01/22/2023 - Part 2 - Reverential Responsiveness: Knock-Knock . . . Who’s There? (AUDIO NOT AVAILABLE)

1 Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes January 22, 2023 Reverential Responsiveness: Knock-Knock . . . Who’s There? Revelation 3:14-22 NLT = New Living Translation “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: 14 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I 15 2 correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 20 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” 22 We are now 22 Days into the year 2023. And for some people, enough has already happened to last them or carry them through to the rest of the year. For the rest of us, the year has only just begun. But for all of us, despite our characterization of 2023 on this 22nd day in – it behooves us all to be as sober as possible and fully alert to the providence of God in our lives and in the world at large. Just to note the kinds of prayer requests we’ve received so far this year serves as a signal that time is precious, and the days of our lives and the events of our time are filled with unpredictable and unprecedented ups and downs, and swift transitions. It goes without saying, we need the Lord. After nearly three years of a pandemic and a time to experience life and the Lord in a very extraordinary way, I believe God has used such a time to get our attention in a new way. I believe that [that] new way demands our best response. That’s why I’m convinced that this year for GP 3 should be a year of Reverential Responsiveness. In simple, this theme means respectfully responding to God’s interests above our own. It is an appeal to every heart to make God’s way the priority of our lives; to hear HIM and say YES Lord instead of no or maybe. It is a challenge to exercise godly discernment and learning that results in every Believer saying: Not my will Lord, but Thy will be done. And we’ll say this regarding: family, marriage, money, careers, spiritual and non-spiritual things, entertainment, worship, social and romantic relationships, child rearing, preaching, praying, politics, personal goals, lifestyles, vision, finances, community ministry, in reach, out reach, education, forgiveness, daily living, church attendance and fellowship, and on and on. Though it is true we have our own approach and response to these things, I believe God is knocking at the door of our hearts with a better remedy, a better solution. One that is perfect and works to our favor and His every time. And, to get it, we need only respond to His voice, the voice of the Holy Spirit knocking at the door of our hearts. Let’s quickly review where our 2023 theme emerges from. Turn with me to Revelation 3: 14-22 NLT Our Theme is: Reverential Responsiveness! Revelation 3:14-22 NLT = New Living Translation 4 “Look! [Behold] I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 20 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” 22 This letter is to the Laodicean Saints who because of their cocky view of themselves, stopped listening and responding to the Lord and started to lean unto their own understanding. They portrayed themselves as being self-sustaining and having no needs. Christ saw their situation quite differently. To Him they were spiritually blind and destitute. But worst of all, they were spiritually indifferent – they were lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. In verses 15, 16 & 17 the Lord describes their condition . . . He says: “I know all the things you do [Laodiceans], that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 15 Like the Laodiceans, if we can’t see nor hear the truth, we can’t move back in line with the life God wants us to live. Therefore, we must continually pray for God to heal our spiritual blindness and our spiritual deafness so that we can see, hear, and respond to the truth. 5 I want this year to be a year that we give God what I believe He has positioned us to give Him as a result of time away from the church house and the patterns the pandemic presented us to abide by. I believe God has positioned GP Believers, along with all Believers on the seven continents, to hear His voice knocking at the door of our hearts – to drop what we’re doing – and to hear Him, and adhere to instructions and guidance that would show us how to do ministry and life His way and to His liking. After all, in 2 Peter 1: verses 3-5 we are reminded of this; listen to how it reads: 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, . . . 5 6 Prior to the pandemic, it is evident that over time, the church took too many liberties and made God’s church something other than He desired. Although the church has never been perfect, it has been known to trapse off into its own mess. But through the seasons of church life, I believe God gives us a renewed chance to examine our ways and get back into alignment with His priorities. If there’s any catch or condition associated with this renewed opportunity, I believe it is that God is now talking to the individual heart and not the masses or the congregation. He is knocking at every heart, but He’s doing so -- one door at a time. In verse 20 of Revelation Chapter 3, we have what one scholar calls “the place and attitude of Christ at the end of the church age”. I believe we are at that age now. Think about it. If the Laodicean church represents the last age of the church, then it is an accurate picture of Christ standing outside of His church. Why? How? Because churches in America (and other first world countries) are wealthy and pretty much self-sustained. Like the Laodicean membership, the general perception of today’s churches is that they got it going on. And though they don’t seem to need Christ in their midst, they do allude to Him from time to time. And like the Laodiceans, some professing Christians are more Politics and Prosperity than Prayer and People’s Souls. In verse 17, Christ repeated back to the Laodiceans what they were saying about themselves on the church grounds as well as in the town’s square: 7 You say, ‘I am rich. [We rich] I have everything I want. [We have everything we want]. I don’t need a thing!’ [We don’t need nothing . . . from GOD!] And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold [divine righteousness or pure faith] that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 17 As a result of the Laodiceans’ attitude [representative of the last day church attitude], Christ is politely knocking and inviting individuals (no longer crowds of people) to leave their selfish demanding ways as well as their apostate, self-reliant, unresponsive churches and have fellowship with Him. [Not bashing mega churches, not at all. But clearly calling out any church, large or small – to respond to the voice of God one heart at a time. If we do that, then every church will grow]. The emphasis here is on individual hearing and response. Christ is knocking, please answer the door. As one scholar Trench put it: Every man is lord of the house of his own heart; it is his fortress; he must open the gates of it. He has the mournful [sad] prerogative and privilege of refusing to open. But if he refuses, he is blindly at strive with his own [ability to be blessed], a miserable conqueror. 8 In 2023, Jesus is appealing to individual hearts to hear the voice of His will. He, like so many people and things are knocking and competing for your heart. But remember this: No one can come into the door of your heart unless you let them in. Rev. 3:20 Only what and who you let come in, can enter. Many people, and many things want at your heart to bind you; but Jesus wants the opportunity to make you freer than you have ever been. He has what we need, but we can get it only when we let Him in. And when we do, in His eyes, we are seen as “overcomers”. According to Revelation 3:21 NKJV = 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. In other words, to 21 Those who are victorious, [they] will sit with me on my throne [and will share the glory of Christ’ throne], just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. The goal this year is to be responsive to the things of God, the call of Jesus, the Voice of God in Christ Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. 9 To hear His distinct knock, open the door to Him, and partake of His promise to come in, and share a meal together with each one of us as friends. Finally, if Jesus is knocking at your heart’s door, then it must be for good reason. Given that, what do you suppose He has in mind for you? What might you guess He wants to discuss over dinner? Next time! Reverential Responsiveness: Knock-Knock . . . Who’s There?