Church of Philadelphia | Pastor Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from ex Church.

We hope this message will light up your tea.

Every giving it's not about the gift. Every giving is

the room for faith and relationship to grow as well.

So I you know, as we put as we are

coming to our ex anniversary giving.

Uh.

You know, it's always very easy to fall back like

the note saying you know, hey, this is just a

time again, and then you go back to like, hey,

should I you know, put conditions to give? You know, God,

you didn't bless me last year so much. You know,

you didn't get a bonus that I wanted. Okay, so

got no bonus for you. You know, we don't get

the bonus, So we don't give God the bonus.

God.

You know, if I give you, you know, I hope that

you will bless my business, you know, but you don't

say it directly, you know, but we like to bargain

with God, and you know, bargain with God. God, if

I do this, will it happen?

And stuff like that.

But that's why giving the process of giving is so

if you allow it, it can be very purifying. One's giving

can be very purifying one not because all the things

creep up, you know, Ah, but we allow God allows

this exercise. And even know, if you read through the

Bible right now, Paul actually dedicated two entire chapters in

Second Corinthians. Two entire chapters are, mind you, two entire

chapters are to teach a giving church about giving, you know.

Two entire chapters are to teach a generous church about giving.

Why because he knows that there is much to learn

and much to God about giving. So I'm saying it's

very important if you're giving, I need to teaching you

more about giving. Not because I want more of you,

but because it is a purging as something that we

have to God as well. It is a ministry. Giving

is a ministry. It's a ministry of God that we

have to watch over and God very as well. Okay,

So I just wanted to encourage the church with that

as well. And before I go on, let's begin with

a word of pray. Okay, come, let's pray.

How do we Father?

We thank you for first of all for bringing everyone safely,

and those of us who are celebrating a Chinese New Year,

thank you for preserving our lives as well.

Lord.

We never take anything for granted, and we want to

also celebrate today that we can be in your house

to learn of your word, to receive your word and

your ministry. So Lord we come to you. We yield

our hearts and our minds. That Lord you may speak,

That Lord we will listen. Lord you speak, and Lord

we will submit as well. And so Holy Spirit, come

and do your mighty work in our lives. We can

may this time onto your hands in Jesus my name,

we pray Amen. Okay, So I've been doing the series

on the seven churches in the Book of Revelations. I'm

trying to close the series as soon as possible because

we'll be heading onto a new series. So today I

will cover two churches, Okay, the last two churches, if

you don't mind, so that at least I can give

you a bit of sort of like I know, maybe

I probably missed one or two churches in the middle,

but let me cover to at least these two important churches,

which I feel are the most important one, so that

you guys can have a better and more complete understanding.

Of this series.

So turn two Revelations, chapter three, okay, and we are

going to cover two churches. One is called the Faithful

Church in Philadelphia. And then we will move on to

the last church in laodic year. Okay, lao this year.

So let's read from revelationshipter three, verse seven. Okay. Now

the title rights here is called the Faithful Church. Now

it says in verse seven, and to the Angel of

the Church in Philhiladelphia, these things, says he who is holy.

Okay.

Underline that he who is true, and you're underlying that,

and he who has the key of David, and underlying

there as well, he who opens and no one shuts,

and shuts and no one opens. Okay. Now that's the introduction.

And then it proceeds to verse A says I know

your works. See I have said before you an open door,

and no one can shut it. For you have a

little strength. You have kept my word and have not

denied my name. Indeed, I will make those of the

Synagogue of Satan 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 because you have kept my command to persevere.

I also will keep you from the hour of trial

which shall come upon the whole earth. To test those

who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly,

how fast what you have? Then no one may take

your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a

pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall

go out no more. 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 who has an ear, let

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

how many of you have been to Philadelphia before, at

least in the US. What does Philadelphia mean?

Cheese?

That wasn't in my mind, But wow, that's the first

thing in my Philadelphia cheese?

Is it? Cream cheese? Is it?

There's the first thing you come to your mind?

Really?

Oh my goodness, Oh, so we are so product driven.

We're so product driven. Philadelphia cream cheese?

What else? What comes into your mind? Do you know what? Actually?

Does Philadelphia actually mean? The word Philadelphia? It's not creamer.

It's nothing to do with the Okay, Philadelphia. If you

go to US, of course, there are a few cities

in there's a city of Philadelphia in US. Of course,

there's a Philadelphia in Greece or Turkey there. Philadelphia is

comprised of a few keywords, but the main keyword is

phileo okay, which is a brotherly love. Okay, some of

you will know that, uh, you know, love has been

also specified in a few ways. There is the philial love,

which is the brotherly love. I love you like a brother.

There is the erotic love, erotic love, which is the

sensual love. Okay, you don't go to a brother and say,

you know, there's an erotic love. That's wrong. Okay, it's

a brotherly love philial love as well. And there is

the what else what is the third love? A gape

love as well, which is the godly love okay, love

that comes from God. I got love, okay, so phileo

era eras and then I got love okay. So all

these things, all these loves tend to uh what do

they call it, identify with a certain aspect. So Philadelphia,

you can just you can really uh combine and make

out of it that it is a city of brotherly love.

Okay.

In fact, if you go to you as this is

what they termed themselves Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. Okay,

when you go to a place called a brother little

for you expect, you expect communal little, isn't it?

Okay?

You expect to come to receive be accepted as well. Okay,

how many of you when you were in the eighties

and nineties you realized that before there was internet, before

there were social media, right before you know, for all

these things that a lot of the how do how

does the town, the community really get to know one another.

How do they get to know one another through church?

But outside church?

How do they get to know one How does the

community and a town come together? True societies, true clubs?

You know?

Remember in the eighties and nineties, I'm not sure if you,

but at least as a Chinese, at least I know

that we have used to have very big Hockeyen community,

Cantonese community, and they are so big that they have

clubs as well. So much so they have their within

the community, they have their commerce arm, they have their

charity arm, and they were huge. If you ask your parents,

they will know what I'm talking about. And so if

there were immigrants that were coming down, they don't know Chad,

but they will know to go to the club, and

so they will get a job there. They will find

sometimes for their sons and daughters of potential future husband

from there as well, and they became very big people,

connect people, you know, they all.

Sorts of things. Okay.

So that was before social media, and so there's a

reason why I'm telling you this, Okay. It's so community

are very important and sometimes they determine whether you can

fit in, where they can get a job, where they

can feed your family. All comes down for the community.

It's very very important. Now in Philadelphia, the City of

Brotherly Love, there exists a group of Jews who were

there as well. Okay, they were Jews, okay. And the

Jews they have their what they call it their temple, Okay,

they have their temple worship. And the way they do

it is that before you enter into the temple, they

will actually have a book in front of the at

the door and they will see whether you are a member. Okay,

So if you are new, you actually have to be

invited into way. People vouch for you and then people

know you are good standing and then your names will

be written in the book as well. So if you

go to some of the older clubs. You know what

I'm talking about, isn't it? You actually have a register

of members one. Ah, it makes sense right now, right?

And I was like, oh, then you have see a secretary,

see a treasurer. This is all school stuff. You're like,

oh yeah, but now all this, we don't have that anymore.

We don't have there anymore. Okay, So they have all

these things. But then you must understand there's something happened.

The Jews started having a big a friction with the

Christians because they say that you you say you're a Jew,

but yet you believe in Jesus. You gotta mean right,

You start to have a different what they call it friction,

and they start to uh treat you like an outcast. Okay,

treat you like an outcuts so much so they start

to you know, it starts from memberships, and members start

to say bad things about you. They gossip about you,

They put your name under the bus, you know, and they,

you know, because of their people will start to say that, hey,

this person, you know, it's a danger. You don't let

that person get near my children. Now, don't let the

person get to know my son and daughter.

You got mean.

Things that you will hear in the community is and

it you get to scared, and then you start to

you know, having this I know what kind of prejudice,

whether from their background, from their skin color, you get mean, right,

very typical, very normal things to start to differentiate that.

And because of that, the Christians started getting being minoritized

more and more and more and more. Now there were

a small group of Christians. They were there in Philadelphia,

in the city of brotherly Love, supposed to welcome. But yeah,

they were the ones who were being excluded out. It's

kind of funny because that is why when I told you,

in every church, the way that Jesus introduced himself is

always addressing oh sorry, it's always revealing the problem that

the Christians go through, the problem with the community, and

also presenting himself as the comfort and encouragement to the believers.

Yeah.

Man, so let's see what did he say. Jesus says

here in verse seven, these things says he who is holy,

he who is true. So what was the problem that

they were facing. The problem that they were facing is

because the Jews were saying that you believe in Jesus,

Jesus is not the Messiah. They were saying Jesus is

the false Messiah, that Jesus did a low evil things,

that Jesus promoted cannibalism because he invited people to party

in communion, eat of my flesh, drink of my.

Blood, cannibals. This is what they did.

They were accusing Jesus of many, many things that Jesus

and the disciples. Okay, so they were saying all these things.

But Jesus comes to the believers, okay, and say that

I am holy, I am blameless. If you say I'm evil,

why is it that I can perform all these miracles

true or not? If I'm evil? Why will God listen

to my prayers? Why can I perform all these miracles?

So it's either I am evil or you are a

false accuser, and the guilt is on you. Get me right,

So Jesus doesn't have to defend himself. His who works

his miracles defend himself. It's the witness for him. So Jesus,

I am holy, I am blameless, I am true, and

you do not lie truth. I am the truth. I

am the way the truth. Like that's why I am

with my father. Now where are you now? Ah? This

is what Jesus comes before them, and then he proceeds

to say, he who I am, he who opens, and

no one shuts and shuts, and no one opens. You

know why because as the Christian starts to get more

and more prejudiced and more opposed by the Jews a

the community, they begin to remove their names from the book.

They begin to shut the door. You cannot enter into

their temple, into their community, into their society, into their

clubs anymore you are. You may claim that you are

one of us, but you are not one of us.

And they got their door shut. Okay, they got their

door shut, And so Jesus comes to them. They may

shut your their doors on you, but I come. I

am the one who opens, and no one shuts and shuts,

and no one opens.

I hold the true key. Yeah, I mean right.

Jesus comes to their mister comforts stead, and he says,

in verse.

