1
00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:05,400
Well, Church, we've now reached 
the final installment of 

2
00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,760
Christ's letters to the seven 
churches in the Book of 

3
00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,120
Revelation. 
And although this letter may be 

4
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:16,760
the most frequently preached 
among the seven, it has been my 

5
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,520
prayer this week that each of us
would receive fresh insight and 

6
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,560
fresh inspiration as we revisit 
it together. 

7
00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,640
And so I ask you now to come 
with me to the Book of 

8
00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,479
Revelation, chapter 3, beginning
in verse 14 as we read the 

9
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,640
entirety of this address down to
verse 22. 

10
00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,680
This is what Jesus says to the 
church and Laodicea. 

11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,240
And to the Angel of the church 
and Laodicea write the words of 

12
00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,200
the Amen, the faithful and true 
witness, the beginning of God's 

13
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,280
creation. 
I know your works. 

14
00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:00,160
You are neither cold nor hot. 
With that you were either cold 

15
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,080
or hot. 
So because you are lukewarm and 

16
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,240
neither hot nor cold, I will 
spit you out of my mouth. 

17
00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,800
For you say I am rich, I have 
prospered, and I need nothing. 

18
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:18,800
Not realizing that you are 
wretched, pitiable, poor, blind,

19
00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:24,240
and naked, I counsel you to buy 
for me gold refined by fire, so 

20
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,200
that you may be rich, and white 
garments so that you may clothe 

21
00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:32,320
yourself, and the shame of your 
nakedness may not be seen and 

22
00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:38,240
solved to anoint your eyes, so 
that you may see those whom I 

23
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,120
love. 
I reprove and discipline. 

24
00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:47,680
So be zealous and repent. 
Behold, I stand at the door and 

25
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,560
knock. 
If anyone hears my voice and 

26
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:55,800
opens the door, I will come into
him and eat with him and he with

27
00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,960
me, the one who conquers, I will
grant him to sit with me on my 

28
00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:04,320
throne, as I also conquered and 
sat down with my Father on his 

29
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,040
throne. 
He who has an ear, let him hear 

30
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,520
what the Spirit says to the 
churches. 

31
00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,840
I'm sure that you would agree 
that the word lukewarm is a 

32
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,360
common expression in the 
Christian vernacular. 

33
00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,000
Brother so and so seems to be 
lukewarm lately. 

34
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,320
I visited that church and they 
came across lukewarm. 

35
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:39,080
To be honest, I myself have been
feeling lukewarm lately. 

36
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,640
It's a familiar biblical 
expression, but like many 

37
00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:50,520
scriptural terms, I'm afraid 
that something so familiar can 

38
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,760
lose its true definition, and it
can even be misapplied. 

39
00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,360
What does it mean to be 
lukewarm? 

40
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:05,680
What is a lukewarm Christian? 
Is being lukewarm merely the 

41
00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:10,880
absence of excitement for God? 
Is it the diagnosis of a 

42
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,360
believer? 
Who is struggling with a 

43
00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,640
particular sin? 
Or is it synonymous with 

44
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:25,680
spiritual inactivity? 
Thankfully, we are not left in 

45
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,080
the dark regarding its meaning. 
In the very letter that we are 

46
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,360
told about lukewarmness, we are 
given the description for it. 

47
00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,240
So let's look here at verse 16 
again and notice what Jesus 

48
00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,640
says. 
So because you are lukewarm and 

49
00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,120
neither hot nor cold, I will 
spit you out of my mouth. 

50
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:53,280
For you say I am rich, I have 
prospered, and I need nothing, 

51
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,720
not realizing that you are 
wretched, pitiable, poor, blind 

52
00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,160
and naked. 
So the main reason why Jesus 

53
00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,200
said something remarkable, by 
the way, the reason why he said 

54
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,600
I will spit you out of my mouth 
is because these Laodicean 

55
00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:16,279
Christians said out of their 
mouths, I am rich, I have 

56
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,040
prospered and more importantly 
need nothing. 

57
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,720
A lukewarm Christian is someone 
who has found satisfaction and 

58
00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:33,080
sufficiency apart from God and 
settles there. 

59
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,880
It's the state of the heart that
savers material goods and 

60
00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:48,200
earthly pursuits above spiritual
treasures, all the while listen,

61
00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:56,480
justifying, justifying because 
of self deception that one is 

62
00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,680
actually spiritually healthy 
when in fact they are not. 

63
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,840
That is a very important part 
because a lukewarm Christian is 

64
00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:11,280
not someone who recognizes that 
their love for the person of 

65
00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:15,280
Jesus is weakening and is 
longing to see change. 

66
00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:19,240
No, no, no, no, no, no. 
Someone who is lukewarm has 

67
00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:25,880
grown content with misplaced 
values and affections. 

68
00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,400
I need nothing. 
I'm satisfied. 

69
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,200
I have all that I need, and I 
believe the struggles of this 

70
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,960
particular church are especially
relevant to Western Christianity

71
00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,960
because you know very well that 
we are inundated with 

72
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:53,000
opportunities to pursue riches 
and worldly comforts to such a 

73
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:58,000
degree that distraction alone 
has been the cause of countless 

74
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:04,600
cases of spiritual decline. 
This is very applicable and 

75
00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,120
there's so much that we can say 
about lukewarmness, but I 

76
00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:12,320
thought the most beneficial 
approach rather is to organize 

77
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,360
our thoughts under 4 headings. 
So if you're a note taker, this 

78
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,680
will be helpful for you because 
I want us to look at 4 things 

79
00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,720
related to the spiritual 
condition. 

80
00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,520
Number one, we are going to 
discuss the possibility of 

81
00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,520
lukewarmness. 
Who is vulnerable to this malady

82
00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,960
of the soul, the possibility of 
lukewarmness. 

83
00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,280
From there, we're going to 
consider the danger of 

84
00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:37,600
lukewarmness. 
How dangerous is it really to be

85
00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,120
lukewarm? 
Thirdly, we're going to peek 

86
00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,800
into the deception of 
lukewarmness because there is a 

87
00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:48,280
deceptive element about it. 
And lastly, and one that I'm 

88
00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:53,480
looking forward to talking 
about, the hope in lukewarmness.

89
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,240
Let's begin here again at the 
possibility of lukewarmness. 

