Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Well welcome, we're so
happy that you could join us.
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And we're looking
forward to this series,
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The Revelation of Whom?
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And especially
tonight's subject,
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Hot, Cold, or Warm.
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You know, we've got a water
cooler in the lobby at 3ABN.
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And it has hot, cold, or warm.
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And I always refer to
that warm as Laodicean.
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And so when I go through,
sometimes I will tease Mary,
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who's working there at the desk,
and I'll say, "I'm getting ready
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to have a cup of
Laodicean water."
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And the truth is, I
really prefer the cold water
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to that lukewarm water.
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But this is going to be
a very interesting subject.
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We're living in a time, folks,
where we better get serious
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about having a relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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You see, we can do everything
we can to proclaim the gospel,
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and I believe in that,
going forth, the blessing is
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on the "go," but I believe
that what God would have us
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to do more than anything
else is to prepare ourselves
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through a
relationship with Jesus.
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Knowing Him.
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That's our first work
and our first responsibility.
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And that is the direction
that we're talking about
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in this series.
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Our speaker, Pastor Lee
Venden, 30 years a pastor.
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Been a Bible teacher.
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My son, John, had the
privilege of having Lee Venden
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when he was in his junior and
senior years at Campion Academy.
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And since 2008, he has
been a Revivalist in the
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Upper Columbia Conference.
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He's written three books.
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And he is the author of a Bible
study lesson series entitled,
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More About Jesus.
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His wife is Marji.
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They've been married 36 years.
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And they have two
wonderful children;
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a son, Chris, and
a daughter, Lindsey.
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And this is a man who
loves the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I know that when he
was my son's Bible teacher,
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he was his favorite
Bible teacher throughout all.
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And he had, from first grade
on, John was in our schools.
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But he'll tell you,
or at least second grade,
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he will tell you that this
was his favorite Bible teacher.
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So tonight, we're looking
forward to this presentation.
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And we are going to invite the
Lord especially to be with us.
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And before C.A.
Murray comes to sing,
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I'd like for us to have a
word of prayer, let's pray.
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Father in heaven, we thank You
tonight that we can come to You
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in the name of Jesus.
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Father, we pray that You
will enter into our hearts,
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speak to our
minds, help us to listen,
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as the Spirit is
speaking to our hearts.
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And Father, we thank You for
all that You have done for us.
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For giving us life
eternal and the assurance
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of that life through Jesus.
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Help us to look to Him and to
love Him with all of our hearts.
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And in His precious
name we ask it, amen.
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You know, it's a real
privilege to work with
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everyone we work
with here at 3ABN.
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I enjoy it. My
wife will tell you.
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This last weekend we were gone.
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We enjoyed very
much being at Avon Park
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and being with those
dear people down there.
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But also we had
some other things to do.
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We even cut some of those
short and came back a day early.
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Because we miss being
here with the people at 3ABN.
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We love working with them.
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One of those that we are
really privileged to work with
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is Pastor C.A. Murray.
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He loves the Lord.
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And he loves this ministry.
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And we love to hear him sing.
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And he's going to sing
one of my very favorite hymns,
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My faith Has
Found A Resting Place.
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My faith has
found a resting place,
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not in a manmade creed;
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I trust the Ever-living One
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that He for me will plead.
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I need no other evidence,
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I need no other plea.
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It is enough that Jesus died
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and rose again for me.
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Enough for me that Jesus saves,
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this ends my fear and doubt;
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a sinful soul I come to Him,
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He will not cast me out.
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I need no other evidence,
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I need no other plea.
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It is enough that Jesus died
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and rose again for me.
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The great
physician heals the sick,
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the lost He came to save;
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for me His
precious blood He shed,
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for me His life He gave.
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I need no other evidence,
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I need no other plea.
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It is enough that Jesus died
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and rose again for me.
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My soul is resting on His word,
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the living Word of God;
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salvation in my Savior's name,
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salvation through His blood.
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I need no other evidence,
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I need no other plea.
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It is enough that Jesus died
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and rose again for me.
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It is enough that Jesus died.
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Wow.
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Aren't you glad that He
succeeded on His mission.
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I want to speak to Him one more
time, if that will be alright.
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I think we can probably
not have too much prayer,
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so I'm just going to
pray one more prayer, please.
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Lord Jesus, I am twitterpated.
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That would be a
good way to say it.
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And I need the Holy
Spirit to just dwell inside
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my mind, my tongue.
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I want that for every
one of us as we look together
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in Your direction,
but I particularly ask for
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some sort of miracle right now.
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I'd like to feel the
cruise control take over.
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I'd like to feel the
gas pedal suddenly go on
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some other power than my own.
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And so I'm asking
for You to do that.
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And You told us
that we could ask,
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and that You delight in giving
us the answer to this request.
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So I'm praying for
it in Jesus' name, amen.
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We're doing a
series, a five part series,
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and it's entitled,
Revelation of Whom?
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And I think that
there's no question who
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we're talking about here.
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We're talking about
Jesus, with a capital "J."
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There are a lot of different
ways that you can study
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the book of Revelation.
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There are many
different applications,
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there are many
different ways to unpack it.
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But the angle that I
am interested in pursuing
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in the next few
presentations is going to be
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what I'm going to call,
experiential with Jesus.
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Looking for Jesus in Revelation.
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After all, it's His book.
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And it's the
Revelation of Jesus.
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So I want to find Jesus in it.
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I want to hear Jesus in it.
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I want to know Jesus in it.
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So that's what we're
going to do together.
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We'll look in His direction.
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And He's promised to
reveal Himself to us.
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When I was about
probably in fifth grade,
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we lived in a little town
called Grand Junction, Colorado.
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And in that town there
was a family, they lived up
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on a hill outside of town.
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Johnny Watkins was the name
of the gentleman, his wife Ann.
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And there was a
doctor in our church
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whose name was Dr. Stute.
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Now Johnny and the
doctor were good friends,
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but they were always
trying to find a way to
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one up the other, in
terms of the teasing, or a
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practical joke, or a prank.
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And so that was kind
of a common fare for them.
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Well there's one I
still remember, even though
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I was only in fifth
grade when it happened.
00:12:02.98\00:12:04.81
But the Watson's had
most of the church family out
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early in the spring when
the first strawberries had come
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for a church fellowship kind
of an evening of fun together.
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And it was a Sunday evening.
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And one of the things they
had done was they had arranged
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to have strawberry shortcake
with the first strawberries
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of spring, homemade shortcake,
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and Ann's famous
topping, whipped cream with
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the special secret ingredient.
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Well among the people
who were there that night
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was Dr. Stute.
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And when the
strawberry shortcake came out
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and was delivered, oh
my, you could hear the people
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commenting all through the
house and out onto the porch
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and the lawn, "This has
got to be the best treat
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we've had in ages.
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Strawberries all
ready. Strawberries."
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And, "Ann, what is
your secret ingredient
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in that whipping cream?
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It is something else."
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"Well," she said, "if I
told you, it wouldn't be a
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secret any longer."
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People ate and devoured
it, and asked for seconds.
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Dr. Stute
enjoyed his, it appeared.
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But after the event was over,
around 2:30 in the morning,
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Dr. Stute called
Johnny Watson on the phone.
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He said, "I'm sorry to waken
you at such an indecent hour.
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But," he said, "did anybody
else call you with a problem
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from the strawberry shortcake?"
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He said, "I don't
know exactly what it is,
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but everybody seemed
to be saying it was good.
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And so I ate mine.
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But" he said,
"there was something about
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the whipping cream that
just didn't go well with me.
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In fact, I'm feeling sick
right now and I keep belching up
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the taste of the
whipping cream, you know.
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Has anybody else called you to
talk about this whipping cream?"
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And Johnny said, "No, Doc.
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You're the only one
that had shaving cream.
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Why would anybody else call?"
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They had put beautiful
creamy white shaving cream
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on his strawberries.
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And everyone else was
enjoying theirs and commenting,
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and so Dr. Stute
thought, "It just must be
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my palate this evening
and I'm just not quite..."
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And he ate it, ate it all, and
then woke up blowing bubbles.
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Well the point of it was
that the strawberry shortcake
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looked like
something on the outside
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that it wasn't
really in reality.
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It looked like
something that it wasn't.
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We're going to see how
that illustration ties in
00:14:50.11\00:14:53.48
as we take a little look here in
the third chapter of Revelation.
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I'm going to be
reading verses 14 and 15.
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And if you have a red
letter addition to your Bible,
00:15:01.21\00:15:04.54
you would discover that
these would be in red letters.
00:15:04.57\00:15:06.54
Because Jesus is the
one who is speaking here.
00:15:06.57\00:15:09.14
So what is Jesus saying here?
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As He talks to this church
called the Laodicean church,
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He says, "I wish
you were cold or hot."
00:15:40.08\00:15:43.41
Well apparently God
prefers cold to lukewarm.
00:15:44.04\00:15:50.96
Because this church
is lukewarm, and He says,
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"I wish you were
either cold or hot."
00:15:54.54\00:15:56.24
Well, if we were going to
try to explain cold and hot,
00:15:56.27\00:15:58.21
I suppose we would
say a hot person would be
00:15:58.24\00:16:00.39
someone who is plugged
into a rich deep meaningful
00:16:00.42\00:16:04.32
personal
experience with the Lord Jesus
00:16:04.35\00:16:06.80
and communes with Him
regularly and faithfully,
00:16:06.83\00:16:09.21
and loves to meet
with Him in His word,
00:16:09.24\00:16:11.74
and someone who has a
meaningful prayer life.
00:16:11.77\00:16:13.58
We call that
person a hot person.
00:16:13.61\00:16:15.44
And if we were going to
try and describe a cold person,
00:16:16.01\00:16:18.21
I suppose we would
probably describe somebody
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.99
who is a rebellious
sort that has no interest in
00:16:21.02\00:16:24.30
the things of God, no
interest in time or eternity.
00:16:24.33\00:16:26.91
Just living for the moment
and indifferent to anything
00:16:26.94\00:16:30.52
that we might call spiritual.
00:16:30.55\00:16:31.77
We call them cold.
00:16:31.80\00:16:33.19
Maybe even rebellious. Alright?
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.93
Now here, Jesus is saying
that God prefers cold hearted
00:16:36.13\00:16:41.77
rebellious people
over lukewarm people.
00:16:41.80\00:16:45.75
Which seems a
little odd at first read.
00:16:45.78\00:16:48.99
Why would God
prefer cold over warm?
00:16:50.65\00:16:53.73
Well, have you ever been cold?
00:16:54.45\00:16:56.30
When you're cold,
you want to be hot.
00:16:57.16\00:17:00.89
You know, you look for
a hot shower to come into
00:17:01.40\00:17:04.39
after you've been
out in that cold weather.
00:17:04.42\00:17:06.57
You bundle up, you put on a
coat, you put on a down jacket.
00:17:06.93\00:17:10.85
You get in the car
and turn the heater on.
00:17:10.88\00:17:13.36
Last night I spent
some time sleeping in a car.
00:17:13.59\00:17:17.19
And my wife had said to
me, "Ought you take your light
00:17:17.93\00:17:21.15
little down jacket with
you on this trip just in case?"
00:17:21.18\00:17:23.64
I said, "Oh,
it's spring weather.
00:17:23.67\00:17:24.97
The flowers are going to be out.
00:17:25.00\00:17:26.17
Who needs a down jacket.
00:17:26.20\00:17:27.33
That would be overkill."
00:17:27.36\00:17:28.60
But just as I was leaving
the car to get to the plane,
00:17:28.80\00:17:31.84
my wife said, "You
should stuff it in.
00:17:31.87\00:17:33.52
It doesn't take up much
space, just stuff it in."
00:17:33.55\00:17:35.90
Well I stuffed it into my
suitcase, my little carry on.
00:17:36.10\00:17:39.09
And I'm so glad I did.
00:17:39.70\00:17:41.51
Because I ended up on the
side of the road last night.
00:17:41.77\00:17:45.43
I had missed my plane.
00:17:45.72\00:17:47.04
I didn't get here
until three in the morning.
00:17:47.07\00:17:48.87
And I ended up on the
side of the road last night.
00:17:49.07\00:17:51.39
And I thought, "Well, I'm
going to put the down coat on
00:17:51.82\00:17:54.36
and I'm going to try and sleep."
00:17:54.39\00:17:56.65
Because I couldn't
stay awake any longer.
00:17:56.68\00:17:58.29
And I'm going to try and sleep.
00:17:58.68\00:18:00.11
I slept for about an
hour, and then I woke up cold.
00:18:00.21\00:18:03.78
My coat, my down coat,
was keeping this part warm,
00:18:03.81\00:18:06.06
but the rest of me
was cold, you know.
00:18:06.09\00:18:08.11
I started the car and I
turned the heat to the full
00:18:08.14\00:18:12.34
as it could go, and I turned
the fan as far as it would go.
00:18:12.37\00:18:15.25
Because I wanted to be hot.
00:18:15.28\00:18:17.45
And I got so hot that it
was unbearable in the car.
00:18:17.75\00:18:21.08
Unbearably hot;
then I turned it off.
00:18:21.11\00:18:23.77
And it lasted for
another hour and a half.
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.44
So I got it so warm I was able
to sleep another hour and a half
00:18:25.47\00:18:28.41
that way, so.
00:18:28.44\00:18:29.63
But when you're
cold, you want to be hot.
00:18:29.66\00:18:32.59
You want to be hot.
00:18:33.08\00:18:34.11
You're looking for something.
00:18:34.14\00:18:35.17
When you're warm, you're
not really concerned about
00:18:35.20\00:18:38.17
any change in your situation.
00:18:38.20\00:18:40.44
But when you're cold, you
are interested in a change
00:18:40.47\00:18:43.74
in your situation.
00:18:43.77\00:18:45.02
Now how does God
feel about lukewarm?
00:18:45.46\00:18:47.63
Well let's keep looking.
00:18:47.95\00:18:49.11
Verse 16 of
Revelation 3, Jesus continues to
00:18:49.14\00:18:52.26
tell us, and He says...
00:18:52.29\00:18:53.32
Talking to the
Laodicean church now.
00:18:55.55\00:18:57.60
What's He saying?
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.35
We could be really crass
and crude, and we could say
00:19:06.89\00:19:10.16
when God sees the lukewarm
it makes Him want to puke.
00:19:10.19\00:19:15.07
You know?
00:19:15.48\00:19:16.52
"You give me the urge to
regurge," is what He's saying
00:19:16.55\00:19:19.76
to the church at Laodicea.
00:19:19.79\00:19:21.53
"I just want to
throw up when I see you."
00:19:21.81\00:19:25.37
Well why would God want to throw
up when He sees Laodiceans?
00:19:25.72\00:19:29.58
Well, because they think
they're okay and they think
00:19:30.56\00:19:35.07
they don't need anything.
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.08
So they're not looking for
a change in their situation.
00:19:37.11\00:19:40.14
Yet their situation
is actually desperate.
00:19:40.17\00:19:42.63
However, they don't realize
it and they're not looking.
00:19:43.18\00:19:46.66
Now He calls this the message
to the church at Laodicea.
00:19:46.69\00:19:50.91
In order for a church
to be called Laodicean...
00:19:52.09\00:19:56.96
And I got a kick out of
hearing about the Laodicean
00:19:57.42\00:20:01.19
water dispenser
you have here at 3ABN.
00:20:01.22\00:20:04.87
But in order for a
church to be Laodicean,
00:20:05.17\00:20:08.30
more than 50% of the members
would have to be Laodicean.
00:20:09.03\00:20:13.26
You follow what I'm saying?
00:20:13.77\00:20:15.00
Because if it
wasn't more than 50%,
00:20:15.03\00:20:17.95
you'd call it something else.
00:20:17.98\00:20:19.36
You know, you'd, whatever.
00:20:19.39\00:20:20.89
It has to be more than
50% in order to call it that.
00:20:20.92\00:20:25.31
So more than 50% of
this church is lukewarm,
00:20:25.80\00:20:31.23
the Laodicean church
that we're talking about.
00:20:31.26\00:20:33.38
The majority of the people
then, the majority of the people
00:20:36.26\00:20:40.29
in this last days church
that Jesus is describing...
00:20:40.99\00:20:44.98
Because we understand
that this church represents the
00:20:45.01\00:20:48.90
church just prior
to the return of Jesus.
00:20:48.93\00:20:51.85
The majority of the
people in this church
00:20:52.30\00:20:56.19
are going to be lukewarm.
00:20:56.93\00:20:58.69
Or they wouldn't
call it Laodicean.
00:20:59.08\00:21:01.91
Now I went on
Google this afternoon,
00:21:02.43\00:21:05.78
and I went on the
Wikipedia, and I looked up the
00:21:05.81\00:21:09.92
Seventh-day Adventist
Church North American Division.
00:21:09.95\00:21:12.14
And I found out that we
have just a little over,
00:21:13.16\00:21:15.78
approximately, just a
little over one million people
00:21:15.81\00:21:20.61
in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in North America
00:21:20.71\00:21:23.21
whose names are
registered on church books
00:21:23.24\00:21:25.76
somewhere as members.
00:21:25.79\00:21:27.88
Okay, so let's just work
with that number for a minute.
00:21:28.81\00:21:31.77
A little over a million.
00:21:32.34\00:21:33.64
That means that
more than 500,000 of them
00:21:34.80\00:21:40.36
would be lukewarm.
00:21:41.51\00:21:42.82
Doesn't that sort of shock
you when you put it that way?
00:21:44.19\00:21:46.14
More than 500,000 of
them would be lukewarm.
00:21:47.03\00:21:49.91
Remember, Jesus is describing
the church just before He comes.
00:21:50.11\00:21:53.01
Something is going to
happen to change this,
00:21:53.71\00:21:55.21
so we're going to get
there, but we're not there yet.
00:21:55.24\00:21:57.03
We're just talking about
things as He describes them.
00:21:57.06\00:21:58.86
So more than 500,000
lukewarm church members.
00:21:59.28\00:22:06.66
Now if this is of
any comfort to you,
00:22:08.65\00:22:11.61
this message is not limited
to Seventh-day Adventists.
00:22:12.00\00:22:15.49
This message applies to all of
the churches around the globe.
00:22:15.75\00:22:22.31
God has people in every church.
00:22:23.88\00:22:25.97
He also has lukewarm
people in every church.
00:22:26.71\00:22:29.96
And one day
something is going to happen
00:22:30.31\00:22:31.88
to change the lukewarm.
00:22:31.91\00:22:33.03
But at the present
time, there are more than half
00:22:33.06\00:22:38.23
of the members around
the world of all the churches
00:22:38.71\00:22:42.02
qualify here as the last day
church that Jesus is describing
00:22:42.12\00:22:47.10
in Revelation 3.
00:22:47.13\00:22:48.66
If the majority are
lukewarm, then you would expect
00:22:51.74\00:22:54.66
to find lukewarm people
in positions of leadership,
00:22:54.69\00:22:57.99
you'd expect to find
them in institutions,
00:22:58.52\00:23:01.75
you'd expect to
find them as instructors,
00:23:02.29\00:23:04.61
you'd expect to
find them as educators,
00:23:04.98\00:23:07.32
you would expect to
find them as administrators,
00:23:07.63\00:23:10.38
you would expect to
find them as pastors,
00:23:10.41\00:23:11.87
you would expect to
find them as members.
00:23:11.90\00:23:13.78
If more than 50% are lukewarm,
then more than 50% of all
00:23:14.11\00:23:18.80
those different groups
that I just described would
00:23:18.83\00:23:20.94
fall into that category.
00:23:20.97\00:23:22.27
Alright?
00:23:22.30\00:23:23.33
Well, what is lukewarm.
00:23:23.76\00:23:28.89
At my house we have a faucet,
one of those old fashion kind
00:23:30.23\00:23:34.72
where it has a
knob on each side.
00:23:34.75\00:23:36.81
We have another one in
another part of the house
00:23:37.42\00:23:39.14
that has one knob that
goes up and left or right.
00:23:39.17\00:23:41.54
But you know, if you
just have the two knobs
00:23:41.57\00:23:44.37
if you turn the one
on the left at my house,
00:23:45.37\00:23:48.03
hot water comes out.
00:23:48.06\00:23:49.72
If you turn the one
on the right, cold water.
00:23:49.92\00:23:52.57
If you turn them both
on together and try to get
00:23:52.85\00:23:55.41
some sort of equal mix,
then you end up with warm.
00:23:55.44\00:23:58.29
We would call it lukewarm.
00:23:58.62\00:24:00.53
Well, Jesus is referring
to lukewarm religious people
00:24:01.57\00:24:05.85
in Matthew 23, and He
calls them hypocrites.
00:24:06.12\00:24:08.85
I want to read that one
off the screen with you.
00:24:08.88\00:24:11.32
Matthew 23 verses 27 and
28, Jesus says, "Woe to you,
00:24:11.35\00:24:14.94
teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites..."
00:24:15.14\00:24:17.96
So, Jesus' way of describing
a lukewarm person is to say
00:24:36.62\00:24:42.09
you look
different on the outside
00:24:42.12\00:24:44.07
than you are on the inside.
00:24:44.10\00:24:45.66
Like the shaving cream
on top of the strawberries.
00:24:45.69\00:24:49.42
It looked good, though.
00:24:49.45\00:24:51.54
Dr. Stute suckered for it.
00:24:51.57\00:24:53.24
It looked good enough
that he ate it, you know.
00:24:53.27\00:24:56.12
But it really
wasn't what it looked like.
00:24:56.15\00:24:58.83
And Jesus is saying, "You're
like a whitewashed tomb."
00:24:58.86\00:25:01.50
The sepulcher looks
pretty good on the outside.
00:25:01.53\00:25:04.10
Nice engraving. You
know, it's beautiful.
00:25:04.13\00:25:07.01
But on the inside, corruption.
00:25:07.04\00:25:09.29
Dead men's bones.
00:25:09.32\00:25:10.75
Well let's just think a little
bit about those people that
00:25:12.77\00:25:14.94
Christ was speaking
to when He said that,
00:25:14.97\00:25:17.77
what we just
read from Matthew 23.
00:25:17.87\00:25:20.11
The people He was
speaking to He said,
00:25:20.62\00:25:22.42
"You search the scriptures..."
00:25:22.45\00:25:24.19
They were
familiar with the Bible.
00:25:26.48\00:25:27.95
They knew it
backwards and forwards,
00:25:28.25\00:25:29.90
the Bible as they knew it.
00:25:29.93\00:25:31.54
Which we would call,
perhaps, the Old Testament
00:25:31.57\00:25:33.47
type scriptures.
00:25:33.50\00:25:34.53
The writings of Moses
and the prophets, right?
00:25:34.68\00:25:37.13
They were familiar.
00:25:37.16\00:25:38.19
These are people that
Jesus was talking to who return
00:25:38.38\00:25:41.26
tithes and offerings.
00:25:41.29\00:25:42.56
These are people
whom Jesus was talking to
00:25:42.59\00:25:44.57
who had a health message.
00:25:44.60\00:25:46.04
These are people who
had their kids enrolled
00:25:46.24\00:25:47.95
in Christian education.
00:25:47.98\00:25:49.09
You might call our counterpart,
Christian education.
00:25:49.12\00:25:51.72
These are people who
had studied prophecy hugely.
00:25:51.75\00:25:56.32
They were major
students of Bible prophecy.
00:25:56.35\00:25:59.46
They had timelines, charts.
00:25:59.77\00:26:01.57
They had it all mapped out.
00:26:01.60\00:26:03.09
They knew
exactly what to expect.
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.18
They had family
worship every evening.
00:26:06.54\00:26:09.91
And yet Jesus said, "You
look good on the outside,
00:26:10.62\00:26:13.94
but inside you're rotten.
00:26:14.52\00:26:16.60
You're filled with corruption."
00:26:16.97\00:26:19.10
That's a pretty
good list of descriptors
00:26:21.49\00:26:24.72
that we just noted
about these people.
00:26:25.03\00:26:27.14
They look pretty good.
00:26:27.17\00:26:28.65
Go down the line,
check those things off.
00:26:28.75\00:26:30.84
But, trouble. Trouble.
00:26:30.87\00:26:33.94
The Titanic looked good.
00:26:34.04\00:26:36.87
I've seen pictures of it.
00:26:37.07\00:26:38.58
It looked good just
tied up to the dock there.
00:26:38.61\00:26:41.25
But the Titanic, they did
some research after it sunk
00:26:41.56\00:26:45.42
and they concluded that
there was too much sulfur
00:26:45.94\00:26:50.05
in the steel that was
being used for the hull.
00:26:50.37\00:26:55.25
And when you put too
much sulfur in steel...
00:26:55.45\00:26:57.81
I'm not an authority on this.
00:26:57.84\00:26:59.11
I just read this, okay, so.
00:26:59.14\00:27:00.72
But when you put too
much sulfur into steel,
00:27:00.93\00:27:03.36
it becomes brittle, like glass.
00:27:03.39\00:27:06.28
And what happened was,
ordinarily what should have
00:27:06.55\00:27:09.09
happened is when the
Titanic hit the iceberg,
00:27:09.12\00:27:11.75
it should have dented the steel.
00:27:11.78\00:27:13.84
Like when you run
your bumper into something,
00:27:13.87\00:27:15.86
it bends the bumper.
00:27:15.89\00:27:17.37
But because there was
too much sulfur, it cracked.
00:27:17.68\00:27:22.04
It shattered like glass,
and the water began pouring in.
00:27:22.07\00:27:25.18
And we know the
rest of the story.
00:27:25.21\00:27:26.70
What was the problem?
00:27:26.73\00:27:27.87
The Titanic looked like
something that it wasn't.
00:27:27.90\00:27:31.47
It looked different on
the outside than it really was
00:27:31.50\00:27:34.92
on the inside.
00:27:34.95\00:27:36.43
Lukewarm people go
through the motions.
00:27:36.63\00:27:40.03
They are religious,
they do the right things.
00:27:40.06\00:27:42.51
But they actually are
doing the right things
00:27:42.54\00:27:44.45
for the wrong reasons.
00:27:44.48\00:27:45.97
And Jesus rebuked them.
00:27:48.05\00:27:50.34
He said, "You make Me sick.
00:27:50.94\00:27:53.07
You are religious, but
you are not spiritual."
00:27:53.52\00:27:56.45
Are you familiar with
the difference between
00:27:57.10\00:27:58.85
religious and spiritual?
00:27:58.88\00:28:00.71
It's possible to know the
rules without knowing the Ruler.
00:28:00.91\00:28:04.90
It is possible to know the
laws without knowing the Lord.
00:28:05.83\00:28:10.19
It is possible to know the facts
without knowing the Friend.
00:28:10.89\00:28:14.97
It is possible to
know the Sabbath as a day
00:28:15.79\00:28:19.33
without knowing the Lord
of the Sabbath as a Person.
00:28:19.36\00:28:22.19
So the difference
between religious and spiritual
00:28:22.61\00:28:26.38
kind of lies in those
differences that I was just
00:28:26.63\00:28:29.31
comparing here a moment ago.
00:28:29.34\00:28:31.70
Jesus said, "You lukewarm people
are high on the standards,
00:28:31.73\00:28:36.73
but you're low
on knowing Christ."
00:28:36.76\00:28:40.18
That's the problem.
00:28:40.89\00:28:41.95
That's the problem of
the church of Laodicea.
00:28:41.98\00:28:44.07
They're high on the standards,
but they're low on personal
00:28:44.10\00:28:46.35
relationship with Jesus.
00:28:46.38\00:28:47.81
That's why I appreciated
Pastor Gilley saying at the
00:28:48.67\00:28:51.07
very beginning,
there's nothing more urgent or
00:28:51.10\00:28:53.40
more important for us at
this time of earth's history
00:28:53.43\00:28:55.62
than to have a personal
relationship with Jesus.
00:28:55.65\00:28:57.82
A personal one.
00:28:57.85\00:28:59.11
Jesus revealed in the
book of Revelation what the
00:28:59.90\00:29:02.20
last church will look like until
just before He comes again.
00:29:02.23\00:29:05.34
Now unfortunately, many
people have thought that
00:29:05.54\00:29:08.81
the way you get
the warm to become hot
00:29:08.84\00:29:11.89
is by preaching what they
call the straight testimony.
00:29:11.99\00:29:15.12
And that can look like
a lot of different things,
00:29:15.73\00:29:18.09
but it often comes across
like legislating standards.
00:29:18.12\00:29:22.21
If we can get people
to hold the standards,
00:29:22.24\00:29:25.13
even raise the
standards, we can move the warm
00:29:25.43\00:29:28.95
to being hot by
legislating standards.
00:29:28.98\00:29:32.30
But legislated
standards do not change hearts.
00:29:32.34\00:29:36.32
They don't change hearts.
00:29:36.64\00:29:38.19
My father, my dad,
passed away last February
00:29:38.22\00:29:41.20
just a little over a year ago.
00:29:41.23\00:29:42.38
He was a preacher.
00:29:42.41\00:29:43.49
And that same church that
had the strawberry shortcake
00:29:43.86\00:29:47.62
that I told you
about, he pastored there.
00:29:47.65\00:29:50.31
That's back about when
I was in the fifth grade.
00:29:50.72\00:29:52.68
And they were studying, during
the mid-week service, they were
00:29:53.23\00:29:55.65
studying the subject of revival.
00:29:55.68\00:29:57.61
And the church
members who were coming to the
00:29:58.62\00:30:00.25
mid-week service
said, "We like that.
00:30:00.28\00:30:01.54
We want to experience
a revival right here."
00:30:01.57\00:30:04.36
And so they said, "We
need to raise the standards
00:30:04.93\00:30:09.03
if we really
want to have revival."
00:30:09.24\00:30:10.83
So one of the standards
they decided to raise was,
00:30:10.86\00:30:13.68
they needed to do away
with anything that appeared
00:30:13.88\00:30:16.57
to have any tie or
connection to jewelry.
00:30:16.60\00:30:18.89
Got to get rid of
anything that was like jewelry.
00:30:18.92\00:30:20.60
Get rid of that.
00:30:20.63\00:30:21.66
And my dad thought,
you know, well really...
00:30:21.94\00:30:23.66
Because he certainly
didn't wear any jewelry.
00:30:23.69\00:30:25.23
So he figured
that, you know, he wasn't
00:30:25.26\00:30:26.84
going to be inhibiting revival.
00:30:26.87\00:30:28.44
Until the word got back to him
that they were talking about him
00:30:28.87\00:30:32.14
out in the
congregation as he would preach
00:30:32.17\00:30:34.70
from Sabbath to Sabbath.
00:30:34.73\00:30:35.77
And he found out the
reason they were was because
00:30:35.80\00:30:37.95
he was actually
wearing a tie clasp on his tie.
00:30:37.98\00:30:42.25
He had a little tie clasp there.
00:30:42.28\00:30:43.44
And actually, it
was made out of chrome.
00:30:43.64\00:30:46.77
And so there were times
when if he moved just right
00:30:47.15\00:30:49.31
it would glint in the light.
00:30:49.34\00:30:51.00
Well anything that
glints, that's adornment, see.
00:30:51.03\00:30:53.27
And so the people said,
"Pastor Venden, we can't ever
00:30:53.30\00:30:55.77
experience a revival
with you wearing a tie clasp.
00:30:55.80\00:30:58.10
You've got to get
rid of that tie clasp."
00:30:58.30\00:30:59.59
So he went home, he
took off his tie clasp.
00:30:59.62\00:31:02.36
But then he found that he
had a problem, because his tie,
00:31:02.46\00:31:05.45
at potluck his tie
kept drifting into the soup.
00:31:05.48\00:31:08.87
And now he had his tie
soiled, but you know, at least
00:31:09.07\00:31:11.69
he wasn't inhibiting revival.
00:31:11.72\00:31:13.36
And so, but you know,
his tie wasn't too good.
00:31:13.39\00:31:15.76
So as a way of trying to
solve his problem with his tie,
00:31:15.79\00:31:18.87
he was rummaging around in
the bathroom drawers one day
00:31:18.90\00:31:22.90
and he found bobby
pin, some bobby pins.
00:31:22.93\00:31:25.80
Well he put a bobby pin,
he said, "Well that works."
00:31:26.39\00:31:29.00
It's dark, you know.
00:31:29.29\00:31:30.78
Doesn't glint in
the sun or anything.
00:31:30.81\00:31:32.81
So he put this bobby pin on.
00:31:32.84\00:31:34.38
And his tie quit
falling in the soup, you know.
00:31:34.41\00:31:37.46
And then he said he actually
began to feel a little bit proud
00:31:37.49\00:31:40.07
of his bobby pin.
00:31:40.32\00:31:41.68
You know, because he
said people would say to him,
00:31:41.71\00:31:44.07
"Pastor Venden, what is
that bobby pin on your tie?"
00:31:44.10\00:31:46.22
He would say, "Oh, it's
a bobby pin because I don't
00:31:46.25\00:31:48.42
believe in jewelry.
00:31:48.45\00:31:49.48
I don't wear tie clasps;
I don't believe in jewelry."
00:31:49.51\00:31:51.24
And he would feel
very pious and proud
00:31:51.27\00:31:54.79
about his bobby pin.
00:31:54.82\00:31:55.85
He said he even found
out you could get different
00:31:55.88\00:31:57.09
colored bobby pins to
match different colored ties.
00:31:57.12\00:31:59.72
And he said that he discovered
that the latter state of
00:31:59.82\00:32:02.79
of that man was
worse than the first.
00:32:02.82\00:32:04.62
Because now he was proud
of his spirituality, you know.
00:32:05.13\00:32:13.29
Falsely called, but proud of it.
00:32:13.32\00:32:16.20
Legislated standards
do not change hearts.
00:32:16.84\00:32:20.68
Now I'm not in favor
of lowering standards.
00:32:20.71\00:32:22.72
I'm not saying that.
00:32:22.75\00:32:23.78
I'm not saying we
should lower standards.
00:32:23.81\00:32:25.10
But I'm just saying that
raising standards is not what
00:32:25.40\00:32:29.39
brings on revival.
00:32:29.68\00:32:30.99
That's the point.
Raising standards.
00:32:31.34\00:32:33.12
Working on externals...
00:32:33.45\00:32:35.99
Hear me carefully here now.
00:32:37.59\00:32:39.06
Working on externals
is the very thing that
00:32:39.09\00:32:42.85
Jesus says is
wrong with Laodicea.
00:32:42.88\00:32:46.20
He says, "You clean up
the outside, but your inside
00:32:46.23\00:32:50.61
is not right."
00:32:50.64\00:32:52.22
So if you're trying to get
rid of Laodicea by working on
00:32:52.53\00:32:56.19
standards, that's external.
00:32:56.22\00:32:58.94
And you're actually perpetuating
the very thing that Laodicea
00:32:58.97\00:33:02.88
is known for when you
focus on the standards.
00:33:02.91\00:33:04.84
Do you see how that works?
00:33:04.87\00:33:05.90
That's the very
problem of Laodicea,
00:33:05.99\00:33:07.64
is it's focused on
the external obedience.
00:33:07.67\00:33:11.15
The kind of obedience
and transformation that
00:33:11.76\00:33:14.28
Jesus wants to work out
in us comes from within.
00:33:14.31\00:33:19.05
It's Him indwelling.
00:33:19.08\00:33:20.30
And as Jesus lives His
life in us and through us,
00:33:20.33\00:33:23.46
we become more and more like Him
as He works His righteousness
00:33:23.49\00:33:27.49
out of us from the inside out.
00:33:27.52\00:33:29.46
The indwelling Christ
living His life in us.
00:33:29.49\00:33:32.07
We sing songs about it;
"You'll live Thy life in me."
00:33:32.10\00:33:34.55
You know, that kind of thing.
00:33:34.58\00:33:36.41
That's what He's looking for.
00:33:36.44\00:33:37.82
Well what does He
say to these Pharisees?
00:33:37.85\00:33:39.57
In Matthew 23 verses
25 and 26, He says...
00:33:39.60\00:33:42.56
Now let's go back on
now to Revelation 3:18.
00:33:56.92\00:34:00.27
The first part of what we
have noted in Revelation 3
00:34:01.06\00:34:05.18
has been what I'm
going to call, the rebuke
00:34:05.21\00:34:08.20
to the church of Laodicea.
00:34:08.59\00:34:10.06
So far we've
looked at the rebuke.
00:34:10.09\00:34:11.67
Now notice what we're
going to look at next.
00:34:12.02\00:34:13.89
It's going to be
called, the counsel.
00:34:13.92\00:34:15.48
And isn't it
wonderful that God never rebukes
00:34:15.51\00:34:17.60
without giving counsel.
00:34:17.63\00:34:19.02
He always says, "This is the
problem, here's the solution."
00:34:19.05\00:34:21.23
Here's the problem,
here's the solution.
00:34:21.33\00:34:23.02
Alright, so let's
look at the counsel.
00:34:23.05\00:34:24.32
Revelation 3:18, He says...
00:34:24.35\00:34:26.05
Now gold, white clothes
or white raiment, and salve.
00:34:40.90\00:34:47.04
What are these things?
What do they represent?
00:34:47.88\00:34:49.83
Well, I want to
share something with you
00:34:50.72\00:34:52.90
from our church periodical
written many years ago.
00:34:52.93\00:34:55.51
You can find it if you
dig back into your garage
00:34:55.54\00:34:59.52
to the stack that's
there in the back corner.
00:34:59.55\00:35:01.70
Here it is.
00:35:02.21\00:35:03.24
Now that's good news.
00:35:10.12\00:35:11.15
Because just a moment ago,
I said more than 500,000 then
00:35:11.18\00:35:14.49
of the church members of
any church in North America
00:35:14.52\00:35:17.67
are going to be
characterized as lukewarm.
00:35:17.70\00:35:19.96
But that doesn't need
to be a cause for despair,
00:35:19.99\00:35:22.48
because it says the counsel
shows that we do not need
00:35:22.51\00:35:26.22
to see ourselves
in a hopeless case.
00:35:26.25\00:35:28.38
"The Laodicean message
is full of encouragement."
00:35:28.41\00:35:31.02
Full of encouragement.
00:35:31.05\00:35:32.82
Now what is the gold?
00:35:36.27\00:35:37.44
Okay, so what is the gold
and what is the white raiment.
00:35:48.78\00:35:52.41
And also, what is the eye salve?
00:35:52.61\00:35:54.14
Where told the eye
salve is the Holy Spirit
00:35:54.17\00:35:56.45
bringing discernment
and understanding concerning
00:35:56.48\00:35:59.98
our need of our
Savior and a personal
00:36:00.01\00:36:02.08
relationship with Him.
00:36:02.11\00:36:03.42
So that's what the eye salve is.
00:36:03.52\00:36:05.20
So we could summarize
Jesus' counsel this way.
00:36:05.23\00:36:08.80
Jesus' counsel is,
"You need My righteousness,
00:36:08.90\00:36:11.13
which comes through faith.
00:36:11.16\00:36:12.19
And you need love
brought into your heart.
00:36:12.22\00:36:14.07
And these are the gifts
that result as the Holy Spirit
00:36:14.10\00:36:17.05
works in you
when you abide in Me."
00:36:17.08\00:36:19.80
Okay, so we're talking here now
about a personal relationship
00:36:19.83\00:36:23.21
with Jesus as the counsel
to the church at Laodicea.
00:36:23.24\00:36:30.10
Now when Jesus comes there's
going to be no such thing as
00:36:30.99\00:36:34.69
a lukewarm person.
00:36:34.72\00:36:35.88
You know, when Jesus
comes there's only two groups.
00:36:36.55\00:36:39.67
There's no longer three.
00:36:39.70\00:36:41.24
There's the hot and the cold.
00:36:41.41\00:36:42.68
There's the
righteous and the wicked.
00:36:42.71\00:36:44.08
There's the wheat and the tares.
00:36:44.11\00:36:45.42
The sheep and the goats.
00:36:45.45\00:36:46.48
The wise and the foolish.
00:36:46.51\00:36:47.63
Everywhere you go through
Scripture, when it comes down
00:36:47.66\00:36:49.80
to the final events,
there's only two groups.
00:36:49.83\00:36:52.09
Only two groups.
00:36:52.12\00:36:53.28
So something happens
just before Jesus comes that
00:36:53.67\00:36:57.20
causes the middle
group to disappear.
00:36:57.23\00:36:59.76
You could say they
go hot or cold all over.
00:37:00.36\00:37:03.68
Sometimes I've said that.
00:37:04.12\00:37:05.17
You know just recently,
last week, I was walking with
00:37:05.20\00:37:07.62
my wife along a
little path outdoors,
00:37:07.65\00:37:09.98
and a snake went
slithering across my trail.
00:37:10.01\00:37:13.27
I hate snakes. I
just despise them.
00:37:13.30\00:37:17.46
This is a tiny little
thing but I tell you what,
00:37:17.49\00:37:19.41
I went hot and cold all over.
00:37:19.44\00:37:20.72
Just seeing that snake, I
just went hot and cold all over.
00:37:20.75\00:37:23.25
Well just before Jesus comes,
the lukewarm are going to go
00:37:23.75\00:37:28.16
hot or cold all over.
00:37:28.19\00:37:31.71
They stop being warm.
00:37:32.25\00:37:34.21
There's a
little rhyme that says,
00:37:34.24\00:37:35.47
"There was a little
girl who had a little curl
00:37:35.50\00:37:38.72
right in the
middle of her forehead.
00:37:38.75\00:37:40.78
When she was good,
she was very very good;
00:37:40.99\00:37:44.10
and when she was bad, she was...
00:37:44.45\00:37:46.65
...horrid."
00:37:47.70\00:37:48.73
You know what it is, alright.
00:37:48.76\00:37:50.24
That's what's going to
happen just before Jesus comes.
00:37:50.63\00:37:53.38
Well how does it happen?
00:37:53.74\00:37:55.23
What takes place?
00:37:55.26\00:37:56.84
And why does it take place?
00:37:56.87\00:37:58.36
God moves in and God
picks up speed at the very end.
00:37:58.56\00:38:02.46
And as God moves in
and picks up speed...
00:38:02.49\00:38:04.70
We're told the final
movements are going to be what?
00:38:04.73\00:38:06.49
Rapid ones.
00:38:06.69\00:38:07.94
...the warm start
going one way or the other.
00:38:08.14\00:38:12.10
There's going to
come a time in our world
00:38:12.13\00:38:14.04
when Jesus waits no longer.
00:38:14.07\00:38:16.33
We have often talked
about the privilege that is ours
00:38:17.01\00:38:19.37
of hastening His coming.
00:38:19.40\00:38:20.82
But the idea of
hastening a coming implies or
00:38:21.02\00:38:24.55
carries with it that
there is a point in time
00:38:24.58\00:38:27.40
in which He comes
whether we hastened it or not.
00:38:27.43\00:38:30.50
You don't hasten
something unless it's
00:38:30.53\00:38:32.64
already going to happen.
00:38:32.67\00:38:33.88
You can make it
happen more quickly,
00:38:33.91\00:38:35.99
but it's going to happen whether
you hasten it or not, okay.
00:38:36.02\00:38:39.75
See, I figured out on
Google today also how far it was
00:38:39.78\00:38:43.67
if I had driven
instead of flown here.
00:38:43.70\00:38:45.63
It was 1,973
miles from where I live.
00:38:45.66\00:38:49.27
Then I punched into my
calculator and I discovered
00:38:49.53\00:38:51.80
that if I had driven
that at 60 miles an hour,
00:38:51.83\00:38:54.63
it would have taken me 33 hours.
00:38:54.66\00:38:56.49
That's not stopping
for the bathroom or gas.
00:38:56.52\00:38:58.75
That's just 33
hours of nonstop driving.
00:38:58.78\00:39:01.33
Then I thought, well what
if I changed it from 60 to 70.
00:39:02.03\00:39:05.27
Because there's a lot of
speed limits on the interstates
00:39:05.30\00:39:07.29
that say 70.
00:39:07.32\00:39:08.53
Well it changes it to
28 hours instead of 33.
00:39:08.73\00:39:13.67
I can hasten my trip
by going 70 instead of 60.
00:39:13.70\00:39:18.65
But if I go 60, I'm
still going to get here.
00:39:18.68\00:39:20.72
Alright?
00:39:21.03\00:39:22.15
So we have had the privilege of
hastening the return of Christ.
00:39:22.18\00:39:26.10
But He's going to come
whether we hasten it or not.
00:39:26.30\00:39:28.53
He's going to come.
00:39:28.56\00:39:29.65
He's got a time
figured out when He's coming.
00:39:29.68\00:39:32.23
And I believe that the
point when He's planning to come
00:39:32.56\00:39:36.38
is not based on the clock.
00:39:36.41\00:39:37.65
I believe it's
based on world conditions.
00:39:37.68\00:39:40.39
World conditions.
00:39:40.62\00:39:41.92
I believe the world is going
to reach a point where it is
00:39:42.34\00:39:45.01
so rotten that if He
didn't come there'd be
00:39:45.04\00:39:48.32
nobody left to come for.
00:39:48.35\00:39:49.38
Because we'd be on the verge
of self-destruction implosion.
00:39:49.41\00:39:53.41
Billy Graham, I
believe, is the one who said,
00:39:53.71\00:39:55.64
"If Jesus doesn't come soon
He's going to have to apologize
00:39:55.67\00:39:58.41
to Sodom and
Gomorrah, because we are
00:39:58.44\00:40:00.83
approaching their wickedness.
00:40:00.86\00:40:02.14
And it wouldn't surprise
me if we don't pass it."
00:40:02.17\00:40:04.30
And so then He'd
have to apologize, see.
00:40:04.33\00:40:06.03
So I believe there's
conditions, world conditions.
00:40:06.06\00:40:08.55
And when our world
reaches that point,
00:40:08.58\00:40:10.85
God is going to
pull out all the stops.
00:40:10.88\00:40:12.85
As they say for the organist.
00:40:12.88\00:40:14.31
Pull out all the stops.
00:40:14.34\00:40:15.88
Romans 9:28 says...
00:40:16.15\00:40:17.57
So as God finishes His work,
a great polarization takes place
00:40:24.93\00:40:29.41
and the lukewarm disappear.
00:40:29.44\00:40:30.97
Have you noticed...
00:40:31.40\00:40:32.78
Probably many of you haven't,
because you're not as old as me.
00:40:33.05\00:40:36.21
I have crossed
the threshold of age.
00:40:36.24\00:40:39.76
And now I notice things and
say things that I use to hear
00:40:39.98\00:40:43.68
older people say,
but I say them now.
00:40:43.71\00:40:45.66
But 50 years ago on television,
50 years ago Mary Tyler Moore
00:40:46.05\00:40:52.63
and Dick Van Dyke were
required to wear pajamas
00:40:52.66\00:40:55.36
that buttoned all the
way up to their necks,
00:40:55.39\00:40:57.01
they had to wear wedding bands,
00:40:57.04\00:40:58.21
and they had to
sleep in twin beds,
00:40:58.24\00:40:59.66
because the censures
for the networks said,
00:40:59.82\00:41:03.92
"We will not have anything...
00:41:03.95\00:41:05.35
These people aren't married.
They're actors and actresses.
00:41:05.38\00:41:08.27
And we're not having
them in the same bed.
00:41:08.47\00:41:10.29
That would just
look like scandal.
00:41:10.32\00:41:11.92
We're not going to put
our actors and our actresses
00:41:11.95\00:41:13.96
in a compromised situation.
00:41:13.99\00:41:15.42
So they're going to
sleep in twin beds."
00:41:15.45\00:41:16.59
That was the Dick Van Dyke show.
00:41:16.62\00:41:18.26
50 years ago.
00:41:18.74\00:41:19.91
I don't think I need to tell
you how things have changed.
00:41:20.42\00:41:22.80
Commercials are worse than
what any censure would have
00:41:23.39\00:41:27.97
ever dreamed back 50 years ago.
00:41:28.00\00:41:29.43
Okay, so that's
just one example.
00:41:29.46\00:41:30.96
I just grabbed
that one out of the hat.
00:41:30.99\00:41:32.45
But there are all kinds of
examples where the world is
00:41:32.48\00:41:35.17
becoming increasingly wicked.
00:41:35.20\00:41:36.43
At the same time it is also
becoming increasingly interested
00:41:36.46\00:41:40.82
in spiritual things too.
00:41:40.85\00:41:42.06
You see both camps forming.
00:41:42.09\00:41:43.63
You see both camps forming.
00:41:43.96\00:41:45.44
For example, 50 years
ago the only place you could
00:41:45.47\00:41:48.39
get a Christian book would
be at camp meeting at the ABC.
00:41:48.42\00:41:51.94
Now you can buy
Christian books at Wal-Mart.
00:41:52.11\00:41:54.27
Did you know that when they were
selling the Passion of Christ,
00:41:54.85\00:41:57.08
that DVD, it came
with the Desire of Ages?
00:41:57.11\00:42:01.00
Did you know
that? It was packaged.
00:42:01.03\00:42:02.32
I actually saw it
with my own eyes, I saw it.
00:42:02.35\00:42:04.77
The Passion of Christ packaged
with the Desire of Ages,
00:42:05.01\00:42:07.90
Christian book; you
can get this a Wal-Mart.
00:42:07.93\00:42:10.27
This is a lot
different than 50 years ago.
00:42:10.77\00:42:13.06
So what I'm trying to
say is, we're seeing the
00:42:13.26\00:42:15.67
world conditions polarizing.
00:42:15.70\00:42:17.46
We're seeing the
wicked become more wicked,
00:42:17.66\00:42:19.17
and we're seeing an increased
interest in spiritual things
00:42:19.20\00:42:21.70
and in the
things of God as well.
00:42:21.73\00:42:22.99
Simultaneously.
00:42:23.02\00:42:24.16
That's a good sign.
00:42:24.50\00:42:25.63
That is a good sign.
00:42:25.93\00:42:27.26
The message of Jesus and
His righteousness is rising.
00:42:27.53\00:42:30.43
And as it rises, the
result is going to be a genuine
00:42:31.08\00:42:35.94
true remnant church.
00:42:35.97\00:42:39.27
Now you might say,
"Well what do you mean
00:42:39.71\00:42:40.91
by a genuine
true remnant church?"
00:42:40.94\00:42:43.13
Prior to
lukewarm's disappearance,
00:42:44.56\00:42:48.11
so when they're still lukewarm,
00:42:48.14\00:42:49.53
the remnant church
is remnant doctrinally,
00:42:51.36\00:42:54.75
but not experientially.
00:42:55.94\00:42:58.43
It has it here, but
it doesn't have it here.
00:42:58.98\00:43:02.90
When God finishes
what He's going to do
00:43:03.83\00:43:06.18
and the
polarization is concluded,
00:43:06.21\00:43:08.27
His remnant are going to have
it here and here, not just here.
00:43:08.30\00:43:11.92
Not just here.
00:43:12.42\00:43:13.63
When that happens...
00:43:15.54\00:43:16.75
Well John 4:23 says,
Jesus was talking to the
00:43:17.45\00:43:22.27
woman at the well, remember her.
00:43:22.30\00:43:23.80
And she asked Him
what kind of worship
00:43:24.27\00:43:28.12
God was interested in most.
00:43:28.15\00:43:29.89
As a diversion, because
she got a little bit nervous
00:43:30.23\00:43:32.32
when He talked
about her personal life.
00:43:32.35\00:43:33.86
And He said, "Whoa."
00:43:33.89\00:43:34.92
She says, "You
must be a prophet.
00:43:34.95\00:43:35.98
Can we change the subject?
00:43:36.01\00:43:37.04
Let's talk about God's
worship style," and so on.
00:43:37.07\00:43:38.82
So then she
asked Him the question.
00:43:38.85\00:43:40.08
And it went up on the screen,
but I ended up digressing.
00:43:40.11\00:43:43.46
I'll come back to it now.
00:43:43.49\00:43:44.86
And Jesus said to that woman,
00:43:44.89\00:43:46.98
"Do you want to know what kind
of worship God's looking for?"
00:43:47.01\00:43:48.96
Jesus said, "The kind of worship
God is looking for is two kinds.
00:43:56.68\00:44:00.93
He's looking for
spirit and truth."
00:44:00.96\00:44:04.21
It's like saying heart and head.
00:44:04.24\00:44:06.59
See, if you're in a rowboat
and you only have one oar,
00:44:06.92\00:44:09.44
you're going to go in a circle.
00:44:09.47\00:44:10.70
In order for the rowboat
to make any kind of progress,
00:44:11.01\00:44:13.18
you have to have
both oars in the water.
00:44:13.21\00:44:14.99
And Jesus is saying,
"It's not enough to have it here
00:44:15.26\00:44:17.76
if you don't have it here."
00:44:17.79\00:44:18.99
It's not enough.
00:44:19.34\00:44:20.62
Just having it here is
not enough to save anybody.
00:44:20.75\00:44:22.93
Knowing the
facts, knowing doctrine,
00:44:23.22\00:44:25.18
knowing the
truth, that doesn't...
00:44:25.21\00:44:26.71
See, have you
ever heard people say,
00:44:26.74\00:44:28.27
"Please pray for my
son," or, "my daughter.
00:44:29.34\00:44:30.79
They left the truth."
00:44:30.82\00:44:31.94
Or, "We've been in the truth
for this X number of years."
00:44:32.20\00:44:34.64
Or "I first found the truth..."
00:44:34.67\00:44:35.76
Ever heard that phrase?
00:44:35.79\00:44:36.99
Generally when people use
that phrase, they're referring
00:44:37.02\00:44:39.40
to a set of theological
beliefs, of doctrines,
00:44:39.43\00:44:42.53
of scriptural
lining things together
00:44:42.56\00:44:45.32
and saying, "Okay,
this is the truth."
00:44:45.42\00:44:46.57
They're talking about
basically theology and doctrine.
00:44:46.64\00:44:49.81
That's usually what
they're referring to.
00:44:49.84\00:44:51.44
Okay?
00:44:51.73\00:44:52.76
But Jesus said, "I am
the way, the..." What?
00:44:53.01\00:44:55.40
"...the truth." The
Truth is a capital "T."
00:44:55.72\00:44:57.87
The truth is a person.
00:44:57.90\00:44:58.99
It's something more
than head knowledge.
00:44:59.09\00:45:00.92
It's a person.
00:45:00.95\00:45:02.13
And when Jesus talked
to that woman, He said
00:45:02.16\00:45:04.41
the kind of truth that God is...
00:45:04.44\00:45:06.00
The kind of people that God
is looking for is people who
00:45:06.03\00:45:08.54
worship Him in spirit and
in truth; both head and heart.
00:45:08.57\00:45:14.28
Well as God starts to finish
the work a shaking takes place
00:45:14.31\00:45:19.89
in the church.
00:45:19.92\00:45:21.10
And I believe this shaking
takes place in every church,
00:45:21.32\00:45:24.37
every
denomination, around the world.
00:45:24.40\00:45:26.67
Right now I'm a
Seventh-day Adventist pastor,
00:45:27.44\00:45:28.95
I intend to stay that way.
00:45:28.98\00:45:30.11
And so I'm
referencing my own church.
00:45:30.33\00:45:32.58
But I believe this is
happening in all churches.
00:45:32.61\00:45:34.74
All churches.
00:45:34.77\00:45:36.03
What happens is the
shaking takes place.
00:45:37.15\00:45:39.34
Very interesting, long
standing members start leaving.
00:45:39.64\00:45:43.93
And backsliders start returning.
00:45:44.74\00:45:46.96
Isn't that weird?
00:45:47.74\00:45:48.77
People who have been in
the church for 60 years leave,
00:45:49.31\00:45:53.45
and people who left in
discouragement come back.
00:45:53.48\00:45:56.15
That's one of the
results of the shaking.
00:45:56.71\00:45:58.26
But what causes the shaking?
00:45:58.29\00:45:59.40
The little book, Early
Writings, page 70, says this...
00:45:59.43\00:46:01.92
Now please refresh yourself.
00:46:13.17\00:46:15.06
Just a moment ago, we noted
what the counsel was to the
00:46:15.09\00:46:18.14
church at Laodicea.
00:46:18.17\00:46:19.40
The counsel was the need
for a personal relationship
00:46:19.88\00:46:23.89
with Jesus; faith and love.
00:46:23.92\00:46:26.67
The eye salve of the Holy Spirit
who reveals our need of a Savior
00:46:26.70\00:46:29.73
and a union and communion
with Him on an ongoing basis.
00:46:29.76\00:46:32.55
That's the counsel.
00:46:32.58\00:46:33.61
That's the counsel.
00:46:33.90\00:46:35.13
Now this is a real
puzzler, because it said there
00:46:35.42\00:46:38.34
in that Early Writings, page
70, it said the shaking is not
00:46:38.37\00:46:42.48
caused by rebuke.
00:46:42.51\00:46:44.65
The shaking is not
caused by raising standards.
00:46:45.35\00:46:48.93
The shaking is caused by
the counsel of the True Witness.
00:46:49.13\00:46:53.58
Which is another way of
saying, then, that what causes
00:46:54.11\00:46:57.22
the shaking is an
increased focus and interest
00:46:57.25\00:47:00.99
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:47:01.09\00:47:02.57
Now isn't that a puzzle?
00:47:02.84\00:47:04.19
Why that would cause people
to go one way or another...
00:47:04.60\00:47:07.39
You would think that a
focus on Jesus would be embraced
00:47:07.98\00:47:11.48
by everybody, both in the church
and out of the church, you know.
00:47:11.51\00:47:14.84
You would think.
00:47:15.19\00:47:16.22
But it actually ends up
causing a lot of lukewarm people
00:47:16.47\00:47:21.65
to leave completely.
00:47:21.68\00:47:23.71
Why?
00:47:28.22\00:47:29.40
Why would an emphasis on
Jesus cause people to leave?
00:47:29.43\00:47:34.11
Well, because they have
been substituting something else
00:47:35.03\00:47:39.04
for their security.
00:47:39.59\00:47:41.66
What have they
been substituting?
00:47:42.25\00:47:43.82
They have been
substituting external goodness.
00:47:44.02\00:47:48.56
They have been
substituting intellectual
00:47:49.00\00:47:51.78
understanding of truth.
00:47:51.81\00:47:54.32
They have been
substituting theological purity
00:47:54.91\00:47:58.96
in doctrine for a
personal experience with Jesus.
00:47:59.00\00:48:03.47
They've been substituting that.
00:48:03.50\00:48:04.89
Now I'm not saying
that you can't have both.
00:48:06.03\00:48:08.21
You can have both or Jesus would
not have said here and here.
00:48:08.86\00:48:11.24
Right?
00:48:11.27\00:48:12.30
But if someone gets
unhappy with a focus on Jesus,
00:48:12.73\00:48:17.12
it's because they
have been depending on
00:48:17.15\00:48:18.87
something other than Jesus.
00:48:18.90\00:48:20.47
They have been living
their stainless pure life
00:48:21.03\00:48:24.01
apart from Him.
00:48:24.31\00:48:25.70
And when someone comes along
and says that doesn't count,
00:48:26.13\00:48:28.76
they get angry.
00:48:28.79\00:48:30.13
I was preaching at a camp
meeting in Alberta, Canada.
00:48:30.53\00:48:33.78
And I mentioned this.
00:48:34.15\00:48:35.66
And after the
meeting a gentleman came up.
00:48:35.69\00:48:37.45
He had white hair and a beard.
00:48:37.48\00:48:38.90
And he started poking me
with his finger in my chest.
00:48:39.21\00:48:42.28
And he stood there after
the meeting and he said to me,
00:48:43.44\00:48:45.60
"Don't tell me that all
of my staying out of trouble
00:48:45.63\00:48:48.59
for 60 years doesn't amount to
some brownie points in heaven.
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.92
I don't have that
daily time with God that you
00:48:51.95\00:48:54.17
talk about, and I don't need it.
00:48:54.20\00:48:55.46
I have stayed out of trouble,
I have kept my nose clean,
00:48:55.49\00:48:57.56
I've got a clean slate.
00:48:57.59\00:48:59.74
And God knows that and it
doesn't matter what you say.
00:48:59.77\00:49:02.66
Don't give me
that kind of nonsense."
00:49:02.69\00:49:04.18
He was mad.
00:49:04.21\00:49:05.29
He was mad that I was telling
him, just staying out of trouble
00:49:05.32\00:49:09.79
doesn't get anyone to heaven.
00:49:09.82\00:49:11.69
Just raising standards
doesn't get anyone to heaven.
00:49:11.89\00:49:15.28
You have to know Jesus.
00:49:15.31\00:49:16.34
What's the root
word of "Christian?"
00:49:16.37\00:49:17.43
"Christ."
00:49:17.99\00:49:19.02
If you don't know Christ,
just knowing biblical truth
00:49:19.05\00:49:22.43
isn't going to be
enough to save you.
00:49:22.46\00:49:24.50
It isn't going to be enough.
00:49:24.87\00:49:25.90
Remember, the people
who killed Jesus knew what
00:49:25.93\00:49:28.22
day to go to church on.
00:49:28.25\00:49:29.28
You know, but they killed Jesus.
00:49:30.91\00:49:32.73
It's not enough to
have a biblical knowledge
00:49:32.76\00:49:34.87
or understanding if you don't
have a relationship with Jesus.
00:49:34.90\00:49:37.59
It's all for not.
00:49:37.62\00:49:38.69
I had some members of one
of the churches I pastored,
00:49:39.83\00:49:43.41
prior to what
we're doing right now...
00:49:44.03\00:49:45.68
A group of my actual elders
and some of the key leaders
00:49:47.33\00:49:51.47
in my church, board
members, sent a letter to my
00:49:51.50\00:49:54.38
conference
president, my boss, my CEO.
00:49:54.41\00:49:56.68
And the letter, they sent me a
copy of it, because they wanted
00:49:57.31\00:49:59.72
me to see what they
were complaining about.
00:49:59.75\00:50:01.34
They actually signed the letter.
00:50:01.37\00:50:02.60
There was about
half a dozen of them.
00:50:02.63\00:50:03.90
And some of them had
been, before they retired
00:50:03.93\00:50:06.48
they had been influential
leaders in the world church
00:50:06.68\00:50:09.74
and denomination, and so on.
00:50:09.77\00:50:11.09
And they signed their name.
00:50:11.12\00:50:12.55
And this is what they
wrote to my president.
00:50:13.76\00:50:16.53
They said, "We're getting
tired of all of the sermons
00:50:16.91\00:50:19.80
being forever and
always about Jesus.
00:50:19.83\00:50:22.11
What we would like
is some good old fashion
00:50:22.14\00:50:24.51
Seventh-day Adventist preaching
down here for a change."
00:50:24.54\00:50:27.51
That's what they wrote.
00:50:27.98\00:50:29.01
That was the letter.
00:50:29.04\00:50:30.07
Well, what were they thinking?
00:50:30.39\00:50:31.73
They were thinking good
old fashion Adventist preaching
00:50:31.93\00:50:34.70
wouldn't be about Jesus.
00:50:34.73\00:50:35.84
It would be about
truth, truth, truth.
00:50:35.87\00:50:38.22
"Make sure they
know what the truth is.
00:50:38.25\00:50:39.49
Hit them with the truth, and
if they don't know the truth,
00:50:39.52\00:50:41.25
man, they're in deep trouble.
00:50:41.28\00:50:42.36
We know the truth,
and if they want to be
00:50:42.39\00:50:43.73
correct they
will sign up with us.
00:50:43.76\00:50:45.10
If they don't sign up with
us, they don't have the truth."
00:50:45.13\00:50:46.89
That's good old fashion.
00:50:47.36\00:50:48.78
But my conference president
wrote them back a letter,
00:50:49.24\00:50:51.90
and he sent me a copy.
00:50:51.93\00:50:53.16
And he said, "I'm
looking forward to the day
00:50:53.50\00:50:55.72
when I get
complaints like yours from every
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.45
church in my conference.
00:50:57.48\00:50:58.80
I want Jesus to be first
and foremost in every church.
00:50:59.46\00:51:03.56
I want Jesus to be the
subject matter and the theme of
00:51:03.82\00:51:06.93
every congregation."
00:51:06.96\00:51:08.45
And I said, "Thank you."
00:51:08.74\00:51:10.29
It's wonderful to
work for a boss like that.
00:51:10.59\00:51:13.01
Well I said that the people
who have been depending on their
00:51:13.29\00:51:17.80
goodness instead of
their relationship with Jesus,
00:51:17.83\00:51:20.52
they get unhappy and they leave.
00:51:20.55\00:51:22.58
But at the same
time, backsliders...
00:51:22.61\00:51:25.10
People who left because they
couldn't produce the goodness
00:51:26.15\00:51:29.98
on their own.
00:51:30.01\00:51:31.04
They had tried
to keep the rules.
00:51:31.30\00:51:33.84
They had given
it their best shot.
00:51:33.87\00:51:35.79
They had been
sincere about trying.
00:51:36.32\00:51:38.22
Like the Israelites, "All that
the Lord has said, we will do."
00:51:38.25\00:51:40.64
They had tried.
00:51:40.98\00:51:42.49
They had been told,
"This is the truth, this is it.
00:51:42.52\00:51:44.47
You know, walk
in it," and so on.
00:51:44.50\00:51:46.31
But they kept falling
and flopping and failing.
00:51:46.34\00:51:48.48
And they got so
bruised and bloody that in
00:51:48.51\00:51:50.42
discouragement they left.
00:51:50.45\00:51:51.99
They thought, "I'm not going
to add hypocrisy to failure.
00:51:52.19\00:51:54.97
I'm just going to check out.
00:51:55.00\00:51:56.03
I can't do it, I can't do it.
00:51:56.06\00:51:57.39
I can't walk this talk."
00:51:57.42\00:51:58.84
And they left.
00:51:58.87\00:52:00.04
But along comes
this emphasis on Jesus.
00:52:00.34\00:52:03.30
Remember, the counsel
to the church at Laodicea
00:52:03.33\00:52:06.46
is what causes the shaking.
00:52:06.49\00:52:08.28
And what is it?
00:52:09.30\00:52:10.33
They're told, "Jesus
wants to be your friend.
00:52:10.36\00:52:13.96
And if you are involved in a
personal relationship with Him,
00:52:13.99\00:52:17.61
He promises to
work in you both to will
00:52:17.64\00:52:19.77
and to do of His good pleasure.
00:52:19.80\00:52:21.26
He promises to complete the
work He has begun in your life.
00:52:21.29\00:52:24.54
He promises to do for you
what you cannot do for yourself.
00:52:24.57\00:52:27.68
It is a gift.
00:52:27.71\00:52:28.74
And He's asking you, He's
inviting you into a relationship
00:52:28.77\00:52:32.10
with Him and He's
saying, "If you will enter into
00:52:32.13\00:52:34.03
fellowship with Me, I will
transform you into My likeness."
00:52:34.06\00:52:37.42
That is good news.
00:52:37.45\00:52:38.85
And when
backsliders hear that, they say,
00:52:38.88\00:52:41.38
"Oh, I must have left too soon.
00:52:41.41\00:52:43.50
If it's about Who and not
what, then I have a chance."
00:52:43.71\00:52:48.40
If it's about Who and not what.
00:52:49.47\00:52:51.10
So the last thing that
happens just before Jesus comes
00:52:53.14\00:52:57.69
is, people trade places.
00:52:57.98\00:53:00.15
Those who have
not chosen to be in a
00:53:01.55\00:53:02.99
relationship with Jesus leave.
00:53:03.02\00:53:04.61
Remember when He cleansed
the temple the second time?
00:53:04.64\00:53:07.72
You can read about this.
00:53:08.20\00:53:09.35
It's very interesting.
00:53:09.38\00:53:10.47
The people who leave
were religious people.
00:53:10.50\00:53:13.93
The people who stayed were
the bruised and the battered.
00:53:14.63\00:53:17.99
The helpless and the hopeless.
00:53:18.24\00:53:20.19
They stayed and He healed them.
00:53:20.52\00:53:22.84
Remember the
story, He healed them.
00:53:22.87\00:53:24.57
And the religious
people were unhappy about it.
00:53:24.60\00:53:27.03
But He ministered to the
hopeless and the helpless.
00:53:27.47\00:53:30.50
And so the weak and the
infirmed, and I would also
00:53:32.25\00:53:36.50
suggest the strong who actually
realized that they are weak
00:53:36.53\00:53:40.11
even though they appear strong.
00:53:40.14\00:53:41.86
Those are the people who
embrace this message of Jesus
00:53:42.96\00:53:46.41
wanting to be friends.
00:53:46.44\00:53:47.77
"Can we be friends?"
00:53:47.80\00:53:49.24
"Can we be friends?" that's
His message to you and to me.
00:53:49.44\00:53:51.66
Well...
00:53:52.73\00:53:53.78
Those weak and
infirmed open the door to Jesus
00:53:58.21\00:54:03.42
so He can come home.
00:54:03.45\00:54:04.50
Or maybe I should
say, respond to His knock
00:54:04.53\00:54:08.86
and open the door.
00:54:10.08\00:54:11.18
I have a friend, Carl
Hafner, he's a pastor over in
00:54:11.21\00:54:13.43
Kettering in Ohio.
00:54:13.46\00:54:15.66
And he has a little
girl, her name is Claire.
00:54:16.05\00:54:18.04
She's not such a little girl
any more, but my wife taught her
00:54:18.07\00:54:20.28
as a kindergartener in school.
00:54:20.31\00:54:21.73
And Claire has
loved the Word of God.
00:54:21.76\00:54:25.25
She just loved it
ever since a little girl.
00:54:25.28\00:54:27.31
She loves the Word of God.
00:54:27.34\00:54:28.46
And she wrote her own
paraphrase of Revelation 3:20.
00:54:29.02\00:54:32.51
And I want you to
see what she wrote.
00:54:32.80\00:54:34.55
She wrote this
as a fifth grader.
00:54:34.58\00:54:36.29
A fifth grader, Revelation 3:20.
00:54:36.32\00:54:38.46
Notice this.
00:54:38.49\00:54:39.58
"Knock, knock..."
00:54:39.61\00:54:40.65
The reason I say "CHV" is that
it's the Claire Hafner version.
00:54:41.03\00:54:45.84
Okay, so here it is.
00:54:47.38\00:54:48.41
Remember, He said,
"If anyone hears My voice
00:55:16.09\00:55:18.38
and opens the door..."
00:55:18.79\00:55:20.22
Isn't it sad how many of
us have not opened the door
00:55:20.25\00:55:23.72
because we have been
distracted with other things.
00:55:23.75\00:55:26.10
See, when Jesus knocks on
the door, I don't want to be
00:55:26.13\00:55:29.30
sidetracked
with my bank account.
00:55:29.33\00:55:31.13
When Jesus knocks on
the door, I don't want to be
00:55:31.45\00:55:34.07
sidetracked with my
new car or my new boat
00:55:34.10\00:55:36.97
or my new toy.
00:55:37.00\00:55:38.34
When Jesus knocks on
the door, I don't want to be
00:55:38.37\00:55:41.18
watching television
so that I can't hear Him
00:55:41.21\00:55:44.06
above the late night show.
00:55:44.09\00:55:45.78
When Jesus knocks on the door,
I don't want to be so distracted
00:55:45.98\00:55:49.48
with current events and the
news, which is usually nothing
00:55:49.51\00:55:52.69
more than a report on
what the devil's been doing
00:55:52.72\00:55:54.72
for the last 24 hours, that
I don't have time to hear His
00:55:54.75\00:55:57.57
knock or run to the door.
00:55:57.60\00:55:59.06
When Jesus knocks at the door,
I don't want to be so distracted
00:55:59.25\00:56:02.57
with my earphones, and
my iPhones, and my iPads,
00:56:02.60\00:56:06.25
and my headsets,
and my music, and...
00:56:06.28\00:56:09.54
I don't want to be so
distracted that I can't hear Him
00:56:09.57\00:56:12.34
when He rings the doorbell.
00:56:12.37\00:56:13.97
I don't want to be so consumed
with my school and my education,
00:56:14.00\00:56:18.05
or my job, or my
career that I don't have time
00:56:18.08\00:56:20.92
to open the door.
00:56:20.95\00:56:22.25
When Jesus knocks, I want
to open the door and have Him
00:56:22.28\00:56:25.97
come in and fellowship
with me and I with Him.
00:56:26.00\00:56:29.55
And guess what?
00:56:31.07\00:56:32.10
Even if you don't think
you have anything to offer Him,
00:56:32.28\00:56:34.65
if you say like Old
Mother Hubbard, I go there and
00:56:34.68\00:56:37.40
the cupboard is bare, He
brings everything with Him.
00:56:37.43\00:56:41.38
Isn't that good?
00:56:41.70\00:56:43.31
And He lays out for you a
table full of the bread of life
00:56:43.34\00:56:49.52
and the water of life.
00:56:49.77\00:56:51.62
And He says, "Let's eat."
00:56:51.65\00:56:53.55
And the best part of eating
is you're going to eat with Him.
00:56:53.90\00:56:56.74
The counsel to the
church at Laodicea is,
00:56:57.55\00:57:00.35
let's fellowship with Jesus.
00:57:00.38\00:57:03.18
Let's respond to His
knock on our heart's door.
00:57:03.21\00:57:06.63
Let's pray.
00:57:06.66\00:57:07.69
Lord Jesus, thank You
for being interested in us
00:57:07.72\00:57:11.56
enough to want
to hang out with us.
00:57:11.59\00:57:14.14
To what to, no big
agenda, but just to be friends,
00:57:14.34\00:57:17.58
to share a meal, to share life.
00:57:17.61\00:57:20.34
Forgive us for being distracted
far too easily with things
00:57:20.61\00:57:23.55
that are going to
rot, or rust, or burn.
00:57:23.58\00:57:25.64
And encourage us,
Lord, strengthen us
00:57:25.84\00:57:27.82
to hear the knock
and to open the door.
00:57:27.85\00:57:30.66
And to share with
others the good news.
00:57:31.05\00:57:33.81