Rev'd Up Pt 8 Series

Series: Rev’d Up

Thesis: We need to receive a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ daily so we do not fall asleep at our assigned mission. We need to know He is coming back soon!

Having a vision of Jesus will also give us the inner strength to stand for the

Gospel in a hostile world even to the point of death.

Key verse of Revelation: Text: Revelation 12:11: “They overcame him by the

blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Summary of churches see power point map:

1. Ephesus – The loveless church

2. Smyrna – The persecuted church

3. Pergamos – The compromising church

4. Thyatira – The corrupt church

5. Sardis – The church of the walking dead

6. Philadelphia- The faithful church

The churches of Revelation should speak to all of us of the importance of being an Irresistible Church! We have been working through this book as a staff the last few weeks:

In the book Wayne Cordeiro reflects upon his experiences with the New Hope Church in Hawaii and he offers TWELVE CHARACTERISTICS of in Irresistible Church.

By “irresistible” he means more than people being drawn to the church, although this is likely to happen, but hopefully as a “by-product” of something more important. The author hopes that as churches bear these characteristics, they become irresistible to heaven. This book is about a church heaven can’t help but be deeply involved with, a church that God can’t help but bless and use for His eternal purposes. It’s a church that makes the angels shout Encore!

It is Cordeiro’s description of what happens when the Hand of God blesses a church, of the “principles that keep us postured for His grace and rectify things when His hand seems to be lifting.”

The Twelve Characteristics - An Irresistible Church…

Trait 1: Hungers for the Presence of God

Trait 2: Remembers Who She Is

Trait 3: Lives Heart First

Trait 4: Practices Gratefulness

Trait 5: Promotes Healthy Relationships

Trait 6: Is Always Learning

Trait 7: Promotes Spiritual Self-Feeding

Trait 8: Connects Everything to a Soul

Trait 9: Chooses to Love

Trait 10: Takes Risks

Trait 11: Humbles Itself

Trait 12: Has a Plan

We are still looking at the 3rd “Blessings of Revelation” – It’s the Blessing of Staying Awake for Christ! (Rev. 16:15)

"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

Note: Nakedness is a symbol of spiritual shame and worthlessness in Scripture see (Ezekiel 16:35; 2 Corinthians 5:3).

Sermon: Rev’d Up 8

Thesis: The last and final church addressed by Jesus is the lukewarm – naked – blind and deceived church of Laodicea. They thought they had it all and were right were God wanted them to be but He reveals how they have a distorted view of themselves and they actually make Him gag – they need to repent – open the door for Jesus before He spit them out of His mouth.

Introduction:

We have been looking at the various messages Jesus gave to some of the churches in Asia Minor.

The ministry of the church is a ministry of people. When a church lives, it lives because the people within are vital and active. When a church dies, it withers and dies not because the brick and mortar and carpet and pews get old and begin to crack and rip and crumble. A church withers and dies because the people wither and die.

Chuck Swindoll shares the following story: I think a vivid illustration of this comes from a true story of a young minister in Oklahoma who went to this little, though long-standing, church in hopes of really reviving the ministry of it. He has stars in his eyes and great hopes for the future. He thought he could turn it around. And he gave it his best effort and his best shot week after week, to no avail. Finally, he had one last idea, and it seemed to work. He announced in the local newspaper on Saturday that the church had died, and on Sunday afternoon there would be a funeral service at the church itself, and all who wished could attend. For the first time in his years there the place was packed. In fact, people were standing outside on tiptoes looking through the window to see this most unusual funeral service for a church. To their shock, because most of them got there twenty or thirty minutes early to get a seat, there was a casket down front. And it was smothered with flowers. He told the people as soon as the eulogy was finished they could pass by and view the remains of the dearly beloved that they were putting to rest that day. They could hardly wait until he finished the eulogy. He slowly opened the casket, pushed the flowers aside, and people walked by, filed by, one by one, to look in and leave sheepishly, feeling guilty as they walked out the door, because inside the casket he had placed a large mirror. As they walked by, they saw the church that had died.” Illustration from Lloyd Cory, page 88, Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes.