REVELATION SERIES // ”Self-Reliance”: Re-Open Our Eyes (Rev 3:14-22)

Here we go. This is going to be a good

sermon. Get ready. I don't know what

that glow is from other than uh yeah,

it's that it's that extra caffeine glow.

Uh shout out to to everyone that's

navigating. Uh I know this morning we

that was our first uh experiment with

moving all of our stuff around our own

space. I know we moved six times last

year, but um every time is like a

nervous panic. And uh so you know if you

if you were hearing you know Charlie

Brown's music from last weekend over the

loudspeakers if you were seeing AI

generated screens you poor guys that had

to navigate all the tech stuff and reset

it up in here. Thank you guys so much.

And uh the gala I have a I do think I

have a picture you have to picture of us

standing at the altar. And I think that

was my favorite moment when um you know

the the little one that has no fear of

being upfront of any kind was super

engaged at every word we said.

She doesn't know what I'm what we're

saying, but she just wants to be close.

Right.

That that should be us and Jesus. Jesus,

I have no idea what you're talking

about. Oh, I'm not even really

listening. I just want to be close. And

that's better. That's that's better than

understanding everything. You'll grow

up. You'll mature. Uh so, uh thank you

again for everyone with the gala. I just

I I woke up at 4:00 a.m. after the gala,

not with any regret. Uh uh I've made

good life decisions like I I took vows

again towards, but uh more of like did I

forget to thank anyone or say anything

or miss anything? just that kind of like

constant turnurning because it just felt

like such a significant space to and so

many people I wanted to thank and it was

just impossible. So just thank you every

single one of you that have poured into

this community, this building, this

season and the last 10 years. We honor

you. We thank you and there's more

ahead. Uh so today I got to get moving

because we we did some beautiful things

here and uh I don't have my normal time

uh to preach with you at you. We're in

Revelation uh chapter 3. Uh, Revelation

is a book that, uh, believe it or not,

has a lot of crazy things going on, but

the anchor of it, the core of it is a

letter to seven churches. Those seven

churches were actual churches that

really existed. And the letters were

there not just to speak to them, but the

church of all time. So, we're getting a

letter today that's to the church of

Leodysia, maybe the most famous letter,

but it's to us today, and we're going to

look at why. But first, I want to share

a story. I I follow um I don't follow

that many pastors. I try to stay off of

the inter waves because it gives me

anxiety. Uh but we we're in a moment of

anxiety as a culture. Uh we're in a

moment of loneliness and and I love it

when pastors start with like a a moment

of darkness and read some dark stats. So

I'm going to read some dark stats at you

just to remind remind us of uh what the

gospel is not. In 1950 only about 9% of

American households consisted of one

person living alone. Today it's close to

30%. So, it's quadrupled like 300% since

1950. In major cities, it's dramatically

even higher than 30%. And alongside that

rise, the US surgeon general has

declared loneliness an epidemic

affecting tens of millions of Americans.

To quote Jonathan Height, who wrote the

anxious generation, a book that uh, you

know, secular book, but I highly

recommend if you like to freak yourself

out. People don't get depressed when

they face threats collectively.

They get depressed when they feel

isolated, lonely, or useless. Useless.

Today, the letter that Jesus is speaking

to the church of Leodysia and to us in

Los Angeles is a correction. It talks

about that lukewarm water. You should be

hot or cold. It's a misunderstood

analogy actually. We'll look at that in

a moment. The issue is

the hot water is useful. The cold water

is useful. The lukewarm water is not.

Will you be a people to build your life

on you on being a useful church instead

of being self-sufficient?

The lie of self-sufficiency is riddling

our culture.

The way of Jesus resists it. Quick

story. Uh the p one of one of the

pastors I like to follow because he has

a completely different personality to

mine. There's a guy named Steve Foster.

He was pastoring in London for years and

now he's up in like a college town north

of London an hour or two. And uh he he

was sharing actually I have a a quote

that one quote that he gave and then uh

a story that he shared. And the basic

the basic premise is he's he's

acknowledging

that we have a situation going on a

positive one. And this is where it's

like you can read some scary stats and

then I think it's really important then

you look at the reality of the church.