Eight, do not worry what they say about.

You, because I am the one who in verse eight,

I know your works. I see your works. And he says,

see I've said before you and open door.

Do not focus.

Do not focus your eyes on the doors that they

close before you. Do not get discouraged do not, do

not waiver, do not be, do not, do not, do

not falter in this moment. Okay, but see, he said,

look before me, look at me. Put your put your said, saying,

we go. When we go through difficult times, we need

to keep our eyes on Jesus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

look full in his wonderful face, and all these things

will become strangely dim, isn't it We cannot focus on

the doors that shut before us.

Sometimes we get focused.

Oh is it because I didn't fast enough, because it

didn't pray enough. No, there are doors people will shut

because you believe in me. But now look, Jesus says,

look I said before you and opened, and no one

can shut for you have a little strength. I know

that you are not as big as them. I know

you're small, and because of that they bully you, and

they may ostracize you. Okay, but you have kept my

word and you have not denied my name. And in

verse nine, because of what they did, okay, it becomes

an evidence of their corruption. Right, what they did against

you is judgment against them. You know you see, man,

because of what this thing, you are willing to shut

your own brethren. You know you are willing to show.

You are willing to show cruelty instead of compassion. Remember

the story about the now the the Samaritan who helped

know was that person that you know what God rot one.

It was a samaritan, not a priest or anyone. Even

the samaritan knows how to help a brother, But a

brother who is hungry, who is poor, you are willing

to shut them out from your temple. Okay, So what

did Jesus say is indeed I will make those of

the Synagogue of Satan. You say it's my name, you

claim to read my scripture. You can have all the

trappings and the decoration, but you are actually a Synagogue

of Satan. If you know this, if you use this

kind of words, I tell you you won't stand man.

You know, but Jesus says it. You are who you are.

You claim you are a Jew, but you are not.

But you're lying.

But indeed I will make them come and worship before

your feet, and to know that I have loved you

because they say that you are. You know also of things.

God does not love you. God does not care about you.

And we extend it. We are right and just to

treat you like that. But in the end, they will

know that I loved you. Hey, they will know that

I have left you, So say in verse ten, because

you have kept my command to persevere. So why is

our command?

So?

Why is our command in these times in the city

that we are supposed to expect brotherly love, in a

place where we're supposed to be accepted by a community,

or at least show mercy. Okay, But yet if we

do not get it, what are we supposed to do?

We are called to persevere?

Okay? Why?

Because God plans to keep us from the hour of

trial which shall come upon the whole world to test

those who dwell on the earth. Everything happens to test us,

to refine.

Us, and we must persevere. Okay.

Then in verse eleven says behold, I am coming quickly,

how fast what you have?

Then no one may take your crown? Okay?

So why did Jesus have to warn us about this?

Unless there is a risk that we can lose our crown.

And there is a risk and we can lose our crime.

Not the reason why we lose losing our crime is

because people might take it from Maswana. No, okay, it's

very very dangerous. Okay, he who overcomes, I will make

him appealer in the temper of my God, and he

shall go out no more. Once you are in, once

you persevere through, once God opens the door and you

come in, there's nothing that will ever disqualify you ever again.

And say what I'm saying now, there is the promise

of God all onto us. I will write on him

the name of my God, and the name of the

city of my God, of the New Jerusalem, which comes

down from heaven of my God. And I will write

on him my new name. See, the world may remove

your name from their register, but what matters is what

you cannot find it here. Yeah, you might not find

your place. You might not might not find your name

in society, in some people's you know book you know,

or in certain communities. But Jesus says the most important

place you should appear it's in the Book of Life.

That's the most important book that we must appeal to.

If you anything that you need to fight for, that

is what you ought to fight for to make sure

that your name is in the Book of Life. You

remember the disciples, There was one time that Jesus called them,

you know, hey, I don't want you to take anything

with you, but go out.

Uh.

And then in two by two it's go out and

cast demons, go and push the gospel. And then they

came back, and then they rejoice, saying, Jesus, you know, wow,

we know we'll because of demons, they all flee in

your name. You know, all these things. So what did

Jesus do? Well done, good job. Yeah, finally, my disciples,

did he say that? He said, no, okay, do not

rejoice in all this, but rejoice that your names are

written in the Book of Life. He's saying that no

or even your ministry can compare to that.

Do you know what I mean? Right?

Not even your ministry can compare to the importance that

your name is written in the Book of life. So

we should not take comfort, We should not put our

what they call it our our safety or assurance in

anything that we do in life, you know.

But the one thing that we look.

For, okay, if we pass on, who holds our hand

when we move on after this life? And where does

our name appear in the Book of Life or not?

There's all that matters, people, All that matters. All that matters, okay, Okay,

so far, Oh God, something can we can I move

on to the second church. The second church gets more exciting,

or even more exciting. Let's move on to verse fourteen.

The lukewarm church.

Okay.

Now, in verse fourteen, it says to the Angel of

the Church of the Laodicians, right these things, says the Amen,

the faithful and true witness the beginning of creation of God.

Underlying all of that, Okay, the last part. How does

Jesus introduce himself to the church. He says again, I repeat,

he says, Amen, the faithful and true witness the beginning

of her creation of God. Very very, very very important.

