chapter two in the book of the revelation and your letter today is on your lesson rather sheet is on page five and in chapter two and we come to the letter that is written to fire tyra in these messages to the seven churches chapter two and we would like to begin reading as we have the Lord Jesus speaking and may I state and you will note it that is we begin reading in verse eighteen and we read to the end of this chapter we have the longest letter that the Lord Jesus wrote and sent through his servant John to any one of these seven churches the letter to Thyatira shall we read the letter through follow it beginning in chapter two from verse eighteen and unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write These things set the Son of God, who hath his eyes light unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity or love, and service, and faith, and thy patience, meaning endurance, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee. because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and then but commit adultery with her into great tribulations, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and heart. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Pius Ira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak. I will put upon you none other burden, but that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcomes, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power, meaning authority, over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a father shall they be broken in shivers, even as I received of my father. and I will give him the morning star. He that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches. May the Lord bless the reading and hearing of his precious word. Follow with me, first of all, in your outline on page five, the introduction that we have, and it's the usual introduction to these letters, so that we may understand The approach that we are taking toward the interpretation of these seven letters, you have in your heading the address to Thyatira, and you have the Greek meaning of the word telling it. It speaks of one thing of continual sacrifice. For Thyatira, as you've got the historical reference regarding it, was a great city of purple. It was known for the production of purple garments and royalty, and citizens there gained their living by dyeing purple. It was in the southeastern section of Asia, southeast of Pergamus. And you may remember in chapter sixteen of the Book of the Acts, most unusual, but very pointedly to realize, the first convert that Paul had in Europe when he came to the city of Philippi was Lydia. She was the seller of purple. And she listened to Paul's message. The Lord opened her heart, and she received the Lord, and she was his first convert. She came from Thyatira, and was undoubtedly in the business of selling these purple goods that had been dyed in her home city. And with her household, She became the first convert in the continent of Europe to the Lord Jesus. So we can recognize God in his wondrous grave not only saved her, I don't know whether she returned back to Thyatira, but we do have reference, evidently, to the existence of a church in that city of Thyatira to whom John writes from the Lord Jesus. So historically, there was a literal church. Now what we have read was true of that church in its moral and spiritual history do, but we shall see as we look at the next reference the prophetical, for this is very, very important and most important to realize the period of time this letter to Thyatira covers in relation to the age of the church. Now may I state very carefully, and I hope that it's clear, The seven letters bring before us a prophetical history of the church from the days of the apostles just before they left this scene unto the coming again of the Lord Jesus when he shall come for his church. And they bring to us in their outline a prophetic history of the church. The letter to Ephesus had its application of that sub-apostolic age. And then when we went to Smyrna, you may recall the letter to Smyrna reminded us of those periods of persecution and suffering that came upon the church that came perhaps for about two to three hundred years. And then in the year three hundred AD, under the reign of Constantine, as we looked at the letter of Pergamus last week, we recognized for about two centuries that church became friendly with the world and the world became friendly with the church. Now what took place in that period between AD three hundred and five hundred approximately was the groundwork of what followed in relation to the prophetic application of the Church of Piatyrus. It was the foundation of the beginning and the beginning of what came to pass when the church and the state, the church and human government, work together. And of course, the purpose of the church, unfortunately, and the ambition of that church state, as we shall see in Thyatira, was to rule the world and seek to govern it, which has not been given for the Lord's people in this age, to do so. But now let's note the third application, and this is what we shall dwell upon very carefully, that Church that higher, higher spiritually was characterized by doctrinal corruption as well as empty profession. And as we have already stated, the power of human government, state power being combined with religious hierarchy and ecclesiastical authority. Now let's begin our study as we look at the beginning of our letter, reading at verse eighteen. May I read this eighteen verse before we look at our notes. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things set the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine grass. And thus we can realize and recognize the Lord Jesus here is taking his place and his attitude toward this church. Now, note on your lesson sheet, you've got the outline under letter A of this particular verse, the Lord's attitude toward Psyatyrus. And may I suggest, we all need this exhortation, as you read the book of the Revelation, one of the greatest blessings you can receive from it is to note carefully the person of the Lord Jesus, the person of Christ. It is most important. For if you may remember, go back to chapter one again, and let me please read with you verse twenty, where we did it last week, and we would do it again, the Lord indicating the explanation of what John saw in the vision of chapter one, the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands which represented the churches, The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candles which thou sawest are the seven churches. Now, if you please, would you mind going back with me in the same chapter and realize what the Lord Jesus in chapter in verse twelve and thirteen. Verse thirteen, twelve and thirteen. John turned and saw seven golden lampstands and note the next words. and in the midst of the seven lampstands, one life unto the Son of Man. And it was the Lord Jesus who was walking in the midst of these lampstands in the vision that John was given. And the meaning of that was the Lord Jesus was walking in the midst of the churches, examining, scrutinizing, condemning, encouraging, if the case may be, concerning that which he saw in relation to the condition of the churches. We repeat it again, you cannot have any church condition upon the earth, whether in empty profession or whether in genuine profession. But what the Lord Jesus is there watching and noting the character of the testimony. Now in Thyatira, go back to your note then, and in chapter two, please note, He takes an attitude toward this church, and in his sixteenth verse, first of all, he speaks of himself as the Son of God. Second, he speaks of being one who has eyes like unto a flame of fire. And then third, his feet are like fine brass, or burning copper. Now, sometimes, and particularly in this verse, We have the Lord Jesus described in chapter one in the vision in character as the judge. And some of the descriptions we find are used in approaching the church. As the Lord Jesus writes his message. First of all, notice speaking of himself as the Son of God. The Son of God. The Son of God. Now may I state first of before we go further and refer to this segment of being the Son of God. We know this in the vision John saw him as the Son of Man. Now Jesus speaks to this particular church as one who is the Son of God. And there are clear distinctions of meaning between the titles. As Son of Man that speaks of his personings of poverty and poverty. as a man in its perfect humanity. And one, when the title is used, and the Lord Jesus, I believe, used it himself, dozens of time in the Gospel of Matthew, speaking himself as the man alone whom is worthy to judge the world and to judge all, and will be the judge of all in a coming day. But here he approaches as the Son of God. Now when we think of the Church of Thyatira and in its application, may I point out something to you? If you will please go down, go back in your lesson sheet please. Let me note the spiritual application under number three on your lesson sheet. For this will be developed as we go through the letter. The Church of Thyatira represents that period of church history characterized by doctrinal corruption empty profession and state power. Now, go back to that prophetical application again. Let me point out to you there, just above the spiritual. That prophetical time covers the church period from about five hundred AD to fifteen hundred AD. I'm not sure how many of you may be well acquainted. I trust you are to some degree regarding church history. And a good book on church history properly written, and according to facts, is very helpful to understand what we have on the reference here. That period of time was known as the Dark Middle Ages. And one is not to read the history of the church during that period. It was a throttling period for believers who were genuine. But it was during that time when ecclesiastical power through the state authority was manifested and the hatred was manifested against Christians and persecution. One can but, I give you one book that you can read, it doesn't cover all that period, but it does to some degree. One book that has been written called Fox's Book of Martyrs. And it's a very graphic description of some of the suffering that the genuine believers in the Lord Jesus endured during that period of time. And it was a period of great suffering. Now may I remind you very pointedly that the rise of the state church came about through the rise of what we know to be popery. and papacy as it is sometimes called. When the ecclesiastical head of the church under the Roman name of the Roman church at that day, though it was divided ultimately into two sections, by