90
00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,680
As with many of Christ's 
introductions to these churches,

91
00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,680
we are reminded both of His 
divinity and His marvelous 

92
00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,080
ability. 
And here there are three things 

93
00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,560
that He underscores about 
himself in verse 14. 

94
00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,000
The words of #1 the Amen #2 the 
faithful and true witness. 

95
00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,440
And lastly, the beginning of 
God's creation. 

96
00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:24,200
Did you know the Amen is a 
divine title that belongs to God

97
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,600
alone? 
We find it particularly in 

98
00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,560
Isaiah 65, verse 16. 
I would encourage you to turn 

99
00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,440
there in the Old Testament to 
see it for yourself. 

100
00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,320
Notice this verse and what's 
repeated in it. 

101
00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,720
Because we've every reason to 
believe that Christ is alluding 

102
00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,320
to this passage. 
Isaiah 65 verse 16. 

103
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,160
So that he who blesses himself 
in the land shall bless himself 

104
00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:54,200
by the God of truth, and he who 
takes an oath in the land shall 

105
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,680
swear by the God of truth. 
Because the former troubles are 

106
00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,600
forgotten and are hidden from my
eyes. 

107
00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,160
How does this connect with 
Revelation chapter 3, verse 14? 

108
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,720
Well, this is where peeking into
the original language is 

109
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,760
helpful. 
Because you see here the title 

110
00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,720
God of truth, which appears 
twice in this verse, is rendered

111
00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:20,600
in Hebrew, Elohim, Amen. 
In other words, the God of Amen.

112
00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,160
That's the word truth there in 
the Hebrew Amen. 

113
00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:27,800
And the significance of this 
name is that it presents the 

114
00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:33,159
Lord as ultimately faithful, 
totally reliable, and truthful. 

115
00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,720
And Christ now applies this 
caption to himself. 

116
00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:44,120
I am the Amen, the same one that
you find and you read in Isaiah 

117
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:45,440
scrolls. 
That's me. 

118
00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,560
And he emphasizes his 
dependability by following it up

119
00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:51,840
with the second thing that he 
says. 

120
00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,600
Faithful and true. 
I am the faithful and true 

121
00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,320
witness. 
Now, why is he saying this to 

122
00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,200
the Laodiceans? 
To prepare them for the 

123
00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,720
blistering verdict about their 
spiritual condition. 

124
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,800
This may be hard for you to 
accept, this may be difficult 

125
00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,200
for you to swallow, but 
remember, I am the Amen. 

126
00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,520
I am the faithful and true 
witness, and I only speak what 

127
00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:22,280
is true. 
And my analysis of the condition

128
00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,640
of your soul is not exaggerated.
It's not extreme, it's not 

129
00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,840
unfair, it is undeniably 
accurate. 

130
00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,360
I am the Amen. 
I am the God of truth. 

131
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,080
I am the faithful and true 
witness. 

132
00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,320
And he pulls that from 
Revelation 1/5, as you remember.

133
00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:43,880
Now I'm sure none of that is 
difficult for us to grasp. 

134
00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,920
What may be the most challenging
part of this introduction is the

135
00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,560
final remark, the beginning of 
God's creation. 

136
00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:57,000
Now millions today who do not 
believe that Christ is God will 

137
00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,560
reference this very verse as a 
supposed proof text. 

138
00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,640
Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons 
hold to that view that Christ is

139
00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,720
a significant individual, 
significant person, but he is a 

140
00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,680
created being. 
And this is a heresy that goes 

141
00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:18,120
all the way back to the 4th 
century called Arianism, that 

142
00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:23,680
Christ is the first being that 
God brought into existence and 

143
00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:28,040
through him as an agent he makes
everything else. 

144
00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:33,360
And they would love to quote 
Revelation 314 to confirm that. 

145
00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:36,400
It seems a little bit difficult,
right? 

146
00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,920
How do you explain this, the 
beginning of God's creation? 

147
00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,920
Well, again, this is where it's 
helpful to understand the 

148
00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,360
meaning of the original 
language. 

149
00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:49,200
The Greek word of beginning is 
the word arcade. 

150
00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,280
And like many Greek words prove 
to be, it has multiple meanings.

151
00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,720
So the first understanding of 
the word arcade, the beginning, 

152
00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:03,360
is that of the beginning of 
something to come into existence

153
00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:08,280
as the first in a sequence. 
Moreover, it can also mean the 

154
00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:13,200
source or the origin of 
something, the one by whom 

155
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:20,200
something or process begins. 
And lastly, RK can also be 

156
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,640
understood as the principal 
ruler. 

157
00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:29,760
It's where words like Archbishop
or Archangel derive its meaning 

158
00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,800
from. 
So with those layers of 

159
00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,520
definitions, with this one word,
we have to ask ourselves a very 

160
00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,360
simple question along with the 
broader testimony of Scripture 

161
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,240
concerning Christ. 
What is the Lord Jesus most 

162
00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,920
likely referring to about 
himself? 

163
00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:51,000
Is he saying here that he is the
first being that God created 

164
00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,120
through whom all other things 
were brought about? 

165
00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:02,400
Or is he saying that he is the 
source and the origin of all 

166
00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,800
creation and that he is the 
supreme ruler over all creation 

167
00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,560
from everlasting to everlasting?
Any honest Bible student will 

168
00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:16,960
say it is the latter and we can 
spend the next 10 minutes cross 

169
00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,120
referencing to confirm this. 
But you can just stay in verse 

170
00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:25,200
14 because there is no way that 
the same person who says that he

171
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,360
is the Amen also says that he is
a creature. 

172
00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:34,440
And so that settles it there. 
The question we want to answer 

173
00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,280
instead is how is that 
beneficial for this church to 

174
00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,640
know? 
Why do the lay of the scenes 

175
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,880
need to be reminded that Jesus 
Christ is the beginning of God's

176
00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:51,560
creation? 
Well, the follow up question 

177
00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:55,360
would be, is there anywhere else
in the Bible that gives us 

178
00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,360
familiar language pertaining to 
the person of Christ and this 

179
00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,800
title? 
And the answer emphatically is 

180
00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,840
yes, It's the book of 
Colossians. 

181
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,600
And I invite you to turn there 
in chapter 1, beginning in verse

182
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,640
15 to see this with your own 
eyes and to see the beautiful 

183
00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:19,200
Symphony of the Scriptures. 
In case you're not aware, the 

184
00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:23,080
purpose of the book of 
Colossians is Paul refuting a 

185
00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,640
variety of heresies. 
And the main way that he does 

186
00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:31,000
this is by exalting the 
supremacy of Jesus Christ. 

187
00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,600
And he does so right from the 
outset of his epistle. 

188
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,880
Notice what he says in 
Colossians one, verse 15 down to

189
00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,440
verse 18. 
Just reading it is powerful. 

190
00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,800
He says about Jesus. 
He is the image of the invisible

191
00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,600
God, the first born of all 
creation. 

192
00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,120
Highlight that for by Him all 
things were created in heaven 

193
00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,600
and on earth. 
Visible and invisible were the 

194
00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,880
Thrones or dominions or rulers 
or authorities. 

195
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,720
All things were created through 
Him and for Him. 

196
00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,680
And He is before all things, and
in Him all things hold together,

197
00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,000
and He is the head of the Body, 
the Church. 

198
00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:15,200
He is the beginning, the first 
born from the dead, that in 

199
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:16,960
everything He might be 
preeminent. 

200
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:23,120
So what do we find here? 
The magnifying of the majesty of

201
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,520
Jesus Christ. 
And yes, there are those who are

202
00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:30,400
heretics that like to pick this 
apart and mystifying certain 

203
00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,920
terms. 
But there is no denying that 

204
00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,440
this is an exclamation point 
concerning the deity of Jesus. 

205
00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:44,360
But wait, why is the Lord 
referencing Paul's writing, 

206
00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,760
Paul's description, Paul's 
catalog of the glories of Christ

207
00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,560
in Revelation? 
You want to know the answer? 

208
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,720
It's in the book of Colossians. 
The answer to why Jesus is 

209
00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,400
writing or at least referencing 
this to the Laodiceans is found 

210
00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:02,880
at the end of the book of 
Colossians. 

211
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:04,400
Are you there? 
Go to chapter 4. 

212
00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,160
Look at this brief verse in 
verse 16, chapter 4, verse 16, 

213
00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,320
Paul writes. 
And when this letter has been 

214
00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,800
read among you, have it also 
read in the Church of who? 

215
00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:25,160
The Laodiceans and see that you 
also read the letter from 

216
00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:30,000
Laodicea. 
This is so profound. 

217
00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,080
Do you see it? 
I hope you do. 

218
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,920
What the Lord is doing in 
Revelation 3 is reminding the 

219
00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:45,920
Laodiceans that they have lost 
sight of His preeminence, of His

220
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:52,440
matchless glory, of His all 
satisfying love as it was once 

221
00:15:52,440 --> 00:16:00,040
delivered and read aloud in 
their presence from the apostle 

222
00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:06,520
Paul. 
This tells us where lukewarmness

223
00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:11,360
begins. 
How does 1 become lukewarm? 

224
00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,120
It starts by losing sight of the
preciousness of the Person of 

225
00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:21,080
Christ. 
It's when your vision of Jesus 

226
00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:26,440
is blurred or when your eyes all
together are placed on a lesser 

227
00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,640
thing or things and he is pushed
into the shadows. 

228
00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,400
It's as though Christ, by saying
this, is coming to this assembly

229
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:42,080
and saying, Remember Me, the 
beginning of God's creation? 

230
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,720
Now remember, we're discussing 
the possibility of lukewarmness,

231
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,160
right? 
This is where it starts. 

232
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,800
And one of the most startling 
aspects of this is that it also 

233
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,760
shows that Laodicea had light. 
You know what I mean by that? 

234
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,960
This church had teaching from 
the apostle Paul. 

235
00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:13,280
They had Apostolic connections. 
They had relationship with these

236
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:18,079
men who seen Jesus and who 
received the Holy Spirit in a 

237
00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:21,880
unique way to expound on the 
glories of who He is. 

238
00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,280
And listen, they still became 
lukewarm. 

239
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,400
Please hear me, please hear me. 
I know we got the picnic coming 

240
00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,520
up and I know a message on 
lukewarmness is not the most 

241
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,320
exciting thing to hear before 
you go in fellowship with a 

242
00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:34,920
bunch of people. 
I get it, I get it. 

243
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,040
But there's going to be a 
message of hope in this, I 

244
00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:38,400
assure you this. 
But let me tell you something 

245
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,960
very, very important. 
Going to a Bible believing, 

246
00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:48,480
Bible preaching church is not 
enough for you to be safe from 

247
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:57,000
the danger of lukewarmness. 
This church had light and they 

248
00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:04,320
still became lame. 
Each of us have a personal 

249
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:09,920
responsibility to nurture the 
flame on the altar of our 

250
00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,040
hearts. 
Each of us. 

251
00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,920
It may help to go to a place 
that speaks the truth, that 

252
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,400
explains the truth, that 
rejoices in the truth. 

253
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:26,760
But it is not sufficient and all
that to say that if we're not 

254
00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,360
vigilant, lukewarmness is 
possible for any of us. 

255
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:32,960
That's the possibility of 
lukewarmness. 

256
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,400
But let's come to the danger of 
lukewarmness back in Revelation 

257
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,360
3 and verse 15. 
Notice what Jesus says. 

258
00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:43,520
I know your works. 
You're neither cold nor hot. 

259
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,520
Would that you were either cold 
or hot. 

260
00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:49,200
So because you are lukewarm and 
neither hot nor cold, I will 

261
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:54,120
spit you out of my mouth. 
That's just really feel that I 

262
00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:58,440
will spit you out of my mouth. 
Now, if you're not careful, you 

263
00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,920
may make the mistake like some 
do and think that Jesus is 

264
00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,960
threatening eternal rejection, 
like this is some creative way 

265
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,640
of describing everlasting 
judgement. 

266
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,640
That is not the case. 
Let's break this down slowly. 

267
00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,360
Jesus wishes that they were 
either hot or cold. 

268
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,960
Now I understand Jesus wishing 
Christians to be hot. 