He says, 'Not so long ago, Christian

parents would often have to drag their

kids to church. Increasingly, we are

seeing children of atheists start to

explore faith by themselves, encounter

Jesus, and then drag their parents to

church. It's quite a shift. Come on. I I

kid you not, the stories that I'm

hearing here, even in this place, I I

mean, the first night of the mentor

tree, I'm getting together with guys and

sharing stories. Both the guys that I

had dinner with the first night, they're

both not guys that are like reexploring

the faith of their parents. They're

they're exploring faith after secularism

where parents aren't interested and

they're becoming interested. There's

something where this isn't just like

people reentering something of

tradition. This is the lie of secularism

is being exposed.

The lie of the modern life, modernism,

if you want to get into phil

philosophical terms, it's crumbling

because what the world has promised us,

health, wealth, and happiness, apart

from a bigger story, will fail you every

time.

He says it's quite a shift. At the same

time, lots of people, this is their

experience in England that's even more

intense than what we're experiencing

here, but it resonates deeply in a city

like LA. At the same time, lots of

people who had previously walked away

from church or deconstructed their faith

are giving it another go and turning up

at a church service. They're finding a

beauty in Jesus in the gospel which they

had somehow missed the first time

around. That's like our thing. Beauty.

Renew the beauty on the frontiers.

One of the joys and challenges of this

season is reaching multiple groups of

people simultaneously

who are coming from very different

places

and seem to have different longings.

Some are captivated by Jesus straight

away, never having heard the gospel

before. Some need the time to begin

trusting Jesus again after a season

away.

This is the room you're sitting in.

There are people here right now today

that are right away captivated

immediately.

And then there's others you're in a

process of beginning to trust them

again. And we c we get to do this. We're

setting aside time not because like

bored on Sunday morning. It's because is

there a bigger story that my life can be

connected to that I can align with and

follow and come under.

Some are bewildered that they are in a

church at all and surprised at how

resonant that it all is. But the more we

point them to Jesus, here's how simple

it is. We don't point to ourselves. We

don't point to here's some quick facts

that have fixed all my life. It's not

pointing to me, Sue and I. Our perfect

marriage will fail you.

We have to point everything. We point

our kids to the one that is the reason

why we're still together. The reason why

we don't give up hope, the reason why I

I have anything to say ever,

the more our paths align to the way of

Jesus, it converges on how all of our

longings ultimately do align. It's a

season when people from all sorts of

backgrounds are being drawn to the

spirit of God. And the simple heart cry

is show us Jesus.

So in that he shared a story where he

had uh just moved to this college town

and was looking for a barber and uh he's

not like American flashy you know uh

Judah Smith god forbid Carl Lent or

whoever else you follow who's a who's

there's a couple other McManis is like

70 years old. He's an LA icon. That guy

still dresses better than anyone I know.

And uh so nothing like that. This is

just like straight necked like the most

British guy you've ever seen in my your

life. But he's looking for a barber and

he goes had a couple goes that were

terrible and then you know walked into

that place with the guy with tattoos

from head to toe and you go that's the

guy. I trust him immediately.

The ink on his sleeve prophesies to what

he will do to my hair.

And I'd like to think if I didn't have

so many trust issues, I would also go to

a barber. I actually cut my own hair.

You can probably tell from time to time

when I missed some spots. But I trust

myself still more than a barber. So I'm

even still this is me in process. So it

would be my story but I don't have a

barber story because I am my own barber.

He goes to a barber. This barber is

cutting his hair and the situation is is

essentially they're great conversation

but eventually he just casually kind of

mentions something about church. Doesn't

even say he's a pastor. Just says

something about going to church. And and

then the barber takes a stop step back

and he goes, "I I wasn't going to say

anything."

But if I'm being honest, I I've been I

woke up this morning with this this

unbearable anxiety.

I've been struggling for weeks

and today it was just like welling up.

It was like pulsing out of my chest

and I didn't think I was going to even

make it to the end of my shift today.

Then you walked in and sat in that

chair.

Anxiety left.

And this pastor, and the guy still

didn't know he was a pastor, he goes,

"You know, I didn't feel holy. I wasn't

having a great day. I wasn't aware of

the presence and the spirit of God on my

life. I just needed a cut and saw a guy

with tattoos.

Because sometimes we forget we carry the

presence of God whether you know it,

feel it, or like it or not.

Some of you today, the only word you

need, some of you discouraged Christians

just need to remember you carry the

presence of God everywhere you go.

And you don't even have to be aware of

it to release his peace in a culture of

loneliness, brokenness, anxiety, and

those looking for a story they can align

their lives to. These two are now

friends in the same church walking out

life together.

