Introduction

Good morning, dear family of Christ. Isn't it a joy to gather together in the house of the Lord, to lift up our hearts in praise and our minds in learning? We gather not just as individuals, but as a community, united by our shared love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, we are turning our hearts and minds towards the book of Revelation, specifically Revelation 3:17-18. It's a passage that calls us to humility, to holiness, and to purposeful choices that honor God. Let's read it together: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

In these verses, we find a challenge, a call to self-examination. Are we rich in the things of this world, but poor in the things of God? Are we clothed in earthly finery, but spiritually naked? Are we, like the Laodiceans, blind to our own spiritual poverty?

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher of the 19th century, once said, "Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself." Isn't that what these verses are calling us to do? To make a right estimate of ourselves, not in terms of worldly wealth or status, but in terms of our spiritual condition.

Our main points today will be: Humble Hearts Heed His Call, Harmony in Holiness, and Honor God with Purposeful Choices. Each of these points is a stepping stone on the path to a deeper understanding of our relationship with God and our place in His kingdom.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day, for the privilege of gathering together to worship You and learn from Your Word. As we study this passage, open our hearts and our minds to Your truth. Help us to see ourselves as You see us, not as the world sees us. Give us humble hearts that are ready to heed Your call, a desire for harmony in holiness, and the courage to honor You with our choices. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, let's turn our attention to our first point: Humble Hearts Heed His Call.

Humble Hearts Heed His Call

In the book of Revelation, we find a stern warning to those who are rich in material wealth but poor in spiritual wealth. This is a call to humility, a call to recognize our true condition and our need for God. It's easy to become complacent, to feel that we have everything we need. But God's word tells us that without Him, we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

We need to recognize our spiritual poverty, our need for God's grace and mercy. We need to humble ourselves before Him, to admit our need and ask for His help. This is the first step towards true spiritual wealth. But how do we do this? How do we humble ourselves before God?

The first step is to recognize our own sinfulness. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all have areas in our lives where we need to repent and seek God's forgiveness. This recognition of our sinfulness is a crucial part of humility.

Next, we need to recognize our dependence on God. We like to think that we're self-sufficient, that we can handle things on our own. But the truth is, we need God. We need His strength, His wisdom, His guidance. Recognizing this dependence is another key aspect of humility.

Then, we need to submit to God's will. This means letting go of our own plans and desires and seeking God's will instead. It means trusting that God knows what's best for us, even when His plans don't align with ours. Submission is a difficult part of humility, but it's a necessary one.

Finally, we need to seek God's glory, not our own. It's easy to seek recognition and praise for ourselves, but as followers of Christ, our goal should be to bring glory to God. This means putting aside our own desires for recognition and instead seeking to honor God in all that we do.

Recap/Transition. Each of these steps is a part of humbling ourselves before God. They're not easy steps to take, but they're necessary ones if we want to heed God's call and find true spiritual wealth. And as we take these steps, we'll find that our hearts become more attuned to God's voice, more ready to heed His call. So let's take these steps together. Let's recognize our sinfulness, our dependence on God, our need to submit to His will, and our desire to seek His glory. Let's humble ourselves before God, so that we can heed His call and find true spiritual wealth.

Harmony in Holiness

As we continue to reflect on the words of Revelation, we find ourselves drawn to the idea of harmony in holiness ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO