Ok, let's turn back now to Revelation
2. Remember the last service of
the last year, we looked at verses 18 and 19. And there the Lord
says in verse 19, I know your works, I know your love, I know
your service, I know your faithfulness, I know your endurance, And I
know that you're growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that the Lord knows
all things. He knows all things. He says
down here in verse 23, I'm He which searches the hearts, the
reins, the real you, the inside. He knows us in and out. He searches
us and He knows us through and through. He knows our thoughts
afar off. This is Him with whom we have
to do. everything about us. Now, we looked at this verse
18 and verse 19 the last time, so the title of this message
will be The Letter to the Church of Thyatira, Part 2. beginning
at verse 20, down through verse 29. Verse 20, down through verse
29. The first thing we want to look
at, verse 20, verse 21, 22, and 23, and here the Lord gives us
some very stark reality and condemnation about those that would deviate
from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Words of condemnation,
words of sharp rebuke given unto those who would go astray from
the gospel, who would give entertainment to another gospel, another message. Some who started listening to
the depths of Satan's lies as Our mother Eve did. Remember,
God said not to eat of that tree. And Satan said, well, God knows
that the day you eat thereof that you'll be like God. Go ahead
and eat the tree. Take up a tree. It'll be okay.
We lied. Well, we know the end of that
result. Don't we? Plunge us all into despair and
ruin. Now, we know that Satan is called
the father of lies. And that's all he does is lie. Notwithstanding, verse 20, I
have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman,
Jezebel, which called herself a prophetess, to teach and to
seduce my servants, my people, to commit fornication. He's talking
here about spiritual idolatry and to eat things sacrificed
to idols. God said, I gave her an opportunity,
space, long-suffering to repent of her idolatry, and they would
not repent. I'll cast her into a bed, and
them that commit adultery with her, those who follow her, into
great tribulation, except they repent of their idolatry, repent
of their ungodliness, and I will kill her children with death,
And all the churches shall know that I am that I am, which search
all things, that knows all things, that I am going to judge everyone
according to their works." It's interesting how the Lord
goes back to the history of the church in the wilderness with
Balaam. You remember back in verse 14,
I have a few things against thee, chapter 2, verse 14, because
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 sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So
hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate." God says, I hate those things. But it's
interesting how the Lord goes back into the history of Israel. to bring out and to teach us
lessons from the mistakes of others. He goes back and picks
up Israel with Ahab and Jezebel. Stephen did the same thing when
Stephen, the servant of the Lord, preached the gospel to those
religious Jews. He went back and reminded them
of their past history. And then he pointed them to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what they did to Stephen.
He picked up stones and stoned him to death. Now, the Lord has
given all things in the Word of God to teach us the Gospel.
You remember from Romans 15, whatsoever things are written
aforetime are written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. So let us look
at their example and how they failed and let's not make the
same mistake that they did. If God be God, Elijah said, serve
him. If Baal is God, will you serve
him? You can't serve both. Now, historically,
Jezebel was the wicked wife of the wicked king of Israel, Ahab,
who promoted idolatry and protected the worship of Baal and those
850 prophets. Sad, so sad. The God of Israel,
worshiping, worshiping idol. Now, she also did hate God's
servant, Elijah, because she hated the God of Elijah. She promoted Baal idolatry in
the name of God Here's what we read in 1 Kings 21. But there
was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness
in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. Now whom does Jezebel represent? I know a lot of preachers when
they read through this, they think, ah, I'm going to beat
up on women and women preachers. That's not the message. If that's
all you see right here, what does Jezebel represent? She represents
false preachers with a false message of idolatry. She's saying
it's okay to compromise. We're all going to heaven. We're
all going to the same place. We're just going different ways.
Either by Baal or Balak or some other way. We're just getting
there, but different ways. That's what Jezebel represents
here. False preachers. And the problem
here in the church in Thyatira They tolerated, even allowed,
the evil practice promoted by this false preacher or preachers,
no doubt more than one. In their day, whom the Lord strongly
rebuked, they gave these false preachers an audience. They allowed
them to spread their poison of compromise and damning doctrines
of Satan, his lies and idolatry. Doctrines of devils. Now this
is strong, this is serious, serious, serious. By their compliance
and silence, they became a partaker of their evil deed. Now hold
your place there and turn back to 2 John. 2 John, there's just one book,
one chapter. Verse 7, for many deceivers are
entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus is come in the
flesh, this is a deceiver and antichrist, look to yourselves
that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that
we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. Now, if there come any unto you, verse 10, and bring not
this doctrine, the doctrine of Christ, The gospel of God concerning
Christ, receive him not in your house, neither bid him God's
speed. For he that bids him God's speed is a partaker of his evil
deeds. that we are to be separated unto
the gospel of God concerning Christ, and shun everything else. By their compliance and silence,
they became a partaker of their evil deeds. There are many modern-day
Jezebels among God's churches today, and I mean by that false
preachers. who would bring another message,
another gospel, another Jesus, another atonement, another Redeemer. Someone who is not described
in the word of God. There are many modern-day false
preachers seducing and deceiving many souls with the doctrine
of compromise, works religion, self-righteousness, religious
pride, going about to establish a righteousness of their own.
They're everywhere. It was interesting. I was looking
at the TV on the station at Pastor Mahan comes on at 10 o'clock.
I was looking on that channel 5. And there was a man on there
talking about the Antichrist. He's talking about one man called
the Antichrist that's going to come, that's going to come, that's
going to come. He's so deceived that he doesn't even know that
he is Antichrist. That's just how deceived false
preachers are. He was talking about a man. There
are many antichrists. John said that in his day. There
were many who were opposed to the gospel of the sovereign grace
of God. What is to be our attitude about
those false prophets who bring another gospel, another Jesus,
another spirit? Are we to get along with them
and to compromise and say, well, you're okay, I'm okay, everybody's
okay? We have no agreement with them,
and by His grace, we must take a strong stand against those
that promote the lies of Satan, and to remain faithful to the
Lord, to point out their errors, and to point sinners to the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's chiefly my business, is
to preach Christ. But also, when there are lies
around, and others who are telling lies, to call out their lying. Now, remember that Satan is called
the father of lies. No lie can be the truth. If the
truth is the truth, then no lie can be the truth. Now here's
where I'm going with this. If the free and sovereign grace
of God is true, and it is, then free willism has to be false. Can we get to God by man's free
will? Well, they tried that in the
day of the Tower of Babel, when they thought they would just
work their way to heaven, and God sent confusion. If the free
and sovereign grace of God is true, then free willism is false. If Christ alone is all our salvation,
then to add something to Him becomes a lie. A lot of people
say, well, Christ has done all He can do. Now you have to add
your part. You have to join the church.
You have to be baptized. You have to keep this rule and
that rule and all the other rules. And then you have salvation.
He did a part. I do a part. And we put the two
parts together and we have a whole. Oh, it sounds good, doesn't it?
It's a lie. Salvation is all of God's grace. all of God's grace. We must never
allow any room for any doctrine that is contrary to the way of
free and sovereign grace. It's not of him that willeth,
Romans 9, not of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
There is a remnant according to the election of grace, and
if it is election according to His sovereign grace, then it's
not of works. It can't be both. It's either
all the way of Cain or all the way of Abel. It cannot be both. And we know the Scriptures teach
that salvation is of the Lord. Now, let me give you this. I think this is helpful. In 1954, this is almost 70 years
ago, 68 years ago, in 1954 in Ashland, Kentucky, there was
a young preacher by the name of Henry Mahan, who was taught
by the grace of God that salvation is all of the Lord. And in 1954,
he organized a Sovereign Grace Bible Conference. Probably the
first one in this country. He invited people from all over
the country. They came from California and
other places. And there was five men in that
Bible Conference. Clarence Walker, A.D. Muse, George
Fletcher, B.B. Caldwell, and Roth Barnard. Why
are you going way back 68 years ago? One of the speakers in that
conference, Brother Barnard, brought a message on six stubborn
statements. Six stubborn statements. Six
stubborn statements. It was a vital issue in that
day, and it's still the vital issue in this day. Those six
stubborn statements, let me give them to you. Number one, he said
this, either God is absolutely God, either God is absolutely
sovereign over all things, everywhere over all things, or He's not
God at all. Now, which is it? We know what
the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures teach that He
doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among
the heavens of this earth, and none can stay His hand, or say
unto Him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou? So the God of
Scripture is the absolute sovereign over all things. Whatsoever the
Lord please, that's what He does in heaven and earth, seas, and
all deep places. He is sovereign. We worship Him
as the sovereign God. Point number two, the old preacher
said this, man is either totally sinful and totally depraved,
or he's not. We're either completely fallen
in Adam, dead in sin, or we're not. Which is it? It can't be both. Both can't
be true. Well, what does the Scripture
teach? The Scripture teaches that Adam all died, and Adam
all have sinned. We come forth from the womb as
guilty, dead, rotten, smelly sinners. No, not one righteous
person. Not one. We've all gone astray. We've all turned everyone to
our own way. So, what is the scripture to
teach? It doesn't matter what mama said,
what daddy said. Well, I think this, your opinion
doesn't matter. Now, you may have an opinion
on the economy. A lot of people do. The gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ is not up according to our opinion.