I don't even know. The story didn't even

include what he's anxious about.

But this the cry of his heart and what

his soul needed was the presence of

Jesus.

Jesus isn't going to solve all your

problems by giving you everything that

you think that you want. He's going to

give you the relational bandwidth to not

be a part of a story that has no hope,

that has no presence. And so this is

what Revelation is going to to challenge

us with today. You carry the presence of

God. Jesus today is going to expose the

false strength that destroys us. This

church of Leodysia had a false god of

self-sufficiency. The big idea today,

the lie of self-sufficiency.

But there's two groups of us. And maybe

there's one group and there's two sides.

I often find myself not in one group or

the other. I just find myself split with

two personalities that both lead me away

from Jesus. The first group is this. You

might feel strong or you sometimes feel

strong. You feel capable or you can pat

yourself on the back with your success.

And that's some of you in the room.

And then there's a whole bunch of the

the rest of us that that are not pat

patting ourselves on the back. Nothing

feels like we've broken into success.

Maybe you've had success, but it never

feels like success because you're always

comparing to somebody else. So there's

one side where you you might be highly

competent and you can lean on

your work, your success, and your story.

But the reality is that many of us,

whether you're there right now or you're

not, the the second group are people

that you're actually exhausted

from pursuing whatever success it is

that you think that your soul craves

and the illusion of control is

collapsing all around you.

Now, the beautiful part of the Christian

life is that instead of you just

building up, building up, building up,

and then it collapses, you just get up

every day and then realize it's already

collapsed. That's called picking up your

cross and following Jesus. It's way

easier to realize like this thing just

collapsed again. I woke up, I tried to

do it in my own strength. I was never

about that anyway. And then and then to

just keep going and following the

crucified, risen Jesus. That's way

easier than building your entire life on

this false facade that's going to keep

you up and then it all comes crumbling

down. Now, many of your stories include

that moment where you it all came

crumbling down. And some of it was like

an immediate collapse and some of it was

like a freef fall. And some of you it

was a slow,

painful

burning to the ground.

But you're usually in one of two things.

You're under the illusion of success or

you're exhausted.

Where are you coming from today? This

has something to fuel your spirit.

Revelation 3:14,

Revelation 3:14

reopen our eyes. That's the cry today,

Jesus. Reopen our eyes as we look at

your word. So, let I'm actually just

going to go jump in and and read the

passage and then I'm going to backtrack

a little bit to the context. Verses 14

to 22 of chapter 3. And to the angel of

the church of Leodysia, write the words

of the amen, the faithful and true

witness, the beginning of God's

creation. I know your works. You are

neither hot. You are neither cold nor

hot.

Would that you would either be cold or

hot. So because you are lukewarm and

neither hot or cold, I will spit you out

of my mouth. Blah. Verse 17. For you

say, "I am rich. I have prospered and I

need nothing. This is the wealthiest

city of all the churches."

Not realizing that you are wretched,

pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. He's

basically saying, "You think you're

rich, you're spiritually bankrupt.

I counsel you to buy from me gold

refined by fire. You've got all the

gold, but here's my counsel to you. Buy

my gold that's been refined by fire so

that you may be rich." He's basically

saying, "You're not rich. If you want to

be rich, buy my gold.

And white garments so that you may

clothe yourself and the shame of your

nakedness may not be seen." and salve to

anoint your eyes so that you may see.

He's basically saying you're dirty. If

you want to be made clean, there's only

way one way to get it. You think you're

self-sufficient. It's not working. Those

whom I love. This is Jesus talking to

them. So John wrote the letter, but it's

the words of Jesus he had from the

vision. Jesus is saying, "Those whom I

love, I reprove and discipline."

Now, if you grew up in church, like

I don't know if my parents actually did

this, but I just feel like all Christian

parents, I don't remember. So, if my mom

and dad are in the room, I don't

actually think you guys did this. You

guys did a good job with your spankings.

Like, I felt your love,

but I think a lot of Christian parents

in their frustration and their anger,

maybe one or two in the room, it's kind

of like, you know, the Lord disciplines

those he loves.

No. Okay. No one. no trauma. Come to the

front. We can pray for you.

You can misuse the words of Jesus and in

your own inability to discipline. Well,

you can you can just you can justify

frustration. Jesus is sitting here

going, "I love you

and I'm not going to not confront you."