the eastern section and then the western, but the head of the church became also an authority of not only ecclesiastical power but even political. and a mixture of political and ecclesiastical authority brought darkness. May I point out, why is it called the Dark Middle Ages by so many? One thing is this. There was very little truth of the Bible propagated. That which was known had to be circulated very quietly if possible and under great danger and by a remnant and it was but a remnant some have written books regarding some of those those church those church saints of that period telling of their sufferings and their persecutions some of the things that were written were certainly not fit to be repeated what the Christians who knew the Lord who loved the Lord who saw the false ecclesiastical power reigning, how much they suffered. We mentioned last week some of it, even in regard to English history can be found. There is a period of darkness regarding the Word of God. Now you may remember this, some of you may know from reading and knowing of it, that even in those days the Bible was not circulated. There was no open Bible. And if a Bible was found, strange to say, it was chained to the lectern in the state church. There was no open Bible. Now, may I say bluntly, frankly, with no open Bible, you're bound to have moral and spiritual darkness. And one may recognize, bluntly, as we should see in our next letter, that it wasn't until the revival of so-called Protestantism and under Luther particularly as a movement with his contemporaries that the Bible became available to the people as it became made known and under great suffering too. Some were burned at the stake. Think of Latter-day, burned at the stake because he dared to translate the Bible for the people in their language. And others were burned at the stake. and others were tortured. What for? Because they tried to bring the Bible to the people of God in that day, at the end of this awful period, which was often called the Reformation. So when you think of that period, it was a great moral and spiritual darkness. No open Bible. No open Bible. But oh, God has his choice, saints, even through that. But let me note something. the title that the Lord Jesus uses. And I want to make an application of it. It's most unusual. That church state particularly was headed by the Roman Catholic system and popery. And you know this one thing. Here's the Lord Jesus presenting himself to this church. Say, I'm the Son of God. Did you ever note in that particular church movement their emphasis on, now listen carefully, in this particular order, the mother and the child? The mother and the child. And you know the mother was Mary. Mary, I'll look at you. Let me just say this. Many years ago, when younger, And looking to the Lord, if it was his will, to serve him in South America, I studied all I could regarding the country, particularly the religious, strongly Roman Catholic. But I was amazed to read in one writing of a church in one of the cities of South America, where over the door were these words, Come unto Mary, all ye the labor and the heavy laden. Now go with me to Matthew's Gospel, will you? Chapter two, please. I want you to notice something very special that the Spirit of God writes in Matthew's Gospel chapter two, would you know very carefully with me these words? And I want you to read about the wise men when they came to the Lord Jesus. Now if you please note in verse eleven, chapter two in Matthew, when these wise men were come into the house, they saw Mary and the young child? No. First, the young child and Mary. Go down the chapter, please. Will you go down to verse nineteen? When Herod was dead, behold an angel, well no, before, go down before, before you go there, go to verse thirteen. When they were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream saying, And rise and take, who? The young child. The angel says, the young child is more important than his mother. The young child and his mother. The natural hog would say, the mother. And it's no, God says, this is my son. The young child. And at the end of the chapter, you got it in verse twenty when they returned from Egypt. Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel. Beloved, let me just say lovingly, I do it in love, but I've got to do it in telling the truth. One can recognize when you think of Mariolatry, the worship of Mary. It's not according to the word of God. And you can recognize how the Lord comes. I'm the Son of God. Yet it professed to believe in his deity. But they certainly put Mary alongside of them in that same place. And believe that she had been elevated in heaven. Alongside of her son. Where did he get there from? The devil. Yes, brother. Don't they have a scripture written by their own papacy, their own... Oh, definitely so. They have their own interpretation written down, shouldn't they? They have their own interpretation written down, shouldn't they? One or two of those actual generals commanding armies. Right. Yes, sir. The purpose of whoever has to take part in this army. That's right. That's right. That's right. But one can write, one can see why the Lord Jesus presents himself to this church as such. Son of God. Then go the second thing. His eyes like unto a flame of fire. And one can recognize, as you've got on your note, with divine omniscience. He can penetrate. He knows the true condition. And then third, there you have the indication of judicial judgment. Irresistible judgment. His feet are like fine brass. Now notice we go to verse... nineteen and the next section we find this common it now please remember this and it's clear in the letter those there were many against whom the Lord must come and would come in judgment there were a few that were really his now this is one thing let me give you an illustration of it read the history of Israel From the beginning to the end of the Old Testament, when it began and when it ends in the days of Malachi. And you'll find always, no matter the condition in the nation at large, God had a few. He had a remnant that belonged to him. Let me think with you and Elijah. Poor Elijah when he said, I only I am left, Lord. Wait a minute, God's sake. I've got seven thousand in Israel that didn't bow the knee to Baal. He always had a remnant. When you come to the end of the book of Malachi, you've got the description of one of the worst conditions spiritually that Israel is a nation and the priesthood is a nation. End it in. But you've got a little remnant. When you read chapter three, verse sixteen, but they that fear the Lord, speak often one to another, and the Lord heard and heard him and so on. God always has a remnant. And may I say, whether it's Ephesus, whether it's Smyrna, whether it's Pergamot, whether it's Pyrrhaeus, we come to a degree of declension that is greater, God has a remnant. Right to the end. And so we shall recognize, as we read verse twenty, verse nineteen, the Lord commends those whom he can and does command. I know thy works, your love. your service and faith and endurance and by work that lasts to be more than the first. And here we can recognize, please note your notes, for work, love, service, faith and endurance. How precious to realize he acknowledges what he can command, though it may not be the overall commendation for all. There are those who have been faithful to him, as we saw last week, where Antipas, his faithful martyr was slain. He has those who are faithful. But please note this reference. You've got works. At the end of verse nineteen, the last works to be more than the first. Let me give you this suggestion, going back again, referring to Pocerian Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism is the greatest religious system for human works. It sure is for human works. Missionary once told me, I recall from South America, he asked one of the dear ladies he was trying to speak to regarding the Lord Jesus and salvation, why she submitted herself to so much authority from the church. And she was burning a candle in the home for a deceased husband. And he questioned and recognized that she all could discern. It could not help her dead husband. And he said, and he asked her, well, then why do you buy it? Why do you pay for it? Because she had to buy it from the priest. Well, she said, brain has come up the answers, meaning he's a good salesman. It's sad. Very sad to realize. It's a greater system of works. Though they will tell and acknowledge the death of Christ, they're working to try to get to heaven. And everything that has to be done is just a matter of works for salvation. And most unfortunately, let me quote those words of Ephesians two, eight, nine. For we are saved by grace through faith, that none of yourselves it is the gift of God, none of works, lest any man should boast. And what a joy to realize salvation is completely by grace and through faith alone. Now look, that's where Martin Luther's stand came in. Remember? Justification by faith. There was poor Martin Luther. bound to Rome as a power, ecclesiastical power, and a priest in the church, and yet earnestly seeking redemption, salvation. And of course, he would do anything to try and merit it. And it was on the occasion when he was climbing St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome on his knees as a pen to indicate his desire to be saved by God's grace and suddenly the Spirit of God brought home the words to him therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ he stood on his feet what am I doing on my knees climbing these stairs and then he began under God the great work of the Reformation that certainly was powerful May I say this, I had a friend who was raised in that system in England and he was, his mother was a French woman and his father was an Englishman, but he was raised in Roman Catholicism and in the days of his youth he was concerned about his sins and what did he do? But he joined the priesthood and there in the priesthood he found dissatisfaction in his heart. He wasn't satisfied in the reality of the faith that they manifested. And then he joined the highest and the closest group of monks in the monastery that could be known, supposedly for life. And there even in that monastery, where he taught, he did nothing but go to school and he taught Greek and Hebrew, I believe, in that monastery. But it was their privilege. Every monk had the privilege of doing anything they wished in penance to seek to be redeemed. And he was just as earnest. And he told this. In his cell, they lived a very frugal life, as you may know. His bed was just a flat board. His cell was just a bare place. He said, on the wall, I had a crucifix of the bleeding heart. And he said, every day I would divest my outer clothing to my waist down. And I would take a chain of spikes that I made. And I lashed my back on one side to the other. He suffered the rest of his life as someone doing some of that. But anyway, he also found that he could not reach redemption that way. And he escaped. And he had to get up to escape. Because they followed him all over it. Even to Canada. When he escaped to Canada. And you know. It was the Salvation Army man. That Pauline lived with Christ. He was in Toronto. On one occasion. Winter time. He was nothing but a scar. He didn't know how to use his hands. He said he tried to work in the farms in. In Ontario, he said, everyone fired him, he couldn't keep the job. And in Toronto, one COVID-night, he went into a mission hall, and he went in there just to get out of the cold. And he had to listen to the preaching. And after it was over, but he paid no attention to it. He felt he was more worthy than all these Protestants. And so he paid no attention to the message. But an old Salvation Army worker came up to him, said, Are you saved? He drew himself up and he had the most piercing black eyes I've ever known. Look. And a big Roman nose. This is a classical looking fellow. Tall too. And he said, I looked him through with my eyes. I said, I'm a Roman Catholic. And then he fainted. Passed right up. And that dear old Roman, that dear old Salvation Army man took him to his house. Put him upstairs in the room. Nurse them. that he might recover from his suffering that he had physically. And preach to him every day, say, I need to be saved by grace, through faith. And he gave him the gospel every day. And in his soul there came a barrel. He was a man that was working for salvation, even though he failed to find it in the system he was in. He still wanted to earn it. He said it was the greatest battle he ever had in his life. And the old Salvation Army would come. He said, your heart is just a big bunch as big as a peanut and just as hard as concrete. And he laid half of all Gospels. But you know, he saved him. And he became a preacher of the Gospels, a good Bible teacher, the rest of his life. Paul beloved, one can recognize how the system of works can lead so many astray. And many of them may be very genuine in their desire and in their intention. But oh, the Lord Jesus, as he comes to this church, please note verse twenty. Let's go quickly to that. For here we find his accusation, notwithstanding, I've got a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, to eat things sacrificed under idols, I gave a space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Now here is the Lord Jesus. You please note the Lord Jesus as he did in the last chapter, eleven, to Pergamus. He used an Old Testament character by way of figurative interpretation. He used Balaam. We know that that. Now he uses another Old Testament character, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. You know what Jezebel did. Ahab married that idolatrous woman, and she brought all the prophets of Baal into the land of Israel, pushed out the prophets of God, and caused the Israelites to be not followers of worshipers of Baal in idolatry and licentious practices, corrupting the nations. And one can recognize the corruption was so great as the Lord speaks of it here. What you have here is spiritual fornication, spiritual adultery. And that's the manifestation of what the Lord says. And if you please note, please, if you note your lesson sheet, let me point out to you what he says. His accusation is this. You have permitted her to teach Arabs. You have permitted her to lead my servants astray. You have led them to commit spiritual fornication. Now, will you please note verse twenty-one again, I gave her space to repent, and she repented not. The moment when you stop and think of from AD five hundred to fifteen hundred one thousand years, that's a long time. I'm sure glad the Great Tribulation not going to last that long. But realize time to repent she repented not she repented not now note the judgment in his admonition as he addresses her in verse twenty two and behold I will cast her into a bed and those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deeds and I will kill her children I will kill her children with death. All the churches shall know that I am here with such as the reins and heart. And I will give unto every one of you according to your words. Now you can recognize he speaks directly in his judgment to those who were guilty of this. And if you note carefully, she produces children that's profitable and fruitful results as far as numerical results are concerned. And one can recognize, may I say, very frankly, one may realize today the great proportion. You go down into South America particularly, how strong is this testimony of this false church? And the character of those who follow her? One can recognize, unless God comes in in his grace and in his mercy through the gospel to reach precious souls, she has produced many, many children. Many, many children. But the day of judgment is coming. We'll see more of it in its literal fulfillment that is yet to be when we come into chapter seventeen. But now please go with me if I may to verse twenty-four. I want you to note verse twenty-four and twenty-five. Here is an admonition. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira. Now please note this. Here you can recognize the remnant. Unto you, I say, and to the remnant, to those who really are mine. And yet they're in that great system. They're in that church of firepower. As many as have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I'll put upon you none other burden. Well, you look at your note, please. I want to read that paragraph on the letter D. The first paragraph. The medieval church was not wholly corrupt. While some were found in doctrine. But there were few. There were the remnants. And rejected the errors and the heresies. They were ignorant of the depths of Satan. And the Lord would not add. To their burdens. Now one can very readily realize. Please let me point out something very unusual. Go back to chapter two in verse nine. In verse nine of chapter two to the letter of Smyrna, the Lord in comfort to them speaks of knowing their works and tribulation and poverty and so on, and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not. No, no. But they are of a synagogue of Satan. They are a synagogue of Satan. Now you come to the letter of Thyatira. Please let me point out definitely the increasing acceleration of defilement and of spiritual declension. When God has to, when the Lord Jesus has to say, there you can find the depths of Satan. The depths of Satan. What solemn words that the Lord has to speak. For there were those that recognized the depths of Satan. And as the Lord speaks concerning them, he says, I'll not put any other burden on you. You have not followed that doctrine. You have not known the depths of Satan as they speak. I'll put upon you none other burden. But they have a responsibility. Now look at that responsibility in verse twenty-five. But that which he had already, whole fact, till I come. Take your note on your lesson sheet, please. Here is their responsibility, whole fact. How long? Till I come. They were not to surrender the truth they knew. The suggestion of his second coming indicates that there would be no restoration. His return was their hope. A return, as some believe, to apostolic conditions is impossible. Now, beloved, please note this. For when we come to this letter, Thyatira, as well as those remaining ones that follow, these conditions go on to the end till the Lord comes. Can I say this in all earnestness and love? There is no possibility of restoring the church to what it wants on the day of Pentecost. There's no possibility. These letters suggest the impossibility of it. And in the words that we have read in verse twenty-five, know what the Lord's saying to those who were him. Hold that fast which thou hast. The teaching that you know to be mine, departing as you seek to do from that which is our. Hold that fast. till I come. Now may I say lovingly, the great corruption here was unquestionably false teaching. False teaching. And we're living in days when we have more false teaching than what is true teaching of the Word of God. Oh please let me repeat it. There are so many propagating their thoughts of salvation that are contrary to the Word of God. The false cult and many other things that are being manifested today indicate that for the genuine believer what you know to be the truth of God you should hold it how fast how long till I come and I want to tell every day I say Lord why don't you come because there's the responsibility holy fact I remember speaking I had the conversion of a family one time from Mormonism in a tent meeting that I had in South Carolina many years ago. And after their conversion, the Mormon elders began coming around to listen to me preach. And on one occasion, there was always but a useless, worthless argument as far as I was concerned. I couldn't go along with their beliefs. And they wouldn't accept mine. But one night they brought one of their leading elders from another city, an elderly man. And he talked to me after the meeting with me. You know, one thing they'll say to him, you talk with him. And you'll never get rid of him until you talk to him. So I said, well, I might as well get it over with. And when did you talk to him? So they introduced me to this gentleman. And he said, he said, preacher, I think I can agree with the ninety percent of what you said. I said, look, I said, that's kind of a high score, isn't it? And he said, well, I would like to ask you some questions. and he asked me about the Trinity I knew what he was getting at and he wanted me to say that he wanted me to say that that Jesus was not he turned the eternal son of God but in his in his doctrine I knew that but then the last question you want to ask me he put it put me on the spot he said now I want to ask you one question and then he put me on the spot with this illustration there are two men once born a fine parent. The other, he doesn't know who his parents are. One is raised in a good home, good surrounding, and is given an education. He goes into business, he marries in life, and he goes all through life, an exemplary citizen. Now, not a perfect man, but an exemplary. The other fellow, he doesn't know his parents, he doesn't know his family, he's raised in crime and criminal surroundings, all his life. Now, those two men die. He said, they have to come before God. That right. He said, yes. Every one of us shall give an account of himself before God. All right, the first man comes before God. God looks at his record and says, that's a fine record. I'm going to reward you. Get over here on my right. Then the other man comes. And God looks at his record. It's black all the way through. Now he says, suppose God's next to that man. I can't do what I'm going to do with this man. I'm going to have to put you in hell. But the man said, wait a minute. God, I never had the opportunities that man had. No, friend. I knew he was going to bring the question and pin me down. He said, would God be just to put that man in hell? I said, friend, you forgot something. What? We are saved by grace through faith. And that none of yourselves is the gift of God. None of works like any man should boast. He looked at me. And I looked at him. And I'd been preaching that night on the cross. And the work of Christ on the cross. I said, why do you think I was preaching about the cross of the Lord Jesus and his work to save sinners on the cross? Oh, he had to do something for us that we couldn't do ourselves. Wait a minute. For as long as I live, I'm going to preach that Jesus paid it all, and all to him I owe. He looked at me, and you don't believe it was. I said, I do, but not for salvation. And I tell you, he was mad, and I think I was too. But now, look, please, we face those situations. I hold fast to what I knew. But one sure thing, they never came back, for which I was thankful. Oh, beloved, one can realize, and the Lord says, how long till I come? Now, please, those very words indicate, we're going to face these problems till he comes back. And I think today we're facing more of them. But please note, quickly, if you please, know what he says in verse twenty-six, and he speaks to the overcomer, he that overcomers, keepeth my works unto the end, To him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. As the vessels of the Father shall they be broken into shivers, and even as I receive them, my Father. Now please note, look on your lesson sheet quickly. Under the last paragraph, the letter E, the overcomer and his reward. Who is the overcomer? Well, thank God from first John chapter, chapter four, five, rather four and five. It's the one who believes on the Lord Jesus. Let me put it in this expression. Look, every Christian possesses the victorious life. I didn't say every Christian was living it, but you possess it. For the possessor is Christ. You have Christ. He that believes, who is he that overcomes the world, wrote John? He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God. And my people, beloved fellow Christians, let me encourage you. When you've got Christ, you possess the overcoming life. And by His grace, and by the Spirit and His strength, you and I can stand fast and hold fast. And overcome. You get the implication. The Lord says to those of you who are really mine, and overcome what the conditions are, I'll give you a reward now please note the reward please nobody says that reward at the end of verse twenty six I'll give him authority over the nation can I pause for just a moment and say in love but in truth the desire of the Roman Catholic Church is to rule the nation you cannot gain say that if you read history and even present history to rule over the nations. To rule over the nations. That's what happened in the dark middle ages. They did it for a long time. Till the Reformation broke out. And they're planning to do it again. We'll see more of it in chapter seventeen. But please know what the Lord Jesus said to those who were really his. I'll give you the authority to rule over nations. And you'll rule then with a lot of iron. In other words, the believer today will share in that. Go back to Psalm chapter two, will you? Because these words are a quotation from the second Psalm. Where the psalmist wrote. In chapter two. Now I want you to know something very carefully. I'll go quickly through the Psalm with you. And you'll find something very real. For this is really what we could call and do call a messianic Psalm. It describes the end of the age. Note these words. I'll read it through quickly. The first three verses, you've got the voice of the nations. Why do the nations, the word he then can be translated and should be nations? Why do they rage? Why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves. The rulers take counsel together against the Lord, against his anointed of Christ. Let us break their bands asunder. Cast away their cause from us. Do I need to tell you, when you read, when you listen, when you hear today, the drift, the strong tide against God, against Christ, against the Bible, against prayer? Name it. Let me tell you, it's not going to decrease, it's going to increase. The whole purpose of Satan is to drive God out of the world from the human race. go back to the beginning when he knew what he said to Eve when he suggested if God really told you you can't eat of that fruit he said has God said ah put in a doubt about what God's word said happy said it and then you can recognize get rid of the Bible we don't need it and there'll be an open manifestation of driving God out of the world before the end of the age comes. But then note the next three verses. He that sitteth in the heavens, and here you hear the voice of God the Father, he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, in his show of his pleasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of lions? Ah, the Father said, my son is going to be the king. Then read the next three verses. Now you read the words of the Son of God. Ask of me. I will declare the decree. I will declare the decree. Jehovah has said unto me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me. I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance. The uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a pot of scepter. Please, may I accept lovingly, oh, so lovingly and earnestly and sadly, oh, may I say it, the poor nations are going to be dashed to pieces before the Lord takes the throne. You know, I'm glad I'm saying, I'm glad I'm waiting for the Lord to come and take me to heaven before the great tribulation and judgment's come. When we come to chapter four, thank God, we're going to see that church will have been taken to heaven before those drastic times of judgment fall upon the earth. But, oh, the nation, what lies before them? How sad to realize we can see the trend even now. Oh, I've thought of the words of the Lord Jesus even in direct reference today to what we hear in the news and the terrible famines in Africa and other places the Lord Jesus said there shall be famines and pestilences and wars and that will only be the beginning of sorrow and the nations fail to realize what is ahead but here's the Lord Jesus said look you hold fast You'll help me rule someday. And the last part of the Psalm too is the voice of the Holy Spirit. Telling men, kiss the sun, lest he be angry. And his wrath falls upon him when his wrath is kindled. And falls upon you. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Now you go back to Revelation then in your note carefully. You know how the Lord thus declares that regarding its rule. As I received this from my Father, I'm the rule, I'm the reign. You know, this is not the day that the Christians reign on the earth. Believe me, I said, God never intended, the Lord Jesus never intended for the church to reign during this age over the earth. Never. He intended the church to glorify him and to preach the gospel to the salvation of souls that bring out of the world those that would form his bride. But not to rule, not to reign. It's the time of suffering. But the day is coming when we'll be doing all the reigning with him. Now note these words in verse twenty eight. I love them. And I will give him the morning star. I wonder what that is. Oh, I've been thinking so much about that this week. The morning star. That comes before the daybreak. We'll find another reference. Two more references in this book. To that morning star. Or another one at the end of the book. To the morning star. In the end of the book. Jesus said. I'm the bright and morning star. The morning star. That's the Lord Jesus. To be the object in heaven. Looking for him to come. telling us that before the day dawns of that new, that millennial kingdom, I'm going to come for you. And let me give you these words. I will come again and receive you unto myself. And where I am, there you may be. May I say, I make Christians sometimes every day. Somebody may be calling me up or seeing somebody. And I find everyone saying, I wish the Lord had come. I wish the Lord. You know what it is? They got their heart on the morning star. they've got their heart on the morning star because the Lord Jesus is the morning star coming for his church he's going to be the son of righteousness rising with him in his wings for Israel and the world when he comes back on the earth but for the saints hold fast till I come I'll give you the morning look keep looking at me keep looking up at the morning star beautiful sight the morning star As you see it the day approaching and that star shining in the east. And what a joy to know. The Lord Jesus is that for the morning star. Now note the closing words. He that hath an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches. Now beloved let's realize. Though the Lord writes to the whole. To the leaders of the church of Thierry. He says I don't want any one of you the God ears to forget what I'm saying. If you've got a pair of ears, listen to what I've been saying to the churches. And beloved, may I say lovingly, would to God, God's dear people today, would listen to what the Lord Jesus is saying in these words, to the churches of Asia, because they will guide us in the path of obedience and safety till he comes. Shall we pray? Blessed Father, we come into thy holy presence. we acknowledge with all sincerity what the world needs is Jesus just a glimpse of him what we who with thy people need is to see thee Lord Jesus before our hearts and follow thee faithfully we pray for one another oh father we acknowledge what we have learned there's no indication in thy word of recovering the church to its proper spiritual beauty and glory. But there is every indication, Lord, that as individual believers, you're challenging us to be faithful and overcome the difficulties we face. We say in the words of the old hymn, Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty. Hold me with thy powerful hand. We ask thee to lead us, Lord, and make every one of us, overcomers, to glorify thee, and someday we'll share thy glory with thee in thy precious and worthy name. Amen. Now, if the Lord doesn't come, we'll be back here two weeks from today, and have a happy Thanksgiving and don't eat too much turkey.