The 7 Love Letters of Jesus to His Church: What Is Your Spiritual Temperature?

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org what is your rear jewel of the Bible you reverb boiling on your freezing cold miserably warm pastor Greg Murray worn measures the Jewish Bible tells us the Lord just mentioned, Jesus would rather we boil raise simmering tastelessness. One was too hot to hold. The third was just right. Like Goldilocks values to the Christian faith want to be too religious world. They want to be just right.

Problem is today a warm faith makes the Lord's today of a new beginning. Laurie shows us how to heat up our faith or messages to the seven churches. The last this is the church now Philadelphia that's a lot. Revelation 3 verse seven to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things says he that is holy and is true you was the key of David. He who opens and no one shocks and struts and no one opens I know your works.

I've set before you an open door, and no man can shut it for you of a little strength you've kept my word, and you have not denied my name. Some take away Drew's from the church of the last days the church we should all be a part of number one. Jesus is given to us in on precedented open door. The door here is a symbol of opportunity and the key is a symbol of his authority.

There might be an open door in your life right now with a neighbor. There were close close of the gospel close to anything spiritual, and suddenly there open are you just met somebody or an opportunity came up.

Look for open doors there out. Pay attention.

Number two God is given us enough strength to do what he has called us to do. God has given us enough strength to do what he has called us to do.

We read that this church was making a comeback and birthday.

Jesus says you have a little strength, by the way, that's not a negative criticism. It's accommodation that he is giving to this church. The picture here is of a sick person coming back to life that are not in full help.but but they're getting there there there are out of the bed, now they're standing up against their son to move around again this would appear to say at the church of the end times is going to experience revival what is revival, it's returning to original condition. What is original condition at the church of the first century the church that change the world. The church and turn the world upside down. So this last days church of Philadelphia is coming back there making a come back there. Strength is returning a church that is going to open doors of opportunity he gives him a promise.

This shows this is a church of the last days. In verse 10 he promises to keep them. He promises to keep us from the great tribulation.

Verse 10 says Jesus we can keep you from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world to test those that dwell on the year. Overall going to go through trials and tribulation life as followers of Jesus. Jesus even said in this world you will tribulation be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. But there's a difference between personal tribulation and what we call the great tribulation. The great tribulation. Is a global event. But in verse 10 it says I'll keep you from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world to test those that dwell on the earth. This is a global event that will affect everybody. Secondly, it's a specific period of time. Jesus calls it an hour of trial is not 60 minutes. It's seven years in total.

So he says I'll keep you from it is my firm belief that the Lord will call us home to heaven before the tribulation period begins. I believe the church will not go through the tribulation. I don't even think the tribulation period can begin until the church is removed. Now we come to our final church in the book of Revelation. The seven of seven churches we start with an apostolic church and we end up with an apostate church. Some churches make the Lord we other churches make the Lord angry.

This church makes the Lord sick but he loved them anyway. Look at Revelation 3 verse 14 to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write these things saith the amen the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works.

You're neither cold or hot. How I wish you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth W of the King James version. We have Jesus and I will spew you when that's a very nice way of putting I will spew you know you're feeling nauseated and excuse me, I think I have to give spew. I don't know why you have a British accent, but I'm to go spew for this translation says, I will vomit you and that's exactly the work he I will regurgitate you it makes me sick to my stomach. This is a pretty harsh criticism that Jesus is giving of this church and he says I'd rather you be hot. I'd rather you be called, but if you are lukewarm. It turns my stomach. Now stop and think about most things that you eat are generally good hot or cold of for instance copies great hot copies great cold tea is great.

Hot tea is great cold as well.

Milk the same.

I like hot Mildred belittled cocoa and it that really helps her milk is cold. That's very good as well. Same with fish dishes great grilled or boiled or or a poached by and I love it. Sushi style.

I don't know if you like sushi I love sushi myself but but who wants fish that has gone mushy that was once warm and I was cooled down.

Jesus is seen lukewarm. This makes me want to throw up. I hate to throw up. I mean, I don't know who like stupid. I like how afterthought I don't throw. I hated I don't know you.

I think a big thing to me that I dread every moment, but then you finally do it and you get the poison out of your system, but I don't know about you, and I don't want to make Jesus throw so it's lukewarm. Now let me ask you a question. What is your spiritual temperature right now. According to the Bible. You're either boiling hot, you're freezing cold or your miserably lukewarm.

One of those three, and it's actually better.

According to Jesus, to be called than it is to be Luke warm. Let me explain the word cold here means frozen or icy cold. Jesus would rather we either boil or freeze rather than simmering down to a tepid tastelessness. One of the signs of the last days, his people would have cold hearts by Matthew 2412. This sin will be rampant everywhere in the love of venting will grow cold. What does this mean to be called means you you're not a believer you don't have a heart for God you don't want to talk about spiritual things you you're just a non-believer. You say all that's a worse date of all porting to Jesus lukewarm. This is works to see if your cold. If you're not a believer there's still hope that you will come to Christ.

But the problem with the lukewarm person is a know enough to get them into trouble. So there's cold then there's hot the word hot needs to be boiling hot, it comes from the Greek word zest dose will be.

Get our English word zest from the Bible says in Romans 1210 we should be fervent or hot in spirit. Another translation says we should maintain that spiritual glow and so it's good to be on fire for the Lord and sometimes our hearts begin to cool down your great glory will have the second half of his message just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here. You know my uncle Fred Jordan that one of the first Christian TV programs out there. It was called church in the home. I remember watching it as a little boy when I was living with my grandparents we have church in the home for you every weekend is called harvest that you get invited to harvest.org we have worship in a message of God's word. So join us this weekend for Harvest at Home harvest.studying the Lord's message to the seventh of the seven churches of Revelation. Today Pastor Greg is helping us see the value of having a faith it's burning hot for the Lord, those two disciples on the Emmaus Road in the gospel of Luke, who left Jerusalem discouraged after Jesus had been crucified and Jesus of course, join them on their journey they didn't know was Jesus in the open to them. The Scripture all the things concerning himself and is walking along the thinking man this guy really knows the Bible. I'm in the way he describes the stories in the Bible. You would think he was there. You think you wrote it. Getting warm ties but they did know was Jesus that came to the end of their journey, they sat down to have a meal and Jesus acted as though he would leave and they said no stay with us and then he revealed himself and they realize it was Jesus.

And then he disappeared and I love what they said.

After that, they said did not.

Our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us you whenever burning heart. You want to be on fire for the Lord open up God's word but see lukewarm people then hot, following the Lord. They're not cold complete nonbelievers affect their usually the last to know there even lukewarm. Look at verse 17 Jesus is you. Sam read to become wealthy have need of nothing, don't you know your miserable ratchet, poor, blind and naked. If he hears something you maybe lukewarm and not even know it. You maybe lukewarm.

If you're completely bored right now and I'm not implying that everyone who is bored of my sermons is lukewarm but then talking about the things your disinterested yet. If you're on fire you like tell me more.

You're leaving in a few lukewarm he liked Amanda's wrap this up. Aren't you done yet. Who cares about this. I do my little token thing and watch the sermon. I have other things to do.

No, don't be a lukewarm person but listen to what Jesus says. He says as many as I love verse 19 I rebuke and chasten that can be translated as many as I dearly tenderly love and the way that God shows us he loves us, among other things, is to tell us the truth. Hebrews 12 says the Lord disciplines those he loves and he chastens those he accepts as his children if the Lord is chasten you of my chasten. I mean he's convicted you of your sin and by convicting you.

I mean, there's a sense of guilt that I alluded to earlier, I shouldn't be doing this.

That's a reminder that God loves you. You see, he chastens the one he loves. I love how David wrote in Psalm 23 of the Lord your rod and your staff they comfort me. So would you do if you become lukewarm.

What is the answer to come out of lukewarmness. I'll close with this you have to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. See you can be a religious person and have no relationship with God.

You can go to church and not of Christ living inside of you going to a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than pointed to a donut shop makes you a cop but you get what I'm saying. Some people go to church. They do the things outwardly but prices not living inside of them. The look of the words of the Lord.

A very familiar verse. Many of us have committed it to memory. Revelation 320 Jesus says to the church of Laodicea.

Behold, I stand at the door and not if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me know you've heard me quote this verse before, if you've ever seen me speak. I address it to nonbelievers in the essay will was given to the church. Greg, I was given the people in the church and needed to get Jesus in their heart is not ironic. We start with the church at Ephesus that's leaving their first love and went with the church of Laodicea word crisis on the outside trying to get in the sea on the outside of your life trying to get in everybody needs to us Jesus to come into their life. John 112 says for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God, but notice what he wants to do he says and I will dine with them, dine with them. This is a very important Greek word that is speaking of the evening meal are the last meal of the day. Now this is loss on us to live in a fast food culture you live in have drive through restaurants. Back in those days I was in the McDavid's are in and out, falafel or whatever it is, know that the meal was a big deal. The meal was like a form of entertainment, especially the final meal of the day, you would relax and cushions a low table in and you would have a meal and communicate.

You want to have this meal with people you're comfortable with. Nobody wants to go out and have a meal with someone is trying to sell them something or someone that wants to debate about something know you want to spend time eating with people that you're close to people that you can be yourself around people well people that you can steal food from. That's a mark of true friendship when you're sitting down with family or friends and their fries and you don't even ask you think if I needed my wife does this all the time. She takes right wing starts eating it. What are you doing this is my food. Men are very territorial about food dog with the food – ever watch a doggy delegating look around periodically. But as I don't mess with their food, even if it's a friendly dog team I growl at you. That's all manner much out they will say, can I have a bite of what you're reading in. And the thing I meeting, I met the end, I received the one like the one I'm looking forward to. Can I have a bite. There's that final by the Micah care.

She but I get my revenge a desert because what were having dessert. Just something to put it on her for can be talking you know that paying attention then I'm going for the kill finish the dessert it's gone. But anyway, but when you're with family when you're with friends.

You know you share food together. Here's what Jesus is saying is the time together. Let's hang out you and me you open your heart to mean all open mind to you. Let's have a long conversations. Let's spend time together. You want to do that. I mean, what an offer we should be banging on his door and instead he's knocking at ours and he's asking permission, he could say look, I sent the doorknob to be don't open up kick in know he doesn't save Jesus as a gentleman he won't force his way to any person's life.

He says I stand at the door and I knocking up you'll hear my voice and open the door so you have a choice.

You either open the door you leave it close and by not opening it.

You're leaving it close. Let me put it another way, by not saying yes you're saying no is that what you want to say that Jesus Christ right now. Jesus said, you either for me or against me. You were there with me or you're opposed to me. Some of you view think that you realize a crisis been knocking at the door of your life going back to your childhood maybe you heard that not recently for the death of a loved one or you heard the knock again when you got a bad report from a doctor or, again, you heard the knock when you are having marital problems, something the sort of awaking you to your need for Christ he's knocking open the door because of you open the door to him. Now he'll open the door to you then the door to heaven is a you're going to go to heaven because you put your faith in Christ, if you stand up for Christ.

Now he'll stand up for you in heaven. Then if you say yes to him now still say yes to you, then if you say no to him now.

He'll say no to you that you decide where you will spend eternity by what you do with Jesus Christ was knocking at the door of your life would you like them to commit. Would you like to be forgiven of your sins.

Would you like a fresh start by talking to somebody right now who is never asked Jesus to come in to their life or I may be talking to someone who did it is a younger person or read some stage of their life, but you've allowed other things to crowd him out you made these compromises. A near you're in a miserable web of compromise would you like to recommit your life to Christ, you can do it right here right now like the close of the prayer in this prayer I want to give you an opportunity to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life. So listen if you want your sins forgiven. If you want to know that you go to heaven when you die if you want to fill that big hole in your heart if you want to get rid of your guilt is sort of relationship with God, stop what you're doing and pray this prayer with me right now. Again, as I pray you pray in fact you could pray these words in them about the pray out loud after me. This is a simple prayer but if you mean it from your heart.

God will hear you and God will answer. So if you want Jesus in your life right now. You want to recommit your life to him just pray these words after me, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior I turned from that sin.

Now I repent of it that I choose to follow you from this moment forward.

Thank you for hearing this prayer in answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray that Greg Ward prayer for those making a decision for the Lord today and if you just pray that prayer with Pastor Greg and have meant those words sincerely we want to welcome you into the family of God and would like to help you get started living for the Lord would like to send you what we call our new believers gross packet it will answer many of the questions you have and help you build a strong foundation for your face so ask for today. When you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven that's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org, you know, the book of Revelation is a rewarding study of Bible prophecy, and in our current series and in a new book from Pastor Greg wishing the full picture of its authorship. The time in which it was written and the circumstances in which our redemption takes place. The apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. John was one of the apostles that one would Jesus Christ. In fact, in his gospel. He described himself as a disciple that Jesus love. He outlived all the other disciples and they trying to put them to death. According to church mission and a pot of boiling oil. John would not die. So instead, the banished him distant island of Patmos and isolated little island out in the middle of nowhere, and when he was placed on that island.

No one ever thought they would hear from John again. Maybe even John felt abandoned by God.

I don't know but I know this much Jesus Christ came to the apostle John on the island of Patmos and the Lord took John into the future third catapulted him into the next dimension and he saw things that no man had ever seen before. John had a front row seat to the beginning of the tribulation. He tells us about the antichrist. The mark of the beast. The battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ also tells us about the millennial reign of Jesus with the lamb and the lion will lie together and John tells us about the momentous event when heaven and earth all come together again any wrote these words down in a book that is simply called Revelation.

Revelation Jesus Christ Revelation means unveiling this book given to reveal Jesus Christ to Revelation is our home. The next several weeks, you're on a new beginning. We hope you can be with others just as often as possible, but you can dig even deeper into this final book of the Bible by way of a new book.

Pastor Greg is just released tells about this new resource. Pastor Greg yeah I think far too often we think of Revelation we we think it's ominous and horrible and yes there are some very heavy duty events described in this book, but it is a book that reveals Jesus Christ to us. It's a book that is filled with promises. That's what we called it Revelation about the promises. This is a book he would leave out of a coffee table or by your nightstand, a book that is over 400 pages long, but understand it's a very assessable book. The way that I wrote it. I did so in a way that you can understand what the Bible teaches on the end times because I know you have an interest in these things, but up but I want to help you know how it applies to you. There's not a lot of theological verbiage that will confuse you.

Everything isn't down to earth terminology that you will understand and it will show you how all of these great events that are in our future apply to you and D today living I think you're gonna love this new resource from harvest ministries that were simply calling Revelation a book of promises. Yeah, I think you're right and we're making this new book available to thank you for your investment in the work we do here.

Each day is an investment in change lives for eternity. It's an investment in bringing people to Jesus Christ. As will be doing it SoCal harvest on October 3.

So send that investment today to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest God for what I strive. Pastor Greg pulls back the veil on eternity to get a glimpse of the afterlife study in the book of Revelation continues join us here on a new beginning.

Pastor and Bible feature Greg for an early to a new beginning. Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org