We live in a world that thinks that

affirmation is agreement. And the gospel

always starts with a God that doesn't

agree with you. But he's first willing

to show you how much he loves you by

dying for you. And then he'll love you

so much he won't let you stay where he

found you.

We mess this up constantly as the

church. And and our tone is messed up.

Our acts are messed up. But our our our

message isn't. And we have to just

continually bring people back. I'm gonna

misrepresent Jesus to you. But Jesus,

the same he gave me, he's gonna give

you. He's going to sit you down at a

table, tell you how much he loves you,

show you that he's willing to give you

everything, his blood for you, and then

he's never going to let you stay where

you're at and affirm your delusion of

where your life will fail you in the way

that you're trying to make yourself your

own god. He will never let you stay

where you're at. And that's what Jesus

is doing right here. I reprove and I

discipline those I love. So, be zealous

and repent. Words of Jesus. Behold, last

two verses. Behold, I stand at the door

and knock. If anyone hears my voice,

opens the door, I will come into him and

eat with him and he with me. He is not

talking. This is not an evangelistic

message. This is to the church. So, we

often use that. Behold, he stands at the

door and knock. Come meet Jesus. It's a

great evangelistic heart for the

non-believer. That's not who he's

talking to. He's talking to you and I,

the church. I'm standing at the door and

knocking. You let me in once. I'm still

here.

This isn't about you need to be saved

again and rebaptized. We're not talking

about that. We're simply talking about

it's possible to be a follower of Jesus.

And he's still standing at the door

knocking.

Reopen our eyes, Jesus. The one who

conquers, I will grant him to sit with

me on my throne as I also conquered and

sat down with my father on his throne.

He wants you to conquer. He wants you to

end well. He wants you to live well.

Verse 22. He who has an ear, let him

hear what the spirit says to the

churches. Meaning what? Again, this is

for all of us, for all time. Okay.

Background. Hot, cold, and lukewarm.

Verse 15 and 16. The main idea here,

Jesus is not rebuking their low

spiritual passion. I often was taught

growing up that the lukewarm thing

related to like, hey, it's better that

you're hot or cold, but really it's

about your passion for Jesus. We we grew

up hearing that like being hot was like

really spiritually passionate. Cold is

you're far from God. And then the

lukewarm is this you're just like a

mediocre Christian. How many were taught

that growing up? Yes. Wrong.

Your mom and dad still loved you. Your

pastor still loved you. They're just

wrong. And so the message became Jesus

wants you to be radically passionate

instead of spiritually cold. That's kind

of the underlying connotation. But

historically again he's not talking

about that. You have to understand the

geography. I don't have time to get into

it too much, but basically surrounding

areas like Colasse that had had cold

water. Another place called Heropoulos

had hot water. Leoa piped water in from

far away. They were close to the roads.

They weren't close to the water. So,

they had to use those like aqueducts and

it came in and it was disgusting and it

was often rancid and had issues. It was

full of sediment, dirty, unrefreshing,

disgusting. And the locals, they hated

it.

Who cares? Well, here's why it matters.

uh it was useless.

Hot water useful, cold water useful. You

could do things with both of them. With

the hot water they it was used to heal

and cleanse. The cold water was the

refreshing water that they wanted to

drink.

The point was cold water's useful. Hot

water is useful. Lukewarm water not

useful. It it seems obvious, real basic,

but as you just told me, we've all been

mistaught this for the last however many

years. So, let's get it straight. Here's

what he's trying to say. He's simply

saying, "I wish you I I wish your life

actually carried substance, usefulness,

healing, refreshment, and dependence on

my presence.

I wish you just knew about my presence

that was already there with you. I'm

knocking on the door.

Just let me sit with you. Let me join

you at the barber. Let me join you at

the restaurant. Let me join you at your

office. Let me join you at the table.

And what is blocking them

is their self-sufficiency. This town

had an earthquake. The whole region had

an earthquake. Roman town.

I know America's wealthy. How many times

when we have a disaster does the mayor

or the governor like the fires? I've

never seen Gavin Newsome talk so highly

about Trump than after the fires. It's

like they're buddy buddies. We're going

to get some money

because what? Because we were desperate

for some some help, some aid.

This city had an earthquake and they

refused the money from Rome because

they're like, "We don't need your money.

We're good."

Who refuses free money?

The only city in the whole region, their

self-sufficiency

was at another level. Another level. And

it was seeping into their faith. Their

spirituality was the same as the

secularism of the day.

