1 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:12,120 Today you can go to church, a church, some churches, they 2 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:15,960 don't have the Bible, no Bibles in the pulpits. 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:21,040 But I have songs and they just sing about love and stuff. 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,520 I'd sing about sin, but I won't sing about heaven. 5 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:31,360 And you can have a complete service without God, a 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:40,040 Christless church. Laodicea is the only church to 7 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,120 have its name in the dictionary. You know, you can go home to 8 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,480 your dictionary, look up Laodicea and there it is in the 9 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:49,480 dictionary. And I have a Collins dictionary 10 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:53,680 at home. And it means this in different 11 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,880 in religious matters. In different in religious 12 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,560 matters, there's nothing worse than indifference. 13 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,440 Indifference is what kills a marriage. 14 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,360 Two people get married, the honeymoon is over, and then they 15 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,800 start to live as two single individuals and they become 16 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,120 indifferent to one another. It's terrible. 17 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:25,360 It's like slow death. And so according to Collins 18 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:31,040 English Dictionary, if you called a lukewarm Christian a 19 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,880 Laodicean. And in today's bulletin, I given 20 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:37,800 a greater explanation of what the term lukewarm means. 21 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,240 We'll touch on on it again later. 22 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:46,760 You're not only being biblical, but also using a legitimate 23 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:57,040 dictionary term as well. English Laodicea is the true 24 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:02,560 carnal Church of the last days, the apostate church, the church 25 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:08,240 that is alive today and is gathering and forming even more. 26 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,760 We are, you know, in the past, some of you, anyone here used to 27 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,200 be a Presbyterian in the old days, Presbyterian. 28 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,840 Anyone used to be a Methodist. Yeah, knows. 29 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,200 And and then they then they amalgamated. 30 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,280 We changed and, and, and things changed. 31 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,640 And I remember Presbyterians were very strong in their, in 32 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,760 their teaching, Methodists as well, very biblical in their 33 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,600 teaching. And over time now things have 34 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,160 changed, haven't they? Churches have mellowed, Churches 35 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,840 have adapted. And so it's the time where the 36 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,000 church is adapting. I read the letters to the editor 37 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,880 and I get furious each day I read them and in them is always 38 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,440 people telling the church to get with the times. 39 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,640 Come on, adjust, change the way you're thinking. 40 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:05,480 Come on, move along. You're old fashioned. 41 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,760 What you think and what you believe when you teach, it's 42 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,520 come on, let's, let's get more tolerant and, and, and stuff 43 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,480 like that. Interesting. 44 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:22,840 The city of Laodicea was named after Anticus the second his 45 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:28,040 wife. Her name was Laodice due to its 46 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,480 location, it's in modern day Turkey, back then Asia Minor, 47 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,520 and it's an elevated city very high. 48 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:41,520 The city had no natural water source of its own, so all 49 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,400 drinking water, all water that it needed to survive as a city 50 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:50,160 was sourced via an aqueduct. When we go to Israel, we 51 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,040 actually see one of the great aqueducts, I think of the world, 52 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:59,480 ancient world. When we go to Caesarea, Herod 53 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,800 said I want a beach house. So he actually built his house. 54 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,280 The foundation is the limestone at the beach. 55 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,600 It's a classic being magnificent. 56 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,600 And he said, we're building a house there. 57 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,160 And I said, well, there's no water there. 58 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,079 I'm building my house there. And so they built an aqueduct. 59 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:22,440 I think it's 9 to 12 miles, gravity fed. 60 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,480 They got water delivered to Herod's beach house. 61 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,880 So it's a marvellous, marvellous sight to see. 62 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,200 Well, Landasia needed an aqueduct to get water, so they 63 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,240 got water from both Heropolis, which was 11 KS away. 64 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,480 Heropolis had Hot Springs, mineral which rich water which 65 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,160 they pumped down into the aqueduct and also Colossae. 66 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:55,720 Colossae was 16 kilometres away from Laodicea and that had 67 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,520 called fresh water so that pumped into the same aqueduct. 68 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:05,080 By the time of this mixture of water reached Laodicea, it was 69 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:09,520 lukewarm and it contained a great deal of sediment. 70 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,840 In other words, it was dirty Laodicea. 71 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:14,760 The city was known for three things. 72 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,960 It was a wealthy banking city. Think of Singapore today. 73 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,400 It's just commerce. It really thrived with all the 74 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,840 banks that were banking of the world occurred there and an 75 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:29,920 earthquake struck Laodicea, decimated the city. 76 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,000 Laodicea didn't need a a loan from the Romans or anyone else 77 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,320 at all. Said we just rebuilt that. 78 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,160 We got plenty of money. They just rebuilt. 79 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:43,840 Didn't worry them one iota, they had enough funds to amply 80 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:47,720 rebuild the city again. Secondly, it had a world 81 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:53,880 renowned medical school there that was famous for an exclusive 82 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,600 I self for the treatment of eye vision and and sore eyes 83 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,600 etcetera melodies and it was sold throughout the world. 84 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:12,440 Thirdly, it was a fashionably wealthy city because there they 85 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:17,800 sold the best black wool you could get and to make stuff out 86 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:22,000 of this black wool a man it was it was chic and it was sold 87 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,800 throughout the world. Three big things. 88 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:31,840 This letter that Jesus writes to Laodicea is the most brutal of 89 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,760 all. Let's read it and to the Angel 90 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:40,280 of the Church of the Laodiceans right now Jesus will give us 91 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:42,280 remember that each the structure, the template. 92 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,560 He'll give us the title of himself and that gives us the 93 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:51,960 flavour of the letter. These things says the Amen one, 94 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:57,200 the faithful and true witness. 2 the beginning of the creation of 95 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,800 God. Three, he says I know your 96 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:05,800 works, that you are neither cold nor hot. 97 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:12,320 I could wish you were cold or hot so then because you are 98 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:18,760 lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my 99 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,160 mouth. Amazing. 100 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:28,920 Jesus says you make me sick. This is God, General Jesus and I 101 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,960 walked on the beach and tapped all the kids on the head and 102 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:36,160 lovely Jesus, he said, you, you make me nauseous. 103 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,080 Imagine the pastor reading, OK, we got a letter from John, it's 104 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,400 from Jesus. Anyway, we'll skip that bit. 105 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,480 We'll go on. But there's no bits that they 106 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,560 could skip because there was no good stuff. 107 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:56,080 It goes on and says because, and here's the reason the church 108 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,560 made Jesus nauseous. You say this is their saying. 109 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:08,720 You say I am rich, have become wealthy, have need of nothing. 110 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:14,480 You could throw in there no one and do not know. 111 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:20,360 Jesus says this is what the reality of you we are, that you 112 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:29,320 are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked, ashamed. 113 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:34,400 He should be ashamed. Here's the advice he gives. 114 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,600 I counsel you. Here's what you're to do. 115 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:42,600 Buy from me gold. Now, obviously they're not going 116 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,800 to go. Where's the Bank of Heaven where 117 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,120 we're going to go and buy gold? Who's going to afford gold? 118 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:52,160 So he's not talking about literal gold refined in the fire 119 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:59,480 that you may be rich and white garments. 120 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,960 Now he's not saying go out and buy some clothes. 121 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:03,280 Where? Where does Jesus set up a 122 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,600 where's his store? Does he have a supray somewhere? 123 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:11,040 No, that you may be closed. So he's talking something else, 124 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:17,240 that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. 125 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:23,480 And now anoint your eyes with eyes so that you may see. 126 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:33,760 Let me give you clear sight. As many as I love, I rebuke and 127 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:39,320 chastise or chasten. Therefore he doesn't just say 128 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,760 repent, he says be zealous and repent. 129 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:48,840 So there's an adverb there. Behold, I stand at the door and 130 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:50,840 knock. Where is Jesus? 131 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:58,680 Outside I will come into him and dine with him, to the person and 132 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:01,320 he with me who opens their life to me. 133 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:07,240 To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my 134 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:12,160 throne next to Him, not the Father's throne, as I also 135 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,960 overcame a set down with my Father on his throne. 136 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,480 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the 137 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,880 churches. As I said, this letter is by far 138 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:29,000 the most severe from Jesus of all the seven churches. 139 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:34,600 Jesus doesn't have one word, praise for this church, the 140 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:39,080 Church of the last days. It's an apostate church that has 141 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,320 moved away from the faith in God, and it is filled. 142 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:48,800 This church is filled with unsaved religious people. 143 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:55,440 They go to church. John Stott brilliant commentary 144 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,120 Bible commentators labels this church. 145 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:04,680 This is the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin deep 146 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:10,720 religious religiosity that is so widespread today is the Church 147 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,560 of Laodicea. Jesus title of introduction at 148 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:18,560 the beginning of his letter to Laodicea tells us a great deal 149 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,080 We read out three things. These things says the Amen 150 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,800 faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of 151 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:28,880 God. Three things. 152 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,480 Jesus gives himself three titles. 153 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,360 The first one is the Amen. Now he's not saying this because 154 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,320 he's from the Deep South. The Amen. 155 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,320 This church was full of compromise. 156 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:51,560 So Jesus uses the title for himself as Amen, a name. 157 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:58,880 Now the word or the name or appears, the word appears 72 158 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:04,000 times, Amen in the Word of God in the Old Testament. 159 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,680 It's used by God's people, Israel, to express agreement 160 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,920 with what the Lord states. They would. 161 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,440 You know, someone prophet would say that they go Amen. 162 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,640 So be it. It is the truth. 163 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:20,440 That's what it means literally. In the New Testament, Jesus used 164 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,160 the term Amen to endorse his own words. 165 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:28,320 But there's a little difference because if you study each time 166 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:33,720 Jesus uses the term Amen in his life, you will see he never says 167 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,720 Amen at the end of the statement. 168 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,360 I am Jesus, this is what I do, Amen. 169 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:43,720 He doesn't do that, but always at the beginning of his 170 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:48,400 statement, Jesus will use that as if to say what I'm about to 171 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:52,560 say to you is the absolute truth. 172 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:58,880 So he starts off with Amen. Jesus used Amen as a proper 173 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,000 name. He's stating why does he use 174 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,040 this? That he is the God of truth. 175 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,840 So we're getting truth is going to be a great part of the 176 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:12,920 narrative here. And Isaiah 6516, Isaiah the 177 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,280 prophet says this so that he who blesses himself in the earth 178 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,920 shall bless himself in the God of truth, the Amen. 179 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:27,760 And he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth, 180 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,680 the Amen. Jesus is the Amen here because 181 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:36,760 he is the one who confirmed all of God's promises. 182 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:42,720 In two Corinthians chapter one verse 20, Paul writes this for 183 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,640 all the promises of God and there are tonnes of them for all 184 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:52,480 the promises of God in him in Jesus are yes and you know the 185 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:58,440 next and in him Amen to the glory of God through US. 186 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:03,240 Secondly, Jesus after the giving the title, the name of Amen, he 187 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:07,600 says I am also another name. I am the the faithful and true 188 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,560 witness. You see, the Church of Laodicea 189 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:15,240 was indifferent. There's that terrible word, thou 190 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:20,080 are apathetic. So Jesus calls himself faithful. 191 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,280 He's reliable. He's there when he says he's 192 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,840 turning up, when he says he's going to do something he does. 193 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,160 People who are in different go, well, it didn't matter, but 194 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:31,680 didn't come. That doesn't really matter. 195 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,440 I know I said I was going to come, but no big deal. 196 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:41,080 You know, the church and Laodicea had lost its witness, 197 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,560 had lost its testimony. So Jesus called himself the true 198 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,320 witness. I'm the true witness. 199 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:52,240 What you see in me is what God is really like and what living 200 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,960 for God is really like. In other words, unlike the 201 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,440 church, he says I'm trustworthy, I'm reliable. 202 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,080 In John 14-6, Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the 203 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,120 life. What? 204 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,560 No one comes to the Father except through me. 205 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:13,280 I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life and you can rely 206 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,800 upon me. Jesus is addressing this church 207 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,400 and accurately assessing their spiritual condition. 208 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,720 You see, it doesn't matter what I think about my life and my 209 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,160 walk with God. Doesn't matter what we think 210 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,560 this church is before God. What's important is what does 211 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,520 God think about how I'm walking before him And what does God say 212 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,600 about Calvary Chapel, Secret Harbour? 213 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:44,320 So Jesus says, I'll tell you the truth, I'm going to tell you 214 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,560 what you really like. I'm pulling the, the band aid 215 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,160 off, I'm revealing, I'm, I'm lifting the log off and seeing, 216 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,080 we're seeing all the critters that are underneath. 217 00:15:55,720 --> 00:16:00,080 I'm, I'm pulling back the screen, the facade and I'll 218 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,080 accurately assess your spiritual condition. 219 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,840 Thirdly, he says I am the beginning of the creation of God 220 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,400 and the Jehovah Witnesses will jump into this and say, oh, see, 221 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,440 Jesus is creator. No, he's not. 222 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,280 Because if you read the text and the context and the actual 223 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,240 language, he's not saying that at all. 224 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:26,840 Jesus tells the church at Laodicea it is he who is the 225 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:31,600 source of all creation, not he's a created being. 226 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,800 He's the one that created everything. 227 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,960 The Bible is full of that through the New Testament and 228 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,080 also the very first verse of the Old Testament. 229 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,280 In the beginning God created heaven and earth. 230 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,280 That's Jesus Christ. Jesus tells them. 231 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,920 It's he who is the source of all creation. 232 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,280 Jesus is the creator. Revelation 2213. 233 00:16:53,640 --> 00:17:02,200 Jesus says of himself, I am the alpha and the Omega, the 234 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:07,160 beginning and the end, the first and the last. 235 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,720 He's not a created being. He created everything. 236 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:14,119 John chapter one in the beginning was the Word, the word 237 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:19,079 with with God and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh 238 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,280 through him, through Christ, through his power. 239 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,040 He was the one let there be light and there was light. 240 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,800 Everything was created. Colossians tells us that too. 241 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:36,320 Jesus is not a created being as the Jehovah Witnesses teach 242 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,400 blasphemously. They belittled him. 243 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:44,840 That's disgraceful. Jesus is the beginning of all 244 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:46,520 things. I am the alpha and the Omega, 245 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,920 the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 246 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:52,880 Verse 15 he says, I know your work. 247 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,640 So Jesus always knows what we're doing. 248 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,560 You know, when you go and pray to God, don't, don't say, oh 249 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,120 God, I've been a bit rude with my wife and I haven't been 250 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,040 polite. I haven't said the wrong. 251 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:09,600 No, no, say it like it is because Jesus knows exactly what 252 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,960 you said, what you did, what was the attitude? 253 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:17,000 So don't try and go. Oh God, yeah, I I made a few 254 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,280 slip UPS. No, tell him like it is. 255 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,800 David does in the sons. David pours out his heart. 256 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,120 David says this is this is who I am. 257 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,960 Jesus says, I know your works, that you are neither cold nor 258 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,320 hot. And here's Christ's heart. 259 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:36,800 I could wish you were cold or hot. 260 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:38,440 I wish you were one or the other. 261 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:41,240 That's what Jesus wanted from them. 262 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,600 So then because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. 263 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,800 He says I will vomit you out of my mouth and other other time we 264 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,320 read that some are being vomited out was Jonah. 265 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,000 Remember when Jonah was running away from God. 266 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,240 God said no, you're going to do what I asked want you to do. 267 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,840 And then anyway there'll be great fish lands near where 268 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,120 Jonah's got to go. Next minute the fish goes and 269 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:11,320 out pops Jonah. Jesus gets straight to the heart 270 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,040 of the matter. No praise at all. 271 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:20,160 Jesus says. Either hate me or love me with 272 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:28,240 all your heart, but don't give me your lukewarm attitude, he 273 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,200 says. That makes me sick. 274 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,320 How often did Jesus get into the Pharisees when they were given 275 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,200 off their well? Yeah, but we do this. 276 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:42,760 Woe unto you, Vipers. Woe unto you, you generation of 277 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,120 this. And he'd go on and on and on. 278 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:51,560 In Scripture, there are just three temperatures. 1 is hot. 279 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,120 That is, you are spiritually alive. 280 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:58,800 You are born again, you are filled with the Spirit of God. 281 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:03,920 You are walking with God, and thus your life reveals the 282 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:09,560 fervency of a transform life to Corinthians 517. 283 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:12,840 All things are passed away and behold, all things have become 284 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,440 new. If you're a new person, you're a 285 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,480 new creature in Christ. We need to see Christianity. 286 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,560 We should see it in your life. Read 1 John. 287 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,880 When John gets to the point, the heart of the matter too often we 288 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,440 go, well, you know, I don't have a Christian or not we we should 289 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,760 be able to see Christ in the way that you speak, that you live, 290 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,560 that you think we should be able to see your Christianity. 291 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,920 James says. You can see my faith by my 292 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,560 works. You can see who I am. 293 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,400 We should be able to see the fruit of the spirit. 294 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,280 There are so many people that are, that are around today that 295 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,840 have a label of being a Christian. 296 00:20:53,360 --> 00:21:00,280 But really Jesus said it's pretty simple when you go to a 297 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,840 lemon tree, by the way, a lemon tree, we got a lemon tree grown, 298 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,440 it's full of lemons. When the first one goes yellow, 299 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,640 I'll bring it another six months on it. 300 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,560 Jesus said this, how do I know it's a lemon tree? 301 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,480 For every tree is known by its fruit, you should be able to 302 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,160 tell a Christian what by the fruit. 303 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:30,520 What's the fruit, Galatians? The love is the fruit, and then 304 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,480 the flavour of that fruit is seen in how you live. 305 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,800 We should be able to tell you a Christian, we should be able to 306 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,680 see your love for God. You know, Chuck Smith used to 307 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,360 always say, you know, so many people used to say about 308 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:45,160 speaking in tongues and well, speaking in tongues and the 309 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,040 Pentecostal movement was a sign of that. 310 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,640 You're filled with the Spirit, he says. 311 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,920 That's not the sign that you're being filled with the Spirit. 312 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,960 Being filled with the Spirit is that we can see the love of God 313 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,680 exuded in you. We can see the love of God 314 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,440 demonstrated in how you live, how you speak. 315 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,520 And so for every tree is known by its fruit. 316 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,640 For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather 317 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:12,080 grapes from a Bramble Bush. Secondly, the outs that it's 318 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,200 hot, the second one is cold. What is that? 319 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,080 These are those who reject Jesus Christ. 320 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,640 I don't want Jesus. I'm not interested in Jesus. 321 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,160 They have no interest in God's word. 322 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:25,600 You can talk all you like to me about God. 323 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,400 I'm not interested. I don't bother. 324 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,040 I'm not. I don't want to be a Christian 325 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:32,200 and I don't want to go to church. 326 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:40,920 These people are not hypocrites. They make no pretence about 327 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,400 their position. They're cold, cold to the things 328 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,160 they've got. But then Laodicea had this 329 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,200 lukewarm the third one. They didn't fit into either 330 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:58,440 category. They are not genuinely saved, 331 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,080 yet they do not reject Christ. You can talk to a lukewarm 332 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,680 Christian about Jesus Christ. How many of people have used the 333 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,200 term I'm a lapsed so and so. What does that mean? 334 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,040 Lapsed. Imagine your wife saying to your 335 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,960 husband, I'm a I'm lapsed pregnant. 336 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,240 What does that mean? Are you pregnant or not 337 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:21,640 pregnant? I don't know. 338 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,760 And so the lukewarm attend church. 339 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:32,520 They claim to know the Lord. They're like the Pharisees and 340 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,240 these are the people of Matthew Chapter 7, the most frightening 341 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,880 verse in the Bible to me as a pastor. 342 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:45,760 Matthew Chapter 7, verse 21, Jesus says not everyone who says 343 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,120 to me, Lord, Lord, these are people who call Jesus, Lord 344 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,200 shall enter the Kingdom of heaven. 345 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,840 But he who does the will of my Father in heaven, Jesus says, if 346 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:03,040 you love me, you'll do my will. Many will say to me in that day, 347 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,800 Lord, Lord, have we not? And they do all church stuff. 348 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,880 Now, have we not prophesied in your name? 349 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:15,520 And we not cast out demons in your name and we not done many 350 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:21,400 wonders in your name. Now here Jesus makes the call on 351 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,520 lukewarm people. He says, and I'll say to them 352 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,000 because he's going to say here, I never knew. 353 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:33,360 We have no relationship. You say the Lord, but I'm not 354 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:39,160 your Lord, I'm not your Saviour. You've never repented of your 355 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,160 sin. You never asked me to come into 356 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,360 your life. You never open the door to your 357 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:45,760 heart for me to come in. You are not born again. 358 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,800 And then he says these words depart from me. 359 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,480 You've got nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. 360 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:57,720 You who practise lawlessness, New King James says the old King 361 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:03,640 James says wickedness. Jesus said either hate me or 362 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:08,280 love me with all your heart, but don't give me he says your 363 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:14,240 lukewarm attitude. This church as I said made Jesus 364 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:18,400 nauseous. But worst and saddest of all, 365 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:26,280 and this letter is the people of this church was self deceived of 366 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,200 their spiritual standing before God. 367 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:35,000 There is no greater mistake in life that any person can make 368 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,400 that you expect heaven, but you're not going to go there. 369 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:47,440 It's these people that the Sunday after the rapture, they 370 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,640 will head off to church just as usual. 371 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:56,520 They will drive off and they'll wonder car parks a little less 372 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,680 full today or whatever. Hopefully it's empty. 373 00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:04,560 But are these these are the ones that are going to go? 374 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:07,880 What's going on? What's happened? 375 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,720 A lukewarm, warm person is cosy in their religion. 376 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:20,080 I've got everything I need. Comfortable is unsaved. 377 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:27,160 And the sad part, they don't know it in the old days. 378 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,000 Here we go with another all day story. 379 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:30,880 Yeah, I was so poor. Anyway, I like guys. 380 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,800 How poor we were, I don't remember. 381 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:36,520 And we had stables in our backyard. 382 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,720 And then we had other things and chickens and ducks. 383 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,680 Next door was my uncle. The next door. 384 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,360 And when Christmas was coming, it was always the time. 385 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,440 Well, chickens are going to get ready and you don't go down. 386 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,200 You couldn't go down to the supermarket and buy chicken. 387 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,520 So my 2 uncles who both been to war, both gone to New Guinea. 388 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:57,600 The ones that are we're going to do the job. 389 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:03,240 They were the worst chicken executioners ever. 390 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:09,200 And the the implements that they used you could butter bread with 391 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,600 honestly. So anyway, picture the scene. 392 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,520 All the kids would gather they're doing the chickens and 393 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,720 doing the chickens. So all the kids would grab them 394 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,280 and we would stand there. And anyway, and they get poor 395 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:26,800 old, they grab the chicken or the duck, put a stretch the neck 396 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:32,280 across this is censored. Just hands it and and the next 397 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:37,120 minute, you know, off with the head and then uncles will bolt. 398 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,680 We're all standing over here. And next, you know what happened 399 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:44,120 comes next. The chicken starts the run. 400 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:48,600 And who does the chicken chase? Chases all the kids a headless 401 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,120 chicken. It's terrifying and you laugh at 402 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:54,160 those again. And when it comes to you, it's 403 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,440 terrifying to have this handlers demonic chicken chasing you, you 404 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:03,200 know. Oh man, that was scenes. 405 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:10,440 So a little boy asked Dad why do the chickens run around as they 406 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:11,800 do? And they're headless. 407 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,400 And Dad replied, well, it's because they don't even know 408 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,080 they're dead yet. They're still running around 409 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,840 flapping. So too were the people allowed 410 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,240 to see him. They did not know that they were 411 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,480 spiritually dead. And it's, it's sad, it's 412 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,720 heartbreaking. They had religious activity, 413 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:40,120 they had church programmes and they gave a false appearance, a 414 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:45,440 facade of spiritual life. The problem was they just didn't 415 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,880 care. They are indifferent to the 416 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,200 things of God, as Paul said, we spoke about it the other week. 417 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,560 They were forever learning but never coming to the knowledge of 418 00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:00,360 God. They had not been born again. 419 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,360 And Jesus says you must be born again. 420 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,160 Billy Graham was asked, what do you always say that you must be 421 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,400 born again? Because he says because the 422 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:12,040 Bible says you must be born again. 423 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:13,680 That's why I say it all the time. 424 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,920 Jesus rebuked them for their self assessment. 425 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,640 They were indifferent, they were sterile, they were religious, 426 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,200 but they weren't followers of Christ. 427 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:33,880 In Revelation 317, he Jesus says this because you say and he's, 428 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:36,440 you know, how often would Jesus be with people and they hadn't 429 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,600 asked the question And they Jesus would tell them what's on 430 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:43,240 their mind, what they'd be thinking, you know, and here 431 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:44,840 Jesus does the same for the church. 432 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:52,640 You say this is what you think I'm rich, become wealthy, have 433 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:57,600 need of nothing and you do not know that you are wretched. 434 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:06,800 These are Jesus words, miserable, poor, blind, naked. 435 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,680 When was the time that we read of someone being naked? 436 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,240 Adam and Eve after they'd sinned. 437 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,120 Remember the man in Ghaderi to living in the turns? 438 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:24,920 Gladys Seer was a wealthy city. This wealth gave the members a 439 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,240 false sense of security. Oh man, God's blessing us. 440 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,600 Wealth a blessing. Wealth and blessing doesn't 441 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:39,040 necessarily mean you're in. They imagine their spiritual 442 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:43,240 wealth just mirrored the city's material prosperity. 443 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,960 They were rich in spiritual pride. 444 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,840 Man, we're rich, we're wealthy, we're we don't need anything. 445 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,200 But they are poor in God's sight, in saving grace. 446 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,000 You're wretched, poor, blind and naked. 447 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,720 You're ashamed. Jesus counsels them. 448 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,360 Isaiah 96 tells us these great words. 449 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,880 You know the the verse and part of that says his name will be 450 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,280 called wonderful counsellor, the mighty God. 451 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,960 I want to encourage you today. Many people you know seek 452 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,720 counselling. Never seek counselling until 453 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,160 you've gone to the counsellor first. 454 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,320 Go to God. The Bible tells us in James 455 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:32,880 chapter 1 that if you need wisdom, seek God and he'll give 456 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:33,640 it to you. What? 457 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,720 Sparingly? No, liberally. 458 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,240 What the problem is for you and I today is that we want someone 459 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,760 to just tell us to, well, tell me what do I need to do? 460 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,360 And if they don't say the right, well, I'll go to this person. 461 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,800 You tell me what I need to do. And we go around and we go 462 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,560 around like the headless truck until someone says, aye, this is 463 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,520 what you. Yeah, I like that. 464 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,720 I'll go with that. No, no, no, because we don't 465 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:01,880 know what you need to do. You need to go to God. 466 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:05,760 You know what that means? It means you sit alone and you 467 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:11,000 spend time in prayer, reading God's word and seeking God's 468 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,240 will. That's why people seek 469 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,000 counselling more and more and more today because they've moved 470 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,720 away from the counsellor and they warning instead of going 471 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,560 through the right way, seeking God. 472 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,440 And God says, well, actually, now that you and I are together, 473 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,920 I've got some things I want to talk to you about first before I 474 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,800 even get to this over here, because this is the problem over 475 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:35,760 here. You want wisdom for this over 476 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,640 here, but I'm telling you the problem is over here. 477 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:47,240 I want to encourage you seek God's counsel. 478 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,280 How? Prayer and the word. 479 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:54,160 So when you pray, have your Bible, have a journal, write it 480 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,600 down. When God speaks to you, write it 481 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,640 down. And then the part is this. 482 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,920 After God counsels you is what's the next step? 483 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:05,920 Obey it. When you read it, obey it. 484 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,760 And less and less people will come to another person and go, 485 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,040 what should I do on the matter? What should I do on the matter? 486 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,800 I know the book of Proverbs says, you know, you sit in a 487 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,040 multitude of counsellors as wisdom and that's good. 488 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:26,160 But here's the thing, seek God yourself. 489 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:31,880 God alone knows you, knows your situation here. 490 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:38,440 Jesus, he says, here's what you're to do now. 491 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,240 The Church of Laodicea could have had a conference. 492 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:42,880 Good night, let's have a revival, let's have a 493 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,640 conference. Jesus, that's not what you need. 494 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:53,120 Jesus could have easily, instantly judged and removed 495 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:58,240 this church, but instead notice he graciously offered them 496 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,040 genuine salvation. God, God will never turn you 497 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,960 away. He gives the invitation for true 498 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,840 salvation. Jesus one offered them spiritual 499 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,800 gold 2 offered them spiritual clothes. 500 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:19,080 Three offer them spiritual vision or sight and Isaiah 55 501 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,520 one Isaiah the prophet says, ho everyone who thirsts come to the 502 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:29,440 waters and you who have no money come by and eat is come by wine 503 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,719 and milk without money and without price. 504 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:37,159 Jesus says in verse one purchase gold from me refined by fire. 505 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:40,719 What is that gold free from impurities? 506 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:45,600 It's the priceless wealth of true salvation. 507 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:51,800 The greatest and most costly gift that you and I have the 508 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,560 opportunity to receive is the gift of God's grace, because it 509 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,880 cost the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 510 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,640 Grace is free, but it's not cheap. 511 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:11,880 It's priceless. Ephesians 17 says in whom Christ 512 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:16,680 we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins 513 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:21,360 according to the riches of his grace. 514 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,960 You want to be wealthy? Get born again. 515 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,640 Secondly, he says buy white garments. 516 00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:36,480 The garments are to cover the shame of your nakedness, because 517 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,920 without Christ, when we stand before God and people will do 518 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,960 that at the great white throne judgement, Romans tells us 519 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,720 they'll not utter a word. They'll go, Oh no, no, it told 520 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:49,120 me, oh, I, you know, I, I've got good reason why I didn't 521 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:50,640 receive, but I want to receive Christ now. 522 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,720 No, no, they'll utter not a word. 523 00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:55,680 It says their mouths will be shut because they'll stand 524 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,600 before God in all their nakedness, just like Adam and 525 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,520 Eve were when they were hiding and trying to cover themselves 526 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:04,760 up with fig leaves. How dumb is that? 527 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:18,240 Both Paul and Isaiah tell us about being unclean. 528 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:24,200 You see, the prestigious black wool of Laodicea symbolise The 529 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,680 Dirty, sinful garments that cover the unsaved. 530 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:33,120 Paul and Isaiah both called the clothing of the lost filthy 531 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:37,480 rags. Isaiah said this Isaiah 64 six. 532 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:42,800 But we all like an unclean thing, and all our 533 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,160 righteousnesses are like filthy rags. 534 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,920 The white garments symbolise the righteousness of God. 535 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,280 Where does that come from? Christ? 536 00:36:56,200 --> 00:37:00,040 Remember the possessed man at Ghaderah? 537 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,280 He was naked, cutting himself, living in the cemetery. 538 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,560 What a tragic life, screaming at night, chained. 539 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:11,480 And the disciples come back. And then where do they find him? 540 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:14,240 Sitting. Sitting for the first time. 541 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,520 He's not roaming around. He's actually got peace now 542 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,520 kneeling before God and what else was about him clothed? 543 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:30,280 Did Jesus just look ring up and get AI need a what size are you? 544 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,680 I need an extra large brought out to ghaderi. 545 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:39,520 Can you bring a ring Uber? I wonder did Jesus go? 546 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:46,640 Here you go. I put that on seated clothed and 547 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:51,360 what was the third thing in his right mind? 548 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:58,520 Finally, peace. Isn't that a wonderful picture? 549 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:05,200 Clothed. This is what Jesus offered, the 550 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,160 white garments, the robe of righteousness. 551 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,440 Thirdly, I sell to anoint the eyes. 552 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,920 You see, they thought they had spiritual knowledge, but in fact 553 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,080 the latter sins were spiritually blind. 554 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:24,400 I remember Pastor John Miller telling me about the philosophy 555 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,080 of the world. Philosophy of of the world tells 556 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:32,320 you to go into a dark room with black glasses on with no lights 557 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:42,230 looking for a black cat. Blindness always represents a 558 00:38:42,230 --> 00:38:45,950 lack of understanding and knowledge of spiritual truth 559 00:38:46,590 --> 00:38:49,400 because that's what Jesus says. Blindness is Speaking of the 560 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,800 Pharisees and the religious leaders that came to him. 561 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:55,160 We're arguing with Jesus. Jesus said to them, let them 562 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,760 alone, just leave me go. Let those guys go to the 563 00:38:58,080 --> 00:38:59,960 disciples. Matthew 1514. 564 00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:07,960 They are blind leaders of the blind and if the blind leads the 565 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,240 blind, both will fall into a ditch. 566 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,640 Later on in Matthew 23, verse 16, Jesus said woe to you. 567 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:18,160 Blind guides, your religious leaders. 568 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:19,320 You don't know where you're going. 569 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,600 All unsaved people need Jesus Christ to open their eyes. 570 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,760 Didn't that happen to you? I did to me when I got saved, 571 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,320 man, I saw myself for the first time. 572 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:32,960 Wasn't a good picture. Romans chapter 3. 573 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:36,280 This is who you really are. This is what you're capable of. 574 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:37,760 You're a Sinner. Wow. 575 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:41,160 Yeah, that's me. And I began to see the world as 576 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,600 it really is. Remember Paul Saul, He's on the 577 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:48,040 road to Damascus. Powerful light knocks him down 578 00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:50,720 and he's what? Blinded for a couple of days 579 00:39:50,720 --> 00:39:54,480 until Ananias goes to see him, prays for him, and it says 580 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:58,960 scales fell off his eyes. Finally Paul could see. 581 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:04,080 Now Saul becoming Paul, could see what things were really 582 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:07,960 like, where he had been, how he had lived, and how he'd been so 583 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:15,920 wrong, Colossus chapter 1 says. Verse 12 giving thanks to the 584 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:20,200 Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance 585 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:24,880 of the Saints in the light. He has delivered us from the 586 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:28,840 power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of his dear 587 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,840 Son. He's taken you out of The Cave. 588 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,080 You and I, when we're without Christ, we lived. 589 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:36,880 We we thought we could see what we're doing. 590 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:38,600 You know what? We were blind. 591 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:40,400 We didn't know where we're going. 592 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,440 We're banging our heads into everything, bumping into things, 593 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,120 falling into things, hurting ourselves, you know, just just 594 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:50,320 with, with now. And now we have been placed in 595 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,960 the Kingdom of the light, the Kingdom of the Son of the 596 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,600 Beloved. And now we can see where we're 597 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,640 going. We can see the world. 598 00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,000 I can see myself. I can see my life. 599 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,320 I can see other people what they need. 600 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:05,560 I can see the glory and the wonder of God as well. 601 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:13,120 Now Jesus says this verse 19. Therefore be zealous and repent. 602 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:17,880 He doesn't just say repent. How can 1 be zealous and 603 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,400 repentance? I think that's this is missing 604 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,000 today. Mourn over your sin, people. 605 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,440 Too many people come. I want to receive Christ. 606 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,680 Do you really do you really want to see receive Christ? 607 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:30,080 You know what it means to become a Christian? 608 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:34,040 Yeah, I think I will, but doesn't mean I have to do this. 609 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,040 Can I? Do I have to give that up or 610 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,600 what? Hang on a minute, you see, to 611 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,800 come to Christ. You mourn over your sin. 612 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:47,200 You realise that you're a lost, wicked Sinner and you repent, 613 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,720 that you don't deserve salvation and that God's grace and 614 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:53,440 forgiveness is a gift that you don't deserve. 615 00:41:54,240 --> 00:42:01,560 That's why we remember Jesus. Mourn over your sin Matthew 54 616 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:04,760 Sermon on the Mount Blessed, oh how happy. 617 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:09,360 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted when you 618 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,480 realise how great a Sinner you are and you come to God. 619 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:14,960 You know what God does. He says I'm going to change all 620 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,560 that. I'm going to remove all that. 621 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:21,120 I'm going to make you now a child of the of the Kingdom of 622 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,240 God. You'll be able to call me ABBA 623 00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:27,280 Father. Secondly, hunger and thirst 624 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,560 after God, people come to go. Do I have to be in church? 625 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:34,200 And how long has he gone for? You know what's going on? 626 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,640 No, the Bible says seek him with all your heart. 627 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:42,040 You see, that's the real church. That's the church that is, is in 628 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:44,520 love with God. You know, Oh, are we going to 629 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:46,400 worship? How many songs are we doing? 630 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:48,560 Do we have to read the Bible? Do we have to pray? 631 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,760 No, you don't. And you know what? 632 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:57,720 You don't have to go to heaven. You got a choice, you see. 633 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:02,800 Where's the passion? You see a couple get married and 634 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,520 they're in love with one another, aren't they? 635 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:07,640 You're going to maintain the passion. 636 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:11,280 They are passionate about each other, but you need to maintain 637 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:12,600 that passion. How do you do that? 638 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,200 Through prayer, fellowship and the Word of God. 639 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:19,080 I continue to hunger after God. Now I continue to seek Him. 640 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,000 I'm passionate about God. I love coming to church. 641 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:24,320 I love reading the Bible. He said, well, Keith, you're 642 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:28,480 mad. Now I'm saved, I'm no longer the 643 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,400 idiot I used to be. Verse 20 Behold, I stand at the 644 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,000 door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and 645 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:38,440 opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he 646 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:41,400 with me. To him who overcomes, I will 647 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:45,360 grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and 648 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,920 sat down with my father on his throne. 649 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,920 He was an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit 650 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:55,320 says to the churches. The Church of Philadelphia, 651 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:57,400 remember, was the church with the open door. 652 00:43:58,160 --> 00:43:59,680 God open it. No man could shut it. 653 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,360 Laodicea was the Church of the closed door. 654 00:44:03,720 --> 00:44:09,600 You know who was close to God? God wasn't needed, you know, 655 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:12,800 with the other six churches. Jesus spoke and you'll see in 656 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:17,040 each of the letters he spoke to the church that is in like 657 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:22,400 Smyrna, that is in Philadelphia. But notice in verse 14 here 658 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:25,080 Jesus addressed the congregation, the Church of 659 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:32,280 Latticea as the Church of the Lattice sins different because 660 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:35,960 the people ran the church didn't need God. 661 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:39,960 It was a Christless church. This is why we find Jesus 662 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:43,480 outside the church, knocking to let him back in. 663 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:46,600 It was not his church, it was theirs. 664 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:49,160 That's why you don't have a democracy or what? 665 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:51,120 OK, everybody, you know, what are we going to do? 666 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,080 What are we going to? No, it's a theocracy. 667 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:57,480 God is the head of the church. He runs the church, not men, not 668 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:02,920 boards. Jesus stands outside the church 669 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:04,760 that does not need him or know him. 670 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:08,440 They live religiously happy without him. 671 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,600 We're rich, we're wealthy. We have needed nothing. 672 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:14,360 You know what? We don't even need God. 673 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:18,200 We got it down. God, Holy Spirit, don't need 674 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:19,240 you. Sit over there. 675 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:24,200 We've got this place rocking. He is outside the apostate 676 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:27,280 church now. He makes a personal invitation. 677 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,240 Why? Because salvation is always 678 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:32,920 personal and it's always individual. 679 00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:35,560 You can be here with your mum, your dad, your brother, your 680 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:36,840 sister, your husband and your wife. 681 00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:41,440 But salvation is what you are to do as an individual. 682 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:46,320 No one else can do it for you. It's between you, you alone and 683 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:49,080 God. If you receive Christ into your 684 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:51,520 life, you will become an overcomer. 685 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:55,480 Bible says that to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit 686 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:59,320 with me on my throne. You'll enjoy intimate, close, 687 00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:01,920 personal fellowship with the holy God. 688 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:06,520 You'll walk with him, you'll be the friend of God, you'll talk 689 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:11,120 with him prayer, He'll speak back to you through your word 690 00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:15,280 each day and heaven will be yours, guaranteed. 691 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:17,640 What God has started, he will finish. 692 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,200 He's the author and finisher of our faith. 693 00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:25,840 One Corinthians 63, Paul says, do you not know that we'll judge 694 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:28,760 angels? We'll reign with Christ during 695 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:32,480 the thousand year Millennium. We'll reign with Jesus Christ. 696 00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:35,080 We'll judge angels. That'd be interesting, won't it? 697 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:40,640 I lower your wings. Come on, put those wings over 698 00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:42,560 here. Sorry, I shouldn't joke like 699 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:45,880 that. We will have a sense of humour 700 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:50,080 in heaven far better than mine. There are times when we hear 701 00:46:50,080 --> 00:46:54,680 God's word and it speaks strongly to us, doesn't it? 702 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaks to our hearts. Maybe today you're thinking, 703 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,240 light us here, man. Why are we getting hammered with 704 00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:02,680 this? We sense we know that God is 705 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:05,520 speaking directly to us at different times, don't we? 706 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:10,800 Amazingly, as many as I love, Jesus says in verse 19. 707 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:17,040 Notice this, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 708 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:25,840 And here's the connection. If you sense God has chastened 709 00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:32,920 you, spoken strongly to you this morning, if you sense his hand 710 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:38,240 has perhaps been heavy upon your soul, as did King David when he 711 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:42,520 wrote Psalm 51, the bones that you have broken may rejoice 712 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:44,280 because David speaks as a shepherd. 713 00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:47,080 What they would do with sheep that would run away over and 714 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:48,880 over. They would snap a bone on their 715 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:52,240 leg to stop them running away. So well, that's cruel. 716 00:47:52,240 --> 00:47:55,920 No, because then the shepherd would carry that sheep. 717 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,360 He would bind the leg up bracelet so it would repair and 718 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:01,600 the shepherd would carry the sheep with him. 719 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:05,000 He would learn to not run away. He would learn the love and 720 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:09,160 closeness of the shepherd. David had that. 721 00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:15,680 If that's you this morning, then like David, what should your 722 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:20,080 reaction be? He says be thankful, not 723 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:21,880 disheartened. Oh, that's a bit hard. 724 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:24,040 No, no, you're taking it the wrong way. 725 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:32,960 It is God's love that you're experiencing, His love being 726 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,800 revealed to you. As many as I love, I rebuke and 727 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:40,120 chasten. I want God to rebuke and chasten 728 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:44,600 me forever in my life because it shows me His love for me. 729 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:48,760 I want to be corrected over and over and over by God, and I need 730 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:51,920 to be. This morning. 731 00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:57,520 God is knocking at the door of your life, but He'll only enter 732 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:03,040 if you open it to Him. The Almighty God desires to eat 733 00:49:03,040 --> 00:49:05,880 with you. Each and every one of us 734 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:10,920 receives rebukes and chastening if we loved by God, because God 735 00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:13,040 loves you. And He'll do whatever is 736 00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:16,520 necessary to save you, to get you back on track with Him. 737 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:21,480 In eating in the Middle East, when you eat and you're asked to 738 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:25,680 eat with a family, it's considered a sacred activity. 739 00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:30,520 When you eat together, you share the meal together, the same 740 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:33,000 food. And so the food that you eat 741 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:37,160 together becomes part of each of you, gathered at the meal, 742 00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:42,080 nourished both of you, all of you, by the same cuisine. 743 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:45,960 And so you become one because you're eating of the same meal. 744 00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:49,400 You're being linked together in essence. 745 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:54,360 So too Jesus is saying I want you to enjoy intimate 746 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:56,960 fellowship. How many of you have intimate 747 00:49:57,200 --> 00:50:03,040 fellowship with God because He invites you to, He longs to, and 748 00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:07,720 He will share His secrets with you so that you can be 1.