1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,200 Good morning church. 2 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:02,040 Good morning. 3 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,000 Good morning to those of you who are online. 4 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:06,800 Welcome to our online fam. 5 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:08,000 There's somebody online, 6 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,840 I just need you guys to give some love to if that's okay. 7 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,240 There's a lady named Dory, those of you that know Dory, 8 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,520 she is part of our guest services crew. 9 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,280 She had knee surgery, but she is online and she's like, 10 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,920 if I could click love for this church, I would click love. 11 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:21,760 So could we do this? 12 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,200 Just say good morning Dory and give it back to her. 13 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,760 Good morning Dory. 14 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:27,560 Yeah. 15 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,800 Dory, we love you and we love you. 16 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:30,760 And we miss you. 17 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,440 And so get better quickly. 18 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,680 And there's other people out there, some in California, 19 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,520 I saw some in Tucson and Phoenix and other places. 20 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:40,840 So welcome to you. 21 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,680 Baghdad, welcome to you. 22 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,920 We hope that you are enjoying fall weather too. 23 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,120 Hopefully that's hit you. 24 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,200 And then also, Paulden, we're glad you're there. 25 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:51,240 Mike sent me pictures. 26 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:52,320 I wasn't even here last week 27 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,280 and he's still sending me pictures of their breakfast. 28 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,240 I'm like, so I appreciate it, Mike. 29 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Hopefully you have breakfast this morning. 30 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,880 And to you guys in the room, welcome, glad you are here. 31 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,080 I just wanna slow down for a moment if you'll let me, 32 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,480 because I personally, 33 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,000 I just wanna say thank you to our veterans. 34 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,320 And what I mean by that is I've had the privilege 35 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,800 of getting to know people through what I get to do. 36 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,640 And when I get to spend time with people who have served, 37 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,200 people like Kyle and in Prescott Valley this morning, 38 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,120 Nate is one of our worship leaders out there. 39 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,120 And just getting to slow down and hear more of their story 40 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,440 and what the sacrifice actually looked like for them. 41 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,160 And then not only for them, but their family. 42 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,560 It just, every time I'm just humbled by how much it takes 43 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,840 for us to be able to do this. 44 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:41,440 And for us to be able to, 45 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,640 how much somebody's given and lived out the gospel 46 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,480 on our behalf so that we have the freedom that we do. 47 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:47,840 And so personally, I just wanna say, 48 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:49,400 if you're a veteran in the room, 49 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,320 if you're across screens today, wherever you happen to be, 50 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:53,320 I just wanna say thank you. 51 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,720 Thank you for who you are and what you've done. 52 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,720 Greetings to you, we are Thy Sports Checkers. 53 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,800 Class of 2020 is your DOC. 54 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:02,280 And if you haven't seen her, 55 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:03,740 One of the things you'll hear if you're new, 56 00:02:03,740 --> 00:02:05,280 one of the things you'll hear is we're family. 57 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,360 We use family language over and over and over. 58 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,240 And so with that, like we don't choose that, 59 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:11,160 God chooses that. 60 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,580 He puts us in family, which means that this is 61 00:02:13,580 --> 00:02:16,740 a relational thing, not an institutional thing. 62 00:02:16,740 --> 00:02:18,080 If you ever hear somebody that says, 63 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,080 I was hurt by the church, 64 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,120 they were not hurt by an institution. 65 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:23,840 You can't be hurt by an institution. 66 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,580 What you can be hurt by is people, right? 67 00:02:26,580 --> 00:02:27,960 And so whether people made decisions, 68 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,740 whether people treated you a certain way, 69 00:02:29,740 --> 00:02:31,740 and that's the dynamic of the church, right? 70 00:02:31,740 --> 00:02:34,200 That we are relational in essence, 71 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,000 like that's what God has created. 72 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,500 And so when it comes to this, it's about relationships. 73 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:40,420 It's about growing together. 74 00:02:40,420 --> 00:02:41,380 It's about walking together. 75 00:02:41,380 --> 00:02:43,000 It's about doing life together. 76 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,160 And part of that is that we just catch each other 77 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:47,080 up on stuff, right? 78 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,120 And so you may be wondering what's up with your hand. 79 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,500 I had surgery, nothing serious, 80 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:54,300 just some stuff that was causing some pain, 81 00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:56,460 and now I have a different kind of pain. 82 00:02:56,460 --> 00:02:58,080 But the good thing is there's drugs for that. 83 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,380 So I don't know how today's gonna go for you guys, 84 00:03:00,380 --> 00:03:01,960 but it's great. 85 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,580 And so that's what's going on with the hand. 86 00:03:06,460 --> 00:03:11,300 Along with that, I get to introduce you to somebody, okay? 87 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:14,460 And so his name is Beckham Jude, 88 00:03:14,460 --> 00:03:16,260 and here he is, my grandson. 89 00:03:16,260 --> 00:03:19,300 Let's go. 90 00:03:19,300 --> 00:03:24,300 I don't even wanna be here today. 91 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:29,760 I'm on drugs, and I wanna go be with him. 92 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,880 So we're done, amen? 93 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:32,720 No, I'm just kidding. 94 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,760 Okay, don't say amen, that's rude. 95 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:35,880 I got stuff to say. 96 00:03:37,300 --> 00:03:41,800 So here's the beauty of this, that everybody is healthy. 97 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,060 Praise God for that. 98 00:03:44,180 --> 00:03:45,940 You guys, I don't know if you know this, 99 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:48,600 but I got to experience another part of our community 100 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,940 and another part of our church family 101 00:03:50,940 --> 00:03:52,780 using the gifts that God's given them 102 00:03:52,780 --> 00:03:55,620 through the birthing process for my daughter. 103 00:03:55,620 --> 00:03:57,580 They were amazing. 104 00:03:57,580 --> 00:04:00,760 Watching them pour out and love my family 105 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,140 and go above and beyond in a time where I'm, 106 00:04:04,140 --> 00:04:06,180 literally I'm helpless, right? 107 00:04:06,180 --> 00:04:08,340 And yeah, it was this beautiful experience. 108 00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:10,960 And so, yeah, everybody's healthy, they're home. 109 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,840 For those of you that don't know, 110 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,020 it's also a celebration for our Prescott Valley family 111 00:04:16,020 --> 00:04:18,100 as well, because Noah is the youth pastor over there. 112 00:04:18,100 --> 00:04:21,020 So Beckham's dad is Noah, my daughter's husband. 113 00:04:21,020 --> 00:04:23,400 And so it's like a family celebration across the church. 114 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,860 But I gotta pause for a second. 115 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:30,040 You train up your kids in the way they should go, 116 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,700 and they don't depart from it. 117 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:35,160 Beckham Jude is one of the strongest soccer names 118 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,700 on the planet, I'm just gonna say. 119 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:40,040 Named after two amazing soccer players 120 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,880 that are both English. 121 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:42,840 That's all I gotta say. 122 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,660 It's a strong name, strong name. 123 00:04:44,660 --> 00:04:46,760 But here's where we're going today. 124 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,800 What's amazing is, I'm a communicator, right? 125 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,340 Like this is what God has made me to do. 126 00:04:52,340 --> 00:04:55,140 I don't have words to explain to you. 127 00:04:55,140 --> 00:05:00,140 What it was like to hold him for the first time. 128 00:05:01,140 --> 00:05:06,140 The love that exuded in my body for this little human 129 00:05:06,140 --> 00:05:08,320 that has done nothing to deserve it. 130 00:05:09,780 --> 00:05:11,280 But there was so much love, I was like, 131 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,740 I don't want this to end ever, right here, now. 132 00:05:14,820 --> 00:05:17,400 And what's amazing about it is this, 133 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,000 that the love I have for him is an extension love. 134 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,500 Because I love my daughter so much, 135 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:27,420 and my son-in-law so much, like it's an instant, 136 00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:30,960 I love this little human being, and I can't even, 137 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,600 it's the most surreal and amazing experience 138 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:35,800 all at the same time. 139 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,100 That there are just not words yet to describe it. 140 00:05:39,220 --> 00:05:42,100 But what hit me was how much I love him, 141 00:05:43,060 --> 00:05:45,460 and it's all because of who my daughter is to me. 142 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,600 And where we're going today, 143 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,900 like sometimes we can get lost in church world 144 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:54,100 around all thinking the right things, right? 145 00:05:54,100 --> 00:05:55,900 Like we strive that we gotta have, 146 00:05:55,900 --> 00:05:57,300 and please don't mishear me today. 147 00:05:57,300 --> 00:05:58,660 We have to think the right things. 148 00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:00,900 I'm giving my life to help teach this book 149 00:06:00,900 --> 00:06:03,100 so we understand right things, right? 150 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:07,100 Like please don't mishear how important it is to understand. 151 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:09,300 But if all you have is understanding, 152 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:12,100 you are missing the point of what this is all about. 153 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:15,500 Because what you have been given, 154 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:19,300 and what we should be living, we the church, right? 155 00:06:19,300 --> 00:06:21,500 The church is made up of people. 156 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:25,500 What we should be living is an extension of love 157 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:29,500 to everyone outside of these walls, in these walls, 158 00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:30,900 and everybody we meet. 159 00:06:30,900 --> 00:06:33,100 There should be an extension of love 160 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:35,100 like I have for my grandson. 161 00:06:35,100 --> 00:06:38,700 Why? Because you know Jesus, right? 162 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:41,300 And loving relationship with Jesus 163 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:43,300 exudes to everything else. 164 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:45,500 This is about heart. 165 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:47,500 Sometimes we think if we just think the right things, 166 00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:49,100 therefore we'll do the right things. 167 00:06:49,100 --> 00:06:51,100 That's not true. 168 00:06:51,100 --> 00:06:53,100 You were made with a heart. 169 00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:55,100 And your heart, when it falls in love 170 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:56,100 with the person of Jesus, 171 00:06:56,100 --> 00:06:59,700 you won't have to question what's the right thing. 172 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:01,500 Because the right actions will come 173 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:03,900 from the heart that you have. 174 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:07,700 You don't have to tell me how to love my grandson. 175 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:10,300 I know how to love my grandson. 176 00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:13,100 Why? Because you know Jesus, right? 177 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:16,300 Why? Because I knew how to love my daughter. 178 00:07:16,300 --> 00:07:18,900 This relationship is so important. 179 00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:21,300 So we finally made it, you guys. 180 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:24,100 We're in the book of Revelation. 181 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:26,100 It's at the back, unless you're like Kyle 182 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:27,900 and flip it upside down, I guess. 183 00:07:27,900 --> 00:07:29,900 But here's the thing. 184 00:07:29,900 --> 00:07:33,300 With Revelation, just a little free thing up top, 185 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:35,300 sometimes we say revelations. 186 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:36,500 It's not revelations. 187 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:40,500 It is one revelation of the resurrected Jesus Christ. 188 00:07:40,500 --> 00:07:41,700 That's what it is. 189 00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:44,500 It's not all these, excuse me. 190 00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:47,300 It's not all these things that are multiple, 191 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:49,300 like, oh, there's this one and this one. 192 00:07:49,300 --> 00:07:52,300 No, it's one revelation that he gives. 193 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:53,300 Why is that important? 194 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:55,500 Because it's a gift to us. 195 00:07:55,500 --> 00:07:56,700 Life's uncertain, right? 196 00:07:56,700 --> 00:07:58,700 Like we don't know what life holds. 197 00:07:58,700 --> 00:08:00,900 This is given to us as a church to go, 198 00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:04,100 no matter how bad it gets, it's going to be all right. 199 00:08:04,100 --> 00:08:06,900 Spoiler alert, you get to the end of the book, God wins. 200 00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:07,500 Right? 201 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:09,500 Like that's the way this works. 202 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:10,900 Revelation was given to go, 203 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:13,500 hey, I know that everything is shaking in your world today, 204 00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:14,900 but you know what's not shaking? 205 00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:15,700 Heaven. 206 00:08:15,700 --> 00:08:16,700 You know what's not shaking? 207 00:08:16,700 --> 00:08:17,500 The throne of God. 208 00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:18,500 You know what's not shaking? 209 00:08:18,500 --> 00:08:21,100 That Jesus is still resurrected and he's the same 210 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:22,500 that he was there, that he is here, 211 00:08:22,500 --> 00:08:23,900 and he will be to come. 212 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:24,500 Right? 213 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:26,300 That's the guarantee that this book is giving. 214 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:28,700 It's giving us confidence as a church. 215 00:08:28,700 --> 00:08:30,900 And so as you step into it then, 216 00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:33,100 in chapter one, verse nine, it says, 217 00:08:33,100 --> 00:08:36,700 I, John, your brother, and companion in the suffering 218 00:08:36,700 --> 00:08:40,500 and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, 219 00:08:40,500 --> 00:08:42,900 was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God 220 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:44,100 and the testimony of Jesus. 221 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:48,100 So context is this, the John that is speaking is the disciple, 222 00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:48,700 John, right? 223 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:50,900 So it's the one that was with Jesus. 224 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:54,700 And so now he is there, we guess at this, 225 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:56,700 he's late 80s, early 90s. 226 00:08:56,700 --> 00:08:59,500 Like he's in the latter stages of his life 227 00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:02,700 and he has been put on an island called Patmos. 228 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:05,500 They tried to kill him and martyr him 229 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:06,900 and they could not kill him. 230 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:08,100 He wouldn't die. 231 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:09,900 And so they're like, we don't know what to do with you. 232 00:09:09,900 --> 00:09:11,300 We're gonna put you in this work camp 233 00:09:11,300 --> 00:09:13,100 on the island of Patmos, right? 234 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:15,900 So he's out there exiled. 235 00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:17,500 And in the midst of exile, 236 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:21,100 he's now given this testimony from Jesus. 237 00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:22,900 In verse 10, it says, 238 00:09:22,900 --> 00:09:26,300 on the Lord's day, I was in the Spirit. 239 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:30,500 And I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 240 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:34,700 which said, write on a scroll what you see 241 00:09:34,700 --> 00:09:37,900 and send it to the seven churches, 242 00:09:37,900 --> 00:09:42,900 to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, 243 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:46,300 Philadelphia, and Laodicea. 244 00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:49,300 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. 245 00:09:49,300 --> 00:09:54,100 And when I turned around, I saw seven golden lampstands. 246 00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:57,900 And among the lampstands was someone like the son of man. 247 00:09:57,900 --> 00:09:59,300 And so you have John, right? 248 00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:02,900 And context of this, as John is one, 249 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:04,300 remember as a disciple, 250 00:10:04,300 --> 00:10:06,900 he is reclined on the chest of Jesus, 251 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:09,300 which sounds weird to us, but when you would sit at a meal, 252 00:10:09,300 --> 00:10:11,500 you kind of lean on the person next to you. 253 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:14,700 And so he's leaned on the very chest of Jesus, 254 00:10:14,700 --> 00:10:16,500 if you like, on the shoulder of Jesus. 255 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:19,500 And what he defined in that is this love relationship 256 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:21,300 between him and Jesus. 257 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:23,300 And he says, in this moment, what happens is 258 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:25,700 this voice like a trumpet comes 259 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:29,700 and he turns around kind of shocked at what this voice is. 260 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:32,300 And he's told, hey, write this down on a scroll, 261 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:33,500 be my scribe. 262 00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:35,500 And you're gonna scribe for seven churches. 263 00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:37,300 Now the seven churches that he mentions 264 00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:40,500 are all real churches in a real place at a real time. 265 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:42,900 So they existed when this was written. 266 00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:44,500 Why those seven and not others? 267 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:46,100 We don't know Jesus is who he is 268 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:47,500 and he can do what he wants, right? 269 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:50,100 And so what he gives us is seven to them. 270 00:10:50,100 --> 00:10:53,500 And so the idea of completion is captured in the number seven. 271 00:10:53,500 --> 00:10:57,300 So the seven churches, and when John turns around, 272 00:10:57,300 --> 00:11:00,500 he sees these like lampstands, which to us is a little weird. 273 00:11:00,500 --> 00:11:02,100 We'll explain that in a minute. 274 00:11:02,100 --> 00:11:05,900 But also what he sees is he sees the resurrected Jesus. 275 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:07,700 And the resurrected Jesus, remember, 276 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:09,900 this is somebody that has walked with Jesus, 277 00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:12,900 that has laid on his chest, that has been alongside him, 278 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:15,500 that feels like he knows him. 279 00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:20,500 And he turns around and the image of Jesus that he sees, 280 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:23,700 that he's got this hair that is white like wool, 281 00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:27,300 that his eyes are like blazing fire, right? 282 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:29,300 That there's a sword coming out of his mouth, 283 00:11:29,300 --> 00:11:30,900 a double-edged sword. 284 00:11:30,900 --> 00:11:33,500 That he's dressed with this golden sack. 285 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:38,500 Like everything about this Jesus is he is king 286 00:11:38,700 --> 00:11:41,700 and he is to be respected and he is reverent 287 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:44,700 and I should have offered him, which John's response, 288 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:46,700 remember, this is his friend. 289 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:49,500 We're going, hey, this is a reunion, right? 290 00:11:49,500 --> 00:11:52,900 His response is he falls on his face 291 00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:58,900 and he is speechless at seeing the risen Jesus. 292 00:11:58,900 --> 00:12:00,700 I think it's really important 293 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:02,900 that if we're gonna talk about revelation, 294 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:05,900 we understand Jesus in the concept 295 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:09,900 and who he is as the resurrected king. 296 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:13,100 This is not Jesus who, if you went to camp, 297 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:14,500 and I've spoke these messages, 298 00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:16,900 so I'm not picking on anybody in particular, 299 00:12:16,900 --> 00:12:19,900 but we used to do stuff like Jesus is your homeboy. 300 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:24,300 That's true in a relational sense. 301 00:12:25,300 --> 00:12:27,700 But when you have the image of who Jesus is, 302 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:30,500 Jesus right now, the resurrected Jesus, 303 00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:32,700 does not look like your homeboy. 304 00:12:32,700 --> 00:12:34,900 He looks like a king, right? 305 00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:36,500 This resurrected Jesus looks like 306 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,500 he's the one in power and authority. 307 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:41,900 This resurrected Jesus is one to be revered 308 00:12:41,900 --> 00:12:44,300 and so in that context then, 309 00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:47,100 he now, what's set up for us is he, 310 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:50,500 the resurrected Jesus is the one who has the right 311 00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:54,100 to talk to the church, to talk to his people. 312 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:55,500 And so in verse 19, it says, 313 00:12:55,500 --> 00:12:57,700 right therefore, what you have seen, 314 00:12:57,700 --> 00:12:59,700 what is now and what will take place later. 315 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:01,500 The mystery of the seven stars 316 00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:03,300 that you saw in my right hand 317 00:13:03,300 --> 00:13:06,100 and the seven golden lampstands is this. 318 00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:09,100 The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. 319 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:11,500 So what we were told in this description of Jesus 320 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,900 is that he has seven stars held in his hand. 321 00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:17,700 Now, what we're told here is it's the angels, right? 322 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:21,300 But that word angels is actually messengers 323 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:24,500 and so there's a debate on interpretation with this. 324 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:27,300 That doesn't mean that there's literally an angel 325 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:30,500 that's given to every church like a protective angel, 326 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:31,900 maybe, right? 327 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:34,700 Or does it mean that it's the messengers of the church, 328 00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:36,500 those that are carrying the message of God 329 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:39,100 to God's people that God holds. 330 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:41,900 But either way, what you have to capture 331 00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:44,900 is the resurrected Jesus is holding what? 332 00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:47,900 The messenger of the church. 333 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:50,700 Who's in control? 334 00:13:50,700 --> 00:13:52,100 Jesus is. 335 00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:52,900 Why? 336 00:13:52,900 --> 00:13:54,900 Because this is his church. 337 00:13:55,900 --> 00:13:58,700 It says in scripture that he has supremacy 338 00:13:58,700 --> 00:14:02,900 and in Colossians it says that he is the head of the church. 339 00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:05,100 It's not the elders that they're ahead of the church. 340 00:14:05,100 --> 00:14:07,300 It's not me, it's not another pastor. 341 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:09,500 Jesus is the head of the church. 342 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:11,100 And as the one who is the head of the church, 343 00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:15,700 he holds, he has firmly in his grasp 344 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:18,500 because he has authority, the very messengers 345 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:22,100 that are a part of the church. 346 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:25,100 And then it says that he's a part of these like, 347 00:14:25,100 --> 00:14:26,500 these golden lampstands, right? 348 00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:27,900 That there's these golden lampstands around. 349 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:30,500 Now, it says specifically that the golden lampstands 350 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:32,900 represent the seven churches. 351 00:14:32,900 --> 00:14:35,300 So each of these churches that he's writing a letter to, 352 00:14:35,300 --> 00:14:38,300 the way it's kind of physically represented, 353 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:40,300 if you like, is through a golden lampstand. 354 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:43,500 Now, if I'm gonna, if it's dark and I go to light a lampstand, 355 00:14:43,500 --> 00:14:45,900 what is the lampstand doing? 356 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:47,500 Right, what is it, what is the lamp doing? 357 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,500 It's giving light to that situation, right? 358 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:52,900 So the context that we're given of the churches, 359 00:14:52,900 --> 00:14:54,900 the imagery we're given of the churches, 360 00:14:54,900 --> 00:14:59,100 is that the church is to be light into darkness. 361 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:03,100 That the church is supposed to be this representation. 362 00:15:03,100 --> 00:15:06,500 And then the next part is in chapter two, 363 00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:08,700 he starts to write a letter to the church in Ephesus. 364 00:15:08,700 --> 00:15:11,500 It says, to the angel or the messenger of the church 365 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:14,700 in Ephesus, write, these are the words of him 366 00:15:14,700 --> 00:15:16,900 who holds the seven stars in his right hand. 367 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:20,100 So again, this picture of authority and power. 368 00:15:20,100 --> 00:15:22,900 And walks among the seven golden lampstands. 369 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:27,500 And walks among the seven golden lampstands. 370 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:31,100 This made me shudder the other day. 371 00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:34,900 When I realized the imagery that's given, 372 00:15:35,900 --> 00:15:39,300 that the resurrected Jesus, the one who is king, 373 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:42,500 this image, right, that we go, I don't even know 374 00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:47,100 how to fully grasp that in its magnitude. 375 00:15:47,100 --> 00:15:51,300 That that Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, is in his church 376 00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:54,100 walking the aisles today. 377 00:15:55,100 --> 00:15:58,100 That he is with his people, walking amongst them. 378 00:15:59,900 --> 00:16:03,100 We often think of Jesus as being this distant, far away. 379 00:16:03,100 --> 00:16:06,100 The image we're given is he's here. 380 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:11,100 That the resurrected Jesus is wandering amongst us right now. 381 00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:14,100 And then I got to thinking, the church isn't just this, 382 00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:15,700 the church is people. 383 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:18,500 And so when you leave here and you go to all your spaces, 384 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:20,700 and you get to your average Tuesday, 385 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:23,500 that the resurrected Jesus, the king, 386 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:26,300 is walking amongst his church then. 387 00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:30,900 Then on your Tuesday, and I'll pick on you guys, 388 00:16:30,900 --> 00:16:33,500 because you go, this is the easiest context. 389 00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:37,500 When you go to halls where people are mean and not kind, 390 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:40,300 or you go to halls where you don't want to be, 391 00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:42,700 that the resurrected Jesus is walking the very halls 392 00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:43,900 of your school with you. 393 00:16:43,900 --> 00:16:48,900 That's the imagery that this king of all kings is with you. 394 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:52,900 And then listen to what he's doing. 395 00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:59,700 I know, the next verse two, I know your deeds. 396 00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:01,700 And again, I shuddered. 397 00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:07,900 The resurrected Jesus knows my deeds. 398 00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:12,100 The resurrected Jesus knows your deeds. 399 00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:16,100 The resurrected Jesus knows our deeds. 400 00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:21,500 We can fool some of the people some of the time. 401 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:24,300 Or you may be even sitting next to somebody 402 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:25,300 that you're fooling. 403 00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:27,900 Did they think you're somebody that you're not right now? 404 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:30,100 Because you put on a good front. 405 00:17:30,100 --> 00:17:31,900 You know who you're not fooling? 406 00:17:31,900 --> 00:17:33,700 The resurrected Jesus that's walking. 407 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:34,700 You know what he said? 408 00:17:34,700 --> 00:17:38,100 The resurrected Jesus that's walking, you know what he's saying? 409 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:40,700 I know, I know. 410 00:17:41,900 --> 00:17:43,500 And we can take this often in church world. 411 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,100 We take this as like, oh man, I feel condemned right now, right? 412 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:49,100 It's actually a release. 413 00:17:49,100 --> 00:17:52,700 Because you can be honest and open for the very first time maybe. 414 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:54,700 Going, Jesus, you already know. 415 00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:58,100 You already know. 416 00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:00,100 And he's writing to a church, right? 417 00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:01,300 He's writing to a group of people. 418 00:18:01,300 --> 00:18:03,100 And listen to what he says. 419 00:18:03,100 --> 00:18:05,700 I know your deeds, your hard work, your perseverance. 420 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:08,500 I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people. 421 00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:11,700 That you have tested those who claim to be apostles, but are not. 422 00:18:11,700 --> 00:18:13,300 And have found them false. 423 00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:17,100 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name. 424 00:18:17,100 --> 00:18:19,900 And have not grown weary. 425 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:20,900 Like that sounds great, right? 426 00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:23,100 Like if Jesus came and he's critiquing Heights and he goes, 427 00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:27,500 hey Heights, I've seen your hard work, your perseverance. 428 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:30,900 I know that you can't tolerate when things are opposite to who I am. 429 00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:32,300 When people are opposite. 430 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:34,100 You can't even tolerate them. 431 00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:37,300 Like those that come in and they got this false teaching. 432 00:18:37,300 --> 00:18:39,100 And you stood up for the right teaching. 433 00:18:39,100 --> 00:18:42,900 He's going, check, check, check, check. 434 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:47,500 And all of us go, man, that's what I want. 435 00:18:47,500 --> 00:18:51,100 That's what I hope my life comes out at, right? 436 00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:53,900 And yet he's writing to a group of people. 437 00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:57,100 And he's saying, hey, I see this good you're doing. 438 00:18:57,100 --> 00:19:01,500 Verse four, yet I hold this against you. 439 00:19:01,500 --> 00:19:08,300 You have forsaken the love you had at first. 440 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:14,300 If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place. 441 00:19:14,300 --> 00:19:17,700 He goes, hey, I see all this good. 442 00:19:17,700 --> 00:19:21,700 Man, you're fighting for all the right thoughts and the right things. 443 00:19:21,700 --> 00:19:23,300 But this is what I hold against you. 444 00:19:23,300 --> 00:19:23,900 Here's what's interesting. 445 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:27,700 If you've been around church for a while, you may have heard this spoke by other people. 446 00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:28,900 You may have heard this interpreted. 447 00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:31,900 You may have have a whole thing about this, right? 448 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:33,700 And it may have been very individualistic. 449 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:34,500 Here's what I mean. 450 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:37,500 We live in a culture that's individualistic, right? 451 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:39,700 That where it's all about you, all about me. 452 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:42,700 I got my life. You do you. I'll do me. We'll be fine. 453 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:43,500 Right? 454 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:48,100 That's the culture we're inside of, where it's all about you. 455 00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:52,100 But what's being written here is to a collective whole. 456 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:56,700 And what often happens with this is we just quickly pull it down to the individual. 457 00:19:56,700 --> 00:20:01,900 And so somebody like me preaches a message to you going, you've lost your first love. 458 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:05,300 But that's not the context of what's happening here. 459 00:20:05,300 --> 00:20:08,300 What's happening here is in the church in Ephesus, 460 00:20:08,300 --> 00:20:12,100 it's really important that we understand what that church was. 461 00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:17,100 It was one of the first churches that we know of that was established by Paul 462 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:21,500 in the Gentile community, which means it went from where it had been inside this Jewish 463 00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:24,700 setting only, and now it's carried to the Gentiles. 464 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:30,500 And it exploded. And this church exploded and began to plant churches all over. 465 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:33,300 Right? They began to become this, remember back to the lampstand? 466 00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:36,500 They were the light to their community, to all these other Gentiles. 467 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:41,900 And so what happened was, is from this church that was in a population of about 250,000, 468 00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:44,500 it quickly became a mega church. 469 00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:47,500 And in this mega church then Paul goes, hey, we got to send some leadership. 470 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:52,300 So Timothy ends up in Ephesus and Timothy, coached by Paul, mentored by Paul, 471 00:20:52,300 --> 00:20:54,700 phenomenal leader, Timothy's now there. 472 00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:56,500 So they've had two great leaders. 473 00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:00,900 It's also thought that John ended up in Ephesus for a while at the church. 474 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:03,700 So now you've got the disciple John, who's writing this to us. 475 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:06,900 He's there. And if you remember from the cross, right, when he was, 476 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,300 when Jesus was on the cross, he looks down at John and he goes, hey, 477 00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:11,300 behold your mother, behold your son. Right? 478 00:21:11,300 --> 00:21:13,100 He was saying, hey, take care of my mama. 479 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:15,100 And now she's your mom. 480 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:19,100 And so John would have taken Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the church. 481 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:21,100 Can you imagine? The church in Ephesus? 482 00:21:21,100 --> 00:21:25,700 You're sitting in life group with Timothy and potentially like Mary, 483 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:28,300 the mother of Jesus and the, the apostle John. 484 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:31,500 And you go, hey, I got a question. 485 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:33,500 Is the resurrection real? 486 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:36,700 And all of a sudden they're like, oh, let me tell you about it. 487 00:21:36,700 --> 00:21:39,100 It's not even a question for them. 488 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:42,500 Or you're sitting there and you go, I don't know if I believe in miracles. 489 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:45,300 And Mary, the mother of Jesus goes, I got one for you. 490 00:21:45,300 --> 00:21:47,500 There's this thing called the virgin birth. 491 00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:51,300 Right? Like it's not even a question. 492 00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:55,100 That's the heritage of the church in Ephesus. 493 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:57,900 It's so rich. 494 00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:01,900 And yet, you know how many years are potentially between Jesus on earth 495 00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:07,900 and the writing of this? 50 years. 496 00:22:07,900 --> 00:22:11,300 And what is Jesus saying he holds against them? 497 00:22:11,300 --> 00:22:13,100 You lost what you were doing at first. 498 00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:16,700 What were they doing at first? 499 00:22:16,700 --> 00:22:18,300 They were so enamored by Jesus. 500 00:22:18,300 --> 00:22:19,500 What were they doing? 501 00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:25,700 And they're out in the community and they are the witness to everybody. 502 00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:26,700 What does he say you're doing? 503 00:22:26,700 --> 00:22:30,100 Well, everything had become internal. 504 00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:34,900 Got to believe the right things, keep the right people out and become inward focused. 505 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:37,500 And Jesus is calling them back to go, wait a minute. 506 00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:42,500 The purpose of the church has always been outward witness of the person of Jesus Christ. 507 00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:45,300 Here's how this works, you guys. 508 00:22:45,300 --> 00:22:50,300 What he's calling into question is that you are not loving the people 509 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:53,500 outside of the church that you once did. 510 00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:56,900 You are not loving those that Jesus would have used language like, 511 00:22:56,900 --> 00:22:57,900 they're your enemies. 512 00:22:57,900 --> 00:22:59,700 They think different than you. 513 00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:01,100 They don't like the way you think. 514 00:23:01,100 --> 00:23:03,700 They hold a different opinion. 515 00:23:03,700 --> 00:23:09,500 And he's going, hey, the way you love them from the start, 516 00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:12,100 that's what you've lost. 517 00:23:12,100 --> 00:23:15,100 But here's the truth. 518 00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:23,100 You will never love other people you don't like if you don't love Jesus first. 519 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:25,900 You see, there's a trail to this, right? 520 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:30,900 That if you've lost your love out there, you're no longer the light that you once should be. 521 00:23:30,900 --> 00:23:37,100 Well, now you've lost your love here. 522 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:39,100 And so what he's calling them back to is their love for Jesus. 523 00:23:39,100 --> 00:23:42,300 Now, here's what's interesting, right? 524 00:23:42,300 --> 00:23:46,100 As if I went, you know what, you guys? 525 00:23:46,100 --> 00:23:48,900 I want you to fall in love with my wife. 526 00:23:48,900 --> 00:23:49,900 Okay? 527 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:52,900 I want you to love her as much as I do. 528 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:54,700 And so here's what I'm going to do. 529 00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:59,300 I'm going to get 66 people and they're going to write about her. 530 00:23:59,300 --> 00:24:03,100 Their experiences with her, where they've been, what they've done. 531 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:07,100 They're going to tell stories, tell you how God showed up. 532 00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:10,100 But this whole thing is going to be about her. 533 00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:11,300 And so here's what we're going to do. 534 00:24:11,300 --> 00:24:12,700 There may even be quotes in there, right? 535 00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:15,100 Because you hung out with her and you're like, oh, it's one of the authors. 536 00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:18,900 You're like, hey, she said this and this is worth listening to. 537 00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:21,900 And then we're going to get somebody like Sarah, 538 00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:25,700 and she's going to take sweet keys and put it underneath some tune. 539 00:24:25,700 --> 00:24:26,700 And we're going to sing. 540 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:30,500 We're going to put words to how great Cindy is, right? 541 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:35,100 And we're going to sing about things that we like about her, things that are true about her. 542 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:36,300 We're going to do this. 543 00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:37,700 And then here's what's going to happen. 544 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:39,900 Once a week, we're going to gather in a room, 545 00:24:39,900 --> 00:24:44,900 and I'm going to open the book about Cindy, and I'm going to tell you about her. 546 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,500 Right? I'm going to tell you all this stuff about her. 547 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:50,900 And then we're even going to sing the songs that we wrote about her. 548 00:24:50,900 --> 00:24:55,300 OK, and then maybe if you're really committed to getting to know Cindy, 549 00:24:55,300 --> 00:24:59,900 you'll go to this group of people and sit with them and you'll talk about her. 550 00:24:59,900 --> 00:25:03,100 And you'll learn more facts about her. 551 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:04,700 But here's the thing. 552 00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:08,300 If I told you that's what we were going to do, 553 00:25:08,300 --> 00:25:12,500 I'd tell you you're never going to love Cindy the way I love Cindy. 554 00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:14,300 It's not going to happen. 555 00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:16,700 Oh, you'll know a lot about her. 556 00:25:16,700 --> 00:25:22,700 You may even be able to recall experiences about her that you weren't even there for. 557 00:25:22,700 --> 00:25:26,700 You may have even been moved because something in a song connected with who you were, 558 00:25:26,700 --> 00:25:32,300 and you're that same thing, and you're like, oh, we're the same person. 559 00:25:32,300 --> 00:25:33,700 But you would never love her. Why? 560 00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:40,900 Because you've never spent time with her. 561 00:25:40,900 --> 00:25:46,700 Isn't it interesting that with Jesus, we think we can learn a bunch of facts, 562 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:50,700 that we can think all the right things. 563 00:25:50,700 --> 00:25:55,900 And then we question, why don't I love them like Jesus loves them? 564 00:25:55,900 --> 00:26:00,900 Well, you don't actually love Jesus. You just know a whole lot about him. 565 00:26:00,900 --> 00:26:04,500 But you see what you're called to, what this whole thing is. 566 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:11,700 It's a relationship. It's a love relationship. 567 00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:20,300 And for you, the only way to build a love relationship is I'm going to what? 568 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:29,500 Put myself in a position to experience you, to experience moments with you. 569 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:31,500 We'll talk about this in the new year. 570 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:38,100 But you guys, if life never got hard, we would never know Jesus better. 571 00:26:38,100 --> 00:26:39,100 But what are the hard moments? 572 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:41,900 They're pushing you deeper into intimacy with Jesus. Why? 573 00:26:41,900 --> 00:26:43,500 Because you need to love him at your core. 574 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:44,500 Here's the thing, church. 575 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:50,300 If we don't love Jesus, we will never love our community around us. 576 00:26:50,300 --> 00:26:52,700 You can't. They're connected. 577 00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:56,900 And what's happening in this moment is Jesus is going, hey, I'm going to remove your lampstand. 578 00:26:56,900 --> 00:27:03,500 I'm going to remove the light from you because you're not doing what I created you for. 579 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:05,500 What are you created for? 580 00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:06,900 To be a witness to everybody else. 581 00:27:06,900 --> 00:27:08,100 And so there are seven churches, right? 582 00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:13,900 The last church, Laodicea. 583 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:16,300 Chapter three, verse 14. 584 00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:19,300 To the angel of the church of Laodicea, write, 585 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:24,700 these are the words of the amen, the faithful, the true witness and the ruler of God's creation. 586 00:27:24,700 --> 00:27:27,500 Which that's a pretty strong out the gate. 587 00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:28,700 This is who Jesus is, right? 588 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:29,900 He is faithful. 589 00:27:29,900 --> 00:27:30,900 He is the end. 590 00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:31,900 He will not let you down. 591 00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:33,900 So when I'm not faithful, he's still faithful, right? 592 00:27:33,900 --> 00:27:37,300 When I'm wishy washy, he's not wishy washy. 593 00:27:37,300 --> 00:27:38,300 That's what this is getting at. 594 00:27:38,300 --> 00:27:40,300 He is the true witness. 595 00:27:40,300 --> 00:27:43,700 And this idea of this faithfulness is being brought to light. 596 00:27:43,700 --> 00:27:45,300 Verse 15, I know your deeds. 597 00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:48,300 There's that phrase again that Jesus knows, right? 598 00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:51,100 You are neither hot, you're neither cold nor hot. 599 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:53,900 I wish you were either one or the other. 600 00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:58,900 So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, 601 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:01,900 I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 602 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,100 You say I am rich and I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing, 603 00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:10,100 but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 604 00:28:10,100 --> 00:28:15,300 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you can become rich 605 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:19,300 and white clothes to wear so that you can cover your shameful nakedness 606 00:28:19,300 --> 00:28:23,100 and salve to put on your eyes so that you can see. 607 00:28:23,100 --> 00:28:25,500 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. 608 00:28:25,500 --> 00:28:27,300 So be earnest and repent. 609 00:28:27,300 --> 00:28:30,500 Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. 610 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,300 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 611 00:28:33,300 --> 00:28:38,300 I will come in and eat with that person and they with me. 612 00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:44,300 Again, if you've been around church and maybe to a camp at some point in your life, 613 00:28:44,300 --> 00:28:46,500 there's a speaker like me that got up. 614 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:50,500 You need to not be cold or you need not be lukewarm, right? 615 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:52,900 You need to be hot or cold. 616 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:55,100 And now's your moment because Jesus is going to spit you out. 617 00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:58,500 Okay, can we just, can we pause for a second? 618 00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:04,900 When have we ever seen Jesus talk to the church about spitting them out, 619 00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:08,100 vomiting the church out? 620 00:29:08,100 --> 00:29:13,700 So this passage cannot be talking about, first of all, people that don't know Jesus 621 00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:14,900 because that's where it's preached, right? 622 00:29:14,900 --> 00:29:19,100 So you need to come to Jesus. 623 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:22,300 What is this talking about? It's talking to the church. 624 00:29:22,300 --> 00:29:26,300 But remember the writing, the real people and the real people were in Laodicea. 625 00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:28,300 What was Laodicea known for? 626 00:29:28,300 --> 00:29:34,500 Well, on one side of Laodicea, there was a town and that town had really hot springs. 627 00:29:34,500 --> 00:29:38,100 And the hot springs were life-giving. 628 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:41,900 And what that meant was this, that people went there to be healed. 629 00:29:41,900 --> 00:29:47,300 So you would go to the water that was hot because it had healing properties for you. 630 00:29:47,300 --> 00:29:48,700 And so that's on one side. 631 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:53,700 Another town, Colosse, had cold springs. 632 00:29:53,700 --> 00:29:57,100 And so the cold springs were refreshing and life-giving. 633 00:29:57,100 --> 00:30:03,100 So what happened was people were drawn to this town for the hot springs because it was healing. 634 00:30:03,100 --> 00:30:09,500 They were drawn to this town for the cold water because it was life-giving and refreshing. 635 00:30:09,500 --> 00:30:13,500 Now remember, we're in the context of the church being a witness to the world. 636 00:30:13,500 --> 00:30:15,500 That's the context of all seven churches. 637 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:19,500 It's back to the purpose of the church that we are the witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 638 00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:23,300 And we are to tell everybody and we are to take it to everybody. 639 00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:27,500 So now in Laodicea, you've got this hot water here, cold water here. 640 00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:30,100 Laodicea had the pipe in their water. 641 00:30:30,100 --> 00:30:37,100 And as the water came into Laodicea, it ended up dirty and this nasty, warm temperament to it. 642 00:30:37,100 --> 00:30:45,300 And when you drank it, you would get nauseous and you would spit it out of your mouth. 643 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:48,100 What is Jesus calling them to in this metaphor? 644 00:30:48,100 --> 00:30:54,100 He's calling them to, I wish you were healing for the nations or I wish you were life-giving 645 00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:56,300 because that's the purpose of the church. 646 00:30:56,300 --> 00:30:58,500 But you're neither. 647 00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:05,700 You're this lukewarm water that makes everybody nauseous. 648 00:31:05,700 --> 00:31:12,300 And then he goes on and he says, in Laodicea, they were known for that they had an economy was booming 649 00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:15,300 because they were connected to these guilds, right? 650 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:17,500 These trading guilds that were corrupt. 651 00:31:17,500 --> 00:31:25,300 And so the church was amassing wealth and the church was making the point like they were drawing from Old Testament philosophy 652 00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:30,900 that hey, if we're wealthy, then we're healthy. 653 00:31:30,900 --> 00:31:36,500 And Jesus goes, no, you're not because your wealth isn't coming from me. 654 00:31:36,500 --> 00:31:40,300 It's coming from your own corrupt measures to get it. 655 00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:43,700 Essentially, you're becoming tainted by the culture that you're in. 656 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:45,500 The second thing that they had was linen, right? 657 00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:49,700 They had this fine linen that they were known for in this area. 658 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:52,700 And so they would dress themselves up and they thought they were something. 659 00:31:52,700 --> 00:31:55,300 They were looking good, right? 660 00:31:55,300 --> 00:31:57,300 They were influential because of their linen. 661 00:31:57,300 --> 00:31:59,300 And Jesus goes, actually, you're naked. 662 00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:07,500 You're shameful because you're covering yourself with what that is. 663 00:32:07,500 --> 00:32:12,100 And then the last thing they were known for is they had a medical school. 664 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:20,300 And part of the medical school was that they had this salve that you put on your eyes that if you couldn't see that the salve helped you see. 665 00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:23,900 And so they were known for like giving sight to people. 666 00:32:23,900 --> 00:32:29,100 And Jesus goes, you're actually blind yourself. 667 00:32:29,100 --> 00:32:33,700 But I love what Jesus does because he's talking to the church about being this outward witness. 668 00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:37,700 He wants them restored to what he intended them to be. 669 00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:42,900 And so what he does is he goes, hey, you need to come to me and you need to buy gold refined by the refiner's fire. 670 00:32:42,900 --> 00:32:44,500 Why the refiner's fire? 671 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:46,300 Because that strips away all impurity. 672 00:32:46,300 --> 00:32:48,500 You need to come back and be impure. 673 00:32:48,500 --> 00:32:50,500 Like you need to come back and be pure. 674 00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:55,300 I'll give you garments that are white that will hide your shame. 675 00:32:55,300 --> 00:33:01,100 And I'll give you salve to put on your spiritual eyes that are blind, that you think you are booming as a church. 676 00:33:01,100 --> 00:33:07,700 And I'm telling you, you've lost, you've lost what I created you for. 677 00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:12,700 And then you know what I love about this? 678 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:15,700 Because the message we're given, right, oh, Jesus is going to spit you out of your mouth. 679 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:21,300 Can I show you what Jesus does? 680 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:23,100 Jesus comes to them. 681 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:24,700 Doesn't run away from them. 682 00:33:24,700 --> 00:33:38,700 He comes to them. 683 00:33:38,700 --> 00:33:41,300 He just knocks. 684 00:33:41,300 --> 00:33:43,300 I'm here. 685 00:33:43,300 --> 00:33:45,100 I'm coming to you. 686 00:33:45,100 --> 00:33:45,900 Oh, I know. 687 00:33:45,900 --> 00:33:46,700 I know where you've been. 688 00:33:46,700 --> 00:33:48,300 I know what you're doing. 689 00:33:48,300 --> 00:33:50,500 But I'm here. 690 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:52,100 I'm not running away from you. 691 00:33:52,100 --> 00:33:58,900 I got everything you need, everything that you're desiring. 692 00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:00,700 I got gold for you. 693 00:34:00,700 --> 00:34:03,900 This pure, this my provision. 694 00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:07,900 I got clothes to cover your shame. 695 00:34:07,900 --> 00:34:12,100 I'm still knocking because I got salve for your eyes so that you can see. 696 00:34:12,100 --> 00:34:18,500 I'm going to need surgery on this hand when I'm done. 697 00:34:18,500 --> 00:34:20,900 Why is he knocking? 698 00:34:20,900 --> 00:34:28,300 Because he wants the church to open the door. 699 00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:29,300 What does he say he'll do? 700 00:34:29,300 --> 00:34:32,100 He'll come in and eat. 701 00:34:32,100 --> 00:34:40,500 That's a posture of fellowship, relationship, sitting at a table. 702 00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:44,100 I had this image this week holding my grandson. 703 00:34:44,100 --> 00:34:48,500 I don't know if I told you I got a grandson. 704 00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:55,900 Holding that baby boy, I had this image. 705 00:34:55,900 --> 00:35:03,700 Between Beckham and me is almost 50 years. 706 00:35:03,700 --> 00:35:06,300 Almost 50 years. 707 00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:14,900 Between Jesus and the church in Ephesus since lost his first love is 50 years, roughly. 708 00:35:14,900 --> 00:35:20,500 It made me wonder, you guys, for Heights Church, for us as a family, and what we're building, 709 00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:26,700 and the light that we are to the community, and fulfilling what God called us to do. 710 00:35:26,700 --> 00:35:31,300 In 50 years when Beckham Jude sits, hopefully not in these chairs, hopefully we've updated, 711 00:35:31,300 --> 00:35:39,900 but sits in these chairs, in 50 years, will Heights still be known for our love to everyone 712 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:40,900 outside of these walls? 713 00:35:40,900 --> 00:35:42,900 It is so different from us. 714 00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:47,900 Will we still be known for worshiping the resurrected King that is Jesus? 715 00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:51,500 Or will we have lost our way? 716 00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:53,700 Because the call is what? 717 00:35:53,700 --> 00:35:56,000 I'm here. 718 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:04,300 I find it fascinating that we sang a song that was written in the 90s. 719 00:36:04,300 --> 00:36:05,500 And what is the song all about? 720 00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:14,500 I'm coming back to the heart of worship where it's all about you. 721 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:15,700 It's all about you, Jesus. 722 00:36:15,700 --> 00:36:23,900 I don't know where you are, where you came in, but I do know this, that today Jesus is 723 00:36:23,900 --> 00:36:24,900 knocking. 724 00:36:24,900 --> 00:36:27,300 What are you going to do with it? 725 00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:29,100 What are you going to do with it? 726 00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:32,200 It's yours to open. 727 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:37,600 But don't just throw that to those that don't know Jesus because he wrote this to the church 728 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:38,600 in Laodicea. 729 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,100 Would you pray with me, God, we come before you. 730 00:36:41,100 --> 00:36:43,820 God, we're just humbled. 731 00:36:43,820 --> 00:36:45,300 Thank you for loving us the way you do. 732 00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:48,540 Thank you for, God, the way that you meet us. 733 00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:50,140 Thank you for the way you walk with us. 734 00:36:50,140 --> 00:36:54,100 Thank you for the way today that you love us. 735 00:36:54,100 --> 00:37:00,300 God, these next moments not just be words on a screen, but they would they be declarations 736 00:37:00,300 --> 00:37:02,780 of heart. 737 00:37:02,780 --> 00:37:09,220 For some, the imagery of I'm coming back to the heart of worship is I'm opening the door 738 00:37:09,220 --> 00:37:15,220 today because I know I've shut it. 739 00:37:15,220 --> 00:37:21,500 I'm rediscovering my love today because I know I've lost it by how I treat people. 740 00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:31,820 God, would you make our Heights family a beacon, a lampstand that burns so brightly for you 741 00:37:31,820 --> 00:37:34,860 and you alone? 742 00:37:34,860 --> 00:37:41,980 So God, we love you and we declare with our voices in one, one family moment that it is 743 00:37:41,980 --> 00:37:45,940 all about you. 744 00:37:45,940 --> 00:37:49,740 The resurrected King Jesus. 745 00:37:49,740 --> 00:37:52,380 We love you and everybody said, Amen.