2019-06-09-LIVE OAKS - Part 5

Where were the bride of Christ were the body of Christ? We are the Church of Christ cuz you've made us to be you've gathered us. If any of us are sitting here wondering why am I even here today while we're here? Because you you placed us here and you don't do anything without a purpose and a plan. You don't do anything randomly have Hazard Lee everything you do is with purpose and intention. How amazing is it got that that we are part of that purpose and plan today. Now I got you know, you know, you know how edem our vision can be in her death. Our ears can be in I just pray that by your grace we could see him again here. The reason for our gathering spoiler alert. It's For Your Glory, but how exactly does my presence here this morning glory FIU.

Maybe I'll ask that question. How are you going to be glorified?

This morning through me. All of us asked that question. I just happened to be the one up here behind this piece of furniture with this book. This is all for you Jesus. Oh my goodness. These these letters to these churches. You're killing me itch just it just keeps coming. And I thank you for it. Thank you for you discipline. Those who you love. To help us to see what you would want to see and hear what you would share with your church this morning. We love you, Lord Jesus, and if we don't I pray that we would see you as who you are here, you know you is to love you help us to know you. Thank you Lord, Jesus. Thank you. Thank you humbly old. Thank you. And your name? We pray I'm in. Dear church. Love Jesus. We are continuing along. This is the letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3. I'm going to read 3 1 through 6 and then we'll jump back as usual to the church in Sardis Revelation 3 verse 1 and 2 the angel of the church in Sardis write the words of him who has the seven spirits of God in the Seven Stars. I know your works you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die for I've not found your Works complete in the side of my God. Remember that what you received and heard cheap it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a Steve and you will not know at what hour I will come against you, like kidney stones. I don't know. I just throw that in there yet. You have still a few names and sardius people who have not soiled their garments and they will walk with me in white for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be closed us lie in white garments and I will never blocked his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my father and before his angels He Who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches soaps artists, like all these cities. They're all kind of clustered there. And what is now turkey this city is 30 miles Southeast of thyatira. It's an important trade route as old cities in the ancient world were just on trade route. So you're either you're either on a trade route or your or you're buying a Waterway or now in in our contemporary time, you know, an interstate highway comes through and you see little cities townships pumping up the roads were built to connect the cities and now the Grove same same kind of deal just different technology and that's what I love about history is that people don't change in God doesn't change just the stuff changes. So who you want to know where we're going to Street history. We're just going around and around and around so. It's really that simple. That's why I'm kind of worried right now about where we're going. But he has its on this trade route. What are they known for jewelry the name for jewelry and dies in cloth jewelry and dies in cloth. So just as a as a little little little thought to put in your head for this morning, what can you do with jewelry and Diane and cloth and textiles like what what can you do what purpose can those things sir? Sardis also had another Temple to Artemis just like Ephesus it was it was like one of these like power centers of of worship of the false god Artemis and what's interesting is archaeologist actually have found the ruins of the church in Sardis right next to the ruins to the Temple of Artemis interesting. little little bit there

What was amazing and unique about Jesus's words? The letter to Sardis is that there's only one Commendation that Jesus gives the church in Sardis. Only one thing that he has to say to them that is positive K, but the catch is that it's well, it's it's it's only positive until you finish the sentence. 312 the angel of the church in Sardis write the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars. I know your works. you have the reputation of being alive, but

Right. I bought you half the reputation of being alive. But so his Commendation to them is essentially you are so fantastic at being faults. You're better at being faults than anyone because everyone assumes that you're alive when you're not. Okay, so it's not accommodation at all starts right into it with rebuke. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. This is this is the Jesus with the eyes like a flame of fire. He sees right through it all.

Jesus's assessment of me as a person of Jesus assessment of us as a church isn't like Ground Zero like the the bare minimum of what we want to hear is that you're alive. I mean I need to start there. They don't even start there. They don't even get to their there. They're not even alive every reputation of being alive, but they're not there. Imagine this same kind of scenario at the doctor, right? I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'll be interested to hear what he has to say. Imagine if you're at the doctor and the doctor says so listen my colleagues and I we all agree. I'm you seem to be alive. but is there a way to finish that sentence?

No. you seem to be alive, but you're not but you're alive but

and in this Jesus actually reiterates what one of the most important

dichotomies the most important distinctions the most important realities for us in the scriptures in reality itself. This is one of the most important things for us to understand it because it actually was contrary to kind of art are natural perspective are up for election natural default way of thanking Jesus says look, this is binary. K you are either dead or you're alive. Regardless of appearance you're either dead or you're alive that that's it. That's a yes or no situation that God sets up that Jesus sets up your you're either dead or you're alive. This is important because we like to shade things because we always at the shade things in our favor. Right. That's why my wife and I we had to set up the system when I'm somewhere and she's excited about the idea of being not being somewhere anymore in and me being like there with her at home and all the craziness, right? So she would ask me. Hey, do you know when you're heading home? I would say something like Pretty much finishing up. Pretty much finishing up. Like that's a lot of room in there for interpretation isn't there right side to respond it a little further like pretty much. About to cross the finish line. There's a light at the we had this is what we had to do. I have to say rolling rolling and I cannot say that until the tires of my vehicle are turning. Right and I say it'll say I have an errand to do on the way home. I say I'm leaving this building and she's already asked me to grab some milk on the way home. Right? And so I'll say rolling shinnosuke now. I'm rolling from to Walmart Neighborhood Market and then I will say rolling again and if she's okay, so now I'm rolling cuz I mean that can take a while to sometimes. I'm a bit of a browser. Are there any new milk stout today? What else do we got here?

I'm going to Whole gun was going to whole cow in our house. It's it's all hold. Now that skim water is just throw it out. Okay, it has the appearance of being milk, but it's not okay.

show the reality is that God deals in the stark contrast like God judges your either alive or you are dead. You're you're either a creature or you're an adopted child and it goes all the way to the beginning. We have been the men of our Wednesday Bible say we've been diving into this a lot lately. You can turn to Genesis 1 verses 1 through 5 in in and let's let's just look at this Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth and the Earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said let there be light and there was light and God saw the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the Darkness he called night and there was evening and there was morning the first day. Choke at first glance for like, okay cool, you know Des night light got it cool. Now a bunch of smarty pants get their little smart pants and little knots when they're looking at this in the going. So ridiculous you the stories you can out of order like how could God create night and day before even created the Sun?

Alright, okay. Alright smarty pants out. I'll give you the benefit of And get someone the benefit of the ignorance it sounds a bit heavier.

God's hand shovel creation God's material creation. He didn't create everything that's tangible in real and and then call it reality didn't create the physical in the end dim sayoc. Yeah, that's what's real. God creates to reflect what already is real. Everything's a sermon. so there's nothing then God speaks into the nothing and there's something already boom nothing something 90 Middle Ground between nothing and something there's nothing he speaks there's something and that something right was formless and void Genesis 1:1 says in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth was without form and void Darkness was over the face of the deep spirit of God was hovering over the waters and then God said let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light was good and got separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day in the darkness. He called night and there was evening and there was morning the first day. The reality of dark and light was created first and then the sermon was preached about it. The Sun the blazing hot center of our galaxy was created as a sermon to preach the truth that there is a light in there is Darkness.

There's me and there's nothing.

You belong to me or you belong to the night night? Are you alive or are you dead or are you are you standing in the light or are you in darkness? Are you lost or are you found? Everything's a sermon. Okay, so our lives our art are touched and almost every single conceivable way right now with with computers write all this amazing technology and internet stuff my phone took a swim partially my fault over the weekend and I have I have I've been my without my phone for like almost 24 hours and why I'm a little shaky this morning. I'm just onion in withdrawals. I drove from Orlando home. Without match like not a map like with a light without Maps the application Maps on my phone. I made it guys I made it and the whole way I literally had to keep reminding myself on you used to you remember doing this but used to do this all the time. Like this was possible people used to travel from one point to the other point without Siri telling you which turns to make it is possible. So he even Computing all this amazing technology in geosynchronous satellites it all comes down. the ones and zeros What do we call computers computer? Cuz their Computing ones and zeros binary code. The switch is either on or off microprocessors are treated piles of billions of little switches that are either on or off. Everything's a sermon that preaches the reality of God's existence. Your eyes are in him or outside of him. You're either in the day or you're in darkness your other students sitting in the light of the Sun or you were in the cold outer darkness. And that's what Jesus is saying. I don't care what all the other churches are saying Sardis. I see you you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. So yeah, I mean. We obviously asked to ask ourselves the same question. Are we in darkness or in light are we a creature or a child? Are we alive or are we dead?

If that all joking aside if that was the assessment that the doctor had of your condition. I've consulted some Specialists best of the field. We all agree you look alive. But if that was the literal diagnosis of the doctor What hope would you have? none Right cuz you understand you understand the truth of that. You're either alive or your dad good thing. These aren't the words of a physician but the good position the great physician and what he tells Sardis is that you seem to be alive, but you're not go back to Revelation 3:2 and Jesus says this wake up. Wake up.

And strengthen what remains and is about to die. For I have not found your Works complete in the sight of my God. He says to wake up. We can be awoken from death.

He calls out to Lazarus.

Rice Lazarus come forth that you can wake up. Here we go. Let's go to Isaiah 51:17.

Isaiah 51:17 says soon as I get there.

Isaiah 51:17 begins wake yourself wake yourself stand up o Jerusalem you have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath who have drunk to the dregs the bowl the cup of Staggering wake up or go to Isaiah 52 verse 1 awake awake put on your strength of Zion put on your beautiful garments o Jerusalem the holy city. For there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean is 60.

Isaiah 60 begins arise Shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For behold Darkness shall cover the Earth and thick Darkness to people's but the Lord will arise upon you and His glory will be seen upon you.

Thank you. You are. You saw that I was thirsty and you gave me drink. Thank you. You look quite luxurious of your freaking.

arise that is God's call to us is to arise from our death and become alive. You can turn all the way to that to the end of the Old Testament to Malachi. And you see this? in Malachi chapter 4

verse 2

but for you who fear my name the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You should go out leaping like Calves from the stall. You notice how the sun rises every morning. Have you noticed how that's when we rise. Everything is a sermon. We arise in him. Romans 13 this is a beautiful few verses that really preaches the entirety of of today's sermon.

in Romans 13 starting in verse 11

Besides this you know the time. The hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed the night is far gone. The day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime not in orgies and drunkenness on sexual immorality and sensuality not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

I put shortly and powerfully in Ephesians chapter 5.

starting in verse 6

Let no one deceive you with empty words. Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them for at one time. You were Darkness, but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of the lights for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them pretty shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret, but when anything is exposed By the Light, it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light there for it says Awake o sleeper arise from the dead in Christ will shine on you. Awake o sleeper rise from the dead in Christ will shine on you. Just look back it in verse 13 just jump back again. Sometimes, you know, you didn't like the car jump start this. Posted but when anything is exposed By the Light becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says awake o sleeper arise from the dead in Christ will shine on you. So just like the sun rising in the sky casting light on. Everything Christ is casting light on you wake up with him and reflect him rise with Christ. That's the promise of a resurrection to begin with. Is it for in him? We will be raised with him.

His light will shine on us and resurrect us. We have to wake up with him is his light shining on you didn't get up.

Get up again. My wife and I learning learning how this whole thing works. I'm what we call a very heavy sleeper. She's what we call someone who doesn't actually sleep. I I don't know or eyelids don't even close all the way like, she just doesn't seem like we don't need an alarm clock because just the circuitry about to switch over that zero about to turn to A-1. So the alarm noise to hear that part. I think she can listen to the binary code of the alarm. That's what we find phases of waking up. I I even tried to charge it out for her. So she'd understand. This is she's very sharp. This is what she figured out when share her days already started and she's already starting the day for the children and I need to start my day and she calls from over across the house Tommy. Are you awake? And I was like, yeah.

Tell me you waking me up.

This is what she asked are your feet on the floor.

pretty pretty much That's a binary question. Is it not are your feet on the floor or not? Are you wake up?

Right. Does it matter with the other churches think doesn't matter what other people think they can think whatever they want to think about you God knows the reality Christ sees the reality. Are your feet on the floor the Sun's Up the day has begun Christ light is shining. Have you a reason with him?

Cuz there will be no fooling him.