Now come back to that. Now in verse fifteen, he says,

I know your works, okay, that you are neither neither

call nor hot. I could wish that you were hot,

you were called or heart. So then, because you are

liutwarm and neither call nor hot, I will warmit you

out of my mouth. Because you say I am rich,

have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do

not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor 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 closed, that the shame of your

nakedness may not be revealed. And anoint your eyes with

eyes soft, that you may see. As many as I love,

I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold,

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 he with me. To

him who overcomes our grunt to sit with me on

my front, as I also overcame and sat down with

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

let him hear what the spirit says to the churches

a man. All right, Now, let me start off by

describing the city of Laodica, Okay, so that we don't

take things out of context. Okay, Then from this particular

church that Jesus address. Now there are a few very

popular verses we learned before.

Okay. So Laodicia is a very unique city. First of all, it.

Is a very rich and affluent city.

Very rich.

Okay, it's you you know. It is a trading center,

not a place of a lot of trades. People come

from many places to come and trade. It is a

banking center as well.

Uh.

And they were particularly known for one major, one very

important product, which is the eye oint ointment for the.

Eye or eyes sore.

Okay, it's called the Frugian powder.

Okay.

I don't know how they get it, but it's apparently

it's very powerful. People come from many places to come

to that particular location to get that particular ointment powder

to apply into the eyes so that to heal all

all they are different. I uh, they call it sicknesses

and humans as well.

Okay.

So they were known for that and people like to

come to the city to trade in the marketplace. People love,

you know, it's like it's like it's like shopping and lasada,

that timeline. You know, they don't have appa, but every

day what they will do. They would just love to

come out early in the morning to walk to the marketplace,

to see new ships that will come to the harbor,

to meet new merchants, what they bring and in the

med a nice person that will bringing to their house

or sometimes the merchants will do the initiatives. Hey they

knock on the door. Hey, I come from this part

and this part I brought something, you know, and you

before you let them in, you look outside what they

have personal It's like basically like scrolling an appline. Now

we don't have they don't have app you know. It's

like but here, maybe got two trees. So every morning

you get the ideas like, wow, a few people knocking

on your door. Okay, last time in my back in

my hometown, we have I have people who come and

sell things from door to door like that. Also now

this we don't have that nowadays. We used to have copitia.

I mean not like you know, maybe they won't. But

in the older times, in the eighties, people used to

do that.

You know.

You remember now some people bring the vacuum cleaner. They

bring I don't know some of you remember, yeah.

I see that.

You're all okay, you're not your head, you're all scuddy.

Some of you have no idea what I'm talking about.

It's like what people go door to door and not

and sell things. What in the world people sell durian

or so sell mango? People when people come to my

house to sell war meat. You know, yet how many

of you know see some some I see some of

your hair. No no idea people, but people do that,

you know, So it's exciting. Life was very small and

entire you get to see faces and stuff like that.

So there was always there was you know, sometimes you

because you see like, oh, come into my house drink

and then they will take out your thing and then

show you, you know, what they bring as well.

It's it's a very different line.

That's why a lot of us we cannot identify with

what they're talking about. But it was always been like that. Okay,

so if you're rich, you don't go out. Okay, people

come to you.

Okay.

If you're not so rich, you go out and you

find and you develop that connection. Maybe you find a

Marco Polo, you know who sell you know, merchants from Afar,

you know.

All these things.

Okay, So that was what they, uh, they experienced. Okay,

now why was I talking about? Okay, so they were

rich and uh people were coming around. But they as

rich as they are as a city, geographically, they have

one major problem. It was like, what kind of problem?

What can you you know, you've got trading, you're rich,

what's the problem. They do not have direct access to water.

There was the problem. A lot of the other cities

in their surrounding have access to water in many different ways.

One of the neighboring city have direct access to the

hot spring. The water that comes there is from the

hot spring, okay, and then the.

Water is hot.

Another place could be further away, and then they have

access from water coming from the snow caps, from the

hills side and from the mountain side. The water is

very cool. But they had neither. Okay, So what they do?

What did they do? So they will build very smart,

build a canal, a small canal like a piping system. Okay,

you think like nowadays we only have, but they were

very advantu ready. They will flow down the water from

either the hot spring or from the snow caps from

other cities all the way into their city to keep

it short. Okay, and these are all very fine. You

can go and check out all night. So they build

all the way. But when the water comes into the city,

it is neither hot or it's neither cold. Why because

along the way it gets what conditioned and tempered by

the surrounding. Along the way, the water that was hot

becomes cold down by the surrounding. It takes a while,

and isn't it takes a journey if you can ten fifteen,

twenty thirty try to pull water from here all the

way to clang. Now hot water goes bring to them.

Some of you bring coffee in a Flaska then not cold,

not hot anymore, you know, spend so much money.

Okay, cold one.

By the way, it's summer come, it's not cold anymore.

Why because along the way it passes through the piping system,

the environment they passed through has changed them.

Ironic.

So we as believers, as we get saved and as

we pass through this world, are we changed.

Still warm or not?

Or do we say that we can't help ourselves? The

world made us like that. My circumstances make me like that,

you know, conditioned by the world. Have you kept yourself pure?

