Continue our study this morning on the Book of Revelation, which is going to take a lot of time. And so, turn if you will, the Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3. We've been studying the seven churches of Revelation and we're going to take more time than usual on our study of the Book of Revelation. You remember God promised, Lord Jesus Christ, promised blessings to those who read and understand the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is divided into three parts to pass the present in the future. The present is in chapters 2 and 3 which represent the church age, and then the future begins chapter 4, which we will get on in some time later. Beginning, if you will, turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 3, verse 10, and that's where we're going to begin this morning. And then we'll go back and look at the rewards promised to the seven churches to he that overcome it. We're going to continue to do that. However, in chapter three of the Book of Revelation, verse 10, the Lord says to the church Philadelphia, the church in revival, the Philadelphia, but the brotherly love church, which supposedly is represented between 1700 and a little after the 1900s. Most preachers seem to think so. And I'm inclined to agree with it. We have during that period of time we have all the great Bible teachers like Spurgeon, Scofield, Ironside, Harry Hyde, Harry Goforth. No John Goforth, that was his name. I don't know if you've heard about him. You ever hear John Goforth? Anybody ever hear him? He was a Presbyterian. He spent most of his life in China, leading people to Christ, started churches, ordained pastors. He was a Presbyterian when he came back home to Canada. He realized that his church had fallen apart. He was extremely sad over it. Come to find out that the people in China had to send support to the local church, his church, the Presbyterian church, just to get them the gospel. Isn't that sad? So we have John go forth and we have Harry Moore House. Harry, Harry Moore House. How many of you heard of him? A couple of you have. You probably heard of him in this church. The world has not heard of most people have not heard of Harry Moore House and my opinion Harry Moore House was the founder of Booty Bible Institute. I've got a story on that in a book I have at home on the life of D.L. Moody and Moody tells the story in his own words of Harry Morehouse. How many of you haven't heard that story? Backstreet's to have a movie about Sam. Well, I never had that, but I've got to book every time I read it, I get choked up, and I read it about once a month. But it's an amazing story. But maybe I won't get into that. And verse 10, chapter 3, at the same time that during the Philadelphia Church age, not only were all these great Bible preachers out there, like Moody, More House, Ironside, all these people, Scofield, to give us a Scofield Bible. So was the Mormon Church started. So was the Jehovah Witness Church started. So did the Christian Science Church begin. Satan is very busy, isn't he? Every time we do something, he does something better. Every time we lead somebody to the Lord, he'll take two and run them the other way, Satan is very busy. But in verse 10, because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which thou come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast, which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Lord, make three promises, basically, in these two verses here. First of all, he promised that the church will miss the tribulation. Second thing he promises is his imminent return. He is coming back. I come quickly. And the other promise is that the rewards he promised, you're gonna get. And so anyway, let's go back if you will and we'll take a look at that uh… we left off last week with uh… of the tree of life and i don't know if we touched on the crown of life in chapter two verse ten but we're going to save that and in a couple of weeks we're going to look at all the crowns the christians will receive the crown of life the crown of glory of glory the crown of rejoicing and we're going to look at that later But in verse 11 and chapter 2, look, if you will, he that overcome it shall not be hurt of the second death. I think we touched on that last week. The second death takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment. If you're a sage born again Christian, you are not going to be subject to the second death. It's bad enough to die once, isn't it? But to die twice is really a bummer. In chapter 2, verse 17, let's take a look briefly at two of the promises the Lord made, by the way, some of these promises that he makes to the churches are present and future and some are present and guaranteed future. But in verse 17, chapter 2, he says, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, to him that overcome it. That is, whosoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, that's how you overcome. I give to eat of the hidden manna and we'll give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knows saying he that received it. So what is the hidden manna and the white stone? These are two things that you get here and now but are yet future also. So in order to understand what the hidden manna is can anybody tell me by the way what it is? The bread of life? Yeah absolutely. Let's go very good. Good answer. Go to John chapter 6, if you will. Excellent answer. John chapter 6. John chapter 6, verse 31, The Jews said to the Lord Jesus Christ, our fathers did eat man in the desert. As it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my father gave it you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and give its life unto