An Unholy Union

[Music] when your Bibles again with me into the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ in Chapter number two we had looked at the church at Ephesus that is the fallen church last Sunday we looked at this church at Smyrna which was a fearful Church and this morning's word is from the church at Pergamos which is the fearful church faltering church verses 12 through verse number 17 and to the angel of the church in Pergamos write these things said he which have the sharp sword with two edges I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is in our holdest fast my name and has not denied my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth but I have a few things against thee because thou has there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication so has thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the store a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth thank you you may be seated the grass withers and the flower fades for the word of our God shall stand forever this stretch the slurred Church in the series of writings to the churches at Asia Minor the church at Pergamos was the capital city of Asia Minor it was a wealthy city and it was known particularly for two things it was known because there was a library in pragmas with over 200,000 volumes written with Patras and parchment that may not seem like it means much to us but but books in those days were hand written and for 200,000 volumes to be hand written and placed in that library at pragmas was a huge deal because it was so valuable that mark antony stole that library and gave it as a gift to cleopatra and then the church at Pergamos was known for its pagan Emperor worship there was a temple there that was named after the god of medicine the God of healing named this God Asclepius Asclepius the god of healing there was a temple and large temple built to him and they believe that a person who was suffering from some malady could spend a night in that temple and be healed but they had to spend the night in a temple filled with snakes Asclepius the the emblem of Asclepius is two intertwined snakes on the staff which is even now in these days a symbol of medicine our pharmacology and they believe that if you spent the night in this temple that was filled with snakes if a snake cross over you without biting you they believe that you could be healed from your sickness then outside the city was a 100 foot by 40 foot statue of zeus who was the Greek myth our mythological father of all gods and men this place pragmas the name Pergamus means married this church had an unholy union with the world they were known for their doctrinal stance they were known for their temples they were known for their library but they were also known for their compromise and so Jesus comes to them as the one with the sharp two-edged sword he comes to them as the holder of the two-edged sword he comes with the truth and the power of his word he comes to encourage the faithful and to exterminate the foolish because in every Church even in 2016 there are faithful and foolish talk back to me if you can some people who are here just for the fish and load some people who really don't care about God that much they really don't care about the word that much they're just accustomed to going to church you can look at their faces and tell that they don't really care about being here there's no excitement there's no enthusiasm they don't smile they have a grin they haven't laughed they haven't been warm they haven't felt the Spirit of God since 11 o'clock you might as well be sitting at Starbucks or sitting at the movie theater or sitting at your house or just doing anything other than being here because if coming the church doesn't make a difference in your life it doesn't make sense to coming home there are some faithful ones of us here and there are some foolish ones of us here who really don't take God seriously and I suspect brothers and sisters because life hasn't turned on you yet you haven't run against any opposition yet you haven't run against any persecution you haven't come up against any storms that I need to say to us like I said to the people who were here earlier if the devil is not bothering you chances are you are not bothering him because if you would live godly in Christ Jesus you will have tribulation I wish I had one or two other witnesses there would be ups and downs sunshine and rain good days and bad I wish I had one or two more believers here who know that the more you try to please God the more temptation the devil was in your way in the text he comes to them as the sharp two-edged sword then he says to them I know your works listen to their testimony he says I know where you dwell you dwell where Satan's feet is and in this place it's a dangerous place to be a Christian because they are being persecuted for their faith he says I know where you live you are in the place where Satan has decided to set up a headquarters it'd be something like San Francisco something like New Orleans something like New York City something like Houston something like Third Ward South Union 288 turn on Yellowstone come down to till whiskey make a right Santa on down till Western until you get to 70 34 that could be where Satan's see is he may have taken a ride here with one of us because let me help you with your theology brothers and sisters the devil is not inhale hell is the last place Satan wants to be Satan hates held more than the unregenerate he's not in Hell yet because God has not cast him there yet where is he I'm glad you asked he's everywhere the people of God meet because he's going to and fro seeking whom he may devour [Applause] Satan is on your job talk back to me here Satan is in your family Satan is on your Pew Satan is in your