Have you kept yourself not consecrated? He I'm saying, well,

you're not. You're not by coincidence. No, no, no, you didn't.

We were not bond you woman. You know what I'm

saying is they're powerful, isn't it. That's why I said

you have to understand the context. Now you're not born

with warm you know, we're all by the really call

or really really hot line, always been the case. But

in life that we passed through, maybe you you know,

got a new job, maybe born new house, you know,

you need to service a higher loan. May you've got

a girlfriend or a boyfriend, need to build the relationships.

May you got married, you know along the way. Maybe

someone passed away in your life. Maybe you have a

life condition. All these things, there's a lot legit. Maybe

you have a horrible boss. Maybe you have a great boss.

I don't know, it could be long. Maybe you've got children,

you know, maybe your children's maybe the mondy maybe difficult.

Maybe you didn't expect it. You got twin.

You know, things can happen.

And I tell you that a thousands and one things

that things can throw in your life. Maybe someone had

to live with you in your family, because in all

six now you have to feed, not just three or four.

You're the feet like, hey, you know, I tell you

things are like that, and I know because of life

and then and because of that, you begin to change

your properties.

You know, of who you.

Are, they change of properties. You know, you're not able

to hold on to the state of where you come from,

being from those snow caps from you know, from the

hot springs that you were brought from out you know,

God made you to be extremely cool when people in

the hot summer and drink you there was distincting or

you were distincting.

You were different.

You were desirable and God, especially God. So you're desirable.

And when you're heart you can do anything. When you're hot,

and you know, I can make my lot. How you

like to make my little with lit warm water? You

don't like?

Right?

You know, maybe it can make my.

Little than soul.

I don't know why you're okay, But nobody can make

my proplem my lot. No. In fact, it's the water

comes down with so luqiwarm. People drink it. People hated

it so much.

You know, the.

Whole city, with all its splendor, with all its glitter

and glory, was sick and dreadful because the water was

so bad. You know, it was so bad, and they

want to shower in it. They don't want to drinking.

You want to give it to your children. Oh what

I would do to trade all these things for fresh

for ice, cold water, for water isn't hot, you know,

but they would do anything for that. But the water

was lukewarm, and it was because it was little warm.

There was a lot infestation, you know what I mean, right,

it was. It was not a lot of things. They

made me not being not yielded a lot of hour.

They call them more rats were everywhere, you know, because

it's you know, when you look warmer, it's it's the

temperature that everything begins to breathe as well. It's kind

of funny when we are little warmer, all sorts of

vices and things you never plan that start to happen

in your life. You know, you pick up habits and

you never wanted to, you know, true or not true not.

It's like you know when you're like when you're disappointed

with God, when you're too busier, you start to, Hey,

you spend you supposed to spend family time, but you

watch TikTok and Netflix more than anything else.

You know, it's true. It's like, oh, it's true. I've

seen people who are like that.

People who are in their forties fifty sixties are you

think they were better, but actually they spend more time

on their phone than anything else. I'm not saying you

no against people against forty fifty sixties.

I watch a lot, but it tends to be like that.

It's not because the age that, oh, it's because of

something that is unresolved with God or they had never

kept themselves either really hot or really cold. You know

what I'm saying. No things breed, things breed. You become

very unforgiving, hot tempered, you know, very critical all the vices.

If I said twenty thirty years ago, where you're.

Like that, you were never like that.

You picked up all along the way all these things

starts to breathe in your life become unrecognizable, very quiet.

A man. It's true or not? It is it true

or not?

Isn't it? It's funny and that the Bible in a

very simplified way. It summarizes our life, you know, isn't it.

But that's why it says here in verse fifteen, it says,

I know your works that you are neither called nor hard.

I could wish you were called or hot. So then,

because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hord, I

will vomit you out of my mouth. Jesus says that

I will vomit your because that's what they did with

their water. They did that with their water. And say

you think it's the water problem, I say you are

the problem. I will vomit you out. You say you're

a Christian, you think you're well to do I tell

you when you come to me.

I will vomit you out.

Okay, very strong words, And in verse seventeen, it says,

because you say, why do they vomit you out? How

is it that you are hot and you are that

you're neither hot nor no nor cold?

Spiritually? How how do we know that we're hot on cold? Okay?

We are not okay? Because you say I am rich,

have become wealthy and have need of nothing?

See yah?

How do you know you are warm when you touch it?

When you feel neither nothings? When you stay like you're

neither means when God touches you and feel you, your

response to him is I don't need anything. Oh when

God released a word. When God tries to speak to you,

I have to meet of you. Your immediate response, I

don't need you. That's the most loute warm response we

can give God. Isn't true or not true or not people,

It's true true. It's not about your quiet time ant

you're just in your heart say you know you might

not directly say it, but there's no urgency. Don't really

need you. I don't really really need you.

Okay.

I had become rich because and you say you don't

need because you have think thought that you had become rich.

You have become wealthy your food. I don't need you.

And there's a danger. Are you really? Are you really?

