Psalm ninety one verse four I think of an occasion many years ago when living in subterf and my son Bob was about to enter into a service, naval service he came to his mother with his Bible in Psalm ninety one and I recall him asking the meaning of one verse a thousand shall fall at thy right hand and ten thousand at thy left hand and it shall not come nigh unto thee so when he asked his mother the meaning of it she passed him over to dad because I happened to be at home and I knew what was in his mind going into service as to whether the Lord would keep him and protect him safely but I recall very vividly that he was on Normandy twenty minutes after the zero hour in that attack on Normandy on July on June six rather nineteen forty four and strange to say right where we landed at that particular Omaha Beach I think it was called there were ten thousand to eleven thousand casualties who were buried there and yet the Lord brought him safely through I told me if it was the will of God he could bring him through and it was God's will and God brought him through. But our precious are those words in verse four. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shall thou trust. So may all of us know the joy of being under his wings. Now if you have your Bible with you, will you turn with me to the book of the Revelation? I would like to read a portion in chapter three. out of this great book of the Revelation the last book in the Bible reading if I may beginning at verse seven of chapter three a letter that was written by John dictated by the Lord Jesus to John to be written to the angel of the church in Philadelphia let's note the contents of this precious letter the Lord Jesus writing to the angel of the church in Philadelphia saying write These things set, he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shutteth, for thou hast a little strength. and has kept my word and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and they are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation or trial which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man takes thy crown him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches may the Lord bless the reading of its precious word shall we bow in a moment of prayer and seek God's divine guidance by the Spirit as we study and meditate upon this portion. Shall we pray? Our beloved and blessed Father, return our hearts heavenward. To thy holy presence we come. We enter completely with confidence because of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. And because we have that new and that living way, which has been consecrated for us through the veil that is to stay his flesh and because he is there in thy presence representing us caring for his people watching over them and seeking to minister by the word through the Spirit to their need upon the earth we thank thee he is also desirous of seeing the blessings of the gospel to the hearts and to the lives of the unsaved. So as we turn to thy precious word, meet the need of every one of us to encourage us, to cheer us, and to comfort and instruct us, that we may know thy gracious and holy will while in the present path of life on the way home to glory. We ask it in the Saviour's name and for his honour. Amen. The book of the Revelation. May I give you, if you have your Bible, may I give you, first of all, an outline of the book which John, by the Spirit, is written in chapter one. For when you come to the great book of the Revelation, the book of the end, it is wonderful to realize that the Holy Spirit, through his servant John, from the Lord Jesus himself, has given unto us in chapter one and verse nineteen an outline of this great last book of the Bible. Many have rightly called it the book of the end. When the end of all things will come, we know they will be ushered in by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. But note the words that define the whole law. Write the things which thou hast seen. Second, write the things which are. And third, write the things which shall be hereafter. I commend to you very clearly, simply and plainly, this is the outline of the book of the Revelation in this one verse. What John had seen which had already passed in the vision in the preceding part of the chapter. You can read that for yourself beginning at verse nine and on and you'll find the glorious representation of the one who is the coming judge and the coming king of kings and the Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. John saw that blessed one and he described them in the greatness and the glory of its person within the vision. Read it for yourself. Then John was told to write not only what he had seen, but as you find in the center of the verse, write the things which are. And that covers a present period. And may I suggest, and I will note it very clearly as we go further in the study, that chapters two and chapters three two and three cover that which is represented by the things which are the present period of Christianity which is upon the earth the third period which is yet to be in the future John is told the things which shall be hereafter Now let me particularly point out and clearly prove that chapters two and three cover the things that are the present age of Christianity and prove to you the things which shall be must follow the age of Christianity. Go with me to chapter four very briefly. Let me point out to you the opening words of verse one. and you have these words John writing and declaring after this after that which is recorded in chapters two and three I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said come of hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And all you need to do from here on in the book, you'll have John viewing in heaven and from heaven's viewpoint that which follows, following the end of church history and the translation of the saints. Please let me point out a fact that is representative represented in this first verse of chapter four. Note what John declares. I heard, as it were, a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come of hither. And my beloved, may I say, think of those words. John invited, John commanded, Come of hither. And you have it in verse two immediately. I was in the spirit and what follows is the description of what he saw and what shall be seen following the rapture of the saints in heaven above. Now between chapter one and chapter four we have in chapters two and three that properly can be called the record and the history, morally, chronologically, spiritually, prophetically. the history of the church upon the earth. And so as we look at these seven letters to the seven churches of Asia, and may I point out to you, there are seven in number. Please note with me in chapter two, you have a letter written to the church of Ephesus. Go in verse one, go down with me to verse eight. You have a second letter written unto the church of Smyrna. Go with me down to verse Eighteen, if you please. And, or rather, verse twelve, rather. First of all, third, you have a letter written to the church of Pergamus. And then, if you will go with me to verse eighteen, you have a letter written to the church in Thyatira. Chapter three, verse one, you have a letter written to Sparta then. Chapter three and verse eight, seven, rather, where we read our readings. a sixth letter to the angel of the church at Philadelphia chapter four three fourteen another to the church of Laodicea now here there are seven letters which were written by John to the seven churches in Asia go with me to chapter one for a moment I wish you to particularly note carefully These seven churches were specially chosen to be the recipient of the letters. Look with me in verse eleven. Chapter one in verse eleven. John heard a voice as of a trumpet saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. What thou seest, write in a book, send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia. onto Ephesus, here you find them named. Onto Smyrna, onto Pergamus, onto Thyatira, onto Sardis, and onto Philotopia, and onto Laodicea. Southern specific churches named and the recipients of these particular letters addressed to each one of them. Now let me raise a question. were these seven churches, the only churches, geographically located in Asia? No, my beloved, they were not. They were not the only churches. Paul, the Apostle, evangelized together with his companions, that great section of Proconsular Asia of those early days, perhaps encompassed about a hundred thousand square miles. He preached the gospel. He won many precious souls. He established many other churches besides these seven. But specifically, the Lord Jesus has chosen these specific churches for the letters to which he has written to these specific ones for a certain purpose. May I suggest to you As you follow these letters through from Ephesus down to Leia this year, you have briefly stating this fact that the Lord gives what he sees as being the condition of the churches upon the earth during this age. Look in chapter one with me please. I want you to know what John says about the Lord Jesus. I want you to know particularly what he sees in verse twelve and verse thirteen at the beginning of it. I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, which is the proper word. Every one of these churches were a lampstand, and the lampstand was giving forth its light. and each of these seven churches so chosen by the Lord, where individual autonomous testimonies for the Lord to shine in the darkness of this world for him and for his glory. But know verse twelve, thirteen please. And in the midst, in the center of the seven lampstands, one light unto the Son of Man. And may I point out, what you have here is the Lord Jesus presenting himself in the very midst of his dear people upon the earth. And what follows in the letters that we have in chapters two and three is the examination of the Lord Jesus concerning each individual church. Each individual assembly of believers where the gathered at Ephesus and on to the end of Laodicea, the Blessed Lord is in the midst, examining, commending, rebuking, exhorting as the case may be, for he is concerned about the condition and the testimony of each individual lifespan. How precious to realize, may I say it in love, but in all earnestness, our blessed to realize that the Lord Jesus never fails to be in the midst of his people. We think of his promise, Matthew eighteen and verse twenty, for wherefore we are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst. And what joy to realize The blessed Lord Jesus never fails to be in the midst of those who belong to him. Now when you read the seven letters through, you find different conditions prevailing. In Ephesus, a different condition in Smyrna, a different condition in Pergamus, a different condition in Pyrrha, a different condition in Pyrrha, a different condition in Sardis. a different condition in Philadelphia, a different condition in Laodicea. But all that is revealed regarding each individual church is the revelation of what the Lord Jesus finds in the midst of its people upon the earth from the beginning of the Apostles' days down to the coming again of the Savior when he gathers his church together at the wonderful rapture, which we know is revealed in the book of the Thessalonians, when we shall all be caught up together to in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord. But I've read particularly the letters of Philadelphia. because if you will carefully study, you will know the letter to Philadelphia with one exception, and that is the letter to Smyrna, is the only one the Lord has no blame and accusation to speak against. To Ephesus, he had words of rebuke and accusation, calling for her to repent. To Smyrna, he had no word of rebuke, Smirna was a suffering church. Smirna was being persecuted for his name. And he knew they were suffering. And he comforts them. But when you come to Pergamon, if I talk with him, worldly conditions were coming in. When you come to Thyatira, talk teaching was coming in. When you come to Sardis, lifeless formalism. They claim to be alive spiritually, but he says, you're dead. And when you come to Philadelphia, not one word of accusation, but commendation. And then when you come to Laodicea, he has a lot more to say to blame the closing condition of the church age as he writes to the church of Laodicea. but I want you to dwell with me upon what I believe and know from these scriptures is that testimony in its collective calendar which was precious to it are Philadelphia go with me then to chapter three and begin with me at verse eight certain rather as it begins by saying to the angel of the church the representatives of that church please let me say this tis not a literal angel For we have no other scripture in the New Testament that would verify or confirm the fact that angels have occupation to perform in carrying out the church responsibilities. No, angels are not given and entrusted to the responsibility. They may have much responsibility individually to care for us. as we may know they are ministering spirits set forth to minister to them who are the heirs of salvation but figuratively speaking the words are addressed to those who in representation are concerned about his testimony whether in Ephesus and on through his church as the Lord Jesus rival and note first of all and may I say kindly There is a meaning to the names that he addresses these letters to, a meaning to the name of each church. I pass by the reference and meaning of the other churches, but I come to the Church of Philadelphia. And here's the name of that church, which he himself chooses to write to and speak with and to, words of approval, encouragement, and blessing Philadelphia now I'm sure you all know we have a city by the name of Philadelphia and the word Philadelphia in the Greek text it means brotherly love or brotherly affection and you may go to Philadelphia I've been there many many times I found a little bit of brotherly love there but I would say the whole city was full of it and you well know the meaning of that but the meaning of Philadelphia is brotherly love And I would say because of that name, one blessed teacher of that church in Philadelphia, they showed brotherly love one toward another. What a joy to recognize the manifestation of Christian love, the love of God, the love of Christ in that church testimony, one toward another. And my beloved brother and sister, I suggest to you, as we saw last week, the contrast between the individual necessity of being a spiritual believer. And today, look at the characteristic of what would be a collective testimony as the Lord would be pleased and anxious to have it. Philadelphia, where brotherly love is manifested one toward another, Now may I be very careful to remind your heart as well as mine own, the condition of brotherly love cannot be developed by the powers of the flesh and in the strength of the flesh. If you have your Bible, go with me to Galatians chapter five, will you please? The book of Galatians chapter five, Galatians chapter five, Let me begin reading at verse twenty-three with you, if I don't mind, begin there. Chapter five, and verse twenty-two rather, and read through verse twenty-three. For here is Paul writes to the Galatian believers, known in saying, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law. But note the opening words. The fruit of the Spirit is love. Now I want you to know very carefully, how is this love to one fellow believers developed? How is it very carefully? It is not done by the believer himself. It is not produced by the believer herself. It is the fruit of the Spirit. It is produced in the believer. It is to be produced manifested through the believer. But the source of it is the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God. And may I remind my fellow believers in the Lord Jesus that the great need of love one for another, you cannot develop it yourself. Neither can I develop it myself. It's the fruit of the Spirit of God. He produces it. He brings it forth. He gives the power and the enablement to show it. And all of these which we have read, every one of the characteristics we have read in this chapter of Galatians, is a representation of the character of Christ. But let me give you one more verse. I want to go further to show that every believer has the possibility and should have the probability of doing it. Romans chapter five, if you please. Romans chapter five. Oh, may I rejoice with you in the book of Romans chapter five. And may I read verses one and two before I go further to touch upon one verse particularly. As you come to Romans chapter five, you have the believer saved. You have one who has found Christ as his Savior, her Savior. They have been justified. They have been forgiven their sins through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus and faith in him. Now we read verse one and two only. Therefore being justified by faith. This is the ground of my salvation. This is the ground whereby I have been cleared from every charge of my sins against me by faith. And as a result of it, here are some permanent results. I am peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh my beloved, let me please present before I go any further. There's one of the first results when you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and I trust him as mine. Peace with God. We are no longer enemies. I rebelled against him before I came to the Savior. But I'm no longer his enemy. I'm at peace with God. And what joy the hymn writer wrote to say? Peace. Perfect peace. In this dark world of sin, the blood of Jesus whispers peace within. Oh, my fellow believer, my young Christian, you that have trusted the Lord Jesus, taken the blessed truth, justified the word meaning cleared of every charge of sin and judgment that was once against you. And through faith in the Lord Jesus and his atoning work at Calvary, I came into peace with God. Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin. The blood of Jesus whispers peace with him. But there's a second blessing. Note in the second verse, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. I have a new position. I have a new standing. I'm standing. Where? In grace. And the word grace means in the favor of God. God's favor is now astounding. We've sung from that wonderful hymn, standing on the promises of God. This is one of the promises. When I trust the Lord Jesus as my Savior, peace with God becomes mine. We're no longer enemies. I'm His child. He's my Father, the Lord Jesus, my Savior. But I'm in the place. I'm in the position. And may I say, Beloved, believe that this is a permanent position. I'm in the place where I'm standing in the place of God's Savior, now shining upon me, standing in grace. Take it home. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou that though he was rich, yet for your sakes if he became poor, that he through his poverty might be rich. And what joy do you know? My permanent position. But know the third position at the end of verse two. And I rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. I have the assurance, though once it was true, I ascend and come short of the glory of God no longer. When I find Christ as my Savior, I've got the confident hope. Someday I shall be it to the glory of God. We used to sing a little chorus. Someday I shall be like him. Someday I shall be like him. Someday I shall be like him. Some day I shall be like him. Hallelujah. This wonderful promise he gave to me. My beloved, now please let me know. Know with you the result of being a Christian. You're peace with God. You're standing in God's favor. And you've got the assurance you're going to be like Christ in that coming day to the glory of God. hallelujah not now but when the Lord Jesus comes now if you're not saved don't you think it would be worthwhile getting saved peace with God through standing in God's grace and favor and then assured I'm going to be into the glory of God when he brings me to the glory above what a joy you know I'm sure glad I'm going to be improving to get out of this place and that forever. But I want you to note something in relation to our theme of love. Just go down the chapter please. I want you to go with me if I may to verse five. To verse five. Let me read verse five. Where we have the hope brought out. Hope make us not ashamed now. Note these words. Here's another blessing. Because The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Will you note it again? God's own love poured out into the heart of the one who trusts Christ. May I put it in this perspective from a personal testimony. I recall the night the Lord Jesus saved my soul. I recall very vividly, it was on a Sunday night, but I recall very vividly that before the Lord Jesus saved me, Sunday was the miserable day for this young lad. It was the time when I knew I couldn't do what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to do, chiefly, was to play and have a good time. And when Sunday was over, I was glad, because I had a mother and dad that wouldn't let me cut loose on Sunday. That was the Lord's day. They don't exercise that discipline perhaps today if they did once. But when the Lord Jesus saved me, you know what happened? I thought Sunday would never come around again. Why? I wanted to be with those Christians. Amongst whom I'd heard the gospel. And amongst them I'd found Jesus as my savior. And I wanted to be in fellowship. And meet them again and see them again. Talk with them. Listen to them. And hear the word of God. What happened? God put his love in my heart. Sure, it wasn't my love. I know it wasn't even been my love. I didn't want to see him. But it was his love. Now mark it. When you're saved, God puts His love. And Paul writes it. The love of God and the literal meaning of the rendering is, the love of God is poured into your heart. How? By the Holy Ghost. Who's given to us. Now do you see the meaning of Galatians five, twenty-two? The fruit of the Spirit is what? Love. Love. Tis the Spirit of God within the heart of a believer. Please let me emphasize. I must do it. The moment you're saved, you receive the Holy Spirit. Please let me warn you. You young Christians, beware, be careful. You will find there are professing Christians, and they may be genuine Christians. But I know there are those who would teach that after you are saved, You've got to seek the Holy Spirit, not souls. That's not according to the Word of God. Look in Romans chapter eight, please. Romans chapter eight. Let me read with you verse nine. Note with me these words. Says Paul, but ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. It so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of this. You get the thorn in the last words. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, don't even have Christ either. You cannot have the Spirit without having Christ. You cannot have the Christ without having the Holy Spirit. Go to Ephesians chapter one, please. Ephesians chapter one. Let me read with you in the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians chapter one, verse thirteen, twelve and thirteen. Read them both together. and you have in chapter one of Ephesians I hope you've got your Bible but listen to these words if you haven't and you'll find in verse twelve and let me read verse twelve and thirteen together that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ in whom also that is in Christ you trusted after that he heard of the word the word of truth the gospel of your salvation Now when did you trust Christ? You trusted him when you heard the gospel. You trusted him when you heard the gospel of your salvation. Now read on. In whom also after, literally the Greek text is, upon believing, literally upon believing, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. which is the pledge of our inheritance until Jesus comes back again. Oh, let me say, my beloved believer, rejoice. When you were saved, you came into those blessed positions that the grace of God brought to him by faith in the Lord Jesus. You were justified by faith in him, through him, faith in him, and you had peace with God and you not only had peace with God you're in a position where God's favor can shine upon you and does and also you've got the hope of being in the glory with God and like God and then you've got the love of God shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us now go to our chapter in the book of Revelation please I developed this because of the fact, how can we have and manifest such brotherly love without therefore knowing it is the fruit of the Spirit and Philadelphia? Oh, may I say to you, I don't know if any of you may have, I recall reading some secular writings regarding church history, early church history, but it had been reported that in the early days of Christianity The world looked at those Christians and they said, Behold, how those Christians love one another. I'm wondering if you haven't heard anybody say that today. I think we've got to bow our heads in shame, haven't we? It's the evidence that we belong to Christ and one another. And so if I may say, Look, I said before you what the Lord Jesus receives in these seven letters, there was one special little church, and I want to say you'll see him in the context, it was a very small, weak number. But they were Philadelphians. And I said before you, and I said before my heart, one desire that I could be a Philadelphian Christian. not a layer to see in one, not a psalmist one, not a Phaetira Christian, nor a Pergamist Christian. Might do as good as we could be smothered a Christian, being persecuted, but not even an Ephesian Christian. They left their first blood. But here's the blessed pattern of Philadelphia, brotherly life. Now go on with our chapter. Chapter three in the Revelation, please. I want you to know something is. Something very precious that follows. Now the Lord says, these things said he that is holy. He that is true. He that has the key of David. He that opens it. No man shunners. Shunners and no man opens it. Now if you were to read, and you can at your convenience, and some of you may have, I'm sure, I've read these seven letters, and in every one of the letters, the Lord presents himself in a special particular manner. To each one of them, he presents himself in a special way, which is all in accord with their condition. And likewise to Philadelphia, I want you to know two things, first of all. He presents himself as the one who is holy. H-O-Y. He presents himself as the one who is true. He, sir, presents himself as one who is powerful. Let me repeat it. He presents himself the holy one. He presents himself the true one. He presents himself the powerful administrator to help us. Oh, beloved, when you think of this, may I put before you the thought. They saw him in his true person. They acknowledged him in his holiness. And they acknowledged him in all the embodiment of his truth, the true one. And they acknowledged him, who is the one who has the administrative power to open and shut doors on their behalf. May I say, my beloved fellow Christian, and I speak personally to my heart, all that I need, and I need much, but all I need, whatever it may be, in whatever form, whatever case it might be, I can find it all in him, if he's before my heart. His person. If I see that he is there in the midst, if I acknowledge him in my life correspondingly reflecting his holy character, if I correspondently prove him to be the true and faithful one to his people, if I correspondently find him to be the omnipotent one powerful to help his people, don't you see I find all I need in him? We used to think a little chorus, not in relation to this, but to the gospel. What the world needs is Jesus, just the glicks of him. How true that is. The world needs him. How far we believe it. Ah, beloved, all that we need, we can find in him. Let me give you the thought Paul wrote in Philippians chapter four. You may know the words well. Verse nineteen. You may take them literally, you may take them materially if you wish, but they go even further than that. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. My beloved me, I say frankly, we don't prove it though, but according to the word of God, the Lord Jesus is sufficient. or the need of its people. Let me look again with you at these words, particularly in verse eight. Please know, well, our verse seven rather. I want you to know, these sad things that he that is holy, he that is true, could I give you the thought? This is what he is. Further, This is what he wants you and me to be. This is what he wants me to be. Holy truth. Should not the beauty of the Lord Jesus be seen in you and me? We used to sing a dear old hymn, never hear it anymore. More holiness gives me. And now we really need the fact. And where do I find it? I find... all of it in him and as I find it in him and enjoy it in him it becomes a part of me and he's not only holy it's true let me give you this thought don't you believe the Lord would like to find holy Christians true Christians Christians that are holy in their life seeking to go on with him and for him Christians that are true in their testimony as he is true. But then note the third thing. What I want to emphasize is you look at the end of verse seven. He that has the key of David. He that opens us and all men shut us. Shut us and all men only. Now let me explain very frankly what is referred to here by the Apostle John and the Lord Jesus. All you need to do and I hope you'll do it at your convenience. You'll read Isaiah chapter twenty-two. Begin at verse twenty-two. And let me give you the context of what happened way back there. Way back in the days of Isaiah, there was a man who was the scribe in Judah, in Jerusalem of the Lord's people. His name was Shebner. And he was the hypocrite. He was not only a hypocrite, he was crooked. And he was building himself a good big sepulchre for his burial when the time came to die. A monument for himself. But he was unscrupulous and unfaithful. And God said to the prophet, Remove him. I don't want him as the treasurer of the Lord's house. Remove him. And give it to Eliakim. And to Eliakim, I will give the key, the control of the house of David and its treasures. And Eliakim was chosen in the place of Shevna. and all of it is a picture. Here you have it of the Lord Jesus, the one who is the treasure of all the things of God and the truth of God. And if you please note, just as Eliakim long ago was given the key to the treasury of the house of David, he could use the key and open it, and he could display the treasures, he could bring them forth, he could shut them up. My beloved, just let me say this briefly. As we saw last week, surely the things of God are to be found in this precious book.