WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:01.199 Well, good morning. 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:05.360 We're in our second week of studying through the book of Revelation. 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:15.599 What we said last week, if you weren't here, or if you were here, let me remind you, what we said is some people treat this book of Revelation this little strange last book of the Bible that a lot of us avoid. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:18.640 Some people like overly focus on it and they love it. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:28.079 They treat it like a secret code that they're gonna break and they're gonna solve the mystery of how the world ends and they know what date it's gonna happen, and they put all the numbers together and have an equation. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.199 And in that way they overread Revelation. 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:36.399 And then what we said is like there's a whole nother group of people, and I'm in the other group of people, that react to that. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.280 I don't like that. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.880 Feels weird to me, and I react to that and I underread it. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:51.840 Or we just all the symbolism, just massive amounts of symbolism, but then it flips back to being literal, and then it's symbolism, it's literal, and we go, ah, just can't do it. 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:53.679 So we underread it. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.119 Here's what we know: Revelation's a letter. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.880 It's written by John. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:07.120 He was exiled to an island in the Aegean Seed, Patmos Island, and he's writing it to seven churches, seven churches he cares about. 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:12.239 And it is filled with symbolism, and then there's also literal language in it, also. 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:14.560 So there's both for us to work through. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:24.480 In Revelation 1, last week we saw John just unveiling, that's what Revelation means, to unveil, unveiling how supreme and caring Jesus is. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:27.680 Now we remember that when we go into chapters two and three. 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.079 There's a reason why John began with that. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:35.519 Because we begin with the supremacy and the care and the love of Jesus. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:48.560 And then we're going to go into two and three, and chapters two and three are words of a little bit of commending these churches, but then a whole lot of correcting these churches. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:56.560 And so this morning we're going to look at four of these seven churches, and next week we'll look at the next three. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.200 As a pastor, I have friends who minister in all different types of churches. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.280 My friend Kurt, he's a priest in Trinity Parish in St. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:06.000 Augustine. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.159 Here's a picture of Trinity Parish in St. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:08.879 Augustine. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:10.800 So he's a priest here in this church. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:14.879 That church is 201 years old. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:15.919 Isn't that amazing? 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:17.840 201 years old. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:23.680 Now, my brother-in-law Kevin, he's a pastor at a megachurch in Nashville called Cross Point. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:25.520 Here's a picture of their church. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:26.800 A little bit different. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:28.159 Two churches are different. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:29.120 Imagine that. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:33.039 My friend Luise, he ministers in Guatemala. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:35.360 Here's a picture of a church in Guatemala. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:37.439 That's a very typical church in Guatemala. 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:40.879 Now, here's a picture of our church nine years ago. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:42.240 This is what we look like. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:44.159 That's us nine years ago. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:45.759 Some of you had more hair. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:46.560 You see yourself. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:47.919 I know there's two of you. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:53.759 I'm not going to say your names or we won't zoom in, but there are two of you that had more hair at that point. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:57.280 You are there, near the front. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:04.639 Now, what do all of the images, what do all these images have in common? 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:08.800 Well, it's not architecture, it's not style of worship. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:11.120 It's people, right? 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.639 Like here's the church, here's the steeple, right? 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:16.800 Remember you remember that? 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:18.080 It's people. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:24.479 So John's writing to churches, communities, but he's writing to groups of people. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:26.719 And we just can't forget that. 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:34.080 And these are communities of people that have done some good stuff, but they've lost their way. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:45.919 And so John's receiving these visions and these different situations, and this is sort of like a vision because he's writing Jesus' words to these churches. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:47.360 And so, four churches. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.159 The first church is Ephesus, the church of Ephesus. 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:51.199 And Brian read that. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:52.879 I'll reread it just for it to be fresh in us. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.360 We've a bit of reading in between the points this morning. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:58.159 Revelation 2, 1 through 7. 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:08.800 Do the angel of the church in Ephesus write, the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:18.639 I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:25.759 I know you are enduring, enduring patiently, and bearing up for my namesake, and you have not grown weary. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:29.199 You're thinking, Oh, I'm I'm great. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.600 I'm a great wow, we're a great church. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:33.680 But I have this against you. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.439 And you have abandoned, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.399 Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:49.360 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:51.600 Yet this you have. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.399 Now, all right, so we have some symbolism going back from the garden. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:16.319 We have some Old Testament symbolism language, and then we just have some really clear correcting language. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:25.600 What we have coming right there at the beginning in verse one is our point number one, and that's Jesus' correcting words are from his heart of love for us. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:31.040 Right there at the beginning, verse one, the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.639 Last week we talked about those seven stars, is just poetic language for saying the seven churches. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.839 He could say, he holds the seven churches. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:42.879 He holds his church. 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:51.360 So all of these correcting words, no matter how much they sting, they're within God's care for his church. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:55.279 All of our correction is inside of Jesus' care for us. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:05.920 So if you sense conviction in your heart about something, that's not that's not a guilt trip God's putting on you or like shaming you unto submission. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.600 That's God's loving care for you, correcting you. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:11.600 Point number two. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:17.600 We are called to stand for truth while resting in our first love, Jesus. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:25.519 About 10 years ago, I officiated a wedding for two recent college graduates, fresh out of college. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.680 They've been dating through college, and I'm standing at the front of the church. 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.439 We're standing there, he's to my left. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:44.560 It's a great, you see, y'all don't get a few of you have gotten this perspective before when you're standing there because you get to see the bride first, and then the most fun thing is to watch him, him react to his bride coming in. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.519 And as soon as she comes in, he starts falling apart, right? 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:49.519 I mean, he's just like I can hear him. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:57.120 Like he's he's just he's trying, and I'm rooting him like, hey bud, like gather, gather yourself, you know, like we got to get through this. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:58.639 Like, we're in this together. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.879 But he's falling apart, he's starting to fall apart. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.839 She's walking down, he's falling apart more. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:14.639 We get there, groom, dad, bride, and just as I'm starting, he starts to kind of just sort of fall out. 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:21.199 And I just sort of kind of reach out and I grab his grab his arm while I'm talking to the church. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:22.560 Hey, we're glad you're here. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:26.160 Kind of, hey, hey, buddy. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:27.680 We're gonna get through, you know. 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:29.279 And he and he went drunk. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:31.680 I know some of you, because you're horrible. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:33.600 There's a few of you. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:35.040 There's a few of you that thought that. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:36.959 You're a horrible person that you thought that. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:37.519 He wasn't. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:38.800 Like, this is a good dude. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:44.560 Like he was, he was sober as can be, but he was overwhelmed with her. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:51.279 And he gathered himself and we did the vows and did the rings and they kissed and they got married. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:53.839 Now, here's what I also know. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.360 It's been 10 years. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:57.279 It's been 10 years. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:11.519 And I'm just assuming, it's probably a safe assumption, that when she walks in the door from work, I'm just assuming that he doesn't fall out, right? 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:24.240 I'm just assuming now when I walk in the door from work, I mean that's just that's kind of normal, Chris sees, you know, gushing with endearment, and Seinfeld's already on, a glass of Pinot is waiting for me. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:28.079 It's just that's just normal coming in process, right? 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:29.120 Yeah, right. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:31.199 Right. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.279 See, we're we're not expected to live faith on like a retreat high. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.440 That's not sustainable. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:42.080 It's not even really stable if you think about it. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.000 But it's also not okay to forget your first love. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:49.919 And see, Ephesus, they had some really good stuff going for them. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:51.519 Like, I mean, Jesus says that. 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:53.360 He gives a list. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:55.919 Like they really stood for truth well. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:05.120 But they lost their first love, that chief principle love, the core, the definition of who they were. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:09.519 Yeah, they worked hard, they persevered, but they lost their heart. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.919 Maybe you remember those early days of faith, or maybe it was in a season of suffering. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.120 Sometimes that happens. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:19.440 Where it's just like words are jumping out of Bible verses to you. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:27.519 For me, I can remember Frost Chapel at Barrie College, freshman year. 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:30.559 And we would have these worship times. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.120 There's no, it wasn't even there's no preaching. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.799 You just walked in, the music started, and two hours later you walked out. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.480 And it was like the time went by like that, and nothing was fancy. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.039 It was an overhead projector. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:50.559 And when the song changed, a new sheet went up on the overhead projector, there was no lighting changes, nothing, nothing. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:59.279 And we were overwhelmed by this, by God's presence, by his love for us. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:02.159 Right? 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:03.679 That first love. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:15.679 And then over time, how easy for me, for you, for all of us, just to get busy, burdened by other stuff in life, for other things to begin to define us. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:21.840 I didn't have any net worth when I was a freshman in college, and it didn't matter. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:25.360 But man, is it easier to kind of rely on a little bit of that right now? 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:29.039 And Jesus says, it's not enough to be good. 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:31.679 It's not enough to be good. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:32.799 Be in love with me. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:47.440 And the warning here to the church, to any church, to us, verse 5, part B, when a church grows more in love with moralistic notions, social causes, as good as they may be, that church ceases to be a church. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:51.200 You can be a civic organization, maybe become like a club or something. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.720 But churches primarily love and adore Jesus. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:56.480 That's what churches do. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:00.240 Revelation 2, verse 8, second church. 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:05.039 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, just down the road, it's about 10 miles away. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:10.879 The words of the last, the words of the first and the last who died and came to life. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:22.480 I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you're rich, and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.159 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:31.519 Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:33.600 And for ten days you will have tribulation. 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.440 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:41.120 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:45.759 The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:50.559 Point number three is this we may walk through suffering, but we do not have to walk in fear. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:52.399 We talked about that last week. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:55.919 Jesus is saying to this church, like, you're about to go through it. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:59.759 There's gonna be some persecution coming up, and even some of you are gonna die. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:02.559 But you don't have to have a second death. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.320 You can have life in him. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:06.879 Jesus acknowledges suffering. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:07.840 Isn't that good news? 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:08.720 Such good news. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:15.519 And he acknowledges it to a church that he's commending, which means people of faith suffered. 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:19.360 Yet we have that verse 10. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.840 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.360 We may suffer, but we don't have to fear in our suffering. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:29.039 There's this really, really cheesy joke about God's sovereignty. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:30.399 Like it's one of those pastor jokes. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:32.399 I'm gonna risk it, I'm gonna tell it to you. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.600 Um, three of you will laugh, but it doesn't matter, it's gonna be okay. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.399 A person falls down the stairs. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:40.960 They don't believe in God's sovereignty. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:45.279 They fall down the stairs, they get to the bottom of the stairs and they say, Oh, stupid me. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:46.960 I can't believe I did that. 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:48.720 I need to be more careful. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:50.240 I really need to be more careful. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:51.679 I can't believe I did that. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.639 Another person falls down the stairs. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.279 They trust in God's sovereignty. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:01.440 They get to the bottom of the stairs and they say, Well, at least that's over. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:04.559 Okay, see, that that's the joke. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:05.200 That's what I said. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.679 Only pastors laugh at the joke. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:09.840 I knew that would be the response. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.360 But I have a point in it. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.919 And the point is we don't have to be either person. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:15.120 Right? 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:23.039 Like the first person becomes paranoid that everything they do could create pain in their life. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.440 So you can live in paranoia. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:29.440 The second person can live in just sort of like resignation. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.039 Like, well, God is sovereign, everything is up to God. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:34.720 At least that's over. 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.120 But we're actually participants in it within God's sovereignty. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:44.960 Now, God's sovereignty doesn't give us answers, it's a bit of a mystery, but it does give us a relationship. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:54.080 And what it gives us, and this text gives us, is it's saying, you're gonna suffer, though there's gonna be suffering, but you don't have to fear in the suffering. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:56.240 That God is with you. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:02.879 And there's more at play than what you see and what you're experiencing in this given season. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:05.519 Verse 12, third church. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:13.039 And to the angel of the church and Pergamum, write the words of him who has the sharp, two-edged sword. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:27.360 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.679 But I have a few things against you. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:40.960 You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:45.679 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:47.200 Therefore, repent. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:51.440 If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:54.960 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:06.320 To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone, that no one knows except the one who receives it. 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:11.200 So Pergamum was a city of philosophy and religion. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:13.200 Yet they stood for truth. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:21.120 The cost of saying something was right or true, or something else was wrong or untrue, that would have had a consequence. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.600 And Jesus is saying, hey, y'all done that, y'all done that. 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:25.279 Y'all stood up well. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:31.200 And yet, Jesus is saying, yet, you got some other stuff going on. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:32.559 Like you're doing that well. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:36.720 You're standing up for truth really well, but you're not really people of integrity. 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:43.120 Because you have, you're dealing, you're eating food sacrificed to idols, you got sexual immorality going on, you don't even care. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:44.559 They love truth. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.639 They love truth in a way, but they compromised. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:56.639 Point number four is this our hearts wander toward other loves, yet God promises to nourish our souls. 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:03.919 Idols work like this, whether it's Old Testament, whether it's ancient times, whether it's uh today. 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.200 Idols work like this. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:11.360 Life only has meaning, or I only have worth if. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.039 Every time we talk about idols, this is the sentence we use. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.559 Life only has meaning, or I only have worth if. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:25.200 Now, as soon as we add in whatever that is, there we have either an idol or something that can become an idol. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:29.440 It's something that we we love so much we're trying to use it for our identity. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:29.919 Right? 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:41.759 I only have worth if I'm married, I only have worth if I have a certain net worth, I only have worth if I have a certain amount of power, I only have worth if I could solve Wordle in one try. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:43.759 Some of you. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:45.519 Anyone? 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.080 Just want to go ahead and you're you want to post it. 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:48.720 I know you do. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:50.480 You want to post it so bad. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:54.799 You're waiting every day just to get it in one try, because then, right? 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.120 Like then, if you do that, then you really are smart. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.559 Like finally, the world has said you're smart. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:07.519 And then you can tell everybody, and we'll not really care, but we'll act like it. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:17.599 A contemplative question for application with this is what idol of the heart do I keep entertaining that will never bring me life? 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:20.400 Like, what is it? 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:22.799 What do I keep entertaining? 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:27.440 It just never never delivers, never has, doesn't, and it won't. 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:35.200 Yet, verse 17 brings us a promise for those who live in repentance of idols, whether it's the one mentioned here or something else. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:46.640 And the promises is referring back to Old Testament manna, heavenly food, that we have a nourishment from God that can actually nourish our souls. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:47.920 That's what we want. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:51.359 That's what we've always wanted, it's for our souls to be nourished. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:53.920 Then there's this bit of a mystery, this white stone. 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.160 It's one of the things you read in Revelation, you're like, What in the world? 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:56.880 Like, what's that? 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:58.880 It's a bit of a mystery. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:09.359 Some people think perhaps it's a stone referring to the white stones that were used when people went into idle food banquets, and to get in, you you had a white stone. 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:10.880 It's like your ticket. 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:15.279 So maybe Jesus is saying, Hey, I have a banquet for you. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.240 Like, I have a better, everlasting feast for your soul. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:24.559 I read this in a commentary this week by Michael Wilcock. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:33.119 Christ gives us a personal invitation to the true pleasures of the banquet of heaven, which are in fact himself. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:38.720 For in him, every one of God's promises is a yes. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:42.319 And he is the true manna, the heavenly bread. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:44.000 Right? 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:49.680 To quote the Christian rock band from 1993, it's a big, big table. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.799 Lots and lots of food, right? 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.960 Audio adrenaline knew. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.319 They knew then. 00:18:56.559 --> 00:19:01.680 It's a big table, it is a banquet feast for our souls. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:04.559 Verse 18. 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:06.079 Last church. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:18.079 And to the angel of the church in Thytira, write the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:26.079 I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:29.519 So we're thinking again, oh, great, great people. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.680 But I have this against you. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:42.720 That you tolerate that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual morality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.440 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:58.559 Behold, I will throw her onto a sick bed, and those who commit adultery with her, I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:06.400 And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:08.880 I mean, I at first I read this at verse 23. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.160 I was like, whoa, okay. 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:12.480 All right, we're gonna kill those kids. 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:13.680 We're gonna take the kids out. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:16.960 Like, what the kids, I mean, what if the kids were good? 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:18.799 You know, I mean, that's really my first response. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:28.640 A little bit of reading, realize, oh, it's not like her kids, it's talking about the people who adopt her teaching, which is in opposition to God's grace. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:39.759 And God is saying, hey, if you've set yourself on that path and that belief, like inhead of you is great ruin, great spiritual ruin. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.079 Now, here's what we know about that church. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:49.599 That's a that church is a people of love and faith and service and patient endurance. 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:56.000 But there's this lady and she's teaching, and nobody does anything about it. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:03.839 And she's teaching trash, and it's hurting people's lives, and it's breaking shalom in the community and people's hearts. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:07.920 And that's not a normal way for us to think about things that take over our hearts. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.000 This feels incredibly ancient. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:16.799 But if we think about it, you know, sex and comfort are still huge idols in our hearts. 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:26.960 And to those who never repent and use sex and comfort forever to try to find justification as a person or peace, there's only ruin ahead of you. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:28.960 And you know that in part now. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:45.680 Verse 24, a bit of relief comes, but to the rest of you in Thyterh, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:48.799 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:59.359 The one who conquers and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:11.599 Even as I myself have received authority from my Father, and I will give him the morning star, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:20.400 I love that verse 25, that it's our calling to hold fast to Christ. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:25.039 And yet I also love what we just sang, that He holds us fast. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.440 And that we don't always hold Him fast. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:28.240 Right? 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:36.640 So we even read this, we read any part of Scripture, any particular part of Scripture in light of what's around it. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:38.799 If we isolated this, who knows where we had? 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:44.799 We'd become incredibly kind of moralistic, self-righteous, pull your boots up, climb the mountain to God type of people. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:51.119 But we read this in light of Revelation 1, of how Christ is supreme for us and Christ cares for us. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:56.480 And inside of his care and his love, he holds us, but we hold him. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:03.920 And point number five is that we hold fast to God as we are held fast by Him. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:11.279 Very easy today, you could feel a bit of sting, maybe a bit of resistance against passages like this. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.920 Maybe you feel a bit of sting when we talk about first love. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:18.000 Because you're like, I'm not there. 00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:20.319 I remember when I was, I'm not there. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:32.160 Or maybe feel a bit of sting when we talk about idols, because when you fill that sentence in, you know there's a whole bunch of stuff there other than God's grace to you and how much he loves you. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:36.400 But we don't ever leave chapter one. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:39.920 John wouldn't have intended that. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:49.359 We read this inside of the fact that we just came out of chapter one, and we read Revelation inside of the New Testament, and we read all that inside of the meta-narrative of the gospel. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:54.079 That all of God's anger or disappointment or condemnation, that's all gone. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:55.200 It's inside of Jesus. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.240 He has handled all that. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:01.920 Our sin is put upon him on the cross, that his righteousness is given to us, so we are forever beloved in his sight. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.160 We are secure, we are held fast. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:13.519 John even repeats that guiding image for us in chapter two as it was just in chapter one. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:20.880 Remember, we said at the beginning of the sermon, verse one, the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.240 There would be a reason he would repeat this. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:26.799 It's because don't forget that image. 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:28.160 That's the image. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:32.160 Yeah, he told us in verse 25, 225, to hold fast. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:38.960 But we also have in 2.1 that he holds these seven churches, that he holds us. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.240 So, yes, return to your first love. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:51.920 We need to return to our first love, to that chief principle of love that is Jesus, the core identity of who we are. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:59.920 And we need to hold fast, but we do that because he loved us first and he holds us fast. 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:05.680 It's because that he holds us that any of the growth that we have happens. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:07.039 Let's pray together. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:10.079 God, thank you for your grace and your mercy to us. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:13.039 Thank you for correction that is inside of care. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:26.720 Thank you that we don't have to leave the immaculate, unbelievable grace that we have from you in Jesus, unending welcome, forgiveness that does not end, righteousness that is declared upon us. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:29.440 We don't have to leave that when we read a passage like this. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:34.000 But that we know that your correction of us is your care for us. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:38.160 Would you help us to trust in you in greater ways? 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:46.400 Would you help us to repent inside your kindness, not out of guilt, not out of shame, but out of the fact that you are wooing us to yourself and your love. 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:55.200 And help us to repent, to be shame free and guilt free, to repent and to walk with you in greater freedom. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:56.720 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:57.519 Amen.