The Lord, that hath the sharp
sword with two edges, told His people, I know your works. I
know where you dwell, where Satan's seed is, that thou holdest fast
my name, hast not denied my faith. Even in those days wherein Antipas
was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth,
He then said to this precious assembly that he had raised up,
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there
them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast
a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. He said, I have something concerning
you. And what he said in that 14th
verse, he said, you've got some, and obviously there was some
in the midst, that's what he's saying. They were in the midst
of this assembly that held the doctrine of Balaam. Now, I would encourage you to go back
and read Numbers chapter 22, 23, 24, 25. And it's dealing
with this false prophet Balaam. And Scripture, two verses of
Scripture here in the New Testament, one of them you can just turn
back a few pages to Jude, just one chapter in the book of Jude,
just before the book of the Revelation. And it's talking about, says
a few things about, this false prophet Balaam in Jude verse
11. Jude chapter 1, one chapter. Woe unto them. And who are they? Well, look at Jude verse 4 and
5. There's certain men crept in
under wares. who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation, ungodly men. These are men that, I can
tell you this, claim to be preachers, leaders, men that set themselves before of old, ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. Lasciviousness is actually lustful,
lewd, flaunting sexual immorality. That's what lasciviousness is.
And I don't doubt that they, you know, were actually doing
it. I'll tell you in just a minute why, what their justification
for it was. But the Lord says, and I'm going
to tell you this, we're going to look at this thing for a minute
or so, and spiritually, spiritually, but not whether they were doing
it actually, which they probably were. But he said, turning the
grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God
in our Lord Jesus Christ, I will therefore put you in remembrance,
though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved his
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that
believed not. This is who he's talking about.
That's ungodly men turning to grace of God saying, well, we're
saved by grace. So it really doesn't matter.
If we're saved by the grace of God, we're not under the law.
That's the heart of what I'm going to get to. But verse 11,
Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward. and perished in the
gainsaying of Korah. You remember Korah was the one
that withstood Moses and said, you know, you take a whole lot
upon yourself. Who are you? Who are you? And
you know what happened. God opened up the earth and sent
him to hell. They withstood against the man
of God, which they were withstanding against God's Word is what they
were. The man that delivers God's Word, he's the man delivering
God's Word. So that's it. But these Jews
says concerning Balaam. Well, he talks about it was an
era. It was an era. Then look over in 2 Peter. 2
Peter 2.15. 2 Peter 2.15 also says something
about Balaam. 2 Peter 2.15 talking about these
that have which have forsaken the right way. had gone astray
following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosar, who loved the
wages of unrighteousness." Now, when we consider, and if you
go back, and again, for the sake of time, I won't read all those
chapters, but Numbers 22, 23, 24, just read them. Read them. And when you read them, I'm going
to tell you what you're going to find. Let me just tell you
very quickly what happened. The nation of Israel came to
a place called Moab. And when they got to Moab, the king of Moab, his name was
Balak. And Balak was afraid of Israel
because they were large in number. It's a bunch of them. And he
had heard some things how, you know, things that had happened
and what God had wrought and stuff. And so what Balak did,
he sent some messengers over to Balaam. He was going to get
him a prophet. I'm going to get a prophet, and
I'm going to get this prophet to curse these people. So he
sent this group of messengers over to Balaam. the false prophet. And when they got there, the
messengers told Balaam what Balak the king wanted. He said, I want
you to curse the people. I want you to pronounce a curse
on them in the name of the Lord. And in Numbers 22 and verse 12,
here's what they wanted. They said, we want you to curse
them. You need to go back with us.
Back to Balak, back to the king that sent us. You come with us,
because Balak wants to see you, Balaam. And so Balaam said, well,
I'm going to seek the Lord. I'm going to seek God. I'm going
to seek God's direction. I'm going to pray about this,
you know. He's a false prophet. He said,
well, I'm going to seek God over this thing, you know. And the
Lord spoke to Balaam. And this is what the Lord said
in Numbers 22, verse 12. Don't go with them. Do not go
with them. I'm not going to curse Israel.
I'm not going to curse them. They're my people. They're blessed
people. I'm not going to curse them.
Well, the emissary goes back to Balak and they get over there
and they tell Balak, he said, look, he said he wasn't coming. Balak the king sent some more
honorable men than the first. He said, now you go back and
you tell Balaam, I'm going to just spread all kinds of honor
on you. I'm going to bless you. I'm going
to give you whatever your heart's desire. Money, prestige. Listen, I'm going to shower you
with blessings. You come and curse these people. Balaam heard that. I'm going
to give you. You're going to be so wealthy. You're going to be so honorable.
You're going to be so exalted. You come back. The Lord had already told him,
don't go with them. So Balaam hears that. I'm going to bless you. You can't
imagine the position you're going to have over here in Moab. Balaam
says, well, now, I can't go against the Lord's word. Whatever God has to say, that's
what I'm going to have to do. But he said, you stay here tonight
and I'll seek the Lord and I'll see what God has to say. So he sought the Lord. And in
chapter 22, verse 17, when they told him that, you know, we'll
promote you, Balaam said, I can't go against the Word of the Lord. I'll go and ask Him. In verse
20 of chapter 22, when he asked the Lord, you know, well, what
would you like for me to do? The Lord said, go ahead and go.
Go ahead and go. Go with them. And God was angry
with him. God had already told him, I'm
not going to curse the people and don't go with them. So he
comes back, he heard honor and bestowing and all of a sudden,
well, let me seek the Lord. Let me seek the Lord. I read
through those chapters and I'm telling you, every time Balak,
the king, realized Balaam is not going to pronounce a curse,
God wouldn't let him. God kept him from it. God said,
I'm not going to curse him. I'm not going to curse him. Every
time Balak tried to get Balaam to curse him, and Balaam kept
saying, the false prophet kept saying, I cannot go against the
Lord. But everything he did was trying
to figure out a way. The Spirit of God revealed this
in the New Testament. You go back and read it in numbers
and you're not going to find exactly what Balaam said to try
to entrap the people of God. But the Spirit of God revealed
it in the New Testament. Everything that Balaam said was
right. I must declare what God has to
say. I must be obedient to God. But
the Spirit of God revealed that he was a false prophet. Balak
would say, well, wait a minute. Come over here and take a look.
Let's go over on this mountain. Let's look at them from this
direction. Look how many there are. I've got to obey God. Well,
let's come over here now. Let's look at them from this
direction. I'm going to have to obey God. And the Spirit of
God reveals here in Revelation and in Jude and in 2 Peter. He says, I have a few things
against thee. Behold, thou hast them there
that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling
block before the children of Israel, to eat things, sacrifice
unto idols, and commit fornication." You're going to find in the book
of Numbers where the children of Israel did that in the Neal. They did it. But the Spirit of
God reveals here that it was Balaam that actually told Balak
to do it. That's how we know. Now, here's
the thing. was, Jude said, the error. What was this doctrine of Balaam? What was it? Now, I alluded in
the first message here, talking about the faithfulness of God's
people. You know, I know where you are. You're in the seat of Satan.
I know where you are. We're tempted. We're tried and
we're tested. And this doctrine of Balaam is
everyone, everyone of God's sheep, you know, are tempted with this,
but especially God's preachers. I cannot tell you how many times
that I have, since I've been here, how many times that I've
been, you know, suggested to or something like that, you know,
to compromise. on the gospel or to compromise
on who could stand in this pulpit. Or who could, you know, the doctrine
of Balaam, what Balaam did was what he said was right. Go back and read it. You're not
going to find anything wrong with what Balaam said. Everything
he said, you thought, well, based upon what he's saying right there,
I don't see, I can't find anything wrong with what he said. The
Spirit of God revealed his motive. It was for gain. It was for honor. It was for the wages of unrighteousness. That's what he wanted. He did
it for the wrong reason. I've got to serve God. I'm going
to have to serve the Lord. Listen, don't think for one second
that men that are preaching the Gospel are those that believe
what they're preaching are innocent. And don't believe for one second
that it's not a heinous sin of rebellion against God. That men
would stand in pulpits and declare, I love the Lord. I love the Lord. But we're going to have to try
to get along. We're going to have to have some
unity. I mean, I've told you before,
I've had men that would call me and say, listen, we're going
to meet over here. at the courthouse steps. I had this, you know,
here in Fairmont. We're going to all come together
and we're going to just join together and let's pray that
God would bless Fairmont. Let's pray for this. Let's pray.
That sounds great. But the only thing about it is,
is that I don't believe what you believe. I don't serve the
God that you believe. Balaam said the right thing,
but he did it for the wrong reason, what he said and what he did. The Scripture sets forth that
he taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of
Israel. You can read this. You can read what happened right
there. To eat things sacrificed to idols
and to commit fornication. Let me tell you what he did. I just can't curse the people. The Lord has said that he's not
going to curse them, so I just cannot pronounce a curse on the
people. But the Spirit of God says right
here in Revelation 2 that it was Balaam that taught Balak. Again, go back and read it. You
won't find it in the Old Testament. You'll find it right here. That
it was Balaam that taught Balak. Balaam taught Balak. He said,
why don't you, you know, just at your festivals, encourage
the Israelites to come. Come to the festivals. We love
you guys. We love you. You're our friends. We want you to come. You know,
mi kasa, you kasa. My food, your food. I mean, it's just meat, basically. You know, it's common. And listen,
fellowship with our women. I mean, your men, our women. You know, our men, your women.
We are together. We're united. And the Scriptures
go back and read this. He entered into the whoredom.
