Revelation (Revelation 3: 14-22)

[00:00:00] Speaker A: A group of villagers were yelling words in Spanish that I probably should not translate here today. Now, I couldn't do that anyway, but I don't think they were appropriate words for church. After five long days of camping in. [00:00:20] Speaker B: The middle of a village in the. [00:00:22] Speaker A: Andes mountains, on a mission trip where we had hiked a lot, where we had worked a lot and played lots of soccer, there were several unbathed, nasty teenage boys on our team, and they. [00:00:39] Speaker B: Had claimed that they had found a. [00:00:41] Speaker A: Creek to take baths in to wash off in. If you don't know this, in the Andes mountains, most of the villages collect water at the top of the mountain over their village during the rainy season. [00:00:58] Speaker B: And throughout the rest of the year. The water flows through handmade irrigation systems. [00:01:05] Speaker A: Down to the village. [00:01:07] Speaker B: And the nasty, sweaty, stinking, adolescent men. [00:01:13] Speaker A: On our team had found not what they called a creek, but the village's water system. [00:01:22] Speaker B: And they had decided that that's where. [00:01:24] Speaker A: They were going to take a bath after not having a bath for five or six days. And so this is. This caused the village to be in an uproar. The gringos are contaminating our water system. And they were yelling and they were screaming to get these guys out of not the creek, but their water. I can tell you that was great for ministry. The village really liked us and trusted that us, these people from North America that were camping out in their village. But as North American kids who've grown up in a very affluent culture where they just kind of reach up and turn knobs and hot water comes out of the wall, they probably never thought about how that happens. The water is hot because their parents pay the bills. They didn't understand how this village was so dependent upon this water system that was running to their houses, that was running to their streets where they needed. [00:02:31] Speaker B: This water, and here they had contaminated it. It just blew their mind. This is their water. [00:02:37] Speaker A: This is what they take baths in. They didn't understand the dependency of these faults on this stream. But the reality is we all live in sort of a godlike convenience, self sufficiency that numbs the reality that we are creatures, not the Creator, and that. [00:03:01] Speaker B: We are dependent upon the Creator for all things. Because we live in a world with. [00:03:07] Speaker A: Such godlike convenience, we forget this. I mean, in this moment, in some sense, you could be omniscient. You want to know something? You pull out your phone, you Google it. It's getting more sophisticated now. You AI IT or ChatGPT it. You just find out what you want to know. You can be Omnipresent like God with a screen. Talk to people halfway around the world. [00:03:35] Speaker B: In, in just a couple of hours. [00:03:38] Speaker A: You could be in New Orleans or Florida, you could be wherever you want to be. Convenience. We live lives as if we are sovereign like God. Many of you are controlling the climate in your home with your phone right now. You left home, you got. Well, it's a little more warm than I thought. You pull out your phone and you change the heating or the air in your home with your phone and it. [00:04:11] Speaker B: Seems like we are like God, providers of what we need. [00:04:17] Speaker A: Some of you may even have groceries waiting on your porch when you get home because you ordered it on your phone and Walmart's just going to put it there. We don't have to plant, we don't have to wait for things to grow and harvest. So there's not this dependence on God that we live with. And the reality is church can be easy for us. We make it a little harder around here. Get in from the parking lot, but. [00:04:47] Speaker B: It can be easy. No one was saying you can't go to church today. [00:04:51] Speaker A: You may lose your life for going to church today. [00:04:54] Speaker B: Church is for the most part convenient. [00:04:59] Speaker A: We have the Bible on our phone. [00:05:03] Speaker B: I didn't get to read my Bible. [00:05:04] Speaker A: Today, so I'll just listen to it. [00:05:06] Speaker B: On the way to work. We can have a celebrity lead us. [00:05:12] Speaker A: In prayer with our phones for 299amonth. [00:05:19] Speaker B: Christianity is convenient. And so much of what we experience in everyday life and even in Christian life numbs us to our real dependency upon God. It doesn't cost us anything where we. [00:05:39] Speaker A: Have to wait and lean in and. [00:05:44] Speaker B: Depend on God to do something because it seems like we're doing it all. That's dangerous. And it was very dangerous for the church of Laodicea. [00:05:57] Speaker A: This self doing numb them to the. [00:06:00] Speaker B: Desperate reality that we only survive in this life and we cannot make it. [00:06:07] Speaker A: Spiritually unless we are downstream from the source of all truth in life. Who is Jesus? And that's what we see first of all in the text today. Jesus is the source of truth and life. Notice verse 14 and to the angel. Now remember this has been mentioned throughout every letter in these seven letters to the churches. This refers to the messenger. It could be the pastor. Many believe it was guardian angels that looked over the churches. But this is to the messenger of the church in Laodicea. And he says right now this church was probably founded by Epaphras, the pastor of the church of Colossae. As a matter of fact, when we read Colossians we understand that the letter. [00:06:58] Speaker B: Of Colossians was also to be read. [00:07:00] Speaker A: To this church of Laodicea. And so they were in the same network of churches as the church in Colossae. But notice the words. [00:07:11] Speaker B: Write the words of the Amen. This just the word Amen means, yes, it's true. When we pray, we say, yes, it's true. This will happen in the name of Jesus. Amen. And so here Jesus is described as the Amen, meaning He is the final word. He is the word that makes everything true. [00:07:35] Speaker A: And notice he, he is the faithful and true witness. [00:07:40] Speaker B: The word faithful means reliable. [00:07:43] Speaker A: He's trustworthy. [00:07:44] Speaker B: He's also true, which means genuine and real. And so Jesus is the final word. He is the trustworthy word. He is the word that has been proven. He is the witness that always tells the truth about God. So he is the source of truth. This means that Jesus determines all reality. He defines for us who God is. And you've got to know who God is to know who you are. God is the One that determines what is real and right. You can't know yourself and you don't know how to live. You don't know why you exist apart from Jesus. He is the source of reality, but he's also the source of life. [00:08:35] Speaker A: Notice the words of the Amen. The faithful and true witness the beginning of God's creation. Now, this doesn't mean that he was created. It means that he was before God's creation. He is the king of God's creation. We might translate this. He is the origin of, or source of God's creation. [00:08:59] Speaker B: What this means is that everything comes from Jesus. Everything that has been created comes from Him. He is the Source of all things. So not only is he the source of truth and reality, he is the source of everything we see, everything that we know before us in creation. And he will be the source of. [00:09:21] Speaker A: New creation and, and new life. [00:09:24] Speaker B: This means that your life only makes. [00:09:26] Speaker A: Sense when it is downstream from Jesus. When you realize you are dependent upon Jesus for all things. To know yourself, to know the world around you, and you are in line. [00:09:39] Speaker B: With what comes from him, the truth and life that comes from Him. You can't live in his world apart from Him. [00:09:48] Speaker A: And to disconnect from him is to live in a fake, not real, false world that doesn't give you life, but depletes you. So the degree that you are disconnected from Jesus, you are living in a fake world. The degree to which you are living. [00:10:08] Speaker B: Apart from Jesus, you are living in. [00:10:10] Speaker A: A world that doesn't give life, but that is sucking you dry and, and depleting you. [00:10:16] Speaker B: And this is something this church in. [00:10:18] Speaker A: Laodicea did not understand. They were struck with a self sufficiency. They thought they were doing the ministry. [00:10:28] Speaker B: They thought they were responsible for the truth and life and not Jesus. [00:10:34] Speaker A: And as we'll see, this is church suicide. This self deficiency makes Jesus sick. And so Jesus is the source of truth and life. But then next we see the lie that makes Jesus sick. And here is the lie, you are enough. Believing the lie that you are enough that makes Jesus sick. And I know we got people at home today who got a stomach virus. You may want to turn the livestream off at this point because this is going to make you even more sick. [00:11:08] Speaker B: But the lie that makes Jesus sick. [00:11:10] Speaker A: Is that you are enough. Notice verse 15. He says, I know your works. Now Sardis and here, Laodicea are the two churches where Jesus has nothing good to say about them or it is the strongest rebuke. And in both situations it is a self righteousness, it is a self sufficiency. [00:11:31] Speaker B: But for this church there is no commendation. He is sick of this church. [00:11:36] Speaker A: And why he says, you are neither hot, no, you're neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot. Now Jesus isn't saying here, which some interpret or teach in light of this passage, that Jesus is calling us to. [00:11:56] Speaker B: Either be really on fire for him, sold out for him. And if you're not going to be sold out for Jesus, then it would just, you should just be cold toward Jesus. [00:12:05] Speaker A: Jesus doesn't want us to be cold toward him. That's not what Jesus is teaching here. There's imagery all around this city that has to do with water. And north of Laodicea was Hierapolis. [00:12:21] Speaker B: And there, there were these hot springs. [00:12:24] Speaker A: That were used for healing and their water was used for medicinal purposes. And then below Laodicea there was colossae and there, there was cool refreshing water. [00:12:40] Speaker B: And what he's saying is you're in the middle and you're useless. It's not, I would rather you be cold if you're not going to be hot. He's just saying, unlike these other two. [00:12:52] Speaker A: Places, you are useless. Notice he says so because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold. I will spit you out of my mouth. I will vomit you out of my mouth. [00:13:08] Speaker B: So at this place between the hot springs and the cold refreshing water, here in Laodicea they would have had a sort of a plumbing system that would run from these Other two places across mountains and it would run to their city. But because there was no natural source to give them water and they were depending on these other two places. By the time the water got to. [00:13:34] Speaker A: Laodicea, it was lukewarm. [00:13:37] Speaker B: And because of their stone aqueduct system, the water would often calcify. And so it was warm and it was also calcified. And so people would travel through the city and they would see the water and they would reach down and get them a gulp and immediately vomit it. [00:13:57] Speaker A: Out on the streets. And Jesus says, that's what you are to me. You are like useless water. You don't bring healing, you don't bring refreshment. [00:14:08] Speaker B: You are useless, you are vomitus, you are putrid. And why is this? [00:14:15] Speaker A: As we've said, it's because of their self sufficiency, which is described next. Notice, verse 17. This is why you make me sick. For you say, I am rich and I have prospered and I need nothing. This is the boast of this church. You see, the wealth of the city had bled over into the church. They were living affluent lives just like the rest of the city around them. This city was at an intersection of three main roadways and it connected them to Ephesus and Smyrna and Sardis. [00:14:50] Speaker B: And so there was a lot of. [00:14:51] Speaker A: Business that just came in to Laodicea. [00:14:55] Speaker B: And they were very wealthy. They were known for their banking. They were known for the surplus of wealth and money in this city. [00:15:05] Speaker A: And in 60 AD there is a story that when this earthquake comes, and we talked about that with Philadelphia, and this city is turned to rubble as. [00:15:18] Speaker B: Well, when the Romans came in with disaster relief and said to Laodicea, we're going to help you rebuild your city. [00:15:26] Speaker A: They said, we don't need your help. [00:15:29] Speaker B: We have plenty of money here. We have plenty of resources here. And this is what the church in. [00:15:36] Speaker A: Laodicea is now saying to Jesus. [00:15:40] Speaker B: They are benefiting from the wealth of the city. They are benefiting for the affluence. And just like the city around them, they are looking to Jesus and saying, we don't need your help. We have plenty of resources. We can do the things that we need to do without you, Jesus, why would we need your help? [00:16:03] Speaker A: This is why Jesus would warn us that it is impossible for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God in and of himself. He cannot do it. He can't buy the kingdom. And it's really hard for a rich man to know that he needs the kingdom. Because when you have abundance of resources, it numbs you to your creaturely status. [00:16:26] Speaker B: That you are dependent upon God for all things. [00:16:29] Speaker A: You think you are the one that provides for yourself. [00:16:33] Speaker B: You pay the bills, you get the groceries. [00:16:36] Speaker A: It's all about you and what you do. But when you live in poverty and you're scrounging for your next meal, you're closer to the spiritual reality that you are desperate and that you are spiritually bankrupt. You see this church, even in amidst great wealth, they began to think of themselves as spiritually wealthy. They began to confuse the two. Our money can do the things that we need to do spiritually. [00:17:16] Speaker B: And they were numb to their condition, that they were in desperate need of God. [00:17:21] Speaker A: Even spiritually, they were in need of. [00:17:24] Speaker B: God to do anything for them, which is what Jesus describes next. You are boasting that you have all of this stuff, you have all of these resources, and that you don't need me. [00:17:36] Speaker A: Well, realize this verse 17 continues that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. [00:17:48] Speaker B: You're boasting that you got a lot of stuff and that you don't need me. And you're wealthy materially. And now that's bleeding over into you, thinking you are wealthy spiritually. But here's the reality. You are wretched. You are wretched. [00:18:10] Speaker A: And this refers to our sinful debt. [00:18:13] Speaker B: Deadness before God. [00:18:15] Speaker A: We are wretched before God. I know we don't like to hear. [00:18:18] Speaker B: That, but it's true. [00:18:21] Speaker A: God is saying that here you're wretched. This refers to the fact that we in our sin are separated from God. Sin separates us from God. [00:18:37] Speaker B: We are born with a sin. [00:18:39] Speaker A: Nature means we