Now, what I want to discuss with you is that
portion of the Word of God as found in the second
chapter of the Revelation. And it's the message
to the church at Pergamos. And the Lord, first
of all, began commending them, saying, I know
thy works and where thou dwellest. And he commended
them on the fact that thou holdest fast my name
and hast not denied my faith. But then in that
14th verse, he begins by saying, But I have a
few things against thee, because thou hast their
sum that hold the doctrine of Balaam. Now what?
was the doctrine of Balaam. The essence of Balaamism
is today that which we would call worldliness.
Oh, the church is in great danger when it makes
a union with the world. I mean that. Satan first
tried to destroy the power of Christianity by
persecution. But the church grew stronger than
ever. Now he seeks to nullify its power by mixing
Christianity with worldliness. And he found it
to be great success. Haven't you heard people
say about some questionable thing? Oh, there's
no harm in that. Everybody's doing it. What harm
is there in doing it? You can know right then.
that they are losing their Christian influence
through compromise. And you can lose your Christian
testimony and your Christian experience and your
fellowship with God. You can get into a backslidden
condition through compromise quicker than anything
that I know anything about. And this was the
trouble with the church at Pergamos. We're to
be in the world, the Bible teaches, but not of
the world. The Christian must be in the world,
but not let the world get in him. A ship in the
water is a thing of power and beauty. Oh, it's
marvelous. Seen that great... ocean voyager out
there in the middle of the water. Truly, it is
a thing of beauty, is a thing of power. But when
the water gets in the ship, there are tragic
results. Now then, you can go out in this world
to your office, to your store, to your place
of business, to your place in society. And you
can be a strong witness for Christ through a
consecrated Christian life. Your testimony, your
very presence, can mean much to those with whom
you associate. Or you can go out in the world,
mix with it, do as it does, go where it goes,
sink to the depths that it sinks to. All of your
power as a Christian will soon be gone. All of
your power of testimony will soon be gone. God
says that whosoever will be a friend of this
world is the enemy of God. Surely God does not
mean that we are to despise the people of this
world. Not at all. But we are to hate all the
worldly and carnal things that come between us
and the Lord. And if there is something in the
world that has come between you and the Lord,
something that is robbing you of your testimony,
something that is robbing you of a consecrated
life, something that is robbing you of that deep,
wonderful communion and fellowship with Him,
something that is robbing you of your first love,
then, beloved, that thing has become sin to you.
I mean that. We need to preach about those things
more than we do. Sometimes I feel convicted because
I do not preach against those things more. Now,
continue with the second chapter of the Revelation.
this message that was given to the church at
Pergamos. We now hear Jesus saying, Repent, or
else I will come upon thee quickly and will fight
against thee with the sword out of my mouth.
And here we see him coming to judge. He doesn't
say that he's going to harm the faithful Christians.
but only those who are not living as they should.
Oh, what would happen today if Christ came upon
our churches with the sword of judgment? I wonder.
How many would be cut off? Would you be among
those who would suffer? Only you can answer that
question, for only you know how you are living,
what compromises you are making. or how you have
leapt down in your Christian morals and standards.
Only you know the secrets of your heart. Only
you know your motives and desires. There were
two groups in the Pergamos Church which Christ
would fight against. Those who were mixed up
with the world and all of its sinful practices.
compromise, and those who wanted to lord it over
God's people. He would treat the same group in
our church the same today. Read it. It's there.
The second chapter of the book of Revelation.
Begin with the 12th verse and continue through
the 17th. Now, In closing, Jesus makes two promises
to those who overcome. First, he will give them
to eat of the hidden manna. Oh, it's glorious
it's there. 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. That's the first thing. Manna, you know,
was the food given to Israel in the wilderness.
The psalmist called it angel's food. And this
manna was a type of Christ. All that he is. and
needs is hidden to the carnal man. But if we're
living for him above all, surely all of the sweets
and the joys of Christ will be ours to feed upon
and enjoy. That hidden manna, that heavenly food,
that mighty strengthening food, give to them
who will dare to overcome, to eat of that hidden
manna, given daily, satisfied. Are you living
that satisfied life? Completely satisfied in
him? I'll tell you what the secret is. You have
been feeding on that heavenly manna. that he
has promised to give to those who are living
a life of full dedication and consecration. Now
go a little bit further. He has also promised
to them that overcometh the stone, a white stone,
and in the stone a new name written. which no
man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. So
here he promised to give them a white stone.
Now in ancient times, this white stone meant
several things. First, it meant acquittal. When
a man was tried by the court, the jurors would
lay down a white stone. to signify that the man
had been acquitted of a crime. And so Jesus here
was saying, I am giving you the white stone to
signify that all of your sins are gone. They
had been forgiven. They had been cast into the
deepest sea. Oh, the wonderful fact. to know
that our sins are all gone, all forgiven. To
him that overcometh, I will give that stone of
acquittal. I will forgive that one. That one's
sins are all forgiven. They're all blotted out.
And that one stands forgiven in my presence.
That marvelous white stone. Then the white stone
was used to gain hospitality, just as we use
a credit card today. The man who carried the
white stone on his travels was entitled to hospitality
in certain places. Isn't Jesus saying here, I
am giving you the white stone to signify that
all I have is yours? Whatsoever ye shall ask
in my name, ye shall receive. Now here comes
something that to me is very thrilling. The white
stone was used for friendship. In those days,
two friends would take a white piece of marble.
and divided into two pieces. They would write
a secret symbol on each stone. Then this stone
would be handed down from father to son and on
to the next generation. And then at some future
time, if a man who held one piece of the stone
found another man holding the other piece that
would match the stone that he was holding, He
would claim shelter and protection and provision.
Doesn't that do something to you? Don't you understand
what it means? There are two sides of salvation.
Christ has already done his part. And when we
do our part, we are bound together forever. Oh,
to me, that's the most thrilling thing in the
whole world. Sure. He holds the one part of that
white stone. He's holding it securely this hour.
On of that white stone is my name. He knows me
better than I know myself. He knows the very
intents of my heart. The very hair on my head
is numbered the master. He knows me. He's interested
in me. He is so interested in me that he'll hear
the slightest whisper from my heart. And when
I pray, he listens as though I were the only
person in the whole world who was praying. And
in that hour when I came and accepted Jesus as
my personal Savior, there was rejoicing in heaven
as though I were the only person who had ever
accepted the pardon. On the cross of Calvary,
I'm personal. I'm individual in the sight of
God. He's holding half of that white stone in
His hand. With my name on it. In exactly the
same way, you are individual. You are personal
to him. As personal to him as I am. And he's
holding in his hand half of that white stone
with your name upon it. Oh, sure. But it isn't
one -sided. Sometimes I think we act as though
salvation is one -sided. And it's all on His
side. We thrill to the fact that God gave His
only begotten Son. We thrill to the fact that
one day Jesus offered Himself through the Holy
Spirit to be given that you and I might have
life eternal. We thrill to the fact that God
gave his only begotten son, that there is salvation
in Christ Jesus. We thrill to the glorious fact
that there's a heaven to gain. But we forget
that there are two sides to salvation. His side
and our side. His part and our part. Christ has
already done his part when he gave his life and
promised to forgive. But, beloved, we must do
our part in coming to him, confessing our sins,
confessing the fact that we need a Savior to
forgive us from our sins. We need... to come
in deep and sincere repentance. And then after
we have come to him and after we have accepted
the pardon and after we become a very part of
him, beloved, we must still continue to do our
part in living for him the life of consecration.
A daily Christian life in the world. but not
a part of the world. In the world, giving our
testimony, a shining light, representing him,
for we as Christians are the only Christ that
many an unsaved person sees any time during the
24 hours of his day. And then, remember, that
when we do our part, the two stones come together
and we are bound together with him forever and
ever. He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith to the churches. Amen.