Revelation three, I began preparing this two weeks ago, intending to preach it to you, but did not, did not feel led to do so. And then last Sunday, just still didn't feel led to do so. But tonight we're going to look at it. I would rather preach messages full of comfort, encouragement, but this has comfort in it, but not until we look at some difficult passages, convicting passages. The thing is, Hebrews 12 says, if you be without chastening, you're not God's children. And he says, chastening is not pleasant, but it's needful.

And God's true people, they receive everything the Lord said, the reproof, the rebuke, the correction. When the word says like Nathan did to David, when he convicted him of his sin, he said, thou art the man. David confessed, I am, I'm the man. Scripture says, let the righteous smite me. It'll be a mercy, so. Verse one, let's begin. Under the angel of the church in Sardis. Right, this is to the church. Look at the verse right before that. And each letter ends this way.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. This is not written to everybody in the world. This doesn't apply to everybody in the world. It applies to those, to churches, or that is those who make a profession of faith. Okay? And the pastor, the angel is a messenger or the pastor of that church. What the Lord says to all the church, he says to everybody in it and all the churches.

And it begins with me. This is convicting to me. I can't preach with conviction unless it convicts me, right? I can't preach to your heart unless it touches my heart. I can't preach to sinners unless I believe I'm a sinner. I can't speak of mercy unless I believe I've received mercy, need mercy, right?

So this is to the pastor first and to everybody. And what is said and what is written to the churches is written to all the churches. And there are seven letters, we've been going through them. And it seems that this church needs that and Ephesus needs that and Pergamos needs that. No, all of us need all of these things. Certainly do.

Ephesus, he said, you've left your first love. How many of us have been sidetracked and leave and just go after other things? Not our Lord. If that convicts you, if that convicts you, you haven't lost your first love. You just left for a while. To Laodicea, the last letter he says talks about being lukewarm, hearing the word just unmoved and not touched by it. Anybody? How many times? But if you're convicted of that, and he said, whom I love, I chase him. I convict him of that, being lukewarm. And he makes you hot again.

To Sardis, look at this. He says in verse one, the last line, you have a name that you live and you're dead. You see why I didn't wanna deal with it right away. But look at verse one, first of all. These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, seven stars, we've already looked at that, the seven stars are the preachers in his hands, angels, verse 20 of chapter one.

And in other words, our Lord has his preachers as well as his people in his hands under his divine and sovereign control and leadership. I'm so thankful for that. I'm flesh. I don't wanna be left to myself. I want the Lord to have a hold of me, don't you? Well, he does, he does. And that's a comfort for you too. If I'm truly God's preacher, he's not gonna lead you astray through me, he's not.

And the seven spirits of God are not literally seven spirits, but look at chapter five, verse six. Chapter five, verse six, this speaks of our Lord's omniscience or how he knows all, sees all. You have it, verse six of chapter five, beheld and low in the midst of the throne, the four beat, in the midst of the elder stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns, That's his perfect, complete power. Seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. That is the eyes of the Lord.

Let me just read to you from Zechariah chapter four. Listen to that. It says, this made me want to preach on Zerubbabel. Anybody know about Zerubbabel? Who hath despised the day of small things, or small churches? They shall rejoice. They'll see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.

He's a picture of crime. And those seven, our eyes, are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Turn Hebrews 4 quickly, very quickly. Hebrews 4, you need to see this, you need to know where this is. The Word of God, Hebrews 4, verse 12, are his eyes. He sees all, everything is open, naked before the eyes, look at it. Verse 12, the Word of God, Hebrews 4, 12.

The Word of God is quick, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, The joints and the marrow, the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Is that what God's word does to you? Neither is there any creature that is not manifest or exposed in his sight. All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, must face, deal with.

So that's what he's saying there in Revelation 3. The seven spirits of God, seven are the eyes of our Lord, the word of God, the perfect, seven is perfection. So he says in verse one, he says, I know thy works, or in the case of this church, which are lacking, at the church at Sarno, that you have a name that thou livest and are dead, a name, Christian.

You know, that name's only used twice in the scripture, only twice. But today, it's thrown around like a wholesale use of that, and everybody and his brother is a professing Christian. It's just not said. It's name only for many. The Lord, and here he says, there are few that have defiled their government. The disciples asked the Lord one time, he said, are there few that be saved? He said, straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to eternal life and few there be that find it. Many are called, but few are chosen. That's what our Lord said. It's not what men say.

They have a name. that they're Christians, sons of God, but they're not. They're dead and trespassing sin, okay? But this is to the church. This is to professing believer, okay? Christian, a Christian is a follower of the Lamb. A Christian, a Christian, I'd rather pronounce it that way.

You don't change his name, you know. Christian, that is someone who really believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ is their only hope of salvation. The blood of Jesus Christ is their redemption. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is their holiness, their acceptance with God. There are few that even know what that means or care, but they profess to be Christian. Let it not be so with that. Christian is the bride of Christ. It's the lamb's wife. That's what a Christian is, like a man gives his name to his bride and she wears it with gratitude and thanksgiving. Well, the bride of Christ is a Christian, the lamb's wife.

And a bride, a true bride, one who's truly married, loves her husband. Lives with, serves her husband, lives for her husband, forsakes all other for him, doesn't it? Walks with, talks with, leans upon, longs for his presence, mourns when she doesn't have it. They abide in the same place, where he is, that's where she is. That's marriage. There's a union, a oneness. Now many claim that, but they don't have it and they're dead. They held off that other thing. Other thing. They're dead. Many, some in our midst, have been through broken marriages.

You live together for a while, but you're only married on paper. Right? You were only married in name only. You bore that person's name or the wife bore the husband's name, but you really weren't one. You really weren't united. You really weren't deep in love with, loving this union, that person, living for, living with, dwelling together in love and peace and harmony.

Talking to and listening to and speaking to and walking with and thinking about all day and every going to work He couldn't wait to get home No, no, no going through the motions and it didn't last it Didn't land but the union of a believer and his Lord her Lord is a marriage Is this convicting you Good, that means you're not dead.

You understand? If these things convict you, you're not dead. He's writing to the church. And we all feel at times dead. Now, what is it that deadens us? One thing, this world, sin, sin. Look at Hebrews 3 again, Hebrews chapter 3. We've been reading these over and over again. Hebrews 3.

This world has a dead name. This world is dead. You know it? It's a dead place full of dead people, feeding on dead things. They're called worms in the scripture. A worm meaning a maggot. That's what the scriptures calls man, a maggot. Maggots don't live on living thing, live on dead thing. I told you about my worm farm. My worms didn't eat living thing. They ate dead, rotten, stinking, decaying matter, earth. They were of the earth and they were turning back to the earth. They were dead while they live. They're feeding on dead thing. That's the people of this world.

Let it not be so with us. This world has a deadening effect on it. Look at Hebrews three, verse seven. Today, if you'll hear his voice, the Holy Ghost say, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, the day of temptation in the wilderness. Your father's tempted me, prove me. They saw my work for 40 years. I was agreed with that generation. They always air in their heart.

They have not known my way. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my wrath. Take heed brethren. lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." What do people depart from God for? Always one thing, the world. Demas hath forsaken me. Why? Paul said, Demas hath forsaken me. Why?

Having loved this present world. This world has a deadening effect on it. We need to feed the new man and starve the old, don't we? The old man lives on the flesh. He lives on this world. Starve him. Don't feed him. Don't strengthen him. Strengthen the new man. Read on. Verse 13.

Exhort one another daily. Your presence here exhorts me. And I'm standing up here exhorting you. I saw Erlene, just barely making it up those stairs. Now they were here before I came. And that encourages me, that exhorts me to keep going. If you didn't show up, I'd think, what's the use of me studying? What's the use of me sitting down at that study and preparing all this stuff? But you do, look at you. and many of you for a year, to hear the same message. That really exhorts me. And does it exhort you? She barely made it up those stairs. My dad, you remember my dad? I wanted to bring him up front and let him in. I said, no. I'm going to climb it when I can't climb those stairs and put me in a coffin.

And that's what we did. That's what we did. It shows an earnestness, a desire to hear the word. He says in verse 13, exhort one another daily while it's called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. This word. So, he said you have a name, some have a name, a Christian child of God. Some say they love God. Love the word of God, love the worship of God, love the people of God, and where are they? No, they must love themselves. And family is self. You understand that? If you choose family over Christ, you love yourself. But when you come to Christ, you deny yourself. You forsake yourself. And that means everything and everyone has to do with you, your family.

That's marriage, isn't it? Isn't that marriage? My wife was a daddy's girl. Man, was she a daddy's girl. He loved her daddy. Boy, she must have loved me. Her dad was so good to her. Treated her so well. Have I treated you well? She's still with me, Melinda Sue. Set a good example, isn't it? We're still together, aren't we? Yeah? We really are closer than we've ever been. It's love. It's love.

But, alright, some say they love to gather and sing hymns and pray and hear the gospel, but only do it with lip service. Some only do it with lip service. Never from the heart. The Word of God teaches us and convicts us and comforts us and pierces us.

It's a saver of life to life. But no, someone is dead, there's no real heart-piercing effect, no real conviction. And they go out of that door, good sermon, what's for lunch? You have a name, but you're dead. I hope and pray that we all right now are thinking, Lord, I've been that way.

Don't let that be me. Let me die the death of the righteous. Let me die in faith. Don't let this world, don't let me be overcome by this world. That's serious. So what does he say? Verse two, be watchful. Be watchful. And this is to the angel first. I've felt dead. I've had things distract me many times over the years. Pastor first, he's called a watch man, isn't he? He's supposed to be watching.

And Paul told young Timothy, take heed to thyself and the hearers. So a watchman, let me read to you from Hebrews 13. A watchman is one that says, obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls, if they're really watching. As they that must give an account, that they might do it with joy, not with grief.

So how do we watch? Well, this is all through the scriptures, isn't it? Watch. And often it says, watch and pray. Child of weakness, watch and pray. She played that song. That's why I had you play that. Watch and pray. Watch means to be vigilant. Watch means to be on the lookout. The opposite of watching is sleepy, dull, careless, lazy, comfortable, complacent, unmoved, lukewarm. That's the opposite. But he says watch, watch, watch, unto prayer. Because you won't watch, be able to watch one hour. without the Lord giving you grace to do so.

The disciples, when our Lord, at his most trying time on this earth, when he was going into that garden to pray, right before he went to the cross, he sweat blood in praying. That's how, with strong crying and tears, the scripture said. And he told the disciples before he went in there, he said, watch with me. Watch and pray, he said, that you enter not into temptation, didn't he? We went in there to pray, and he wasn't there alone. He came back out, and they were all asleep.

They were all asleep. So take heart. We all do. And again, what is it that lulls us to sleep? A false sense of security in the world and these things. They dull us, don't they? Yes, they do. So it says watch and pray, watch and pray, watch and pray, be vigilant, be vigilant. Look at the next thing. Strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. I think of this often.

There have been times that I thought, you know, this church is, And one of the older churches, you know that? This church has been around as long, about as long as any grace church anywhere. You know that? Other than 13th Street, started in 1955, the year I was born.

Fairmont, West Virginia, but Madisonville, a little bit older, but it's been here a while. And so we need this just because we've been here a while. All seven of these churches are gone. Ephesus, Philippi, they're gone. And this one will be too someday.

So the message is more needful and vital right now, isn't it? Brother Gill, Brother Spurgeon said, No generation in his day, he said, no generation has fit this more clearly of people everywhere called Christian and name only. But he said, look at, look at the religion, how corrupt it is, money hungry. And I beg to differ with Spurgeon because now it's worse than it's ever been. So he said, strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. And that's all of us, really. And I told you I counted 20-plus people, over 70, in this congregation. And we're on borrowed time, aren't we? So what's important? What's important?

Strengthen. How do I strengthen you? Where does our strength come from? Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Strength of his word, strength of his grace, strength of his, we need to hear this gospel strengthens us, the word of God strengthens us, the world weakens us. It weakens our faith. It weakens our resolve. It goes after our flesh, which is a strong adversary and lusts against the Spirit. Where are we going to get our strength? From our Lord. So we come to hear from Him.

Is this helping you at all? Even though it rebukes you and corrects you. Our Lord said, we were talking about the fear of the Lord. I've never heard anybody preach on it, I've tried, or adequately describe what it means to fear God. But I know this in Isaiah 66 too. He said, to this man when I look, he is poor and of a contrite heart and trembleth at my word. When's the last time you trembled at his word? See what I'm saying? So that spear, and we all ought to be ashamed of that, trembleth.

Paul said, I haven't arrived yet. Paul, he said, my heart's desire is that I might win Christ and be found in Him. He said, I haven't arrived yet, but this one thing I do. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. I want to apprehend that from which I've been apprehended. I want to lay hold to him like old Jacob. I will not let you go till you bless me. So I want to strengthen you in this faith. I want us all to die in the faith. Not have a name that we live and are dead.

All right? So verse three, he says, remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent. Oh, what have we received? What do we have that we have not received? Huh? I never forget when I first heard that verse, I memorized it and I've been quoting it ever since. I mean, this has been 40 some years ago. What do we have we have not received? Now, if we received it, why would we glory as if we had not received it?

Everything we have is by the grace of God. And you know what the greatest gift, the greatest Grace that God has shown you if you're a believer. You know what the greatest grace God has shown you in your lifetime is? Not a home, not health, not family, not a job, not money, not financial security or good health, none of that. It's the gospel.

And that's what Jacob said in Genesis 32. He said, I'm not worthy of all the mercies that you've shown me. And the next thing he said was, and all the truth that you've shown me. I am not worthy of hearing this message. When God came to Jacob and said, Jacob, I've loved you. I've chosen you. This is my covenant concerning you. I'm going to do everything for you.

You're nothing but a sinner saved by grace. You don't deserve a chance to be saved. Salvation is not by chance. It's not by merit or desert. It's by grace and sovereign grace. God said, I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious. Not up to you. It's up to God.

And God said, Jacob, I've chosen you. Fear not thou worm, Jacob. I'm going to do everything for you. And Jacob knew what a sorry, no good, worthless sinner he was. No better than Esau. But God chose him. This is the God of the Bible. What's that message do to you? What I just said to you, what does that do to you? Are you a Jacob? That's who God saves, the sons of Jacob. I am the Lord, I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. He deserved to be hated. So did Jacob. But God.

Salvation is by sovereign election, sovereign choice, sovereign mercy, sovereign grace. The blood of Jesus Christ applied to you, not you accepting it. It's God putting it on your soul to say, there, you are saved, you're mine, you're redeemed, you're washed in the blood. Here's my righteousness covering your nakedness. You're accepted as a beloved.

Old rotten, no good Jacob. Oh, he never forgot. He said, I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy. Have you ever heard that? And he keeps telling me, he says, the Lord kept reminding him of that. He wouldn't let him forget it. Jacob did forget. He got down there in Pananaram and got in a mess, and his whole family was a mess. All of his children were no good, except Joseph.

This picture of Christ and Benjamin. What does this word do to you? Yeah? Does it convict you? Does it comfort you? Does that help you? Does that strengthen you? Does that give you some hope? What you just heard? You ain't dead yet. The world doesn't want to hear this. The world doesn't believe this. Well, look at verse, where am I?

It says in verse 3, remember what you've heard? How you've received grace? Faith is not of yourself, it's a gift of God. He heard, hold fast and repent. It's not a one-time thing. Lord, forgive me my sin. I've repented long ago. Oh no, it's daily. It's all your lifetime. Lord, please have mercy on me for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Daily, daily. If you ever quit repenting, you're dead. You're dead.

So, he says, if thou wilt not watch, I'll come on thee as a thief. You know, that's how the Lord is coming upon the world. He said, as a thief in the night, and while the world sleeps, you know, if they'd have thought about it, or if they'd been awake, they would have watched, but they didn't. When our Lord came the first time, the whole world was asleep. When he came the first time to Bethlehem, everybody was asleep. Who was looking for him? Those that he came to and had his star come to them, who? Some lowly, meek and lowly, worthless shepherds sitting on a hill. Chosen. And they came looking for Christ. They wouldn't have looked for Christ The Spirit of God hadn't come looking for them. And they came and worshipped Him.

He says, I'll come on thee as a thief. What does a thief do? He takes away everything you've got. Takes away all your riches. Takes everything away from you. When our Lord comes, everything we have, the Lord has given it. The Lord gave. And the Lord take it away. What do you say? Blessed be the name of the Lord. He's gonna take everything you have. He's gonna take all your earthly possessions. He's gonna take your family that you love. Your spouse, your children, your grandkids, yes he is. He's going to take them away.

