1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,250 2 00:00:01,333 --> 00:00:10,042 [music] 3 00:00:16,833 --> 00:00:18,833 I'm going to go ahead and pray, 4 00:00:18,917 --> 00:00:25,167 and here's where we will be, Revelation 3:14-22 5 00:00:25,208 --> 00:00:29,667 is where we find ourselves for this teaching. 6 00:00:29,750 --> 00:00:34,500 Father God, thank you so much for this wonderful privilege 7 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:38,000 that it is to not only read the words of Scripture, 8 00:00:38,042 --> 00:00:41,083 but go to the places that are spoken of. 9 00:00:41,167 --> 00:00:44,875 And God, as we are here in the ruins of the ancient city 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,375 of Laodicea we're mindful of the words the Lord Jesus 11 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,500 had for them. 12 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:54,667 And God we ask as we open the Word that you would open 13 00:00:54,750 --> 00:00:58,167 our hearts and minds so that the Word that was sent to the church 14 00:00:58,208 --> 00:01:01,833 in this place would also be applicable for us, 15 00:01:01,833 --> 00:01:04,542 and our families, and our churches. 16 00:01:04,667 --> 00:01:07,750 And God, I pray for those of us who may be lukewarm, 17 00:01:07,833 --> 00:01:11,250 or love and know people who are, that this could be a word of 18 00:01:11,333 --> 00:01:15,500 stirring, and motivation, and expectation, so that Lord God, 19 00:01:15,542 --> 00:01:18,167 as we sit here in the heat of the day, 20 00:01:18,208 --> 00:01:20,583 our hope is that our souls and our spirits, 21 00:01:20,667 --> 00:01:24,083 our minds and our wills, would be passionately heated 22 00:01:24,167 --> 00:01:26,875 to be obedient to you, to love you, 23 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,333 to pursue you, and to enjoy you. 24 00:01:29,333 --> 00:01:32,333 So we ask for the Holy Spirit to lead our time, 25 00:01:32,333 --> 00:01:34,875 and to guide my words, and to open our ears. 26 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,000 In Jesus' good name, amen. 27 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,250 Well, welcome to Laodicea. 28 00:01:39,333 --> 00:01:41,833 Here we are in modern-day Turkey. 29 00:01:41,833 --> 00:01:45,000 Let me give you a bit of information and history 30 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,000 on what is a massive archaeological site. 31 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,833 And there is a lot of work that is happening here. 32 00:01:50,833 --> 00:01:53,333 When we were here just a few short years ago, 33 00:01:53,333 --> 00:01:55,000 much of this was not yet excavated, 34 00:01:55,042 --> 00:01:57,167 and so much work is underway. 35 00:01:57,208 --> 00:01:59,333 Just in front of me is essentially 36 00:01:59,333 --> 00:02:01,167 the ancient main street. 37 00:02:01,250 --> 00:02:03,083 And so this would have been beautiful 38 00:02:03,167 --> 00:02:05,375 polished marble with a high pillar columns. 39 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,500 Other streets are adjacent and connected to it. 40 00:02:08,500 --> 00:02:10,375 There's an ancient Christian baptistery 41 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:12,583 that they're excavating at the end of the road. 42 00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:15,000 Behind me would have been an ancient pagan temple. 43 00:02:15,042 --> 00:02:17,500 Around the corner from that was a church, 44 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:20,167 a Christian church where God's people did, in fact, 45 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:22,083 gather together. 46 00:02:22,167 --> 00:02:25,042 And what is interesting about Laodicea, 47 00:02:25,167 --> 00:02:27,667 at least topographically, as you can tell, 48 00:02:27,750 --> 00:02:30,000 unlike many of the cities we've been at, 49 00:02:30,042 --> 00:02:33,667 this is actually in a very high, elevated plain. 50 00:02:33,750 --> 00:02:37,083 And this was a very important trade route in its day, 51 00:02:37,167 --> 00:02:40,167 as commerce would pass through this town, 52 00:02:40,250 --> 00:02:43,167 so that made this a very affluent city. 53 00:02:43,208 --> 00:02:46,333 And that's very key to understanding Laodicea. 54 00:02:46,417 --> 00:02:48,750 Additionally, along the main street here would have been 55 00:02:48,833 --> 00:02:51,667 a lot of shops, and businesses, and merchants. 56 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:54,167 Homes were behind that. 57 00:02:54,250 --> 00:02:57,333 And as you begin to investigate and as you go around, 58 00:02:57,417 --> 00:02:59,583 you'll see that many of the homes were, 59 00:02:59,667 --> 00:03:01,667 in fact, quite large. 60 00:03:01,708 --> 00:03:03,875 They were very large for their day. 61 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,083 When we were in Nazareth some years ago, 62 00:03:06,167 --> 00:03:09,500 the homes that we visited in and around where Jesus grew up, 63 00:03:09,500 --> 00:03:13,875 in the area particularly of Nazareth, were very small. 64 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,875 They're hundreds of square feet. 65 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,333 You're looking at homes that are about the size of 66 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:21,583 a modern-day parking stall for one of our vehicles. 67 00:03:21,667 --> 00:03:24,875 And a portion of that home in that day would have been used 68 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,542 to house the animals. 69 00:03:26,667 --> 00:03:29,333 Well, then we come to Laodicea, and some of the homes 70 00:03:29,333 --> 00:03:31,833 that are excavated and in the process of excavation, 71 00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:34,667 they are a few thousand square feet. 72 00:03:34,708 --> 00:03:38,250 So you're looking at very large homes for their day. 73 00:03:38,333 --> 00:03:41,667 And also you're looking at a centralized water system, 74 00:03:41,708 --> 00:03:44,000 whereby you have pipes, ancient pipes, 75 00:03:44,042 --> 00:03:46,542 that would have brought water to the homes. 76 00:03:46,667 --> 00:03:48,667 You're looking at indoor plumbing. 77 00:03:48,708 --> 00:03:51,833 You're looking at indoor access to water. 78 00:03:51,833 --> 00:03:54,500 So this is a highly developed, was rather, 79 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,500 a highly developed city. 80 00:03:56,500 --> 00:03:58,042 And C. S. Lewis says that sometimes 81 00:03:58,167 --> 00:04:00,583 we can have something called chronological snobbery, 82 00:04:00,667 --> 00:04:02,000 where we think, 83 00:04:02,042 --> 00:04:05,000 "Well, in the olden days people weren't as smart as we are. 84 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,500 We're very advanced and we're very developed." 85 00:04:07,542 --> 00:04:09,375 But as we're visiting these sites, 86 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:11,083 we realize that the engineering, 87 00:04:11,167 --> 00:04:14,250 the architecture, was quite complicated. 88 00:04:14,333 --> 00:04:17,250 And one of the issues is, how do you then get water 89 00:04:17,333 --> 00:04:18,667 to this place? 90 00:04:18,708 --> 00:04:21,167 I mean, as we're here today it's probably 100 degrees, 91 00:04:21,208 --> 00:04:24,375 we're in a high plain, there is not fresh water from this 92 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:27,583 general location, so it had to be piped in. 93 00:04:27,667 --> 00:04:30,167 But all of that is very complicated engineering 94 00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:32,375 that took a lot of money. 95 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:35,583 And so this was a very rich, very affluent city. 96 00:04:35,667 --> 00:04:39,000 And it was also a city that was, at least on two occasions, 97 00:04:39,042 --> 00:04:43,083 essentially destroyed by tremendous earthquakes. 98 00:04:43,167 --> 00:04:45,167 And so earthquakes are pretty notorious 99 00:04:45,208 --> 00:04:47,375 throughout this particular region. 100 00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:50,875 And on the two occasions that this city did in fact fall, 101 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,542 rather than accepting money from the government, 102 00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:56,083 they were a very proud people, a very rich people, 103 00:04:56,167 --> 00:05:00,500 they instead rebuilt their own city with their own money. 104 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:03,167 And so you're looking at incredible wealth, 105 00:05:03,208 --> 00:05:07,000 incredible affluence; this is like the Beverly Hills, 106 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,375 or the Manhattan, or the Irvine of its day. 107 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:13,167 It's a place where business is transacted, 108 00:05:13,208 --> 00:05:17,000 where commerce is common, where rich people live, 109 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,583 and where they are placed strategically on a trade route 110 00:05:20,667 --> 00:05:23,167 to ensure their affluence. 111 00:05:23,250 --> 00:05:27,875 And part of this, as well, is indicated by two major theaters 112 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,833 that are just behind us. 113 00:05:29,917 --> 00:05:34,167 One seats perhaps 12,000, another seats perhaps 8,000. 114 00:05:34,250 --> 00:05:37,875 These are large entertainment venues that have been excavated. 115 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,667 And if you could imagine, we've been to a few cities 116 00:05:40,750 --> 00:05:43,333 like Pergamum, where they have a major theater 117 00:05:43,417 --> 00:05:45,875 that seated about 10,000. 118 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,167 In Ephesus there's one theater that seats about 119 00:05:48,208 --> 00:05:50,250 20,000 to 25,000. 120 00:05:50,333 --> 00:05:52,167 Here they had two theaters. 121 00:05:52,250 --> 00:05:55,833 This just shows you how rich and affluent they were. 122 00:05:55,833 --> 00:05:57,583 To not only have a city with 123 00:05:57,667 --> 00:06:00,542 one centralized entertainment center, 124 00:06:00,667 --> 00:06:02,667 but to, rather, have two. 125 00:06:02,750 --> 00:06:04,833 And they're both quite gorgeous, as you'll see. 126 00:06:04,833 --> 00:06:09,042 They actually sit overlooking the valley, with majestic views. 127 00:06:09,167 --> 00:06:12,333 So just, you get the idea of opulence, of great wealth, 128 00:06:12,333 --> 00:06:17,750 highly educated, influential, important, significant people. 129 00:06:17,833 --> 00:06:20,750 And that is basically what was happening in the days 130 00:06:20,833 --> 00:06:22,583 of the New Testament. 131 00:06:22,667 --> 00:06:25,083 Now, the result was these people had become very haughty, 132 00:06:25,167 --> 00:06:27,500 they'd become very proud. 133 00:06:27,542 --> 00:06:30,500 And as we even sit here on a high plain, 134 00:06:30,542 --> 00:06:33,250 really we're just looking down on the rest of the region, 135 00:06:33,333 --> 00:06:36,250 and that sort of typifies the attitude of the people 136 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:38,000 who lived in Laodicea. 137 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:39,833 They kind of looked down on everyone. 138 00:06:39,917 --> 00:06:42,833 I mean, here we are, basically, with a penthouse view. 139 00:06:42,833 --> 00:06:44,542 You're high above the plains. 140 00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:46,250 You're looking down on everyone. 141 00:06:46,333 --> 00:06:50,083 And you were the rich, prosperous, powerful city. 142 00:06:50,167 --> 00:06:53,250 You have all the best food, all the best drink, 143 00:06:53,333 --> 00:06:55,167 all the best entertainment. 144 00:06:55,250 --> 00:06:57,333 You're living in the largest homes. 145 00:06:57,333 --> 00:07:00,542 Wherever you live, think of the nicest neighborhood, 146 00:07:00,667 --> 00:07:04,500 the gated community, the most affluent lifestyle. 147 00:07:04,542 --> 00:07:06,250 That's Laodicea. 148 00:07:06,333 --> 00:07:08,750 That's exactly where we find ourselves. 149 00:07:08,833 --> 00:07:12,375 And spiritually this was also a very complicated place. 150 00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:14,833 Multiple gods and goddesses were worshiped here. 151 00:07:14,833 --> 00:07:17,500 There were multiple temples that were built. 152 00:07:17,542 --> 00:07:20,167 Zeus was, as far as my research indicates, 153 00:07:20,250 --> 00:07:23,083 the primary patron deity of the city. 154 00:07:23,167 --> 00:07:25,542 Also there were temples for Apollos 155 00:07:25,667 --> 00:07:27,500 and Aesculapius, the god of healing, 156 00:07:27,542 --> 00:07:30,750 who we also learned about outside of Pergamum. 157 00:07:30,833 --> 00:07:34,667 The gods and goddess Hades, Hera, Athena, Serapis, 158 00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:36,375 Dionysus the god of wine, 159 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:39,000 and other deities were worshiped here. 160 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,667 So it was a very polytheistic culture. 161 00:07:41,750 --> 00:07:44,875 And also there was worship of the emperor here, 162 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,542 which was political in nature. 163 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:50,583 There were also a number of Jews here as well. 164 00:07:50,667 --> 00:07:53,333 So you're looking at a very diverse people group. 165 00:07:53,417 --> 00:07:56,167 Spiritually, you're looking at travelers and pilgrims 166 00:07:56,250 --> 00:07:58,833 passing through, conducting commerce. 167 00:07:58,833 --> 00:08:01,375 So this is a very important, strategic place 168 00:08:01,500 --> 00:08:03,167 for a church to be. 169 00:08:03,208 --> 00:08:06,333 And one thing we learn as we study the New Testament is that 170 00:08:06,333 --> 00:08:09,333 oftentimes, churches were planted in important, 171 00:08:09,333 --> 00:08:11,667 vital, urban centers. 172 00:08:11,750 --> 00:08:13,875 It's not that rural areas don't matter, 173 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,750 but it's that cities are strategic because people 174 00:08:16,833 --> 00:08:19,542 are passing through them, and if they meet Jesus, 175 00:08:19,667 --> 00:08:21,875 they take the news of the gospel with them. 176 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,833 And Laodicea was one of those very significant, 177 00:08:24,917 --> 00:08:26,833 important cities. 178 00:08:26,833 --> 00:08:29,500 It is essentially like the Wall Street of its day. 179 00:08:29,542 --> 00:08:32,500 And if the church was healthy there, it had the resources 180 00:08:32,542 --> 00:08:35,875 financially, and it had the opportunity governmentally, 181 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,583 and it had the infrastructure practically, 182 00:08:38,667 --> 00:08:41,833 to send the news of Jesus out to the whole region. 183 00:08:41,917 --> 00:08:44,000 So it's a very important place. 184 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,500 That leads us from the context of the first century, 185 00:08:46,542 --> 00:08:48,500 to the text of Scripture. 186 00:08:48,542 --> 00:08:51,250 And we got to get our mind around this, I mean, 187 00:08:51,333 --> 00:08:53,375 it took us hours to drive here today. 188 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:56,500 Imagine how long it would take on foot to get here. 189 00:08:56,500 --> 00:09:00,375 But, away from here there was a body of water, 190 00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:03,333 a few-hour boat ride from there was a little island 191 00:09:03,417 --> 00:09:05,333 called Patmos. 192 00:09:05,417 --> 00:09:08,333 And it was a place that John, the youngest and beloved 193 00:09:08,333 --> 00:09:12,875 disciple of Jesus, he was exiled after being boiled alive. 194 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,667 All the other apostles, in so far as we can tell, 195 00:09:15,750 --> 00:09:17,500 they died a martyr's death. 196 00:09:17,542 --> 00:09:19,750 They tried to kill John but he didn't die. 197 00:09:19,833 --> 00:09:22,083 And so they exiled him to Patmos. 198 00:09:22,167 --> 00:09:25,542 And history, tradition tells us that there in a cave 199 00:09:25,667 --> 00:09:27,375 the Lord Jesus appeared to him. 200 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:30,542 And we read of this in Revelation 1. 201 00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:33,542 And John is at this point an older man, 202 00:09:33,667 --> 00:09:36,250 and this is nearing the end of the first century, 203 00:09:36,333 --> 00:09:38,333 and Jesus speaks to him. 204 00:09:38,333 --> 00:09:41,833 And Jesus ultimately gives him letters to the seven churches 205 00:09:41,833 --> 00:09:43,542 of Revelation. 206 00:09:43,667 --> 00:09:46,875 Included in them is a letter to the church at Laodicea. 207 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,000 And so then John faithfully records the words of Jesus. 208 00:09:50,042 --> 00:09:53,167 And we'll now read what Jesus has to say to the church 209 00:09:53,250 --> 00:09:55,000 at Laodicea. 210 00:09:55,042 --> 00:09:57,000 And Jesus is here communicating from heaven. 211 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,667 He has died for our sin. 212 00:09:58,750 --> 00:10:01,167 At this point in history, he's risen for our salvation. 213 00:10:01,250 --> 00:10:04,500 He is ascended as our sovereign Lord and King. 214 00:10:04,542 --> 00:10:07,167 And he has all knowledge of everything that is going on 215 00:10:07,208 --> 00:10:10,333 on the earth, including what is happening here at the church 216 00:10:10,333 --> 00:10:12,500 at Laodicea. 217 00:10:12,542 --> 00:10:15,500 And so he has a particular word for these people 218 00:10:15,542 --> 00:10:18,833 in Revelation 3:14-22. 219 00:10:18,917 --> 00:10:22,083 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 220 00:10:22,167 --> 00:10:25,167 "'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, 221 00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:27,333 the beginning of God's creation.'" 222 00:10:27,333 --> 00:10:30,333 He says, "'I know your works: you are neither hot nor cold. 223 00:10:30,333 --> 00:10:32,583 "'Would that you were either hot or cold! 224 00:10:32,667 --> 00:10:36,083 "'So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, 225 00:10:36,167 --> 00:10:38,167 "'I will spit you out my mouth. 226 00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:41,833 "'For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, 227 00:10:41,833 --> 00:10:45,875 "'not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, 228 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:48,000 "'blind, and naked. 229 00:10:48,042 --> 00:10:51,333 "'I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, 230 00:10:51,333 --> 00:10:53,500 "'so that your nakedness may not be seen, 231 00:10:53,542 --> 00:10:57,167 "'and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 232 00:10:57,208 --> 00:11:00,333 "'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, 233 00:11:00,333 --> 00:11:02,083 "'so be zealous and repent. 234 00:11:02,167 --> 00:11:05,000 Behold, I stand at the door and knock.'" 235 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,583 A very famous verse there. 236 00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:08,833 "'If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 237 00:11:08,833 --> 00:11:12,750 "'I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 238 00:11:12,833 --> 00:11:16,000 "'The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me 239 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,875 "'on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down 240 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000 with my Father on his throne.'" 241 00:11:21,042 --> 00:11:23,333 And then he says, "'He who has an ear, 242 00:11:23,333 --> 00:11:25,833 let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" 243 00:11:25,833 --> 00:11:29,583 And there's a familiar pattern here in Jesus' communication, 244 00:11:29,667 --> 00:11:31,167 through John, 245 00:11:31,250 --> 00:11:32,667 to the seven churches in Revelation. 246 00:11:32,750 --> 00:11:34,375 And the first is usually an encouragement. 247 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:36,750 Whenever there is something encouraging for the Lord Jesus 248 00:11:36,833 --> 00:11:38,750 to say to a church, he communicates that. 249 00:11:38,833 --> 00:11:40,583 Here, what is the encouragement? 250 00:11:40,667 --> 00:11:42,083 Nothing. 251 00:11:42,167 --> 00:11:44,083 There's no encouragement at all. 252 00:11:44,167 --> 00:11:48,500 And the big idea here is this, that some professing churches 253 00:11:48,542 --> 00:11:52,083 are not practicing Christian faithfulness. 254 00:11:52,167 --> 00:11:54,333 And there are certain denominations that have gone 255 00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:57,500 apostate, and they're rebelling against the God of the Bible. 256 00:11:57,542 --> 00:11:59,583 There are certain churches and leaders, 257 00:11:59,667 --> 00:12:03,083 certain individual Christians that, truth be told, 258 00:12:03,167 --> 00:12:06,167 there is nothing good to say about them. 259 00:12:06,208 --> 00:12:09,333 And this may seem, for some of you who are more compassionate 260 00:12:09,333 --> 00:12:12,583 and encouraging by nature, difficult. 261 00:12:12,667 --> 00:12:14,875 Some of you have the gift of encouragement. 262 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,250 You're always looking for something nice to say, 263 00:12:17,333 --> 00:12:19,167 and we don't discourage that. 264 00:12:19,208 --> 00:12:21,333 But sometimes when there's nothing nice to say, 265 00:12:21,417 --> 00:12:24,333 the most loving thing to say is the truth. 266 00:12:24,333 --> 00:12:27,583 And that is, "This is unacceptable behavior. 267 00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:31,000 "This is a lifestyle that does not glorify God and he is 268 00:12:31,042 --> 00:12:32,500 "displeased with that. 269 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:34,542 "And I'm telling you because I love you. 270 00:12:34,667 --> 00:12:36,667 "And I can't encourage your lifestyle, 271 00:12:36,750 --> 00:12:39,000 "but I can encourage you to come to Jesus 272 00:12:39,042 --> 00:12:40,500 and change your lifestyle." 273 00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:42,542 So that's how we encourage. 274 00:12:42,667 --> 00:12:44,000 So there is no encouragement. 275 00:12:44,042 --> 00:12:47,083 This church is not apparently doing much, if anything, well. 276 00:12:47,167 --> 00:12:49,583 And then he has a number of rebukes for them 277 00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:52,167 and consequences if they disbelieve and disobey. 278 00:12:52,250 --> 00:12:55,500 The first is, he says they are lukewarm. 279 00:12:55,542 --> 00:12:58,500 And this is a very important thing to understand 280 00:12:58,542 --> 00:13:00,375 topographically. 281 00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:03,000 Again, as we're on this high plain, the question is, 282 00:13:03,042 --> 00:13:05,583 "Well, where does the water come from?" 283 00:13:05,667 --> 00:13:07,667 Well, it has to be piped in. 284 00:13:07,750 --> 00:13:09,375 And because of the mountain range, 285 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:12,333 and occasionally ice and snow, there is the possibility of 286 00:13:12,333 --> 00:13:15,083 acquiring cold water, potentially from springs 287 00:13:15,167 --> 00:13:17,000 in the area as well. 288 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 It's possible as well, because of the temperature and the heat, 289 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,167 to get what would be considered fairly hot water. 290 00:13:23,208 --> 00:13:25,875 But no matter what the source, and there's actually an ancient 291 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,333 water source that still exists just over the hill from us, 292 00:13:29,333 --> 00:13:31,542 called, I believe it's Pamukkale, 293 00:13:31,667 --> 00:13:34,333 ancient springs where there is mineral water that they would 294 00:13:34,333 --> 00:13:38,375 use for health spas and healing. There's still to this day 295 00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:41,667 a very popular health spa and hotel built 296 00:13:41,750 --> 00:13:44,042 right over the mineral springs. 297 00:13:44,167 --> 00:13:46,667 So the water source here was good in the valley, 298 00:13:46,750 --> 00:13:49,375 but there was nothing up here on the plain. 299 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:50,875 And so the question is, 300 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,875 "Well, how do you transport that water?" 301 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,583 Well, they built a very complicated aqueduct system 302 00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:58,042 so that that water would be brought here, 303 00:13:58,167 --> 00:14:01,500 but by the time it reached here, the hot water was just warm, 304 00:14:01,542 --> 00:14:03,667 and the cold water was just warm. 305 00:14:03,750 --> 00:14:05,500 And one of the constant complaints, 306 00:14:05,542 --> 00:14:09,000 in so far as we can ascertain, here in Laodicea was, 307 00:14:09,042 --> 00:14:11,667 it's really difficult to enjoy the water. 308 00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:14,250 How many of you are coffee drinkers or tea drinkers? 309 00:14:14,333 --> 00:14:15,667 Right. 310 00:14:15,708 --> 00:14:17,042 Cold is good, right. 311 00:14:17,167 --> 00:14:19,542 Iced coffee, you think about it right now, you say, 312 00:14:19,667 --> 00:14:21,000 "That sounds good." 313 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,083 Iced tea, really good. Hot coffee, hot tea. 314 00:14:23,167 --> 00:14:26,875 Lukewarm water, lukewarm tea, lukewarm coffee. 315 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,750 That's never good. 316 00:14:28,833 --> 00:14:30,167 And the point is, 317 00:14:30,250 --> 00:14:32,375 hot and cold is what they would have preferred, 318 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,083 but lukewarm is what they always had. 319 00:14:35,167 --> 00:14:38,167 And so what they would complain about was the lukewarm nature of 320 00:14:38,250 --> 00:14:40,333 their water source. 321 00:14:40,417 --> 00:14:44,167 What Jesus does— and here Jesus is functioning missiologically. 322 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:47,667 Jesus here is looking at the context of the culture, 323 00:14:47,750 --> 00:14:51,500 and he is trying to find a way to communicate to the people in 324 00:14:51,542 --> 00:14:55,500 a way that will be gripping to them and understood by them. 325 00:14:55,542 --> 00:14:57,333 And what he says basically, is this, 326 00:14:57,417 --> 00:15:00,375 "You know every morning when you get up and you don't have 327 00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:02,833 "hot water, and you can't really make your coffee, 328 00:15:02,833 --> 00:15:06,000 you can't really make your tea," or whatever it was in that day 329 00:15:06,042 --> 00:15:08,500 that they enjoyed, "and you put it in your mouth, 330 00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:10,000 "and you're complaining, and you're frustrated 331 00:15:10,042 --> 00:15:11,375 because it's unpleasant," 332 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:13,833 Jesus says, "Your church is like that to me. 333 00:15:13,917 --> 00:15:17,083 It's just lukewarm. It's not hot." 334 00:15:17,167 --> 00:15:19,500 And the heat here is in reference to passion, 335 00:15:19,542 --> 00:15:24,000 to enthusiasm, to excitement, to devotion, to sacrifice, 336 00:15:24,042 --> 00:15:26,500 to mission, to commitment. 337 00:15:26,542 --> 00:15:30,583 And Jesus is saying, "Just lukewarm, that's all you are." 338 00:15:30,667 --> 00:15:32,667 And he says, "It's displeasing to me, 339 00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:36,083 and as you will spit lukewarm drink out of your mouth," 340 00:15:36,167 --> 00:15:38,250 Jesus says, "If you don't repent, I'll spit you 341 00:15:38,333 --> 00:15:40,000 out of my mouth." 342 00:15:40,042 --> 00:15:42,833 And so he's here trying to capture their understanding of 343 00:15:42,833 --> 00:15:45,667 what it is like to be their God. 344 00:15:45,750 --> 00:15:50,333 Additionally this could refer to a normal, unregenerate person. 345 00:15:50,417 --> 00:15:54,167 A person who is not hot for God, is not passionate for the truth 346 00:15:54,208 --> 00:15:56,667 and things of God, but is just sort of lukewarm 347 00:15:56,750 --> 00:15:58,667 and indifferent. 348 00:15:58,750 --> 00:16:01,375 And you can't tell this until someone is receiving instruction 349 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:03,083 or correction. 350 00:16:03,167 --> 00:16:05,333 If they are hot for God, they'll respond. 351 00:16:05,417 --> 00:16:08,333 If they're not hot for God, there'll be no response at all, 352 00:16:08,417 --> 00:16:09,833 or it will be short lived. 353 00:16:09,917 --> 00:16:12,333 There's no real ongoing, sustained passion. 354 00:16:12,333 --> 00:16:15,667 Jesus' second rebuke is that they are wretched, 355 00:16:15,750 --> 00:16:18,167 pitiable, and poor. 356 00:16:18,250 --> 00:16:20,167 And again, this would have been quite shocking 357 00:16:20,250 --> 00:16:22,083 because they didn't see themselves as poor. 358 00:16:22,167 --> 00:16:24,833 Again, they were very affluent and rich. 359 00:16:24,833 --> 00:16:27,333 When they gathered together in their church and this letter 360 00:16:27,417 --> 00:16:30,542 was read perhaps by their pastor, you were looking at 361 00:16:30,667 --> 00:16:32,833 wealthy, affluent citizens. 362 00:16:32,917 --> 00:16:35,875 They not only had large homes, but vacation homes. 363 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,583 And they didn't do a lot of work because they had 364 00:16:38,667 --> 00:16:40,000 a lot of servants. 365 00:16:40,042 --> 00:16:41,875 And the businesses in town were theirs. 366 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,167 And Jesus shows up and says, "Though you are materially rich, 367 00:16:46,250 --> 00:16:49,333 you are spiritually poor." 368 00:16:49,333 --> 00:16:54,875 He says, "In my eyes, from the insights into your soul, 369 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:56,750 "you're poor. 370 00:16:56,833 --> 00:16:58,833 "There's not growth. There's not life. 371 00:16:58,833 --> 00:17:01,667 "There's not health in your soul. 372 00:17:01,708 --> 00:17:05,250 Your pockets are full, but your heart is empty." 373 00:17:05,333 --> 00:17:10,333 Additionally, he goes on and he says that they are naked. 374 00:17:10,333 --> 00:17:15,333 In that day this would have been an ultimate humiliation. 375 00:17:15,333 --> 00:17:17,833 Only those who had undergone tragedy, 376 00:17:17,917 --> 00:17:22,333 or were exceedingly poor, would have been seen with any degree 377 00:17:22,333 --> 00:17:24,333 of unclothedness. 378 00:17:24,333 --> 00:17:27,667 And so these people would have dressed very nicely. 379 00:17:27,708 --> 00:17:30,333 And in this town what helped to cause them to become 380 00:17:30,333 --> 00:17:33,375 so prosperous was for a good long while, 381 00:17:33,500 --> 00:17:37,333 this area was noteworthy for black wool. 382 00:17:37,417 --> 00:17:41,875 And they had black wool that was cultivated here from the sheep, 383 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,833 and as a result it was spun into fine clothing. 384 00:17:44,833 --> 00:17:49,000 Particularly outer garments, cloaks, coats if you will. 385 00:17:49,042 --> 00:17:51,000 And so people from all over the region, 386 00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:53,542 and perhaps all over the nation, they would have purchased 387 00:17:53,667 --> 00:17:55,000 their coats from here. 388 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,667 This was like getting your designer label. 389 00:17:56,750 --> 00:17:58,083 All right. 390 00:17:58,167 --> 00:18:00,167 This is your G-Star RAW, or your Armani, 391 00:18:00,208 --> 00:18:03,250 or whatever your brand is, the one that you wish you 392 00:18:03,333 --> 00:18:08,000 could afford, this is where that was created. 393 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,083 And so this is a fashion center. 394 00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:12,583 This is a clothing and textile center. 395 00:18:12,667 --> 00:18:15,250 And Jesus says, "Though you are physically clothed, 396 00:18:15,333 --> 00:18:17,542 I see you as spiritually naked." 397 00:18:17,667 --> 00:18:21,083 And it just goes to show, that just like Jesus says elsewhere, 398 00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:24,583 that man looks at the outward, and God looks at the heart. 399 00:18:24,667 --> 00:18:27,083 That you can look rich, and powerful, and successful, 400 00:18:27,167 --> 00:18:31,000 and educated, and affluent, and be spiritually impoverished, 401 00:18:31,042 --> 00:18:35,375 and blind, naked, and poor, not growing, not loving God, 402 00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:38,083 lukewarm towards the things of God. 403 00:18:38,167 --> 00:18:42,750 He goes on as well to say that they are blind. 404 00:18:42,833 --> 00:18:44,833 And again, this would have been quite shocking 405 00:18:44,833 --> 00:18:47,583 because one of the things that this city was known for 406 00:18:47,667 --> 00:18:49,333 was an ancient eye salve. 407 00:18:49,417 --> 00:18:52,583 When people had visual problems, or they had blindness, 408 00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:54,750 they would come here for a special salve 409 00:18:54,833 --> 00:18:59,042 that was created in this area, and it was connected to their 410 00:18:59,167 --> 00:19:03,375 very advanced, sort of naturopathic medical care. 411 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:05,875 And then this eye salve would be applied 412 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,667 and blindness would be cured. 413 00:19:07,750 --> 00:19:11,583 And so people would come here from miles away in an effort 414 00:19:11,667 --> 00:19:13,667 to be cured of their physical blindness. 415 00:19:13,750 --> 00:19:17,000 And Jesus says, "Isn't it ironic that in an area where there is 416 00:19:17,042 --> 00:19:20,167 "constant healing for visual blindness, 417 00:19:20,208 --> 00:19:22,667 "there is still spiritual blindness that is 418 00:19:22,708 --> 00:19:24,542 self-selected." 419 00:19:24,667 --> 00:19:27,375 The people have essentially closed their eyes to Jesus. 420 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:30,250 They've closed their eyes to the fact that they are sinners 421 00:19:30,333 --> 00:19:32,375 and that they need a savior. 422 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:34,500 And for them, their functional saviors 423 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:36,500 are saviors that cannot save. 424 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:40,000 They are saviors of success, saviors of comfort, 425 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,833 saviors of pleasure, saviors of provision. 426 00:19:43,833 --> 00:19:47,500 And so the real issue here is one where they are worshiping 427 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:50,833 comfort instead of Christ. 428 00:19:50,833 --> 00:19:53,833 And Christ is calling them to do that which is, for them, 429 00:19:53,833 --> 00:19:57,833 uncomfortable, and they would rather have comfort than Christ. 430 00:19:57,833 --> 00:20:00,583 And we can look at them, and we can judge them, 431 00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:03,333 and we could say, "Yes, that's how the haughty, pride, 432 00:20:03,417 --> 00:20:05,583 rich people of the world are." 433 00:20:05,667 --> 00:20:09,000 And let me just say this, for those of us who are Americans 434 00:20:09,042 --> 00:20:12,167 or live in the Western world, we tend to be the haughty, 435 00:20:12,250 --> 00:20:14,167 pride-filled, rich people. 436 00:20:14,208 --> 00:20:17,583 We live in an affluence and a lifestyle that is 437 00:20:17,667 --> 00:20:21,333 really unparalleled in the history of the world. 438 00:20:21,333 --> 00:20:23,500 Their homes were gigantic. 439 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:25,750 Most of our homes are similarly sized. 440 00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:28,167 Their homes had indoor plumbing, which was innovative, 441 00:20:28,250 --> 00:20:30,667 and we take it for granted. 442 00:20:30,750 --> 00:20:33,875 That for us, we're really not worried, most of us, 443 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,583 about whether or not we'll have clothes to wear tomorrow, 444 00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:39,583 water to drink, or food to eat. 445 00:20:39,667 --> 00:20:42,750 Instead we just assume that our affluence will continue. 446 00:20:42,833 --> 00:20:45,167 And it can lead us into a place of lethargy, 447 00:20:45,250 --> 00:20:47,500 where heaven doesn't feel like home, 448 00:20:47,542 --> 00:20:50,083 that this is a good enough paradise for us. 449 00:20:50,167 --> 00:20:52,000 Where Christ is not who we live for, 450 00:20:52,042 --> 00:20:54,583 but comfort is what we live for. 451 00:20:54,667 --> 00:20:57,583 And Jesus comes, and he says, "Though everything is going well 452 00:20:57,667 --> 00:21:00,750 "physically and materially, I'm very concerned for you 453 00:21:00,833 --> 00:21:04,500 spiritually because you've chosen comfort over Christ." 454 00:21:04,542 --> 00:21:06,667 And so then he goes on. 455 00:21:06,750 --> 00:21:10,250 But first I'd ask you just a few questions, 456 00:21:10,333 --> 00:21:12,875 so that we don't just hear about the Laodiceans 457 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,000 and then arrogantly stand back and judge them, 458 00:21:16,042 --> 00:21:18,333 but instead we humbly learn from them, 459 00:21:18,333 --> 00:21:22,000 knowing that in many ways we're prone to be just like them. 460 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,167 And if we don't do that, we end up just reading the Bible 461 00:21:25,250 --> 00:21:27,083 like religious people who judge others, 462 00:21:27,167 --> 00:21:29,000 rather than worshipers who allow the Scriptures 463 00:21:29,042 --> 00:21:30,667 to judge ourselves. 464 00:21:30,750 --> 00:21:34,083 So number one, would you say in your relationship with Jesus, 465 00:21:34,167 --> 00:21:36,167 is it cold, you really don't care? 466 00:21:36,208 --> 00:21:38,833 Is it lukewarm, you don't care very much? 467 00:21:38,833 --> 00:21:41,333 Or is it hot, you really do love Jesus, 468 00:21:41,333 --> 00:21:44,000 you really are motivated to get to know him better, 469 00:21:44,042 --> 00:21:46,000 you really do want to walk with him 470 00:21:46,042 --> 00:21:47,833 and by grace become more like him? 471 00:21:47,833 --> 00:21:51,000 Would you say you were cold, lukewarm, or hot? 472 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,833 And sadly, what sometimes happens is in Christianity, 473 00:21:53,833 --> 00:21:56,833 lukewarmness is accommodated and we just compare ourselves 474 00:21:56,917 --> 00:21:58,833 to those who are icy cold. 475 00:21:58,833 --> 00:22:01,583 And we think, "Well, I'm not as bad as they are." 476 00:22:01,667 --> 00:22:03,583 No, but we're not where we should be. 477 00:22:03,667 --> 00:22:06,333 Number two, would you say that the church you're in is 478 00:22:06,333 --> 00:22:08,542 cold, lukewarm, or hot? 479 00:22:08,667 --> 00:22:11,500 And sadly, I think that Jesus' word to the church that it's 480 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,875 lukewarm, could be a word that is appropriate 481 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,750 for many churches. 482 00:22:16,833 --> 00:22:20,250 Just lukewarm, not a real passion, not a real zeal, 483 00:22:20,333 --> 00:22:23,667 people aren't giving, praying, serving, caring, trying, 484 00:22:23,750 --> 00:22:26,000 risking, innovating. 485 00:22:26,042 --> 00:22:27,583 It doesn't bother them that people 486 00:22:27,667 --> 00:22:29,000 aren't becoming Christians. 487 00:22:29,042 --> 00:22:31,333 It doesn't bother them that lives aren't being transformed 488 00:22:31,333 --> 00:22:32,667 in large numbers. 489 00:22:32,750 --> 00:22:35,167 It doesn't bother them that everything is sort of just 490 00:22:35,250 --> 00:22:37,333 settled into a comfortable routine. 491 00:22:37,333 --> 00:22:40,667 You can kind of imagine it here: very affluent people 492 00:22:40,750 --> 00:22:43,500 going to church, and then going out to lunch, 493 00:22:43,542 --> 00:22:45,375 and then going on with their lives, 494 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,500 not applying anything that the Scriptures had really commanded 495 00:22:48,542 --> 00:22:52,375 them to believe, and ways to behave. 496 00:22:52,500 --> 00:22:57,333 Number three, what things keep you passionate, hot for God, 497 00:22:57,333 --> 00:22:59,542 to use the language here of Revelation? 498 00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:03,333 And do you carve that time out, and do you safeguard that time? 499 00:23:03,333 --> 00:23:06,667 Some of you say it's reading the Bible, it's time in prayer, 500 00:23:06,750 --> 00:23:09,083 it's time in fellowship with God's people, 501 00:23:09,167 --> 00:23:12,083 it's sitting under the preaching of God's Word. 502 00:23:12,167 --> 00:23:14,500 Some of you would say it's silence and solitude, 503 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:16,875 and just hiking, and getting time to clear my thoughts, 504 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 and to talk to the Lord. 505 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,542 Some of you would say it is journaling and prayerfully 506 00:23:21,667 --> 00:23:27,500 considering, with pen in hand or laptop in front, where I'm at, 507 00:23:27,542 --> 00:23:30,333 and what God is teaching me, and what I'm struggling with. 508 00:23:30,333 --> 00:23:34,833 And I would say that each of us has different ways by which our 509 00:23:34,833 --> 00:23:38,250 relationship with Jesus is cultivated and stays hot. 510 00:23:38,333 --> 00:23:40,667 And whatever that is for you, how's it going? 511 00:23:40,708 --> 00:23:42,167 Are you safeguarding that? 512 00:23:42,208 --> 00:23:43,750 Are you protecting that? 513 00:23:43,833 --> 00:23:46,833 Or are you allowing yourself to become lukewarm? 514 00:23:46,833 --> 00:23:50,833 Number four, what comforts keep you from being hot for God? 515 00:23:50,917 --> 00:23:53,667 Sometimes it is comfort over Christ. 516 00:23:53,708 --> 00:23:57,000 Say, "Well, I would read but I would rather do something else." 517 00:23:57,042 --> 00:23:59,333 And so sometimes it's surfing the Internet, 518 00:23:59,417 --> 00:24:03,875 and watching the television, and chasing our favorite shopping, 519 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,375 and consuming our goods and services, and filling our belly, 520 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:09,083 and taking our naps. 521 00:24:09,167 --> 00:24:11,250 And sometimes comfort does come before Christ. 522 00:24:11,333 --> 00:24:14,667 What are the things that keep you from being hot for God? 523 00:24:14,750 --> 00:24:17,667 Are you single and in a dating relationship where you 524 00:24:17,708 --> 00:24:20,375 want to be hot for God but the person you're with 525 00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:22,167 is icy cold or lukewarm? 526 00:24:22,208 --> 00:24:23,667 You know what you need? 527 00:24:23,750 --> 00:24:26,083 An ex-relationship, right? 528 00:24:26,167 --> 00:24:29,167 You need to look at the people and things that, for you, 529 00:24:29,250 --> 00:24:31,375 keep you from being hot for God, 530 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:35,250 and to, as much as you're able, proceed forward rather than 531 00:24:35,333 --> 00:24:38,583 retreating back into lukewarmness as a lifestyle. 532 00:24:38,667 --> 00:24:41,083 And number five, what parts of your life lack 533 00:24:41,167 --> 00:24:43,000 any sense of urgency? 534 00:24:43,042 --> 00:24:45,750 And that was really, I think, what Jesus is getting at. 535 00:24:45,833 --> 00:24:47,750 He's saying, "There's just no sense of urgency, 536 00:24:47,833 --> 00:24:49,250 and that's how you become lukewarm." 537 00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:52,500 The lukewarmness often comes when there's no sense of urgency 538 00:24:52,500 --> 00:24:55,083 for repentance, for life, for faith, for growth, 539 00:24:55,167 --> 00:24:57,833 for others to meet Jesus, for the forward progress 540 00:24:57,833 --> 00:24:59,250 of the church. 541 00:24:59,333 --> 00:25:01,167 So Jesus gives some commands and promises. 542 00:25:01,208 --> 00:25:03,333 He says, "Accept loving discipline." 543 00:25:03,333 --> 00:25:06,000 See, some of us are in positions where nobody ever gets 544 00:25:06,042 --> 00:25:07,500 to discipline us. 545 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:09,333 We're the parents, not the children. 546 00:25:09,333 --> 00:25:11,500 We're the bosses, not the employees. 547 00:25:11,542 --> 00:25:14,333 We're the ones who have organized our life outside of 548 00:25:14,417 --> 00:25:16,833 community, where nobody really ever has a right to put 549 00:25:16,917 --> 00:25:19,833 their finger in our chest and say, "You know, I love you, 550 00:25:19,917 --> 00:25:23,167 "but I really need to talk to you about that because I think 551 00:25:23,250 --> 00:25:24,583 that's a problem." 552 00:25:24,667 --> 00:25:26,833 And so Jesus says, "If somebody really loves you, 553 00:25:26,833 --> 00:25:28,333 "they're going to discipline you. 554 00:25:28,333 --> 00:25:29,667 "They're going to correct you. 555 00:25:29,750 --> 00:25:31,875 "They're going to point out flaws in your life, 556 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,333 and they're going to do so in a way to invite you to change." 