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June 10, 2024 - Jim Bakker Show
58:12
Sermon 8: The Churches at Philadelphia and Leodicea
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City of Brotherly Love 00:15:09
Revelation chapter 3 verse 7.
We have arrived in Philadelphia.
What is Philadelphia known as?
The Philadelphia of the United States of America is known as the city of what?
Brotherly love.
And the same was this city in Asia Minor, Asia Minor.
Mizaia, near Lydia, 28 miles southeast of Sardis.
We've already talked about the church of Sardis.
And it was named for brotherly love.
Now, we could suppose that somehow this was because of the church there, this church at Philadelphia, because they were a loving church.
They were Christians.
And of course, love would be invowed with true Christianity, right?
The Bible says, you know, you pass from death into life because what?
You love the brethren.
So that would be a sign of this church.
But that's not really the reason this city was known as the city of love of the city of Philadelphia here in the Bible.
The king of Pergamum sponsored the founding of Philadelphia.
And out of love and kindness for his older brother, he named this city Philadelphia in honor of his brother.
So if you want to know a little bit of history there, that was the reason it was called the city of brotherly love.
And the city was known for love and kindness.
And the citizens there literally showed love and kindness to tourism, to friends.
They're like Branson, you know.
And there was no fault found with this church.
Isn't that amazing?
And yet, doubtlessly, there was faults in this church.
If they're human, there's going to be faults.
How many know that?
If you're human, you're going to wake up some morning not feeling good, and you might say something you shouldn't have said.
Do you understand that?
But they knew in this church that love covered a multitude of sin.
That love covers.
Say love covers.
The Bible says you don't unveil somebody's nakedness.
You cover it.
Love covers all sin, the Bible says.
And it's the love of God that covers.
And that's why people can't figure out why church people talk about each other and hate each other.
It's because we got religious people.
We have Pharisees.
We need to be the church of Philadelphia.
We need to be known as the church of brotherly and sisterly love.
Amen?
Let's go to Revelation 3, 7.
And to the angel.
And we know that word in the Greek means messenger.
Important to know.
That word means messenger.
Also means pastor.
Here it's probably pastor and to the pastor of the church or messenger of the church.
And that church means the body of Christ, really.
This word is an awesome word here, meaning church.
It means a calling out.
That's what the church is.
We're a called out group of people.
And we're going out of here someday in a meeting in the air.
And so it could be a Jewish synagogue.
It could be a church.
But this was the church.
So that word simply means a meeting of Christian community of saints on earth or in heaven.
That's actually what it means in the Greek.
So here we go.
And to the angel of the church, to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write these things, saith he that is holy.
God and his son Jesus are the only holy ones.
So we know where this message is coming from.
Amen.
These things he that is holy says, the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ.
And he that is true.
Every single church that we have an introduction to has an introduction describing Jesus Christ, different parts.
And these are the cues.
I can't even say it.
Clues.
The clues of final, as we get deeper into this, the final mystery will be unveiled as we realize the signs of Jesus.
And so he's giving us all these clues.
Remember, John was an old man.
He was in prison.
And he had to smuggle these documents out without causing any problems.
So he wrote a lot of it in Old Testament code, which we're going to find out as we go along.
Some very exciting things are coming up in a few moments, if we can get there today.
So John 1:14, look at this quickly.
John 1:14.
And the word was made flesh.
This is Jesus Christ.
And he dwelt among us.
And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
Full of grace and truth.
Who is truth?
Jesus, the word, is truth.
He is truth.
And I love it.
It's always grace.
Thank God for grace.
John 1:17, look down there.
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
He's true.
Truth.
Quickly, move back down a little bit further to John 14.
A few pages back, John 14, 6.
Jesus saith unto him, now here's Jesus, where he's saying of himself, Jesus is saying this, I am the way, the what?
The truth and the life.
No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Jesus is the truth.
Jesus is the word.
So we read here, and to the angel, the leader, the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write, these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David.
What does that mean?
Quickly, move to Revelation 5:5.
Just a few pages back.
Revelation 5:5.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not.
Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Who is it?
The root of David hath prevailed to open the book.
And we'll be studying that in a few days.
The root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals therein.
Jesus is the root of David.
He has the keys.
Revelation 22, 16.
Look over there.
Revelation 22, 16.
He says, I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and the morning star.
He's the morning star.
Oh, the countenance of Jesus is brighter than the sun.
And if you haven't put that in your notes of Jesus, that is going to be one of the ways we're going to find out where Jesus is in the book of Revelation.
His face shines brighter than the sun in our sky today.
So Jesus has the key of David.
This really is explained.
And quickly, let's go over to Matthew 16:19.
Because the key is the emblem of authority, of knowledge, and the key of David is the regal right of authority of David.
You know, David had the power over the kingdom of Israel.
He could shut doors and open doors.
He could shut people out and he could bring people in.
And he was not even bound to leave the kingdom to his eldest son.
That's the power David had.
David had the power over that kingdom.
Jesus has the power over all, over the kingdom to come.
And there we are, Matthew 16, 19.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus has the keys.
And he can give the keys to you.
He can give the keys to anyone.
And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.
Why can we do this?
Why can you and I bind and loose things?
Because he's given us that power.
He is the king.
He has the power over the kingdom.
He is the authority from the lineage of David from the Old Testament.
So I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
We have a king who is over all.
The kingdom of the gospel and the kingdom of heaven are at the disposal of Christ.
This is his kingdom.
That's why you and I march to a different drum.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I don't belong on this earth.
I feel I don't even belong to this government.
I don't belong to this society.
I don't understand it.
I'm not comfortable with the stuff this government's doing.
I'm not comfortable with taking Bible and prayer out of the schools.
I'm not comfortable with the things our government and even our Supreme Court are deciding because they're opposite to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
We are of another kingdom.
But our king reigns in heaven.
And he reigns on earth in the gospel to those who know him.
I want to be in the kingdom of God, don't you?
I want to live in his kingdom.
And he can shut the door against anyone.
He can open the door for anyone.
Just like David, he has the full power of the kingdom.
Let me go back up and just finish reading this again.
I just want to read this verse in a little more total context.
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write these things, saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David.
He that openeth and no man shutteth.
Did you read that?
You see that?
Is that the way it is in your Bible?
And shutteth, and no man openeth.
He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man opens.
When God shuts the door, nobody can open it.
You think you can break down doors?
Men are so cocky today, they think they can do anything.
Isn't it amazing?
Men that have gone to the greatest power in America, this country, for some reason, we bring down our own stars.
People are having a delightful time bringing Martha Stewart down.
You know.
And they love to bring down people.
They love to bring down people.
But I'm telling you, when God opens a door, no man can shut it.
When God wants you to do something, no one can stop it.
Oh, they can try, but they won't succeed.
And when God wants to open up a ministry for you, God's going to open it up.
And you should be thankful when he closes doors.
God just closed.
I need to preach my open door, closed door sermon.
I never have to preach it here.
But I'm telling you, boy, when I left down in Florida, I said, God, why in the world?
I thought we were going to stay here in Florida and have our camp of hope, and the doors closed.
God will give you directions by closed doors.
You understand what I'm saying?
So don't curse the closed door.
Remember Uncle Henry when that door of that airplane closed before he got there, but that plane crashed.
Everybody on it died.
You know, and people say, oh, I didn't get on that plane, and they're screaming and shaking their, boy, sometimes you better thank God.
You know, Lori and I ran out of gas.
We told about it on the air the other day.
If you saw our Chevy Chase, Chevy, Chevy, Chevy Chase, I never say it right.
Chevy Chase little holiday.
I ran out of gas right out of town.
Just ran out of gas.
The gas gauge said full, but I was out of gas.
But you know what?
There was a horrible wreck.
Remember?
And I got to thinking, you know, could we have been delayed by that silly gas gauge to keep us from being in the middle of that?
I mean, it was a horrible wreck.
It had just happened when we got there.
It had just happened.
We didn't even mention it because we kind of know what we see those things.
But I mean, it was a horrible wreck.
And if we would have been in the middle of it with that big old excursion with all of our kids in it, it would have been a horrible thing.
You don't know.
Listen, good things can happen through closed doors.
It helps you make up your mind.
C.M. Ward said the most wonderful thing about getting fired is it helps you make up your mind.
Isn't that good?
Closed doors are good things.
So God opens doors and no man can shut it.
And it means no man.
No man.
I mean, boy, I looked this up in the Greek and it was not even one man.
Woman even says.
No man, no woman or thing, none, nobody, nothing.
When God shuts it.
The door of PTO closed for me 16 years ago.
And all the power on earth could not open that door back up again.
I don't understand it.
You don't understand it.
We ought to leave it alone.
God closes doors and God's opening doors.
And God closed a door in Charlotte and opened a door in Branson.
Key To The Kingdom 00:06:42
God knows everything.
God wants to guide you.
So don't try to say, I want my own way.
I want my own way.
Isaiah 22, 22, quickly, and we want to move on.
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulders.
So he shall open and none shall shut.
We're back in the Old Testament now in the book of Isaiah, 22, 22.
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulders, so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
The prophet promised to Eliakim under the symbol of the key of the house of David, the government of the whole nation.
All the power of the kingdom and of the king to be executed by him as a deputy.
But the words here apply to Jesus Christ.
What it's doing, it's showing that he has absolute power.
Jesus opens doors.
Look at 1 Corinthians 16.
Go over there.
1 Corinthians 16, verse 8.
1 Corinthians 16, 8.
This will help you.
How many know what Romans 8:28 says?
Everybody knows that, right?
And we know that all say all.
All things work together for good to those that love God, to those called according to his purpose.
All these things work together for good.
And so closed doors, Laurie, have to be for good, right?
You believe that?
My wife believes it.
So two of us agree together here.
God opens doors.
God closes doors.
Let God be God.
I just have to talk loud once a while, make sure you don't fall asleep.
But let God be God.
Let him close doors.
We get so upset.
Oh, my God.
I wanted to do that.
You know, I've gotten so mellow, I'm scared of myself.
You know, I'll try to get something done with this ministry, and I can't get it done.
And God just says, just be still.
I'll open it.
I'll close it.
You know, in the old days, my motto, and I put it on paper.
I mean, I put it on little placards on the wall.
Make it happen.
How many heard that before?
Make it happen.
Knock down the door.
Get it.
I think I got in a little trouble making it happen.
I think we can get in trouble making it happen.
I want God's will.
I'm so crazy, if you give me one of these hillbilly shacks up here, I'd be more happy than anything in the world.
Just living up there with all my kids and my barefoot wife, I'd be thrilled.
I'd be thrilled.
She'd be thrilled.
That's what's crazy.
We both would be thrilled.
I don't need it.
I don't need fame.
Don't need fortune.
Like Solomon, I just need enough to get by and pay the bills and go on, you know.
Let God do it.
Let God close doors for you.
Keep you out of a lot of trouble.
Let God open doors.
Amen.
Here's what it says.
1 Corinthians 16, verse 8.
But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
For a great door, an effectual, is opened unto me.
And there are many adversaries.
Isn't that an awesome little scripture?
He said, here is Paul's saying, there's a great door open to me.
A great effectual door open unto me for the gospel.
But there are many adversaries.
When God opens doors, it doesn't mean everybody's going to love you.
It doesn't mean everybody's going to speak good about you.
Ever since we've been back on television, I mean, one guy's opened a website.
He hates me so bad.
He wants me dead.
Some the other day said, boy, I'm going to put Jim Baker back in prison where he belongs.
You know, that's in Christ's love.
You know, they do those things.
My God, if they're Christians, I'd hate to meet a sinner.
Pharisees criticize.
Pharisees tear down.
Pharisees aren't saved.
Pharisees are religious.
The Bible says they're going to know we are gods by our love for one another.
We belong to Jesus.
And if we hate each other and pick each other apart, it's not the love of God.
Colossians 4, 3 says, with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ.
Does anybody here remember what I taught you?
What is the mystery of Christ?
It's the gospel.
The gospel.
That's what he's talking about.
That God would open a door to us to preach the gospel, to speak the mystery of Christ.
Very important, we understand that the gospel is that great mystery.
He says, for Paul says, for which I am also in bonds, in prison.
Okay, let's get back to Revelation 3, verse 8 now.
And he says this to almost every church, doesn't he?
I know thy works.
And we've talked enough about this.
If you've been here, I know your work.
I know what you do.
I know your toiling.
I know the things you do.
I know your prayer time.
I know your intercessors.
I know when you're cleaning the kitchen and cleaning the bathrooms and over there waxing the pews or whatever you do in the church, you know, and things that you don't think nobody sees.
God says, I see, I know your works.
Behold, I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it.
For thou hast a little strength and has kept, have guarded, has watched my word and hasn't denied my word, has not contradicted it or disavowed or rejected my name.
God's Promise of Patience 00:13:21
Boy, the name of Jesus is so important.
Amen.
Salvation is confessing the name of Jesus Christ, but not be ashamed.
Let's go on.
Verse 9.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie.
Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee.
Jesus is the only way the Messiah and the Jewish religion and the law could not save the Jewish people.
The law could not do it.
Religion could not do it.
Only Jesus Christ can save a sinner from their sins.
Verse 10, because thou hast kept the word of my patience.
Say patience.
Oh, do we need to know that word in the last days?
Say it again, patience.
I know it sounds like a dirty word, but it's not four letters.
It is a very important word.
Patience.
Oh, I need patience.
I don't pray for patience.
You know that.
We all know about that.
But God wants us to have patience.
We need patience.
And I believe God knows our hearts will help us to be patient.
You know, we've learned the Greek meaning of the word patience.
We learned it, I think, a couple weeks ago.
It means cheerful endurance.
Isn't that a great, that's much better than patience.
I'm cheerfully enduring.
Hebrews 10, 36.
For you have need of patience.
Here it is in the book of Hebrews, where we find the great hall of faith, the great hall of men and women of God.
For you have need of patience that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
For you have need of patience.
You say, I don't need patience.
Yes, you need patience.
Remember somebody prayed for patience and says, I want it right now.
That's called the McDonald's religion.
I want it my way, and I want it now.
Verse 10, we're reading, Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly or suddenly.
Behold, I come suddenly.
Matthew 24, 27.
Here's what it says over there.
For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even to the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be.
As fast as lightning snaps in the sky.
That's how quick we're going to go to meet him in the air.
He's coming as a thief in the night for the world.
It's going to be fast.
It's coming quickly.
And, oh, I'm not going there yet, but I'm telling you, this material this brother wrote to me about has just turned me on.
He's made me more convinced what God spoke to me in prison that I was right, that I mean God's right.
The word is right and what the interpretation is is right.
And I want to show you.
I want to show you what the critics say.
I want to show you every scripture.
And I want you to make up your own mind.
I want you to learn from the word of God because there's got to be a few people on planet earth that are going to be stable when the world starts collapsing.
What happens if tomorrow over in Japan, the main part of Japan is wiped out.
And then a few months later, Los Angeles is collapsed to the ground.
And then governments start falling and economies start crashing and stock markets are gone.
What do you do then?
When people have promised you that it's just going to get better and better and we're never going to have any problems.
I know preachers that preach to people and tell them, you don't even have to have a headache.
Honey, if you live long enough, you're going to have more than a headache.
You're going to be dead.
If you live long enough, you die.
Did you know that?
That's a bad headache.
You know, this Pollyanna gospel, you need to read the book, the whole book.
Not just a little piece of scripture taken out of context.
You need the Bible.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.
So behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fast which thou hast.
Till death or rapture.
Hold fast to the gospel.
Hold fast to the word of God.
We have another gospel being preached today.
Our young people and our churches today are living like the world.
We have more divorce in the church than the world does.
We have as much sexual promiscuity in the church as we do outside of the church.
We have people shacking up in the church together just the same way as they're doing in the world.
We have taken on the world's standards.
And we have another gospel being preached today.
We have a gospel of the love of money.
And the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil.
And I'm going to give you some more scriptures in the next few days on this thing to prove what God says in his word.
Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
That's the victor's crown.
I want my crown on my head so I can lay it at the master's feet when I get to heaven.
Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
Look at this.
Listen to this.
I'm telling you.
I want to teach you something here.
He says, Jesus says, I'm going to make you a pillar.
This has never been used before in the scriptures.
This is something that, remember we talked about the white stone that he said when we come to know God, that he's going to give us a white stone.
A black stone was when the judge gave you a black stone, you were going to prison for life or you were going to be killed.
But when you got the white stone, it meant you had been cleared.
You had been vindicated.
You were set free.
You were born again, really.
I mean, this was wonderful.
Here, he's telling you, look as I read this now.
He's going to give you, he's going to make you a pillar.
Look at him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
Now, this is a city.
This city of Philadelphia was known for earthquakes.
And pillars fell down.
And so pillars would collapse.
One of the most horrible series of earthquakes hit Philadelphia.
But it says, him that overcometh, I'll make a pillar in the temple of God, a pillar that is prominent part of the temple, a permanent part, a strong part of the temple of God.
And he shall go no more out.
You're not going outside anymore.
You're not going to be put away anymore.
And listen to this.
Remember, he said, I'm going to write your name on that stone.
And the name of God was on the stone.
And we learned that when a nobleman would give you a stone with your name and his name etched on it, it meant you'd have a home, a hospitality, you'd have a place to go the rest of your life and your family to go.
Well, look at what God says I'm going to do.
He said, I, him that I overcome, I'll make a pillar, this huge stone pillar in the temple of God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem.
Your name is going to be written there.
The name of the city, your new home, your place of hospitality, your place to be forever is going to be written there, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name.
Your name is written down in glory.
You are a, he says, I'm making you a pillar in the temple of my God.
You have a place prepared by God Almighty for you.
Your name is there along with the name of God and the name of the city.
There's no question here.
Wow.
God writes three things on your pillar.
What is it?
The name of God, number one.
Number two, the name of God's home city.
And three, your name.
Remember the white stone story.
Everything in the Bible ties together.
There is harmony of the word of God from Genesis to Revelation.
New Jerusalem, the city of God.
Quickly, let's read about the city of New Jerusalem, Revelation 21.
We'll study it, but we won't study it tonight.
But let's go look at it quickly.
New Jerusalem, what is this city that your name is written with?
Revelation 21, verse 1.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.
And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
What a beautiful city this is going to be.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.
And God himself shall be with them and be their God.
Oh, no more, no bully is going to pick on you anymore because God's going to be with you forever.
No bully of sickness, no bully of pain, no bully of enemies, no bully of poverty.
None of those things can stand in the sight of God.
And look at verse 4.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.
This is what God has prepared for those that love him.
Verse 5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.
And he said unto me, It is done.
I am Alpha and Omega.
The first letter and the last letter of the alphabet, the beginning and the end.
I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of water of life freely.
He that overcometh, here's that word again, shall inherit all things.
And I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Verse 8: But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and the murderers and the whoremongers and the sorcerers and the idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
You know, we have people today that just say there's no heaven, no hell, there's no nothing, just, you know, God's going to let everybody just ride through on something.
And some people say, well, then there's no hell, just heaven.
And, you know, what are we going to do with the scriptures?
What are we going to do with so great a witness as we have in this word?
People are not enduring sound doctrine today.
But don't go the way just because everybody's doing it.
He that hath an ear, let him hear.
Verse 13, back in Revelation, Revelation 3:13.
The Sweetest Servants 00:04:17
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Hear, he says, hear.
If you have ears, hear what I'm trying to say to you.
Revelation 3:14, we go to the last church now, the church at Laodicea, the Laodiceans.
This church demonstrates what wealth and power can do to Christians.
I think the other day I told you about some friends I had.
I had a couple.
They were the sweetest people.
I'm telling you, they just were humble.
They worked.
They worked with me in the ministry.
And they were just like servants.
I mean, they were just wonderful.
The charming, sweet, gentle people.
And they became multi-millionaires.
And I mean they changed so much that when I met them, I didn't even recognize them.
They had their nose in the air like they were smelling something.
And they sold products.
So they had this error and they had a house equal to the king of England.
But they were just haughty.
They became standoffish.
You had to reach a certain level before you could even come into their home.
And I mean, they looked like Richie Rich's parents, only they weren't, you know, they weren't as nice as Richie Rich's parents were.
I mean, they just acted snooty.
They acted arrogant.
And they were so arrogant because money had changed their lives.
