Living Community (Part 3 of 3)

The Bible tells us were to let our light shine before men to live out our faith in a way that draws other people to God today on Truth for Life will find out how it's possible for wealth to actually goal are Sean Alastair Briggs teaching from the book of Revelation from chapter 3 were studying verses one through six, along with verses 14 through 2217 once I got my drivers license and through a few friends in there along with me and offered me the journey through having your always on a Sunday afternoon. The reason being that we wanted to go to; Belfry Weatherly, David Watson was teaching the Bible in the Sunday evening services. What a thrill it was when I realized that David Watson is a young cute. It had been sent to; Belfry because the church was in disrepair. It was physically and disrepair was falling apart. It was spiritually and disrepair. It was a dead place, but by and large, he was sent there by the diocese so they can practice on the dead and the dying and the sleeping because after all the plans for the die by the diocese was shot; Belfry down good. Nice try, not in the plans of Jesus.

Unfortunately, suddenly the people are there. Suddenly, the singing is vibrant. What is happened when they woke up who woke them up. The risen Lord Jesus, I would anyway, taking them in his hands, filling them with his spirit driving them again to their knees showing them the inconsistency of their pilgrimage. I look at this church in Sardis and it chose me. I find myself single breath of life come sweeping through us and revive your church with life and our friends as Renu's and fit your church to meet this the promise you will notice there is so very clear. He who overcomes will like them. Verse five be dressed in white. I'll never raise his name from the book of life, and so let me saying that in my name from the palms of his hands, eternity, Canada race because there they are marked with indelible grace of the gravity of the situation calls for the severity of Christ's assessment and the severity of the Lord Jesus is assessment is an occasion for hope and encouragement, because he is speaking to those of our sakes who have ears to hear, he was an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

I'm so thankful for all this wonderful music and hymnody that we been enjoying and I'm just selling Graham. We probably saying more of his stuff in our church than any other church that I found in America at least, because of the strength of the lyrics as well as a wonderful melody line but I love the vintage where I had another I have another role hymnody that is locked in and in a file in my head, recessing a chorus of said I'm listening in. I'm listening in to what God says about my sin. Listening are so concerned with your listening to me you may have tuned in and out half a dozen times already but he and she, who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches you got to listen to the Lord Jesus. Now it is that Betty called to listen, which ties all the messages together and let me just show you briefly in the CN context that this is in the very heart of the word that is given to them because the most familiar verse. Probably an old book of Revelation falls in that passage there in verse 20 where Jesus says I'm out the door and I knocking anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Most of us are very familiar with that verse and used in an evangelistic context menu may not be as familiar with the framework in which it is found in it will behoove us as we wrap this up this morning just to say to ourselves now, to whom and in what context is Jesus speaking you will notice again.

The pattern of the beginning to the angel and then here are the words of the man who is the man Jesus who is the faithful and true witness. He is the ruler over God's creation.

He reigns, he comes in all of his might and all of his authority and again he gives his assessment in verse 13 he says I know your deeds. I know again it's not a pleasant message. He says I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. They were like a cup of tea and an American restaurant with apologies to my American friends they can make a lot of things, but they can't make so I have given up on tea in America never turn my teeth, black ink in this disgraceful coffee was that many successfully dissenters over the Atlantic Ocean.

I noticed as I watched all the new coffee please coffee please call the police and the minorities haven't soiled their clothes are still drinking tea but you asked for tea comes in a teapot thing. I'm not going to digress on this but anyway I don't need to explain your wealth, your well-traveled group and I don't like this make it back home be the throw me out to, but I'll be okay to.

Anyway, let's move along this context, incidentally, was a financial center was known for his banking. It had all of the accoutrements that would go with wealth. It was famous also for its sheep, and particularly for soft black wool that was woven into expensive garments. The kind of clothes that you remember where Satan together from there to see if they live in a reputable Cashmere to Blackpool. That kind of thing so was the sort of thing that you would want to happen if you could have a label on it as well and you feel even better, said Leo seah that very nice indeed.

And thirdly, it was known for his medical school, and particularly apparently, the Department of ophthalmology that I developed some kind of cell that had been useful in certain forms of eye condition and in this environment, the church is set financially prosperous, skillful in his business practices.

Known for his medical facility, God has placed his people in the heart of that some of the room involved in each of these areas that involve all of the diversity of life and live to see and there Jesus as I want you to showing you in your small corner and I in mind as the song goes, I want you to reflect the light that is me in your life and to the community. Once again, it would appear that they were absorbed by the coach or because the nature of their spiritual condition is is given to us in this little phrase is actually deplorable and when I read around this I discovered things that I never knew before, which is difficult for me. I do that all the time. But in contrast to two Hero's nearby city, which was known for his very warm medicinal springs and Colossae, which had its water supply served by fresh mountain spring later this year's water supply came from a fair distance pass through long along piping system and in particularly in the warmer summer months. The water was at best tepid by the time it came out as one of the features on the land or CN would be like if he is that writing is by an anachronism, aphasia, writing his bony and he stopped for a drink of water you drink the water they go in this water here and glad to see it. It's thanks to the people spending all the time to see it all.

Everywhere you go, spending a Jesus who knows their deeds, says Jesus pictures he spent in community you make me want to spit out over my mouth is not a very impressive assessment, it would be one thing if they were immediately aware of the circumstances, but the fact is that the environment in which their living has climbed from the reality that they're facing.

They got enough of the surrounding culture injected inoculated into them so as to create enough of the disease, to prevent them from taking complete route, but the fact of the matter is that compromise their lost.

Jesus looks on them and says to them, listen, this isn't the way it should be.

Your condition is deplorable and furthermore your self deceived when you speak you say. He says I know the kind of things you say you say I'm rich. I don't need anything right if you don't know your your poor and rich enough. We conducted interviews with people going out of the churches in Laodicea and had a little group of university students there with a clipboard and achieves a issues man just like that little conversation with you before you leave out what were going to disregard scoring on 1 to 10 with 10 being high just like you to rate yourself on a variety of thing matters the people scoring himself way beyond seven, and in many cases, right up to 10 yes were all very good fine faithful insightful folks were well catered for.

We have everything we need to we can help you in any way at all where the ones who are ready to come to your aid, you poor incarcerated persecuted believers need our help. So dreadfully yes, of course, in one sense it's true I would be at all surprised of the vibrancy of the persecuted church is significantly greater than the vibrancy of the average local congregation out of which I have come. I don't know about you but we congratulate ourselves confused by our material circumstances with a heightened sense of our own importance as a result of what we been able to do the things that people say about us and solve our consciences by putting something in an envelope and send it halfway around the world who knows where Christ looks into our churches takes the lid off the churches as I know your D it would be one thing if you are blazing hot I'm actually rather you were freezing cold.

What you want in this dreadful position horrible situation last night in the pending circumstances. I got a sausage roll, I couldn't resist it was long and it was calling to me from the thing when I screwed up and I promised my wife as well as a no no sausage rolls. I won't eat sausage rolls and then my very first role. Every confession is good for the soul, but I said to the lady. Can you make a really hot and she looked at me like, and she did because I'll tell you Luke warm sausage rolls all. I mean really bad not pastry.

It's like in the sausage you don't know.

I like more candy this, you're looking around for some where you folded up your napkin trying to be discreet, but no way.

Give me a really hard or just put on ice. Don't give me one of those lukewarm sausage rolls.

I think Jesus would be perfectly happy with this illustration is any doubt that's right.

Some preacher when I said what are you can use social doesn't matter. It's the same point.

Where are you freezing cold. You need Christ blazing hot. You need Christ.

If you're like the men of the grand old Duke of York matter down. You need Christ, but we need Jesus sang a song back home. Cigars all that I need is you. Jesus is all that I need is you, from early morning till the night all that I need you all that I needed to send it to myself all the time. Think about your church.

You think you're smart what you need to see Christ in all his majesty and always in front think about your church and you say what can we possibly do millions of people in the city. Why don't we look at next we look at the quiet of the worship team or group of people in all your life.

I look at the deacon giving thanks for the bread and his wife choose assurance. What's the deal with that all the world so big and so powerful and so mighty in here we come charging and wondering need to cite Lord Jesus Christ is spent helplessly out of turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face, then the things of earth. They grow strangely dim in the light was glory and grace well read in them a sense of self-sufficiency. They were nice clothes.

They were oblivious to their spiritual nakedness boasted of the Department of ophthalmology and they were spiritually blind Jesus as I know you inside and out and I find little to my liking your stale your stagnant you brag, I'm rich. I've made it.

I need nothing oblivious to the fact that your pitiful. You're like a blind beggar your threadbare and your homeless suspected. No is Christ about to abandon them. No, that's the wonderful thing about grace is. This is an honest assessment you think this you think this you think this the fact is this, this and this we be tended to say, so we all want to get another football I'm sending them take your jerseys in a pile and get out of here. There's nothing I can do with you on the manager of anybody can do that if you're a real redhaired Scotsman just became the manager of the team that meet Darby yesterday afternoon scored those for great goals says okay come on voice.

Another door, I'm not going back to basics traffic passes going to run into space going to move off the ball going to cover for one another going to be team understand that yes, let's call Jesus comes to the church I rag tag and bobtail operation.

If ever there was one. His assessment is not good. The prognosis is poor, but he doesn't say put your jerseys down. I will get another group. He says come here were going to be a team. I'm standing in the door and knocking. And if you hear my voice, and open the door. I'm going to do, I will come in and I leave with you say and if you hear my voice. I'm your past and if you have the passion you can come to my house sometime and you'll be included with a big group of people you can compensate.

I'm going to be the Jesus has no in our house.

I will come into you and I will eat with you. I will sit at your table this morning as I had my breakfast lady came to me and said can I sit here and I said yes and then initiate or not know what is in here. I'm going over there. I said okay so then she went away to another table and I started talking to other people. When I turned back there was no lady. And there was no table. Even my table was gone I was. I was table less.

I don't know what happened but I was was done so, what can I do you know just stand in here we can explain yourself. I was in need of somebody to say, sit here, Jesus says, hey, hear my voice is John 14. Incidentally, if a man loves me will keep my commandments and I too will love him and I no longer the father. I will come and I will show myself to get my haircut the other day and it was a Korean lady and I could hardly stand the words understand what she said but she told me that she met Jesus. And so I because you tell me you know like on 42nd St.

She so I'm coming a taxi or something like that. Missy set I know ICC is face but I hear his voice and then I know I hear his voice. I know I not see as I met him I met him. Their faces lit up.

I said how did you meet told me the story of how she met there no doubt in her mind. He walks with her.

He talks with her. He tells her that she's all promise a seat at the table.

The promise a place on the throne. Hey Saints lift up your eyes.

Jesus is by your gold from me by your clothes from me by your medicine from me.

If you buy the medicine for me that you really see by your clothes for me because you been half naked long enough by your gold from me through the refiner's fire, how do we understand this in light of Isaiah 55 large part of your homework. Take my counsel, he says get on the boil, repent, listen, open the door acknowledge that you need the Lord Jesus Christ and incidentally the meal the word that is you. Is there something wrong which refers to, not a meal that you would get on the fly while you were going to platform seven but a meal across where you would sit for a long time is an expression of companionship and enjoyment in friendship and fellowship and everything else is all tied in Jesus as if you listen to me and hear my voice, and you open the door.

I'll be there so poor old Sardis and Laodicea. Not a particularly happy story. What a wonderful gesture on the part of the risen Christ comes to bless his people, may he come to our hearts. They let us pray God our father we pray that the words of my mouth. The thoughts of our hearts may be acceptable in sight, out of a multitude of words. God grant that we might hear your voice stirs up by way of pure remembrance, we pray, turn our gaze to Christ cleanse us for less users for your glory, for Jesus sake, we ask there is great becoming self-sufficient adapting to the practices of the surrounding community. Listening to Alister Bragg this is Truth for Life. It's easy for any of us to be absorbed into the culture with our Bibles get dusty. That's the reason we teach the Bible every day here on Truth for Life or pattern is to teach verse by verse from the Scriptures knowing that the Bible is without error. It is the authoritative word of God in our prayer is that God will use the teaching of his word to convert unbelievers to draw believers into a closer relationship with Jesus and to strengthen local churches by encouraging pastors to preach the gospel faithfully.

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The Bible teaching of Alister Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life learning is prolific