The Lukewarm Church - Part 2 - Revelation 3:14-22

Welcome to God. With the economic committed to encouraging you to put God first, while leaving life the window in the Bible. Now, in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Let's join Wayne see Thomas for today's message greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My name is Brian Thomas, and I am sitting across the table from my lovely wife and cohost Anita are you feeling today I'm blessed all right still enjoying the series on the letters to the seven churches Asher and Araiza. We are concluding today our series on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation and we are looking at the final church. The lukewarm church we've already had. Part one.

So today were wrapping up with part two, and that saying out there. You save the best for last, but I will Lord did not save the best for last.

As this is the worst church, by far the worst church of the seven in we saw in part one in which he was given a lot of condemnations. He was really letting the church habit and we had to run our sales. This was an actual charge that existed in Asia minor. During the biblical days the early centuries, and the message. Though still applies to us today and so willing to see what the law has to say to that church and what he has to say to us today as well, so again we're looking at the church at Laodicea.

The lukewarm church. Part two will coming from Revelation chapter 3 verses 18 through 22 and as we look at this church. We find a graphic prophecy of the modern apostate church. This is a church that when we look around society today. There's a lot of apostasy is going on there a lot of things that are not of the Bible and this church year was located again in Asia minor.

A physical relocation. It was located about 40 miles from Ephesus another church to be looked at in the series and again is the church that represents the time. The dispensation from 1982, the tribulation, and again this is a church that we see all around us. So again Jesus Christ was given condemnation to this church. When we look at part one. Now he begins to give us councils.

Let's start by looking at Revelation 3 verse 18. Yes, it rates I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments, that you may be clothed at the shame of your nakedness may not may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. So as we look at that verse one of the things that jumps out at me. When we look at society today. A lot of people are focused on riches but not from a spiritual standpoint, but material.

People are trying to get as much money as they possibly can. People are in the hustle to get a new house, the bigger and better. The house can be. That is what people's focus is but will focus should be on the eternal, and even as I look at a lot of churches today. There is not much talking focus on eternal there is so much focus on your best life here and now in transit to hold on inter-grab was in this life, but the best is yet to come for us as believers in Jesus Christ, that he is, those of us who have accepted him as Lord and Savior and so he is saying here to test him and buy from him gold that is been refined in the fire and that gold is refined by the fire burns off the impurities and so eternal riches can only come through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That is why we are always stressing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

If you've never accepted him because eternal riches is going to outweigh anything that you can get on this side of life. You may have $1 million 2 million billion dollars, but someday that will run out but eternal life is going to continue on and on. We look at first Peter chapter 1 verse seven. It tells us that the trial of your faith, being much more precious then of golden parachute though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ and I just love thinking about the appearing of Christ and what we think about.

I will Lord the righteousness that is required to come into the presence of God can only be obtained through Jesus Christ.

And when we look at Revelation chapter 3 verse five is relook that early in this series we found it white represents the righteousness that we receive through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior yes and then in the part where it says anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see when he spiritual site that comes only from from Jesus Christ not earthly vision and in first Corinthians 2 verse 14, the Bible says, but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are's beer actually discerned and this was what we often think about when I think about often when I look at what is taking place in society today when we look at people that are getting so bent out of shape. They accuse people of racism over everything.

It seems there's just so much conflict in protesting and it just seems to me like people make these assumptions and they're just running on speculations and not the truth, and it makes me think to myself. People just do not see their blinded by the truth because Jesus Christ says he is the truth.

The way in the life and the people don't have Jesus Christ. Therefore, they don't have the Holy Spirit. They're not going to see the truth so therefore they go on deception.

They go by lies. They go by feelings.

They go by emotions, so Jesus Christ is and anoint you out your eyes with eye salve and when I think about I salve you I think about the fact that I have very sensitive eyes that's open a lot of time. I rather take a needle. Give me a shot all day every day rather than mess with my eyes because I can't stand going to the eye doctor and getting eyedrops put in and all of that so but he saying here to anoint your eyes, because even though those eyedrops may not be comfortable, but it gives you vision it allows you to be able to see and even his use as a treatment for people in their unconscious Oakville drop something in their eyes to help them to become conscious again to become alert to become awake and so Jesus Christ is and anoint your eyes with eye salve so that you can see, so that you can see the things that are of him see the things that are of the spirit and we talk about being alert. We need to be eternal. Minded and clothed in righteousness. Think about the future and look forward and in our future and is like. Jesus is telling the church at that time and I have everything you need eternal pure riches.

I will open your spiritual eyes to see things that those of the world cannot see. Don't you want to be in the know and have God guide you and what you see and that's what he saying I have everything for you, but you have to want that you and as you read that it made me think about my grandmother who passed away last year at 98 years old.

She used to say to me how rich she was but grandma was not rich materially, but she would always say I have Jesus Christ and because I have Jesus Christ I have all the riches anything, there's nothing else they can exceed that she was say that all the time and I could tell she knew it is cemented in a heart. It wasn't just something she was saying to be Santa and a lot of us, though, need to get that through because sometimes we see with our mouths but we still look around allows and wheeled say there are things that we want.

We are not content need to be like the apostle Paul said he learned to be content in all things and what you have.

Jesus Christ, you are rich.

That is all that you need, he will supply all your wants and he will supply all your needs as well. Said Jesus goes on the Council and he says in Revelation 3 verse 19 as many as I love I rebuke and chasten.

Therefore be zealous and repent.

Know as parents we don't enjoy rebuking and chastening the children.

I don't enjoy it right because I know that it causes them some emotional way and in no pain when when you chasten them, you can hurt their feelings, but the reason that we do it is because when they are doing something that is not good. Something that if that behavior continues even into adulthood is going to lead to hard times for them in their lives and so we do it out of love. We do it because we want was best for them in the long run and that is what we have to remember we Jesus Christ is the same thing he chases us because he loves us and people sometimes ask the question why would God loving God allow certain things to happen.

Suffering in life but sometimes is because he is chastening us.

He's trying to get us to turn away from our sins.

That is not to say that every time you suffer if you get sick or illness or death is not to say that as always means that you are living in sin and that you're being rebuked. But he could be times in which he is going to allow you to not be comfortable so that you will turn away from your sin, and he said here to repent, repent earnestly and to repent. Sincerely yes and I look at where in the word it says therefore be zealous and repent. And I think about what zealous means. And of course it means showing zeal. When you think about zeal.

I looked up and I found synonyms for the term zeal and I found that it said fiery passion and devoted, committed, dedicated, enthusiastic and eager and so these are things that he wanted the church to be fiery and passionate about about him about living for him in this how we should be. We should be devoted and and passionate and committed and repent.

So those are things that that Jesus expects of us in any makes me think when you say that that some people do have taken this to the extreme or taken this the wrong way you see it in churches where there is entertainment going on and preachers up there and what they call being fiery and there appear home and in their of their hollering and they have this certain cadence and rhythm almost sound like they wrapping her trying to put on a hip-hop song or something and is to get people stirred up right right people excited to get people shaking their heads in and in and you know just all of these the stuff to show that is like a performance. The church is not a performance but we are to be passionate yet we are to go in the church we should go in there with our hearts and our minds on Jesus Christ right we should going there with smiles on our faces.

We should have joy. We should not go in their downtrodden issue is to be a joy and happiness that the world sees and they should know that we have the spirit of Jesus Christ living in us. What is so important that this is one of my pet peeves that people do not go to church to be entertain. I pastors, preachers, we are not there to entertain people. We are there to bring people to Jesus Christ and once people have came to Jesus Christ were there to disciple them to get them to understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

And when you have the Holy Spirit hate the Holy Spirit is going to give you all of that joy and that passion in a natural spiritual way and therefore you will be zealous, you will be enthusiastic right but is being led by the Holy Spirit. And when you're being led by the Holy Spirit and you have that commitment. You are going to be convicted of things that you need to repent and that's why it's important to have Jesus Christ accept him in your heart because then you receive the Holy Spirit and you get Rayfield and Rayfield and Rayfield each and every day as you request that Holy Spirit from him, and that helps you to be zealous and repent. But of course this church like that and so he told them he this is what you need just one more thing on that note is that we definitely are not against people being excited. If you feel the Holy Spirit hits you and knowing that you want to dance if it makes you want to shower, live your own mom cry. Whatever it is that yes you you go by the leading of the Holy Spirit. But will we mean is mean is, you don't go in there already with the preplanned actor you're going to put on that at a certain point in the service you're going to start saying certain things are doing certain things. That is not Holy Spirit hooping been know you don't want to do okay I'm sorry he goes on to counsel in Revelation 3 verse 20 and the Bible says behold I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.

Yet when discussing this verse you know it makes me think it brings a lot of sadness to me. To me this one of the saddest verses in the Bible because Jesus Christ is given us a picture of how he standing outside the door and knocking and he standing outside of this church is lukewarm church at Laodicea and he's wanting to come in, but they're so preoccupied with entertainment and things that are not of him that they are not paying attention. They look out, and they maybe see Jesus and they're not interested in letting him in. And I think about Jesus and what he does for us every day. He's constantly interceding on our behalf as the devil is accusing us falsely is interceding on our behalf. And that's on top of the fact that he died on the cross he gave his life so that we could have eternal life. He was perfect. He had no say in it. He stood in our place and how we should have suffered, he did it for us and he saying I want to call me in, but there are so many that will not open the door let Jesus in. He's given this figuratively knocking at the door but he's knocking at our hearts. He's addressing here the minority that is those who reject false doctrines and as we look at Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 tells us keep your heart with all diligence for out of it. Explain the issues of life. So it is so important I want to encourage you today you Jesus Christ is knocking on your door. Listen to him in open and let him in because when you accept Jesus Christ as Savior. There is nothing else that you have to worry about, there's nothing else that you're in need of you will have eternal life, and all the riches that this world cannot bring don't go away were going to come right back and continue looking at one church you are tuned into God first program you're listening to Brian got more wine God door library. There you will find articles and downloads on various topics such as salvation is just to name a few.

Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store back to the first program. My name is Brian Thomas and I going by my cohost and wife. We are looking at the lukewarm church. The church at Leah. You before the break we were talking about the fact that Jesus Christ is knocking on our doors and he wants us to let him in. Before we continue, I want to share with you if you want to reach us. If you want to hear the other messages in the series.

You can reach us online@god1.org that you will deed the number one ST.org you can also write us at God first Bible Fellowship, PO Box 266, Knightdale, NC 27545 alright so let's look again at Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 Jesus Christ is saying he standing at the door knocking but is he going to force himself on anyone now is so awesome that the Lord seeks us and we are blessed to have him seeking what is important to know that Christ does not force himself upon mankind at all. He's not begging and pleading with you that he wait he paid.

He waits patiently for the invitation to come in so you have a role to play and he has the power if he wanted to force himself on as he could he could just force everybody to believe him. But Jesus wants true love and is not true love. When you force someone to accept you and and you look at human beings and today your romantic relationships and you'll find sometimes where a person cannot accept the fact that someone does not desire them and so they'll force that person will force themselves on them.

Don't threaten them. If you leave me or if you don't accept my invitation. You will bill Bill physically harm the person and that's not real love. No one is going to be fulfilled by that. But Jesus Christ is going to wait patiently and he knocks on our doors and again he speaking figuratively, but he knocks on us on our door. Through his word and their people who will say well I I want to hear from God, but it seems like God never speaks to me will he's given us this Bible's six books in which he is speaking to us. Open it and read it.

Reading from Genesis all the way through Revelation there people who skip the book of Revelation they say is too scary or too hard to understand the word that you are looking for in your life. The answer might be. In Revelation, he speaks to us through his word in the Bible he speaks to us through other people. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit convicting us when we are not living right and then he speaks to us through circumstances of life. Sometimes people will have these near death experiences. And God has given them a chance to get right into come with him to come to him and so he's doing all these things because he desires fellowship with us.

We also should desire fellowship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, and I like how some people call the Bible on the love letters from God's is his and his love letter to us and he's telling us about himself and what he how he feels for us and how he wants to guide us sound like that.

I'm calling it the love letter love letters from God and I love how God always success. As I mentioned earlier, despite ourselves, despite our sinfulness, and when he says if and when it says if anyone hears my voice you have to hear him to know he's there knocking something like sand, rebellion and lawlessness.

All of those things can drown his voice out and you won't hear him and absolutely everyone has a personal responsibility to open the door when Jesus announces himself, but you must have a desire to hear his voice, he seeks you, but you have to seek him to be able to be attentive to his voice.

He's not going to sit down and ointment and that he'll dine with you. He's not going to sit down with someone who doesn't desire his company yes and so as we move on in Revelation 3 verse 21. This is the challenge he's he's making a challenge and he says to him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. This is a great passage when you think about the fact that you will sit with Jesus Christ on the throne. That is something that should get anyone excited buddy you. The only way that can happen is you must be born again Nicodemus went to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ and Nicodemus.

You must be born again is not about having all this Bible knowledge, reading and studying the Bible is good. I study the Bible, we are definitely students of the Bible. We love apologetics with low Bible prophecy but having that without being aboard being born again is going to do you know good, you have to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and be born again and that is how you can be an over comer and by being in overcome her. He promises that you will rule and reign with him in eternity. So he's given us this challenge and is a challenge to faithfulness so that you can sit on the throne, just as he sat on the throne with the father yes and and when he says that we will rule and reign with him and be will be part of his family and calls on us to come to him to be a part of his family, and we do that we can be called sons and daughters of Christ, and that sounds so good to me and it puts joy in my heart. Thank you Jesus and so he goes on to challenge further in Revelation 3 verse 22 and this is a verse we've heard before. As we study the churches. He says he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Yet Jesus concluded every letter with this message, and he saying if you have ears and we have ears and so he say listen to what I'm saying and it reminds me of times in which you and I are sitting watching television and you asked me what did he say or what did she say on the television and all saying I don't know because of the fact that I'm sitting there and I hear the noise but I'm not perceiving it. He says if you have years pay attention to what I'm saying here the words because the time is near, and as our age as this current church age draws to a close.

The apostasy that we see the indifference the deadness we see in churches is just going to run rampant. The Bible tells us that this is the case were not here being judgmental. The Bible tells us that things are being fulfilled, just as Christ said they would. So therefore we should not get disheartened. We should understand it, just as blue 18 verse eight says nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth, so that tells is that it is going to become more and more scarce to find true believers in Jesus Christ, we see it happening and is going to continue until he returns. But we must be faithful, knowing that this is what he said would be the states of things just before his coming yes and when I think about the state of things today with Cove and the unrest and things like that.

You would think that people would've drunk closer to God and I'm praying that people have drawn closer to him. During this time, but I do think that there are many who have also like gotten to be where they have more indifference there is more of a lack of interest, less concern or sympathy in church has become unimportant to people. They've gotten comfortable being in your PJs on Sunday morning to do church online or on the TV or something like that and I do feel like they get discouraged and lose hope and things like that so I do feel like the indifference is increasing and that apostasy where they are abandoning their Christian beliefs and going along with these nonbiblical ideologies and their falling away from God, who should be their first love and there they've gone away from his ways and his instruction will said because I get there since to that there are a lot of people out there that are content with churches being close. Right now there are a lot of people out there that are content with just watching something on television, on vinyl Sunday morning is okay to do that in the sense that if churches are not open. We should have a burning desire in our hearts though to still get together and to worship with our fellow believers and to serve the Lord not only to get together with fellow believers, but also to reach the laws but I feel a lot of people have gotten in different like you said, the apostasy does therein, you know, even if it means just getting together have church in a parking lot. I think we could do that but there are a lot of people that just seem to be content with just staying home so that is going to wrap up the series on the letters to the seven churches. A great series and we're going to get to the action-packed stuff is coming.

A lot of people oftentimes want to skip these early chapters when reading Revelation because we want to start to get into all the judgments and when all the calamities are taken place. But there are so many great things that our Lord had to say to us through these letters to the seven churches. Again, the apostasy is going to continue. The question is are you truly on the Lord side. So before we wrap things up. Then you do you have any final words on today's message I would like to first encourage people that if you are attending a church that has gone to this stage of apostasy falling away. They've gotten on a bandwagon that they should not be on.

I just encourage you to continue to pray and seek the Lord and ask him for guidance on whether you should go in a different direction so that you can find a church that is going to announce some of the nonbiblical things that are going on and being spread today and get you to a Bible teaching church so that you can receive his and his instruction and I just say it's time to repent and ask for verse 12. There is salvation in no one else, but Jesus Christ, there is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. Jesus is the answer for everything that is going on today so I encourage people to be reconciled to God. First Timothy two verse five says, for there is only one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Jesus Christ, and he stands at the doorknob and just make sure you listening to you hear from. If you do, please let a man let him into your heart and get into the word of God that love letter get into that love letter and hear the Lord's message and cling to it and be blessed will say it will said well on that note, we will wrap things up, but I want to leave you with this message that when we look at today the state of churches will look at the lukewarmness will look at the apostasy. There are so many churches out there that will not stand on certain issues, they would not speak their certain doctrines. There are certain passages that you do not hear them take a stand on but we need to be encouraged and don't fall back. Don't be afraid. Don't be fearful because Jesus Christ is with us.

Don't be afraid of what the world is going to say or do. If you take a stand for what the word of God says yes so we want to encourage you out there if you have been lukewarm. We want you to repent and turn away from that sense will that is going to do it for this week, folks, please come back and join us next week. Until then, we want to encourage you to remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem blessed God's great nation of Israel to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen. Amen. You can blame God for Ryan and I first was protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great wealth first