neighborhood because he is the God small G of this world he's the Prince of the power of the air the Ephesians says we wrestle not against flesh and blood I need a Bible reader here but against principalities against powers against spiritual wickedness in hardly the devil is everywhere not in hell he's everywhere that men gather because he hates God so he hates us brothers and sisters whenever you try to take a stand for Christ the world is going to hate you they hate you when you stand against homosexuality they hate you when you stand against same-sex marriage they hate you when you stand against the wickedness that has become accepted by the world and the church has compromised [Applause] we have softened a message we have lowered the standard because we want to be user-friendly we want to be seeker sensitive Jesus is not looking for consumers he's looking for disciple and he said if any man will come after me he must deny himself take up a cross and follow me have a got a witness here and the TEC of a cross means that that's some people you will have to put out of your life some people you gonna have to unfriend from your Facebook page talk back to me if you can that's some conversations you got to get away from there some circles you can't run in because if you're a child of God they will hate you because the servant is no greater than his master Jesus said it'd be hated me they're going to hate you their testimony was that they stood up against false teachers and they held fast to Jesus name and praise God but every time this church gathers the name of Jesus is largely mentioned because that some churches that you go to and you can go through a whole service and never hear the name of Jesus how sad how pitiful what what a statement of hypocrisy to meet in his name and never called his name but somebody here this morning ought to help me testify that there's power in that name there's joy in that name that strength in that name that deliverance in that name that love in that name best peace in that name you go help me talk about he wanted he's a rock in a weary leg he's a shelter in a time of soul he's a friend when you're friendless mama when you're motherless he's a doctor in a sick room a lawyer in a courtroom so we're all getting to happen I even call that name yet he's Adams Redeemer Abel's Vindicator Abraham's sacrifice Noah's Ark roses bush on fire Joshua's battle axe Gideon's fleece Samson's power David's music Jeremiah's balm in Gilead I haven't even told that name yet he's God's only Son he's Mary's baby boy he's John's older brother Matthew's King you can help me talk about him won't you he is the lily of the valley he is the Rose of Sharon he is the bright in the morning star I'm getting ready to call the name Heelys in the morning Jesus somebody knows that when you call at me demons tremble dead men come back to life sick people get well don't people stop talking again lame people start walking again because there's power in that name it would be sad to go through a whole service and never mention that name they held fast to their name and they did not deny the faith Caesar visited pragma once a year he visited every city of Asia Minor once a year and they had to take a pinch of incense and throw it in the fiery order and declare that Caesar is God but the Christians refused to acknowledge Caesar as God and at the demonstration of Rome's power they took their most powerful witness a man by the name of Antipas and they made a brass bull and put Antipas inside that brass bull and lit a fire under that bull and roasted him alive because he would not say Caesar is Lord and instead of the church getting weaker it got stronger because the seed the the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church and whenever you are persecuted for righteousness sake the scripture says there is the kingdom of heaven brothers and sisters we made Church a nice place to visit and we've tamed this Lion of Judah and turned him into a house pet this Jesus who is Christ is anything but tame I wish I had a witness in this Jesus who is Christ confronts people in their sinful lifestyle the church ought not be afraid to tell the world that we are on the Lord's side we will we have turned church into a social club talk back to me if you can the world is calling us to come to preach to them and the church here is preaching every Sunday and it makes no impact on us because we are here one Sunday and away in six months and think we're going to grow strong as Christians that's that's that's hypocrisy that's playing with God you'll never grow as a Christian a way from the Fellowship of the body of Christ they are compromising with the world much like this church at Pergamos Jesus commended him for holding fast to his name he commended them because they did not deny the faith but then he said I have a few things against you their testimony was strong but Jesus said what I have against you is your tolerance he commends them for their testimony but he condemns them for their tolerance and that where tolerance has come in hope of late because the world expects us to be tolerant of everything that is sinful and they will not tolerate anything that is godly somehow help me preacher they won't ask tutelary same-sex marriage they want us to tolerate homosexuality they were asked to tolerate their sinful lifestyle but the Bible says come out from among them and be separated and to be separated does not make you better it makes you different I ran into some trouble with my family number of years ago because my nephew wanted to store his car at my house and he had acquired it by some nefarious kind of um Neil pharmaceutical action you know where I'm trying to go ahead and and he wanted to store his car that had been bought with drug money at my house