They had no idea how to be dependent on

God. They had no idea how to walk

dependent on his presence.

So their issue is not intensity and be

more spiritually passionate. Be hot on

fire for me. This isn't that's not what

it's saying. It's the issue is whether

their lives carried any lifegiving

presence of Jesus. That's the issue.

Somehow along the way they stop

depending on him.

And what it exposes in us is that we can

have highly organized lives and still be

completely stagnant spiritually. What it

exposes is that our material success

never equals connect spiritually. We can

be disconnected spiritually and have all

kinds of success by the world's

standards. And here's the here's the

thing. The illusion of self-sufficiency.

That's the first point really that we

just need to take home. We still wrestle

with this. Every single one of us.

Success will always slowly blind you and

I for our need for God. Even even in

those of us that have burned for him all

of our lives. You get any success in any

area of life. Well, how easy is it to

just get so distracted and enjoying the

ride that you look back and go like, am

I actually doing this with Jesus?

Am I am I even aware that he's with me?

Do I do I slow down enough with all the

distraction and all the noise and all

the hurry and all the just the filling

of it?

And when I just get alone in the shower

or put my head down at night,

what's what's that selfspeak?

Is it depth of joy, contentment, and

meaning?

Or is it longing,

anxiety, isolation,

worry? If I'm honest, I I wrestle just

like you.

I find myself if I'm not careful, my

heart can wander. And so what this is

pulling us back to is you think you're

rich, but you're spiritually poor. You

think you're clothed, but you're naked.

You think you can see, but you're blind.

Now,

maybe he's talking more harshly to them

than to you and I. But but here's what

you have to understand about these

people. And and here's the issue of the

self-sufficiency. Here's a couple things

just the context of them that speak to

us. This is a city that had gold. It was

a baking center. was wealthy and secure

and he's telling them you're bankrupt

spiritually. He's hitting them with the

thing that they think that they've got.

And so I think today it's like where is

it even in your life that you think

you've got it? Some of you it's like

I've got it in marriage. Others of you

are like if anything the only thing I

want in life is marriage.

But maybe you're being you're maybe

you're successful relationally. Maybe

you're successful at work. Maybe you're

not. Maybe you just can't find one thing

you feel successful at and you're just

like this is not for me. Is there

another sermon going on down the road

that I can get out of here.

No, there's not. They've already

started. So, just be patient.

So, there there this this this

community, he is going at them and they

is is it possible to have financial

security while lacking spiritual depth?

That's that's the question that they

have a gold issue. But then they have

this context of uh they had this famous

black wool in Leodysia. So, it was

famous for this kind of like rare

garments that were made out of this

black wool that were like farming on

their their special whatever place. And

he's basically saying, "Hey, you guys

are all walking around in this highly

valuable clothing that you're making

with your special little black sheep."

And he's saying, "But you're you're

naked.

Uh you're poor and you're naked." And

they find themselves rich and

fashionable. And he's saying, "No,

you're actually poor and naked."

Do you ever when you actually listen to

the Lord, does he ever talk to you like

that? It's like usually at the end of

like a really good day, you just like

crushed it in certain areas.

Like I I've had I've had a day where

it's just like um you know, I I just

felt like, oh, this went so well, this

went so well, this went so well. Uh you

maybe I communicated here really well,

or it's like I had a great meeting and

this was a positive thing. Uh my kids

just were shining and whatever else. And

then I sit down and like talk to the

Lord and and it's just like God that was

awesome day. And he's just like, "Yeah,

you think you're pretty awesome.

Did any of that take any dependence on

me today, Christian?" And I go, "Can I

just have a day off every now and then,

God?

Just enjoy the day?" So that's what our

hearts want to do because it's a it's a

false substitute for control.

We don't like dependence until we can't

depend on anything and then we realize

like I really need something solid,

don't I? And that I think is what is

happening culturally. We're realizing

that what we've been able to depend on,

we can no longer depend on and he's

saying that I'm sitting here knocking on

the door waiting for you. That's the

good news. He's giving them a rebuke.

But the good news is this. I'm still

right here. I'm at the door.

And for some of us, you're walking with

Jesus. You made a lot of great life

decisions. or some of you are in the

room because you're starting to be open

to like putting your life on a different

course and he's saying I'm right here.

The condemnation isn't you suck. It's

it's how about

how about if you really want my way of

life. You can't take the way of the

world, build your life around it, and

fit me in. Because when you're rich,

when you look good, you're actually

naked.

poor.

Then there's this thing called eye salve

that they were famous for. They had a

famous medical school of eye ointment.

They literally produced medicine that

people believed helped them see.

And what does Jesus tell them? You're

blind.

So he's taking their three highest

values of what they think they're

awesome at. their fashion, their gold,

and their beautiful eyes salve. And he's

saying, "You're poor, you're naked, and

you're blind."

The most dangerous blindness is the

blindness that thinks that they can

already see.

Can we just not be the church

that thinks that they can see when they

can't? I don't think the harshness of

these words is the harshness that we

need. But the roots, the seeds that go

in and cause a church like this are

always there in the soil of our lives if

we don't root them out. And so what I

want you to see, he goes, one phrase,

you don't realize.

You don't realize. What is it in your

life that you don't realize

that Jesus is exposing?

What do you not realize?

Finances. You don't realize how they're

controlling you. You're enslaved to

them. You're building your life

completely on it. I get that life here

is almost imposs impossibly expensive.

We're also all incredibly wealthy.

Technology is connecting us and moving

at a light speed.

What are the things if we're honest? We

don't realize how it's affecting us. How

are we going after therapy, but it's

like it's a substitute for God in some

ways. Now, we go to therapy with God

and we really go to therapy with real

people. We don't just say that and then

just like do it ourselves. It's like we

we believe in that too. But but is it is

it replacing God or is it partnership

with him?

Education. Some of us like our education

has replaced God.

because we can control that. We can move

towards it.

And yet we still have isolation,

anxiety, spiritual numbness, unsure of

who we are. That's le oysia. I

ultimately think there's three kinds of

us. Three kinds of people that they're

exposing. And then we're going to close

with that. Here are the three kinds of

people. The self-sufficient person, the

exhausted person, and then the

transactional person. Maybe you're like

me. I'm all three.

Personality disorder. Maybe you're one

of the three. I just want you to sit

here asking the Holy Spirit as I touch

on these. Where am I at? Which person

represents the anchor of my soul? And

how is the Holy Spirit asking you to

step into a new way of life today? The

exhausted person. This is the illusion

of success that's collapsing all around

you with burnout, depression,

purposelessness. You need to hear this.

Your insufficiency

is not your greatest problem.

you are pretending that you are

self-sufficient as you are and you are

not.

And so what he's what he's really trying

to do in this passage, he's basically

saying that famous line, blessed are the

poor in spirit. He's bringing that back

up. The poor in spirit are ones that

know. He's not saying blessed are just

the poor because it's like poverty is

terrible. The poor in spirit know their

condition of dependence on him. Are you

poor in spirit or are you controlling?

Are you are you living under the measure

of success, the illusion of success?

Many people are finally becoming aware

that they cannot save themselves.

That realization may be the mercy of

God. His correction is his mercy. His

discipline is his mercy. Would you

receive his mercy today? Blessed are the

poor in spirit.

The exhausted person needs to hear that.

And then there's the transactional

person.

Only God comes when there's a crisis in

my life. And then I turn to him.

I I I must admit like I can feel

exhausted at times. I can feel

self-sufficient at times. And then I can

feel like I'm I'm making a transaction

if I'm honest. This is when like, okay,

I'm, you know, Lord,

my child that I thought was perfect.

Turns out they're not. They're more like

me than I realized. I'm going to need

you in this emergency support call to

deal with this, please. And if you do,

then whatever. It's a transaction.

You can look at therapy as a

transaction. You can look at whatever it

is. Some people, we only look to God

really when we lose control.

Others stop seeking God because they

think they still have it. Both are

completely disconnected from an intimacy

of his presence.

Jesus wants to rebuke you but invite you

to his table. Though some of us need to

hear that insufficiency is not your

greatest problem. Pretending that you

are is. And then there's the reality

that your success may be disguising your

spiritual poverty.

Are you that person that's starved but

in your self-sufficient? Are you that

person that's transacting or are you

just exhausted? All of us need the

gospel in the mercy of his rebuke. Can

you let him speak to you this morning?

Can you let his presence reestablish a

place? He's knocking. He wants to come

back. Team, could you come forward? And

I'm going to close this and land this.

There's a poem by a guy named Malcolm

Gite. Um he is basically I don't know

why I'm only quoting British guys this

morning. I'm I think I'm on like a Lord

of the Ring. I've been listening to Lord

of the Rings soundtracks. It's soothing.

