Kings Mountain First Church of the Nazarene
Sunday, May 20, 2012

Pastor Michael's Message
From February 19, 2012

"The Church in Laodicea"

Philippians 3:1-14 (NASB)
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is
no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers,
beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the
Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I
myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in
the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to
the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me,
those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things
to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him,
not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ,
the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it
or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I
was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet;
but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
  • When Paul says "flesh" in verse 3, he means works.
  • Paul gave up "religion" to know Jesus.
Revelation 3:14-22 (NASB)
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

   The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and
you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white
garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will
not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I
love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the
door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and
will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down
with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

  • People believe that miracles are a thing of the past.
  • People try to look "religious".
  • There is an attitude like "I don't care if I grow in my relationship with Christ or not."
  • There is no spiritual connection with God on the inside.
Revelation 3:17 (NASB)
17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,”
and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
  • The church at Laodicea thought they didn't need Jesus, they wanted God to leave them alone.
  • The church at Laodicea was arrogant.
Revelation 3:14-20 (NASB)
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

   The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,”
and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white
garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed;
and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline;
therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

  • Laodicea, under Roman rule, became very wealthy.
    ~ Their wealth, greed, lust led them into spiritual callousness.
  • Jesus says in Revelation 3:21-22: "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down
    with Me on My throne, 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.’”
  • Jesus says "I am everything."
  • Laodicea did not acknowledge where their blessings came from.
  • When you take your riches for granted, you could end up and lose them.
  • Spiritual complacency will cause the church to lose her power.
Revelation 3:15 (NASB)
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
  • There was no passion, no hunger; they were spiritually dead.
  • Jesus would rather you be spiritually passionate or spiritually dead than in the middle.
     
  • There are 3 stages to a spiritual life:
    1) Hot (passion for Christ)
    2) Cold (no passion)
    3) Lukewarm

  • Paul, formerly known as Saul (found in Acts 9:1-31)
    ~ Before Paul met Christ, he persecuted Christians.
    ~ When he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, his spiritually dead heart was filled with the spirit of God.
    ~ Paul then, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, began to preach the Gospel.
  • Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (found in Luke 19:1-10)
    ~ Zacchaeus knew that Jesus was different, He wasn't like other prophets.
    ~ Zacchaeus was short, but he HAD to see Jesus.
    ~ In those days, tax collectors were despised, yet Jesus wanted to eat with him.
    ~ There was something missing in Zacchaeus' heart, he knew that Jesus was the only thing that could fill in what was missing.
John 15:1-5 (NASB)
 1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit,
He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing.
  • We should be bearing fruit.
  • We need to allow the Holy Spirit to prune us.
  • He is the Potter, we are the clay.
  • When He prunes us, new growth will come.
Galatians 5:19-21 (NASB)
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have
forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
  • Joy, peace, patience, perseverance, love, etc...
  • When the Holy Spirit is not in charge of your life, there will be no fruit.
  • The Laodicean church was not bearing fruit.
  • The Laodicean church was already lukewarm, the believers did not stand for anything, there was no conviction.
  • Spiritual callousness produces spiritual complacency which produces spiritual compromise.
  • Every week people get up on Sundays, get their "unread" Bible, daydream during Sunday school, daydream/think about lunch during the worship service, hear nothing the Pastor says, and leave empty.
  • This was happening every week at Laodicea...this is happening every week now at churches all over the world.
  • You CAN really connect with God at church!
  • You don't have to leave church empty!
Philippians 3:8-10 (NASB)
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish
so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived
from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the
basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of
His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
  • Religiocity - Carrying the Bible, but never reading it.