You know, people, you know, when God blesses somebody with money, they get sweeter.
They get kinder.
You know, I've known millionaires, honestly, you don't even know them from anybody else.
They're so kind.
They don't demand their own way.
Love doesn't demand its own way.
They don't become arrogant.
They don't become proud.
But here's this church of Laodicea.
This is the last church.
This is the church of today.
Located at the junction of two major trade routes.
The harlot of Revelation is all about trade and commerce and things and materialism.
And here we have a total backslidden church that has no idea that it's even backslidden.
This is what's so scary.
Located at the junction of two major trade routes, Laodicea served as the banking and financial center of the known world and of the province of Asia at that time that it was located in.
New York today and the United States is now the banking capital of the world.
This just happened a few years back, not very long ago.
We became the banking and financial capital of the world.
And when you become in power, as the old saying goes, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
And here is this church of wealth, banking power.
It was the wealthiest city in the providence.
It was also famous for its wool.
It had the most beautiful jet black wool.
You ladies would have loved to have a nice sweater made of this wool, probably.
And it was expensive garments that they made from that wool that was throughout the Roman Empire.
They just, you know, really was in great demand.
And also, this is something that I don't know if you knew or not, but Laodicea was known for eye salve.
Lack Of Spirituality 00:02:51
They made eye salve.
That was one of their biggest exports.
And they made it from a mixture of olive oil and other ingredients.
And you're going to find out Jesus, when he talks to people, he always uses things that applies to them and they would understand.
You watch as we read this along.
You'll find out.
From history, we learn that Laodicean, Laodicea made olive oil and powder mixture to help with blindness.
The Lord says this church lacked in spiritual areas.
It was lacking spirituality.
Everything for which the city was famous, this, This, all of these things, in just a moment, you're going to find out how it ties into what God is saying to this final church today.
Revelation 3:14.
And unto the angel, the messenger, the pastor of the church of Laodicea, write, these things saith the amen.
Here is another description of Jesus.
Jesus is the last word.
So be it.
That's what a man means.
Amen.
When you say an amen in church, it means so be it.
If the preacher says something good, you say amen.
That means so be it.
And Jesus is the final word.
He is the so be it.
He is so be it.
Amen.
He is the faithful, the trustworthy, it means.
And true.
There's that word true again.
Truthful witness.
That word truthful witness actually means martyr.
He died for us.
The faithful, trustworthy, and true witness.
In the Greek, that's witness, martyr.
The beginning.
We just found out he's the ending.
He's the alpha, the omega.
But he's the beginning.
He's the amen.
He's the end.
He's the beginning, the chief starting point, it means the ultimate source of all power and authority.
That's what that means.
He is the beginning of the creation of God.
Everything is under my control.
Is if you want to interpret it in total modern English, it would be, Jesus is saying here, everything is under my control from the beginning to the end.
I Will Vomit 00:15:28
This is the Son of God, the heir of God.
He is God.
Verse 15, he now says the same thing.
I know thy works.
But look what he says to the last church.
I know thy works.
Thou art neither hot or you are neither cold.
And that means chilly.
It means chilly.
We have got chilly churches.
I know that.
But thou art neither cold nor hot, boiling fervent.
That's what God wants us to be.
He wants us to be fervent.
That word means boiling fervent.
But he says, you're not chilly or boiling hot.
He says, I will spew.
That's just a nice King James word for vomit.
I know thy works.
Thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would that thou were cold or hot.
So then, because thou art lukewarm, tepid, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
What Jesus is saying, you make me sick.
Did you ever see anybody who makes you sick?
Mean-spirited, religious people make me sick.
I understand.
God says they make me sick too.
He says, I'm going to spew them out of my mouth.
I told you, God talks to people about where they live.
Here's the Laodiceans.
Do you know what the water was like in Laodicea?
The water in Laodicea was so bad.
Have you ever been to the ocean and wanted a nice drink of water and you turned on a spigot and it tastes like rotten eggs?
Well, the water at Laodicea was worse than that.
They say the Laodicean water was so bad and it was tepid.
It was warm.
It must have been some hot spring or something in the area.
But I mean, it was horrible tasting sulfur, probably kind of water.
And it said, when anybody would take a drink of that water, they go and spit it right back out of their mouth.
So when he told them, I'm going to spew you out of my mouth, they knew what he was saying.
Because everybody that came and drank laedacy and water spewed it back out of their mouth because it was tepid, lukewarm, awful tasting, sulfur, blah, rotten egg kind of water.
So then because thou art lukewarm, tepid, and neither cold or hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth, he says.
The Pharisees were religious and cold and full of sin.
This kind of religion sickens the Lord.
Verse 17, I'm going to try to finish this in the next 10 minutes.
Because thou saith, I am rich or wealthy and increase with goods and have need of nothing.
Boy, this is a church today.
Do you know I know one religious group that I know of that you all know and love?
They have one half billion dollars in the bank.
One half billion dollars.
And they're still raising money and they've got a half a billion dollars stashed in the banks.
They do anything they want.
They have the full power of ruling and reigning in the flesh.
They can do anything they want.
There's great, you know, most of the colleges that we have today, the great, great universities, and I won't name them.
You know, name any college.
It was mainly, mostly founded on the body of Christ.
It was founded on the church.
It was founded on Christian principles.
And because today those colleges are so endowed, they have millions and millions of dollars and they have become proud and arrogant and they have written God out of the colleges.
And they are teaching the very things, teaching against the very things they were founded to propagate.
And you know it, true.
And this is where we are.
We are Laodicea.
Let's go on to find out what to do.
So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich or wealthy, increase with goods, and have need of nothing.
And that's one of those positive words.
I don't need nothing.
I don't need no one.
I don't need nobody.
I don't need nothing.
I don't need, and the word none is in the Greek as well.
Just don't need anything.
And knowest not that thou art wretched?
You say, I'm rich, I'm increasing with goods, I don't need nothing.
And it says, and you don't know, however, you lack knowledge because you knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor.
God says you're poor, but they're rich.
They have all the material things.
But God says, no, you're poor.
See, you ought to look up.
I've done a complete study on the whole Bible on what God says is wealth.
And very seldom does it have anything whatsoever to do with monetary things.
Grace is God's riches.
Eternal life is God's riches.
Oh, so many things.
And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor.
That means a pauper poor.
Yes, a beggar poor.
You think you're rich, but you're a pauper and blind, smoky.
And there was the clouded eye.
Listen in a minute.
And naked, nude, blind to their spiritual condition, believing themselves to be spiritually rich, they felt secure in their phony wealth.
They were secure.
And that's what happens today.
As long as everything's financially good, the church has money coming in, we think, well, everything's fine.
Do you know what's crazy?
Even the devil doesn't fight the modern church.
When the church says, I'm rich, they have parties, it's the social place to be.
They don't have any fighting.
They don't have any warfare.
They don't have any crazy people running the aisles that you have to go and tackle.
I mean, nothing crazy goes on there.
Why would the devil fight a social club?
When the devil's got the whole crowd, why does he fight it?
He's not going to fight it.
They don't believe in heaven or hell.
They don't preach the gospel.
Nobody gets saved.
It's party time.
The devil's not going to fight that.
But somebody that's on fire for God, taking brands from hell, taking people out of the fires of hell, that's what makes the devil angry.
And he's going to fight.
So here's the church.
They thought they were fine.
They were a church of pageantry, a church of glory.
They were a church of money.
They were a church with pomp and ceremony and robes.
They had everything and they thought they were fine.
And here's what God says in verse 18: I counsel thee to buy of me gold.
And that means the divine nature received when we're saved.
Tried in the fire.
If you're serving God, you have been through some fire.
If you have no trials, you're not really saved yet.
I'm sorry.
I hate to tell you that.
Because the Bible says that whom he loves, he chastens.
Is that right?
And he says, if you be without chastisement, you're a what?
A bastard.
Only Lori dared say the word.
She comes from the world.
A bastard and not a son.
That's what the Bible says.
So if you don't have any trials, you haven't come into the kingdom of God.
You're not even a son of God.
I've heard people say, oh, I've never had anything go wrong.
You probably had a lobotomy.
You're probably nuts.
You just think everything's good.
If you live, things happen.
He says, I counsel you to buy me gold.
It means the divine nature of God, of Jesus.
Tried in the fire, that thou may be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear.
And anoint thine eyes with ISAV, that thou mayest see.
Does it come together for you now?
What do you mean, buy of gold tried in the fire?
The trial of your faith is more precious than what?
Gold.
Get our robes ready.
Get the sin burnt out.
You go through the trial to burn the sin out so we'll become sweet and precious.
Mean people get meaner and meaner.
If they come to Jesus, they get sweeter and sweeter.
He says that you may be tried in the fire, that thou may be rich.
The riches of Christ with the white raiment, the righteous of Jesus, the white robe, that thou mayest be closed and the shame of your nakedness does not appear.
Anoint thine eyes with Aishab.
Remember, Laodicea was known for its eyesav.
Be healed of your blindness that you can't see.
All you can see is the material things of this world that thou mayest see here.
1 Peter 1, 7, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Verse 19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
See, that's why there's churches that have no rebuke.
They have no problem.
They're not going through any trials because the enemy already has them.
Who he loves, he rebukes and chastens.
Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Daniel 11, 35.
And some of them of understanding shall fall.
This is talking about the last days.
To try them and to purge them and to make them white.
You look around, you see people that are fallen, and you don't want anything to do with fallen people.
I mean, there's Christians who never have spoken to me since the minute my sin was revealed.
They don't want to be identified with sin.
There's people in this town who won't identify at all with me because I'm a sinner.
No, I'm just a known sinner.
Makes a difference.
As long as you got it covered, they'll hang with you.
Because Pharisees want to appear righteous.
But it says, some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge them and to make them white.
This is what Jesus is talking about.
Even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed.
Let's go back to Revelation.
We're at verse 20 now.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice and open this door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me.
This church is unsaved.
The Laodicean church is not born again.
They only have form of religion.
Did you ever see the picture of Christ at the door?
Huh?
There's no handle on the outside.
The knob's on the inside.
The church has to open it up and they're not opening up the door to Jesus.
This is a message of the knocking at the door.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice and will open the door, I'll come in.
We can have eternal life.
We can have our name engraved on that pillar in heaven.
We can have his name engraved with us.
We can have the name of the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem.
Quickly go to Matthew 7, 21.
I have about two minutes left.
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
And in thy name have we cast out devils?
And in thy name done many wonderful works.
This is an active church being described.
This is a church like the Laodicean church.
He said, we prophesied in your name.
We cast out devils in your name.
We did wonderful works in your name.
And then verse 23, here's Jesus talking.
And then I'll profess unto them, I never knew you.
Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.
And if you've studied with me, you know that that no, that I never knew, means intimate relationship.
It doesn't mean physical sight, physical scene.
It means intimate relationship.
So Jesus goes on to say, Then I'll profess unto them, I never had an intimate relationship with you.
Depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which builds his house upon a rock.
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand.
We are to do his word.
People today think, well, I don't have to have any works.
The Bible says, faith without works is dead.
We must do the word.
We're living in a day where people have grace and they think that somehow through grace they can keep on sinning.
Jesus said, no, you've got to do my works.
Overcomers In The Holies 00:01:46
Verse 21, then to him that overcometh will I grant to sit, dwell with me in my throne, my power.
You're not all going to sit on the throne of God, but he says, you're going to be in the throne room.
You're going to be in the power center.
You're going to be in the holies of holy.
You're going to hang out with God.
So to him that overcometh, this is the message each church has gotten, was given to each church and to each one of us.
We must be overcomers.
I will grant to sit, to dwell with me in my throne, Jesus said, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne, in his power.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It's time to repent in the name of Jesus.
Heavenly Father, I thank you today for your word.
And I pray, God, that not one person in this room will miss heaven.
I pray, God, that we will be a part of that great family of God that will meet forevermore.
That we'll have our name written down in heaven.
Oh, God, these songs we sing, a new name written down in glory.
But God, you talk about, you write our name in your palm of your hand.
You write our name in a pillar in the temple of God.
You write our name down in the Lamb's book of life.
God, thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, God, we repent.
Help us not to be a Laodicean church, but help us to be your church, your body.
In Jesus' name I pray.
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