269
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,800
You know, the original word 
there is not just microwave hot,

270
00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,720
it's boiling hot. 
And you find that charge 

271
00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,200
throughout the New Testament 
that we would be fervent and 

272
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,960
zealous in our love for Christ 
and the advancement of His 

273
00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,960
Kingdom. 
That makes sense, but how is it 

274
00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,640
that Christ, if they were not to
be hot, would desire that they 

275
00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:48,680
would be cold instead? 
Well, if being cold is the 

276
00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:53,280
opposite of being blistering 
hot, then what Christ is 

277
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:58,320
proposing is that He prefers 
people to be unambiguous and 

278
00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:03,040
consistent in their spiritual 
stance rather than being half 

279
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:04,800
hearted and hypocritical in 
their faith. 

280
00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,960
In other words, it's more 
helpful for you and for others 

281
00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:15,880
to be honest. 
I'm clearly in or I'm obviously 

282
00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:20,840
out. 
Instead of remaining in the 

283
00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:30,080
meaningless middle and middle, 
according to Jesus is going to 

284
00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,640
church regularly while having no
true desire for Christ. 

285
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,360
Remember he he's not addressing 
the Community Center in 

286
00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:41,720
Laodicea. 
He's talking to a church. 

287
00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,360
So they were meeting on a 
regular basis. 

288
00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:49,960
And Jesus tells us, church, I 
wish you were either hot or you 

289
00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:55,600
were cold. 
Just as lukewarm food or drink 

290
00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,640
is unpleasant. 
Jesus says your disinterest in 

291
00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:08,160
me makes me nauseated. 
The more literal term there is 

292
00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:14,480
makes me sick to my stomach. 
It's not me that's Jesus that 

293
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,440
offends you. 
Deal with Him. 

294
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,120
This is what he says. 
And not only is lukewarmness 

295
00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:23,920
offensive to Christ, it's 
useless. 

296
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,240
You know what came to my mind 
when meditating on this Is the 

297
00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,840
Lord's words about us being the 
salt of the earth. 

298
00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,520
And what happens if salt loses 
its flavor? 

299
00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,240
The only good that it has is to 
be thrown out and trampled under

300
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,640
foot. 
It has no purpose. 

301
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,040
It has no power. 
It it doesn't have any 

302
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,760
efficiency. 
It's it's just to be trampled 

303
00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:45,840
on. 
And in the same way, when when 

304
00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:50,320
there's lukewarmness, Jesus 
can't do anything with that. 

305
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:56,600
He just spits it out. 
And that is what I believe 

306
00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:02,800
Christ is getting at here. 
I can't do anything with you 

307
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:08,960
when you're lukewarm. 
And to tolerate self-sufficiency

308
00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:17,480
and to be stale in our spiritual
pursuits means that we miss out 

309
00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,400
on pleasing Christ. 
We disqualify ourselves from 

310
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,560
being used by Him, and we do not
experience His delight. 

311
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,680
You can't tell me that Jesus 
saying I'm spitting you out of 

312
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,080
my mouth means that you're 
living under an open heaven. 

313
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,720
You're forfeiting something. 
You're actually forfeiting a 

314
00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,520
lot. 
And this is the impression that 

315
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,000
the church is supposed to have 
when reading this threat. 

316
00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:46,920
And really understanding that 
makes verse 19 more 

317
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,080
understandable. 
Look what he says in verse 19. 

318
00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,080
Those whom I love I reprove and 
discipline. 

319
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,840
So be zealous and repent. 
Now the word zealous there is 

320
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,600
the same word as hot, boiling 
hot. 

321
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,840
I'm asking you Christians, to be
boiling hot. 

322
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:11,040
Now I have to be honest, I read 
this when I first got saved and 

323
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,760
for many years whenever I would 
come across this passage, I 

324
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:19,000
would be troubled by something. 
The problem of this church is 

325
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,480
that they lacked zeal, right? 
They were finding their 

326
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,880
satisfaction and their 
sufficiency and things apart 

327
00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,840
from God. 
So how is it that Jesus can 

328
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,800
demand them be zealous? 
Can you imagine me coming up 

329
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,280
here saying, listen, we've lost 
our passion here, so here's what

330
00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:36,800
we need to do. 
Get passionate. 

331
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:44,400
OK? 
How can you demand that from me?

332
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,680
And it only makes sense when you
realize what he said back in 

333
00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:55,600
verse 15 and verse 16, the 
danger of the diagnosis. 

334
00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,800
He already diagnosed them and He
told them what would happen. 

335
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,160
And that report should have been
enough to kick them into gear, 

336
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,600
to get zealous again, to do 
whatever it takes to make sure 

337
00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,800
that they knew the spiritual 
fervor that the Lord demanded of

338
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,520
them. 
Now, hypothetically, imagine 

339
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:22,160
that I struggled with maybe 
shortness of breath, tightness 

340
00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,600
in the chest, but you know, 
maybe it's from working out, 

341
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,080
maybe it's the change of 
weather. 

342
00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:30,240
And so I go see the doctor and 
he examines me. 

343
00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:34,880
Now, if he downplays those 
symptoms and he just says, you 

344
00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,680
know, just sleep it off, I'm not
going to be as excited to make 

345
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,080
any changes. 
But we may not seem to be 

346
00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,640
serious, at least in my 
experience, in my own personal 

347
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,920
analysis, if that is challenged 
by the doctor, who is, who is 

348
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,160
true and faithful, and he says, 
listen, your arteries are 

349
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:58,840
clogging and you need to start 
exercising and you need to 

350
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,520
change your diet. 
You're going to die. 

351
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,440
You're not going to live very 
long. 

352
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,400
Is it going to take much for me 
to get serious about those 

353
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,480
changes? 
It shouldn't. 

354
00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:14,240
I understand the danger, the 
predicament that I am in, and 

355
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,880
that propels me forward. 
And that's why Jesus can say 

356
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,560
this so plainly. 
He just finished explaining. 

357
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,160
Listen, I will spit you out of 
my mouth. 

358
00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:26,920
You may not think it's serious, 
but it is deadly. 

359
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:29,960
It's deadly for your experience 
of me. 

360
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,320
It's deadly in your witness. 
It's deadly for your ministry. 

361
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,880
It's deadly for many things that
can follow when you remain in 

362
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,400
lukewarmness. 
It's time to make some changes. 

363
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,760
It's dangerous to remain 
lukewarm. 

364
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,880
Do you see it that way? 
Perhaps not. 

365
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,960
Which brings me to the Third 
Point, the deception of 

366
00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,240
lukewarmness. 
There's something about 

367
00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:57,520
lukewarmness that lies to us. 
What I find so shocking about 

368
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:02,000
this letter is that there is no 
mention of sexual immorality 

369
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,560
like other churches. 
There is no reprimand. 

370
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,400
There is no confrontation about 
false teaching being tolerated. 

371
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,920
There is no faithlessness in the
face of persecution. 

372
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,240
I'm confident that if you 
visited this church, you'd be 

373
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:22,400
met with an environment that was
warm, pun intended, friendly, 

374
00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:30,920
kind, filled with civilized 
people, respectable, good jobs, 

375
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:38,360
nicely clothed, and you would 
say this is a splendid place and

376
00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:42,360
Christ has no good thing to say 
about it. 

377
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,240
Not one good thing for one main 
reason. 

378
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,720
They failed to find their 
ultimate satisfaction and 

379
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:57,040
sufficiency in Him. 
It was in their income. 

380
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:04,680
It was in their luxury. 
It was in their health, It was 

381
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,920
in their superficial 
relationships with other 

382
00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:12,360
lukewarm Christians. 
It was in their entertainment, 

383
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:20,480
and that is what made them 
wretched, pitiable, poor, blind 

384
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,200
and naked. 
You see, what makes lukewarmness

385
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,480
so deceiving is that it doesn't 
involve blatant wickedness. 

386
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:34,400
There's just enough warmth in it
for you to feel like you're 

387
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:44,320
doing OK. 
But lukewarmness, tolerating and

388
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:49,240
remaining indifferent is the 
failure to realize that Christ 

389
00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,640
asked so much more of us than 
just avoiding certain bad 

390
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,360
things. 
Please hear me. 

391
00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:01,760
If you're persuaded that 
Christianity is mainly about you

392
00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:08,640
not sinning, you missed it 
completely. 

393
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:12,880
That's part of what it means to 
be a Christian. 

394
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,320
But what the Lord asks of his 
people is that they would 

395
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:22,440
discover greater and deeper 
gratification in him, and in 

396
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:27,080
that pleasure he would be 
glorified, and you would secure 

397
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:33,640
the greatest good. 
Enjoying Jesus Christ is the 

398
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:40,120
chief pursuit of the Christian. 
Not just deflecting and avoiding

399
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:44,440
and not clicking and not lying 
and not saying it's beyond that.

400
00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:52,000
It's relishing, loving, 
worshipping, fellowshipping with

401
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,720
Christ and that being your 
energy to do everything else. 

402
00:28:58,440 --> 00:28:59,880
But Lukewarmer says I'm all 
right. 

403
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:04,680
Like not cheating on my spouse, 
not wasting my resources 

404
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,680
gambling. 
I'm not not a violent person. 

405
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,280
I'm good. 
I'm good, I'm good. 

406
00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:14,960
And Jesus says you're actually 
poor, you're a pauper, you're 

407
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,720
blind, you don't see it. 
You don't see what I'm really 

408
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:23,320
asking of you. 
And so he has come to make some 

409
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,400
offers to these believers, a 
series of them. 

410
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:28,440
Did you see it? 
Look at verse 18. 

411
00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:34,960
I counsel you to buy from me 
gold refined by fire so that you

412
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:39,440
may be rich. 
Oh, so you get more animated 

413
00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,480
about money than about me, huh? 
Hey, let me let you know 

414
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,640
something. 
I have some gold. 

415
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:48,040
You want to buy some? 
You want to buy some gold? 

416
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:54,400
Why don't you spend some of your
energy and efforts investing in 

417
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,920
me? 
Can I tell you something? 

418
00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:04,360
You and I have spiritual 
treasures at our disposal that, 

419
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,360
if reached after and truly 
experienced, will make you feel 

420
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:09,800
like the richest man or woman in
the entire world. 

421
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,600
I don't envy people who have a 
lot of stuff. 

422
00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,600
In fact, most of those people 
are the most miserable people 

423
00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:23,760
that I know. 
If they don't have Christ, Jesus

424
00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,920
says I have. 
I have real gold, the purest of 

425
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,400
gold. 
I have golden revelation. 

426
00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,080
I have golden transformation. 
I have golden interactions with 

427
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:39,240
a broken and bank up world that 
I want to use you for get rich 

428
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:45,520
in God, be wealthy in me. 
Let's make a deal. 

429
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,320
But he doesn't just say that he 
goes on to say in verse 18 and 

430
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,920
white garments said that you may
clothe yourself and the shame of

431
00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,880
your nakedness may not be seen. 
OK, so you find more thrilling 

432
00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:04,640
shopping and dressing the best 
then knowing and serving me, 

433
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,880
huh? 
I have some clothes for you, 

434
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:13,200
some white garments, and these 
clothes if you really wear them,

435
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,360
they will make you the most 
attractive in this life and in 

436
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,560
the next. 
What are the white garments that

437
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,840
Jesus is Speaking of here? 
I believe the answers in the 

438
00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:23,800
Book of Revelation. 
You just have to go to chapter 

439
00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,800
19. 
Look at chapter 19 and verse 7 

440
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,000
as we get a glimpse of the 
marriage supper of the Lamb. 

441
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:42,640
Jesus says that I have white 
garments, and I believe this is 

442
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,320
what He is speaking about. 
Revelation 19, verse 7. 

443
00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,640
Let us rejoice and exalt and 
give Him glory. 

444
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,960
Give him the glory. 
For the marriage of the Lamb has

445
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,120
come, and His bride has made 
herself ready. 

446
00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,720
It was granted her to clothe 
herself with fine linen, bright 

447
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,280
and pure. 
For the fine linen is the 

448
00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:05,880
righteous deeds of the Saints. 
We're not talking about here the

449
00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:07,840
righteousness of Christ that He 
close us with. 

450
00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,400
We're talking about the 
clothing, the adornment of our 

451
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,720
good works. 
So what is the Lord saying back 

452
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:18,960
in Revelation 3? 
I have a tailor made ministry 

453
00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:24,040
for you. 
I have good works prepared for 

454
00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,440
you, for you to accomplish in 
every season of your life. 

455
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:32,520
I have opened doors for you to 
come into contact with people 

456
00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,880
that need me. 
You can't see it. 

457
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:38,560
You're lukewarm. 
You don't need anything. 

458
00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,080
You're not desperate to know my 
will. 

459
00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:41,520
You're not desperate to serve 
me. 

460
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,040
You're rich, you're comfortable,
you're satisfied. 

461
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,520
But I'm telling you, I have 
white garments for you to wear. 

462
00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:51,440
Would you wear them? 
Would your identity not be in 

463
00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:57,080
this and this and this and this?
Would it be in how you live for 

464
00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:03,320
me and what you do for me? 
And lastly, he mentions salve to

465
00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:08,320
anoint their eyes. 
Let's finish verse 18 and salve 

466
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,840
to anoint your eyes so that you 
may see. 

467
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,480
Ah, interesting. 
So we go from materials to 

468
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,120
medicine. 
And it seems like this group of 

469
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,680
Christians, this community was 
very much interested in their 

470
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:24,640
health as much as their wealth. 
And one example that Christ 

471
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:29,000
brings up is how the Laodiceans 
apparently prided themselves in 

472
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,320
this ointment for the eyes that 
helped see better and heal 

473
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:40,600
certain issues. 
And Jesus wants to let him know 

474
00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,760
it's so possible to be invested 
in the temporal where you lose 

475
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,720
spiritual vision altogether. 
Nothing wrong with taking care 

476
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,760
of your body, but anything can 
become an idol. 

477
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:58,800
How you look and how you feel 
can be why the reason you live. 

478
00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,800
And so the Lord says, I have 
something for your eyes. 

479
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,840
You come to me and I'll give you
accurate perception. 

480
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,040
I'll give you sharp discernment.
I'll give you profound insight 

481
00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:19,639
to rightly interpret this world 
and to see me, for I really AM. 

482
00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,960
This is moving, and what makes 
it the most moving is the 

483
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,080
beginning of verse 18, because 
this quality of life can only be

484
00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,679
found in one place, more 
specifically, one person. 

485
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:39,320
Look again, I counsel you to buy
from me. 

486
00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,639
You want real gold? 
You want white garments? 

487
00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:49,600
You want to really see you can 
only get it from me. 

488
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,800
You can only find in the person 
of Jesus Christ. 

489
00:34:56,199 --> 00:35:01,080
So come to me, how much is it? 
Well, according to Isaiah, it's 

490
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:05,040
free. 
It's free. 

491
00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,240
The payment has already been 
made in Christ. 

492
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:13,040
At the same time, he calls you 
to reach out and grab it, to 

493
00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,000
believe, to hunger for it, to 
long for it. 

494
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:18,960
Which brings us to our final 
point. 

495
00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:20,680
That's the hope and 
lukewarmness. 

496
00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:26,280
You know, if someone told me but
the way I think and the way I've

497
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:30,160
been acting lately makes them 
sick to their stomach, I would 

498
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,240
think that they would want 
nothing to do with me 

499
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:36,840
afterwards. 
But that's not what we find 

500
00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:38,320
here, because the letter is not 
over yet. 

501
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:45,920
What does he say in verse 19? 
Those whom I love, I reprove in 

502
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:50,280
discipline. 
So Jesus, I'm sure you're 

503
00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,480
convinced, despises 
lukewarmness. 

504
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:56,360
At the same time, he loves the 
lukewarm. 

505
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,240
Isn't that amazing? 
So here you have a church that 

506
00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:04,720
is shrinking. 
Shrinking in their adoration of 

507
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:10,440
Christ and their passion for his
person, his program, His 

508
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:15,680
presence, and Jesus. 
Love never wavered for them. 

509
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:25,520
It's still strong and active. 
He's still very close and he's 

510
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,200
more specific by saying those 
whom I love, I reprove 

511
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,640
indisciplined. 
So he wants to clarify that his 

512
00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:38,080
motive behind these words is not
hatred, it's not self 

513
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:42,240
righteousness necessarily. 
It's not again, legalism. 

514
00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:51,680
It's love, it's love. 
This is hard to imagine that my 

515
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:55,640
love for Him can be limp, 
pathetic really. 

516
00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,480
And he's still not just feels 
love for me, He tells me He 

517
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:07,400
loves me, those whom I love. 
And if that assurance weren't 

518
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,280
enough, then Christ confirms it 
by telling us to. 

519
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,280
Behold verse 20. 
In other words, if you've been 

520
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:17,840
distracted up to this point, 
look at this part. 

521
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,360
Behold, verse 20. 
I stand at the door and knock. 

522
00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,200
If anyone hears my voice and 
opens the door, I will come into

523
00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:30,960
him and eat with Him and He with
me. 

524
00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,520
Now you've probably heard this 
verse quoted more than anything 

525
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:40,120
else in an evangelistic way. 
Jesus Christ is knocking on the 

526
00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:43,680
door of your heart, unbeliever, 
and He's waiting for you to 

527
00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,280
swing it open and invite Him in 
so that He can make His home in 

528
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,680
your heart. 
It's a wonderful picture, but it

529
00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,680
doesn't honor the context. 
Jesus is not knocking on the 

530
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,200
door of an unbeliever. 
He's knocking on the door of a 

531
00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:01,360
church. 
And here's what ran through my 

532
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:02,640
mind. 
Hold on for a second. 

533
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:07,160
Jesus is outside the church, 
this church at least. 

534
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:09,920
How many meetings have you been 
having without Christ? 

535
00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:14,920
He hasn't been in attendance and
that hasn't bothered you. 

536
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:20,080
Mark my words, a church that is 
not hungry, prayerful, mindful, 

537
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,800
longing for the presence and 
power of Christ in their 

538
00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:30,360
gatherings is a lukewarm church.
That's a lukewarm church not 

539
00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,880
filled with a bunch of vile 
people. 

540
00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,840
Just, you know, like a 
respectable sin. 

541
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,040
Just I'm rich, I'm good, 
everything's fine. 

542
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:42,560
Nice. 
Serum was a little better than 

543
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:48,680
last week. 
You know, music was no, no 

544
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:53,960
craving, no sense of need, no 
realization that whatever I've 

545
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:55,520
known there's more than I 
wanted. 

546
00:38:56,720 --> 00:39:04,560
That's a lukewarm church yet 
though. 

547
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:08,120
He's outside the church. 
This is the head of the church 

548
00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:11,440
is outside the church. 
He's waiting outside the church.

549
00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,480
You would think that he would 
have left the moment that they 

550
00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,480
turned away from him. 
Not so. 

551
00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,720
Jesus says, Behold, I stand at 
the door and knock. 

552
00:39:36,180 --> 00:39:40,980
And as much as this is an appeal
to the church, it is also deeply

553
00:39:40,980 --> 00:39:46,020
personal if anyone hears my 
voice. 

554
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,280
So this isn't really about the 
whole church answering, coming 

555
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,160
to a consensus. 
Let's have a members meeting who

556
00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:57,720
votes? 
Having Jesus come back into the 

557
00:39:57,720 --> 00:40:01,200
church? 
How preposterous, how silly. 

558
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,640
Yes, we're talking about the 
seven letters to the seven 

559
00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:12,760
churches here, but this is a 
reminder that a lukewarm church 

560
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:14,720
is lukewarm because of lukewarm 
people. 

561
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,640
And if that church is going to 
be healed of its lukewarmness, 

562
00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,800
it's going to take every single 
person to make a conscious 

563
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:23,800
choice to commune with Christ 
again. 

564
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:32,760
So if anyone don't you love that
anyone, not just the elders, not

565
00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,920
just the deacons, not just those
who really serve any hey, if 

566
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:40,000
anyone's in there and they hear 
my voice implying what that 

567
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,840
anyone can know. close 
fellowship with Christ. 

568
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,360
I'll come in and I will eat with
him and he with me. 

569
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:52,320
We'll, we'll spend some time 
together. 

570
00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,840
What is Christ longing for from 
us? 

571
00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:00,560
Relationship. 
Let's sit and talk for a while. 

572
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,600
Let me hear your voice. 
Look me in the eyes. 

573
00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,960
Put the phone down for a little 
bit. 

574
00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:14,600
I know you're busy running 
around, but do you not hear me? 

575
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:25,640
Knocking. 
The only way a church can be 

576
00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:33,120
delivered from this is when each
make a decision to prioritize 

577
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,520
solitude with the shepherd of 
their souls. 

578
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:41,480
That is the remedy for personal 
revival, by the way. 

579
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,200
That is the cure for 
complacency. 

580
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:51,080
Come to me and buy from me now. 
I was thinking, does this 

581
00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:56,920
message deserve a step by step 
of how we can launch ourselves 

582
00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,880
back into the right state of 
mind and state of heart and 

583
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:04,080
leave lukewarmness behind? 
Let me just give you one step. 

584
00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:11,440
If you are lukewarm today, I 
adjure you, I call you to do 1 

585
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,840
simple thing. 
Go to Christ in your 

586
00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:16,200
lukewarmness and tell him about 
it. 

587
00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,160
Express your heart. 
Lord, I'll be honest, you 

588
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,640
already know it. 
There are more exciting things 

589
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:30,000
to me than you. 
I have no longing. 

590
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,880
I I'm not desperate, I'm just 
and I'm actually I'm fine with 

591
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:36,080
it. 
I I have things in my life going

592
00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:37,680
on. 
It's keeping me busy. 

593
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,400
I don't feel this shallowness or
this hollowness in my heart 

594
00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:44,160
necessarily, but I'm going to 
take out Your Word and realize 

595
00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,400
that no matter what kind of 
satisfaction I am enjoying in 

596
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:51,000
this life, I'm actually wretched
and I'm actually poor and I'm 

597
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,240
actually blind and naked. 
Let me find it in You. 

598
00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:01,560
Let me know it in You. 
Did you know that Jesus saying 

599
00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:06,320
this in verse 20 is yet another 
allusion to the Old Testament in

600
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,840
a book that is rarely referenced
in meetings and even in our 

601
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,680
personal reading, The Song of 
Solomon. 

602
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,200
Let's go to that in chapter 5 of
Song of Solomon. 

603
00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:26,600
The Song of Solomon is a love 
story and it tells the tale of 

604
00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:38,160
Solomon and one of his brides. 
I guess some would say that that

605
00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:43,760
is all that it is. 
It's really a love song, a poem,

606
00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:47,160
and that we can benefit from the
language in it in our own 

607
00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:51,080
relationship with our spouses. 
I am of those who believe that 

608
00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:55,800
there is spiritual application 
relating to Jesus Christ and His

609
00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,040
love for the church. 
Not in everything, not in every 

610
00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:01,920
detail. 
Some people go so extreme, but 

611
00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:06,240
there are clear and obvious 
passages that point to Christ 

612
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:09,720
and us and us in Christ. 
And Revelation 320 is just one 

613
00:44:09,720 --> 00:44:12,680
example. 
Chapter 5 look at verse 2 and 

614
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:17,080
tell me if it sounds familiar. 
The bride, the woman says I 

615
00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:23,600
slept, but my heart was awake. 
A sound, my beloved, is what 

616
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:30,800
knocking open to me, my sister, 
my love, my dove, my perfect 

617
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,360
one. 
For my head is wet with dew, my 

618
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:35,280
locks with the drops of the 
night. 

619
00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:39,240
Do you see the urgency of the 
bridegroom? 

620
00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,920
Who is outside? 
Look at the language that he 

621
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,400
ascribes her. 
My sister, my love, my dove, my 

622
00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:52,560
perfect one. 
This is a rich love. 

623
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:58,000
This is passion. 
This isn't just business, this 

624
00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:03,280
isn't transactional. 
This is adoration on the part of

625
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:06,640
the man. 
And not only that, look at his 

626
00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:08,600
patients. 
He's knocking outside while 

627
00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:11,480
she's inside and notice how long
he's been waiting for. 

628
00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:16,320
My head is wet with dew, my 
locks with the drops of the 

629
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:22,000
night. 
So he he's been outside and the 

630
00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,280
elements are having their way 
with his hair and he's still not

631
00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,280
moving. 
He's still hoping that she will 

632
00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:29,960
answer the door. 
Now what would be the 

633
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,640
appropriate response? 
If you're in love, my beloved is

634
00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,080
outside. 
He's asking for me. 

635
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:39,080
He's summoning me. 
And she would race to that door 

636
00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:41,640
and open it wide and embrace 
him. 

637
00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:44,720
That's what Jesus is asking for 
from us. 

638
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:50,000
But that's not what happens with
the bride in the story. 

639
00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:54,480
Look at verse 3. 
I had put off my garment. 

640
00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:59,080
How could I put it on? 
I bathed my feet. 

641
00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:03,720
How could I soil them? 
You see what she's saying? 

642
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,200
She's in bed. 
She brushed her cheek teeth, she

643
00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,960
put on her pajamas, and now 
there's a surprise visit. 

644
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:19,560
It's inconvenient. 
I'm already busy. 

645
00:46:19,560 --> 00:46:21,360
I'm. 
I'm ready to do my own thing. 

646
00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:29,480
And that's the danger for some 
of us here today after hearing 

647
00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:34,160
this letter to the Laodiceans. 
That's actually the temptation 

648
00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:39,240
every day. 
Lord, you don't see how busy I 

649
00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:44,760
am? 
Do you not see my schedule? 

650
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:49,600
You really asked me to wake up a
little bit earlier to hear your 

651
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:54,760
voice. 
Don't you see that I'm helping 

652
00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:57,200
you here and I'm doing this for 
you there and. 

653
00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:07,320
That's why I go back to that 
one. 

654
00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:09,680
If there's one call to action, 
it's this. 

655
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:15,680
If you find yourself dormant, if
you find yourself callous, if 

656
00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:19,840
you find yourself unfazed, go to
Jesus. 

657
00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:25,760
Don't make excuses. 
Come to Him and let Him heal you

658
00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:27,640
and open your eyes and move in 
you. 

659
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:32,320
I can't tell you how many times 
I in my own life have have said 

660
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:35,400
that to the Lord. 
Lord, help me. 

661
00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:41,080
Help me love you. 
Help me place you above all 

662
00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:44,200
other things. 
Help me feel the most strongly 

663
00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:47,400
about you. 
Let there be no rival in this 

664
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:54,600
life with my devotion to you. 
I'll tell you this, He's 

665
00:47:54,600 --> 00:48:00,800
faithful to help us. 
He can heal you today, but if 

666
00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:03,440
you find yourself like this 
woman, making excuse after 

667
00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:06,840
excuse after excuse, He won't be
able to help you. 

668
00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:12,000
You know what's amazing? 
Jesus is the head of the church.

669
00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,600
If there's anybody who has a 
right to kick the door open and 

670
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:19,160
walk in, it's Jesus. 
He doesn't do that. 

671
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:24,120
He waits for us to respond. 
He does the same thing in Song 

672
00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:27,000
of Solomon. 
He doesn't break the door down. 

673
00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:32,960
That shows me what He really 
wants from us out of our own 

674
00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,520
desire and longing and choice to
respond to Him. 

675
00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:42,200
Oh, would we do that today? 
He says that in verse 21 of 

676
00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:45,680
Revelation 3. 
He who overcomes, we read it. 

677
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:49,560
He'll sit on my throne, right? 
That's the eternal reward there.

678
00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:51,920
But let me just focus on that 
first part. 

679
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:54,360
He who overcomes, You know what?
Jesus wants us to overcome 

680
00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:59,680
lukewarmness, and it tells me 
that it's possible to overcome 

681
00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:03,080
lukewarmness. 
And listen, there isn't just 

682
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:07,240
reward in this life for those 
who live a blaze for Christ. 

683
00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:09,680
There is an eternal reward. 
Can you imagine that? 

684
00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,960
Can you imagine Jesus crowning 
Christians with this 

685
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:17,640
commendation? 
You overcame lukewarmness. 

686
00:49:20,240 --> 00:49:24,880
Here's a reward. 
That's how much this means to 

687
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:28,480
our Jesus this afternoon. 
Now, can we come before him? 

688
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,560
Can we ask that He would remain 
in the midst, never outside, and

689
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:34,960
not just in our meetings, but in
our own hearts. 

690
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:41,000
He will help us. 
We ask you, Lord, that as we've 

691
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:47,640
come to the conclusion of this 
series within a series, we pray 

692
00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:53,080
that if our hearts are lukewarm,
if we are satisfied and 

693
00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:59,880
self-sufficient apart from You 
and are settling there, if we 

694
00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:04,000
are content in our misplaced 
values and affections, if it 

695
00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:07,080
doesn't disturb us anymore, 
Lord, we pray that we would take

696
00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:10,080
heed to the danger, that we 
would be awakened to the 

697
00:50:10,080 --> 00:50:13,840
deception, but we would also see
the hope in our lukewarmness 

698
00:50:15,800 --> 00:50:23,320
renew our delight in You. 
Help us really believe that day 

699
00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:28,080
by day You desire us to 
fellowship with you. 

700
00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:39,840
And so, Lord, from the sincerity
of our innermost being, we ask 

701
00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:43,560
that what we heard would not 
evaporate leaving this place, 

702
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:49,720
but that we would carry it with 
us going home tonight, and that 

703
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:53,400
knocking door would be in our 
ears as we wake up tomorrow 

704
00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:57,200
morning. 
And that, Lord, every day we 

705
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:02,680
would believe at the beginning 
of God's creation, actually 

706
00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:08,120
wants to sit with me and hear me
and give to me. 

707
00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:15,320
We love you, Lord. 
May this church never be 

708
00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:19,600
lukewarm. 
May this church be known for the

709
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:23,920
presence and the power of Jesus 
Christ every time we come 

710
00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:28,440
together. 
Forgive us if at even for a 

711
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:32,680
moment we've been so caught up 
with other things that we've 

712
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:37,920
lost sight of the priority Lord 
from the beginning to the end. 

713
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:42,640
Have preeminence in this place. 
In Jesus name we pray. 

714
00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:44,400
Amen. 
Amen. 

715
00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:48,080
The praise team will come up and
we'll sing to Him. 

716
00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:52,040
If you really were touched today
and you need to spend time 

717
00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:56,320
sitting while we sing to talk to
the Lord, you're free to do 

718
00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:57,920
that. 
If you want to express yourself 

719
00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,880
by standing and singing with the
rest of us, you're welcome to do

720
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:03,320
that as well. 
I know we have plans today, but 

721
00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:06,280
let's give this window of time 
to really engage with the living

722
00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:09,280
Christ because He does see us 
and He does hear us in this 

723
00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:10,760
house. 
God bless you.