Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.
Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Now of all the churches, the church of Laodicea was what we would call the most modern church. It was probably the wealthiest church, probably had the most money in it.
It was in an area that was more modern. And I do hate to say it, but I think if there is one of the seven churches that describe modern churches today, it's the church of Laodicea. And God forbid that that Kerwin would fit into this mold. But I think we all have to be honest with each other. Only God knows. Revelation chapter 3, and we're going to pray and then we're just going to jump right in as every church began with Jesus giving a description of Himself.
May I say this? No church will be what they need to be until they see Jesus for who He is. Why do you think He gives a description of Himself at the beginning of every one of these churches? Because they've got to see Him in order to be able to see themselves. You see, let's be honest.
The Bible says if we compare ourselves amongst ourselves, we might look good. But when we see Jesus for who He is, as Job said, I've heard of Thee by the hearing of the year, but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent. Lord we love you today and I pray you'd help us as we deal with this final church.
Just a lesson again for us in 2023. I pray, Lord, you'd help us this morning. I know folks are tired. I can sense it. And Lord, I know the weather is just a bit gloomy and Lord, I know September has been busy and a lot of things going on and there's a whole lot of things that can distract our minds this morning.
In my own family, we've got things that can distract us. But Lord, we want to focus on you and your Word. I pray that you'd help our people to do so. Lord, for those that may be visiting today, we're so glad they're here. And Lord, I pray that I hope they enjoy themselves, but more than that, Lord, I want them even as visitors to hear from you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Number one, let's look at the description. As Jesus begins every letter to these churches, He describes Himself. Look at verse 14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I want you to notice first, Jesus describes Himself as the Amen.
Can I have an Amen? Say, preacher, what does this mean? Well, Jesus identifies Himself as the Amen and this name, this word Amen indicates that Jesus is God's perfect and final revelation. Say, preacher, that's fancy terminology.
What are you saying? It means this, that Jesus is the final revelation. You and I have the Word of God. This is Jesus. Jesus is the Word. It means this, that we no longer get new revelations from anyone. We don't have some guy on TV that said God just gave me a truth that God reveals.
No, He didn't reveal it to them. Let me prove it to you. Jesus is the Amen. That's why you and I pray. We say in Jesus' name we pray. It means this is the end.
This is the final, okay? Let me give you a verse. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1. God, who in sundry times, that means different times, and in diverse manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. That's how God spoke through the prophets.
Notice this. Half in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things and by whom also He made the worlds. This is how God did speak, but this is how God will finally speak, and that is through His Son Jesus. Jesus says this, I am the Amen. That means I don't care who says what, I'm the Amen.
I don't care who, if anybody conflicts with me, I'm right, they're wrong. I am the Amen. Notice secondly, He says I am the faithful and true witness. One of my favorite songs, my Redeemer is faithful and true. Jesus is God's reliable witness and His faithful witness. It means that Jesus never fails, and it means Jesus never wavers from the truth.
The Laodiceans could take Jesus' word at face value. If Jesus says it, it's true. My Redeemer is faithful and true. Everything He has said He will do. Every morning His mercies are new. My Redeemer is faithful and true. He will never let you down. He will never lie to you. You can trust Him to always be there, and you can trust Him when He is there. He is faithful and He is true. Now I hate to tell you, but you can't really say that about hardly any individual. The best people I've ever met were flawed.
I want to be faithful, and I want to be true, but not always is it the case. But with Jesus it is. He said I'm the Amen, I'm the faithful and true witness. Notice third, He said I'm the beginning of the creation of God. Well, what have we here? Jesus is the originator of God's creation.
You say, well, prove that. Okay, John chapter 1, verse 1, look at this verse. In the beginning was the Word, that's Jesus, and the Word Jesus was with God, God the Father, God the Son, and the Word Jesus was God. So He's not only the Son of God, He is co-equal with God.
Got it? The same Jesus was in the beginning with God. And get this about Jesus. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Jesus was in creation. Nothing was made in creation without Jesus. Wow. So what does He look at this church?
He says, sister, you're not going to pull anything by me. There's nothing new under the sun to me. I created where you're standing. You know what this means? It means Jesus is the final revelation, Jesus is the faithful revelation, and Jesus was the first revelation.
Do you see it here? He says I'm the Amen, that's the last. He said I was the creator with God, that's the beginning.
He says I'm faithful in the middle. So He is the final revelation, the faithful revelation, He is the first revelation. He is the Alpha and Omega. He's the beginning in the end. He was first in creation, He was faithful in redemption, and He is the final revelation. I know you can't grasp all this, but I'm going to tell you something, that's an awesome description of Jesus.
Let me just put it this way in redneck terms. Listen to what He has to say. Let's listen to what He has to say. Second, we see the accusation, verse 15. He said, I know thy works.
Boy, we heard that before. That thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. What an accusation, and what a description of the average church. Boy, I hope not, but let's be honest, could it be a description of Kerwin at times? Not real hot, not real cold.
Just kind of somewhere in the middle. I want you to notice first in this verse I see a couple of words that I want to pay your attention to. Number one is just the word awareness.
Awareness. What did Jesus say? I know thy works.
Nothing gets by Jesus. Nothing escapes His attention. He knows your works, and He knows my works. And He tells this church that He knows more of the condition therein than they knew of themselves.
You need to remember today God is always aware. Secondly, we see the word apathy. He says you're neither cold nor hot.
He would prefer if they were one or the other. And this condemnation of being lukewarm carries serious consequences. He says I will spew you out of my mouth. Now I can't spew anything out of my mouth right now. I'm not supposed to spit. I'm not supposed to do anything. Or I would illustrate.
No, I wouldn't do that. I'm not going to shoot a big loogie up here to show you kind of what is He saying here. He said listen, there are consequences to a church that is lukewarm. Now I used to look at this verse, and I can see it different ways, and I know that you might see it different ways. I used to really kind of look at this and think that this was a condemnation that literally that hot would be great, cold is horrible, but lukewarm He doesn't want either, like as if it would be bad to be cold. But I really think here that what He is saying is that hot water is useful and cold water is useful. But this lukewarm water is not as useful. But I've never fully understood it, and I'm not saying I'm 100 percent right, but can I give you, I really started digging into this a little bit. And here's what I found out that in this era, in these Bible days, room temperature water was dangerous water.
You say well what do you mean? Well, cold water suggested a flowing spring or a river, water that was moving, water that was springing forth, water that was flowing, coming up out of a spring, clean water, cold water. And that meant that this would be healthy water. Hot water would represent literally water which had been cooked or cleaned or the heat or the boiling would have gotten out the impurities. But lukewarm water was dangerous. Cold water meant that it's fresh from the source. Hot water meant that it's been boiled and cleaned and sanitized. But lukewarm water is like the water that sits at a puddle that doesn't dry up. And last time I checked I don't think you want to just go over here to the parking lot and it's rained three or four days before and there's still a bit of a puddle in some of our little potholes out here. I don't see any of you getting cups and drinking it because stagnant water is dangerous. He's saying listen, I wish you were cold.
At least I know that it's fresh and you're doing something. I wish you were hot which means that God's been working in you and cleaning you and using you but you're lukewarm. You see this church was neither emotionally excited about Christian matters and it wasn't really cold-hearted about them either. They weren't necessarily against it but they weren't extremely for it. Jesus offered the church of Philadelphia no reproof but he offers the Laodiceans no praise. Unlike the church at Sardis that had things that remained that needed to be strengthened, the church at Laodicea had nothing that needed to be strengthened. In some ways this modern church exists in modern day. A church continues to perform meaningless activities, offer visitors an insincere handshake, go through the motions of a stoic service, keep their members in an indifferent spirit and we just go through the motions and show up for class and show up for this and show up for that. Well we're doing it preacher but may I say God in heaven looks down and He knows our state better than we know ourselves.
I want you to notice this third word is accessible. You see why Jesus desired that the church would be hot or cold. He's describing how they were responding to the gospel.
Listen to me. Those who are hot in spiritual matters are deeply involved and committed. Those who are cold, however, at least they're in a position where they can be impacted. At least they're in a position to admit it. At least a person can say, you know what preacher, I hadn't been at church, I hadn't read my Bible, I've had a bad attitude, I've had a bad spirit. At least they can admit where they are but lukewarm Christians are the most dangerous. Because although they're not deep and they're not sincere and they're not committed greatly to the cause of Christ, they're doing enough to make themselves feel good.
They're doing enough to at least identify with it. But the inside is lukewarm. You see those who are lukewarm have just enough knowledge of Christ that they don't resist but they lack enough real faith to be really engaged.
May I say this, it is harder to convert a lukewarm person than it is a cold person. The accusation. I want you to notice third we see the recommendation. First in verse 17 he says you need to recognize.
Recognize what? Look at verse 17. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Jesus says that's what you say about yourself. Look at the middle of verse. And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Do you see that? Jesus says let me tell you something. First you've got to recognize how you really are. You say you're this way and you really believe you're this way and you tell others that oh we're on fire for God's church. Well we really love God. And Jesus says listen you're convinced of that. You're convinced because you have a lot of money in your church and because you have a lot of goods in your church and because you have a lot of things you're convinced that you are a great church. But Jesus says little do you know you're not wealthy in fact you're poor. You're blind. You see the first thing is we have to recognize ourselves for who we are.
It doesn't matter what we think about ourselves it doesn't mean that that's what we are. Notice second he says not just recognize he says you need to reevaluate. Look at verse 18. He says I counsel thee.
He says I'm telling you what you need to do. To buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see. See preacher what is he saying? In this verse we find a big contrast between the church's view of themselves and through Jesus's view of the church. The Laodicean church saw themselves as rich and prosperous but Jesus saw it as poor. They thought they were rich because they had money but Jesus said what you need to do is you need to forget that old earthly gold and you need to get gold tried in fire by me. And that's not talking about physical gold. It's talking about serving God and how literally the works we do for God will be judged by fire one day and it's either going to be wood hay and stubble or it's going to be something to last for the Lord. Everything that they had could be burned away. They were convinced that they had it all and that they had accomplished something.
That they were in great shape but they weren't and they couldn't even see it. He says let me tell you something here. He says you want to be rich.
Forget the money you have. Start serving God. He said you want to be clothed. He says you need white raiment.
What's that mean? He says you need to clean up your life. You need to get that sin out of your life.
That's so prevalent in a church today. He says you want to see? You better get in my word. My word will allow you to see you for who you really are. He says you need to recognize you need to reevaluate but notice most importantly in verse 19 he says you need to repent. He says as many as I love I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Now look at me. I don't know about you.
This ought to encourage you. You know the biggest thing I see in this verse is that He loves us. He said because I love you I'm going to chasten you. You know the Bible says if He doesn't chasten us it might be a clear sign we're not His child. You see He is saying some very hard things to this church but He's doing it because He loves them.
He says you need to repent. Now I will tell you this Kerwin Baptist Church I can study and I can pray and I can organize. I can make outlines. I can illiterate them. I can turn them in. Brother John can make PowerPoints out of them. We can put them up on the screen. I can teach the Word of God.
I can preach the Word of God. I can tell you what it means. You can see what it means. We can put it on screens where you can see it. You can take notes. You can write it down.
We can do all that. Look at me. But there is one thing I cannot do for you and you cannot do for me. I can't repent for you. I can't make you repent. And if I'm telling the truth and God's laid this series on my heart because this is for our church in 2023 because I'm going to be honest with you I feel some apathy. I have felt some apathy for probably six months here.
There's some great things going on but I feel it. And so we are going to be faced with the truth. Either we're going to repent or we're not. But I can't repent for you and you can't repent for me. There comes a time where Daniel Hautry has to get down on his knees and say woe is me God.
It starts at the top. And I'm going through the motions and I'm doing everything that I can do but dear friends it's on the inside and you know if you're in real fellowship with God or if you're not. You know if you're just committed or you're actually surrendered. I know a lot of people that are committed to their ministry but they're not really surrendered to the Lord.
You see when you commit you control it when you surrender He controls it. Notice fourth I want you to see this the location. You see that's an odd one preacher we haven't had a location in any of these churches.
Well I'm not going to tell you geographically where Laodicea is located. But verse 20 says behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in unto him and will sup with him and he with me. I know some of you have maybe noticed this before but can I revert your attention all the way back as he wrote the first church in Ephesians chapter 2. Can we go all the way back to the beginning of the first church in verse 1 of chapter 2. Look at this verse on the screen. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write these things saith he that hold the seven stars the churches in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden sticks.
Golden candlesticks. What does this mean? This is saying that God walks amongst inside the churches. You got an amen?
Say amen. But unfortunately in the beginning of chapter 2 he's on the inside. But at the end of chapter 3 he is now on the outside knocking trying to get in. You see in chapter 2 he was walking in the churches. But by the time we get to the church of Laodicea he's now on the outside knocking trying to get in. What happened?
What happened? You know what this means? Business went on as usual and they never even noticed that Jesus wasn't there. It means that Jesus wasn't even in.
He was outside trying to knock to get back in and they didn't even know that he was gone. It couldn't be possible that at times here even in our church that God's nowhere within ten miles of what we're doing. But we continue on and we don't even notice he's not here. We don't even notice that his power is gone and his blessing is gone and we just go on through the motions.
I want you to notice as we close today the motivation. He always gives motivation in verse 21. To him that overcometh. May I say this out of these seven churches it's always him that overcometh, him that overcometh, him that overcometh.
You know what that ought to tell you? The Christian life is not some cruise. The Christian life is not some spa treatment. We don't get saved to sit here and think alright now we got to do nothing the rest of our lives.
We can just sit back and enjoy it and boy everything's going to be great. That might be some TV preacher saying that but I am telling you every one of these churches Jesus says you've got to overcome something. To him that overcometh listen he says well I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
So let's track this down a little bit. What is he talking about here? To him that overcometh we're going to sit on his throne with him.
What are we talking about? Well let me give you the answer and then I'm going to show you scripturally. It means that you and I will rule and reign with Christ in the new heaven and the new earth. Let me show you scripturally if I can.
Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 1 says now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum. We have such an high priest, Jesus, who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens. So where is Jesus? He is sitting by the throne in heaven. Are you with me?
Say amen. Jesus overcame death, hell and the grave and seated by the throne. You and I are in Christ and through salvation guess what? We will overcome death, hell and the grave and as Jesus was seated on the throne by the Father now we will be seated on the throne by the Son.
You say well what does that mean? Well Luke chapter 1 verse 31 look at this verse. This is all the way back to where Jesus has not been born yet but here is the angel talking obviously and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb talking to Mary and bring. The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know Him personally.
Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans 3 23 says for all of sin and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try we're not good enough to obtain God's glory or to get to heaven. Because of that sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6 23 says for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of our sin or the payment of our sin only equals death and separation from God but it's only through God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept Him as our Savior.
Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5 8 but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ by faith as your Savior. Romans 10 9 says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way and calling upon his name. The Bible says whosoever that's anyone can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at carwinbaptistchurch.com or visit us at person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you.
