THE CHURCH OF THE TURNING STOMACH
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: story about an Emporer dupped into believing that he was clothed in splendor. He strutted down the streets with an arrogant attitude while those who knew better saw him as just naked.
THIS MORNING:
Church in a the wealthiest of all the 7 cities. We live in the wealthiest time in church history.
Church that Christ came stating #1 He had the authority to tell them the truth #2 He was committed to only telling them the truth #3 He, as the Creator, knew the truth to tell them.
Church whom Jesus identified as LUKEWARM and sickening to Him.
(Saw this morning the first of two things that was wrong with this church)
1. THEY HAD SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEIR COMMITMENT
a. Lukewarm: Room temperature church. Adapted to the climate of the world around them. Absorbed its opinions, truths, philosophies..etc
b. Jesus said it makes me sick.
OKLAHOMA: rings on back pockets of men’s jeans, bumps on the inside of their bottom lips, when in the house they carry a cup around, not to drink out of but to spit into. QUITE DISCUSTING. Two friends on track team who constantly did this and their dorm room was filled with half-full cups of this nature. Talked to girl at that time who told me of going to a movie and reaching down to take a drink of her coke and grabbing the wrong cup and taking a drink of it. I GO NO FURTHER WITH THIS ILLUSTRATION. What makes Jesus feel like you do right now?
2. THEY HAD SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEIR SELF-IMAGE (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.
a. They believed one thing about themselves but Jesus knew the opposite to be true.
b. THEIR OPINION: three things they thought about themselves
1) I AM RICH - wealthy city in which Christians went with the culture and enjoyed it’s worldly possessions.
FORTY YEARS AGO Americans spent less than 10% of their income on luxury items while today it is over 30%. Spending on recreation from that time has risen over 500%. Consumer credit has increased over 300%. We know how to spend money.
a) Compare it to Smyrna believers who were impoverished under the persecution they endured but Jesus said they were actually rich.
b) Pharisee/tax collector - totally wrong in personal evaluation
2) I HAVE BECOME WEALTHY
3) I HAVE NEED OF NOTHING
BILLY GRAHAM was asked to the home of a wealthy socialite….vacationing neighbors came for a party….asked to say a few words: explained the gospel .pleasure and possession are not lasting…true happiness found only in Jesus…
Young woman laughed…"BUT BILLY WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF US WHO ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY?’
c. PROBLEM many run into is that they choose an artificial standard to which they appear good instead of God’s standard.
ASK: What is the temperature today? 32 above Zero….no it is ZERO Both are right because one is Fahrenheit and the other Celcius. Two different standards to measure temperature. Laodicea was using the standard of the world while Jesus was using the standard of God’s Word.
1) Material blessings must mean God is blessing me. It has nothing to do with that issue anymore than a taller person is more spiritual than a shorter person.
2) If all property rights were revoked and all currency became worthless, HOW RICH WOULD YOU BE? That is what will occur at the moment of your death.
Give me neither poverty nor riches…lest I be full and deny Thee and say, ’Who is the Lord?’ replace God we trust as our motto
d. GOD’S OPINION: you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
1) ’you say’ vrs ’your are’. How blind we can be about our condition: RICH YOUNG RULER. SAUL Apostate church is designed to be non-confrontive and to make people feel all right where they are.
JESUS COMES ALONG AND SHAKES THEM UP(love to have been a fly on the wall when this was read.
a) Carries the idea that they keep on saying, it was their claim to fame, bragged all around town and Jesus comes to say, YOU ARE WRETCHED(’the’ wretched) - posterboy for wretchedness, on the cover of Wretched Digest, picture is in the dictionary next the definition of wretchedness
(1) Wretched is two words: to bear & callous. Idea of bearing on your soul hard callouses which harden you against the truth.
b) REMEMBER what Laodicea means, ’The opinion/judgment of the people’. INMATES RUNNING THE ASSYLUM. People dictating what will be taught and believed instead of the Word of God. THAT IS A MISERABLE EXISTENCE.
HENRY DRUMMOND: Don’t touch Christianity unless you are willing to seek the kingdom of heaven first. I promise you a miserable existence if you seek it second’.
(1) MISERABLE means worthy of pity like a drunk in the cold who cannot feel his condition. Object of extreme poverty.
2) Three fold description that suggests this church had a host of lost people in their mist. POOR BLIND NAKED
99% of American churches allow a lost man to co-exist comfortably. If he 1) enjoys religion 2) likes entertainment 3) loves fellowship 4) drawn to acceptance of others 5) never challenged to commitment(no line at offering plate, mad rush to go witness)
a) POOR - one who begs for crumbs. They have all their security in the details of this life but are spiritual beggers.
TITANTIC: not matter what in pocket were you in lifeboat
b) BLIND - without spiritual insight
c) NAKED - dressed in rags
REMEMBER THE THREE THINGS THIS CITY WAS FAMOUS FOR: Worldly wealth - Eye salve shipped all around the Roman Empire - Manufacture of expensive black clothing
THE PRESCRIPTION (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 yourselves, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.(KEY -’buy from Me’ Things world cannot give but can only be found in Jesus) (19) Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
1. To the POOR: Gold refined by fire
a. Peter said ’ the testing of your faith is more precious than gold’
EASTERN EUROPEAN CONFERENCE: Church growth specialist from the United States spoke: Describe principles geared to rich American culture and theology. Man from eastern europe followed, ’Really appreciate message but would add another which I do not believe you in America understand…PERSECUTION.)
2. To the NAKED: white garments to cover their shame
a. Shame of nakedness goes all the way back to the first book of the Bible. ’I have nothing to wear daddy’(let’s go spend $100 for one nights wear) The ultimate shame is to be found unclothed on the most important day of your eternity. JUDGEMENT DAY(not prom night)
b. The only right clothing is the ’righteousness of Jesus Christ’
3. To the BLIND: eye salve that you may see.
a. Pharisees were the blind leading the blind who were both headed for a ditch
b. JN 9:39 For judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see.
4. To all: REPENT I love you and because I love you you must repent.
THE POSSIBILITIES (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.(amazing to comprehend Jesus standing outside the door from His church - in the church of the last days HE is not welcome - they would try to cast him over a cliff)
1. TO HEAR HIS KNOCK I stand at the door and knock
a. HOW DOES GOD KNOCK
1) Through His Word
2) Through His people
TEXAS PREACHER LEE SCARBOROUGH: tells of the conversion of a well-to-do business man…asked whom God had used to speak to him, knew he had heard the preaching of men like Moody & George Truet. ’None of those preachers moved me. About 8 yrs ago my wife was saved. I watched her for eight years as she was faithful to Jesus Christ. At night she knelt by her bed to pray, often she would leave the house to attend a prayer meeting or a church service. She put Jesus Christ ahead in every area of her life. Last night when we retired for be and she knelt to pray I began to think of the difference between her life and mine. The difference between a mountain and a molehill. I got up out of bed and knelt beside her for the first time in 8 yrs and asked her to pray for my soul. I was led to Jesus Christ - not by D.L. Moody, not by George Truet but by my wife.
3) Through His Holy Spirit
2. TO ENJOY HIS INTIMACY I will come in and dine with him
a. To share a meal was one of the most intimate expressions in Jewish life.
b. Daddy in Korea(picture on wall/letters read) but one day daddy was in the house. Big difference.
3. TO SHARE HIS KINGDOM grant him to sit down with Me on my throne(big seat)
MAN FROM EUROPE traveling on ship during depression..common laborer..yrs to save for cheap ticket…ate cheese/crackers in room until sick…found by porter…don’t know your meals included?
Could have been eating at the captains table!
(22) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Man named Holman Hurt drew a picture of this scene(Christ knocking at the door) on canvas. When his artist friends first saw it they began to criticize him because something was missing. There was no handle on the door on which Jesus was knocking. Holman replied, ’This is a portrait of the human heart, the handle is on the inside’.
