WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.679 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.640 Listen, don't miss that. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:21.760 It is through Jesus that all the promises and covenants of God are fulfilled and guaranteed. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:23.920 Don't you love that? 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:29.280 It is through Jesus that all the promises and covenants of God are fulfilled and guaranteed. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:39.359 All of the Old Testament promises of forgiveness, mercy, loving kindness are wrapped up in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.399 Today, Pastor Steve continues his series on the Book of Revelation. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:52.320 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.799 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:02.079 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:18.079 Well, you guys, we're in the book of Revelation, and we've been going through the book of Revelation for the last three months, and we've been looking at the seven churches, okay? 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.959 And the seven churches are found in Revelation 3 and 4. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.480 We're on the seventh church. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:33.439 Recently we've been in the church at Philadelphia, and that's the passage that says, I've put before you an open door that no man can shut. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:44.400 And so I did a series of three weeks in a row called The Law of the Open Door and How God Opens Doors in Our Lives. 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:58.159 And it was a remarkable study, and many of you share the impact that that's had in your life as it relates to work situations, marriage situations, dating situations, and things like that. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:59.840 And that's what I love about the word. 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:04.079 That's why we have this thing called PBJ, Prayer Bible Journal. 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:06.079 And we give you a book mark. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:13.919 And that book mark is for like three or four months where we're going through, and it just tells you the passage that we're going through. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.639 We're in the Psalms right now in the summer. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:25.919 Because when you wake up in the morning, and I'm not saying everybody has to do it in the morning, but I'm going to just use that as an example because that's when I've always done it. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:31.520 But you wake up in the morning and you can't remember sometimes, you know, where am I at? 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:32.800 We've got it right there. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:34.719 And you might have missed three days or something. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:42.879 And you can go in there and you can pray and you can read the word and you can uh journal, prayer Bible journal, PB and J. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:47.199 We journal what God's teaching us and what he's speaking to us right now about. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:50.400 And God speaks to you. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:52.639 He speaks to you. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:58.960 And you don't have to have a pastor, you know, that's been theologically trained. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.879 God speaks to you, and he opens the word to you. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:16.960 And so that's one of the things we're talking about is, you know, here we are, you know, you could do one study on the church at Philadelphia, and then we dive in and we go, whoa, there's a lot more here that we can grow and learn from. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.680 And so isn't that exciting about the Word of God? 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:23.840 That it is so deep and wide, and He speaks to us in unique ways. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:36.960 If you recall, in these seven churches we've been looking at, and the seventh is tonight, we keep finding that there's criticisms and there's commendations to each one. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:42.960 And he's pretty critical on four out of the six. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:49.280 Two, Smyrna in Philadelphia has nothing but positive things to say about. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.439 And I want you to remember what the outline of Revelation was. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:54.960 Remember the outline of Revelation? 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.000 It's Revelation 1, 19. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:02.719 It's in your first chapter of your Bible there in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:05.919 Write the things which you have seen. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:24.959 That's chapter 1, that's section one, and the things which are, that's chapters 2 and 3, and the things which will take place, which we start into next week, which is the end times, and that's 4 through 22. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:31.439 So from this point soon, starting next week, well, actually not next week, because I'm gonna do this this one twice. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.000 We're gonna do the Laodicean church twice. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:39.839 I started to study and went, okay, I'm gonna do, I'm gonna move into chapter four next week, and then I started digging in and I went, there's no way. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.079 There's so much here on Laodicea. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:49.920 So this is part one of part two, and then in two weeks we start moving into the last days and the coming of the Lord and the great tribulation period. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.160 We'll talk about the rapture, things like that. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:57.120 A little simple, simple little stuff like that, you know, that everybody, everybody already knows that stuff, you know. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:02.959 Um, but it will be like, quite frankly, it will be like picking up your newspaper. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.360 We get the Wall Street Journal, so you got the Wall Street Journal on one hand, you got the Bible in the other. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:11.759 And it's seriously, if I didn't have the Bible in this one, I would be flipping out over this one. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:13.040 How about you? 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:29.439 I mean, we have got a really first-class mess on our hands in this country and around the world, and it's just a great comfort and a great joy to know that God is not in heaven wringing his hands, going, I don't know what to do. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:35.040 I just I'm just really confused about this not working out the way I'd planned. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:37.040 Oh, what a bummer. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:42.800 No, but God's actually orchestrating and he's working out a great global plan for the coming of the Lord. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:46.480 He's setting things up, and it's really an exciting time to be alive. 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:49.120 So we're in Revelation chapter 3. 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:51.040 Like I said, this is part one. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:06:08.800 I hate to tell you guys that here on the 4th of July, I'm gonna give you the problem tonight, but I'm not gonna give you the solution because uh that's the second half of the passage, and there's too much in the problem to get to the solution, and there's too much good stuff in the solution to do it all in one message, so I'm doing two. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:11.279 So bear with me. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.560 To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:23.040 Laodicea, men and women, was south of Philadelphia, not far from Colossus. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:40.560 It was large and prosperous as a city on the banks of the Lycus River, the wealthiest, most prosperous city in the region, because it was strategically located at the junction of two important roads. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:46.319 Laodicea was a very wealthy trade route city on the way to China. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.360 So you may have heard of China Road, the China Road. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:52.319 Well, it came right through Laodicea. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:56.800 Thus, it was very well known in its banking and textile industry. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:13.199 Now, all of that's gonna be play a part in how we read these verses, uh, not just tonight, but also next week, because the wording that Jesus uses in speaking his apocalypse, his revelation to John, alludes to all these things. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:14.720 That's why I'm giving you the background. 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:30.319 A great earthquake had leveled the city, and they had said to the Romans, listen to this, they, the Laodicean city had been leveled by an earthquake, and they rebuilt the city themselves. 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:33.279 Let me say that again. 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:35.680 An earthquake. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.199 It hit the Laodicean city and leveled it. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:53.600 It was such a beautiful and strategic city that the Romans said that they wanted to send them the funds to rebuild the city, and the Laodiceans said, and I quote, We have no need of anything. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:58.240 There's two thoughts to that if you're if you're getting my drift. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:01.279 Number one is that that's gonna be one of the verses we're gonna look at. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:02.639 They have no need of anything. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:07.439 That's a direct quote from what they said to the Romans uh a hundred years before. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.959 But um but do you remember 9-11? 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:15.439 Do you remember the response at 9-11 in America? 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:20.399 We have no need of anything, we're gonna rebuild America. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:27.680 And I mean, I think it's neat that the Congress were all on the steps singing, I think it was God bless America. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:32.240 But there was not a national humility. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:38.080 I mean, our churches were packed for three weeks, but we're gonna show them. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:42.080 So the Laodiceans were very much like that. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.919 It's the most dismal of all the letters that we read about. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:49.440 Nothing good is said of this church. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:54.080 This church represents the last and the worst of all the other churches. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:01.519 It's lost its passion for the lost, it's lost its passion for worship, it's lost its passion for prayer. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:04.240 So now that's the setup. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:15.600 And so Jesus now says to John, these things says the amen, the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of the creation of God. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:17.120 Remarkable verse. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:21.759 Four titles given to Jesus right there in this one verse. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:27.679 The amen, the faithful, the true witness, and the beginning of the creation of God. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:33.039 When we think of Jesus being the Amen, there's no other place in the Bible where it says this. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.519 The only place where it says Jesus is the amen. 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.759 Used only here for a title of Jesus. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:41.440 And listen, this is important. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:48.960 Amen is the transliteration of the Hebrew for truth or certainty, or we might say, so be it. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:50.080 How many of you ever heard that? 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:51.919 Like, so be it for amen. 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:53.200 That means so be it. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:58.240 It's the idea, though, you guys, of truth and certainty. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:13.600 That he's unchanging, that Jesus is unchanging, and it actually refers to a God who's not mixed, not changing, not unsure of himself. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:20.879 Jesus is the amen in that he is the unchanging truth incarnate. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:28.639 Now, this is so important because we're looking at a church that's lost all objective truth. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:37.759 Men and women, when you take away from a church objective truth from the word of God, man, it's just everything subjective. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:44.159 It becomes a hodgepodge of doctrines and theologies that are so confusing to the people. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:46.159 And it usually starts with the pastor. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:47.440 He starts getting confused. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:54.799 I've seen so many pastors over the years who begin to have a dim view, a lighthearted view of the word of God. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.639 And at first it's kind of funny because he makes jokes and things like that and everything. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:04.080 Oh, he's oh, Pastor Sam is finally loosening up. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:13.679 It's okay to be loose as far as your own perspective of yourself, but it's not okay to be loose about the perspective of God's Word. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:21.279 And so what happens then is he begins to lose his way, then his church loses its way, and then a denomination loses way. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:25.360 Right now we have a country that's lost its way. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:28.320 Because we've lost the amen. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:40.080 We've lost the Jesus, the amen, the certitude that comes with the unchangeableness of the beauty of the majestic love and word of God through Jesus. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:46.720 2 Corinthians 1.20 says, For all the promises of God in him are yes. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.200 One of the first verses I memorized when I was a kid. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:56.240 For all the promises of God are in him are yes, and in him, amen, to the glory of God through us. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.000 You hear what that's saying? 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:08.240 It's saying that the amen, the certitude and the unchangeableness of God flows through the amen of the certitude and the unchangeableness of the promises of God through us. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:17.919 We experience his certitude through claiming and believing and seeing God answer the promises of God that he's given us. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:20.320 Listen, don't miss this. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:27.440 It is through Jesus that all the promises and covenants of God are fulfilled and guaranteed. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.600 Don't you love that? 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:34.960 It is through Jesus that all the promises and covenants of God are fulfilled and guaranteed. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:45.039 All of the Old Testament promises of forgiveness, mercy, loving kindness are wrapped up in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:50.240 You can go to the Word of God in the Old Testament. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:51.519 God can speak to you. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:57.120 God spoke to me today in my prayer walk from the Psalms. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:12:58.879 But it's from God. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:02.960 And He's the Amen in the Old Testament, He's the Amen of the New Testament. 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:04.639 And so He spoke that. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.960 It was something that He needed to say to me. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:12.159 Which someone came up to me during the worship and said, I had this dream about you. 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.639 And she told me the dream. 00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:19.519 And the dream relates to what God said to me a few hours ago on that prayer walk. 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.200 The promises of God or Amen through us. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:26.720 So God's going to speak to you, men and women. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:28.480 He's going to be the amen in your life. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.799 And a lot of us need an amen in our life, don't we? 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:31.679 Say amen. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:32.639 There you go. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.120 See? 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:34.159 I told you. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:35.200 You're believing it. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:36.480 That's fantastic. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.279 Then he's our faithful and true witness. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:46.240 Jesus also identifies himself as the faithful and true witness, which further elucidates the thought expressed in the first title. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:52.480 So he's the amen, but he's also the faithful and true witness. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:57.519 Because everything he speaks is truth, whatever he promises, he fulfills. 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:58.480 Let me say that again. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:03.600 Because everything he speaks is truth, whatever he promises, he fulfills. 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:08.399 Now it's not on our timetable, only like 99% of the time. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:09.840 Right? 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.120 It's hard. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:12.720 I mean, you get a promise from God. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:14.879 It doesn't happen the next day. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:17.519 He's working things out. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:22.480 Have you ever noticed that some of our prayers are not just about us and one thing? 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.480 There's like an entity of so many different things involved about something we're praying about. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:33.440 Someone's praying about their wayward son who's into drugs and stuff, and they want him to come back. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.039 Well, there's a whole issue with that. 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.600 I mean, there's issues with his friends, there's issues with his influence. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.519 And so God's working that out. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:42.240 So you're praying that prayer, and God starts to move. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:43.519 I believe he sends angels. 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.799 And he starts to move on that, but then we don't see it though. 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:48.320 We don't see anything happening. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:49.600 We give up and we quit. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:53.759 And that's why he says, seek and you shall find, knock and you shall, and the door shall be open to you. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:55.440 Ask and it shall you shall receive. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:01.039 And the actual grammar there is seeking, asking, knocking. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:10.879 And so we knock and we seek, and we think God's not doing anything, but he's moving because there's more parts, there's more moving parts than we know about for him to answer that prayer. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:12.080 Don't give up. 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:12.960 Don't quit. 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:16.720 He's the faithful and the true witness. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.879 He's the beginning of all creation. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:20.960 He's the beginning of all creation. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.039 The Jehovah's Witnesses love this. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:25.120 They always jump on this verse. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:32.399 I always know if I talk to a Jehovah's Witness at the door, we're going to go to this passage because it is ambiguous. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.679 It's ambiguous in the Greek. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.279 And it's led to some false teachers seeking to deny Jesus' deity. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.600 Because what they say is, oh, okay, he's the beginning of all creation. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:51.519 And that translation, the way Jehovah's Witnesses do it, is to say that he was the first created one. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:57.919 And that's not what it means, because we always judge any verse by the whole of Scripture. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.399 So there's no ambiguity in the Greek text. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:00.799 R. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:13.279 K, beginning, does not mean that Christ was the first person God created, but listen, rather that Christ Himself is the source of the origin of creation. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:14.639 That's really important. 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.840 You can get off in some major heresy if you don't get this. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:20.960 So let's just take John chapter 1, 1 through 3. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:26.639 In the beginning was a word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:28.720 He was in the beginning with God. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:32.559 All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:36.559 So Jesus, don't try to wrap your mind around it, it's too hard. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:45.360 You have to take it by faith, but Jesus was there with the Father in the beginning, creating through him and for him, and by him and in him. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:52.000 He's not the first creature of creation. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.320 He was a part of the first creation. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:56.799 So Colossians 1. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:18.960 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for by him all by him all things were created that are in heaven and are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.359 So, heads up, little hint. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.359 Jehovah's Witness knocks on your door. 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.480 You know, and it's usually two ladies, by the way. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:28.720 They don't have many men because they eject them. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:35.440 But you get these two ladies that come in there and they and they want to share with you from the Jehovah's Witness Bible. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:37.920 It's spurious at best. 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:40.240 And so always pull out your own Bible. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.200 Those are the two verses you want to use, because that's the first place they're going to go. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:47.119 Oh, Jesus is, he's he's just he's one of creation. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:48.240 He was the first thing created. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.559 We think Jesus is really cool, but he was created. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.079 He said, No, he wasn't created. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.839 He's the one who created. 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:55.839 Well, you can't prove that. 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:58.480 Don't look at their Bible because it's all messed up in the Greek. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:03.200 Every theologue I know of says, you know, it's a joke as far as the actual translation. 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:09.839 So use your new King James Version, your new American standard, whatever you have, living Bible, whatever, and uh take them to these verses. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:12.960 So that's the setup. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:18.000 All of this is just a setup now for the rebuke that's coming to the Laodicean church. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.079 And here's what he says: Verse 15. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:25.680 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:28.960 I could wish you were cold or hot. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:36.799 So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:39.519 Now I'm gonna give you my thesis tonight. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:49.359 My thesis tonight is the vexation of the church in Laodicea is the vexation of the American church today. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:56.160 Now, I'm not saying everybody in the American church under the rubric of the American church is lukewarm. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.039 I'm not saying that. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:04.319 I believe if we go through the seven churches, we find elements, well, I mean, we'll see elements of the road in every one of them, both positive and negative. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:07.119 So no church is perfect, not saying every church is perfect. 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.799 I'm not saying that there's ever gonna be this perfect church. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:19.359 But I will say this: as we move toward the coming of the Lord, God is going to empower his church like never before in history. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.440 We are gonna see more healings happen. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:25.119 We're gonna see more people getting saved, we're gonna see more demonic deliverance. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:32.319 I can just say from my own experience that in the last few years I've seen more power encounters with the demonic in America. 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:42.000 So I'm not like, I'm not like in uh uh Malaysia or something or some jungle environment, which I believe is actually more prevalent for various reasons. 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:45.359 That's a whole nother mythological discussion we can have. 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:49.839 But the reality is, even in America, we are seeing more demonization. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:57.200 I mean, if you looked at TV, I mean, we have direct TV on our TV, and I mean, there's so much supernatural stuff now. 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:06.000 I mean, the the media is just fixated on ghosts and demons and dead people that walk around and stuff and uh haunted houses. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.880 Some movie just came out, I was watching it's a true story. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:10.960 You know, and I was looking at it, I'm like, whoa. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:18.000 And it's like, you know, they just freak you out, you know, because people are fascinated with it, and you know why they're fascinated? 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:20.000 It's because it brings glory to Satan. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:26.960 And don't be fascinated with that stuff, but also realize this book, the Bible is way more supernatural than that stuff. 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:36.720 Well, you know, because I mean, most of us grew up in churches where it was kind of like if you heard anything that was even remotely supernatural, it was the missionary. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.720 And they were always kind of weird. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:39.920 That's what I remember. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:49.279 They always had clothes that were like 20 years out of date, and you kind of go, uh, you know, oh, I guess if you become a missionary, you have to buy clothes at thrift stores and stuff that are 20 years out of date. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:54.000 And they show slideshows, and there's a guy with a bone in his nose, you know, and a pit helmet and all that stuff. 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:56.559 And you know, hey, I do not want to do that. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.680 That's like so weird. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:00.480 I mean, I'll be Indiana Jones, but not that. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:01.920 He's cool. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:05.839 But then what happens is that we think it's out there. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:08.480 No, it's right here, gang. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:11.839 There's so much spiritual stuff going on right now. 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:20.960 I mean, some of you in this room, I'm not gonna ask for a show of hands, but I mean, probably fully a third in this room, or maybe half of you, have felt demons. 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:24.559 You have felt the darkness before, and you've seen God set you free. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:29.680 And uh, in spite of some of you are still, you know, packing some growlers of your own that you need to get rid of. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.960 But the reality is that demons are here. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.839 And Jesus can set you free. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:40.960 And we're gonna see greater demonic activity and we're gonna see greater Jesus activity. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:42.000 Isn't that hot? 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:46.319 So Jesus is not gonna lead us down some dark alley and just say, see ya. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:52.480 He's gonna move us into areas of darkness, but he's coming with us, gang, and he's gonna empower you. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:59.519 And that's why we build wholehearted disciples here because we're gonna train and equip you as the years go by and how to deal with that stuff and not freak out, but um. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.680 But watch God show up in a mighty way. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:02.720 So this is a struggle. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:09.039 I believe the Laodicean church is the closest of the seven to where the American church is today. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:11.680 I hate to say that, but that's what I really believe. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:14.960 Deeds always reveal the condition of our heart. 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:17.599 Deeds always reveal our spiritual condition. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:27.839 Christ rebukes them for being neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm for being compromised in their faith. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:30.240 Now listen, this is important. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:39.599 The metaphor of hot and cold and lukewarm comes from the water supply that was near Laodicea. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:46.000 Laodicea was part of a triad of cities with Heropolis and Colossae. 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:52.079 Colossae was known for its cold, refreshing stream. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:53.440 Still there today. 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:56.400 A cold, refreshing stream came through Colossae. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:01.759 Laodicea had a twin city called Heropolis. 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:07.920 Heropolis was six miles away, and it was known for its hot springs. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:34.160 And what the Romans had done is they had built an aqueduct from Heropolis to Laodicea to catch the hot springs, an open aqueduct to carry the hot springs to Laodicea, six miles, so that by the time those waters arrived in Laodicea, they were lukewarm. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:37.759 So it tasted awful. 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:42.319 And those who wanted to get into the hot springs had to go to Heropolis. 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:46.240 Those who wanted cold, refreshing water had to go to Colossae. 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:48.240 And he's making a metaphor. 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.000 You know, I live in Black Forest, and we have a well. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:58.799 And I different people tell me different things, but one time we had to do this thing on the well, and I watched how many pipes came up. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:05.920 And I think it's the Denver aquifer is 225 feet down, and that's evidently what I'm tapped into. 00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:10.160 But we have a filter system and all this stuff that our water goes through. 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:19.200 But so by the time the water from the well down in the spring down below on the Denver aquifer gets to us, it's it's pretty much lukewarm. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:25.359 But on our spigot outside, that's a true picture of the temperature, and it's cold. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:27.440 It's really cold. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:34.160 Because water from springs is always hot or cold. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.839 It's never lukewarm. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:45.920 From the spring, like if you go to Manitou and you get into hot springs there, if you go to um Glenwood Springs or you go to Princeton Hot Springs, that water is hot. 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.279 And so people go there for medicinal purposes to relax. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:56.720 Glenwood Springs is always packed, probably really packed, and probably Princeton Hot Springs is really packed right now because of the hot springs. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:04.079 And I used to love in Japan, every summer I went with my best friend and we would go to these islands down below Tokyo. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:06.559 We'd take a ship out, and it was the coolest thing. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:11.599 I think it'd be cool to go back to someday, but not that cool to spend that much money to go there. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.720 But if anybody wants to give me the money, I'd probably use it for something else. 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:16.240 But anyway, it was really cool then. 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:22.480 So we would go there and we'd go to the hot springs and we'd go out there, and the hot springs were right next to the ocean. 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:23.359 It's really cool. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:35.759 So here we'd go snorkeling in the cool, frigid Pacific Ocean, and then we'd take off our scuba gear and everything, and we'd lay it down a rock, and we could go into a hot spring. 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:36.880 It's really cool, man. 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:37.759 I loved it. 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:45.119 So we ah, you know, it's like it's back when you're single and you have no responsibilities, and all you that are single, man, you got the easy life. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:46.400 But, well, not really. 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.319 I mean, you got your own set of problems. 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.319 But I'm glad I'm married and don't want to be single. 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.559 It's always better to be married and not want to be single than to be single and want to be married. 00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:58.960 But I know some people that are married and wish they were single. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:00.000 So anyway. 00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:04.240 But you you get in there and it's the hot springs and the cold, you know, and everything. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:15.519 And so, you know, if you go to the South Platte River like I did this week to um spend time with the Lord, and I was on the South Platte River and with my Bible and just spending time with the Lord, that's cold. 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:17.119 Like that's really cold. 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:23.119 And there's trout and there's crayfish and there's living stuff everywhere. 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.519 This deer came cruising through, you know. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:30.160 It's living because it's a spring of cold water, and it's and it's refreshing. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:35.759 And so it got really hot, and I wanted to like jump in, but it didn't bring stuff to do it. 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:38.720 But, you know, hot or cold. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:40.480 That's the way God made it. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:42.880 Springs of hot water, springs of cold water. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:47.039 Lukewarm is no good for anything. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:48.480 It's yucky. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:55.680 And um, and I know because I carry a water bottle, and I sometimes leave that water bottle in my truck. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:59.920 And then I come and I drink it, and it's like, ugh, gross. 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:01.119 And so you want ice, right? 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:03.599 You want to get that thing cold again, you want to get it frigid again. 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:06.160 Or you just want to do like I usually do, and I just kind of dump it. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:09.200 I always wonder about people who are driving really close behind me. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:13.279 Don't you hate people who like like ride on your rear? 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:15.759 Don't you just wish you like you had a can of paint or something? 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:16.799 You just kind of throw it out. 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:17.359 I don't know. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:21.680 I was coming in today, I was I was going down powers today, and I'm going to do a wedding. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.440 That's why I'm dressed really nice. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:28.960 For you that are guests, this is very abnormal, unless I'm doing a funeral or something, or a wedding. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:35.680 So I'm driving and I'm trying to get in, and there's nobody on the highway on powers. 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:42.640 There's nobody in the left lane, and there's this one guy in the right lane, and I'm just trying to get on. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.240 And he won't let me in. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.920 And then all he has to do is move over. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:50.400 I mean, there's nobody, you know, and so I'm like, I'm gonna get him. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.640 No, I said, bless him, Lord. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:58.799 He just pray a blessing, or I pray that he would know the Lord and be forgiven. 00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:03.200 He must have been lukewarm. 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:12.559 So water like that is lukewarm in its yucky, and and you know what? 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:16.480 Lukewarm people aren't flowing. 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:20.079 They're kind of spiritually dead. 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:25.119 You know, um the Dead Sea doesn't flow. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:31.119 It has water flowing in, but none flowing out, and it's dead and it's salty. 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:40.400 And if you've ever been to the south where I'm from, you know, we have a lot of ponds around, and every pond you see most of the time is from a spring. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:50.400 And usually you can find out an outlet somewhere where there's a little stream coming out, because everybody on that farm or whoever knows that if they don't have some stream and some outlet, everything dies. 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:52.480 It becomes lukewarm, it becomes dead. 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:57.039 And people who are lukewarm aren't going anywhere spiritually. 00:28:57.279 --> 00:29:02.079 They're the same yesterday, today, and forever. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:05.839 And and they're and they, you know, you know, you say, well, I don't know if I'm lukewarm or not. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:07.279 I feel I don't know if I'm lukewarm. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.240 Well, look around you. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:10.319 Are you hanging out with lukewarm people? 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:11.680 You're probably lukewarm. 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:15.680 And when you get around people who are sort of fired up, it kind of you're kind of like, ah. 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:19.599 That's not a good sign, gang. 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:28.480 That's not a good sign that when you get around fired up people or people who love you and they want to see you grow and you don't like that, you're lukewarm. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:30.640 You're lukewarm. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:36.880 Lukewarm people most often once walked closely with the Lord. 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:39.599 There was a time in their life where they were fired up. 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:42.319 He's not talking about non-Christians here, gang. 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:44.880 He's talking about people who know the Lord. 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:50.319 They have a relationship with the Lord, and they've just gotten into a rut. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:54.160 Every one of us in this room has been lukewarm at times. 00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:57.039 So, so it's not a bad thing. 00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:01.920 It's actually a normal thing, but it's a bad thing when you stay there. 00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:04.240 When you just stay there. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:12.319 And you stay in your lukewarmness, you're tepid, you're too comfortable, you're you're not even worried about your condition. 00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:15.359 It doesn't bother you anymore. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:22.000 He says, Ah, you know, I we do our we do our giving thing, we do our church thing every once in a while. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:23.920 That's good enough. 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:25.759 But there's no joy. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:29.039 There's no anointing, there's no power. 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:31.519 You're not excited to share your faith at work. 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:34.960 You're not excited to share what God's been teaching you in the Word. 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:37.759 It's just business as usual. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.279 And guys, that's the hardest people to reach. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:44.319 I get, I don't like being around Luke. 00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:46.720 I thought I could never, I can't be a pastor. 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:52.960 When God was calling me to be a pastor, I'm like, ah, I gotta hang out with American Christians. 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.880 Because I was used to Asia. 00:30:54.960 --> 00:31:05.759 I was used to people who grew up Buddhist and Shinto and into idolatry and into weird stuff, shamans and stuff like that. 00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:10.640 And when they got saved, it was like really easy because they did not want to go back to that. 00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:12.480 It was too much enslavement. 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:15.759