That's what the Scripture says. He taught Balak. He taught him. instructed him to cast a stumbling
block before the children of Israel, to eat things, to sacrifice
to idols, and to commit fornication. Balaam knew that God hated the
whoredoms that his people were engaged in, and to get the people
cursed in his mind. So Balak, he said, Let's be all
together. Let's just be together. Let's
be one happy family. The reason he did it was because
of the wages, the money, the honor, whether it was prestige,
whether it was the wealth, whether it was that position, whatever
it was, that was his motive. Balaam advised Balak. to encourage the nation of Israel
to enter in with them because he wanted Balak's reward. That's what he wanted. He wanted
the smile of the world. He wanted the riches that this
world, he wanted the cares of this world. That's what it was. Join yourselves. Come to our
daughters. And we know it because the Spirit
of God said that that's what it was. That was His era. Let
me tell you something. I know, I know. Men, you're women
here. I know you work. I know you're
around people. I understand that. We're in this
world, but we're not of it. And I'm telling you right now,
Though we find ourselves in the midst, having to work around
people that we don't agree with. Scripturally, we don't agree
with. You're still in this world. But when it comes to this thing
of the worship of God, compromising on what we believe is an evil
that Almighty God's not going to tolerate. I'll show you that
in just a second. This is what the doctrine of Balaam says. Be tolerant of false preachers. Now, let me tell you this. That
appears to the world, they will look at me, and I'm telling you,
they'll say, Marvin, you are just being too hardcore. I'm telling you, I'm telling
you, Listen to anything they say. Be tolerant. That's what they say. Accept
their waves. We're all working for the same.
And I'm telling you, every one of us is tempted to do that.
We're tempted to do that. We're tempted to do that. Just,
I know, don't make any waves. What the doctrine of Balaam is,
is compromise on God's sovereignty. Say it in a way that if it's
a believer, they'll know kind of what I'm saying, but just
don't be so plain. I want you to exactly understand
what I'm saying. I asked Linda one day, I said,
Did you understand what I was talking about? She said, Marvin,
let me let me rest your mind. She said, believe me, she said,
somebody may not agree with you, but they know exactly what you're
saying. I said, good, good. I just want to make sure that
you understand that the doctrine of Balaam is compromised, compromised. I want to make it appear as though
I'm serving God. I want to I want to say this,
you know, in a way that that you completely understand. Compromise. That's what Balaam
says. Compromise God's sovereignty and glory. Compromise His truth. No. No. I know that the world
hates God's glory. I know that. But it is required
in a steward that he be found faithful. I want you to understand
what I'm saying. I want to be plain. was two-faced. He skirted the issues. He made
it appear as though that he wanted to serve God, and he was underhanded,
and he did it for honor and glory. Somebody said, well, I want everybody
to talk nice about me. Well, I want you to talk nice
about me too. I'm not looking for somebody
to be mad at me. But I'm going to tell you something. I know
the One that has placed me in this position, I know that I
must be found faithful. I must be. Here's what Paul the
Apostle said under God's Spirit, 2 Corinthians 6, 17. Wherefore,
come out from among them, be ye separate, saith the Lord.
Touch not the unclean thing, I will receive you. Verse 15.
So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate. Now, I'm going to tell you this.
The Nicolaitans, I've read as much as I could read. I could
find out a bit. It appears as though that there
was a man named Nicholas, and he held to this truth. I alluded to it a minute ago.
Well, we're saved by grace, so it really doesn't matter how
you live. That's the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. I've heard people talk about,
use a word, and it's a antinomianism. That word right there is a word
that means, you know, and people, they'll accuse a gospel preacher
of being an antinomian. What they're saying is this.
They're saying, well, You know, the law needs to be our rule
of life. And they'll say, you know, people
that are gospel preachers, they'll accuse us of having no restraints. They say, you people that are
preaching this, you know, that you're saved by grace, not of
works. You know, the world wants a set
of rules and regulations to live by so that they can look to themselves
and say, I know I've been faithful. A believer can be accused of
that, but he's not one. A believer does not rest in the
works that he's done. I told you I was going to say
something else about this works. I know thy works. No believer looks
to his works for salvation. He knows that. He knows that.
The word in verse 15, it begins, it's so. is also, also, these
Nicolaitans, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans was tied in with
the doctrine of Balaam, obviously. And what it was, it was that
attitude of this. There's no restraint since we're
saved by grace. It does not matter. Just do whatever you want to
do. If it feels good, just do it.
Let me tell you this. No believer trusts in his works,
but those that have been saved by the grace of God, there are
restraints by God's Spirit placed upon them. Listen to this. Philippians 127. Only let your
conversation, your manner of walk, not the talk, the manner
of your walk, be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." I want
to, number one, for God's glory. I want to. I want to walk before
men. Not in order to establish righteousness,
because I know I can't do that. But I'm going to tell you, I
want to walk before men consistently. I don't want to be an embarrassment,
number one, before the Lord. I don't want to be an embarrassment
before you. I don't want to be an embarrassment to myself, to
my wife. I want to walk before men as becometh the gospel of Christ. Paul said in Romans 6, what?
Shall we save then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? People say, well, we're saved
by grace, so just go ahead and sin. It doesn't matter. If we're
saved and we're not going to be lost, Because the Lord said,
all that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast them out. I give
them eternal life. They'll never perish. The doctrine
of the Nicolaitans says it doesn't matter how you walk. Yes, it
does. Yes, it does. Not for salvation,
but as an evidence of it. I know this. God's people have
a heart that desires faithfulness before God. Faithfulness before
God. I looked at something Brother
Henry said. He said, a man or woman that
claims to know God and is void of a desire to walk consistently
faithfully before God is void of true life. I'm going to be
the first to admit, I wish Again, I heard Brother Henry say this.
He said one time, he said, I've heard people say, I wish I hadn't
said that last year. Henry said, I've got some things
I wish I hadn't just said. You know? There's a desire in
God's people. I want to be faithful. I want to be faithful. I want
to honor Him. The Nicolaitans hold the truth
in creed but deny the truth in their lives. They don't walk
as believers. They walk as the world walks
in rebellion against God. Paul said in Ephesians 5, verse
8, walk as children of light. Not for salvation, but because
of it. Verse 16, repent. Or else I will
come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the word
of my mouth. He said something right here.
We find comfort right here. Number one, he said, repent.
How quickly the believer is brought to consider his ways. Now, I'm
just going to be honest with you. I know that that tendency
right there is in me. I know it's in me. I know that
unless the Lord keeps me, I can tell you this. Unless God keeps
me, I'm going to do that. And I don't want to. When the
Lord told His disciples that night at the Last Supper, He
said, one of you is going to deny me. What did almost all of them say? Lord, is it I? Am I the one? If Almighty God sets forth that
there's some that will hold to the doctrine of Balaam. I know
this, but for the grace of God, it will be right here, because
there is no difference in anybody else than me. I know that. Lord,
keep me from this. Lord, keep me with a heart to
walk after You. I cannot be complacent. Lord, help me concerning, Lord,
faithfulness before You, communion with You, asking, seeking. Keep
me, let me live in this world, led by your Spirit, kept by your
Spirit, directed by your Word." He said, repent, repent. He's
talking to the church here. Repent, or else I'll come unto
thee quickly in chastisement. Now that's the way the Lord,
you know, He says, and I'll fight against them. You notice He's
talking to two different people. I'll come unto thee quickly. I'm going to fight against them
with the sword of my mouth." That two-edged sword. He said,
repent. A believer will hear that and
a believer will say, Lord, have mercy upon me. I'm sorry. I'm
sorry. I'm wrong. I'm wrong. That's the greatest relief that
a believer can get. I'm wrong. I'm wrong. Lord, help
me. Help me. Providentially, the
Lord is going to deal with His children in loving chastisement. Repent, or else I'll come unto
thee quickly, and I'm going to chasten you." But, he said, I'm
going to fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Those
who hold and love that doctrine of Balaam. I know the tendency
is there. The tendency is there. But I'm
telling you, a believer doesn't love it. They don't love that
thought of being rebellious before God. He that hath an ear, verse
17, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him
that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, the living bread, the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. will give him a white stone,
and in that stone a new name written, which no man knoweth,
saving he that receiveth it." White stone. I'm going to give
to him. I'm going to give him. A stone with a new name written
on it. A new name. A new name. A new name in substance and form
is what it means. A new name that is reflective.
who they are in Christ. That new name found in Isaiah
62 verses 2 to 4 is revealed to be this. Here's the name.
He said this is what you're going to be called. Hephzibah. My delight. And Beulah. Married. God's people, they're faithful people. They're
faithful in that they know something about who they are themselves.
They know that there's a tendency in every fallen creature in Adam
to desire the things of this world. That's just natural to
the fallen man. That's natural to me. It's natural
to you. If left unchecked, Almighty God says, I'm going
to come. Left unchecked. I'm going to
come to you quickly. God's people know that the tendency
is there. That doctrine of Balaam to try
to appear to be spiritual. Put on a front, Mitch. That's
all Balaam did. He put on a front. I've got a
circle. But in his heart, he desired the things of this world,
the Scriptures revealing. It was those wages of unrighteousness,
the error of his way. He desired the praise of men
more than the praise of God. And the Nicolaitans, that nature,
it's here. Well, I'm saved by grace. It
really doesn't matter how I act. Well, the Lord said, I hate it.
And Marvin asked the Lord, Lord, help me. Keep me from this. For
Christ's sake, Amen.