Church of Philadelphia; Church of Laodicea | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from axt church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

All right, let's turn to Revelations chapter three. I'm gonna

preach from there. I'm gonna today is my message today.

It's gonna be two parts. The first it's about one

church and then the Church of Philadelphia, and then the

other will be the church in Leodicia. And the way

our structuring in the first part is that the first

part will be a word of comfort and the second

part will be a word of warning for the church

as well. Okay, so let's go straight into it. Okay.

So Revelations chapter three, I'm gonna read here from verse seven,

and the title, okay, of this section is called the

Faithful Church. Okay, the Faithful Church. But when you read

through it, I want to ask you a question, what

is the church? Okay? It's very important. Who is Jesus

talking about specifically? Okay? Now, verse seven it says, and

to the Angel of the church in Philadelphia, right, these

things says he who is holy, he who is true,

he who has the key of David, he who opens,

and no one shuts and shuts, and no one opens. Wow,

you're ready start so so deep readem and so confusing already.

But I want you to underline their part because, first

of all, I want you to understand that these words

are the words of Jesus himself. Again, Jesus himself spoke

these words. And Jesus introduces himself in this way. I

don't know if you go to any party or to

any event and someone will introduce the speaker like this,

you know, you know who is he who is like this?

Who is true? Who is such a weird title? But

Gee specifically chose to introduce himself saying that he who

is holy, he who is true, he who is the

key of David, he who opens and no one shots

and shuts and no one opens. And the reason why

he introduces himself like that is because these words contain prophecy. Okay,

prophetic to specific is prophetic specifically to what the church

is going through. Okay, Because Jesus will reveal himself according

to your need, according to the situation, and according to

what he wants you to overcome. You know what I'm saying. No,

he will not just simply pick a title. Hey, No,

he is very specific. Okay, And so when you read

through the other other the other chapters from chapter through

and other churches, you will notice that Jesus always introduces

himself different with a different title, but for the church

in Philadelphia, he chose to use these titles. Okay, so

I want you to hold onto that very shortly, and

I'm going to explain to you what the problem the

church actually goes through. Okay, what the persecution they actually

go through, and what the revelation of Jesus gives them hope?

What kind of hope that Jesus gives them, And when

you understand that, you can apply it in your own situation.

You get I'm saying, now, you're not just hey, God,

I'm going through a difficult time and then you just

pick some pick some random Spotify song or God your

minister to me right now. How many of you do that?

Don't raise your hands? Okay, you randomly pick a song

like oh speak to me right now? No, no, no, no.

You gotta take time and God reveals specifically into your

life what you need in your life to overcome as well. Okay. Now,

in verse eight comes the revelation. First of all, Jesus says,

what I know your works? What does it mean God

sees God see, God knows, not just sees. He knows

what you have done, what you go through, What is

the intention of your heart? Remember this, The Bible says

what God is spirit, and those who worship him must

worship him in spirit and in truth. Okay, So when

you worship God, it's not about God is into music.

The worst thing you understand about worship is that God

is spirit. Nothing else. God is spirit. So when you

understand God is spirit, what does that mean? God looks

at your heart nothing. The opposite of worshiping in spirit

and your truth is worshiping in the flesh and worshiping

in idolatry. Give me a give me a worshiping. What

do you say, worshiping in idolatry and worshiping in the flesh. Okay.

So God does not look at anything your flesh. It

doesn't care what you say, doesn't care about what you

what you give, doesn't care what you went through this way.

But God looks at your heart. What is in your heart?

Because the spirit, such as the deep things of the heart.

God is spirit. And when you come to worship God,

God says that God sees everything, and he knows your words. Next,

he says, there, okay, let's move on, and he says, see,

I said before you an open door and no one

can shut it, for you have a little strength, have

kept my word, and have not denied my name. These

things is also a revelation. Okay, First we know that

Jesus says that I know your words. And then Jesus

very mysteriously and cryptically says that, look, I placed an

open door before you, and no one can shut it.

What does that actually mean? Why? No, I'm praying to God,

and God show me a door, and God tells me

this door that only he can open and no one

can shut it. What does it mean? Now? Let me

give you a bit of context, and you can understand

from there that God sees everything. How may you know?

What does Philadelia the word Philadelphia mean when I say Philadephia.

What do you think? What's the first thing you think about? Quickly? Jeez,

we are felt as a generation culturally Philadelphia's cheese. Bit's true. Okay,

Philadelphia cheese. That's the first thing. What else do you

think about? Philadelphia? Brotherhood of Man? Yes, that's the most

closely one. Okay, Philadelphia is actually okay, there are two

cities called Philadelphia and one in Europe across one in America.

They're okay, there's a city in Europe in US called Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is consisted of two words, Philos and Philadelphia. Okay,

can I go to that slight there? Okay? It's called

love and brotherly not just any love, but the city

of brotherly love. Okay, So Philos and Nadelphos. The geef

is not playing by its okay, all right, okay, the

city of Philadelphia the city of brotherly So this city,

not just the church, is known for warmth. You know

how many of you went through homes, these class homes? Okay,

what do we study about? Some of you are quiet?

We forgot, we forgot? What the W is it? What

do we study about? I look at this, alady, Yes,

I'm talking about you? Yes? What w what's a warm right?

We're talking about warmth. So it's a city and a

church that talks about warmth, brother brotherly love. But is

it showing brotherly love? Is it showing brother lila? I'm

going to ask you another question again. How many of

you joined a club before? Join the club. I'm not

talking about school club. I'm talking about like community clubs,

you know, like those clean club, your whole club. Blah,

you forgotten this? How many of you? I had joined

a club in the eighties and nineties before you know

the club I got swimming pool, got snooker and some

of it call karaoke. Oh you are so advanced you've

forgotten all these Like then now this last time, got

hockey club, la, got fu club blah. No, you go

through klanger, you pass you passed by some buildings, isn't

it Sometimes people get married there, you know. You know

now you're like, oh, yeah, I got this club club club,

remember not youra you know that last time? Man, we

don't have internet one and all, no phone one, no,

no nothing one. So you know why at this club

started from the very beginning, you know why they are started?

Why to bring people together? Last time? They know the

people who are like I'm speaking mostly Chinese here, okay,

because Chinese are. I don't know about the other races are,

but the Chinese, for example, the hockey and they will

gether together. They trust, they trust their own clan. People

trying to they trust their own clan. And then they

claim together and they say, hey, let's form a club,

they pull the money together, they build a hall, they

build a school, sometimes they build a swimming pool. And

then people who come together for clubs and sometimes on

the weekends they have caroke. They're dance. They know, you

see a lot of our old senior citizens sometimes doing

taichi or sitting dancing around as well. There is a

community they're coming together. In the ancient times, in the

European times, they are also clubs. But they don't call

it clubs that okay, they call it temple temples. They

call it gatherings as well. And for the Jewish people,

they also have a gathering and it's called the synagogues. Okay.

It's a place not just for worship, but it's a

place of community as well. Okay, it's a place of

community as well. But now not everyone can go into

the synagogues, like the same way, not everyone can go

into every club you go in, So what do you

need to have you need to be a a member? Yeah,

so what do you need to do to become a

member in the pay okays is the first thing? You

want to come and pay lie? You know, you pay more,

you get vip lie every time you come, you get

free drink line, you know, or the melon juice or something.

You know, I know, you get what the man just

you're VIP. Ready, you're not VIP. You get Chinese te

okay ah ah, this is very important, you know. So

but last time, how do people get included? How to

give you? First of all, you have to be in

the senecle. You need to be a Jew. Okay, you

need to be a Jew. You need to be of

the right family, of the right tribe as well. Okay.

And when you come to the door, okay, I don't know.

You can see the door right the next life, you

come to the door right at the front. You can't

see here, but at the front of the door. Normally

they'll be like attendant literally like this, you know, say

for example, the back of the door. They'll be coming

here and say, like you know, maybe pasta steven. You

are from one family, it is the Soon family. You

come here and they say, oh, this is today. Someday

we would like to come in together to worship. To

bring my kids as well, to join as kids as well.

You know, oh you got school, because there are no

public school. I want to bring my kids to come

and learn from the school. Sometimes we don't have food

to eat that and they and then the committe actually

provide for Oh, we can actually have a meal there

as well. And then you come in here, I need

to examine. Ay, your name is there or not? Soon? Soon? Soon? Soon?

Not so soon, not so soon? Your name is not here.

You cannot come in any time here so soon okay,

soon soon, cannot find your name is not there. And

because of that the door is shut against you. Now

you understand, and not now? Is there any reason why

some of the Jews are not allowed inside the synagogue

because some of them profess Christ as though the profess

christis Lord, and some of the brothers cannot accept it.

You read further. Okay, you see her and say, see,

I have said before you an open door, and no

one can shut it, for you have little strength and

have kept my word and have not denied my name. Indeed,

I will make those of the Synagogue of war Jesus

didn't mean as well, Senegod, say, okay, sit down, who

say they are Jews and are not but lie? Indeed,

I will make them come and worship before your feet,

and to know that I have loved you. You see

her sometimes, and that's the challenge of the churches in it.

They believe in Jesus, and they paid a price. The

price was well to be excluded from community. You must

understand her following Christ, Sir, it's a cause on no, no,

it's a course onan And know even sometimes I've been

rejected from the people who you expect to receive. You

want to know the doors that you were hoping that

you were of all the doors that you go to,

you were hoping that door to be opened, was shut

before you. Very painful, isn't it. Persecuted by the Romans

and the Greeks, and now by your own brothers and

sisters who kind of share your favor but also rejected

you closed the door, and then you pray, like, why

God this is allowing happen? And Jesus comes and say

that I give you a door right now only I

can open, and I can tell you no one can shut.

My question is this, do we always see things in

the physical or do we see things in the spiritual?

You know what I'm saying for them to maintain in there,

to continue in their faithor they cannot rely on the

physical but on the spiritual church. Now the city that

call themselves broadly love a short no, brotherly love kind

of funnier. It's kind of ironic, isn't it, Because the

devil has hijacked it's brotherly love. No, you shall not

allow them. It's very sad, very very very sad. Okay,

But the church. That's why the church is very few

people that I don't think there are many of them.

That's what you said said, you are very awak, but

do not leave your faith. I can tell you some

of you here you pay a lot price. You can't

the church. I'm not saying that you are being prosecuted

by so No, some of you may, maybe by your

own family, but some of you pay a price to come.

Maybe it's very challenging, you know, with your circumstances, your time,

energy as well. But I can tell you worship is

what God is looking for. You know what is worship?

It's worship songs, it's worship raising your hands? What is worship?

What is worship? People? I give you, I give you

what just to make it break your wise worship? But

you know that in the third temptation, right, what did

the devil do to Jesus? He took him up to

a very high place in it and show him all

the glory of the nations. And what did the devil

asked Jesus to do? Bow down and worship me and

I will give you all of this. What did the

devil mean worship? Did he wanted a song? He wanted

a song? Did he wanted money? He wanted your attendance?

Did he wanted your service? What is worship? When you

put that in that contrast, what does worship really mean?

Your worship is what it's your surrender. You know, your

surrender your life and all your habits. You know, there's

the truth. You know some days, some of us we

cannot control. They were just talking something. Wow. Sometimes I

find it very hard. I myself concluded going to any

place without looking at my phone at all. So sometimes

and now theres are I desire to tell myself maybe

once or twice a week, our faster whole morning are

from my phone, not looking at my phone at all.

So sometimes people ask me why I reply so later,

because I need to tell myself I don't look at

my phone, but message is important. Know, worship is surrender,

complete surrender. That's what the devil wants, and that is

the only thing that God looks for all of us.

Surrender nothing else, people, nothing less? Why surrender? Why surrender

cannot be anything else? Because we owe God everything, We

owe him everything, We owe him nothing less than the

surrender if we owe him, If there's anything less, and

then he is not lord at all. Didn't say what

I'm saying. He is not loaded already people. So God,

what God is looking for is our worship and our surrender. Okay,

it's very very very very important. Let's continue on here.

Verse nine. Oh sorry, Verse ten. Because you have kept

my command to persevere, I also will keep you from

the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole

world to test those who dwell on the earth. There's

a testing people coming, and I wonder whether we are ready. Lie, behold,

I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have. Then

no one may take your crown. He who overcomes I

will make him appear in the temple of my God,

and he will go out no more. What Jesus is

alluding to. He says that he saw every incident that

happened inside that temple that people will enter in, that

Christians were allowed to enter in, and then people started

making noises. These profess to be Christians, and they were

chased out of the temple, in the public, in the puppy,

out of everyone. Imagine right now, anyone of your if

I asked you to stand up and leave right now,

how would you feel right now? Would you be embarrassed

in front of your all your friends and families, you know,

chased up before everybody like that, they experienced the embarrassment. Gain.

I will write on him the name of my God

and the name of the city of my God, the

New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God.

And I will write on him my new name. He

says that, oh, you come to the register, and you

were embarrassed because the guy tried to look for soon soon, soon,

cannot find your name. I want to let you know

when you the most important name in the most important

register that you need to appear is not in the

world register. It's in the Book of life. What did

Jesus says to your disciples? The disciples were going out

preaching the gospel, casting out demons. You know, they were

so successful, you know, yeah, give their report to Jesus.

And Jesus said to them, Noah, do not rejoice that

you do all this miracles, say nothing or nothing or

that you can preach, you can do it, can earn

all your money, you can have the best family. All

this means nothing if your name is not written in

the Book of Life. At the end of the day, people,

we were saying before God, everyone will come before God.

And that's the truth. For you think I'm feeling angry,

but that's the true. That's what it's written the Bible.

You and I will see each other again. And the

scariest thing is that names are being called out and

you missed out. That's when eternity matters. Nothing else matters. Wait,

eternity matters. Is my name going to be there? That's

why you says said, that's the only thing that matters.

Your names are in the Book of Life. So you

and I we only vote for one thing and all

to save our souls. You know, we have to save

our souls. You know, more than anything else, save our souls.

