WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 There's an old saying, the secret to good living is to show moderation in all things. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:12.000 If you're a high age or thereabouts, you'll have heard that lots of times. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.000 My father will live by that up to a point. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.000 Don't go overboard. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:21.000 Don't go to extremes. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Don't become obsessive. Don't become overly invested in anything. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:29.000 Show moderation in all things. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:32.000 In lots of ways, it makes sense, doesn't it? 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.000 The question I'm going to put you now is, 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:39.000 can we abide to our commitment to Christ? 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.000 It doesn't work in the church. 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.000 So what are the rest of the words with this? 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:50.000 Alcohol is fine. Just don't get wasted. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.000 Getting fit and looking good is important. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.000 Just don't become a gym junkie or obsessed with your appearance. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.000 Fast food is good. Just don't have it all the time. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.000 Fine to be passionate about your hobby or gaming online, 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.000 but just don't let it take over your life. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:16.000 But is that good enough when we talk to our commitment to Jesus? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:22.000 About our commitment to the body of Christ, this local church that we are over here? 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:32.000 I suspect that it does describe how a lot of Christians think you live. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.000 And so you hear things like this. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:39.000 Well, it's absolutely essential for me to have Jesus in my life. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:43.000 To know His forgiveness, to know His acceptance, to know the promise of heaven. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:49.000 Following Jesus is an absolutely important part of the agenda of my life. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:55.000 It's great to be involved in the church. It's great to be involved in this church. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.000 With like-minded people. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:59.000 People with like-minded children. 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:01.000 So my children can live with your children. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.000 All those things are really good. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:10.000 But we need to remember it's also important not to go overboard. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.000 Sometimes Christians just go overboard. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:23.000 Becoming too obsessive about all this talk about hearing God's word. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:29.000 Constantly talking about growing and maturing by addressing sin and pursuing holiness. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:33.000 Constantly pushing us to speak the truth in love to one another. 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:36.000 And not to exist with broken relationships. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.000 Pushing us to be a distinct counterculture with our family and friends and neighbors and workmates. 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.000 Yes, it's all good, but sometimes it can just be too obsessive. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.000 Moderation in all things. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:03:05.000 Well friends, I want to say to you this morning, the words of Jesus cut through this comfortable, lukewarm view of commitment to Him. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:10.000 As He says to His church in Laodicea, and wait for it, brace for it, 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.000 You make me sick. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 The old versions have vomit. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.000 You make me want to throw up. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 You make me want to spew. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:25.000 However you look at that word, that's a very strong word. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:28.000 It's not a language we would normally speak to people. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.000 And here's the challenge this morning. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:41.000 This is something we need to consider personally. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:47.000 Is it a possibility that that is what Jesus might be saying to you this afternoon? 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:56.000 Is it possible that Jesus might think of our church as a unit together? 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:03.000 I'm going to pause now and just pray so that we might be able to proceed with these confronting words. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:04.000 Let me pray. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:09.000 Lord, your word always challenges us. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:10.000 It burns us. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.000 And particularly now, Lord, we need your help. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.000 We pray that we might genuinely be able to sit under it. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:24.000 Begging you, Lord, even as we face these confronting words, to expose ourselves to ourselves. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.000 So we might see ourselves as you see us. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:31.000 And that we might be able to turn to you and make corrections as they're necessary. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.000 Help us to hear. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.000 Help us to thank you, Lord, for pursuing us and pointing out where we need to be corrected. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.000 And I pray in Jesus' name. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:46.000 Now, as I normally do, and have done through these seven letters, 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.000 we need to do some revision just to bring us up to date and get fresh again 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:56.000 what we're trying to do in this series, this Church Reset series based on Revelation 1-3. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.000 And the aim of the series, you might remember, is to get us thinking primarily. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:07.000 Thinking about what? Well, thinking about our strengths and weaknesses as a church. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.000 Thinking about how we think about church. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:17.000 And where necessary, making changes in either our own thinking or our practices to get it here. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:24.000 So we might bring our thinking and our practices into line with what Jesus wants and demands of his church. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:34.000 And we said that revelation is, by definition, the word means, is a revealing of the events of our world from God's perspective. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.000 And we said right through, it's a real eye-opener. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:41.000 It's a real eye-opener to see how Christ thinks about his church. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Even now, as he rules the world from heaven, as Lord of this heaven and earth, 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.000 the church is central to his attention. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.000 It's his passion. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:52.000 It's his passion. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:53.000 Always has been. 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:54.000 Always will be. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.000 It's central to God's purposes and salvation. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:03.000 And then it was a real eye-opener on top of that. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.000 In these seven letters, remember we said that seven symbolizes completeness? 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:12.000 And so Jesus is writing to his church in all generations. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:20.000 He's died for community, resurrection community, in local churches like this one. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.000 And what does Jesus demand? 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:26.000 He demands that local churches like this reflect his passion. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:33.000 My passion is this, says Jesus, and I expect to see it reflected in churches. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:45.000 And so these seven letters together, as I've said over weeks now, have become a diagnostic snapshot of the health of our church and churches generally. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.000 And they've been confronting, haven't they? 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:58.000 Jesus demands that we maintain our first love, our passion for them, and that we don't give our hearts away to somebody else. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.000 We don't allow someone else or something else to steal our hearts. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:11.000 We've got to be committed to serving Jesus, even if it means feeling the hatred and exclusion of this world. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:23.000 We've got to avoid creeping compromise, things that would just generally knock the edges off our distinctiveness as Christ's people. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.000 Challenging words, exposing words. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:32.000 But the beauty of these letters is that Jesus doesn't write us off when our failures are exposed. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:40.000 Rather, in each of these letters, he generously and graciously calls us back to himself. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:44.000 He calls us back into that struggle to be faithful to him. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:52.000 And he does so with the promise of help and healing through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:58.000 And he does so with a wonderful encouragement of being with him and being like him in heaven. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.000 The letters all end up in the same place. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:08.000 There's everything to gain from hearing the words of Jesus and responding to them. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:16.000 Now, without sort of introduction and a bit of revision, let's jump into these verses here now at the church at Laodicea. 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:25.000 And ask the question, what on earth is it that would make Jesus say that he wants to throw up? 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:31.000 It's not language used to people, is it? 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.000 The answer is very clear here. It's given right before us. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:38.000 What makes Jesus want to throw up? 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:42.000 Insipid or lukewarm Christians. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:45.000 Verses 15 and 16. 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:51.000 Now, as with every one of these letters, Jesus starts by saying, I know. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:59.000 Jesus clearly knows every thought, every action, every attitude within his church. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.000 And more than that, he knows the local situation. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:05.000 He is, after all, the Lord of the universe. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:08.000 And he uses the detail of the local situation. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.000 Once again, we've seen it every week, to reinforce his point. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:15.000 So, this hot and cold thing. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.000 Well, the city of Laodicea had a problem with water supply. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:29.000 On the north side of the city were some very, very famous and well-used hot thermal springs. 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.000 The water was laden with lime. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:37.000 Beautiful to bathe in, but everybody knew that if you tried to drink it, you would immediately vomit. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:44.000 Hot, laden with lime, looks sparkling, looked delicious. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:47.000 But it would make you throw up. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.000 Those springs were very close to the city. 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.000 Their drinking water, however, had to come about 10 kilometers from the south of the city. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.000 And it was piped in earthenware pipes. 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.000 It came from a mountain spring. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.000 And as it left that spring, it was cold and clear and fresh. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:12.000 10 kilometers later, it was tepid. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.000 It was lukewarm. 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:20.000 Refreshing when it starts. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:27.000 Satisfying, but by the time it got to the city, it was no longer either satisfying or refreshing. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 In spite of how it looked. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.000 So, what's the point here that Jesus made? 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:41.000 Well, I think it's really important to say that Jesus is not just trying to find something positive to say. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:47.000 It's not as if he's saying, well, okay, here's the comparison between there's cold here and there's hot here and in between you're lukewarm. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:53.000 And so what I really want to say to you is that lukewarm is better than being cold, but it's not quite as good as being hot. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.000 So I want you to move that way a bit. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.000 I don't think that's the comparison at all. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.000 I don't think that's the comparison at all. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:03.000 He's not encouraging them to think moderation. 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:12.000 What he's doing is he's calling them out because they were insipid. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.000 They were nothing type Christians. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:22.000 They were neither refreshing nor were they therapeutic or healing. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:35.000 Neither refreshing and satisfying to Jesus nor healing and soul refreshing to their city. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:38.000 They were just there, but they were nothing. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.000 So what are the symptoms then of being lukewarm Christians? 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:52.000 Well, again, we don't have any details of what actually was going on in the church, but the picture stands very clear without that. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:12:01.000 Clearly, again, like some other churches, they had lost their distinctive, they had lost their shape as Christians. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:03.000 They'd lost their gospel identity. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:10.000 They seem to have lost a distinctive Christian lifestyle. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:22.000 And it seems to me that they're neither clearly identified with and shaped by Christ and the gospel, nor are they sort of clearly stepping away from the gospel and being shaped by their society. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.000 It seems to be a little bit of this, a little bit of that. 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Moderation. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.000 Trying to do both. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:40.000 And it was expressed in sort of cool indifference and half-hearted commitment to Jesus. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:43.000 Moderation in all things applied to the church. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:51.000 And so I think, as I said in my introduction, we can say this about the Christians at Laodicea. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:55.000 They were moderately committed to Jesus. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:59.000 Moderately influenced by Jesus. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:03.000 Moderately committed to his body, the church. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:18.000 They were quick to identify as followers of Jesus, but not interested at all in a whole of life, wholehearted response of obedience and loyalty to the mercies of Christ. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:22.000 The sort of response that Paul speaks about in Romans chapter 12. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:34.000 They were happily identifying with Jesus, but careful not to do or say anything that would open up a gap between them and their non-Christian friends or their workmates. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.000 Or their neighbors. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:36.000 Or their neighbors. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.000 Or their wider family. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:39.000 Or their wider family. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.000 They're having to make a lot of it being part of the church. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.000 Yeah, this is a really good church. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:53.000 But then you've got to understand that, well, if there's a family event on, a biological family event, then that really always needs to take priority. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:54.000 You see how it works? 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:00.000 And I suspect you'll find it very familiar. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:07.000 And I suspect you'll find it very familiar. 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:14.000 They were moderate in terms of their commitment to Jesus, but he's far from moderate in his response to them. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:23.000 I'm trying to think of an illustration to ram this point home, and this is the best I could come up with. 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:24.000 You can deal with what you like. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:37.000 But it's as if Jesus is saying, look, I'm not going to be that little puppy dog that everybody admires, everybody pats, but nobody really takes seriously. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:44.000 To be treated like that, says Jesus, really makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:46.000 Really sickens me. 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:54.000 Let's make it personal. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.000 Really personal. 00:14:55.000 --> 00:15:03.000 And I assure you I've been doing this for myself in the last 10 days as I've been thinking and preparing this. 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:09.000 If you're a Christian, and most of you here this afternoon would say gladly you are a Christian. 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:19.000 If you're a Christian and you're happy to come to church, happy to talk about Jesus, but won't be all in with Jesus, 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:28.000 giving them your heart, giving them your time, your energy, your resources, in obedient service and ministry. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:41.000 If you want to say that, but hold back, then it's likely Jesus will be thinking of you, boy, you make me sick. 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:42.000 Why? 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:47.000 Because it's the opposite of what Jesus died for you for. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:53.000 He died for you to make you passionate in commitment to him. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:16:00.000 So we need to do the taste test. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:05.000 And you should do it for yourself. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:08.000 Ask yourself, well, what do your neighbors think of you? 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:13.000 What would your neighbors think if you asked them, you know, tell me, what do you see in me? 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:23.000 What would your neighbors, your wider family members, your workmates, your school friends, your university mates, or wherever you have relationships? 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:29.000 What would they say if you give them the opportunity to say, well, what is it you see that identifies me? 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:36.000 What is it you think shapes me? 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:41.000 Would they say your identity and meaning and purpose and focus on life? 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:43.000 Would they say your lifestyle and orientation? 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:46.000 Would they say the way that you use your money and your leisure time? 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:52.000 Would they say any of those or all of those as being significantly different from what they do? 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:57.000 Or they think? 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:02.000 Or would they see you and say, well, actually, no, I think you're pretty much like me. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:07.000 You've accumulated all the same sort of toys as I've accumulated here. 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:15.000 You show the same sort of evidence of where you spend your money, where you spend your time, how you view life. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.000 I recognize that you do have some different lifestyle choices. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:25.000 I know you go to church and I understand that you don't swear and you don't get drunk and you don't tell dirty jokes. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:29.000 But apart from that, yeah, I think you're pretty much like me. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Wow. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.000 That would be a terrible conclusion, wouldn't it? 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:47.000 If this is you and I tell you again, I've been considering this a lot over the last two weeks. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:48.000 If this is you. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.000 It sickens Jesus. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:58.000 Because he died to free you from this empty way of life. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:03.000 Remember one Peter chapter one, this empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.000 He died to free us from that. 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:16.000 And it would sicken him to say that way he has died for people that for whom he paid such a high cost. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.000 I've just strayed back into that. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.000 He died to make you passionate for him. 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:33.000 Another symptom of being lukewarm is comfortable self-sufficiency. 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.000 Look at verse 17. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:40.000 And just feel how familiar this verse is, these phrases are. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:45.000 I mean, it just hit me between the eyes as I was preparing. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:47.000 For you say, right? 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:51.000 Remember there's a contrast here of what Jesus says and then what they say. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:54.000 Or the other way around, what they say and then what Jesus says. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.000 For you say, 00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.000 I'm rich. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.000 I've prospered. 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:02.000 I've done well for myself. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:05.000 And I'm sitting pretty. 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:06.000 I need nothing. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:07.000 Life's good. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:08.000 I Salad. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.000 It's a reality to go. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:23.000 Aninho. 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:30.000 Stunning words, aren't they. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:43.880 It was a famous banking center and it was reported to have massive quantities of gold bullion stored in vaults around the city. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:55.819 It was also famous for the manufacture of high quality clothing, sort of stuff that was highly desirable, fashion stuff, locally grown black wool. 00:19:55.819 --> 00:20:08.059 It was also famous for a medical school where they had come up with an anointment to offset the development of glaucoma. 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:15.659 It was a pretty advanced city. It was a very prosperous city. It was a self-made city. 00:20:16.299 --> 00:20:21.279 There was also a strong Jewish community in the city, apparently about 20,000 of them. 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:32.000 And it worked like this. They, that is the Jewish community, attributed their wealth to God's special blessing of them. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:41.160 And the wealth of the city, by derivative means God blessed the city because of them. 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:48.019 In other words, they looked around and saw their comfortable security as evidence of God's blessing. 00:20:48.019 --> 00:21:04.180 But in their comfortable worldliness, they were totally blind to the real condition. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.480 And now we hear what Jesus says. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:19.059 Not really realizing you're wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:25.799 They'd worked hard, these people. Genuinely worked hard. 00:21:26.019 --> 00:21:27.240 They'd built their nest egg. 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:30.039 Life was good. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.819 They were secure, comfortable. 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:35.939 All the creature comforts they wanted. 00:21:39.220 --> 00:21:47.819 And because it's a banking sector, then I can say that they had invested in all sorts of securities in their city, in their culture. 00:21:51.099 --> 00:21:56.599 And perhaps that was the problem because you see then maybe Jesus was just another investment. 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.599 To expand their portfolio. 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.379 To spread the risk, as investors talk about. 00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:09.019 Or perhaps even to add in a surefire life insurance policy. 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:15.480 So they invest here, and they invest here, and they invest here, and they invest here, and they invest in Jesus. 00:22:15.480 --> 00:22:26.099 And Jesus is scathing in response to them. 00:22:28.380 --> 00:22:34.539 Rather than being rich and respectable, Jesus calls them bankrupt and pathetic. 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:43.059 Rather than being healthy and having good eyes to see life as it is, Jesus calls them sickly and blind. 00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:50.119 Rather than being well dressed and fashionable in their black wool and garments. 00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:54.679 Jesus calls them shameful, naked. 00:23:01.179 --> 00:23:02.700 Friend, is that you? 00:23:07.139 --> 00:23:10.539 Busy building your treasure by investing in Jesus. 00:23:10.659 --> 00:23:11.960 Now, don't doubt that for a moment. 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:20.940 But just as passionately building your treasure in the security and the currency of the world. 00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:30.480 And Jesus says that sort of self-sufficiency just makes a monthly throw up. 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.680 Why is there a lack of passion for Jesus? 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:49.440 Because there's a lack of need for Jesus in their lives and in their thinking. 00:23:56.340 --> 00:23:59.539 So how do we reset our spiritual thermostats? 00:24:00.819 --> 00:24:05.400 The situation in Laodicea is extreme, but far from hopeless. 00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:06.320 Verse 18. 00:24:06.320 --> 00:24:06.340 Verse 18. 00:24:06.340 --> 00:24:07.480 As in all these letters. 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.840 Jesus then speaks to them and begs them to turn around. 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:12.680 Turn things around. 00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:18.780 Verse 18. 00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:46.139 So how do we reset our spiritual thermostats? 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:50.800 Well, first is to desire Jesus alone. 00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:54.360 He's the currency that never devalues. 00:24:56.600 --> 00:24:59.080 People turn to gold in times of trouble. 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:00.700 That's happening at the minute through the pandemic. 00:25:01.020 --> 00:25:02.060 Price of gold soaring. 00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:05.040 It seemed to be secure. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:10.740 Well, in ancient Near East, it wasn't always secure because there's a lot of impurities in gold. 00:25:10.819 --> 00:25:13.159 And you could be buying something that wasn't really what you were buying. 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:14.779 Jesus says he's pure gold. 00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:16.299 Absolutely pure gold. 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:18.940 You're getting your money's worth in Jesus' way. 00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:25.160 And again, the history of the text is, the history of the city is written into the text. 00:25:25.820 --> 00:25:34.740 Because Jesus really said to them, hey, you guys, your security for the future is not in gold bullion in vaults in this city. 00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:35.740 It's in me. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.000 It's in me. 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:40.680 The true treasure. 00:25:41.819 --> 00:25:49.120 So it's as if Jesus is saying to them, hey, guys, be passionate in doing business with me. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:54.819 Invest everything you have in me. 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:56.140 Come to me for gold. 00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:57.319 Come to me for treasure. 00:25:57.319 --> 00:26:03.619 And you'll have full restoration into close fellowship with Jesus forever. 00:26:03.619 --> 00:26:12.399 These last verses are all about fellowship and being with Jesus and the promise of being like him forever in heaven. 