God Rejects “Lukewarm” Commitment

Transcript

GR 1206
06/24/2001
God Rejects “Lukewarm” Commitment
Revelation 3:14-22
Gil Rugh

We’ve been studying the book of Acts together on Sunday morning. In the book of Acts, we have been looking into chapter 7 where Stephen has been rehearsing the history of Israel for the religious leaders of the nation, the Sanhedrin. There he has been demonstrating that the history of Israel was a history of rebellion, a history of rejection of God’s truth and the leaders God provided, culminating in the rejection of their own Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is amazing as we study the scriptures and look at the history of the nation Israel how it becomes clear that a people that God had chosen for Himself turned away from the living God and ended up with an empty shell of religion, with form and much activity, but no life. When we study that we are to learn from that. We are not only to sit appalled that Israel could be so foolish but to realize that we, the people of God today, need to be very concerned about the same dangers. Look in Matthew chapter 10 for a moment. I was speaking to the college young people on Friday night, and I took them to Matthew chapter 10. Let me just read a couple of verses from Matthew chapter 10 to remind us of the level of commitment and devotion that is not only expected but is required by Jesus Christ from all His followers. Jesus is speaking, and He said in verse 34 of Matthew chapter 10, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.” He clearly sets right out before the people the impact that He will make in the world, and it will be an impact that will bring division and conflict and separation even among family members. And then He says in verse 37, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Again, the issues are set before us very clearly. He does not want part of our devotion. He does not want a portion of the commitment of our lives. He demands and requires our total commitment and our total devotion, and He must come before family and friends, parents and children. And we must be willing to leave all, to lose all to become a follower of Jesus Christ. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Anyone who considers that too great a cost will suffer the greatest of all loses, but the one who loses all for Jesus Christ is the one who acquires all ultimately.

Before we return to our study of the book of Acts, I want to look with you at the matter of the Church in our study together today back in Revelation chapter 3. I thought this would be a good chance to include this material now, and then we will return and complete Stephen’s sermon in Acts chapter 7. The problem in Israel was they were continuing the form of their religion, but there was no life left. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 Jesus Christ addresses seven churches that existed in the region of what would have been known as Asia Minor, basically what is present-day Turkey. There are churches that are within traveling proximity of one another, they would have been on the old mail route of the day. We’re familiar with some of the churches of Asia Minor because there are letters written to them. The letter to the church at Colossae, the Colossians. Colossae is a city in Asia Minor. The city of Ephesus. It is one of the most well-known cities in this region. The letter to the Ephesians was written to them.

I want to look with you at the end of Revelation chapter 3 at the church at Laodicea. What Christ has done is select seven churches from this region, He doesn’t include them all. For example, the church at Colossae is not mentioned, but He has selectively chosen seven churches that were in existence at that time where He addressed the specific situation in each church. But they were selected so that they would be an ongoing testimony to the church down through its history. At any period of time, you could find all seven churches present in the world. Those kinds of churches grappling with those kinds of issues.

