One of the problems of preaching the gospel, casting pearl before swine over and over to the same person who doesn't want to hear you, is they just tune you out. and then you've made them the hill to die on. Instead of learning what your role is in the process of salvation, no matter, you know, just because you want them saved really badly. Does it mean? That you can just behave any way you want to behave.
You still have to be as wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove. Mm. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now, here's Pastor Rick in the book of Revelation, chapter 3, with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. What was this church doing? about the persecutions going on in Smyrna.
Now we're we're not prophetically in the 17th, 18th century. We're back to when Jesus is addressing these churches in the days of John on the isle of Patmos. What was happening?
Well, when Polycarp was being burned at the stake in Smyrna, it is said that 11 brothers. From the church in Philadelphia. perished with him. And they weren't the only ones. Or from this church in Philadelphia, which was about 75 miles.
East of the church in Smyrna.
So that's what was happening. What a testimony to this. assembly here.
Now these ancient cities They have got a lot of history attached to them. This one was subject to earthquakes quite a bit. But the city is not the star. The church is the star. Years ago, I heard someone reading on a radio a recipe for meatball heroes.
And he said, I'm going to read this letter I got from a listener about this recipe that I love for Meatball Hero. And as the person was giving him the instructions, you know, put this much of that and this much of that, he would also inject into the recipe. Every so many words But the meatball is the star. And then he'd go on and do this and do that, but we'd remind so he didn't get. lost in the sauce.
Well The church is the star. What the Christians are doing, that's what Christ is centering our attention on. Revelation chapter 1, verse 20. The seven churches. The stars are the seven churches.
And so we don't need to spend a lot of time on What sort of infrastructure that ancient city had, we need to concern ourselves with what were those Christians in that ancient city doing?
So, Christ doing the speaking says about himself that he is holy. Holiness is that pristine state. Ultimately. Pure. Purity.
Where no corruption exists. Nor can it exist. And this is the Christ. He's the one that says, Satan is nothing in me. He is the essence of holiness.
We can only be holy. Through association. with him. In this life, But we cannot be pure. And yet, yet.
He treats us. As though We have no sin. Because We've come to Christ and He's dealt with it for us. That's one of the main things lacking from the lost soul. Their sin is upon them because they have not embraced the truth.
So Jesus introduces himself. as only God can. He's saying I'm incorruptible. It's a declaration of his deity, he who is true. Truth distinguishes us.
Separates us from every other religion. Whether the Christian gets it wrong in their behavior or not, it is what we believe. that separates us from everybody else. When they're praying to Mary, we say that is a sin. We do not talk to the dead that way.
And if you want to talk to the dead, you got to join them. Otherwise. You don't go talking to them. He who is true, John chapter 8, verse 32, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 7, 46.
The officers answered when they came to arrest Jesus. No one, no man ever spoke like this man. That should still be happening. There should still be those who say, I never heard anything like this. There are a lot of people that are into their religion and don't even know what their religion is about.
There are a lot of people that go to church and don't even know what the scripture has to say. Continues here, he who has the key of David.
Well, he's always linking himself to his father and to the prophecies because again no one else has this. This, of course, is a prophetic fulfillment. Genesis 49, 10, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet. until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the people. And keys are the emblems of ownership and rights.
And truth, of course, is all over it.
So if you come to a church, you hear a sermon like this. And so far, you may be saying to yourself, I know that, I know this, I got that. But do you understand how much research goes into being able to make these statements? in such a way that you cannot launch an objection. In other words, every sentence of the pastor should be backed up.
By Scripture, or at least he makes that attempt to do it. Because there's nothing like this. Because this comes right from God to us. And so serious was this church about it, and the church in Smyrna about what came from God to them. That they were willing to die.
Not because it was their team versus their persecutors, but because it was true. And that's another level of life. That opens up to us. Mark 28:18, Jesus came and spoke to them. This is after the resurrection, saying, All authority has been given to me.
in heaven and on earth. which should evoke who is this guy? Who can say such things if you took the words of Jesus? When he talks about who he is. And you just ask yourself, Who can say such things?
God That's it. No created being can say these things. These keys represent the authority over the fate of everyone. It's up. Up to them how they respond.
It's up to him what he does with their response to his truths. authority and ability to determine who is saved and who is lost. That's what this Little phrase means. He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key. Mm-hmm.
of David. Is not David. But it's the one spoken of as a reference in Genesis 49. Of course, biblically, this goes back to Isaiah 22. And we mentioned in the introduction that there are so many Old Testament references in the book of Revelation, it's very difficult to list them.
And here's one example. This comes right out of Isaiah 22, verse 22. And there in that story there was a man named Eliakim. And David made Eliakim the royal secretary over Shabna. And you say that's what does that have to do with anything?