It's not what we think. It's what God said. Man is totally
depraved. Thirdly, he said this, God either
elected a people unto salvation before the foundation of the
world, or he didn't. He didn't elect anybody. Some people think election is
this. Well, God voted for us, the devil voted against us, and
then you cast a deciding vote. That's Bible doctrine of election. That's a lie. God elected a people
unto salvation, and He did that. It says in the Revelation chapter
13 and chapter 17 that He wrote our name in the Book of Life
before the foundation of the world. The book of God said He
chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We are
bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of the
Lord, because God has chosen you unto salvation. So the book
of God does teach that God elected a people unto salvation. Thank
God He elected me and chose me. I never would have believed the
gospel. As many as were ordained to eternal life, those are the
people who believe. Needless to say, when that old
man got through preaching in Ashland, Kentucky in 1954, there
was a civil war that broke out. The religious people got mad.
That's not right. That's not fair. That's not what
I've heard. God's people said, Amen, brother.
Amen. The fourth thing He said, The
Lord Jesus Christ either affectionately, eternally redeemed all His sheep
at Calvary, or He died in vain. Now, which is it? A lot of people think the Lord
Jesus Christ died to make salvation a possibility for all men, if
they make the right choice. Well, my soul, that makes the
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ depend upon you, not depending
upon Him. Now, which is it? Did He affectionately
redeem His people, those He elected? He loved us, it says in the Revelation,
He loved us and washed us from our sin and His own blood. We
only love Him because He first loved us. We only believe the
Gospel because He ordained us to eternal life. Which is it?
The Lord Jesus Christ did affectionately redeem his people. He did lay
down his life for his sheep. He did put away their sin by
the sacrifice of himself. You see how critical this is
to say and to make this statement? To make this statement, as so
many in religious circles do, that the Lord Jesus Christ died
for all the sins of all men. Now, we've heard that. That's
been preached in this country for the last 150 years. It wasn't
like that back in the 1700s, even in the early 1800s. But
slowly, slowly, slowly, we started taking the offense away. The Lord Jesus Christ died a
particular death for a particular people to put away their sin,
and He got the job done. No one for whom Christ died can
perish. There's no one in hell for whom
Christ died. All that the Father giveth to
me, they shall come to me, and those that come to me, I will
never cast them out. Six stubborn statements. Number
five, God the Holy Spirit either powerfully, effectually calls
sinners out of darkness into His marvelous light, or He has
no power to save at all, no power to regenerate at all. Now, which
is it? Either God effectually quickens
and calls and enlightens and reveals sovereignly as He will,
powerfully as He will, effectually as He will, or He has no power
at all. Now, which is it? A lot of religious people say,
well, God's trying to save you, but you won't let Him. My friend,
that's another Jesus. That's not the Christ of God.
The Christ of God, we read in John 17, has power over all flesh. They should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given to Him. That doesn't sound like
a weak-kneed Savior who can't save a flea, who's tried and
failed. No, we serve the Almighty Christ of God, who affectionately
redeemed them, who affectionately, invincibly calls them out of
darkness to His marvelous light. Here's the sixth stubborn statement.
Now, you've got to deal with these statements in your heart.
The old preacher said, when you meet truth in the road, You either
got to bow to it or run from it. When you meet truth in the
road now, either God is God or He's not. The last one is this.
The sixth stubborn statement is this. Either God saves with
an eternal, everlasting salvation, and the saints of God persevere
in faith, or they don't persevere at all. A lot of people in this
area, especially Saved one day, lost the next.
You can get saved one day and you can mess up and lose it and
not really even miss it. You know, that's what they say.
My friend, God saves us with an everlasting salvation. That's
what this book teaches. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I
give my sheep eternal life and they never perish. No man can
pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them is
greater than all. So you've got those six stubborn
statements. The way of grace or the way of Jezebel. That's
what Jezebel represents. The lies of Satan. The lies of
Satan. False prophets with their false
message must never be received, heard, embraced, or supported
in the Lord's church in any manner, shape, form, or fashion. We must,
like Elijah, kill their message. I'm not talking about advocating
murder, but we are to deaden their message. We are to slay
their message, aren't we? To kill their message. And we
do that by holding up the truth. When we hold up the truth, we
see that the false gospel is nothing but a lie. When we hold
up the truth, and that's what we try to do, we hold up the
truth, God will destroy all false prophets and all who follow them.
If they do not repent and return to the Lord and depart from their
lies, or a matter of fact, those who reject the truth of God's
salvation, God will send them strong delusions that they might
believe a lie and be damned for it. Now, let's look at the second
thing here, verse 24 and following. But unto you I say, and unto
the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, Now,
I don't want to have that doctrine of Jezebel, do you? There's many
that have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths
of Satan. You know, he parades, Paul says,
describes him as an angel of light. Who's going about preaching
righteousness for salvation. A man who preaches morality,
your morality for salvation. He's a Jezebel. He's a false
prophet. Christ alone. is our righteousness. Christ alone must have all the
honor and glory for the salvation that is of the Lord. I put upon
you, verse 24, the last part, none other burden than this,
that you hold fast. That which you have already,
hold fast. Hold fast till I come. Don't
compromise. Don't try to get along. Don't
back down. Stand and contend for the faith
once delivered unto the saints. Hold fast. Hold fast till I come. Verse 26, He that overcometh.
He that overcometh. Watch it now, verse 26. He that
overcometh. Remember we read how we overcome? How do we overcome? Let's turn
and read it one more time. How do we overcome? Let's see if I can find it. Look
over here at Revelation 12. Revelation chapter 12. Verse 10, I heard a loud voice.
saying, In heaven now is come salvation as franked in the kingdom
of our God and the power of Christ. For the accuser, the brethren,
is cast down, which accused them before God, our God, day and
night. They overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not
their lives unto death. We only overcome by the blood
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who overcome by the gospel
of Christ overcome false doctrines, false prophets, those who remain
steadfast in the gospel, and those who keep, notice what the
Lord says there in verse 26, chapter 2, He that overcometh
and keepeth My works. You see that? Who keepeth My
works. What's He talking about here?
He's talking about the doing and the dying of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Those who keep His works. those who approach God upon His
atonement, His obedience, His faithfulness, He that keepeth
my words and my works unto the end. To Him I'll give power over
all nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the
vessels of a potter shall be broken to shivers, even as I
have received in my Father How is it that we have power over
nations? How is it that we shall rule over them? Only in Christ. Only through the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We shall reign with Him forever
and ever. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things. I will be His God, and He shall
be my Son. He shall rule them with a rod
of iron." That's the gospel. This comes from Psalm 2 and Psalm
110, verses 1-3. The vessels are broken, even
as I have received of my Father. Verse 28, in closing, And I'll give him the morning
star. I'll give him the light and the
revelation of the Gospel of Christ. This morning star is the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is
that bright morning star. Turn to Revelation 22. Let's
see if I can make good on that. Revelation 22. I'll give him,
notice it's the gift, salvation again we see is the gift of God.
I'll give him the morning star. Revelation 22 verse 16, I Jesus
have sent my angel to testify unto you the things in the churches. I am the root of David, the offspring
of David, the bright and morning star. He is the light of life. He's the light of the world.
The Lamb, we're going to read in Revelation 21 when we get
over there someday, the Lamb is the light of that new city.
The Lord said, I'm the light of the world. He that follows
Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
I'll give him that light, that revelation of the glory of God
that shines in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is
the day dawn and the day star of the Gospel that shines in
our heart. The glory of God shines in the
face of Jesus Christ. Verse 29, and each of these seven
letters to these seven churches, he ends with this statement. He that hath an ear, Let him
hear what the Spirit of God says to believers, the churches, or
those who are called out of darkness to His marvelous light. I, Lord,
said to His apostles, Blessed are your eyes, for they see,
and your ears, for they hear the Word of God. Lord willing, we'll continue
with our study through the Revelation, and next week we'll see the letter
to the church of Sardis, and then the letter to the Church
of Philadelphia, and the letter to the Church of Laodicea, and
then Lord willing, we'll move on.