To the Church at Pergamos

Church

Pastor-D-Scott-MeadowsD. Scott Meadows

An Exposition of Revelation 2.12-17

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is…

With impressive brevity, Jesus Christ addressed this first-century local church’s particular needs, and His word with the rest of Scripture still helps all churches today to think as we ought to think and to do as we ought to do with wisdom and strength until He comes. This passage, and the whole book of Revelation, is not for speculation, but for adoration of Christ, and for application to our lives. We have God’s Word written so we may know God’s will and do it. Remember how that great principle is stated so beautifully in Deuteronomy 29.29, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Too many times people would pry into things Revelation does not say instead of paying attention to what it does say and prayerfully applying its glorious message to the nitty-gritty of everyday life in this present world.
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Persecution Part 1

Church

Alan-Dunn-ContributorAlan Dunn

It is my pleasure to be with you, once again, this year, and to see many familiar faces, to see some new faces, all of them getting older every year. It’s always an encouragement when you see brothers and sisters who are continuing in the way, and they are continuing, as the years past, to follow Jesus Christ, to be faithful, and to serve Him. Serving Christ in our culture, even as Pastor Martinez prayed, is becoming more and more challenging. I hope that the message today will be used by The Holy Spirit to strengthen you, especially you young people who are with us for these meetings. I believe that the days that are before us are growing increasingly challenging for us, to become Bible-believing, Bible-obedient disciples of Jesus Christ. As Paul brings His epistle to the church in Romans to a conclusion, he tries to give them words that will encourage them, and put everything into perspective. We read in Romans chapter 16, at verse 19 and verse 20, “For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
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The Courageous Manner of Paul’s Preaching and the Fruit of his Preaching in his Own Conscience

Paul's Farewell, Preaching

robert_martin_conferenceDr. Robert Martin

I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable. . . .
I go bound in the spirit . . . I hold not my life of any account as dear unto
myself . . . I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all
men. For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God
(Acts 20:20, 22, 24, 26-27).

In previous chapters, we have been considering Paul’s example as an able and faithful preacher of the Word of God. Thus far we have looked at the scope of his preaching and its focus and recurring themes. In this chapter, we will consider the courageous manner of his preaching and its fruit in his own conscience.
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The Foci and Recurring Themes of Paul’s Preaching II

Paul's Farewell

robert_martin_conferenceDr. Robert Martin

To testify the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).

In the last chapter we began to consider the foci and recurring themes of Paul’s preaching. We examined Acts 20:21, where Paul speaks of his “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” And we saw that in this statement, he identifies a primary focus and recurring emphasis in his preaching, i.e., the themes of repentance and faith. In this chapter, we continue this study by examining the words in verse 24 that he uses to summarize and characterize the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus: “to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
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The Foci and Recurring Themes of Paul’s Preaching I

Paul's Farewell

robert_martin_conferenceDr. Robert Martin

Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks
repentance toward God and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (20:21).

In this segment of our study, we are considering Paul’s example as an able and faithful preacher of the Scriptures. In the last chapter we looked at Paul’s claim concerning the scope of his preaching, as described in the words: “I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable” (20:20), “I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God” (20:27). In this chapter, we come to . . .
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The Scope of Paul’s Preaching

Paul's Farewell, Preaching

robert_martin_conferenceDr. Robert Martin

I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable . . .I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:20, 27).

In previous studies, we have seen that Paul appeals to the Ephesians’ knowledge of his consistent humility, compassion, and unselfishness. In this chapter, we begin to take up the next mark of a true pastor, which is that he is an able and faithful preacher of God’s Word. Paul says to the Ephesian elders,
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The Church as the Army of God

Church

cookGordon Cook

Lightly edited sermon transcript:

Today we’ll focus on one more image: the image of the army of God. Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16, let me pick up the reading at verse 13, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea, Philippi, he asked His disciples saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Well, let’s look to The Lord.
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The Church as the Flock of God

Church

cookGordon Cook

Lightly edited sermon transcript:

Good evening, it’s always a delight to be here. I was trying to think back to how long I’ve been coming and seeing you folk here. We started with that family conference, what, that was fifteen years ago? I remember Pastor Barker taking everybody for a walk in the woods, but it was always a joy to be with you folk and hear you sing and see you face-to-face and it’s a joy to be with you again today. Well, I’ve been asked to address the subject of the church, that’s what we’ve been focusing upon at the pastor’s conference, and I’ve taken four pictures of the church, or four graphic images. We’re going to consider another one of them today.
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The Church as the Body of Christ

Church

cookPastor Gordon Cook

Lightly edited sermon transcript:

Well, brethren turn, please, in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I’m just going to read one verse and then we’ll go back to the text and deal with some of the other verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 12, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” Well, let’s look to The Lord and ask for His help.

Father in Heaven, we bow before You, and we acknowledge that we are in desperate need of Your Spirit, the Spirit that illumines minds, that helps us to see. We often feel like blind men, and so we plead afresh for the Spirit to come and help us to see who we are as a church. We thank You for the blessed institution of the church, and help us, as pastors, to appreciate the wonderful privilege that we have to pastor the flock of God, to be part of the bride of Christ, but also to be part of the body of Christ. We, again, ask You to come, be our Teacher, be our Instructor, and we pray this in Christ’s name, amen.
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