00:26:13.339 --> 00:26:20.939 So Jesus is saying, look, if you want to hoard currency, hoard my currency and you'll be truly rich. 00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:32.580 Make it your desire to be dressed by me in white garments, which we said over the last few weeks is the cloak of justification, acceptance by God. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.039 Righteousness. 00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:43.080 Come to me and be dressed by me, says Jesus, and you'll be dressed in righteousness that will never go out of fashion, never wear out. 00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:49.279 Will never leave you embarrassed or ashamed. 00:26:50.940 --> 00:27:05.700 Apply my ointment and genuinely take away your blindness so you can see the world as false treasure and you can see it as false intimacy and see me as the real treasure and lasting intimacy. 00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:19.940 So the point is very simply, when they assess themselves in physical terms, they genuinely could say, I need nothing. 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:31.600 But once they realize their spiritual bankruptcy, their helplessness, their offensiveness towards God, 00:27:32.140 --> 00:27:38.059 then they were in such dire straits that they could no longer be half-hearted towards Jesus. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:42.200 They needed to throw themselves on his mercy. 00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:50.279 They needed to respond to his mercy and say, wow, I've been chasing security here when all the while it's been here. 00:28:00.600 --> 00:28:05.559 Passionate to hoard what only I can give you that's worthwhile, says Jesus. 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:06.840 Be passionate in that. 00:28:06.839 --> 00:28:11.619 And the second thing then is nurture life-shaping relationship with Jesus. 00:28:11.740 --> 00:28:16.419 That will do more to reset our spiritual thermostats than anything else. 00:28:16.539 --> 00:28:17.980 Verses 19 through to 21. 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:22.399 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. 00:28:24.579 --> 00:28:27.220 So be zealous and repent, says Jesus. 00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:34.900 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:40.620 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:50.120 Just as Jesus' threat to spew them out was incredibly severe, 00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:55.879 so his promise of restoration is incredibly generous. 00:28:57.479 --> 00:29:01.719 But it requires thoughtful, genuine repentance, 00:29:02.199 --> 00:29:08.139 including decisive commitment to start listening to the voice of Jesus in verse 20. 00:29:08.959 --> 00:29:11.639 Now this verse 20 has been in trouble for Christians over the years. 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:14.700 The picture is often that there is a door, 00:29:15.080 --> 00:29:18.259 Jesus is standing outside, meek and mild, unable to do anything, 00:29:18.320 --> 00:29:20.540 until somebody on the inside happens to open the door to him. 00:29:22.100 --> 00:29:23.680 I don't think that's the picture at all. 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:29.720 The picture is this, that he's there banging loudly on the door, 00:29:30.020 --> 00:29:33.100 not begging admission, but to get your attention. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:37.280 I was really interested. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.539 I didn't say this this morning, but when I was pondering this verse, 00:29:42.220 --> 00:29:46.299 a guy turned up, a poster, one of those Star Trek guys turned up at my office door. 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:49.460 And he said, oh, I was just about to leave, and then I saw you in there. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:51.019 I've been ringing the doorbell, I didn't hear. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:54.059 I was banging on the door to try and get your attention. 00:29:55.139 --> 00:29:56.319 And I thought, that's it? 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:02.420 Jesus is banging on the door, not because he's somehow or other stuck, 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:05.319 but because he wants the attention of his people. 00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:08.359 Because it goes on then to say, behold, I stand at the door and knock, 00:30:08.399 --> 00:30:09.639 if anyone hears my voice. 00:30:11.220 --> 00:30:14.960 In other words, I'm there, I'm trying to get your attention, 00:30:15.159 --> 00:30:17.700 and if you'll give me your attention, if you'll hear my voice, 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:23.259 then I will come in, in other words, I'll come in and restore fellowship with you. 00:30:26.139 --> 00:30:29.779 And it will be rich fellowship, as it's spelled out there in those two verses. 00:30:31.740 --> 00:30:32.839 What's the voice of Christ? 00:30:33.179 --> 00:30:34.299 What's the word of the gospel? 00:30:34.299 --> 00:30:34.359 What's the word of the gospel? 00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:38.259 Being shaped by the gospel. 00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:42.919 And being shaped by the gospel brings a full measure of God's blessing. 00:30:45.319 --> 00:30:47.720 Now we go back to verse 14, which I skipped over, 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:53.359 because we'll see now why Jesus introduces himself in the terminology, 00:30:53.619 --> 00:30:56.319 which he does introduce himself to this letter, to this church. 00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:00.759 He's saying, listen to my voice. 00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:02.879 What sort of voice is it? 00:31:02.939 --> 00:31:04.220 Well, listen to the words of Jesus. 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:05.279 What sort of words are they? 00:31:05.539 --> 00:31:09.419 Well, the words come from the beginning of God's creation. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:12.519 What was the start of God's creation way back in Genesis 1? 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:23.180 God said, God's word brought order and structure out of chaos and nothingness. 00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:31.340 God's creative word is there to recreate his people, if only we'll hear and ask. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.460 When do we say amen? 00:31:33.620 --> 00:31:34.900 We say amen at the end of a prayer. 00:31:35.820 --> 00:31:37.640 In a sense, that's the last word, isn't it? 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:41.220 Jesus is going to say the last word in our universe, 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:46.080 the last word which will bring to completion God's purposes in salvation. 00:31:46.860 --> 00:31:51.240 So we've got the creative word of Jesus, powerful and renewing, 00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:53.060 and we've got the saving word of Jesus. 00:31:54.840 --> 00:31:58.120 And in between those two events, the first and last words into our universe, 00:31:58.280 --> 00:32:00.040 we have the faithful and true witness, 00:32:00.140 --> 00:32:02.759 the one who will speak the truth in love into our lives. 00:32:04.120 --> 00:32:05.440 It's his word. 00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:09.400 That will renew us. 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:11.580 That will turn us around. 00:32:11.720 --> 00:32:13.660 That will reset our spiritual thermostats. 00:32:14.140 --> 00:32:17.200 That in itself will give us the passion he calls us to have. 00:32:21.340 --> 00:32:25.220 Friends, Christ invites you to hear his words this afternoon. 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:30.100 And as I said this morning, whatever you hear today, 00:32:30.380 --> 00:32:32.820 please don't go away thinking to yourself, 00:32:32.820 --> 00:32:35.240 oh, the preacher was just having another whinge, 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:37.839 trying to get us more involved, more commitment, 00:32:38.019 --> 00:32:39.160 and trying to gee every day out. 00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:42.920 That might well be the result of what you hear today, 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:45.180 but that's not my motivation and it's not the pathway. 00:32:45.960 --> 00:32:48.180 If that's the result, then so be it, 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:52.380 providing you've gone and done business with Jesus. 00:32:52.380 --> 00:32:58.980 This is Jesus begging you to invest your heart, 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:00.320 your time, your money, 00:33:00.780 --> 00:33:02.620 your physical and emotional resources, 00:33:03.220 --> 00:33:06.280 everything you have, invest in me, says Jesus. 00:33:07.860 --> 00:33:11.020 And the dividend you'll get for that investment 00:33:11.020 --> 00:33:14.400 will be eternal and limitless. 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:19.460 So finish enough with your money idea. 00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:22.340 We're very familiar with scams these days, aren't we? 00:33:22.800 --> 00:33:25.160 I get three or four phone calls a day. 00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:27.060 It just drives me nuts. 00:33:27.860 --> 00:33:28.880 But Jesus is saying, 00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:31.600 don't get sucked in by the massive scam, 00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:34.980 which is the investment package offered by this world. 00:33:35.040 --> 00:33:38.360 It says satisfaction, happiness, fulfillment, 00:33:39.360 --> 00:33:40.140 the good life. 00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:45.100 Come to Jesus for his, 00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:47.780 and take on his investment package. 00:33:50.259 --> 00:33:52.660 Because remember, that's exactly the scam 00:33:52.660 --> 00:33:54.520 that Jesus died to free you from. 00:33:58.200 --> 00:33:59.520 As I was saying this morning, 00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:02.140 two weeks ago I was perplexed 00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:03.740 because I couldn't understand 00:34:03.740 --> 00:34:06.080 why we were just on the cusp 00:34:06.080 --> 00:34:08.579 of resuming physical churching 00:34:08.579 --> 00:34:10.279 and a couple of infections, 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:11.259 a few infections here, 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:13.079 meant we had to push it back two weeks 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:14.920 and I couldn't quite understand why, Lord, 00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:18.059 why all that effort seemed to be gone to waste. 00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:20.799 And in the middle of the night last night, 00:34:20.860 --> 00:34:21.599 I woke up and I thought, 00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:23.299 well, I don't know why I thought it, 00:34:23.340 --> 00:34:23.940 but anyway, I just thought, 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:26.319 well, maybe, maybe the Lord has done that 00:34:26.319 --> 00:34:27.360 because he wanted to hear, 00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:30.219 he wanted this letter to be the first thing 00:34:30.219 --> 00:34:32.259 we heard as we come back together 00:34:32.259 --> 00:34:33.119 as physical churching. 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:34.940 I don't know, I can't read God's problems, 00:34:35.139 --> 00:34:36.920 absolutely, but it does fit. 00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:39.820 So let me pray. 00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:45.800 Lord, as I prayed at the start, 00:34:45.860 --> 00:34:47.840 I pray again because we will have trouble 00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:49.039 hearing your word in this. 00:34:49.420 --> 00:34:52.440 It seems, potentially seems so harsh. 00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:56.900 And yet, Lord, it is coming from the depth 00:34:56.900 --> 00:34:58.400 of your love that you pursue us. 00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:02.200 You reprove us, you discipline those you love. 00:35:02.260 --> 00:35:03.700 You tell us here in that very letter. 00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:06.579 Lord, help us to be disciplined. 00:35:06.759 --> 00:35:08.699 Help us to hear that word of challenge. 00:35:09.359 --> 00:35:11.339 Help us to ask the hard questions 00:35:11.339 --> 00:35:12.639 of ourselves individually 00:35:12.639 --> 00:35:15.099 and of our church family as a unit 00:35:15.099 --> 00:35:18.480 so we might bring ourselves back into line 00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:20.639 and be passionate for you 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:22.419 and in the service of you 00:35:22.419 --> 00:35:23.939 in a way that would delight you, 00:35:24.919 --> 00:35:26.519 not cause you to feel ill. 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:28.299 And I pray in Jesus' name. 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:28.759 Amen. 00:35:28.759 --> 00:35:28.859 Amen. 00:35:28.859 --> 00:35:28.939 Amen. 00:35:28.939 --> 00:35:28.960 Amen. 00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:29.000 Amen.