The last church is the church at Laodicea. It’s a church that had great privilege and great blessing. It had benefited from the ministry of the apostle Paul. When Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, he referred to the Laodiceans. He made a point in chapter 2 to mention he had never visited Laodicea, but he also makes clear at the end of the letter in chapter 4, verse 16, of Colossians that he had written a letter to the Laodiceans, and the letters that he had written were to be exchanged. So Paul would write a letter to the church at Laodicea, and then they were to share that letter with the church at Colossae. The Colossians were to share the letter that Paul wrote to them with the church at Laodicea, and with the other churches. So here is the church that had the blessing and benefit of the direct ministry of the apostle Paul through his writings.
Now Jesus Christ is addressing this church some 30 years after Paul would have written to them, and it is hard to believe the change that has occurred in this church. As Jesus Christ addresses the church you don’t know that there are any believers left in the church. He addresses it basically as a church now comprised of people who have no relationship with Him, and this change has occurred in about a 30 year period of time. A church established on the basis of a commitment to Jesus Christ, and a living, dynamic relationship with Him through faith. And 30 years later it is an empty shell going through the motions, seemingly successful and prosperous, and dead and on its way to destruction. Laodicea is one of two churches out of the seven that Jesus addresses that receives no word of commendation. The other church is the church at Sardis. At the beginning of chapter 3 you have the letter to the church at Sardis. But even in the church at Sardis, note verse 4 of chapter 3, Jesus says, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” There is no such acknowledgement to the church at Laodicea. There is no word to a small faithful remnant, but the church as a whole is dealt with on the basis that it has no relationship with Jesus Christ. Now I want you to note, there are no doctrinal heresies rebuked in the church at Laodicea. There are no moral indiscretions or indecencies addressed in the letter to the church at Laodicea. This is not a church you would have looked at and said, “Look! They’re denying the foundational doctrines of the faith.” Or, “Look! They live in gross immorality.” There was doctrinal heresy in some of the other churches. There were moral indecencies practiced in some of the other churches, but none of these things are mentioned in the letter to church at Laodicea. And here is a church that is confident that they are well-off before the Lord, that they have the approval of Jesus Christ, and are doing fine.

We need to look at one other passage before we go into the details, back in Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, we’ll pick up with verse 21. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…” Now note this, “Many will say to Me on that day,” the judgment day, the day when they stand before Him for final evaluation, “’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Verse 21 and verse 22 are striking. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…[and on that day many will say,] ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name[HG1], and in Your name[HG2] cast out demons, and in Your name[HG3] perform many miracles?’” Here are people who are going to stand before Jesus Christ, and they are going to be dumbfounded. They can’t believe that He does not acknowledge them. They call Him Lord. They say all work and ministry has been done in His name, and He says in verse 23, “I will tell them, ‘I never knew you.’” These people never had a relationship with Him. They never belonged to Him. They had spent their life and ministry deluded and self-deceived, and they come to the judgment and are rejected. As is the picture that unfolds with the church at Laodicea. They are fully confident that they are doing the Lord’s work. They are fully confident that they are experiencing the Lord’s blessing, and totally deceived as a church that is on its way to Hell.

Come back to Revelation chapter 3. This is a serious matter, but again, it parallels what happened to the people of God in the Old Testament Israel. They wandered away from the living God and kept just the empty shell. We’ll pick up in verse 14 of Revelation 3. “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this.” In each of the letters to the seven churches, Christ identifies Himself in a specific way. He identifies Himself in a way that is particularly pertinent and important to the church being addressed. Here He identifies Himself in three ways: as the Amen, as the faithful and true Witness, and as the Beginning of the creation of God. The word “amen” comes from the Old Testament, it is a Hebrew word. We’re familiar with it because we’ll say at the end of our prayers, “amen,” or someone says something we completely agree with, and we say, “I’ll say ‘amen’ to that.” The Hebrew word refers to that which is fixed or settled, unchangeable. It is true. In the Gospels sometimes this is translated “truly, truly I say to you” or literally “amen, amen.” What I am going to say is true. It is unchangeable, it is settled. That which is valid and binding. As a title of Christ, it identifies Him as the One who is unchanging, the One who declares truth. He is the Amen. He is the One in whom is truth, unchanging truth. He is the faithful and true Witness, which is a further elaboration of what it means to be the Amen.
Jesus reminded the people of His day in passages like John 3. He reminded them that He came to bear witness to God, and His witness, or testimony, was true. He is the faithful and true Witness, what He says can be totally trusted and believed. And then He says He is the beginning of the creation of God. Some people read this and misunderstand. They think it means He is the first thing God created, but that’s not what is being said. He is the One who began creation because He is the creator of all things, in John’s gospel chapter 1, verse 3. In verse 10 we’re told that all things were made in Christ. In Colossians chapter 1, verse 15 and following, we’re told that all things were made by Him and for Him. In Hebrews chapter 1, verse 2, we are told that God the Father made all things through Jesus Christ. So you understand. Before Jesus Christ began the work of creation, there was nothing else but the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was through Him that all created things came into existence. Now why would that be emphasized here? I mean, He is the Amen, the One who is true, the One who is the faithful Witness. Why emphasize He’s the beginning of the creation of God, the Creator of all things? Because that emphasizes that He is sovereign over it all. He is the One who knows it totally and completely. He made it! And He has total authority and sovereignty over it. This aspect of God’s character and being is emphasized by the prophets in the Old Testament where God declares that He created everything, and so He has absolute sovereignty over it all. That’s why there is such a rejection of God as the Creator in our world today. Because there is a recognition in a sinful heart of man that to acknowledge God as Creator would be to acknowledge Him as supreme over all, One before whom we must bow, and there is an unwillingness to do that.

So Jesus is addressing the church at Laodicea. And you understand, “My testimony is true.” It is fixed, it is settled, it is faithful. It comes from the One who is sovereign over all, whose Word is final. And He says in verse 15, “I know your deeds.” In the beginning of each of the letters to the seven churches, He says the same thing, “I know your deeds.” It is a reminder. He is the Lord of the church, and He has complete knowledge of all that we are doing. You know, we don’t need to be reminded of that, yet we do need to be reminded of that. Remember when your kids were little, and some of your children still are little, and they have done something wrong, and you call them to account and you say, “I know what you did.” Their eyes get big. “How do you know?” If they don’t express it, you know what’s going through their mind. “How did they know?” And we tell them, “We’re parents, we know everything.” That is not true, but in that confined context, of course I know! I mean they’ll go in and do something, and their fingerprints are everywhere. And then they wonder how did we know? We understand we have the sovereign God, the One who began creation. He knows our deeds. I know your deeds, your works. What He has to say is startling. “I know that you are neither cold nor hot.” So here’s a good old lukewarm church. “I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” That is a shocking statement and evaluation. You’re not hot, you’re not cold. I take it, as we work through the context this will become more clear, cold would refer to unbelievers who have no interest in the things of God. They’re the farthest from salvation. They are those who would deny the truths of the word of God, who make no pretense of a relationship with Jesus Christ. They’re cold. They’re clearly far removed from Him. The word of God has no place in their lives. Those who are hot are those who are truly saved, who manifest a passion and a burning zeal for Jesus Christ and service for Him. Lukewarm: those are the people in the middle. They’re not fanatical in their commitment to Christ. They’re not zealous and passionate. They’re not on fire for the Lord, so to speak, but they’re not cold. It’s a church that has come to a balance. We’re not indifferent to the things of the Lord. We’re not cold toward His word and toward serving Him, but we’re not fanatical about it either. We’re lukewarm. Lukewarm, I take it, would refer to those who profess to belong to Christ but have no relationship to Him. They are comfortable and complacent in their “Christianity.” What Christ says in verse 16, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” That’s a very strong statement. You know you think that certain things perhaps are too colloquial, even vulgar, that we shouldn't say them in a public setting. But the word that Christ uses is the Greek word for vomit, “I will vomit you out of my mouth.” So it's not just, you know, a soft way of expressing it. He is totally rejecting them. And in biblical times they did not have refrigeration, and so on, so you know a cold spring brought refreshing water to drink. A hot spring brought benefits for the hot water. That lukewarm water that was characteristic of some of the regions in this part of the world. You tried to drink it, and it had that reaction to make you sick, to make you regurgitate. Christ said this is the reaction he has to the church at Laodicea. What stronger thing could Christ say to the church that prides itself in belonging to Christ, that prides itself in having a rich heritage that is rich spiritually? And Christ says, “I will vomit you out of my mouth. I cannot stomach you.” This is picturing his complete rejection of them. Remember in Matthew chapter 7, “Lord, Lord, did we not do this in your name, and this in your name, and this in your name?” “And I will say, ‘I never knew you.’” Complete rejection, that's what's pictured here. Complete rejection. They say, “well, how can this be? If it’s the church at Laodicea, doesn't belong to Christ?” In one sense it does. He is addressing the churches that are His.