557 00:25:35,333 --> 00:25:37,333 And Jesus says, "I'm doing that for you." 558 00:25:37,333 --> 00:25:39,500 And so sometimes when we hear criticism from Scripture, 559 00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:42,083 at first our defense mechanism can be to bristle against that. 560 00:25:42,167 --> 00:25:44,083 Jesus says, "No, I really do love you, 561 00:25:44,167 --> 00:25:45,833 "and I really am concerned for you, 562 00:25:45,917 --> 00:25:47,583 "and I really am displeased with you, 563 00:25:47,667 --> 00:25:49,333 "but I really want to help you. 564 00:25:49,333 --> 00:25:50,667 So accept correction from me." 565 00:25:50,750 --> 00:25:53,583 And sometimes that comes through God's people who love us enough 566 00:25:53,667 --> 00:25:55,500 to tell us the truth. 567 00:25:55,542 --> 00:25:57,667 He goes on to say, "Be zealous." 568 00:25:57,708 --> 00:26:00,083 Now, the Holy Spirit wants you to be zealous. 569 00:26:00,167 --> 00:26:02,333 God can enable you to be zealous. 570 00:26:02,417 --> 00:26:06,833 And if you are willing, God can ignite passion and zeal, 571 00:26:06,917 --> 00:26:11,000 if that is something that you are availing yourself to. 572 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,375 So if you're lacking zealousness, you simply say, 573 00:26:13,500 --> 00:26:15,667 "Okay, Lord Jesus, you want me to be hot? 574 00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:17,083 "Teach me to be hot. 575 00:26:17,167 --> 00:26:18,500 "I want to be hot. 576 00:26:18,542 --> 00:26:21,542 "And Holy Spirit, ignite, continually reignite 577 00:26:21,667 --> 00:26:23,583 that passion for Jesus." 578 00:26:23,667 --> 00:26:25,375 Number three, he says, "Repent." 579 00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:28,833 And that is: have a change of mind that leads to a change of 580 00:26:28,833 --> 00:26:30,500 direction and a change of life. 581 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:32,167 And again, over and over and over, 582 00:26:32,250 --> 00:26:34,000 the Bible talks about repentance. 583 00:26:34,042 --> 00:26:37,083 Repentance is not something we just do to become Christians, 584 00:26:37,167 --> 00:26:41,083 but it's an ongoing, humble series of moments where we 585 00:26:41,167 --> 00:26:44,833 acknowledge that what we believe or how we behave is wrong. 586 00:26:44,833 --> 00:26:48,500 And so we have a change of mind that leads to a change of heart 587 00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:51,583 that leads to a change of direction, and a changed life. 588 00:26:51,667 --> 00:26:54,375 And when Martin Luther, when he nailed the "95 Theses" 589 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:56,500 to the Wittenberg door, which was the beginning, 590 00:26:56,542 --> 00:26:59,750 the sort of opening salvo of the Protestant Reformation, 591 00:26:59,833 --> 00:27:02,000 the opening line was essentially, 592 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,083 "All of a Christian's life is one of repentance." 593 00:27:05,167 --> 00:27:09,542 If you stop repenting, you'll start growing lukewarm. 594 00:27:09,667 --> 00:27:11,500 That's the big idea. 595 00:27:11,542 --> 00:27:14,000 If you're always right, always defending yourself, 596 00:27:14,042 --> 00:27:17,583 always blaming others, always judging others without judging 597 00:27:17,667 --> 00:27:22,667 yourself, always excusing yourself, overlooking errors, 598 00:27:22,708 --> 00:27:27,083 follies, faults, flaws, failures in your life, 599 00:27:27,167 --> 00:27:29,500 that's how you become lukewarm. 600 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:31,833 And the way we stay hot is repentance. 601 00:27:31,917 --> 00:27:35,167 And that's where we turn from sin, and we come back to Jesus. 602 00:27:35,250 --> 00:27:39,042 He goes on to say, as well, that he wants to be in the church. 603 00:27:39,167 --> 00:27:41,375 And how many of you have heard this line, 604 00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:43,375 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 605 00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:46,375 If you open the door I'll come in and eat with you." 606 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:47,875 And usually that verse is told 607 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,500 as like the great evangelism verse. 608 00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:52,000 "Hey, Jesus is here today, he's knocking on the door 609 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,333 of your heart." 610 00:27:53,417 --> 00:27:55,333 The truth is the church had a door, 611 00:27:55,417 --> 00:27:56,750 and they locked Jesus out. 612 00:27:56,833 --> 00:27:58,250 Jesus couldn't go to their church. 613 00:27:58,333 --> 00:27:59,750 He was too, perhaps, controversial. 614 00:27:59,833 --> 00:28:01,333 He was too opinionated. 615 00:28:01,333 --> 00:28:03,042 He was too strong willed. 616 00:28:03,167 --> 00:28:04,583 He was too divisive. 617 00:28:04,667 --> 00:28:06,583 And so the church decided, "We'll get together, 618 00:28:06,667 --> 00:28:08,667 but we don't want Jesus to come." 619 00:28:08,750 --> 00:28:11,333 And Jesus says, "When you guys get together for church, 620 00:28:11,333 --> 00:28:13,167 "I see you in your building, 621 00:28:13,250 --> 00:28:15,542 "and you all walk in in your nice clothes, 622 00:28:15,667 --> 00:28:18,667 and yet I show up and you guys shut and lock the door." 623 00:28:18,750 --> 00:28:21,583 And so the image here is of the Lord Jesus outside banging 624 00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:24,333 on the door of the church that has the name Christian 625 00:28:24,417 --> 00:28:25,750 on the placard, right? 626 00:28:25,833 --> 00:28:27,750 And they open the peephole, "Who is it?" 627 00:28:27,833 --> 00:28:29,167 "It's me." 628 00:28:29,208 --> 00:28:31,375 And they're like, "No, we don't take your kind. 629 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:33,250 "You're going to tell us to repent. 630 00:28:33,333 --> 00:28:35,000 "You're going to tell us we're wrong. 631 00:28:35,042 --> 00:28:38,000 "You're going to tell us to give money, and time, and effort, 632 00:28:38,042 --> 00:28:40,000 "and we have a very nice social club, 633 00:28:40,042 --> 00:28:41,667 "and there's some very important people here. 634 00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:43,667 "These guys have degrees, these guys have rims 635 00:28:43,750 --> 00:28:45,667 "on their chariots, these guys have seven wives. 636 00:28:45,750 --> 00:28:48,167 "None of them really like what you have to say. 637 00:28:48,250 --> 00:28:49,750 "So we're deadbolting the door. 638 00:28:49,833 --> 00:28:51,333 We'll see you after church." 639 00:28:51,333 --> 00:28:53,250 There are churches like that. 640 00:28:53,333 --> 00:28:56,250 There are denominations like that. 641 00:28:56,333 --> 00:28:58,167 I mean, it's tragic. 642 00:28:58,208 --> 00:29:01,333 I've actually been invited to preach at places, 643 00:29:01,417 --> 00:29:04,500 when I get up they'll say things like, "Now, you know, 644 00:29:04,500 --> 00:29:07,875 do you have to say the name of Jesus so much?" 645 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,375 "Why?" 646 00:29:09,500 --> 00:29:12,083 "Well, you know, people, God they're okay with, but Jesus, 647 00:29:12,167 --> 00:29:13,500 "that's a little divisive. 648 00:29:13,542 --> 00:29:14,875 "We start talking about Jesus, 649 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:16,583 "some people are going to get offended. 650 00:29:16,667 --> 00:29:18,333 "And not everyone here is a Christian. 651 00:29:18,417 --> 00:29:19,833 "Some people have other religions. 652 00:29:19,917 --> 00:29:22,042 Does it have to be so strong on Jesus?" 653 00:29:22,167 --> 00:29:23,500 Yes or no? Well, yeah. 654 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,000 As soon as they tell me that, it's like, "Well, 655 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,083 now I'm going to say 'Jesus' way more than I was planning on." 656 00:29:29,167 --> 00:29:30,500 Right? Because it's about Jesus. 657 00:29:30,542 --> 00:29:32,250 And the hope for people is Jesus. 658 00:29:32,333 --> 00:29:34,000 And the help for people is Jesus. 659 00:29:34,042 --> 00:29:35,500 The healing for people is Jesus. 660 00:29:35,542 --> 00:29:38,500 Christianity for us is not just a lifestyle, or a social club, 661 00:29:38,542 --> 00:29:41,000 or a way of living that is moral and upright 662 00:29:41,042 --> 00:29:42,667 that is good for the whole family. 663 00:29:42,750 --> 00:29:45,875 It really is meeting Jesus, having him take our sin, 664 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,375 give us his righteousness, fill us with the Holy Spirit 665 00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:51,375 so that we're hot for God, and by the grace of God, 666 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:53,083 we grow to increasingly be like Jesus. 667 00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:55,000 That changes our life, our family's life, 668 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,833 our community's life, by the grace of God, our church's life. 669 00:29:57,833 --> 00:29:59,875 But it all begins and ends with Jesus. 670 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,583 And my question to you is this: 671 00:30:01,667 --> 00:30:03,333 Is Jesus really welcome in your life? 672 00:30:03,417 --> 00:30:05,083 Is Jesus really welcome in your home? 673 00:30:05,167 --> 00:30:06,833 Is Jesus really welcome in your church? 674 00:30:06,833 --> 00:30:09,000 And is he welcome when he tells you something 675 00:30:09,042 --> 00:30:10,375 you don't want to hear? 676 00:30:10,500 --> 00:30:13,375 Some of you say, "He's welcome as long as he says things like, 677 00:30:13,500 --> 00:30:14,833 'I love you.'" 678 00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:16,500 You're like, "I'm okay with that." 679 00:30:16,542 --> 00:30:18,000 But he says, "I rebuke you." 680 00:30:18,042 --> 00:30:19,500 "Well, I'm not okay with that." 681 00:30:19,542 --> 00:30:22,000 And it's an issue of lordship, and sovereignty, and submission. 682 00:30:22,042 --> 00:30:23,375 Who's in ultimate authority? 683 00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:26,042 So then he says, number five, "Listen to the Holy Spirit. 684 00:30:26,167 --> 00:30:28,833 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit 685 00:30:28,833 --> 00:30:30,167 says to the churches." 686 00:30:30,250 --> 00:30:32,375 The Holy Spirit is always talking to God's people. 687 00:30:32,500 --> 00:30:34,583 Primarily through Scriptures, which he inspired to be written 688 00:30:34,667 --> 00:30:36,000 through human servants and authors. 689 00:30:36,042 --> 00:30:38,042 He also speaks through circumstance, 690 00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:39,500 through other believers. 691 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:41,167 If we believe the Holy Spirit 692 00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:42,583 is speaking to us, 693 00:30:42,667 --> 00:30:46,083 and he always is, we need to check that by the Word of God, 694 00:30:46,167 --> 00:30:49,083 we need to check that by the people of God and the leaders 695 00:30:49,167 --> 00:30:51,583 that God has placed over us, like 1 John says, 696 00:30:51,667 --> 00:30:53,833 "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits 697 00:30:53,833 --> 00:30:55,833 to see whether or not they're from God." 698 00:30:55,833 --> 00:30:59,167 Those are ways in which we test what God might be saying to us 699 00:30:59,250 --> 00:31:00,667 through the Holy Spirit. 700 00:31:00,708 --> 00:31:02,042 The question is always, 701 00:31:02,167 --> 00:31:04,250 "God, what are you trying to say to me?" 702 00:31:04,333 --> 00:31:07,250 And he says, "If you listen to me, two things will happen, 703 00:31:07,333 --> 00:31:09,875 you'll eat with me and sit on a throne with me." 704 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,042 Now, in that day, the greatest honor was to eat with a king. 705 00:31:13,167 --> 00:31:15,042 You didn't get to eat with a king. 706 00:31:15,167 --> 00:31:16,500 Jesus says, 707 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:18,500 "I'm the King of kings, Lord of lords. 708 00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:20,667 "I'll let you sit down and eat with me. 709 00:31:20,708 --> 00:31:23,083 And not only that, sit on a throne with me." 710 00:31:23,167 --> 00:31:25,833 Now, in that day, the emperor was a man named Domitian. 711 00:31:25,833 --> 00:31:28,500 He was a horrendous man. He had a few military successes. 712 00:31:28,500 --> 00:31:31,083 But what would typically happen is when an emperor would die, 713 00:31:31,167 --> 00:31:33,833 when a political leader would die, then they would declare him 714 00:31:33,833 --> 00:31:36,333 a God because he went into the spirit world. 715 00:31:36,417 --> 00:31:39,000 With Domitian, he decided, "Before I die, 716 00:31:39,042 --> 00:31:41,042 "in fact, at the beginning of my reign, 717 00:31:41,167 --> 00:31:43,042 I'm going to declare myself to be God." 718 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,583 So, he had very high self-esteem, we'll just say that. 719 00:31:45,667 --> 00:31:47,583 So, Domitian declared himself to be three things: 720 00:31:47,667 --> 00:31:50,333 lord, god, and savior. 721 00:31:50,417 --> 00:31:54,500 Well, obviously those words belong exclusively to Jesus, 722 00:31:54,542 --> 00:31:56,875 so there is competition with Christianity. 723 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,375 And to make sure that everybody knew he was god, 724 00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:02,750 in the cities he had temples built for him to be worshiped 725 00:32:02,833 --> 00:32:04,375 as a god. 726 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:06,375 They had an Olympics-style games where the judges 727 00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:08,542 would wear headdresses. 728 00:32:08,667 --> 00:32:11,333 And typically, historically, it had the image of various gods 729 00:32:11,333 --> 00:32:12,667 and goddess. 730 00:32:12,750 --> 00:32:14,500 He put his image there as well. 731 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:16,833 He named two months of the year after himself, 732 00:32:16,917 --> 00:32:19,333 just so they would all know how important he was. 733 00:32:19,417 --> 00:32:22,375 He started reminting the coins and put his own face on it. 734 00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:24,083 With one he's holding a lightning bolt, 735 00:32:24,167 --> 00:32:26,500 saying he's basically Zeus. 736 00:32:26,542 --> 00:32:30,250 He's the leading god of the universe. 737 00:32:30,333 --> 00:32:33,000 He was also a man who started systematically 738 00:32:33,042 --> 00:32:34,875 persecuting Christians. 739 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,167 Some called him "The Beast" and he may be the beast 740 00:32:38,208 --> 00:32:40,000 of Revelation 13. 741 00:32:40,042 --> 00:32:41,667 He may be that beast. 742 00:32:41,750 --> 00:32:44,583 That may, in fact, be the Roman emperor, Domitian. 743 00:32:44,667 --> 00:32:47,333 And what's interesting about him as well, 744 00:32:47,333 --> 00:32:50,583 is that the military was very loyal to him, 745 00:32:50,667 --> 00:32:54,000 and he would enforce through a heavy-handed rule of law. 746 00:32:54,042 --> 00:32:56,083 He taxed people very unjustly, 747 00:32:56,167 --> 00:32:58,833 and then he paid soldiers very lavishly. 748 00:32:58,833 --> 00:33:01,375 So you wonder, "How did he get away with this?" 749 00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:04,083 Well, he just paid the soldiers to enforce his martial law. 750 00:33:04,167 --> 00:33:07,167 What happened then is people grew very wary of him. 751 00:33:07,208 --> 00:33:10,167 Even his own wife plotted in his murder. 752 00:33:10,250 --> 00:33:12,583 Ultimately Domitian was killed, and this is outside of 753 00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:15,833 the Bible, but it is told that when they came to stab him, 754 00:33:15,833 --> 00:33:18,833 he opened his arms and he said, "Feel free to stab me. 755 00:33:18,833 --> 00:33:21,000 I will not die because I am a god." 756 00:33:21,042 --> 00:33:23,750 And they stabbed him, and he realized he wasn't a god, 757 00:33:23,833 --> 00:33:25,500 and he said something I can't repeat. 758 00:33:25,542 --> 00:33:27,000 But that's how the story goes. 759 00:33:27,042 --> 00:33:30,167 Now, what happens then is when Domitian dies, everything with 760 00:33:30,250 --> 00:33:33,167 his face inscribed upon it is eradicated. 761 00:33:33,208 --> 00:33:37,333 He is banished, he is--and this is the worst thing that 762 00:33:37,333 --> 00:33:40,542 can happen to a ruler in Rome, and that is that they 763 00:33:40,667 --> 00:33:43,500 try to obliterate the memory of your existence. 764 00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:46,667 So the statues, the temples were taken down, 765 00:33:46,750 --> 00:33:48,875 his image was destroyed. 766 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,667 But during this time, who was seated on the throne? 767 00:33:52,750 --> 00:33:54,833 Domitian. 768 00:33:54,917 --> 00:33:58,667 And what Jesus is saying is, "I've got a throne above Domitian's. 769 00:33:58,708 --> 00:34:01,667 "I'm a ruler that rules above him. 770 00:34:01,750 --> 00:34:04,000 "But I'm not a ruler like Domitian. 771 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:06,375 "I'm a loving ruler. 772 00:34:06,500 --> 00:34:08,833 "If you'll come to me, I'll forgive your sin. 773 00:34:08,917 --> 00:34:13,000 "If you come to me, I will heal your life. 774 00:34:13,042 --> 00:34:16,083 "If you come to me, I'll let you sit at my table 775 00:34:16,167 --> 00:34:17,750 "and feast with me. 776 00:34:17,833 --> 00:34:21,375 If you come to me, I'll let you sit on the throne with me." 777 00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:25,000 Jesus is saying, "I'm completely different than Domitian." 