Revelation 3:14-22 How do you like your coffee? January 8, 2017 Before I get into the message I want to make sure y all know that 7:00 (note this is

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Piers Bond
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1 Revelation 3:14-22 How do you like your coffee? January 8, 2017 Before I get into the message I want to make sure y all know that 7:00 (note this is a time change since the January newsletter) February we will be having a movie night featuring the film War Room. We supply the movie and popcorn, of course we will have chairs available but you are welcome to bring a lawn chair, blanket, pillows anything to get comfortable and your own nonalcoholic drink and come watch the show. The movie War Room is a compelling drama with humor and heart that explores the power that prayer can have on every area of our lives. The main characters, Tony and Elizabeth Jordan, have a big house, a beautiful daughter, and plenty of money. On paper, they look really good, but the reality is they have a strained marriage that is affecting the whole family. One day, Elizabeth, who is a real estate agent, meets Miss Clara, who wants to sell her home. But as the movie progresses you find there is more to Miss Clara than just a friendly real estate client. Today we are beginning a sermon series Set Apart, because we are called to be a people who are set apart. And during the sermon series we will be looking at some clips from the movie War Room. I have identified 4 themes in the movie regarding what it means to be set apart. The clip we will see today is one that comes early in the movie. Elizabeth is trying to give Miss Clara a listing price for her house, but Miss Clara has some other priorities she is trying to attend to. Watch and see. (to see the movie clip go to You got to admit, Miss Clara is getting her point across to Elizabeth. When she asks what Elizabeth s prayer life is like she says, Well, you know not hot not cold somewhere inbetween. Like her coffee Elizabeth is room temperature. Like most people, she doesn t stand out or in the words of our sermon series she doesn t seem like someone who is set apart. Today s scripture is from a broader reading of the book of Revelation. The first chapter reveals who Jesus is in his glory and then it is followed by chapters 2 and 3 which have seven messages for seven churches. The messages are basically an evaluation of each of them. You may find them listed on your bulletin insert (see below), which includes the results of each of the churches evaluation. Note if you were to read these two chapters, which I do encourage you to do, you would see some of the details that led to these assessments. When you read, notice the first six churches do have positive feedback, but Smyrna and Philadelphia alone are the ones who get only positive feedback, they are living lives that are noticeably set apart in a positive way. but let s be fair the other four do still have or at least at one time had some redeeming qualities about them but to read their current state the fragrance doesn t match up to that of Smyrna and Philadelphia. And then there is Laodicea, the church that is lukewarm not hot or cold somewhere in the middle like a cup of coffee room temperature. Jesus says he will spit them out the New King James version is even more graphic translating that he will vomit them out. So, lukewarm is not a good thing. To avoid being lukewarm we need to draw near to God so in today s sermon, How Do You Like Your Coffee?, we re going to learn to be intentional about drawing near to God: by spending time with Jesus, by spending time in God s word, make gathering with God s people a priority, and making your own space in the home for intentional prayer. We do this so we don t fall into making the same mistakes that Laodicea did. Again, in today s scripture unlike the other six churches, Laodicea had nothing commendable written. They are neither hot nor cold. This church was located in western Turkey about 100 miles west of Ephesus. Laodicea was a wealthy community known for their banking

2 establishments, its booming textile and clothing industry, its medical school, and it had its own eye ointment that it was famous for. Their wealth in physical resources had led to false pride and a sense of self-sufficiency. In fact back in 60 AD when the community was destroyed by an earthquake they refused help from Rome. And their water, which was the one resource they were lacking, was piped in from neighboring communities via aqueducts they funded and built. They were self-sufficient and they were proud of it. When you know the details of their physical blessings and the one thing they lack, you discover the choice of words of the assessment is brilliant. Despite how physically rich and selfsufficient they claim to be verse 17 warns, You don t realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. Their wealth and pride had blinded them to the truth. They may have been physically rich, but spiritually speaking, they were miserable, pathetic, bankrupt, blind and naked. Their banking industry, their clothing trade, their eye salve, could not take care of their spiritual condition. The writer played on every part of their city to point out they needed similar provisions spiritually. As noted, they were rich in many resources except for one very important one, that being water. They had lousy water. No problem, Hierapolis, just 12 miles north of Laodicea, was known for their hot springs, and their neighbors about 20 miles to the east, Colossae, were known for their cold springs. So, Laodicea built massive aqueducts to carry hot water from the North and cold water from the east. Why not? They had the money and the resources. Spare no expense. One problem what do you think happened to hot water that traveled 12 miles and cold water that traveled 20 miles? By the time it reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm and full of sediment. So, when this revelation says they are being spit/spewed/vomited out, the Laodiceans know what he means. It s a very relatable metaphor for the community. Just as the water was lukewarm because of the great distance from the water s source, so too they had lukewarm souls. They were experiencing too great a distance from their spiritual source. The writer of today s scripture warns Laodicea they need to draw closer to the source. Verse 19 says I correct and discipline those whom I love. So be earnest and change your hearts and lives. The next verse gives us a picture of Jesus outside the door of the church much like the one we see on the stain glass window over there, Look! I m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me. Think about that image. This certainly can be applied personally, but remember, it was first given to a church. Picture this room with all the doors closed and then there is a knock on the door. And it is Jesus wanting back in his own church. That s what he said to them. He certainly could have gotten in there. but the thing is Jesus doesn t force his way into anywhere. He s too much of a gentleman for that. No, he gives us the privilege to open the handle from our side of the door and receive him. Open the door and draw near to him.

3 We need to draw near to God, we need to draw near to Jesus. James 4:7-10 says, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Cry out in sorrow, mourn, and weep! Let your laughter become mourning and your joy become sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. We must humble ourselves before we can be lifted up. We need to confess that we are not self-sufficient, if we think we are we are in danger of becoming a lukewarm church. I repeat the cause of a lukewarm soul is too great a distance from the source. How close are you to God? Do you even care? How important is Jesus to you? How open are you to God s Holy Spirit? Verse 21 says, As for those who emerge victorious, I will allow them to sit with me on my throne, just as I emerged victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. If we want to experience victory, we need to draw near to our spiritual source. In the movie War Room, Miss Clara has a great quote in the opening narration to the movie. She says, to win any battle you ve got to have the right strategy and resources because victories don t come by accident. They not only require resources, they require a strategy. So what is our strategy in drawing near to God? Four things that are highlighted in your bulletin insert. 1. Spend time with Jesus how do you get to know someone without spending time with him so start with 5 minutes and let those 5 minutes turn to hours then hours turn to days and the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn to months months into years and before you know it the years into a lifetime a lifetime of walking with God something you grow to cherish spending time with Jesus. Talking with him in prayer but also remember to take time to listen. How many of us as soon as we get into a crisis we are quickly on the phone texting somebody, calling somebody, because we want some insight, we need some help. Our first call should be to our spiritual source. Pour out your heart to Jesus there are no topics that are off limits there is nothing insignificant to him there is nothing too big for him. And he is always awake and ready to listen. Spend time with him. 2. Spend time in God s Word open your bible and read. And don t start with Genesis, start with one of the Gospels. Mark is a good one to start with it s a bit shorter than the other three, and despite its location as second gospel it was actually the first written account of the four. Before you open your bible say a prayer, God, please open my heart speak to me through your word. Read a chapter then write a little summary in a journal or maybe even jot down a verse that especially grabbed your attention. However you do it, just do it, read God s word. The bible is the only book where the author is present every time you read it. Find a place, set a time. get your bible out and read it and really become engaged in the process. 3. Gather with his people. I know I m preaching to the choir about this, but let today s message encourage you that you are in the right place. I know some Sunday mornings you might think, Oh, I was up too late last night I want to stay in bed, besides it s too cold out there, or maybe you just want to spend the day in your PJs come to church anyways Get close to the source. Come to worship weekly, so that God can warm your heart with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Invite a friend to come with you and draw near to God s community. 4. Finally think about creating your own war room. In the movie Miss Clara s favorite room was a closet. It was where she spent time alone, and uninterrupted with God, with no distractions. Matthew 6:5-6 Jesus says, When you pray, don t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that s the only

reward they ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

4 reward they ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. Make your own war room. It doesn t have to be in a closet, it can be a quiet corner of a room, where there are no distractions, where you can really focus on your relationship so you can draw near to the source, so that God can ignite a fire for Jesus in your heart. Draw near to God because remember you are part of a people who are set apart. Once you weren t people but now you are God s people. Once you hadn t received mercy but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10. When you came in today, you should have received a small bag with coffee beans in it. I want you to keep this to remind you that who you are gives off an identifiable aroma. Christ releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us. (2 Corinthians 2:14b) What kind of fragrance do you emit in your home at work in your community? Is it cold and refreshing as the waters of Colossae? Is it as hot as the waters of Hierapolis? Don t let yourself get lukewarm humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. In a moment, some music will be playing and during that time while the music is playing I invite you to come forward and recommit your relationship to Christ. And I will anoint you with oil. I know that scares some of you to do that to come forward what if I trip everyone will see me forget about them. In these moments it is just you and God. Corrie said something brilliant last week, that was not only true last week, it s true every Sunday. Each worship is a performance but who is the audience?... God. So, I encourage you to get over your stage fright and humble yourself in the sight of God. Others of you may be thinkin, What do I need to come up there for? I m doing just fine. I ve got my money ready to put in the offering what more do you want from me, pastor Vicki? Let me tell you something, it s not about what I want, it s about what God wants humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. Remember, that s what the church in Laodicea thought they were fine, but really, they were lukewarm to God. Don t be a lukewarm people. Humble yourself in the eyes of the Lord and he will lift you up even higher than you think you already are. (to hear the music that was played you can go to ) Let us pray.

5 7 churches highlighted in Revelation Ephesus (2:1-7) Loveless Church Smyrna (2:8-11) Persecuted Church Pergamum (2:12-17) Compromising Church Thyatira (2:18-29) Corrupt Church Sardis (3:1-6) Dead Church Philadelphia (3:7-13) Faithful Church Laodicea (3:14-22) Lukewarm Church But thank God, who is always leading us around through Christ as if we were in a parade. He releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Questions we must ask ourselves What s your prayer life like? Hot or cold? What s the one thing in your life you would like to make better? The cause of a lukewarm soul is too great a distance from the source. How close are you? Victories don t come by accident Spend time with Jesus. Spend time in the word. Gather with God s people.

6 Consider starting your own war room. Once you weren t a people, but now you are God s people. Once you hadn t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 Steps I will memorize 1 Peter 2:10. I will read Revelation 2-3 I will be intentional about drawing near to God. I will attend the sermon series Set Apart Next

Session I Honest Evaluation

Session I Honest Evaluation Introduction Complete Workbook (page 11) 1 Movie Clip Lukewarm Coffee Spiritually Lukewarm What does it mean to be spiritually lukewarm? 2 Spiritually Lukewarm "You will recognize