I said I said now you you you really disrespected me and I'm gonna have to put you in your place because I'm your uncle and I love you and I want to tell you the truth but as a preacher of the Lord's gospel I can't I can't I can't go along with that kind of lifestyle because I'm preaching against that and I can't preach against it and let it be popped in my garage come on talk back to me if you can you can't shack up and spend the night at my house with your partner because I preach against that I wish I had somebody to help me now if I preach against my sin I'm sure gonna preach against your sin because sin cannot be tolerated if we call ourselves Christians even in our own lives I wish I had my 7:30 crop you listen brothers and sisters here's how the church got corrupted at Pergamos there was corruption in the membership because they tolerated the teaching or the doctrine of Balaam now you have to read the Bible to shout right here because Balaam is mentioned in numbers chapter 22 through 25 Balaam was hired by the king of Moab named Balak I wish I had some Bible readers here and the king of Moab had contracted with Balaam to curse the children of Israel and four times he tried cursing the children of Israel and every time he trusts them God turned it into a blessing and so Balaam said to be like king of Moab we can't curse these people but the way to get them is to corrupt them if you can't catch them cuz God will turn it into a blessing let's try corrupting me there was corruption in membership and then brothers and sisters there was confusion in the leadership because not only had they adopted the the doctrine of Balaam but they adopted the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which put a caste system in the church where there was a difference between clergy and laity come on help appreciate you care and listen there are biblical offices in the church that ought to be respected the office of deacon is a biblical office and we select men from the congregation to be deacons at our church because it is a biblical office and their office ought to be respected but if they do not do the work of that office they ought to resign all we ought to kick them out see how glad you got right there because the anybody can be a deacon on Sunday morning looking good dressed up with a nice suit on Sunday morning but where are you on Tuesday night where are you at midweek Bible studies where are you helping the poor feeding the hungry where are you with the time I knew it was going to get done in a cold writing in and then the office of the pasta the office of preacher the same requirements are there for the man of God if I refuse to preach the gospel if I don't stand in my position of authority if I'm not going to lead this church I ought to resign or you ought to put me up and since somebody's got to lead it and God has designated me to do it I'm gonna do my job of preaching the gospel every time I get a chance that's not just for preaching it's not just for deacons the Lord is talking the church schoolteacher president of the women's work president of the men's ministry president of the Russians choir whatever your hands are doing in this church if you don't do it with all your might resign move out of the way God never leaves himself without a witness somebody will step up and do what you are not doing because God will not let this case die because of your ego [Applause] yes we are we are compromising with people we are putting people in positions because we like them because they look like a leader talk maximally if you can and they have no semblance of wanting to do the work of God that's tolerance and listen brothers and sisters when you stop to tolerate it when you allow sin to be tolerated it will not be long before you take God for granted and take the kingdom for granted and Jesus said if you don't repent I will come quickly and fight with you with the Word of God I wish I had somebody to help me preach right here now listen brothers and sisters the church is the Bride of Christ and Christ is in love with his church and he's not going to let me are you tear up this church because he gave his life for it and if he loves it enough to give his life for it he shall not love it enough to fight for it I don't have any respect for any man who won't fight for his wife who won't fight for his children talk back to me if you can no no no no you can you can say anything to me just me and you but you can't me in front of my woman come no his own like a pot of neckbone no I can't let you clown me in front of my wife in front of my bride now if I feel like that about somebody I love what do you think about Christ and His Church because I didn't die for nobody but Christ went to the cross and died for the truth and you can sit here and say preacher move me if you can but God knows how to send enough trouble your way God knows how to send enough storms in your life that you'll get that smirk off your face God knows how to get that proud look off of you I wish I had somebody to help me here God knows how to turn the heat up in your life you'd be running all over this church some I don't have to run and catch you because the Spirit of the Lord is on you God knows how to get glory out of your life sometimes you have to do it through suffering sometimes you have to do it through hardship but wouldn't you rather he'd do it through sending blessings your way I said when the Lord sends blessings your way that ought to be a sign for you to start giving God your best hallelujah I mean you don't even have to wait til Sunday morning you don't even have to wait till you get in your pew at Lillie Road just riding on your way to work thank God that you got a job to go to when you drive back home and get in your garage thank God you got a house to sleep in when you open your refrigerator and going to pantry get ready to cook dinner thank god that's food enough for everybody in the family that's enough to make you praise gone and then praise God that you got your health and your strength nobody had to dress you this morning nobody had to put your clothes on for you nobody had to feed you this morning God's been good to you that's enough for you to give him praise right there what else I leave you as I quit this morning I want you to see one more thing in this deck their testimony their tolerance when verse 17 talks about their triumph he says he that overcome he that overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth and that's why I've been trying to get all this hidden manna hidden manna you remember in the Old Testament when they were wandering in the wilderness they got hungry and they complained to Moses I wish I had a Bible reader and Moses went to the Lord with that situation and God cooked bread in heaven and rained it down on them and when they saw that manner they did not know what it was that's why it's called manna because manna means what is this they've never seen anything like it and they had never tasted anything like it when you overcome when you stay faithful God will give you something that the world has never seen and the world has never tasted I need somebody in here who's been walking with the Lord and God has just let his son blaze on your life and you are being blessed in ways that you can't even talk about because when you start talking about it your eyes just well up with tears because God is just giving you some hidden manna and they don't understand why are you happy with all the stuff that's going on in your life why are you still smiling and you going through all the stuff that you're going through you're still going to work you're still getting up in the morning your bills are still being paid your car is still driving you you still got your health and your strength you're going through trials and tribulations but here you are this morning with a smile on your face because you got something to eat that the world can give [Applause] um Moses Moses took a cup of that manner and put it in the Ark of the testimony and everywhere they went they had this cup of manna to remind them that God will provide I said God will provide I said God will provide God will God will provide go will provide provide what Reverend whatever honey whenever I need however much of it I need God will provide [Applause] somebody here who's been through the storm in the rain would help me testify and every time I've needed him he's provided when I needed strength and I thought I couldn't make it another week God provided it I wish I had somebody to help me when I'm doing that when I thought I was about to fall that was an unseen hand holding me up I'm came this morning to testify God will provide I don't know how he does it I just know he doesn't and when he does it I know it was him cuz nobody else but it did thing [Applause] I'm trying to get through here [Applause] I'm trying to get through here but he says I will give him hidden manna and a white stone in the days of Revelation if you went to court and you were found guilty they gave you a black stone which meant capital punishment but if you were acquitted of the charge they gave you a white stone which meant you were free to go on the cross when Christ suffered and died for my sins the sins for which I should have been punished he took my place and put in my hand a white stone and white stone also signified friendship that when friends who loved each other would part for a period of time and that day they would write their names on his white stone and break that stone in half and for however many years they were parted when they would come back together they would put those two stones together to signify that their friendship is everlasting when Jesus comes again he's gonna have a stone in his hand and I'm gonna have a stone in my hand and we're gonna put our stones together signifying that our friendship is going to last forever he said no longer do I call you server but I call you friend I am a friend of God I wish I had one or two more witnesses here and not only does that white stone signifies vindication from guilt not only does it signify friendship but it signifies access whenever a host would invite someone to a an expensive dinner party they would have the chairs arranged around the table and he would put a white stone on every chair and that white stone on every chair had a special message from the host given to the guests that only the guest and the host knew what was written on that stone can I help you with that when I come to meet Jesus I'm not going to have a new name but I'm gonna have a name that's special for him and we run it by you one more time it's not a name for me but it is named for him they're special to me and him because I saved as you are you don't look my way with him y'all gonna win the shop as good as he's been to you you can testify about my relationship with him cuz he and I have a special name for each other let me see let me see if I can really make you get that husbands and wives or grandparents with their grandchildren or or parents with their children always have a pet name for their children or their grandchildren or their husband or their wife because they love them in a special kind of relationship you don't help me close this watch it they have they're given legal name but then they have a nickname a name that makes them special and unique to the person that had given them that name you'll have the closes wanted me in the law got a special relationship I know he's good to you but your testimony a my testimony I know he's open doors for you but you can't shout my testimony now you can help me clap on my testimony but you can experience our relationship because he and I got something special going on let me tell you how sometimes when I'm confused and don't know how life is going to treat me I call on him and he comes to see about me and I give him another name when I'm sick and I can't get well he heals my body I give him another name when I'm broke and he pays my bills for me we got another little pet name for each other somebody ought to help me preach it somebody here knows what I'm talking about there's so many times you called on the Lord and the Lord came to your rescue and you have seen him in multi-faceted ways he's not just a rock in a weary land he's a shelter in a mighty storm you got a name for him that only you and him are privy to because that's your special relationship you'll help me close this water that's why I don't believe in orchestrated praise that's why I'm not with praise that's managed and staged because you can make my relationship with God equal to yours I'm not saying that it's any better or any worse or or anything like that I'm saying that I know God the way I know God because I've experienced God the way that I have experienced gone so whenever I hear his name called the little names that I have for him come in my mind wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father Prince of Peace desire of all nations may spring of Israel lily-of-the-valley bright morning star Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last he that liveth and was dead I call him mother sometimes I call him father sometimes I call him friend sometimes I call him doctor sometimes I call him lawyer sometimes because in every situation I need him he shows up to be just what I need him to be is there anybody here got a special relationship with him is that anybody here got a special name you called him it's just between the two of y'all you getting ready to shout right now and I don't even know what you called him but I know if you praise Him if you send praises up he will send blessings down is there anybody here never called him in the midnight hour then you know what your name is for him come over help me praise and put my name ah he's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask all things if we had to get you out of a tight spot praising for that name if you had to rescue you from the mess you got yourself in praising for that name if he's helping you to take care of your parents praising for that name if you want with you through your divorce praises was that name if he's helping you to raise your children by yourself praising for that name and if he's just good to you for no reason praising for that name why don't you grab somebody and say I don't need a reason I don't need a reason I just feel like praising his name he brought me from a mighty long way he opened doors that were close in my face why don't you grab somebody grab your praise bother not just anybody but somebody who looks like they want to praise alone and hope for y'all right now just praise alone I don't need a reason but if you want a reason he woke me up this move he put food on my plate he made a way out of no way have you tried and Satan won't do it what are we doing I know he's Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] I don't know I don't know what my new name is going to be I'm just gonna pull my chair back pick up my stone look at my name and stop shouting his praise I want to tell him thank you for all you've done for me thank you but the doors you open thank you for the ways you mean if you want to tell it thank you do what you have to do right now it's your personal time right now it's your time to praise it you don't need nobody now you got your own name with him praising by yourself do it in the aisle if you have to do it in the pew if you have to but whatever you have to do if it's waving your hand it is shouting hallelujah if it's smiling and laughing if it's weeping and crying tell it thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] at all we all when we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing and moving when we all see geez we will sing and shout victory behold I show you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye for the Trump of God shall sound and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed this mortal must put on immortality this corruptible must put on incorruption then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death has been swallowed up in victory Oh death where is your sting grave where is your victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that you later it's not in vain [Applause] in the note if you be not weary in well-doing and due season you will reap if you fainted John said I saw a number but no man could run they were coming from the north and the south and the east and the West then and they had on white road and they had crowns on their head and and reeds in their hand and I sailed up who are they Hilda said these are they who come through Great Tribulation and they have washed their robes and they are white in the blood of the Lamb and he said I saw thousands and ten thousands of angels singing blessings and glory wisdom and God has gotten him the victory over the Beast and over the number of his name hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth and he shall reign forever and ever and ever never never never for written on his vesture written all his five is king of kings and Lord of lords [Music]

Channel: lillygrovembc

Views: 88,676

Rating: 4.7699571 out of 5

Keywords: Reverend Terry Anderson Pastor Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church Houston Texas

Id: xDuvcnyKSUc

Length: 51min 16sec (3076 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 26 2017