September 15, 2013
Sunday Morning
Sermon #2
Revival Boot Camp
Why We Need Revival
Revelation 3:14-22
Passage
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the [k]Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [l]spit you out of My mouth.17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Introduction
Laodicea was the last church of 7 to receive a letter from Jesus written by John.
It is the harshest letter of the 7.
These churches were seven literal churches in the time of John in the Asia Minor.
Many consider these churches also a representation of the different eras of Church history.
Laodicea would be the last era and then the time of the rapture.
I believe that these churches also represent different phases that we can go through as a church and as individual believers.
The church at Laodicea had some difficulties.
False teaching of Jesus not eternal. (teaching came from
Colosse)
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
John MacArthur states that it wasn’t a true church but an
apostate church.
A church of affluence.
The church at Laodicea gives us time to reflect upon our own faith as individuals and as a church.
As we look at this church we need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal characteristics of the Laodicean church in us.
As the Holy Spirit convicts us, may we see a need for revival in our life which is what the church at Laodicea needed as well.
Why do We Need Revival?
1. We need revival because of the condition of the church and it’s members.
We are stuck in neutral. (vs. 15)
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
If you are not moving forward you are going backwards.
We can’t get comfortable and stay there.
There is no growth in a comfortable pattern.
What is comfortable to us makes our savior sick (vs.16)
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will ]spit you out of My mouth.
Revival is a time for us to recognize that we may be
comfortable and that we need to start getting
uncomfortable.
2. We need to recognize, confess, and repent of what got us here.
We have compromised with the world (vs. 16)
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [l]spit you out of My mouth.
We have become so much apart of the world that the
world can see no difference in us.
We have compromised with Satan by saying that we will
not grow in our faith.
Through our compromise we are turning our backs on
the one who has brought us salvation.
We have become complacent (vs. 17)
17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
We have become satisfied in what we have accomplished
and we have turned our backs on the one true Provider.
Being a part of the most prosperous nation has its
drawbacks.
We have come to the place in our lives that we have lost
our dependence on God not only in our day to day
material needs, but also our day to day spiritual needs.
Revival gives us opportunity to see that we have compromised way too much and have become way too complacent.
3. Because we have lost some important things.
We have lost our values. (vs. 17)
17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
We think more of our material things than we do of our
spiritual inheritance.
We should focus on the refined fire, the white
garments, and spiritual eyes to see as we should.
We have lost our vision (vs. 18)
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
Again, we see the material, the selfish things, and not what
is eternal.
We get wrapped in “I” that we lose focus on the “them”
We have lost our life (vs. 19-20)
19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
There are times that we are not living, but instead we are
existing.
If we are not living then we are not willing to be used by
God.
You were not bought with the precious blood of Jesus to
exist. You were bought with His precious blood to live for
Jesus each and every day.
Revival gives us opportunity to regain our biblical values, to regain
our spiritual sight, and to regain our true spiritual life.
Conclusion
We are not to be like the Laodician church. Everything they were we are not to be.
However, if we take a hard look at ourselves, we probably notice some of their characteristics in our lives.
Revival gives us a chance to look deep and see these things and then repent of them.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Are you seeing some of these characteristics in your life? Will you repent of them today?
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
