About Us
We have been going through the churches in Revelation. Today, we are going to be looking at the Church
in
There was a math test given around the world… at the end of the test – a bonus question. Are you good at math? Over 60% of the Americans said yes – the highest percentage of any country. The Americans scored last. The Koreans – less than 20% said yes – but they scored highest.
The church in
We owe a lot to Biblical Archeology – they have done an amazing job of giving us the circumstances of the time.
Background – two primary issues.
The city did not have a healthy water supply – no fresh
water in the city – so they had to bring it in from
The city was very wealthy. It was like – they had two primary exports that were sought throughout the world. They produced a soft, velvet, black wool. I don’t know how they made it – maybe they had black sheep – but it was desired all over the world. Merchants came in from all over to buy it. The other thing – caused not having good ground water – there were minerals in the soil that were good for the ears and eyes. They also had a medical school there.
It is almost like oil – if a nation has a lot of oil, that
nation is rich. Many
We talk about these earthquakes that ruined many cities –
Let’s pray:
Father, help us to understand You and what You have to say to us. May Your Spirit make these words of Yours come alive in our hearts. Your word is living and active and able to pierce through anything we put up against You. Speak to our hearts now. In Jesus’ Name.
Rev. 3: 14 "And to the
angel of the church in
We have the introduction – it explains a bit about Christ –
I urge you to study them on your own.
This church, in many ways, is the most American. That is what people would say. The church in
15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you
were cold or hot. 16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot
nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth
What is He talking about?
This is a strong rebuke – He comes at them – and lays it on the
line. There is no beating around the
bush – I’ll spit you out of my mouth.
What He is doing – He is using it as a metaphor – He is referring to
their water situation – Their water came from
You know how it is when you get cold tea on a hot day, and then fall back into the swimming pool with the iced tea in your hand?!
You are not refreshing me like cold water – or you are not refreshing me like hot water – It is like He is saying – You make me sick!
This is the last church on that
Your Spiritual life matches your water supply. Instead of influencing your city, your city has influenced you.
They would ask – WHY? They are like the Americans who think they are good at math! Why? Because,
17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of
nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor
and blind and naked,
The church – from a material standpoint, was very
wealthy. They were not like Thyatira and
The very things that made the city materially rich were the
things that made them spiritually poor.
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold
We have all the gold we want! Gold is not an issue here.
refined by fire, that
you may become rich,
Oh yeah, you might have material gold – but it is filled with impurities – you need some time of testing, of struggle, of tribulation – to pull that stuff out of you. The reality is, when we go through life without testing, we become impure on the inside. That is why God tests us. Gold can’t be refined in the swimming pool on a sunny day – it has to go through fire – and we have to go through some fire in life that we may be refined.
and white garments,
that you may clothe yourself,
These guys are probably thinking – what do you mean? We have
some of the nicest clothes of all! Who
made your clothes? You really don’t have
any on – you are like the emperor.
Forget your black wool, you need white garments.
and [that] the shame
of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that
you may see.
It was the city of eye salve! You need Me to give you medical attention – they were known for being a medical center – and yet they needed medical attention.
He speaks to them about things that they would immediately understand and relate to. Very practical. Very Simple. Very clear.
Three things that relate to Christendom in
First – we are rich and wealthy – and yet, source of issues. The first is knowledge. We have so many resources available. You can listen to sermons, and read Christian books and go online and get whatever you want – but at times I think we have become inoculated to the truth. We hear so much but there is very little spiritual transformation. The truth has a purpose – to transform us. It is not to just listen to good messages and read good books. Because of so much available – we think we have it all together because we know so much. Christ’s purpose is to transform our lives. We do not come with the attitude of letting it change us. When you come to church on Sunday morning – that you would become more like Christ and to go back and to think about how to become more like Christ. What does God want from me? We need to ask ourselves that. Knowledge makes arrogant – Love is action.
I know your deeds – they were spit out because of a lack of genuine spiritual transformation.
Yes, we are saved by grace – we have that theologically down – but because of that – we need to do the deeds. Back up your life with what you know. Sometimes it is better to take away some of those resources and zero in on what God would have you do.
Second – Worship – we have great worship – praise bands, programs – radio. When I got saved in 1976, there was a guitar and a piano, and we thought it was really cool. Now – we have so much – there is nothing wrong with having bands – but musical style and energy do not necessary produce worship.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. Worship is not just praise – real worship is the presenting of our lives to Christ for Him to do as He wishes. When you are singing, that is what you are supposed to be doing.
Remember the Princess Bride? As you wish – The Lord wants us to say, As you wish. When you hear His word and He points out things in your life, He wants you to say, As You wish.
Third. Stuff. We’ve got stuff coming out of our stuff.
The story of the prodigal son – Give me my stuff. Give me my share of the inheritance. He is saying – look, I want what you give; I don’t want you. – Because he takes the stuff and goes. A lot of times, that is how we treat God. We want what He gives, but we don’t always want Him. It is okay to want his mercy and protection – but we have got to want Him most.
19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and
repent.
This is a hard one for us – Love equals reproof and
discipline. To confront and point out
our flaws – to point out our sin. When someone does that to us, we don’t feel
that they love us. Discipline means to
correct what is wrong in that person – sometimes that requires punishment. Not judgment, but punishment. Tribulation, difficulty, trial. We don’t want to hear that. Real love corrects and confronts. We don’t like that. The reality is – Hebrews 12 talks about this
in relation to raising children – the father that loves will discipline – and
if we do not discipline, we do not love.
That is almost foreign – but it is true.
True love confronts and corrects.
Now, with God there is never judgment for us as Christians. He is not judging us – but will correct and
confront. At times, that will be
painful.
20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if
anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine
with him, and he with Me.
We use this verse in the gospel, and that is okay – but the
church that he is giving the most correction to – if you repent zealously – I
knock at the door – if you listen to Him and respond… To come and eat dinner
together was the greatest sign of hospitality and intimacy. This was a big deal.
21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit
down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on
His throne. 22 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.' "
Remember when you had to correct your kids when they were little – You did it with a loving attitude and they were sorry and what happens? They just wanted to sit on your lap. What He is doing – it should give us hope. He is taking the worst situation – and He is the most intimate with this church. He is most intimate with the church that had the most problems. That ought to give us hope. When He has to correct us and confront us – it does not put a barrier in His desire to be close to us.
Let’s pray.
Grace Summit Community Church | 2960 Bailey Road | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 | 330-922-3550
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