It's always the case. But the one thing he will not take away is his promise of salvation to you. He said, I will know wise guys tonight. They shall never perish. He'll never take away your hope in him. When all else fails, when all else is gone, And you look to the Lord, you have only the Lord to look to. He says, I'm your salvation. Come home. So verse four, you have a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. They will walk with me in white. They are worthy. Their garments. What are these garments? These white garments? Do you know? Well, sure you do. Look over at Revelation 7. Look over at Revelation 7. This is all through the scripture.

Our Lord one time told the parable of marriage, remember? And he, many were bidden to the marriage and they all began to make excuse, remember? I married, I bought a piece of land, I got some cattle I got to see about, I got this, I got that. None of them went in to the marriage. And this is a picture of the marriage, supper of the Lamb, and glory when all of God's people will be there. God's people, true people, aren't looking for excuses to come, not to come. But they're forsaking all to get there.

That's a fact. If not, you're dead. You got a name. This is our husband. We're the bride. He says, I'm going to be here. Didn't it? Or two or three together? They mean it? Well, not here. Is anybody in here met in Christ's name? Is anybody? I believe you have. There's one. Is there another? Just one more. Anybody? Tracy, really? There's two. He said, be here.

Why wouldn't I be there? Somebody or something I love more. Unless it's illness, our sister Tammy would dearly love to be sitting here right now. And she did until she couldn't physically be here. What excuse can we come up with? That's love, isn't it? Poor excuses, they ain't gonna hold water.

But our Lord said, all right, every one of them had these wedding garments, and a man came in and he didn't have on a wedding garment, remember? And the master of the house said, why don't you have on a wedding garment? He said, well, I've got this garment. I made this suit of clothes. I kind of like it here. And the Lord said, cast him in the outer darkness. What is the wedding garment? What is it that all of Christ's bride wears? Do you know?

Look at Revelation 7 verse 9. It says, after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindred and people and tongue stood before the throne before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hand. Verse 14.

And I said, sir, what is it? And he said, thou knowest. He said to me, these are they which come out of great tribulation and have washed their robe and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now, Isaiah said, in Isaiah 64, six, you know that verse, many of you. He said, all our righteousnesses are filthy rags.

And the word means minstrel's cloth. That's what the word means. Who would show that? It's vile, isn't it? Well, that's what he said that man's righteousness is. His goodness, his works that he works out to make himself presentable to God, like the Pharisee in the temple. He said, look what I've done, many wonderful works. Aren't you glad to see me, God? I know church can't be church without me. That's working out your own righteousness, which the Lord says is like a minstrel's cloth to me. Filthy, get him out of my sight.

Because if righteousness come by us doing anything, Jesus Christ didn't need to go to that cross. And our Lord wore a perfect, pristine holiness and righteousness that he wrought out as a man on this earth, worked out perfectly in thought, Word and deed, he kept every jot and tittle of this law, which you and I cannot do, but must do, it's required of us to do so. But we can't. What's your hope then? Jesus Christ, our righteousness.

He worked out this perfect righteousness. A robe, as it were, that's what was symbolic of that seamless robe that he wore and went to the cross. Seamless. Perfect righteousness, he worked out as a man. And symbolically, and yet spiritually and actually, they stripped him of that robe. And he hung there naked, which we will if God doesn't cover us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Because he sees right through us. Look what I've done. I know what you've done. I see your heart every day. I know your thoughts afar off. Oh, you need to be covered. Are you? This is the wedding garment. This is the robe.

When that prodigal son wasted his substance, living in a hog pen, thinking he had it made, but the father brought him back. And the first thing the father said, he was wearing stinking, filthy rags that he wore in the hog pen. Oh, he was in religion. but it's his own righteousness. And the first thing the father said, he says, bring the best robe and not offer it to him.

Put it on him. Cover that old sinner's nakedness. Blind Bartimaeus, when he heard Jesus Christ was passing by, cried out, son of David, have mercy on me. And the Lord called him, said, come. You know what the first thing he did was? He cast his garment away. He had an old stinking garment and he threw it away. You understand?

You got to be as holy as God to be in God's presence. And our only holiness is Jesus Christ. He is righteousness. And I was going to have you go to chapter 19. It says the robe that they all wear is the righteousness that Christ wrought for us. All right, let's close this out. Look at verse four.

He said, a few that have not defiled their garments, and oh, brothers and sister, this also means, you know, we make a profession of faith in this world. And I wanna walk before the world in wisdom and faith, don't you? I don't want to defile my profession of faith and bring reproach upon my Lord, like a soldier wearing a uniform. But he says in verse 4, they walk before me in white, in these garments, they're worthy. What is worthiness? What is worthiness? Well, if you read on, and I'm not heavy term, but over in chapter five, it says there was nobody worthy. The book was in the hands of the one on the throne, and everybody wept. John wept. There's nobody worthy to open the book.

And somebody said, the Lamb is. Worthy is the Lamb. He's worthy. And our Lord in Matthew's Gospel 10, Matthew 10, sent his disciples out to preach. And he said, find a house that's worthy. and go in that house, and you said, and dwell there, and my peace will be upon that house. Well, who's, what do you mean worthy? That means deserving.

There's none worthy, right? There's none righteous. There's none good. No, not one. Well, in this sense, in this sense, who gets mercy? You know, salvation's by mercy. It's not by merit. It's not by your righteousness. It's by mercy, isn't it? God not giving you what you deserve. Grace is God giving you what you don't deserve. Mercy is not giving you wrath and judgment, but mercy through Christ. Mercy and peace kissed each other in Jesus Christ on the cross. Well, who gets mercy? Only the guilty. You understand? So the only thing that makes you worthy of mercy is guilt. I don't have any merit to plead to you. What about forgiveness? Who needs forgiveness? Somebody that's just, it's broken every law there is.

What about food? Who's worthy to be fed food? Somebody that has all the dainties and the riches and caviar and freezer food. No, no, no. The hungry. Our Lord said, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. That's Christ. He said, except you eat my flesh and drink my blood. And sister, that means feeding on Christ and Him crucified. And all of God's people do all their lives. And they never get tired of it. Because they know Jesus, thy blood, and thy righteousness, and thy beauty are my glorious dress, my food, my clothing, my everything. Preach it again.

I'm hungry. Well, I just fed you last Sunday. Well, I'm empty again. I've gone out in the world. Preach that garment again. I've defiled my garment. Food, water, who's worthy of water? Well, only the thirsty. And you don't make yourself hungry or thirsty, he does. He's got to empty you, doesn't he? Of self.

What about glory? Who's worthy to be glorified? The humble. Who's worthy of salvation? Who does the Lord say? This is a faithful saying. And worthy of all acceptation, but men won't accept it. But here it is, Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. I mean, hell-deserving sinners. I mean, no good, worthless, I can't do anything good. The good that I would, I can't do, and the bad, the evil that I don't wanna do, that's what I do. Who shall deliver me? Christ said, I will.

That's what it means to be worthy. And yet, these people we read of in Hebrews 11, Now, remember who he's talking about. Worthy. And yet, he gives them this faith and these resolves and the strength. He gives it all. They didn't have it. And he makes them faithful and they all died in the faith. All right? But who's he talking about being not the world that he worried in? Rahab. Well, you'd be saved by grace, wouldn't you? Saved by mercy, wouldn't you? Well, being so saved and so grateful, man, you'd lay down her life. You'd lay down her life for such mercy and grace to her.

And the Lord commends what he gives. Isn't that something? Yes, he does. Read on. So he says in verse five, he that overcometh, and what overcome? You and I can't overcome anything, you know that? We have no power, no strength to do anything. Now, who is he that overcometh, John said, he that believeth.

Looking unto Jesus, it said, Hebrews 12, diligently. The same shall be clothed in white raiment. I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. No way. I will confess his name before my father and for his angel. Who does the father confess? Those that confess their sins. Those that confess their unrighteousness. Those that confess their need of Christ, their hope in Christ. Those that confess Jesus Christ. He said, I'll confess you. Not those that plead their own deeds and works and goodness and all. He said, I'll deny them and cast them out. Before my father and before his angel. Now verse six ends the way all of these letters do.

He that hath an ear, like in a single eye. One ear. God's people have an ear for one thing. Don't they? They want to hear one thing. They want to hear the gospel. And that's my mission, and it's my hope and prayer for every person in here that has ears to hear, that the Lord will give you an ear that you might hear his voice. Turn away your ears from the noisome pestilence, all that man, all the lies that God of this world is telling people. that everybody's following, especially in religion, and gives you an ear to hear his voice and him alone. Let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the church. Okay, stand with me.