Let's take our Bibles and turn
back now to the book of Revelation chapter 3. We're looking at a letter, a
letter that God dictated to a man and sent to his people. God Almighty who sees and knows. This letter is from Him, from
He that is holy and true. And hath the key of David, He
that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. If you want to know who has the
key that unlocks the wisdom of God
to a sinner, it's this one right here. He has the key, the power,
the will. If Almighty God is going to reveal
Himself to you, He's the one that's going to do it. Nobody
has the power to figure God out. Nobody has the power to open their own heart. Not
a dead sinner. That's always amazed me. No,
it hasn't always amazed me. It amazed me after the Lord revealed
it to me. It hasn't always amazed me. That Almighty God must give
life. Men say, that a sinner can exercise
a free will. No, no. Dead men don't do anything
but be dead. That's what they do. They're
dead. He says in verse 8, I know thy
works. Men are not saved by works, but
without works, without the evidence of life, There is no life. Believers act like believers.
Believers talk like believers. Believers think like believers.
Believers have no confidence in their flesh. Believers have
all confidence in Christ. I know thy works, your work of
faith, your patience of love. work is believing God. This is the work of God. His work in His people and the
evidence of that work is belief. This is the work of God that
you believe on Him whom He has sent. So there is a work that
is wrought by God Almighty And it is a gift, it is the gift
of faith. And God's people by God-given
faith believe God about themselves, about who He is, who His Son
is. I know thy works, the evidence,
I know the characteristics, of that which I've done in you.
Why? Because it's God that worketh
in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. I know
your works. I know the reason that we love
each other. It's because He's worked a work
of grace in our heart. The reason that we want to be
here together The reason we come together, this is the place,
I'm going to tell you where God meets with His people, right
here. Right here. When the church, the assembly,
the called out one, when we meet together, sitting under a pastor
that God sent, He said, I'm in the midst of you. That's where
I'm at. I know thy works. I know the liberality of your
heart, you're giving, you're giving of money and prayer and
fellowship. I know thy works. And then he
says, I've set before thee an open door. No man can shut it. I have set before you the freeness
to preach the gospel in this place. That's what he's talking
about. I have set before thee an open door. Paul says, Colossians
4, 3, with all praying also for me that God would open unto us
a door of utterance. To speak the mystery of Christ
for which I'm also in bonds. An open door to preach the gospel. You think that almost 60 years
ago, just a group of people just decided just on their own, we're
just going to start meeting together. And I think we're going to, maybe
we'll get Scott to pastor. You know, I think he'll be fine.
You think that just happened? Almighty God was pleased to raise
up this assembly, just like He raises up every place. Every
candlestick. And I'm telling you, as long
as he's pleased to allow it to be here, it'll be here. But you
write this down. When he's done, it's over. It's over. And I'll tell you
this, God's people will know it. You'll know it. I'm telling
you, He says, I have set before thee an open door, and let me
tell you what, no man can shut it. They told the apostles, don't
you preach anymore in His name. Well, that sure shut them up,
didn't it? Peter says, we ought to obey
God rather than man. If you don't shut up, I'm going
to put you in jail. Well, then just put me in jail
then. Well, I tell you, if you don't shut up, I'm going to burn
you. Well, then you're just going to have to burn me then. I tell
you this, if a man can quit, God never called him. If one
that claims to be a believer can quit, then God didn't call
him. My sheep hear my voice and what
they do? They follow me. They follow me. The blessing bestowed upon this
congregation right here in Philadelphia and every other place where God's
raised up a door of utterance to preach the gospel is the blessing
that has been bestowed upon that place by God Almighty. Raised
up the gospel because he was going to call some people out
of darkness in this place. Put some people in this community
right here. And quite a few of them. That's
a miracle. That God would order all these
things, all these years and years and years and years and put them
right here in this place where they could hear a gospel preacher
preach the gospel of God's free grace. Sovereign grace. And he opened the door. No man
could shut it. No man could cast them out. No man could stop them. He said,
I have set before thee an open door. No man can shut it. For
thou hast a little strength. Little strength. Maybe they were
small in number. Little strength. Maybe they didn't
have a lot of money. Maybe they didn't have a lot
of talents and gifts. But I'll tell you what they had.
They had God's blessing. They had God's word. That song
we just sang. If he died for me, you know,
that's enough. It's like one plea. It's all
my plea. When he died, he died for me.
This is all I need. If he put away my guilt, that's
all I need. You have little strength. But scripture sets forth, those
with little strength has kept his word and not denied my name. There's congregations I realize
that are huge. They've got multiple services,
programs, and stuff, mess, and things. But I'm telling you that
we might be able to meet here this morning and just look and
see what God has to say. And that's all I want to hear.
I'm telling you, that's a blessing from God. God Almighty, thou
has kept my word and not denied my faith. You've kept it, that
is, you had an eye toward. You've watched it. You that believe, let me tell
you what you want to hear. The next thing out of my mouth,
just continue telling me about what God has done for this sinner.
Tell me about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Tell me how
He's kept me. Tell me again how the Spirit
of God has taught me. Tell me again how God has blessed
to give me a heart to not deviate from Christ. Thou has kept my
word and not denied my faith. There's not a believer this morning
that would say, I kept myself. You know better than that. The
only reason we believe right now, faith cometh. I need to hear that often. You
say, well, I heard the gospel back in the late 70's. God gave
me a heart somewhere in that area. Somebody said, well, it
was June the 4th at 4 o'clock. I don't know when it was. All
I can tell you is that there was a time that God Almighty
began to give me some light. And I began to understand some
things, believe some things. Over a period of time, I began to know. but I don't
ever quit continuing to know. Faith back then is gone. Faith cometh. I need to hear
right now. I need God to give me a heart
right now. I need for Him to teach me again
right now concerning my depravity. I need to be told again. Tell
me again. Tell me again. I was talking to a dear precious
sister and we were talking about how men by nature, they don't
want to hear this again. Okay, you already told me that. You told me that one time. Okay,
I've already got that part of it. No, you tell me one more
time how much I need him. Tell me one more time how God
Almighty chose a people before the foundation of the world.
You say, I've heard that before, I want to hear it again. Tell
me one more time how He irresistibly called me out of darkness, the
elect of God. Tell me how God is not going
to let His elect perish. Tell me that one more time because
I'm going to tell you something. I see too much in me that deserves
condemnation. You tell me Romans 8, 1 again,
there is now therefore no condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus. Can anybody convince a believer
otherwise? No. No. You've not denied my
name. You've not refused it. For Christ
to be denied, to be refused in word or action Before men in this life, I can
tell you this, that person that dies having refused, denied the
truth of who he is, has no mediator before God. No advocate, no savior,
no savior. He that denies me, I'm going
to deny him before my Father. Behold, verse 9, 10, and 11. I will make them of the synagogue
of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not." They are the
synagogue of Satan. They say they're Jews, spiritually. They say they are, and they're
not. They 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, 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 take thy crown." I'm going to make them. of the
synagogue of Satan that say they're Jews. I'm going to make them
come, I'm going to make them worship before thy feet. That
is in the presence or in the state of. You can read that right
there and I can tell you it means one of two things and both of
them are so. It either means I'm going to
save them, those that are the synagogue of Satan, that say
they're Jews and they're not, I'm going to make them to come
and worship before thy feet. I'm going to call them out of
darkness and give them a new heart and call them out of that
unbelief and they'll worship with you. Or, and this is what
I think it means, or it means that by their rebellion they're
going to bow and confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2.10, that at the
name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, things
in earth, under the earth, every tongue is going to confess that
Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. I'm going to tell you something
right now. The Lord Jesus Christ and all
of these that are of the synagogue of Satan, which say they're Jews,
I was there. I was there. The synagogue of
Satan, what is that? Every place that does not preach
the gospel. That's the synagogue of Satan.
It's either going to have to be the synagogue of the Lord
or the synagogue of Satan, one of the two. And everybody and
their brother says, I'm a believer. I'm a Jew. I'm a spiritual Jew. Behold, I'm going to make them
of the synagogue of Satan, which say they're Jews and are not. What are they? They're liars.
That's what the, who said that? The Lord said it. They're liars. If God's pleased to call one
like that, which is every man born in Adam, and give them a
new heart. You know what they're going to
do? They're going to admit, this is where I was. Paul the Apostle
did. He said before, all of the things
that he had all of his confidence in, you know what he said? He
said, it was done. I count it a loss for the glory of Christ to be
found in him. I believe that and I believe
him. But all of these, that Almighty
God, if it does refer, and I do think it does, refer to those
that in that day, you can bet this, they may not in this life,
but I'm telling you they're going to. Every knee's going to bow.
And every tongue's going to confess you're God. Let me tell you what's
going to happen. I don't care who it is. I don't
care who it is. I'm going to tell you from the
one that thinks himself to be the holiest one walking this
earth, to the lowest one that doesn't think anything, if they
don't know Christ, let me tell you what's going to happen. Either
God's going to save them and bring them to glory, or he's
going to condemn them and put them in hell. But I'm going to
tell you right now, every knee is going to bow. Every tongue
is going to confess You're the Lord. You're God. You do that
which is right. I will make them of the synagogue
of Satan say they're Jews, not they lie. I will make them come
and worship before your feet. In the day of judgment, when? Whenever God Almighty says they
are. He said, they're going to bow. They're going to bow. They're
going to confess that He is the Lord. And He said, I'll tell
you another thing. They're going to know that I
have loved thee. They're going to know that. They're
going to know that. A man by nature that hates the
gospel of God's grace. We can hear that God has an everlastingly
loved people. They can hear that God has an
elect, they can hear that God has a chosen, that God has a
bride. They can hear that God Almighty
has said, I lay down my life for the sheep. They can hear
that and they're going to say, no, I don't believe that. I don't
believe that. I believe He died for everybody.
But I'm going to tell you something based on His Word. He said, they're
going to know that I've loved you. They're going to know that.
In that day, when I say to those on my right hand, the sheep,
enter in. Enter in. To all that was prepared
for you from before the foundation of the world. And you, bind them hand and foot
and cast them into outer darkness. They're going to be weeping and
wailing and gnashing of teeth. Listen to me. I'm telling you,
every knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess, and
every rebellious sinner against God that dies in unbelief is
going to know that God has loved His people everlastingly, kept
them, protected them, called them and kept them by grace. they're going to know, because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the earth,
to try them that dwell upon the earth. Because thou hast watched,
you kept the word of my patience, because by grace, through faith,
That was not of ourselves. It was a gift of God, because
thou has kept the word of my patience toward my people. Faithful, faithful,
faithful to the gospel. Faithful to his word, he said,
because you've kept the word of my patience, that which he
has wrought in us, that we did. grace, woman, thy faith hath
made thee whole. Because thou have kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation. I'm going to keep you from apostasy. You're not going to fall. I'm
going to keep you from the hour of temptation. When man by nature
would quit When trials and chastisements, adversity would cause anybody,
how can a man or a woman stand firm in the face of death? How? By God's power. I'm going
to keep you. Because you've kept the word
of my patience, I'm going to keep you. Which shall come upon
the world to try them, to prove them. to prove them, whether
they be the faithful or whether they be apostates. This temptation
is going to come and it's going to prove, going to try, going
to reveal what Almighty God has set forth His soul. Behold, I
come quickly. He's coming. He's coming. Hold fast that which thou It has to. You that have faith,
hold it fast. Keep. Stay. How, Lord? By grace. By grace. Him that overcometh. Hold fast that which thou hast
that no man take thy crown. Him. Our crown. Christ. Him that overcometh, verse 12,
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.
I will write upon him my new name. Here, in closing, is a
divine promise to those who overcome. Now listen, him that overcometh. How do men overcome even your
faith? Again, that is not ours by nature. Faith that overcometh the world
and that which is in us born the world that overcometh Here
is the promise. He said, I'm going to make those
that overcome a pillar, not a support. Not a support. His temple needs
no prop to keep it up. But what it is, it's a monument.
That's what it is. I'm going to make you a monument.
of the free and powerful grace. Turn with me in Ephesians 2,
I'll show you this. Ephesians 2, 5 to 7. Ephesians
chapter 2, verse, he that overcometh, I'm going to make you a pillar,
a monument of his mercy, of grace. Ephesians 2, 5 to 7, even when
we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ by grace
you're saved. and has raised us up together,
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And here
it is, here's the pillar, that in the ages to come, He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. In the ages to come, I'm going
to show that you're a monument of my mercy, that you're a monument
of my grace, I'm going to make you to be one in my temple, that
place which He dwells. Him that overcometh back in Revelation
3.12, I'll make a pillar in the temple of my God. He shall go
out no more. This is an inheritance that fadeth
not away. Thanks be unto God, because if
it could fade away, I'd get rid of it. If it could fade away,
believe me, that which I am by nature and do by nature, if it could fade away, but it
can't. No possibility of God's people
ever falling away. Can't I give unto them eternal
life? And they'll never perish. They
shall go out no more. I'll write upon him the name
of my God. As adopted children, I'm going
to write on them the name of my God. We're going to have his
name, his children, Christians. A Christian. A Christian. And I know that everybody tries
to claim that name. But I'm telling you, it is a
glorious name of our God. Who are you? We're Christ's. We're His. We're Christians. You've not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear, but you've received the spirit of
adoption. Whereby you cry, Abba, Father. I'm going to write upon
them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, which
is New Jerusalem. That New Jerusalem, the city of God. Who are you?
We're the city of God. We're God's city. We're the children
of God. We're sons of God. We're Christians. He adopted us. He made us heirs. We're heirs of God. We're heirs
of God. It's one thing to be an heir
of Rockefeller. That'd be something in this life. It's going to perish. But an heir of God. The eternal
God. I'm right. In 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." Now listen who's speaking.
He said, my new name. My new name. His new name. His
new name. This is who's speaking. He's
the one speaking. His new name. Not new as far
as being not eternal, because it's always eternal. Everything
concerning God is eternal. But new in revelation. Revelation. Here's His new name revealed
to us. This is something I never knew
until He called me out of darkness. The Lord our righteousness. The
Lord our righteousness. That's our new name. The Lord
Our Righteousness. Before, I looked upon me as having
righteousness, able to earn righteousness, able to keep righteousness. But this new name, it means new
being acquired. New to me. eternally known to
Him, but new to me. His new name to me. Who is He? He is the Lord, our righteousness. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Lord, You who are
our life, You who are our peace, our comfort, our stay, Lord,
keep me that I deny you not. Keep me, keep me, and I'll be
kept for Christ's sake.