Well, you would have to be the sovereign king to make such a move in David's day. And you'd have to be the sovereign king over humanity. To make such moves as Jesus is making and applying it to Himself. The idea is that God is sovereign. He controls appointments.
and destinies And who is excluded from the kingdom of heaven, and who is not? His authority is divinely assigned. Always linking himself with the Father, always linking himself with the Godhead, always linking himself with prophecy. never allowing us to see him as rogue, or independent of God's plan. of God's word to mankind.
This is significant when you see someone who does do those things, who does go rogue, who begins to establish a church in false doctrine that's contrary to Scripture. Because as great as the Great Awakening was, It also allowed for false teachings. to accelerate. There was a time when, if you were an independent, or if you were a non-denominal church, you were able to stand because you stood with the scripture. But now we've got a lot of non-denominal churches that have emerged They don't even have a systematic theology.
They don't know what they believe. They spend all their time telling people, Jesus loves you, you're going to do better, and here's how to have a happy life. I'll give you 40 days to have good things. And there's really no foundation of scripture in many of these churches. The music is more loud than it is anything else.
There's nothing wrong with loud music if you've got your ears plugged. But what is the content? What is in the song? Does it inspire me to worship God, or does it just make me feel good about myself?
Well, there's nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself if you've been behaving. But that's not why we worship. We don't worship because I feel good about myself. We worship because He is worthy. And many of the hymns keep that in front of us.
And out of that Hippie generation came songs that were simply scripture verses put to music. Create in me a clean heart, O God. That's Psalm 51. I mean, take not thy Holy Spirit from me. And if you're a Christian and you're struggling with stuff in the flesh, you're going to love being able to sing that.
Knowing it is right from the Word of God. to you. In other words, Things that we say and believe should count. What about when you've been doing everything right? And yet Your life is falling apart.
Well, the Bible covers that in a single word. Persevere. Take the pain. and keep moving forward. You cannot take objectives without that.
What is the alternative?
Well, give up. Stop moving forward. Don't go to church anymore. It's not working for you.
Well, what's working for God? Obedience. in the face of hardship. And so he who opens and no one shuts, shuts and no one opens, declares his ownership and his power. Not only has he the right to rule, but he does rule.
That's the point. He's not an absentee Savior.
Now you may say, well Why would that even be a concern?
Well, there is this teaching called Deism. Where God wound up the universe like a watch and walked away. That would make him a dead beat dad. The scripture clearly says God is not removed from his creation, nor is he removed. from reaching lost souls.
from governing the universe, whether you see it or not Unfortunately, a man like Ben Franklin was a deist. He believed in that, even though he admired George Whitfield, one of the most powerful preachers of that age. Luke chapter 13. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. And he will answer and say to you, I do not know you.
Where are you from? I don't know you. He's rereading the bottom of verse 7. He opens the door and no one shuts. He shuts the door and no one opens.
This is very serious. How you get the unbeliever. to grasp the severity of God's warnings. How do we get them? to come to Christ And turn away from all the silly things people have made up, for instance, deism.
Well, there is where we depend entirely on the Holy Spirit. And yet, and yet, when he is ready to act, It is up to us to be ready to be used. Verse eight I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.
Well, you have a little strength. I've kept my word. but not denied my name. That verse alone, that's the verse you covet that. That's what we want to hear the Lord say.
I know your works, well, he's omniscient. I've set before you an open door, opportunity, and invitation on earth to choose. The doctrine of free will. Lost, lost by the reformers, unfortunately.
Well, other doctrines have been lost to history. Do you think anyone was looking for the rapture during the Dark Ages? He's trying to Survive. The doctrine of free will is taught by Scripture. In fact, Well I'll pass on that.
I'll just say, go forward to this. When we get to chapter 4 in the first verse, There's another door opened. But that door is not to evangelism, that one is to heaven. And it is open to those who had been evangelized. We've come to Christ.
It is important and it is meaningful to remember when you came to Christ. Because you want to have Somebody in your life that has also had that experience. Because of you. At least you playing some role. and leading them to Christ.
Maybe it's just that you didn't mess it up. You know, Christians can just ruin things by the way they misbehave. A terrible testimony. The unbeliever sees that and says, I don't want any part of Christianity. Or the other unbeliever looks at that and looks at the Christian in the workplace or the school, wherever you are.
It says there's something there that compels me. There's something there that draws me to be interested. And so, when you do get a chance to preach, they've not ruled you out, they've not counted you out, they take you seriously enough. to listen. One of the problems of preaching the gospel, casting pearl before swine over and over to the same person who doesn't want to hear you, is they just tune you out.
And then you've made them the hill to die on. Instead of learning what your role is in the process of salvation, no matter, you know, just because you want them saved really badly. Does it mean? That you can just behave any way you want to behave. You still have to be as wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove.
Although from Hell's perspective, We never want to be counted as harmless. to the things that hell is about.
So he says, I've set before you an open door, an opportunity to share Christ there in Philadelphia. And they were making converts, they were making Jewish converts. For you have a little strength. That's the same thing as saying you know very strong.
Now There are weak Christians. But they still have a little strength. And that's all Christ needs. 1 Corinthians chapter 1: God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. God has a way of using strength that the world overlooks.
We haven't. Strong enough to please God, strong enough to be used by God, that's what I want. God only needs a little strength from his churches. to address this church Without criticism, And to notice it's It's only it only has a little strength. It's quite a statement.
They're saying, God is saying, I don't need you. To be as strong as you think you need to be. I need you to be strong enough. to bear fruit. Have kept my word.
Well, that is the first step to bearing lasting fruit. Dependability turned into ability through what God has to say. Satan would try to end their love for Scripture. Break them from their moorings. cut their anchor.
Chain. Psalm 119, verse 158. I see the treacherous. and am disgusted because they do not keep your word.
Now, this is not the Christian who stumbles. This is the one that doesn't care what God has to say. They want what they want. They might even use what God has said to get what they want. but their motives are foul.
such as the Prosperity Movement. There can be no turning from the word of God. Once you have genuinely turned to God, there can be no turning from the world. without turning to the word. How else you gonna get saved?
You're not going to figure it out without the scripture. Sardis kept the name Philadelphia. Kept the word. have not denied my name. Yeah, because there were forces trying to get them to do that very thing.
Read this. Every Christian should read this and say, do I do this? Or do I do that? They could not be dissuaded from their Christianity through argument or. Abuse.
If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, said Jesus. Verse 9. Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, but are not. But lie. Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet.
and to know that I have loved you. It's quite powerful there as as it all really is. Both fruitful churches. Smyrna and Philadelphia. functioned where devils gathered.
assemblies, synagogues of Satan, And designated this way because they hated Christ, In God's name. Because they weren't listening to God. Jesus said, There's going to come a time they're going to cast you out of the synagogues, they're going to try to kill you. And they're going to think they're serving God.
Well, we know how easy it is for churchgoers to go to church without listening to God of the church. That's what the whole seven letters is all about. You have people going to church. But they are allowing in things that will destroy a church, nonetheless. And finally, we have one.
That doesn't have The influence of Balaam or that Jezebel or the Nicolaitans. We have a church here that's sticking to the word. Judaism seeks to worship Yahweh unseen. The church worships Yahweh unseen. at the same time worshiping Yahweh incarnate.
in the Christ Saul of Tarsus was in that group once. He set out to obliterate Christianity. By obliterating Christians. Satan gets a lot done with lying and violence. But at the end He's done in.
Whatever hostilities these Christians suffered from their persecutors was because those Christians. We're getting it right. and not getting it wrong. And there are a lot of confused or false Christians out there saying, you know, well, you know, that happened to you because you did this and that happened to you.
Well, there are some times that is obvious, but not all the time. And many times you're doing something right. and bad things are happening to you. That's what's going to count in the end. He says, who say they are of They are Jews but are not.
Will Durant, the historian, tells us that in 70 AD, after the temple was. destroyed, there were seven million Jews dispersed. into Gentile cities such as in this region of the world. They had the truth from their own scripture and they cast it away. And so Paul writes to the Romans, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly.
Well, how does he get to be one inwardly? The same thing with a Christian. He has to turn to God's word. You know, if you die and you go to stand before the Lord. You have the stack of failures and sin and things that Christ died to remove.
So they're removed. And you enter in. And the world makes jokes about St. Peter's Gate. Because they had no clue.
to what the gospel is about. And may we pray for opportunity to help him with that. Each Christian can be a teacher of the Gospel. Can help explain what is going on because we are experiencing life alongside of them. He says, Indeed, I will Make them come worship at your feet.
It does not say, I will. Make them worship you. There's no indication of that whatsoever. You can rule it out. What he is saying is, Christianity will be vindicated before the world, and you will witness this.
The righteous will see the unrighteous humbled and judged. This also comes right out of the prophecies. Isaiah 64, God speaking about what's going to happen to. The Jewish people, when the millennial age comes, the kingdom age. Also, the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despise you shall fall prostrate.
At the soles of your feet, and they shall call you the city of Yahweh, Zion. and the Holy One of Israel. The enemy will be vanquished. That's what the language carries. over to us.
Jesus said the day will come when they will be forced to acknowledge their evils, whether they End up at the great white throne or the beam seat of Christ, everybody is going to come to that moment. where they cannot dispute who Christ is. And that's why we like Philippians 2.10, which is a quotation right out of Isaiah 2, but we'll take it from the New Testament. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth.
That pretty much covers every dimension. And that every tongue shall confess Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Now that won't get those that are the ones going to hell out of hell, but it does say there will be a time when no one can dispute his rule. And we will get to witness that. Yeah. Uh This has been Cross Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreference radio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Hello.