And do not know that you are? And do not

know that you are off nothing? Not only that you

look warm, but you are also blind. Okay, you are wretched, miserable, poor,

blind and naked. It's not just that you have no

need or nothing, but you are totally completely oblivious, totally oblivious. Okay,

you have no idea what you have become. You have

been this illusion. You have lied to yourself, not lying

to people, You have lied to yourself that you don't

need anything. And Jesus says it in verse eighteen. I

counsel you to buy from me, go refined 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 annoint your eyes with eyes of

that you may see.

Oh see, every.

Morning you wake up, you're hoping for new people to

come and open and knock on your door to offer

you new things. Or you go to the market and

see like, oh, what's the next new thing I can

get well, like like likes new thing, and that's the

next if or next watch, you know, our next new car,

next new thing. You know, if my cousin renovated your house,

or maybe like Japandee style, you know, like a Japanese

style or Scandinavian style, you know, or I don't know,

mid century style, you know.

Oh, and then you get into it.

You know, you're never a house designer, but suddenly you

become very good house designer. You know, you're like always

on the new thing, and the world we always got

a new new trends. You know, oh, I never tried

this new cheesecake before, but if you tried this best

best KEYD cheesecake from Australia, you know, everybody is always

under the new staff. Okay, but yeah, Jesus comes it.

You go out and look and you're waiting for people

to come to your house. I come before you right now,

and I'm giving you counsel. Buy from me, okay, not

from the world. Buy from me, go refine in the fire.

You buy things, okay, but I tell you my what

I offer is nothing you do. And this is pure

goal refined in the fire. Who is the pure goal,

refined the fire. Jesus, I've been refined. I am the treasure,

I am the goal. I have been refining the tire.

All the miracles that Jesus did, all the sufferings, accusations

you went through.

Who was worthy?

Jesus is worthy? You get me right? We were saying

you are worthy of you all? Do you really treat

him as worthy? Or do we go to the market

looking for something else more worthy? But Jesus said, I

am worthy, I'm worthy of all. That's why I said,

buy from me, go refined in the fire, so that

you yourself will become goal, refining fire. You can see what

I'm saying. No, I'm not saying Jesus got it. But

Jesus is pure God but nothing. They couldn't find a

single blemish. But we ourself, we have so much blame,

miss but God will take us through the testings to

refine us. You know what I'm saying. You know Jesus

is pure gold, nothing, blameless, and he wants to make

us blameless as well. Okay, So that what so they

by go refining fire so that we may be rich?

Okay?

And white guments you look at outside, Oh, all these

garments Mediterranean, Mediterranean, from Rome, from Italy, from France, everything

by saying I give you one thing. There's one thing.

You dress all the codes for pride, but I give

you one dressing the jenny you dress to hide your shame,

to hide your shame, okay, to hide away your shame.

Last day. See, none of us are realized. You know,

we know we've been forgiven of our sins. But it's

one thing that we really are also very grateful that

our problems are don't get revealed in front of everybody

and before God. And God knows, but his mercier spares

us from being reviewed and shameless. You know, Jesus took

it all so that hour, since that God is for,

can be kept away. You know that you and I

you want to see my problems. I want to see

your problems. You will hide in the corner, I tell you,

will hide under the tree, under the rock.

You will never come out. You know.

That's why sometimes when you see sometimes a news or

a politician or a style anyone they're hiding on. They

go and you know, change citizenship, you know.

Run high.

But God gives us this white garment. All the thoughts,

all the nonsense that we are clothing. You know that

we think God is going to cover us. Amazing, isn't it?

The one thing you know? We think, always think God,

we're gonna judge just God. Yes, God judges, yes. But

from day one, even from the day of Genesis, God's

mind us my thing. How can I cover you? Did

you know that even from from Adam God's mindset? How

can I cover you? Adam took them what leaves from

the trees to cover and no, this will never cover.

But the covering requires a sacrifice. There's an animal skin.

God's mind has always been about covering your covering, covering you.

You know, some of us.

And when you go to work, sometimes you made a mistake,

sometimes you boo boo, or you forgot something. But sometimes

you have a hero, the hero manager who covered your back.

You know, true or not covers your back. Don't even

tell the boss what you did? You know or you

didn't do?

You know? I got your back.

Turn your neighbor, say God has got our back.

You know.

God has got our back, and all praise God.

Isn't it? Aren't you?

Aren't you glad that God has got your back? Some

of us we made so much mistake, do nonsense. Then

aren't you glad that your father and mother got your back?

Won't tell her everybody? Hey, this is my son. You see.

Sometimes the world has become so and now I'm not

with himself, you know. So there I saw some one person,

now this police go knocked down by a car or dying.

The person was and everything was captured on video, you know,

and the guy r and then the guy who perpetrated

ram passing. You said, now these people are so focused

on videoing rare than helping.

You know. It's sad, isn't it.

He said, yeah, I know, this is tragic. They got

a lot of you so sorry. Now I'm wondering, hey,

what is more important? You get the views of you're

helping the fellow, the fella the policeman eventually died, you know.

Tragic, you know, at the way.

For another person to help, you know. But God has

got all back, covering everything. He said, you buy all

these things, will they ever help you cover you if

you mess us up? Jesus took our shame, he took

our scenes, and we owe him everything.

Amen.

And then he says, here as I draw draw to

a close, and annoying your eyes with eyes soft that

you may see.