778 00:34:25,042 --> 00:34:27,875 When you hear that Jesus is King, you think of loving, 779 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:32,250 humble, gracious, generous, servant king. 780 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:34,250 That's the kind of king that Jesus is. 781 00:34:34,333 --> 00:34:37,833 And so what happens here is, I think it's in Revelation 3:21, 782 00:34:37,833 --> 00:34:40,250 it talks about the throne, and then it proceeds 783 00:34:40,333 --> 00:34:43,000 forward to talk about, at the end of chapter 3, 784 00:34:43,042 --> 00:34:47,167 that Jesus is high and exalted and seated on a throne. 785 00:34:47,250 --> 00:34:50,375 And this is the conclusion of the seven letters. 786 00:34:50,500 --> 00:34:54,167 And the big idea from this point forward is the throne. 787 00:34:54,208 --> 00:34:56,875 It appears 45 times in Revelation. 788 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,167 It appears in 14 of the 22 chapters. 789 00:34:59,250 --> 00:35:03,042 And Jesus is the one seated on the throne. 790 00:35:03,167 --> 00:35:06,000 This goes all the way back to Isaiah 6, where Isaiah says 791 00:35:06,042 --> 00:35:09,542 600, 700 years before Jesus was even born on the earth, 792 00:35:09,667 --> 00:35:13,875 he says, "I saw heaven open, and I saw one seated on a throne. 793 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,833 "And he was high and exalted. 794 00:35:15,917 --> 00:35:17,667 "And the angels worshiped him. 795 00:35:17,750 --> 00:35:21,167 "And they cried, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 796 00:35:21,250 --> 00:35:23,333 Heaven and earth are full of his glory.'" 797 00:35:23,333 --> 00:35:26,333 The question is, who is that king seated on that throne? 798 00:35:26,333 --> 00:35:31,042 John 12:40-41, he says, "Isaiah saw Jesus 799 00:35:31,167 --> 00:35:33,500 and spoke of his glory." 800 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:36,000 And so from this point forward in Revelation, 801 00:35:36,042 --> 00:35:40,667 it picks up this theme, this imagery, this typology 802 00:35:40,708 --> 00:35:43,875 of a throne on which sits a king, 803 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,833 and he's the one who rules. 804 00:35:45,833 --> 00:35:47,542 And we belong to him. 805 00:35:47,667 --> 00:35:50,333 And if we submit to him, and if we follow him, 806 00:35:50,333 --> 00:35:53,500 and if we repent of sin to him, and we trust in him, 807 00:35:53,542 --> 00:35:55,667 this is a King who gave us his life. 808 00:35:55,750 --> 00:35:57,667 This is a King who died for us. 809 00:35:57,750 --> 00:36:01,167 This is a King who rose to create a kingdom in which we can 810 00:36:01,208 --> 00:36:04,250 have our sins forgiven, we can have our eternity altered, 811 00:36:04,333 --> 00:36:07,375 we can feast with him, and sit upon a throne with him, 812 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:10,875 which means that Jesus is promising them even a more 813 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,833 generous and lavish life than the one they were enjoying 814 00:36:13,833 --> 00:36:15,667 here in Laodicea. 815 00:36:15,750 --> 00:36:18,500 So this is the image of Jesus. 816 00:36:18,500 --> 00:36:22,000 He agrees with the Father in all things, we read here. 817 00:36:22,042 --> 00:36:24,000 That's what "amen" means. 818 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:25,500 It means, "I agree." 819 00:36:25,542 --> 00:36:28,000 It says that he is faithful, that he is truthful. 820 00:36:28,042 --> 00:36:29,750 That he was there at the beginning. 821 00:36:29,833 --> 00:36:31,250 And he is our Creator God. 822 00:36:31,333 --> 00:36:34,083 And he is our King. 823 00:36:34,167 --> 00:36:37,042 And so the word to Laodicea was simply that. 824 00:36:37,167 --> 00:36:39,167 This is who Jesus is. 825 00:36:39,250 --> 00:36:41,167 And the church did continue here, 826 00:36:41,208 --> 00:36:43,667 and around 363 there was a Christian council 827 00:36:43,750 --> 00:36:45,333 that was held here. 828 00:36:45,333 --> 00:36:47,875 Eventually this area was completely abandoned, 829 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,042 and there is not a church here today. 830 00:36:50,167 --> 00:36:53,000 And sadly, basically, the whole region has grown lukewarm 831 00:36:53,042 --> 00:36:56,500 toward Jesus as God, Savior, King, and Christ. 832 00:36:56,542 --> 00:36:59,167 There are a handful of believers scattered in this general area, 833 00:36:59,250 --> 00:37:03,167 but it is not a place that is well known for Christianity. 834 00:37:03,250 --> 00:37:06,000 And so we're going to close our time in prayer, 835 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,750 and we're also going to examine our own hearts and ask, 836 00:37:08,833 --> 00:37:11,000 "How are we doing in our walk with Jesus?" 837 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,083 Individually, as a family, corporately as the church. 838 00:37:14,167 --> 00:37:16,583 Are we lukewarm, indifferent? 839 00:37:16,667 --> 00:37:19,875 Is the light of the gospel starting to dim? 840 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,750 Or is it growing brighter, and brighter, 841 00:37:21,833 --> 00:37:24,667 and brighter as we repent of sin, and come to Jesus, 842 00:37:24,750 --> 00:37:27,250 and see him as exalted King seated on a throne, 843 00:37:27,333 --> 00:37:29,500 who's benevolent, gracious, and good, 844 00:37:29,542 --> 00:37:31,833 and the one in whom we trust? 845 00:37:31,833 --> 00:37:34,583 And so Father, we do thank you for this word that 846 00:37:34,667 --> 00:37:37,250 the Lord Jesus delivers through your servant John, 847 00:37:37,333 --> 00:37:40,167 to the people who lived here in Laodicea. 848 00:37:40,208 --> 00:37:44,333 God, it's amazing that just around the corner was actually 849 00:37:44,333 --> 00:37:49,167 that church building where these people met, and heard this word. 850 00:37:49,250 --> 00:37:54,375 And God, we thank you that you love us enough 851 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:56,375 to tell us the truth. 852 00:37:56,500 --> 00:38:01,333 That you don't lie to us, and pretend with us. 853 00:38:01,333 --> 00:38:03,250 You're not a flatterer. 854 00:38:03,333 --> 00:38:05,583 You're not an enabler. 855 00:38:05,667 --> 00:38:08,333 That God, instead, you are a Savior 856 00:38:08,417 --> 00:38:10,833 and you are one who loves. 857 00:38:10,833 --> 00:38:14,167 You're one who loves us enough to be honest with us. 858 00:38:14,250 --> 00:38:17,083 And we thank you that the image here of Jesus is 859 00:38:17,167 --> 00:38:19,500 big, and global, and cosmic. 860 00:38:19,542 --> 00:38:21,875 That he's a King seated on a throne, 861 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,375 but he's not a king like Domitian. 862 00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:26,500 He's not heavy handed. 863 00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:28,375 He's not mean spirited. 864 00:38:28,500 --> 00:38:30,542 He is not greedy. 865 00:38:30,667 --> 00:38:32,500 He's generous. 866 00:38:32,542 --> 00:38:35,750 He doesn't want to crush us, he wants to invite us to turn 867 00:38:35,833 --> 00:38:37,667 from sin and trust in him. 868 00:38:37,708 --> 00:38:41,167 And so God, we want to, on this day, pray for this region, 869 00:38:41,250 --> 00:38:43,750 and we want to pray for those handful of people 870 00:38:43,833 --> 00:38:45,750 who do know you here. 871 00:38:45,833 --> 00:38:48,500 That they would be hot for you and that the gospel 872 00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:49,875 would continue forward. 873 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,375 And we want to pray for ourselves and our churches. 874 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:54,833 Lord God, we know that we are prone towards lukewarmness, 875 00:38:54,833 --> 00:38:57,167 and some of us are lukewarm now. 876 00:38:57,250 --> 00:39:01,375 Even this word isn't stirring our hearts as it should. 877 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:04,167 God, please give us a holy unsettledness, 878 00:39:04,208 --> 00:39:08,667 a disturbance in our soul, whereby lukewarm is not enough, 879 00:39:08,750 --> 00:39:10,875 and it's not acceptable, and it's not something that 880 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,167 we are willing to accommodate in our life. 881 00:39:14,250 --> 00:39:18,500 Please help us to repent of sin, to remove whatever would keep us 882 00:39:18,542 --> 00:39:20,583 from being hot for you. 883 00:39:20,667 --> 00:39:24,000 And Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are such a good King. 884 00:39:24,042 --> 00:39:27,667 We thank you that not only did you know what was going on in 885 00:39:27,708 --> 00:39:30,667 the church of Laodicea, that you do know what is going on 886 00:39:30,708 --> 00:39:32,042 in our churches as well. 887 00:39:32,167 --> 00:39:34,000 And so, God, we love the whole church, 888 00:39:34,042 --> 00:39:37,000 so we pray for every church, and we pray for the leaders 889 00:39:37,042 --> 00:39:38,667 of the churches that we personally know, 890 00:39:38,750 --> 00:39:41,375 that they would be hot, that their people would be hot, 891 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:43,875 that there would be a passion and fervor for Jesus, 892 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,667 in whose name we pray, amen.