It doesn't matter we say we know God? Does God

know us? You mean right? You can say, oh, I

come to George know Does God know you? You can say, oh,

you know God? But does God know you? Don't become

on the day I sayd God begone. I do not

know you, your workers of iniquity. There's the scariest thing that

can happen to us. Now, after all there has been dead,

certain done or your guys okay so far, yeah, sorry,

are very fiery preaching. But I always preach as if

this is my last because I don't take my life

for granted. I don't take your life for granted as well. Okay,

that's than the last verse verse the thing, and he

who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit

says to the churches, next one, the next church. Now,

the title says, the little warm Church. And to the

Angel of the Church of the loodician rites, these things

says the Amen, the Faithful and the true Witness. Sorry,

the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of

the creation of God. You see Jesus introducing himself again

with a different title. Interesting, isn't it. To different churches,

Jesus always introduces himself with a different title. Now, this

time Jesus introduces us what as the Amen, the faithful,

the true Witness, and the beginning of the creation of God.

In the first part, Jesus introduces himself, he who is Holy,

he who is true, he who is the king of

Key of David. Because Jesus knows what they go through

and he reveals specifically. He said that they say that

you are a liar, but I tell you I am

the truth. They shut their door. I have the Key

of David. So everything that Jesus reveals applies into their life,

speaks into their life, and heals them and gives them

hope for the situation. So when God gives hope, he

doesn't give a general hope, but he gives a specific

hope into the specific situation. But sometimes his revelation is

not just a hope, but it's also warning to work

to the church, to need to hear and into the church.

And loved you, syar what you say these things stays

the amen. Jesus is the amen. Jesus is the faithful

and true witness. Jesus is the beginning of the creation

of God. Okay, now it looks very it sounds very deep.

But hold them for a while. Now verse the thing

he says, there, I know your works that you are

neither cold or heart Again, what did Jesus says when

Jesus comes into your life? We always think that Jesus

you are the lover of my soul. The first thing

we do we want to say, Oh Jesus, you comfort,

you understand my needs. Oh Jesus, come and love me

and hurt me. But I tell you, Jesus really come

before you. You know what is the first thing that

he wants you to know about him? He sees right

through your heart. We always want to make us feel comfortable.

Jesus is ready to make you uncomfortable because he knows

what you need more than in your life are It's

not comfort, is truth because truth will set you free.

You don't saying what I'm saying now, and then sometimes

if you there's a saying, you know, if you love

your friend, you tell them the truth, and most of

the time you will lose that friend, but they will

gain your life. If you love your friend, you must

be willing to lose your friend. I've told that the

people who are under my discapper ship, but I have

told knowing that I might lose them. Before I even

actually told my disapperas Gonna says, I'm going to tell

someone I think I'm going to lose them, and he said, yeah,

I think you might. I don't, but I have to

because I think my journey and my role is until here.

But if I'm here, I have to do why it's

right I'm saying not, And I think that really applies

to being a parent as well, because I'm a parent

as well, I have children. Some of the things I

tell my children are they really don't lie, And sometimes

they go upset with me for a long time, but

I'll tell them I have to tell you because you

might be upset. You might do it, but you have

to know what I'm telling you is the truth, so

that you you learn in your life to understand the

value of truth. That nothing can substitute truth. And the

person who gives you the truth is the one who

truly loves you. Because it costs me something to tell

you the truth, you know, I might lose you. You

might be you know, when we parent, we cannot parent

to be like by our children at all a lot,

but so we want to parent to be like by

our children. Non no, no. Sometimes I tell my wife

it cannot have someone there for them for the I'm

not saying my wife like that, but sometimes I also

get there. It's like, oh, I want to like and

sometimes I want to let them watch the things you know,

you know, they are funny. Sometimes I let them get

them to do the things, you know, so that they

will think that I'm cool and fun dead, you know,

and then so they will prefer their the over mammy.

You know how many of you parents do that? Are?

You can tell me right now so that I can

minister to your other spouse? Okay? True or not? Parents? Yeah? Secret?

When you don't say anything, I know it's true. Ready,

true or not? You parent to be liked by your children,

but you cannot. That's the greatest service you can do

to them. But you must be united. The tea is

that you must be united. You cannot one person say hey,

I want to be like and then the other person,

nor because of that you pull yourself apart and your

children sees that. Okay, but you must be united. We

must be united in teaching and raising our kids in

the way of truth more than anything else. So they

go nowhere to go? Okay, that's very very important. Okay,

Where am I right now? Okay? Verse fifteen. I know

your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I

could wish that you would call or hot. So then

when you are little warm and neither cold nor hard,

I will vomit you out of my mouth. But because

you say I am rich, have become wealthy and need

or nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor,

blind and naked, I counsel you to buy from me.

Go refine in the fire that you may be rich,

and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the

shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. And annoy

your eyes with eyes so that you may see. Wow,

there's a lot of things there. Let's start with being

hot and cold. It's important. A lot of times people

say about the water being hot and core. Give you

a bit of historical context. Okay, Uh, the city that

you're talking about is in level this year. Now. Nowadays,

we have the privilege of your opening the tap. God,

water come out. You go to a toilet, call water

come out. How maybe have been the missions and so

far in deeper interior parts where there's no fresh water?

Have you been there before? You realize that when you

go to interior parts, you realize how water is the

most important thing. Clean water. Okay, I'm not talking about

just pure just clean water. You drink, you won't get

sick one and no, it's that's the most precious thing.

One on recently, last year I went to what's the

place deep interior. We had to drive like twelve hours,

you know, twelve fourteen hours deep into the interior. Then

this month I'm going to the log So no, Amanda,

you're going oh sor right? Yeah, herd as well. Okay.

Water is one of the most important thing we take.

We take for granted. Now in Laodica, they don't have

fresh water. The fresh water normally comes from the mountains, okay,

from the mountain top, or come from the hot springs.

Now Leo Dica is here, say, for example, I am here. Okay,

they got no water sauce, but they got two nearby

neighboring water sauces, one from the mountains okay, and the

water is icy coal. Okay, you can go online check

it out where let you say, well get that water

from which you can go to that slider. You can

see the water pipes. The next one, okay, you can

see the water pipes. You go to right now you

can see there are water pipes. But there are two

water pipes. One come from the mountaintops from another city,

ice cold, cool fresh. But for that city, not for Yo.

The other one is from the hot springs where the

water is really hot. Okay, they'll come to Left this year.

So they got two pipes. Now the problem is both

waters coming from both sauce. Then when they travel along

these pipes, they change and by the time when they

arrive in Level this year, the cold water is neither cold.

The hot water coming from another place from the hot

spring is neither hot as well. And say when they

arrive at the city player, the water they have is

live warm. It's like not the it's not like it's

not room temperature. You know, it's a bit warm, but

not warm. One and all. It's very gross one and all.

And you know those type of water is the ones

a there. It's like you you feel like somebody just

put their hands inside the water. You're gonna tell you,

you know what now you really grossed out right. You

take a bit of water and you put your hand

there and you just play around with it, and you

go and drink it. Right now, how many we've got

water water, But let's do it right now, well, do

put your finger grow, grow, grow, grow, grow, and you

try and drink it. You grossed out right, there's the

temperature of the water we're talking about there. It's very,

very gross and you're drinking. You're like, wha you want

to spit it out? There's the link warm water. Now,

what causes the waters to be lit warm? What causes

the water to be lut warm? M what causes the

water for belut warm? So the water from the coal

it travels, isn't it? It travels, It takes time and

suddenly things around it set it to change the property

a long the life. Maybe it's go through warmer temperature,

higher temperature, whether you're heart when your core from where

you are because of life, because of people, because of family,

because you got promotion, because now you got wealth what

you want before because of life. And you travel and

once you reach you are nothing like you were before.

Nothing along the way you have changed. That's how you

become little warming in life? Isn't it true? Isn't it?

So many people are caught, But yet when you arrive,

you arrived live warm. But then Jesus says that I

know your heart. What it means that along the way

years and months are your inner heart starts to say

things you know, you start to believe certain things you know,

what do you say, because I've become a bit richarity,

I got a promotion, I'm invested in some stocks, made

some money. Must believe that God favors Mila. God like Mila,

or because I work hard and those these people in

church don't have their heart anymore? Now I deserve it.

I am blessed, I am anointed. Ah you say that, Ah,

you want a just mairtuality. I'm richer than you. I

think I'm more blessed than you. You you even got

even in your life in order the things that our

hearts say, they are so deceitful, we say, and we

start to close ourselves out with a lot of righteousness.

You know, don't tell me I'm late for church. You

know how I have to deal with in my life

and not. Oh, you think you're the only ones say that.

Many people say that. You think these generations say that.

Many generations have said that. We are not the only

generation that said it. The same devil. There is a

work in your father's and your grandparents still at work

in our lives and you and me, and it's going

to visit your children as well. Unless we are open

our eyes and we got against it. Right, the comforts

of life have worn you. Then what did you say?

Is then because you say I am rich, I become wealthy,

I need of nothing, you might not say, oh I

don't need you will still see eyes surrender all. But

how many of you right now actually do daily Bible

reading without complaining saying that it's too deep. How many

of you when was the last time on your own

actually worshiped together with your family? When was the last

time you actually first prayed for everything that you encountered,

not pray as the last result. How many of you

that you feel that your faith has increased compared to

last month and last year when someone come to ask you, hey,

would you give, would you serve? Would you go out

for missions? When you think you still have the same

mindset compared to last year, your situation will always be busy. People,

it's not because you are inconvenient, because you don't have

the capacity of faith to do it. You come saying

everybody has a capacity, a bar and energy, feel bar

called faith one some of you for the past five, ten,

twenty years has been the same one bar. But what

builds this faith of this bar? Faith? Faith builds faith people,

Faith builds faith. You want to build your faith, you

gotta start exciting faith. That's why there's a saying faith

begets faith when you come to church. It takes faith

in not Hey. Is it past and met speaking? Is

it pastor speaking, pastor Steven speaking? Is it someone not speaking?

I don't think I'm gonna be blessed. This pastor is

gonna teach about this again? Oh? Same thing again. Oh,

this fella is gonna knock me again. I don't think

I'm gonna learn anything about it at all. Where is

that faith? Is that from you? Or is that from God?

I'm gonna really ask you that thought right now. Is

that really from you? Except from God? Or from someone else?

Do you feelter the thoughts in your mind? Or are

you always serious very defensive? Oh? This this sup posibly

be from God. I'm self righteous. Be very very very

very careful the things that actually come into your heart

as well. And he said, do not know that you

are nothing? So do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind,

and nakered. The people in Leodica had become very rich

because they actually they were a trading center and they

found something they were able to trade, which is an

ointment or a south of their eye. So you go

back to that picture there, the first one. Okay, this

is actually the engraving that they have in loud this year.

You see the guy applying a soft Okay. So the

whole city were very famous for this medicine. That everyone

in the world will go and look for them as well.

So in the eyes of the world, in the eyes

of the world, they were successful. They were successful. They

were the envy of the world. Everybody comes and be

around them. And you were in the eyes of the world.

You were black. You are blessed, you are annoyed that

you apprival. You're chosen by God. But God says that

you are wretched of all the things that you have.

You are actually blind, Pania. God sees things very differently

from the world. People very very They made them very rich.

But Jesus says one, okay, in verse okay, verse eighteen,

I counsel you to buy from me. God refined in

the fire that you may be rich and white. Godmans

that you may be clothed, that the shame of your

kindness may not be real. And annoyed your eyes with

eyesalt I eyeslt that you may see you help people

to see by you yourself applying Phania the ironia, isn't it?

He's very very very very irony. Then Jesus says, as

many as I love, I rebulk and chast them. Therefore

be zealous and repent. And then comes the famous verse, behore,

I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears

my voice and opens the door, I will come into

him and dine with him, and him with me. You know,

at that time, in those times, they don't have grabber

and like or shopping and this we shop my line.

We just showed phone stuff. I think that thing in

the show looks and then you just quickly type into

this one cheaper thing. You just had to wait. And

then the next few days that appears right in front

of your door. Already shoppy. You better pray that it's

not now the sun is turned off right now. But

we do that. But in those times, how do people

do shopping? They travel, or people come to their door?

You know that how many of you were in those

days when you live early enough that people actually sells,

People keep coming to your door. Remember now some of

you forgotten ready, right, they actually go door to door,

you know, you've forgotten, but your parents remember they actually

go to door you some somet sometimes are You're like, oh,

three o'clock in the hots nothing can happen, right, just

you and your Netflix, right, and somebody ring on the door. Hi, sir,

would you like to try out our new vacuum cleaner?

And you look at the guys like sweating, all of

us thinking he's trying to sell you something. That was

how they sell you things. You know, we forgotten ready,

But Jesus says, what see, I am at the door,

knocking at the door. Jesus has always been driving fine

white to come to your door because you refuse to

come out. We are in our comfort zone. Jesus is

knocking so for the Laodicians, and they know what Jesus

is saying. You know, because people from far White, from Israel,

from Minor Asia, from Rome will come to these places

because they know the Laodicians are rich people. They are bangsawan,

you know, really a task when the money. So people

actually come to their door. But Jesus come to your door,

not because you are rich. Jesus come to your door

because you are poor. Ironic, isn't it? It's very ironic,

know people come to you because's rich, but Jesus come

to you because you are poor. And Jesus said, see, behold,

I stand at the door and knock. I am selling

to you right now. Okay, garments, white garments, go refine

in the fire. Will you buy from me? Or will

you think that you are rich and wait for others

to and you buy from the world and stell from God?

Kind of ironic, isn't it. Now you start to see this,

you start to realize that, Wow, the key thing is,

why do you think that you are rich while you're poor?

And see what I'm saying, it's so so important. So

Jesus says that, behore, I stare at the door. And

now if anyone hears my voice. Sometimes it's funnier when

people knock at our door. No, don't say that. Like

people call our phone now, we pretend now we don't

want to. We didn't. We didn't see our message. True

or not? Yes or not? Your mom and dad called you,

Oh daddy, sorry I didn't see your message. Some of

you are like, yeah, d mommy, I'm all true or not.

Boss calls you sorry, I was having dinner. Oh I

was driving. We do that and all lie, You're like,

but it's true. We do that, isn't it. We pretend

that we didn't hear. We pretend you know, But you

just say you are not at the door. If you

hear my voice and you know you know that I'm calling,

how many of you are wonder will actually come and

open the door? You see, you're the only remedy for

people who are in the comfort art is to have faith,

to exercise faith. It's like, even if you're comfort, ah,

I know this guy knocking bye Jesus, Even a faith

as small as a mustard seed can work wonders. You see,

the devil doesn't want The devil has no problem now

with people coming to church. You know, he doesn't have problem.

If xbly you have one hundred, two hundred, five hundred

one thousand people, no problem. He only really needs that

you all don't have faith, not even one single master

of faith. But if everyone just fifty, just twenty have

every day can exercise one master of faith. That's simple.

It's like, oh, I don't feel like it, but I

will come. I don't know why I was gonna say,

but I believe that God will speak just that one

master of faith. That will change the world. That one master,

that's just what is what we're calling for. That one

master of faith is the better between the good and evil.

And you see what I'm saying. No, because it rolls,

it rolls, It rolls and rolls, it rolls. So what

the devil will do? Lunch? Think about lunch. Think about

your children, whether they're complaining or not. Think about your children,

whether they can sleep or not. It doesn't your spirituality,

you know, the devil whenever your spirituality on? You read?

Have you read the seers? Do it? What's the word?

What's what's the book? Screw tach letters. It's a conversation

between the two devils how they deceive men. The devil

never fights spirituality with spirituality. He fights spirituality with practicality.

Always want to go to church, Think about lunch, I

want to go to church. Think about timing always, people, always,

it's the great deception people. So whenever you think, hey,

let's be practical, remember that is the devil's area. Always. Always,

Jesus says, you fit the five thousand? What did Philip say?

What did Peter say? How can we fit? Practical? Must

send them home? And Jesus say, who is with you

right now. It's a moment of faith. Practically, I'm not

saying that you cannot be practical, but where is it

coming from? What is it contending with? Then when you

understand why it's at stake, then you must underst when

faith must come in first. You can't saying what I'm saying. No,

And you when you do that, you teach your children

just a few homes, just one homes ago, my my, my,

my daughter. I get my kids to do homes reading

the things, oh reader, like I said, no, you stand there,

you sit there, and you do it. You believe, whether

you feel like it or not, you gotta do it.

You know I'm saying what I'm saying no, because you

said the example for other kids I got. I got

six other children in my homes. You know other kids.

You know all them are like three year or four

years of five years old? Over are like breaking things

in my horse and what not. Well, I tell you what,

my my kids. My son's bedroom is like broken, so

many things ready, some of them. I like to take

chocolate and decorate my walls one and all. I tell you, no,

there's one time we will do. This is a funny.

I wasn't there, Like I was in the other room

then that they were doing study, you know, and literally

with something with smell, smell pooping that no, where's the smell?

And right in front past there's a there's a poop.

There's a poop literally right in front. And my homies

like we're dropping, we're ran it off. It's like because

one of the kids are the poopa, they poop, they

didn't tell the parent and the booby came to heaven

just dropped there. Now, I was saying to the my

assistant Homeleia, Hey, that's why you're teaching is full of crap.

You know what these other things that happens people you

kind of think you kind of funny like laugh, what

kind of things can happen? But these things happen you, you

know what I mean, like practicality, things that attack you.

It's where the practical things, when I tell you, these

are the these are things that we give into things

like hey, it's funny. Hey, you gotta know this is

no coincidence. You know, it's really really really no coincidence.

I know I'm going in a lot of different places,

but I want to encourage back by closing here saying, behore,

I stand the door and knaw. If anyone hears my

voice and opens the door, I will come in to

him and dine with him, and he with me to

him who overcomes, were granted to sit with me on

my throne, And I also overcame and sat down with

my father's on his throne. He who has an ear,

let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. Now,

as I didn't draw to a close here, I wonder

how many of you. I mean, First of all, I'm

not here to condemn. Sometimes the truth feels harder. It's

not like I'm picking out anyone any think, But I

do have a big heart for young family. You know

why young family and your children parents especially, I have

a big half of you, guys, because a church can

be really, really stirred by the demography of the young family.

They're very powerful because you know why your young ones

are affecting the ex kids, and you are affecting the

younger people who are looking at you. Some of you

might say that I don't want to be a role

or because I'm just too busy being a parent, But

do you know that the greatest worship that anyone of

you can do is in the life of a parent.

The greatest worship that has ever been recorded, that made

the difference in the Bible was a parent, and that

was Abraham. Was Abraham Abraham. I tell you all the Bible, study,

all the teaching, all the homes, I mean nothing until

you become a parent. Your parenthood is not the time

when you let go. Your parent hood is your exam.

Your parenting right now is your exam. This is the

test you think it's going to miss. You know your

parenting is a test because now you have directly someone

from your flesh and looking at you, and someone in

the church looking at you. Now, will you say follow me?

This is the battle people everyone. I tell you many

passers in need of will not say it. Somehow we

don't want because they're going through by telling you as

a parent right now, this is the exam I'm not

talking about. This is the exam. I appreciate this in Sumer,

but I tell you this is the truth because I

went through it. Because and I say, read the scripture.

It is again and again and again the same thing.

It is our exam. How may of your parents, I

want told young people, you find yourself being tired, and

especially I want to say you feel. You acknowledge you

are procrastinating. You acknowledge that you are not as initiative,

and even you will say that you are lazy yourself.

You acknowledge as well. I'm not calling you lazy, but

you acknowledge. Your spouse even sees something, but they're not

say it because scared to offer you. But you are

having showing patterns of laziness and procrastinating. But I can

tell you the problem is not procrastinating. The problem is

not laziness. Laziness is a symptom. It's a symptom of

what symptom. You have not purpose in life. You lack

purpose and because you like purpose and a vision, everything

else is too heavy a price for you to pay.

That's the truth. Everything you see going the doing this

is too heavy a price to pay because you lack purpose.

You think laziness and the problem, No, it is the

lack of vision and purpose in life. Some of you

feel like you're a short tempered, You are upset, easily,

always unsatisfied, unfulfilled. You know why is that? God, there's

idolatry in your life. It's idolatry. You will not say

about this idolatry in your life. You last, you desire,

but you do not get what you want or you

get disappointed by what you get because there's idolatry in

your life. I'm gonna say whether you admit it, whether

you were knowledge, whether you're confronted, it's up to you.

But it's idolatry. Do you have children they are reacting undisciplined,

you know what? It's problem there because you, yourself are

not surrendered. Sometimes yes, I know that you don't have

their own responsibility. They get to decide. Yes, there is

But in your own life when they look at you,

are you spending more time on your phone? Do you

allow every single source of idolatry? Thing things in the world,

things you think fun and trying to get them to

like you pass through into your family table. I have

to ask myself that tough question. You know, really you

don't really have to ask or not. It's my dad

spending my mom's spending more time on their in their bed,

are checking out shopping and Lasarda, things to buy, netflixers,

tiktoks and stuff like that. And then when you know

the family time is everybody a laugh about what the

hand on the handphone. There is family parenting nowadays, you know,

but when kids may laugh from the outside, but deep

down inside in the spiritual it's a lack of surrender

and self control. It's gluttony. It's modern they gluttony, you know,

more than their gluttony, no self control, and we have

and we cling onto our phones. About how many of

you you will actually let your spouse see what you

check on your phone? Huh? How many of you there

to let your speuse see what you check on your phone,

your web history, what you buy, what you do you

there while you will hide. I'm not just speaking of

young young parents. I'm speaking to all of you young

people as well. But there is the deception that we've

gotten into. I am myself there to tell people, but

we cannot continue in like that. You want continue to do?

What do you want to be a generation that continues

to lie to ourselves or are willing to confront At

the end of the day, we have to break lies.

These are lies, people, lies, lies, and we must know

that it's ungodly. God has nothing more than to want

to give us truth and life. People, truth and life,

so that you even if you someone who may not

know everything in the Bible, but because you are surrendered

and your heart is so sincere, and you are willing

to say, let them change us, let them changes. I

need to change. I will lead. I will wake up,

and I will put our I will follow the word

of God, and I will follow after the presence of God,

and I will become the example. I will build my

faith so that others can lean on my shoulder. I'm saying,

you know, it's so important. I cannot tell my children that, hey,

you go, make sure you ready, but I don't read

my Bible. Want you know, every time I say, hey,

but that do you understand? Like you said, oh I

don't understand, you go and check check you be dealer,

and then they will do the same thing with your

children as well. Borrow faith, shallow faith. You think you

think that I somehow can preach because I got talented. No,

it's hard work, people, hard work. You think he can

preach because just don't know it. I can tell you

some people, I spend the whole day and just going

through the Bible. We actually have to sit there, God,

what does this actually mean? What does this actually mean?

And you have to labor on it. How many of

you take in the morning. In the morning time, before

you check your hand phone, you actually go out and

have for like fifteen minutes of walk. God. I'm not

going to do anything, but before I start the day,

I'm going to say, God, what are you going to

say to me when you have a fight with your spouse?

Before you feel so upset? Said? God? What do you

say to me? How do I need to change? Do

you actually have a personal relationship with God? You claim

to have, but do you have? Do you really really have?

And how much longer do you want to pretend that

you actually have or you don't have it? How much longer?

I can tell you it's very hard and very tiring

to do church like that. I tell you, no wonder

people are living church because there's no personal relationship. And

any person that you meet in church who offense you

just a bit, I tell you you will go. I

will do that also, I tell you because it's hard

to do church like that. It's very hard, very difficult.

The only way is the reality of God in my

life that I will persevere and hang on and get

me in right. That's the only truth. People.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit Acts Church RG. We

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this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you. God bless