Amen.

They may sell all the product to people. Hey, it

can help you with your eyes. But Jesus comes along

and says he wanted to anoint our eyes with eyes soft,

that we may see see who we are, and see

Jesus as who he really is. And in verse nineteen

he gives a rebuilt and the chastening as he says,

as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Now

this is very powerful. If God loves you, he will

discipline you.

Make no mistake he loves you.

You say that God loves me, you believe in Some

people call it hyper gray supreme grace. Some people call

it greasy grace. And then you just say, oh, forgive me,

and I will. I already book my ticket. Bom read

is so nothing, and the airport is gonna stop me

from boarding that plane. God chastens those whom he loves. Really,

he chasten stones who he loves. Okay, he will rebuild,

he will chase them. And he says, therefore, be zealous

and repent.

Wow. So what is our response?

How do we keep ourselves from being lit warm? The

key is to be zealous, zealous means what some people

think passionate. Some people will see it like, oh, like

a fanatic being.

Zealous for what.

It is to be zealous too? To keep God. To

ask yourself, am I saved?

Really?

You know you think you are safe? I said, Am

I really safer? Am I safe because I tell myself

every night? I'm safe because I listen to a worship song?

Or Am I safe because I produce the works that

the Bible tells me I should produce. If you are

a Durian tree, you will produce Durian You will not

produce orange. Okay, if you produce an orange, I don't

care who tells you you are duri and you look

like a duri entry. You sound like a Durant tea.

You are not and you are not a durentry because

you produce an orange. You know what I mean, right?

I don't care what you think. It is by your works,

what you do, what you say. I'm not saying you're perfect.

Sometimes you messed up, but you you know our lives.

You know it's determined by the fruits that we produce. Okay,

you get changed behind Durant really, by the grace of God,

No doubt about that.

But we need to produce.

So what is your job? You have to take care

of your own garden. Am I producing the fruits that

God has planted in me? You know why I'm saying?

Am I producing? Are you zealous if it's not what

has stolen your heart? When it has stolen your heart

along the way, when you're passing down from the hot

spring off on the snorre caps, what has changed you?

Sometimes I don't even produce, you ren and like, what

is it producing? You're like, the trees are did you

know that in agriculture you can have a fruit tree

producing nothing one and all?

You know that nothing one and all?

There's something wrong with it and all. It can have

a rumble tun tree producing nothing one. No, It's like,

are you sure it's a rubble tunt tree? Await the tree?

For five years, it has never come up. Oh, I said,

to be careful. It has never produced anything at all. Okay,

I have trees like that in my never produce a

single thing and all because you know, it's like it

produced like less than ten percent of what they normally produce.

So we have to be zealous to guard our hearts.

And when we realize that something is wrong with us.

We need to repent. And lastly, he says, behold, I

stand at the door and knock. He said that every

morning if you are zealous and you desire to say,

to examine yourself to really, you know, buy the things

you know, not from the world, but from God. If

you open your eyes, you will realize that God is

actually outside the door knocking. Isn't it because you're excited?

True? Not, you're excited.

Some of us are will wake up the first thing

in the morning, and the first thing we like to

do is check our Oh it's true, isn't it? But

if I tell you that God is knocking at your door,

it's the same thing.

Do you approach? Hey, God, what's new?

What did you bring? You know?

Why are you?

And then you're so exact that you want him to

come into your house the way you entertain you know

people from Afar who brings so called treasure from.

The world as well.

But Jesus says I not, I stand at the door

and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come into him and I will dine with him,

and he with me. To him who overcomes our grunt

to sit with me on my throne. Okay, to him

or overcomes why because Jesus overcame, so we are to

follow after him to overcome as well, to overcome what

the world. Jesus has overcome the world. So it means

there is a way that we can flow from the

mountaintop or from the hot spring all the way and

be still be cold and hot because Jesus has done it.

And if we follow after him, we don't have to

be lit warm. We will never intended to be lit

warm makes sense? Or not never intended to be lout warm.

Okay?

The lawyah personally two says he who has in here,

let him hear what he the spirit says to the churches.

Hallelujah. So I close this part here.

What have we begin to allow ourselves to become? Have

we become self sufficient? Have we become complacent? Do we

prioritize comfort and convenience more than anything else? Do we

focus like you know, like church, I'm talking about church,

just talking about time we've got you know as part time?

Are we more focused like I mean just doing an

audio this past month?

What's been taking your time? You know what I mean?

Right last night, I was just doing a bit of

quiet time and I was like, man, why has been

taking up your time?

Because I won't satisfied us.

I thinking, Man, I think I don't think I'm really

spiritually productive. I feel like I was fasting on something.

But then I feel like, yes, it was good. But

along the way, I realized that I was still a

bit I felt a bit dry. And then I was like,

then God, and I felt like the spirit speaking to

me saying, if you feel if you want to know

why you are feeling like that, why have you been

doing with your time? I was like, oh, yeah, that's

that's a good question. And I realized there's certain things

I need to give up to reveal some You see,

a lot of times we ask for a healing, but

God comes along and gives us a revealing.

I'm saying a.

Lot of times we ask for a healing, but God

comes to give a revealing.