the world. Verse 35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, He that came unto me shall never hunger, and he that believe it on me shall never thirst. Verse 49, Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread that comes down from heaven that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If any man eat of it, Verse 57, as the living father has sent me and I live by the father so he that eat of me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna, and our dead. He that eateth of this bread shall live forever. Look up here for just a minute if you will. Jesus Christ is the manna from heaven. However, he said in chapter 2 verse 17 of Revelation, why is the manna hidden? Now there's more to this than just the bread of life. Let me ask you a question. How did you know about Jesus Christ? Somebody told you about it. And when they told you, what did they use to tell you? The Gospel, the Word of God. The hidden manna is not just the Lord Jesus Christ, it's the Word of God. Because you would not know about Jesus Christ if it weren't for the Word of God. Why does he call it hidden? the lost will never understand it. They'll never make sense. The lost will never understand the word of God. I can give you a good example. Rod Parsley is a preacher on TV. He's lost on his way to hell when he dies. You say, well that's a pretty harsh preacher. You have it is true. He does not understand the word of God. He understands what he thinks it says but he doesn't understand Now just before we go on, I don't want to spend a lot of time on this, go over to Joshua chapter 5 all the way back in the Old Testament. Joshua chapter 5. I'm going to give you a perfect type. I'm going to give you a perfect type of a New Testament truth in Joshua chapter 5. Look in verse 12 in Joshua chapter 5. In verse 12 in Joshua chapter 5 and the manna ceased on the moral the next day. After they had eaten of the old corn of the land neither had the children of Israel manna anymore but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Kanan that year. I'm going to give you a typo what I I think is a New Testament truth. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 Paul said that the Bible would cease, not cease, or tongues with cease rather, tongues with cease and miracles with cease when the Bible was complete. This is a type of the complete Bible that you and I have today, and when you and I put But our faith in Christ, we are saved by faith. And then we have the opportunity to serve Christ. We can go in and enjoy the kingdom, but in the last part of this verse. But they did eat the fruit of the land of Kanan that year. As you and I studied the Word of God as a Christian, we get into the Bible, we study it, we read it, we learn it, it is the fruit. It helps us to enjoy the fruit of the Word of God as we serve him. This is a perfect type of a New Testament tree. Okay, back to Revelation, if you will. I don't want to spend too much time on all these beers forever. Back to verse 17, chapter 2, if you will. He didn't have an ear, let him hear what the Spirit say at them to the churches, to him that overcome it. Will I 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 knows say he that received it. What does a stone represent? Church, Christ in the Church. It does. However, it goes a little deeper than that. It does. The stone means a vote of approval, a quickal, a ticket of admission. And when this was written, people in those days understood the meaning because if someone was put on trial and they would pronounce guilty or innocent, if they were pronounced guilty, a white stone would have been or innocent rather, a white stone would have been put in the pot and if they would count the stones and if there were more black ones and white ones then they were guilty, sort of like a jury trial today. And also it is an admission, like they had games in those days, that white stone would say You are admitted. It basically simply means you are admitted into heaven because you trusted Christ, the cornerstone of your salvation. Very simple, isn't it? I don't know if you've got any commentaries at home by all the great Bible authors over the years. I've got them all, but they don't get into this. They don't attempt to answer these questions. I don't know why. But anyhow, the answers are usually pretty simple. Verse 26, if you will. Chapter 2, verse 26, and he that overcome them, keep with my works into the end, do him while I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter. Shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received to my father. And I will give him the morning star, and he that hath an ear that I didn't hear, what the spirits say up until the sun churches. This verse here, our rewards for the future. Notice what it says. Power over the nations. When does that take place? There's a thousand year kingdom. Absolutely. In the thousand year kingdom, you and I, and our new glorified bodies will rule the world. Think about it. Think about it. You have politicians today all over this world. We drive down the street locally. I saw one place had about 30 signs in their front yard. They must dwell on politics. That would drive me nuts dwelling on politics. They got to be stupid to dwell on politics. There's other things in the world besides evil politicians. The Lord will take care of them jerks one of these days. They remind me of the back part of the horse. I'm not going to go there. But anyway, think about this someday. You will rule the world with righteousness, with Christ. Think about it. Paul's visions sense they're the angel of life. They think they can save you. Yeah, they can save yourself. I want you to go to chapter 5 here. Look, if you will, in verse 10. This is a representative church, verse 10. You are in heaven. Notice in verse 10, Revelation chapter 5, and has made us unto our God, kings should read a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the earth. Isn't that amazing? You can vote for all the politicians you want to, but someday you're going to reign on the earth with Christ. You have to remember that the earth will be filled with literal human beings, flesh and blood bodies. Most of those are going to reject the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the kingdom, but they won't be able to admit it. But you rule them. You will rule them, you'll have power over the nations. And I want you to notice in verse 28, by the way, not only will you rule them, you'll rule them with a rod of iron. Well, I'd love to do that today, wouldn't you? Never a great big broad of iron about that long, about that big round. Go down to Washington DC and just meet some heads with it. And do it legitimately, be able to get away with it. Have God's approval. I don't think it'd happen. I don't think you'd get it approval, but it sure would be a blast, I'll tell you. But anyway, and I will give him the morning star. The morning star simply means, the word star means to scatter, to strew about. And the word morning means bright day brick. In other words, bright and early, you're going to scatter. You're going to have all that power, all that authority. Now, if you will, just go to chapter three, and we'll see how many more of these things I can cover before we run out of time this morning. There are two things in chapter three here concerning the church and sardis. In verse four, thou hast a few names, even in sardis, that have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy. I think we've already covered that. You will get two garments when you get into heaven. The first one is the white garment of salvation, and the second one is the white garment of service. You will walk in white. Verse 5, He that overcome it, the same shall be clothed in white and remit, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his name. There are many times I've heard preachers say, well if you get saved and so forth you're going to get your name written in a book of life. Your name is already written. Your name was written in a book of life long before God even created Adam and Eve. From the foundation of the world, your name was written in a book of life. Your name will remain in a book of life until you leave this earth. And then if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, your name will be graced. If you've trusted Christ as your Savior, God said, Christ said, I will not blot. The word blot is a word mechash means to erase. Turn if you will to Exodus chapter 32, all the way back in the Old Testament. Exodus chapter 32, if you will. In Exodus chapter 132 we have the account of the sin of Israel. They made a golden cap and they they were dancing around half naked and so forth and in verse 30 it came to pass on the moral that Moses said to the people you have sinned a great sin and Now I will go up into the Lord for chaps perhaps and She'll make an atonement for your sin and Moses returned and through the Lord said, oh this people have sinned a great sin and and have made them gods of gold. By the way, look up here for just a minute. Can you make an atonement for other people's sins? No, absolutely not. Of course Moses being a good guy that he is, verse 32. Yet now, if that would forgive their sin, and if not, block me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written. Moses. The word here is the Hebrew word make that. I forget the word in the Greek, but anyway, if not Moses said, block me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Already written. Moses's name was there and he was willing to have his name erased just for the nation of Israel, but look what the Lord said. And the Lord said unto Moses who so ever has sinned against me, him will I block out of my book. How do I sin against God? The sin of unbelief is the ultimate sin. God told Moses no matter what you do, Moses, no matter what you do, you cannot be subject to taking a name in or out of the book. It's already written, whosoever doesn't believe in me will have their name erased. book is already your name is already in the book of life. A good example would be Luke chapter 16, remember the account of the rich man and Lazarus and Abraham. Abraham and Lazarus went to paradise. The rich man died and went to hell. His name wasn't written, was it? God erased it. His name was erased. On down in chapter three, if you will. Let's see, verse 12, chapter 3, verse 12, So, him that over come with, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, and out of the New Jerusalem and so forth and so forth. What does this mean? Simply means you'll be part of the church, the support, all one, all one unit. I don't know if you've ever built anything, but if you build it right, everything holds everything else together when it's all done, you will be a killer in the temple of God in heaven. Verse 20, symbolically, by the way, I don't think the Lord expect you to stand there like this for eternity holding up the temple. That's not what I mean. Verse 20, chapter 3, and then we're going to be through here and we'll take up the chapter 4 next week. But in verse 20, be hold, I stand at the door knock if any man hear my voice and open the door. I will come into him and we'll supplement with him and he with me, to him that overcome us while I grant to sit with me in my throne. Even as I've also overcame and have sat down with my father in his throne, what does that mean? Well, we've already seen the answer to that. It means that you will be ruling with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout all eternity. You will be kings, priests, and rulers. There were some places else I wanted to go. Placing chapter 17, I believe it is. There if you will. I don't know if you realize this or not, or 17 verse 8 is where I want to go. I don't know if you realize this or not, but we spend almost a month on two chapters in Revelation. Do you imagine how much time the rest of it's going to take? I'm going to be old more out by the time it's over with. But by that time, every one of you should be able to take my place, which isn't any problem. I just thought of that. Anyhow, Chapter 17, Revelation, Verse 8, The beast that thou saw as was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into a perdition. And they, that dwell near, shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was and is not, and yet is. You see, everybody's name is written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world, and those whose names are not written in the book of life, shall wonder from about the beast, shall wonder about the beast. You know, it's a funny thing. They won't understand Bible will they? They don't understand the Bible today. I see these people on some of the history channels. Somebody was telling me that they were trying to explain what was it they were trying to explain. I think Bill was telling me they were trying to explain that. Last week to show on there they were trying to explain hell. Yeah that's it. Hell and they were trying to explain why Cain slew able and they couldn't understand why God didn't accept Cain sacrifice. That's what it was. I forget who was telling me they saw that. Yeah, and yeah, and they didn't understand it. Yeah, it's a perfect example of someone who is not saved. They will not understand God's Word. They won't be able to write it. They won't be able to go from one verse to the next. Put the whole thing together so that it makes sense. They just will not be able to do it. You ever wonder how do I prove God's Word is real? I'll tell you, give you one good example. Look over the Middle East at the battle between the Arabs and Israel. And if you look at that and don't believe that this Bible is 100% accurate, you have a problem. Because it's all in the Bible. Everything that's taking place over there today is already written. It's in there. Everything without exception. It's real. The Bible is real. Jesus Christ was a real, literal human being. I had a fellow one time say, well I don't believe in the bottom, I don't know how to prove the Bible, his dad was a Baptist preacher too. I said, let me ask you something. I said, do you believe that Israel had their Old Testament 400 years before Christ was even born, complete? He said, yeah, I believe that. I said, do you believe Christ was a literal person? story. Yeah, I believe that. And I showed him in Isaiah at least six places concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I said, that was written over 800 years before Christ was even born. It must be real. He said, I didn't know that. I said, well, you either didn't listen or your father was a lousy preacher. But anyway, I think I'll let him to the Lord right there that day because he didn't know that. But if you look at the Old Testament and the New Testament, comparing together and look at history, you should have no doubt in your mind that everything this Bible says is 100% accurate and true. If you're here today, and I'm sure you do, but if you don't know, you're going to have them when you die, just let me show you how easy it is. The Bible says, we're all sinners, it's saying represents me, my sin. I can go to hell and pay for God, that I can. Romans chapter 6, verse 23, or John chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, he that believe it now is condemned already, I can do that, or I can simply believe Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again for my sin. As soon as I believe that, my sins are paid. 100% pass, present, and future, I have eternal life, a home in heaven. My book, my name will never be erased out of the book. it's there forever, as soon as I believe in him, it will never be erased. It will never be blotted out. Isn't it amazing? As soon as you believe. To those who don't believe, as soon as they die, their name will be erased from the book. Just like the rich man, they won't have a name. They won't have a name. Let's have word of prayer and we will close if you will. Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank You for Christ, the cross. We thank You for His Word that He gave us and He proves it over and over again. And we thank You for the fact that all we have to do is believe in Him, believe in His death, barrel and resurrection, we have eternal life. It's so simple, you'd have to be a fool. It's that simple. If you hear this morning, you've never trusted Christ just do it now before we close between Him and yourself. Lord I believe you died on the cross for me and I think for it and that's all you have to do. You don't have to do that just believe it And when you do you have eternal life. Your name will always be in the book never erased It's a blessing and dear Lord. We thank you for those that are here this morning and bless each one in Christ's name. Amen Okay I'm gonna make a change here and then we will turn the page of I don't know Hey, something they three hundred and eighty million. Yes, so we're going to do the Lord's supper. Oh, yeah, so yeah, I knew I'd forget. No, thank you. That was the will do the Lord's supper. I will do the Lord's supper and then we'll say.