The Lukewarm Church - Part 1 - Revelation 3:14-22

Welcome to God first, with wavy, when committing to encouraging you to put God first, while viewing life the window in the Bible.

Now, in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob left doing fine. See Thomas for today's message will greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My name is Brian Thomas, and I am so delighted that you are joining us today on the golfers program so I am joined by my lovely wife who doubles as cohosts and we are here today to continue our series in the book of Revelation and I just want to ask you to start out. Have you gone crazy or have you lost your mind yet, lost, you feel okay because you know there's a saying out there and read the book of Revelation that you go crazy you will you will lose your mind. A lot of people that say that but your good is that you're enjoying the series is all right and in one of these XO people is hot water and how would a loving God who sacrifices life.

He came out of a perfect heaven suffered and died for us while we didn't turn around and give us a book that is going to drive us crazy.

That is just one of the insane deceptions that we hear out there that the devil has caused people to believe so I just want to make sure that you are okay that you haven't gone crazy. Haven't lost your mind. So as we continue we are coming up on the last church of the seven churches. You know there's a saying out there that you saved the best for last, like you think about some of the foods that you eat, you have a meal may be listed as McDonald's like our son. And he has a cheeseburger and fries. He loves it all, but you eat the burger first. He saves the fries for last.

A lot of people do that so they have that that last good taste in her mouth.

But Jesus when it came to the these seven churches. He totally dismissed that principle because he did not save the best for last modified he save the worst for last, by far the worst and we are talking about the church at Laodicea so we looking at a Mrs. title Luke warm church. The lukewarm church again. The church at Leah to see you so that is open in prayer. Heavenly father, we thank you Lord Jesus for this opportunity to look at this letter that you had to the lukewarm church. The church at Laodicea. We are so that you open our hearts and minds to receive your word. We pray that all things are spoken there to be nothing but sound doctrine, and may you be honored and glorified in all things in the name of Jesus. Amen, amen.

Alright, so let's take a waiting list. Give us a little background about this church at Laodicea okay so we find here a graphic prophecy of the modern apostate church. And it was located about 40 miles an emphasis and it was a thriving center for commerce and industry, so they were doing very well and they had a lot of prominent Greek culture and a lot of learning a lot of knowledge seeking in the city and based on present-day ruins. This church was believed to have been wealthy, extremely rich, so it was an extremely rich and wealthy church and it was is in the mind of yet.

We talk about lukewarm but it also puts us in the mind of apostate that were there's another way you could talk about or describe the lukewarm church as the apostate church. And as we look at the different periods of dispensation we finally district represents the period known as the people, church, or the period from 1900 A.D. to the tribulation. An interesting thing is that when we look at the first three church ages, we find that they had different than the last four in that the women look at the first three each of the former stop at the next church. So Ephesus was replaced by Smyrna. Smyrna was replaced by per the most and parka most replaced by thought-out or taught by Tyra when you look at this church year we would come to these last four we find that diet Tyra church, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea are all present today there, like all running together and as we look at this church. Beginning again around 1900 A.D., we are in this church agent is just increasing at an intense pace. This apostate church is what we see all around us and it is very rapid so that's his goal today is about really repentant and indifferent repent of indifference and so the first part of this letter, there's a charge to the angel of the church at Laodicea and that's in Revelation 3 verse 14 and the Bible reads into the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write these things says the amen defiant, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, yet so we see the word amen. That is a Hebrew word that means true. We know that we say that the in the prayers because it conveys finality.

And so, Jesus Christ. He is the final truth and we look at the book of Revelation, and that's why it is there. The end is finality and it is God's revelation to mankind of the person of Jesus Christ and that is why again I asked people to question if you are a level of Christ in you are following him.

Why would you not want to know the final book that tells about his victory because that's what it's all about. And so Jesus is the truth.

The faithful witness of truth, and he knows the end from the beginning is not also in cell in John three verse 34 it reads his word. It tells us that his Word is absolute authority because one he is God, to God gives the spirit without limit. He is limitless yeah and and also in some translations when we look at where it says beginning or when this is ruler. Read the beginning is ruler in some translations so Jesus Christ is the creator and that is what some people don't seem to understand a lot of people think of Christ in that he only came into existence when he was born in a manger and he came to earth, but Jesus Christ has always existed.

Jesus Christ is God the son.

These part of the God hear God in three persons, God the father, God the son God the Holy Spirit and Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 through 17. It tells us. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things consist. So we see the Jesus Christ.

He created this beautiful earth that we are living in. He created all things and there people out there that when it comes to the topic of abortion and you hear a lot of women say with this is my body.

I have the right to do what I want to do with it but I the Lord says no he is not your own body. We belong to him and we must abide in followed by his rules. If we don't they're going to be consequences. So we look at a crises the beginning beginning of creation is the faithful witness of everything that emanate from God. He is the final authority which of course is going to be climax at his second coming.

I and I really love how this starts. This whole letter starts out with Jesus is Knowing who he is and I think that's really important that the first thing you do is acknowledge his Lordship acknowledge his power, his authority, his Majesty. He is the truth. He is the only truth and so I think it's important to acknowledge that first knowingly as you don't know really is, how can you respect who he is and his his authority in his Lordship is out now we move on to the condemnation and in Revelation 3 verse 15 it reads I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot, yet sadly the church at Laodicea was so bad that of all the seven churches. It holds the distinction is the only church of the seven that did not receive a single commendation from Christ. Yet nothing good to say about this church at all, and the church was seeking the lukewarm meaning it was just in different it was a church that did not want to take a stand. They were just there to go to church go through the motions and unfortunately we see that today in which people don't seem to have a strong desire year as we are in this covert, 19 pandemic and a lot of churches have closed and I don't disagree with the church is closing early on to we try to figure out what was happening but there are churches that have made no effort to have any type of of service at all. Nothing virtually and even when it comes to driving churches. You could do things outside and there churches that have me absolutely no effort, and in the people seem fine with that.

They seem happy.

They seemed totally content and again I'm all for the virtual services watching online, but I do. I do think were at a point now where people should at least be doing outdoor service, to say the least. But again, I see churches that are making no effort and I think about. I was reading just a couple weeks ago about Christians in India and there was a case in which a husband was dragged out into the streets. He and his wife, and they were brutally beaten and husband was actually keel because of the fact that they follow Jesus Christ and would not follow the Hindu gods and so the villagers would make an example out of them, but the others who were believers in Christ. It was still in the village they steal would be in gather in in secret is much as possible, but they knew it was a risk that if they were found out they would also likely face death face beating and it makes me think when I when I say that because here in our nation we have people that will say simply because of overall virus that we can even get together in the in a parking lot to have church that will even make that effort.

It makes me think about believers in places like India and China, where people are losing their lives because of their faith in Jesus Christ what they must think about these churches today that are making no effort that is why second Timothy 356 have any form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away.

There are so many that are being deceived today because the churches that are are going through these motions they they don't have the power, the gospel of Jesus Christ I and it makes me think about how some churches here in America may be other places they're trying to be woke and started in his social gospel, and so there supporting these worldly ideologies that have no basis in the word of God and so they're trying to appease both sides of the world and the godly people and that, makes them lukewarm right because there, straddling the fence as they say they won't take a firm stand on anything that wishy-washy Christians innocence, but there still desiring God's approval in his covering, and so this actually causes some kind of like a confusion or even division in the church when you have the pastor taking worldly things and rolling them in China mission with the, the word of God or the godly things and you have people who ascend know this. That's not right. We should not do that and then you have some that I will go down, you know. In all, it is social gospel, social justice stuff and I think that that causes a division in the church a causes a divine and in the in limited state is that we don't embrace all this stuff is going on with his BLM movement and everything but we are woke right in this in the sense that were not in the dark were not asleep, we have the Holy Spirit is guiding those so this whole woke stuff you know it. It is something that is not of God. We should stay away from them and only woke you need is being a light if you're like being wide-eyed and spiritual spiritual eyes open.

Next, accountable we are. So we're going to take a short break, but don't go away when we come back we are going to conclude looking at part one of the church at Laodicea. The lukewarm church don't go away you are tuned into the God first program you're listening to Brian.more crying as God not all around the library. There you will find articles available as downloads on various topics such as salvation and lesson is just to name a few. Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store. God back to the God first program. My name is Brian Thomas and we today are looking at the apostate church also known as the loop church. The church at Laodicea Celestica where we left off with verse 16 in which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is continuing with the condemnation to the stringently of this you yes in Revelation 3 verse 16. The Bible says so then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. You know, there are certain foods when you think about that. They are good cold or hot and some the ones that come to mind is shrimp you have shrimp cocktail, which you can eat that cool. I don't prefer I prefer hot you. You know me from our years of marriage I like majority my food I like it hot hot-hot I want it right out of the oven right out of the microwave and I wanted to cool off it all and also think about when you think about milk in the sense that no hot chocolate you have it hot, but then if you have milk can be cold and that's good but but foods that most food are not good lukewarm. You know it, it just doesn't taste right, and what I think about light water. Lukewarm water is not good to me.

Is it almost like it. It chokes me like I can't swallow it. And so Jesus is saying that you need to be the hot or cold you know you don't want anything lukewarm but what about a bowl of ice cream that's lukewarm is not going to be good and so Jesus Christ is saying here that there are those who claim to be of him churches that he is, but they're not really of him because they are neither cold nor hot. They're just there. He said that he will spit these churches from his mouth.

He will vomit. These churches from his novels very strong words very strong words and I think it's meant to let us know just how disgusted he is with wishy-washy Christians and I know that Jesus has a certain purpose for the church and so he has no use for church that is not fulfilling its proper purpose. He wants our full allegiance to him and he wants us like how you like your food strata microwave I'm not he was boiling hot for him and so we as a church you know we have to make sure that you know you you seek your purpose, you manage your gifts whale and serve wholeheartedly in your church and and that starts at the top leadership on down and as an individual. He wants the same as whale for you to manage your gifts be about your father's business and and work, as unto the Lord in everything that you do and so of course there's more condemnation. Unfortunately, Revelation 3 verse 17 and the Bible says because you say I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Say Jesus is really giving it to this church already. He's calling them out and log people today would say if you say things like that that you are not being loving you're not being kind. But of course we know Jesus is all love. He's he's all compassion is all good news but he's truth is righty speaking the truth and I let me say this before we go further that we don't consider ourselves to be the church police we are not here to go around calling out churches that are doing wrong. We all have flaws.

We as human beings will follow soon as we all make mistakes. We all have shortcomings were all to be striving to improve on those things, but which is simply telling what Jesus has already said he's calling out these churches in which you share with you all what Jesus already said so we don't want to paint the picture that we are the church police if you like we have a calling to go around and point out the fault in all churches but there are just a lot of people in churches that have deceived themselves and in a lot of churches now are like you know just sitting on all of this money and all this wealth and they think that they have all these great things because they look around and say look at this great church that we built look at what we've done, but material wealth is not equal spiritual will and you can just look at celebrities and in Hollywood and look at how many of them have saying they have fortune but how their lives in tragically through suicides and through drug overdoses because those things are not wonderful for you. Only Jesus Christ can fulfill what it is that we all long for an so as we as we look at this church.

They don't realize the poverty stricken spiritual state and only God only the spirit of God can transform us and is so important when we look at churches that we don't get caught up in how beautiful church looks and how their wealth and in all of these things, but is so important that we look at the words to see this church glorify man or is it glorifying God. There are so many churches that today that they don't want to offend anyone.

They don't want to speak out against abortion. They don't want to stand for God. They don't want to speak up against this anti-Christian Marxist movement, black lives matter, they don't want to speak out against anything because they won't suit to be in the in crowd. They want everybody to know he does the good church over there that loves everybody you know Barack Obama heat. He stated he recently stated throughout his presidency. Love wins and so you know they seem to think like will if you love you elliptically do what they want to do and that's not what love truly is because people doing what they want to do will send them to eternal damnation. Love tells people to stop living that way because is going to lead to your destruction and and is a good time to remind ourselves what Matthew chapter 7 verses 22 through 23 says, many will say to me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Yet these are people that are in the church that are there serving singing in the choir, deacon board, even in the prayer book is preaching and Jesus want to say depart. I never knew you. Yes because all deception is evil but self-deception is probably the worst. And when we look back in this verse it says it because he calls the people of Laodicea, wretched, miserable, and so you know this is like if you going out looking for lessons on positive thinking books on peace and prosperity, and money.

We still leave you know it will still leave a man wretched that if they don't have Jesus Christ right so without Jesus none of that none of those things matter, and then when he says poor Fortin marks Mark eight verse verse 36 it says for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul and then he calls him blind.

So like some people you know they can be sophisticated you know they were wealthy and Laodicea and they sought a lot of not a lot of knowledge. And so they were educated probably, but they were unable to see without her knowledge.

They were unable to see the ways of God so and he also says that they were naked and so they were not clothed with the righteousness of Christ. They may have had on the in the nicest soups I know that in Wessex in the nicest tuning, whatever that he wore back then a nice sand. The nice sandals and everything by him even like it would look today.

You know you can have the nicest suit you can have the best church hat. Whatever it is that you know the nice jewelry and things but if you not clothed with righteousness of Christ and it doesn't matter right and so when we look back we talk about Jesus character has says he's the truth he's going to speak the truth and so in these words that he said when he called them wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked.

He was exposing the truth of who the Laodiceans were right and so I think that some people get to the point that they feel like they don't need anything or anybody in their self-sufficiency leads to complacency and pride and we all know God hates pride. He hates it, and some just become spiritually impoverished and religion rich and and that's a shame because when you're spiritually impoverished and then you don't acknowledge your dependence upon God which he tells us to do in his where we have to acknowledge that we are completely and utterly dependent upon him then you become more prone to sin.

If you don't acknowledge that you're more prone to sand in your misdirected and you can easily sway especially today.

You see, the media mainstream media. They spew these lies and people don't have the spiritual discernment to understand and know that those are not truthful things or that to know that these are simple things I should not follow that and so they they give misdirected and then in this because the reason this happens is because they cannot connect to the Holy Spirit when you are not acknowledging your dependence upon God in your spiritually impoverished the Holy Spirit, you can't. You don't have that bridge if you don't have Jesus Christ you don't have that bridge to connect with the Lord. And so when you cannot connect with the Holy Spirit. You cannot hear the voice of God.

And when you cannot hear his voice. You're lost and you have is like you have an empty life. Yes, so we want to wrap this up and put a bow on it as we have looked at the first part of this church at Laodicea and women to come back next week with part 222 conclude looking at it, but for part one, that's the thing I want to to take away from it is we as individuals and as churches and even when I look at our nation we have a problem with pride and when we become wealthy. God is been so good to was a he's blessed us in so many ways, but human nature. We have a tendency to start to drift away from God. The more we bless the more we get money. We tend to start what worshiping our bank account. We start looking at our bank account as our source is when you're in good health. You you you don't tend to look to God and there are times in which God will start to allowing hardships to come into your life so that you will turn back to him because unfortunately some people just can't handle the blessings and I say that to say for churches.

That is, we look around today with this covert, 19 look at how churches are empty and I can't help but wonder is God trying to send the message that your your big beautiful wealthy churches are nothing they mean absolutely nothing to meet your buildings because the true church are our people you know is is us is human beings and he sort of taken all of that away and is is calls people to to step back and say what is more important, what are the right things that we need to be focusing on and people have started to look back to Gaza. God will calls sometimes adversities the calm so that you will turn back to him a week, we saw that throughout the Old Testament with the nation of Israel and happens today as individuals. It happens to us as churches is will but willing to come back next week and we are going to conclude with the seven churches by continuing to look at the apostate church.

The church at Laodicea and were given this church a little bit more time than the others because this is the church that our Lord said is the worst of the words and this is the church that we see in our dominant culture today and is the church that is going to be in place.

The great falling away that will take place just before our Lord second coming.

So before we close. Do you have any final words concerning this church at Laodicea. Well, I think that people should definitely look to it and examined yourself as an individual but also examine your church if you need to him and most importantly, I think that you know see if you feel like you're spiritually impoverished, I think is important to look at yourself and say am I totally given up myself to to the Lord and my spending time with him so that I can have a relationship with him because if you don't know him through having a relationship with him, you're missing out. First of all, but also you're missing that connection. They know the word tells us that we have to be connected to the vine and if you're not connected, then the Holy Spirit cannot lead you and guide you cannot, he can. He cannot give you the spiritual discernment that godly wisdom and discernment that we all need today to be able to even know if we are on the Internet. Lukewarm that gray area. We need to be boiling hot for the Lord, and if you just have never even known about Jesus you've never wanted to accept him. I pray that you will anybody that's feeling like that that you will search your heart and that you will give him a try and I guarantee you that your life will be changed and I just pray. It is my prayer that if anyone is listening and does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior that you will please give your heart to the Lord.

Give it to him today because he will return soon and I just want my prayer is that you will honorary honor that Inc. and give yourself to him and truly allow him to change your life and that's that's my prayer want salvation for people I don't want people to be lost.

All right, so Jesus is coming again.

Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the way he's coming soon so let's get excited about our Lord's return. As we close, I want to encourage you to remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem is 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 a right protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great nation of Israel first