That's what we really need.

One what I'm saying, no, save me, comfort me. But

most of the time God comes and reveals. Then we

become like, oh, oh, you look at the mirror, because

Jesus do woman called it an adultry. All these things

that I mean just mentioned, you would realize that that

as he healed, as he comforted, delivered, what happens on

the other side always a revealing of the other party,

always a revealing. People begin to hate him more, people

reject him more. Yeah, I mean right, there's always a

revealing in every miracle. There's always a revealing. So what

is God revealing in our hearts today?

You know what I'm saying. You know why is it

really God revealing in our hearts today?

How have you been spending our time?

What's your temperature like? Are you come? Are you hot?

Or have you changed? That's the question.

Let's come and stand together, harlor lawyer. The key to

not being little warm is one thing, and one thing

only abide in me, For apart from me you can

do nothing a man.

That is why Jesus says.

That is why Jesus says in verse fourteen, I am

the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the.

Creation of God.

Why Jesus trying to tell you amen means in a name,

the name of Jesus. Amen, We say, in the name

of Jesus, you know, Amen, It's final.

All this.

We can do anything you want to achieve in life.

You can only be done with you.

Abide in him.

But Jesus says, I am the faithful and true witness.

That is the opposite, direct opposite of being lukewarm. Jesus

came down.

He wasn't changed by the world. He didn't became lukewarm.

He was the faithful and true witness.

That's the opposite of luke warming on.

That's why he introduced himself, said, don't look at the world.

Don't be like the world.

Look at me. Be like me, Abide in me.

Be the faithful and true.

Witness like I am, and then I am the beginning

of the creation of God, from the very beginning until

the very end.

Stay faithful like he is. Amen.

That's why he means to be, not luke woman on.

It's not suddenly the Hey, you know, I need a

few more worship songs. In all, No, be faithful like

he is all the way until the very end.

Amen.

Let's cause our eyes. That's let's prayer for ourselves. I

really want to pray for bte. Everyone here to pray

for ourselves. Lujas, spend some time here, said God, I

want to commit to you in my life. My heart, Lord,

Thank you for your word. Your word is a light

onto our path. Your word reveals Lord, your word Father

convicts Lord. And so Lord, right now we want to

really examine our lives and really uh you know, doing

this due diligence of our lives in accordance and in

the light.

Of your works.

So Lord, we pray us have mercy, Have mercy right

now wherever you are right now, if you feel like

just no, you know, maybe so I don't. I don't

mean to condemn anyone here, but if you feel your

heavy hearted, maybe something buttoned in your life was pressed.

Maybe here the nerve and apologize. But more than anything else,

I hope that there is a sense that you know

that God is speaking to your God.

Is addressing something in your life right now.

Holy Spirit, come and do that mighty and powerful world

touch them right now, Oh Lord, have mercy be so

gentle upon them right now. Some of you may be

like me. You have to give up certain things to

begin able too fast fast, something things that you love

so much, things that take up so much of your time.

Sometimes you even justify before God. God, I'm serving you,

you know, But God said, if I take that away,

what would you do? Would you spend time with me.

Can you be stilled before me and spend time with me?

Don't need to bargain with me.

You know there's nothing we do in life can ever

replace the work of God, and not the work.

That Jesus did.

Know what is it that you're spending so much time with?

Why it's taking up so much of your time? But

God comes into our lives saying that you know he

counsels us to buy from him.

Go refine in the fire.

Lord, we ask right now the law that will open the.

Doors of our hearts.

We do not want to be blind, wretched, poor and naked,

but law. Right now, we humble ourselves before you, and

then we open our eyes to see what you offer,

all refined in the fire.

Lord.

We do not to be want to be rich in

our own ways. We do not want to be rich

in the world's standard. We don't want we don't want

to be conditioned by the world by all these dreams

and desires. Lord, by that Lord, we want to be

rich in you, Lord. We want your garments. There are white, Lord,

washed by you, Lord, so that we may be cloth

for LogD. Because we know that it is you and

you who took away our shame. Lord, You took away

all our shame, Lord, and we hide behind you. Lord,

this clothes right now, law we want more than anything else.

Will trade all the things that we want to wear.

We want to be. We want to identify with our lot,

but we want to identify with you. We want to

remain in you, want abide in you. For apart from you,

we can do nothing, low, nothing long, and Lord, we

desire to buy from you eyes and our solves. For

our eyes, the law we will no longer be blinded,

but we will begin to see. We will begin to

have a vision.

Lord.

We will begin to see ourselves the way that you

see ourselves. Father, Lord, God, Oh Lord, right now, the Lawyer,

Maybe spend another more minute here just praying for ourselves

where you are, and you know, show what we're going

to begin.

To worship the Lord.

Maybe I feel like I know the song turn your

eyes upon Jesus. You know, I think it's powerful, it's appropriate.

I want to begin to invite everyone to prepare our hearts,

to minister upon ourselves as well, and then we'll pray

for people. Amen, let's prepare ourselves. The next fifteen seconds.

Commit yourself to the Lord and prepare to worship you.

Lawyer Lord, I want to come back to you, we

want to talk to you. Thank you Jesus.

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

information on our church, please visit as church org. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless