417 00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:31,340 shrines. 418 00:24:32,220 --> 00:24:35,740 Essentially, the message of this person to those in the church 419 00:24:35,740 --> 00:24:39,420 was that they could do everything that their fellow citizens 420 00:24:39,420 --> 00:24:44,220 of Thyatira did, regardless of whether it met the standard of God 421 00:24:44,220 --> 00:24:44,700 or not. 422 00:24:45,500 --> 00:24:47,610 But this, of course, is not the Lord's way. 423 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,680 Verse 21 tells us that this person is an obstinate person who 424 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,560 is happy in her leading of others, in leading them astray. 425 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,560 She has been given the opportunity to repent, but she has 426 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:01,920 not. 427 00:25:03,679 --> 00:25:06,880 She will then face punishment for her sins, and so will her children, 428 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:10,080 her children being those who have followed her ways. 429 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,560 And this is a striking reality check for the believers and for us. 430 00:25:15,170 --> 00:25:19,250 We perhaps think that we can dabble in sin and get away with it, 431 00:25:20,050 --> 00:25:20,850 but we won't. 432 00:25:21,570 --> 00:25:25,490 We must be completely for the Lord and for his ways and not give 433 00:25:25,490 --> 00:25:27,890 in to the pull of the evil One. 434 00:25:29,010 --> 00:25:33,210 But there were those in Thyatira who were not following Jezebel's 435 00:25:33,210 --> 00:25:33,570 way. 436 00:25:34,450 --> 00:25:37,410 They would not be punished because they had remained faithful. 437 00:25:37,650 --> 00:25:42,810 Instead, they wrestled to hold fast to the Gospel and its truth. 438 00:25:44,170 --> 00:25:47,490 They were to live in it and know its deep joy. 439 00:25:47,490 --> 00:25:51,330 And Jesus goes on to say in verse 26, the one who conquers and 440 00:25:51,330 --> 00:25:56,490 who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority 441 00:25:56,809 --> 00:25:58,090 over the nations. 442 00:25:59,050 --> 00:26:02,850 Those who overcome those who triumph will be given authority over 443 00:26:02,850 --> 00:26:03,370 the nations. 444 00:26:03,370 --> 00:26:05,810 An image expanded in the following verse. 445 00:26:05,810 --> 00:26:10,950 In verse 27 in Daniel 7, 14, dominion and authority are given 446 00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:14,950 to the Son of Man, so that all peoples everywhere will serve Him. 447 00:26:15,830 --> 00:26:19,550 The remainder of the vision in Daniel 7 reveals the son of man sharing 448 00:26:19,550 --> 00:26:21,430 his rule with the saints. 449 00:26:21,990 --> 00:26:27,710 The saints will possess the kingdom and rule with Jesus as the 450 00:26:27,710 --> 00:26:28,310 Son of Man. 451 00:26:29,190 --> 00:26:33,440 So believers who gave their lives for the Lord Jesus will sit 452 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:35,680 on thrones and rule. 453 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,160 Paul says that saints will judge the world in First Corinthians 454 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:40,560 6 and verse 2. 455 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,280 And Jesus promises that those who follow him will rule over the 456 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,600 12 tribes of Israel in Matthew 19:28. 457 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,080 This is not a special reward reserved for special Christians. 458 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,160 All believers will enjoy this authority over the nations. 459 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,180 All those who enjoy eternal life will rule with Jesus as the 460 00:27:01,180 --> 00:27:01,940 Son of Man. 461 00:27:02,740 --> 00:27:05,740 The original mandate to rule the world, of course, was given to 462 00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:06,580 Adam and Eve. 463 00:27:07,140 --> 00:27:12,020 And this mandate will be realized by believers at the end 464 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:12,820 of time. 465 00:27:13,940 --> 00:27:17,620 Verse 28 tells us that believers will be given the morning 466 00:27:17,700 --> 00:27:19,620 star as part of their rule. 467 00:27:19,860 --> 00:27:24,260 And the morning star points us to Venus, which shines even before 468 00:27:24,260 --> 00:27:25,300 the sun rises. 469 00:27:26,060 --> 00:27:31,700 But here it refers to Jesus himself, as Revelation 22:16 explicitly 470 00:27:31,700 --> 00:27:36,740 says, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these 471 00:27:36,740 --> 00:27:37,100 things. 472 00:27:37,420 --> 00:27:38,620 For the churches. 473 00:27:39,020 --> 00:27:43,420 I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning 474 00:27:43,980 --> 00:27:44,380 star. 475 00:27:46,620 --> 00:27:51,580 It turns out that Jesus is the star prophesied by Balaam in numbers 476 00:27:51,580 --> 00:27:58,440 2417, the star who will crush all his enemies and rule forever. 477 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,960 The greatest reward believers receive is Jesus himself, and they 478 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,040 will reign with him. 479 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,280 And so the letter concludes with the words found in all seven 480 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,440 letters that believers must pay heed to. 481 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:16,200 The words that the Spirit is speaking to all the churches. 482 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,960 And this is our warning to pay attention. 483 00:28:21,650 --> 00:28:25,090 Both of these churches had members who were turning away and 484 00:28:25,090 --> 00:28:27,810 going after the idols and false gods of their time. 485 00:28:28,530 --> 00:28:31,890 And today we still have false gods and idols all around us. 486 00:28:32,770 --> 00:28:38,690 If we don't think that they are, then we need to wake up and 487 00:28:38,690 --> 00:28:42,090 open our eyes, because if they weren't here, then we would know 488 00:28:42,090 --> 00:28:43,890 a lot more people coming to faith. 489 00:28:44,690 --> 00:28:49,280 You see, the devil is cunning and he wants to pull you away from 490 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:49,640 Christ. 491 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:51,960 He wants you to get angry. 492 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:53,880 He wants you to gossip. 493 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,800 He wants you to speak negatively about the church and God's 494 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:57,080 people. 495 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:59,960 And he wants you to be critical and cynical. 496 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:02,600 This is not the way of Christ. 497 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:09,360 This is the way of the devil, the devil who wants to pull us away 498 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:10,360 from the Savior. 499 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,520 And you know, sometimes we slip into these things and we often 500 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:20,360 justify it as our opinion, but we either live by the standard of 501 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:21,520 Christ or we don't. 502 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,720 The question is, which will it be? 503 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:28,000 And this is a serious question that we must ask ourselves. 504 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,240 And I think everyone would want to answer it by saying that 505 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,080 we would want to live by the standard of Christ. 506 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:37,440 And this is what Peter says that we're to do in 1 Peter 2:21. 507 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:44,520 For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered 508 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,540 for you, leaving you an example so that you might Follow 509 00:29:48,540 --> 00:29:49,540 in His steps. 510 00:29:49,780 --> 00:29:51,140 Jesus has given us all. 511 00:29:51,140 --> 00:29:53,860 We need to stay close to him and follow in his ways. 512 00:29:53,860 --> 00:29:58,740 Because this is the Jesus whose identity we must know so that 513 00:29:58,740 --> 00:30:00,100 we can follow Him. 514 00:30:01,140 --> 00:30:06,620 Paul goes on to write in Colossians 1:15 17, he is the image 515 00:30:06,620 --> 00:30:09,060 of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 516 00:30:09,140 --> 00:30:12,980 For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible 517 00:30:12,980 --> 00:30:13,820 and invisible. 518 00:30:13,820 --> 00:30:17,630 Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things 519 00:30:17,630 --> 00:30:20,510 were created through him and for him. 520 00:30:21,390 --> 00:30:22,310 Who's Jesus? 521 00:30:22,310 --> 00:30:23,270 What's his identity? 522 00:30:23,270 --> 00:30:24,510 Will we recognize Him? 523 00:30:26,350 --> 00:30:30,270 Well, Peter says we do when we follow in his ways. 524 00:30:30,750 --> 00:30:35,270 And Paul says, well, we must know him because indeed he is the 525 00:30:35,270 --> 00:30:39,630 image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 526 00:30:41,710 --> 00:30:43,710 Do you know Jesus this evening? 527 00:30:45,130 --> 00:30:47,370 Do you know him for who he truly is? 528 00:30:48,570 --> 00:30:51,570 Do you know him that he will indeed be that judge with that two 529 00:30:51,570 --> 00:30:52,730 edged sword? 530 00:30:54,410 --> 00:30:59,290 Will you know him as the One who has eyes blazing where he is 531 00:30:59,290 --> 00:31:02,890 truly holy and cannot cannot have evil? 532 00:31:04,250 --> 00:31:07,570 And will you know him as the one with burnished bronze feet who 533 00:31:07,570 --> 00:31:10,250 indeed will stamp out and crush evil? 534 00:31:11,910 --> 00:31:16,590 See, there's an interesting line in the church to Thyatira, a 535 00:31:16,590 --> 00:31:20,670 wake up call to us of what it means to know the true identity of 536 00:31:20,670 --> 00:31:22,390 Jesus and to hold fast to Him. 537 00:31:23,030 --> 00:31:27,710 Because if we don't, then we will know his wrath and we will know 538 00:31:27,710 --> 00:31:32,310 that eternal punishment and you know, life in this world is not 539 00:31:32,310 --> 00:31:33,030 worth that. 540 00:31:33,830 --> 00:31:35,990 We must follow Christ and Him alone. 541 00:31:36,580 --> 00:31:40,100 For all things were created through him and for Him. 542 00:31:40,660 --> 00:31:44,020 He calls us to draw onto him, each and every one of us, whoever 543 00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:47,620 we are, so that we will grow more and more in love and we will 544 00:31:47,620 --> 00:31:51,780 know this glorious hope that will see us through this rotten world 545 00:31:52,580 --> 00:31:55,700 and bring us into the glory of heaven. 546 00:31:57,380 --> 00:32:02,860 I challenge each of us tonight to think deeply about Christ, to 547 00:32:02,860 --> 00:32:07,020 look and see if we are bowing the knee to other idols, idols that 548 00:32:07,020 --> 00:32:11,220 maybe are not statues that we worship, but maybe more so idols 549 00:32:11,220 --> 00:32:11,700 of heart. 550 00:32:13,540 --> 00:32:14,820 Are we bowing to them? 551 00:32:14,820 --> 00:32:16,580 Are we submitting to them? 552 00:32:16,980 --> 00:32:20,300 Because if we are, we need to repent and we need to come onto the 553 00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:23,300 Lord and we need to look ever to Him. 554 00:32:24,660 --> 00:32:25,780 Will you trust Him? 555 00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:27,380 Will you love Him? 556 00:32:28,430 --> 00:32:34,750 Will you have ears to hear what is said to the churches, yes, 557 00:32:34,750 --> 00:32:38,670 the seven in Revelation, but to the churches throughout all of 558 00:32:38,670 --> 00:32:38,990 time. 559 00:32:39,710 --> 00:32:40,510 Let's pray. 560 00:32:40,910 --> 00:32:44,870 Our Father God, we thank you for your word that challenges us 561 00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:46,750 to pay attention to who you are. 562 00:32:47,390 --> 00:32:51,910 And Father, there's so much around us that at times we can slip 563 00:32:51,910 --> 00:32:54,270 and fall and know it's not the right way to go. 564 00:32:55,340 --> 00:33:00,820 So we ask that you would hold us fast onto the end, that you will 565 00:33:00,820 --> 00:33:02,860 not let us go and keep us close to you. 566 00:33:02,860 --> 00:33:06,220 That we will keep ourselves in check by the standard of Christ, 567 00:33:06,780 --> 00:33:09,100 seeking forgiveness when we need to be forgiven. 568 00:33:09,980 --> 00:33:13,220 And Father, knowing that you are the God who has given us the 569 00:33:13,220 --> 00:33:18,140 church by which we can find rescue and refuge, fellowship with 570 00:33:18,140 --> 00:33:21,820 your people as we draw near to you in worship. 571 00:33:22,620 --> 00:33:28,300 So, Father, may we live and serve you well as we ever seek you. 572 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:30,540 In Jesus name, amen.