are born separated from God. And you know what that sin nature. [00:18:43] Speaker B: Does because we're separated from God, it. [00:18:45] Speaker A: Causes us to sin. And what does that sin do? Further separates us from God. [00:18:52] Speaker B: This is the wretchedness in which we all live. [00:18:57] Speaker A: And notice he says pitiable. I'm just going to say pitiful because I don't like saying pitiable. I don't think I'm saying it right, but pitiful. And this refers to our pathetic, helpless condition. [00:19:12] Speaker B: So not only are you dead in your sin, you are helpless and pathetic to do anything about your sin. Why? Because you sin. And then that's why he says you are poor. You are insufficient because all you produce is sin. And your best of works is tainted with sin. The water that you bring to God because of your hands, they're dirty with sin is dirty and filthy. Isaiah would say that your best righteousness is as filthy rags that is dirty and used Toilet paper. [00:19:55] Speaker A: You can't bring that to God. [00:19:58] Speaker B: You are dead and you are helpless and you are insufficient. You can't pay off your debt because all you have to pay with is sin. [00:20:07] Speaker A: Or righteousness that is tainted with sin. And then he says, you're blind. This refers to the condition of the heart, meaning our heart is marked with. [00:20:17] Speaker B: Sin to the point that we can't see ourselves rightly. Jeremiah says that our heart is wicked and it's desperate and it lies to us. You know what your heart says? You're not that bad. It's not that bad. You're not wretched. You can help yourself. You got things to offer God, but you're blind in that way. You don't see reality. You don't see your sin for what it is. [00:20:47] Speaker A: And then he says, naked. And this describes the spiritual condition of being exposed by God. Just like Adam in the garden. You think you can hide your sin from God. Things that you do are just running from God. You can't. [00:21:04] Speaker B: You're exposed before God as a guilty wretch who is pitiful, poor, blind and condemned in your sin. This is who we are spiritually. And so the church is bragging. We got a lot of stuff, we can do whatever we want to. [00:21:23] Speaker A: He says, oh no, you don't understand how wretched you are, how helpless you are, how poor you are. You don't understand how blind you are. You don't understand how guilty you are to walk around bragging about who you are. You don't get it. And this is suicide for a church and it's spiritual suicide for you. And I let me ask you this. Today as you come in here, do you feel dead? Do you feel weak? Do you feel empty? Do you feel lost? Do you feel guilty? You lack peace. Good. Because that's who you are. And the lie that would kill your soul today is for you to come in here and say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's not that bad. [00:22:24] Speaker B: I can be good. [00:22:26] Speaker A: I can change. I can give enough, I can do enough, I can serve enough. [00:22:32] Speaker B: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's not that bad. I can create a resume of church. [00:22:40] Speaker A: Stuff and spiritual stuff that will cover my nakedness and guilt before God. [00:22:46] Speaker B: I can do it. I'm self sufficient. I have the riches that I need to pay God back and to cover up all of my sin. I can help myself. [00:23:02] Speaker A: That is a lie that would send you to hell today and it would keep you from the truth that will make you happy. So the lie that will send you to hell is that you're enough. [00:23:18] Speaker B: The lie that makes Jesus sick is for you thinking you are enough. But the truth that will make you happy is that only Jesus is enough. Which is what we see in verse 18. Jesus says, this is who you are. Quit thinking and deceiving yourself and thinking you are enough, because you're not. And there's good News. Notice verse 18. [00:23:45] Speaker A: I counsel you to buy from me. [00:23:49] Speaker B: If you really understand the condition you're in. Good. [00:23:55] Speaker A: Because I got something for you. Notice he says, buy. And this is just a way of using the idea of currency. You can't buy what you need because you don't have it, but you can come to me, which we read earlier in Isaiah 55, you come to God without money, without anything. That's the way you buy from God. [00:24:19] Speaker B: Notice if you come to me, I have gold refined by fire so that you may be rich. Now, we read in the Bible, specifically. [00:24:27] Speaker A: In Peter, that this idea of burning. [00:24:30] Speaker B: Gold makes it pure. [00:24:32] Speaker A: It burns the impurities from it and. [00:24:34] Speaker B: Makes it valuable what it is. And here when he talks about gold refined by fire, he is pointing to the cross where Jesus suffers. Jesus is the one who suffers on the cross to give you gold, the only gold that can pay your debt. It is suffering refined by fire. It is the payment of the cross that he's talking about here, the precious blood of Christ. The only thing that is sufficient to save you from your sin, what you don't have, but Jesus does, what Jesus has done. [00:25:08] Speaker A: And notice white garments that you