You ever listen to The Shire on a bad

day? It's amazing.

There's like this new Spotify track

that's like remixing like The Shire in

the background while I study and it's

like uh I think it's making me want to

like reread Lord of the Rings. I don't

think I ever read Lord of the Rings.

Full confession. I don't read books that

they make movies of.

That's not I'm not proud of that. I'm

just I'm actually quite embarrassed

about that.

But there's this guy Malcolm Gite. He's

a Anglican priest and a poet and

songwriter. He looks like Gandalf's

cousin.

He smokes pipes. He drinks and he writes

po I don't to be honest I don't read a

lot of poetry. I can barely stomach the

Psalms and Proverbs because it's just

like so full of like feelings and I

usually want facts.

But I go to them because I know I need

them. And songs, when you get out of

your head, songs minister to everyone.

And a poem is just a song without music.

And this is this is what he wrote.

And I I was so ready to memorize this

and like give it to you like that, but I

didn't.

Just pretend that I'm speaking like the

father of a hobbit. Here's what he says.

Here's what he said in a recent in a

recent podcast. He goes, "I cannot think

unless I have been taught,

nor can I speak unless I have been

spoken. I cannot teach except as I am

taught,

or break the bread except as I am

broken."

A mind behind the mind through which I

seek, a light within the light with

which I see.

Oh word beneath the words with which I

speak. O founding unfound wisdom finding

me.

Every line of that poetic song speaks

and prophesies the words of Revelation 3

to the church past, present and future.

The only reason why you can think is

because you've been thought.

The reason why you can speak is because

of what's been spoken.

You are not the author of the story. And

that is a great relief because in that

wisdom is the unfound wisdom finding you

and finding me.

Every morning, every Sabbath, every time

you come under the word of God, you

invite the presence of God that's

knocking at the door of your life to

come in and enter to walk with you.

You are entering into the story that

says

you are part of something bigger than

yourself. The exhaustion that you feel

isn't the last word. The success that

you feel isn't the last word. Your

desperate transactional plea for help

isn't the last word.

He's here for you and his presence wants

to reestablish you.

If any of the word to the church of

Leodysia

your heart needs, I want to invite you

to stand with me and invite the presence

of God to minister to us as we go out

today.

As we prepare our hearts just to respond

in worship. As we close, we always

release you to go when you're ready, but

linger as long as you need to,

I want you to I want you to ask the Holy

Spirit, how can I put this challenge,

this rebuke into a place where my heart

repents and I move outward into the

world? How can I practice this? I want

you just in a heart posture of prayer to

simply present three possible ways. How

can I practice my need before God?

Number one,

how do can I start my day with

dependence instead of exhaustion or

start my day in with dependence instead

of my my control and my success that I

have.

A simple prayer might look like this.

Jesus, I am not self- sustaining. You

are my source and my life and my breath.

Reopen my eyes for my need for you

today.

The goal is to interrupt this illusion

of self-sufficiency

before your day even begins. Not making

it a task. It's a privilege. The

presence of God is with you. Second,

practice an honest communion instead of

just a transaction.

Whatever you usually come to God for in

crisis,

can you just sit with him without

rushing? Sit with him without agenda.

Let his words be the first words.

Then bring what is it that I'm trying to

control? Where am I numb spiritually?

What uncomfortable thing do I not want

to talk about that he might want to talk

about?

What am I using instead of intimacy with

him?

Who am I using instead of intimacy with

him?

Ouch.

Did that hit anyone else like it hit me?

I Who am I using instead of intimacy

with him?

Holy Spirit, in these few still moments

before we leave today,

anchor us on honest communion. Anchor us

on our need with you. And then third,

become that refreshing place or that

healing place for someone else. Take

your eyes off yourself and say in my

process, where's the barber chair for me

today?

Where do I just need to go when I don't

feel like it? Trusting that the presence

of God is on me, not because of me, but

because of him.

Who do I need to encourage? Who needs my

prayer? Who needs my honesty? Who needs

a meal? It doesn't matter what it is.

Would you just let the truth of the

gospel lead you and give you the

confidence that you don't feel? Holy

Spirit, come.

Rebuke us with the beautiful kindness of

your blood.

Bring us back to the table where you

look us eye to eye and you give us bread

to feast on when we're starving.

And remind us that we're part of a

bigger story that we can trust so we can

go out into this world renewing your

beauty.

in Jesus