We'll go back to Israel. Remember the picture of Israel, God had chosen the nation. Israel had been chosen as a nation by God for Himself, but that does not mean that every individual in the nation has a relationship with God. In fact, they come to a point in time where most of the people in the nation do not have a relationship with God and so are rejected by Him. That's where the church at Laodicea is. They have a relationship with Him, superficially. They claimed to belong to Him.

The church belongs to Jesus Christ, using the word broadly, like the nation Israel belongs to Him, but many within that group do not belong to Him. Many individual churches have no real relationship with Him because they are basically comprised of unbelievers who do not know the living God. Look at verse 17, “Because you say…” There's a contrast here. Here's what their evaluation of themselves is. You say, “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I have need of nothing.” “And you do not know...” You ought to underline. You say, and you do not know. Their evaluation of themselves is totally divorced from reality. The claims they are making come out of ignorance. They really don't know their true spiritual condition. “Because you say, ‘I am rich,’” and Laodicea was a rich city. Earlier in its history it had been destroyed by an earthquake, and it refused the financial aid of Rome for rebuilding. Imagine a city in our country that is destroyed in the earthquake and rejects the help of Washington for rebuilding. But Laodicea was a proud city, and a very wealthy city, and they rebuilt the city with its own resources. They get the people of Laodicea. Believers, with the by and large, have experienced some of this wealth. But Christ is primarily focusing here on their spiritual condition. Often the two blend together, and with our material prosperity there is a settling down and a cooling, and we sometimes begin to identify the prosperity materially with prosperity spiritually, and the things get confused. At any rate the church at Laodicea thought it was doing well spiritually, that it had spiritual riches. “And look how God has blessed us. He’s blessed us spiritually, He's blessed us materially. We are a prosperous church. In every sense of the word, we're rich. We have become wealthy.”

You know it's interesting to me. In Hosea chapter 12, verse 8, just jot it down. Hosea chapter 12, verse 8, Hosea the prophet condemns Israel for their spiritually dead condition, and at the same time, they were making this very same claim. “We are rich. We are wealthy. We are prosperous. We belong to God.” They didn't know they had nothing.

“We have become wealthy. We have need of nothing.” Here is a church that is fully comfortable, completely comfortable in their present condition. “I don't know what I'd ask God for. He has blessed us.” We say, “Wow. This is a church to be modeled, to be a model for other churches.”

So a lukewarm church, they’ve learned the balance. You don't go overboard and become fanatical with a fiery zeal, but you don't go cold either. You have that lukewarmness that enables you to fit. You don't deny any doctrines. You just don't have to be going around like you're going to die for every doctrine. And there are no gross sins that have to be dealt with. They don't tolerate Jezebel the whore, as one of the other churches did. No. This church here…have conferences so you can learn how to become a lukewarm church. Be like us. “And you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Could there be any greater contrast? The church’s evaluation of themselves is “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I need nothing.” The evaluation of the Lord of the church, the One who is the Amen, the One who is the Faithful and true Witness, the One who began creation is “You are wretched.” This is a word that means in a condition of extreme misery. Miserable. An object of extreme pity. We’ll look at you and say, “You are in the most pitiful condition.” Poor. The word poor here denotes destitution, one who is a beggar. This is the church that thought they were rich, but the One who is the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the One who began creation says, “You know, you’re destitute. You’re a beggar. You’re blind. You’re in spiritual darkness.” This is the church that says I have need of nothing, and they’re blind! I mean stop and think about it. The physical realm. Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory here, “What would you need? What would you like Me to do for you?” When I’m blind, I’d say, “Lord, I would like my sight.” Happened in the gospels didn’t it? Here’s a church that doesn’t know what to ask because we don’t need anything. Jesus says, “Don’t you realize you’re blind? You’re a spiritual darkness. You’re naked! How about asking for a piece of clothing?” “We don’t have need of anything.” They’re spiritually naked, they’re without the garment of salvation. Matthew 22, Jesus told the account of the guest at the wedding feast, and he’s found to be without a wedding garment. Cast him into outer darkness. This church doesn’t have the good sense to know that they’re spiritually naked, and yet they say we have need of nothing. Every time I read or study the church at Laodicea my mouth drops open. How can people be so totally, completely reversed from reality? What hope is there?

But there is hope because there is a word of invitation to this church, and He[HG4] says in verse 18, “I advise you...” The word “to advise” means to give advice, to give counsel. Remember Isaiah said that Jesus Christ is the wonderful counselor, the mighty God? Well here is the counsel and advice that He gives. “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you might become rich, and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” Come to Me for salvation—gold. In 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 7, gold is used in an analogy of our faith. Our faith is to be like gold tried in a furnace, tested in a furnace. So, here, come to Me for gold. Your faith is to be in Me, and that brings you all the riches of salvation. White garments. The righteousness of Christ becomes ours when we turn from our sin and believe in Him, and that righteousness of Christ then works its way out in our lives to the righteousness of our behavior. So we find the saints in the book of Revelation clothed in white garments, which chapter 19 verse 8 tells us are the righteous deeds of the saints. Now look at chapter 6, verse 11. “And there was given to each of them a white robe;” chapter 7 verse 9, the end of the verse, “they were clothed in white robes;” verse 13, “these who are clothed in the white robes;” the end of verse 14 of chapter 7, “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” You see that picture that’s developed fully in that account I referred to in Matthew 22. Without the garment of salvation, you will be cast out from the presence of the Lord in the everlasting darkness.

Here is a church, not a hot church but not a cold church; but they do not have the garment of salvation. But they don’t think they need anything. “And buy from Me eye salve to anoint your eyes.” Laodicea was famous for the eye salve that was made there that was known around the world for correcting eye problems. So come to Me for that which can correct the problem of your sight, to open the blinded eyes. You say, “I advise you; buy from Me[HG5].” What do you buy with? Come back to Isaiah 55. Isaiah chapter 55, verse 1. “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” You have no money; come buy. Buy without money, without cost. Down in verse 6, “seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” You see, you come buy from Him. You seek it from Him, but you don’t have to pay. You buy it without money because He gives it freely when you come and seek it from Him. Here Jesus Christ has to exhort the church at Laodicea. The church is some 30 years later. The apostle Paul had personally written a letter. The church that had read the letter to the Colossians, the Ephesians, and in that short time, 30 years, Jesus Christ has to address that church and write them a letter and say, “You must come to Me for salvation. You are spiritually destitute, you have nothing! You’re spiritually naked and blind; but come to Me and I’ll give you clothing, I will give you sight, I will give you salvation.”

Come back to Revelation chapter 3. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” I mean, some confusion. Some have wondered whether the church at Laodicea wasn’t really a believing church that just had cooled off a little bit. I assume that they did begin as a church of believers, but it doesn’t take long for a church that begins to drift
to drift rapidly, and the makeup of the church changes quickly. And both from a generation raised within, and those added from without. You end up with an unregenerate congregation, but still going through the same motions much like Israel; still bringing the same sacrifices, still offering the same prayers, still observing the same feasts. And what does Isaiah in chapter 1 say? Stop it! It’s a sacrilege that you even worship Me in this way. Don’t come into the temple anymore. It’s a trampling of My court. You see the dangerous results. That’s what happened to them, but it would not happen to us. But already before the end of this first century you have the church at Laodicea has rolled over so to speak, become an unregenerate congregation. How can you tell? It’s lukewarm!

We identify unregenerate congregations as those who are denying certain aspects of the faith. Here’s a church that doesn’t deny anything in the basic foundational doctrines. There’s no fire there maybe, but it’s not cold, it’s lukewarm, and totally rejected by Christ. “But those whom I love, I reprove and discipline…” Well, if He loves them, reproves them, and disciplines them aren’t they His? Well, again, it’s like God declaring His love for Israel because Israel as a nation is His even if most of the people in the nation are not. You understand the Church belongs to God. He purchases it with His blood even though within it, the broad Church, many, maybe most, do not know Him, has come today[HG6]. But we’d talked about Christendom[HG7], the Church in that sense. “Those whom I love,” and He does love them, even as God loved Israel in the Old Testament, “I reprove and discipline.” Look at 2 Timothy, chapter 2. We think of discipline as reserved for children, and it is, but this word is also used of God’s action with unregenerate people in the sense of correcting, convicting. In 2 Timothy 2:25 we’re told that the servant of the Lord is to be, “with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition.” That word “correcting” is the word we have “discipline” in Revelation; “correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” You see, so there is a work that we have with the word of God that God carries on through us as His servants of correcting or disciplining, of pointing people to the truth, of pointing out the error, the sin of their way. So here within the church, broadly speaking, just as the prophets did it within Israel that God loved, they came correcting, disciplining, rebuking, calling the nation to salvation. So Christ is calling, back in Revelation 3, the church to salvation. “Therefore be zealous and repent,” Revelation 3:19 says. That word to be “zealous” comes from the Greek word for hot. Be zealous! Be hot! Repent! They’re to turn from their sin, they’re to turn to Him.
Remember when we read in Matthew 10? We have come to accept a version of the church at Laodicea as acceptable; not only acceptable, but normal in our society. And I’m particularly concerned for the Western world, particularly concerned for the United States. And as long as the church claims to believe the Bible, claims to believe in Christ, does not deny any major doctrines, does not tolerate gross sins, we sort of admire a church that is lukewarm. And this is a church you want to pattern your church after; it doesn’t need anything, it’s obviously doing very well. So I say this would be the church doing church growth conferences, but something’s awfully wrong. Remember, it’s total commitment. If you don’t love Me more than family, you’re not worthy of Me. If you won’t take up your cross and follow Me, you’re not worthy of Me. You can’t be My disciple if you don’t take up your cross and follow Me. Take up the cross was a picture of humiliation and scorn, rejection; as Jesus was required to carry His cross to the place of crucifixion to mark Him off as one who was being humiliated and scorned and rejected. You have some idea that you say a prayer, you sign your name, you go to church, you don’t do anything bad, you say the right language, and you’re saved.

You understand Jesus says here in verse 15, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot…because you are lukewarm…I will spit you out of My mouth.” A church that is just going about the routines is saying something about the life or lack of it. You’re lukewarm, you don’t belong to me; those who belong to me are zealous. Remember in Titus chapter 2 that Christ came to give Himself for us, to purify for Himself a people zealous for good deeds. They could stretch it a little; hot for good deeds, on fire for good deeds. This passionless Christianity is Laodicean Christianity; you understand, false[HG8]. The people just go along and, sure, they attend church; or they come, they agree to everything, they’d like to keep it minimal. And we keep shrinking the church to make it more comfortable for the lukewarm, cut off the obligation; we want to keep the commitment minimal. We don’t want church to interfere with life—good grief! “Sunday morning, come back Sunday night. Huh? I don’t think so folks, I got a busy day. Sunday morning? Well, can’t we do Sunday morning in a way that won’t interfere with the rest of Sunday? What about Saturday night?” I’m not saying that times of services are anything, but I am saying the attitude reflects something.

You have a couple that are anticipating getting married, and you have the man saying, “You know, I really like being together with you, but it sort of interferes with my day. Think we could do it a different time when it doesn’t interfere with the things I like to do?” We say, “You know, I don’t know about the love of that relationship.” It usually goes the other way, doesn’t it? You got a couple in love, what are you parents trying to do? “I think you two spend too much time together.” “Oh, I don’t think we spend too much time together.” Why? Because we see it’s a characteristic of love, but somehow we are supposed to accept the testimony of people who say, “Oh I love Jesus Christ. I just don’t spend all this time…” And the church drifts all over. As long as no one denies any doctrine of the Scripture, no one gets involved in any gross sin, we just think, “Wow! What a wonderful church!” And what we really want to do is put our blessing on lukewarmness because there’s a prosperity, a success to lukewarmness. This is the church that has wealth, that has need of nothing, and they’re spiritually dead, and they don’t know it! But there’s an invitation. “Come…be zealous! And repent.” He stands at the door and knocks. I take it He’s outside the Church[HG9]. I take it in the context in the gospel of Matthew and the book of James; Matthew chapter 24, verse 33, and James chapter 5, verse 9. Jesus standing at the door is a picture of His soon return. I don’t think that’s what He’s talking about here in the context. He’s talking about His return! And He’s at the door! So at any time He could come through. Those who have repented, and those who have believed in Him will welcome Him, and will enter in to the marriage feast of the Lamb, and will dine with Him. That’s why in verse 21 He says, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Dealing[HG10] with thrones. The throne of the Father, and the throne of the Son, and the throne of the Son will be the throne He sits on to rule over this world. So this is the reason we know there’s no kingdom in process yet. He sat down with His Father, sharing His Father’s throne. There’ll come a time when He’ll sit on His own throne, and we will share that throne, ruling with Him over the earth. John chapter 16, verse 33, “In the world you have tribulation, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” So He who overcomes, and who is He that overcomes, but he who believes that Jesus is the Christ, as 1 John 5 says. So those who overcome are those who come to believe in Jesus Christ, and now their life is lived—as what? You just don’t become an overcomer and then stop! With true faith in Him we have overcome and now live as overcomers, and our deeds demonstrate it. We are those who are zealous for the Lord, who have declared our willingness to take up our cross and follow Him, to give up family or friends. I cannot understand people choosing their church on the basis of where their family goes or their friends go. You understand, did you ever get saved? “I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. I love my family.” They are nothing compared to Jesus Christ! I don’t make my decisions in life on the basis of that kind of trivial thing. We are people consumed with Him. It’s not a game, this is not the Elks Club. Now we just wander around, “Oh well, so and so…Oh yeah, we’re followers of Jesus Christ.” This is how the church becomes like the church at Laodicea in a relatively short time. It just doesn’t step out and deny the truth, become cold. No. It’s just lukewarmness becomes the standard, which is the environment of unbelief, and very quickly. The church is an unbelieving church—proud of its spiritual condition, spiritual heritage, how well it does, and how tragic it is. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This is a message from God by His Spirit to the churches.

If we have spiritual ears, we better pay attention. You know like your children; you’re talking to them, and you don’t think they’re listening like they need to. You say, “You’d better pay attention.” So Jesus Christ said to the Church, “You better pay attention.” If you have any spiritual ears, if you’re truly saved, then God’s people better listen carefully. May God grant the grace that we would be a faithful church till He comes, characterized by being zealous.
“Oh, no, you don’t want to go to that church. They expect a commitment of your life.” Exactly. Because this is the Church of Jesus Christ. What else would we expect? Don’t expect one hour Sunday morning. “That’s all I have to give.” We understand. We’re not looking for what you have to give, we’re looking for people who have given their lives to Christ. And this is their life. People who want to find a church that’ll interfere as little as possible with their lives? Sad to say there are many of those. I hope this church is never one of them. By God’s grace it will not be.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for Your grace. Thank you that salvation is through the wonderful and gracious Savior who invites us to come and buy from Him gold refined by fire, white garments to clothe ourselves, eye salve to anoint our eyes. Lord, in Him there is found everything necessary for life and godliness. May we take this message to heart personally. May we have ears to hear. May we take this message to heart as a church that we might be a people that faithfully represent You in these days. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.
[HG1]Gill emphasizes all of the “Your name”
[HG2]Gill emphasizes all of the “Your name”
[HG3]Gill emphasizes all of the “Your name”
[HG4]Should “He” be capitalized?
[HG5]I am not sure if “Me” is referring to God here. 36 min. 10 sec.
[HG6]This doesn’t make sense, but I think it is what Gil is saying. 40 min. 44 sec.
[HG7]I have no idea what Gil is trying to say here. 40 min. 46 sec.
[HG8]It kind of sounds like Gil is saying “false” here, but I can’t tell. 45 min. 24 sec.
[HG9]I am not sure if “Church” should be capitalized here.
[HG10]I cannot understand what Gil is saying here. 48 min. 16 sec.