may clothe yourself and shame. [00:25:12] Speaker B: The shame of your nakedness may not be seen. You realize that you're guilty before God and you can't hide. Well, I have something for you to cover your guilt. [00:25:23] Speaker A: Laodicea was known for their clothing industry. They made very fine clothes. They were known for looking great. Designer clothing took a lot of pride in that. Well, Jesus says, you can't cover yourself the guilt before God. You can't do anything about the condemnation. But if you understand that I have something to clothe yourself with, and in revelation we understand that the believer will. [00:25:54] Speaker B: Ultimately be clothed in white garments, that ultimately points to the righteousness of Christ. And so if you realize that you're guilty and condemned and you have no righteousness, Jesus says, I got something for you. It is his righteousness. When you believe in Christ alone, his life and death for you, you are justified. We define this all the time around here. You are credited with his life. And it is though you have never sinned and you've always obeyed. And so here Jesus would say, if you realize that you have sinned and you've rarely obeyed, and you deserve hell for that, well, I've got something for you to cover that up, my righteousness. So look to me. Look to me for the gold that will, that is sufficient to pay the debt of your sin. Look to me for the garments that will cover your guilt and sin. [00:26:53] Speaker A: And notice, he says, and this is why my grandparents said it, salve solve, I guess is what some more refined folks would say and solve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Not only was the city known for their fine clothing, they were also known for their medicine. And one of the things that they had in the city was this ointment that was made from crushed rocks that they would put on the eyes. And so it was as though people who could not see their vision was healed by this oil or ointment. And here Jesus says, I got something better than that for you. Something better than what you can create yourself with the rocks in your city. I've got vision for you that will open your blind eyes to reality. And here he points to the fact that we must look to Christ again to understand the world around, around us. You don't understand God, you don't understand life, and you don't understand what we've been talking about so far, your sin. Until you see Christ. And that's what revelation is going to show us. This Lamb that is worthy and he. [00:28:15] Speaker B: Is righteous, and he has been slain for our sin. And we are to see him high and lifted up as the only one who controls human history, as the only one good enough to give us what we need, we're to see him high and lifted up. And when we, our eyes are open to Christ, who is exalted, and we see him high and lifted up, Holy, holy, holy. [00:28:37] Speaker A: We then understand who we are. I'm not him. And Jesus says, I can open your eyes to that if you look to me. [00:28:46] Speaker B: And when you see that and you see your sin, I've got the payment for your sin. I've also got something to cover up your sin, which is me. Jesus is offering himself here. So instead of covering your sin with your insufficiency, you bring it to Christ as currency. That's how this deal works. You bring the sin Jesus gives you. [00:29:13] Speaker A: Sufficiency, pays for the sin, gives you what you need. That's the currency that you bring into this. Hey, what do I owe you, Jesus? Give me your sin, your insufficiency. I'll give you everything you need if you realize who you are and what you do not have. This is so he gets all the glory. That's what he wants, is the glory. [00:29:42] Speaker B: And so that's why he exposes us for who we are, so we would look to him and him only to save us of our sin. In the passage that Pastor Eric Read earlier, Isaiah 55, verses 1 and 2, there is this call, and I'm just going to move back through it again. This call. Everyone who thirsts, everyone who has been depleted, come to the waters. He who has no money. The only person that can come to Christ is the one who has nothing and understands they have nothing. And then you come and you buy and you eat and come buy wine and milk without money and without price. You come and you trust in me alone. You don't bring anything to the table but your sin and your insufficiency. And then the question is asked, why do you spend your money for that which isn't bread? Why are you spending your time and energy for things that will not provide, will not save you, will not cover your sin. And you labor for that which will not satisfy. It will not bring you happiness. Only Christ will. Because only Christ has paid for your sin and can cover your unrighteousness. And the prophet Isaiah says, listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourself in rich food, food you can't buy. Come and enjoy it. And some of us are coming to the table going, I can't enjoy it. [00:31:11] Speaker A: Because I didn't pay for it. Oh, you don't understand the gospel. You bring your sin and insufficiency, and you come and you delight in Christ. The sufficient payment for your sin, eternal. [00:31:27] Speaker B: Wrath poured out on the Son of God that you deserve, that you can never pay for his righteousness. I sin, I fail, but I'm covered. [00:31:42] Speaker A: In his goodness and obedience. And Jesus says, don't. [00:31:48] Speaker B: You can't offer me anything for that. What are you going to give me for that? [00:31:53] Speaker A: Just come and delight in it. [00:31:55] Speaker B: Come and glory in it and trust in it. And here, this is a call to real life, giving fellowship, which is what we see Next. [00:32:07] Speaker A: Notice verse 19, this rebuke. You are sinful, you are weak. I know we don't want to hear that in the world in which we. [00:32:18] Speaker B: Live, where we idolize self. [00:32:20] Speaker A: Self is good, self is right. Self needs to be worshiped. And we're saying, no. Self is wicked and wretched. Notice he says, those whom I love, I reprove and discipline so that Jesus isn't being mean to you by explaining your condition to you, he's loving you. [00:32:41] Speaker B: So when you hear that, don't hear, oh, he's being mean to me. No, he's loving you. He's saying, this is who you are, so look to me. That is his love in your life. Conviction of sin. The rebuke is to experience the love of Christ. The call to turn from self sufficiency that nauseates Jesus is his love. And notice he says so be zealous and repent. [00:33:08] Speaker A: What does that mean, zealous? It means to be aggressive and intentional in turn. [00:33:13] Speaker B: What it means is I'm pursuing sin. I'm pursuing the things of this world. I'm even pursuing a righteousness with all my heart, with all my effort trying to cover up my sin. And the same sort of intentionality and aggressiveness and passion that you are pursuing all these things, you turn from them and you pursue Jesus. You buy from him gold. You pursue the garments. You try to. You want to open your eyes to Jesus with the same intentionality that you are pursuing the other things. That's what repentance means. It doesn't mean just tack Jesus onto the life you're living as you continue in sin. No, it means with the aggression that I'm pursuing sin now I pursue Jesus. [00:33:58] Speaker A: And it's God's love that is calling us in this direction. Notice verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him. Now this is to the church. This church has locked Jesus out because they don't think they need him. He's not in the church. [00:34:22] Speaker B: He's left the church. [00:34:23] Speaker A: They pushed him out of the church. And here Jesus stands at the door and knocks. And we often think about this. [00:34:31] Speaker B: And Jesus is outside looking in the window and he's so sad. [00:34:33] Speaker A: Why won't they let me in? No, the knock here is thunderous. I guess that metal fits with the metal in our church. The metal side of the building, the wood building. Here it is a thunderous knock from Jesus. And notice he says, if anyone hears. [00:34:53] Speaker B: My voice, the voice of Jesus is loud and clear. Turn from your sin. And if anyone would hear and open the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. Now all of that is used to describe this intimate fellowship that the church and individuals in the church can have. If they would hear this call and turn from their sin and turn to Christ, see their insufficiency and turn to Christ, he will come in and he will be the one to dine with them. So not only is he going to give us what we need, he will come in and be what we need in the church. It is an invitation to commune with Christ, to know Christ, to fellowship with Christ. But when your storage is packed and your pantry is stocked and your closet is full, Jesus at the door sounds. [00:35:51] Speaker A: Like an annoying salesman. I don't need what he's offering. Everybody hide. [00:35:57] Speaker B: Get under the table. [00:35:58] Speaker A: So maybe he'll go away. And that's the way some of us are treating this call of Jesus. I don't need him. And here's the reality. Only the insufficient will open the door, invite him in. It's also to cause us to remember who Jesus dined with. It wasn't the religious, it wasn't the powerful. Only a very few rich. It was the tax collectors and sinners. Why, when they saw him, they were like, he has what I need. They invited him in. The insufficient will invite him in and fellowship with him. And notice the promise, verse 21, the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne. Again, this idea of co rulership with Christ, when we believe in the Son, in the Son, we get all the inheritance of the Son. The Father is going to give the Son the kingdom. And if you're in the sun, what. [00:37:02] Speaker B: He teaches here is that you get the kingdom too. He will sit on my throne. [00:37:08] Speaker A: And notice, he says, as I also conquered and set down, so based on what I've already done at the cross. [00:37:17] Speaker B: Jesus dies three days later. He is raised up and then he is ascended to the right hand of God. He has proven to be victorious and he gives us his victory. You conquer through what he has done in conquering sin and death. That rule is given to you. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. What is the Spirit saying to this church? You are insufficient and you need Jesus in your church. [00:37:44] Speaker A: Open the door or you won't rule with him. You'll be judged by Him. You see, the Romans knew of the wealth of Laodicea. [00:37:56] Speaker B: And anytime soldiers were in this city. [00:37:59] Speaker A: They would just barge into homes and. [00:38:03] Speaker B: They would make the people prepare them. [00:38:05] Speaker A: Dinner, give them food, and take what they needed from the citizens of this city. And here Jesus saying, I'm not that way. The rule that I give is a rule that comes with fellowship with me. I'm not here to take from you. You don't have anything I need. [00:38:26] Speaker B: I'm here to give. To give myself and to give a kingdom. And one of the points here is all other kingdoms take. [00:38:35] Speaker A: You know why? [00:38:36] Speaker B: Because they need from us. They need from us to function. [00:38:43] Speaker A: They need the tax dollars. They need the stuff. Not Jesus. He doesn't need anything from us. So the kingdom he brings, it doesn't deplete us. It is grace and mercy that he. [00:38:54] Speaker B: Gives to us in his life and fellowship with him. [00:38:59] Speaker A: You see, we are drained. We are worn out, and we are miserable because we are giving ourselves over to responsibilities and sources of life and pleasure that don't return anything back to us. All of our responsibilities, for the most part, take more of us than give back to us. We would say that about a lot of our relationships. [00:39:28] Speaker B: It requires that we give, and in most relationships, to love. [00:39:32] Speaker A: You're not getting as much as you think you should in return. We're being drained. But with this king who is the source of truth and life, we get him who is sufficient, and we get a kingdom that never runs dry. And it never takes from us. It just gives and gives and gives and gives. You wouldn't go over to the mountain spring and dip out a bucket and drink it and. And then go to your kitchen and get the bucket and say, oh, I took from the mountain spring. [00:40:08] Speaker B: I got to pour back. [00:40:09] Speaker A: No, it's not the way it works. It's all sufficient. It's overflowing forever. If you would realize your insufficiency and you would turn to him. As I talk about this and this call to repentance, for some of us, this call is just irritating. I've come here today, and as you've talked about Jesus turning to Jesus. [00:40:37] Speaker B: Really. [00:40:37] Speaker A: Pursuing Christ, that's just one more thing to fit in my schedule. That's often the way we think about Jesus and the things of God. Read your Bible, pray, serve your church. Oh, my goodness. That's one more thing I have to do. Well, zealous repentance looks like this. You're in a room where you're cluttered and there's people all around, and you can't hear the one knocking on the door because of all the stuff. And zealous repentance would look like this. [00:41:11] Speaker B: Everybody, get out. [00:41:14] Speaker A: Some of our moms were. That sounded familiar. You heard that? [00:41:17] Speaker B: You're like, get out of the house. Y' all acting crazy. [00:41:20] Speaker A: Get out. [00:41:22] Speaker B: But some of us need to do. [00:41:23] Speaker A: That with the houses of our life. [00:41:25] Speaker B: Everything else, get out. [00:41:27] Speaker A: Because I can't hear Jesus right now. [00:41:30] Speaker B: You've cluttered your life with people and things and activities, and you can't hear the loud thunderous knock. It's faint. Because you think you're sufficient and the things that you've cluttered your life with are sufficient to satisfy and they are not. So everybody get out. And the only person invited back in first is Jesus. That's what repentance looks like and that's what it should look like daily in your life. Jesus comes first when you wake up. It's the word of God in prayer. Why I can't clutter my life with anything else until I've met with Jesus and fellowshiped with with Jesus. So we say this around here. It seems to be the answer to every question that we often give. And it's just true and it's reality. Spend time every day away from everything else, devices and everything else, with a physical Bible reading and praying to God where no one can distract you. And you just do that every single day at the same time and the same place. [00:42:41] Speaker A: Place. Oh, I need to sleep. Well, you need Jesus more than sleep. [00:42:49] Speaker B: I got all these things. [00:42:50] Speaker A: You need Jesus more than any of that. And so pick the time, pick the place, get away with Jesus, commune with. [00:42:58] Speaker B: Him, the one who's knocking at the door. And then you say, what do I have capacity for next? [00:43:05] Speaker A: Well, you have responsibility of work, family and church. But you're not going to be ready for that until you've spent time with Jesus. We as a church aren't going to be ready for anything we're called to do until we've worshiped and spent time with Jesus collectively and individually. And then we decide what else fits in the room. Commitment to health and our fandom and. [00:43:27] Speaker B: Travel ball and things that could be good but aren't necessary. I'm not cluttering my life with those things that are going to distract me from Jesus. I'm not sufficient enough to do that. I will deplete myself. I will run myself ragged and be miserable if Jesus doesn't come first. [00:43:51] Speaker A: And then we're slowly weaned from things that just only deplete the binge, watching the scrolling, the gossip calls. We deplete our life of those things that just deplete us. Why? Because Jesus is sufficient. We're weaned off of things that take. We're drawn closer to the one who gives. In closing, I just want to ask this question before we come to the Lord's table today. This is the call of Christ to open the door and fellowship with him, to commune with him. And again, we're not going to be the church that we need to be. Unless we're all committed to that. It's very simple. Read your Bible and pray. Be committed to community and church and worship. Just make Jesus first. But I want you to think about this question. [00:44:46] Speaker B: What would change in your life if. [00:44:48] Speaker A: Jesus were not present? If Jesus were not present when, what would change? Are you sufficient to live the life that you're living now? Maybe nothing would change because you're functioning on self sufficiency and not Christ. Do you get that? Would you obey the same just sort of out of grit and discipline? The things that you do for Christ, you're doing by your own power anyway. So if Jesus wasn't present, you'd still do those things. [00:45:27] Speaker B: You'd solve your problems the same way. [00:45:29] Speaker A: If Jesus weren't present by your own wisdom, there would be no prayer, no. [00:45:35] Speaker B: Counsel in the word of God and other people. [00:45:40] Speaker A: You kind of get what I'm saying. The question is, is he present or are you just functioning with your own self sufficiency anyway? Maybe he's not present. You see, he wasn't present at this church. They had cut off the supply and Jesus is about to walk away. And they would never know. They would never know. [00:46:03] Speaker B: See how dangerous that is? [00:46:04] Speaker A: This has been terrifying to me this week. Absolutely terrifying. [00:46:10] Speaker B: Because I thought, could I write and preach the same sermons without Jesus? There's a tinge in me to say, yeah, I think I could do that. And that's dangerous too because that's pride. Does this come from Christ? [00:46:29] Speaker A: Well, are we dependent on Christ in the word of God first and foremost? [00:46:34] Speaker B: Could you do the same things you do without Christ? And I want to challenge every leader. [00:46:39] Speaker A: In this church today. [00:46:41] Speaker B: Every leader, if you lead anything, a bfg, whatever you lead. We do nothing as a church until we have spent time with Jesus. Whatever responsibilities you have here is the qualification first and foremost to fulfill those responsibilities. To be in the word of God and to be in prayer every day. It's not that that's going to make you qualified, it's what's going to make you sufficient to lead anybody else in this church. Leaders, we need to be before the mountain spring before we lead others. And then every leader in this church and leader, I don't even know who all the leaders are anymore. [00:47:26] Speaker A: But if you lead something and you're. [00:47:28] Speaker B: Responsibility responsible for other people, don't do one thing in your ministry without praying. One thing when you gather, hopefully we do this anyway. I'm taking responsibility to say we got to do it before you meet with kids in your class. You Pray before you teach those kids on Wednesday night the memory verse. [00:47:52] Speaker A: You pray. [00:47:53] Speaker B: You pray that it would be the word of God that would come alive in their hearts. We pray and we are in the Word of God. Ministry team leaders weekly we send out prayer requests for our ministry team. We're going to stop functioning like we're doing all of this. [00:48:13] Speaker A: Hopefully we're not doing that anyway. I'm just scared to death that we. [00:48:17] Speaker B: Could do all of this without Jesus. [00:48:21] Speaker A: No, we want this to be about Christ. We want this church. I know it's going to be long today. We still got the Lord's table. We want this church to be only something dead, helpless, poor, blind, naked sinners could accomplish. You know why? Because Jesus is the one doing it. And so we got to be in touch with our helplessness and we got. [00:48:46] Speaker B: To be in the word of God and we've got to be in prayer. What would change? And then ask yourself the question. What would change if you began walking closer to Christ? You began remembering the gospel? And Jesus has what I need, so I got to be close to him every day, communing with him. How would your joy change? How would your contentment change your confidence and courage to share the gospel? Here's the reality. You can live in the lie that you're enough or the truth that only Jesus is enough. This is good news, by the way. [00:49:24] Speaker A: And I say all of this as a pastor who loves this church more, sometimes more than anything. This has got to be about Jesus, guys. It's got to be about Jesus. Are we going to live in the lie that we're enough for the truth, that Jesus is enough?