We're either asleep in the darkness of death or live in the Light of Christ. back to Revelation 3

first to wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die for I have not found your Works complete in the side of my God. Remember then what you received in her keep it and repent. If you will not wake up. I will come like a thief. You will not know at what hour I will come against you. This is tough wrestle with this is difficult. Again, this is Is this is rubs against the grain for me? Because I am I'm a gray sky. I'm an absolute gray sky, I am a I'm a die-hard Unapologetic. Like if you have been born again and you will never again return to the Grave if you have been resurrected you won't ever die. If you are covered in the blood of Christ what can wash off that blood if you could do nothing to earn your salvation, what could you do to lose it? That's who I am. I think that's what scripture teaches us with the Holy Spirit seems to Proclaim. There's no way around it. So what do I do with this passage from to sing I wrestle with this is difficult. I Endeavor as it as a proclaimer of the word not to just graze pass it like this is a problem. This is sat at first reading at first glance this I wrestle with this.

Cuz Jesus is telling us what we must do.

Not to wake up.

the scripture Philippians 1:6

and I'm sure of this that he who began a good work in you. Will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. I'm sure this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. So this is what Jesus is telling the church.

Don't fake. My good works. You might convince others you do not convince me. We might not finish our work, but he always finishes his.

But yet to call not just here but all through scripture the call for us to endure and keep the face to stay faithful to to remain in him to abide in him to not fall away to not turn away.

What this is painting for us is the truth that only they who are truly saved redeemed and born again will endure to the end if you do not into her. And you were never saved. Salvation is a work of God and he finishes his work.

I mean fake it to you make it have you heard it is not true in the Kingdom. I thought that might work is a transponster for you know, a mid-level. Corn brokerage. I don't know in the midwest. You can fake that job I suppose.

The Christ with these flaming aqua sapphire. There's no escaping.

We are called to represent though that good work that he began. Everything is a sermon your life is a sermon that sermon has to get to the amen. Are you were just rambling?

Just feeling dead air with stuff. You picked up here and there.

You can fake the church life so easily. You really can. So this is what we have to do as a church. We have to not allow one another to live surface e that's what I like. That's what I love about this amazingly personal Affliction that I have kidney stones or stick I go to a urologist.

You all don't let me get away with anything less than like, how are your kidney stones in your kidneys that have to pass through your ureter have your kidney stones pass your ureter yet. That's the worst part like you don't allow us to keep things on the surface and that's a beautiful like, let's be real be like rude or just be real. Because eventually it's not going to just be kidney stones.

It's going to be the hypothetical situation of Tommy. How's your marriage? How's your son?

How's your struggle with?

That's how we maintain the reality of the good work that God has began here. Is we don't allow it to get to go to the surface cuz it can stay there and it can be easy.

It can just be jewelry.

and dyed fabric

twice the city of Sardis was completely sacked. But what's crazy about Sardis is they have these natural clips and these giant walls that were considered in the ancient world. Unscalable impregnable. It was a city that could not be conquered just because of where it was situated.

But twice as city was sacked why because the Watchers on the wall were asleep. and negligent

alcohol from Jesus is to wake up. The sun is shining open your eyes. Show the world that I have begun a good work in you if you do not endure to the end you are proven false.

It's not the Jesus is saying sorry this all my goodness you had it going on great for a while, but you ruined it. It's sardius don't prove yourselves faults. She says continuing. You still a few names in Stardust verse for people who have not soiled their garments and they will walk with me and white for they are worthy.

Go to 1st Corinthians 3.

starting in verse 10 1st Corinthians 3 starting in verse 10

Paul speaking of the Christians in Corinth according to the grace of God given to me like a skilled master builder. I laid a foundation and someone else's building upon it all around the world paint planting these churches and then Elders would come and they would Minister in the gospel go out in the churches would grow corn to the grace of God laid a foundation in someone else's building a pond at Let each one. Take care how he builds upon it for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ know if anyone build on the foundation with gold silver precious stones wood. Hay straw each one's work will become manifest for the day will disclose it that same day that he references in Revelations about coming like a thief that same day will disclose it will reveal it. Cuz it will be revealed by fire and a fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

The revealing fire of Jesus is coming and what he's telling Sardis is that fire will come and reveal you for who you are not at one time you were saying but you screwed it up disqualified. It's I see nothing but Ash. There was nothing of substance nothing real here ever. It was just hey, it was just stubble. It was just I don't know spun cotton woven into beautiful fabric and then died fancy and then adorned with jewelry that melted.

Can't fake it till we make it. Jesus makes it

let me show it then we reveal it. I worked as a blacksmith when I was 15 as a blacksmith's Apprentice for a summer. Can use the strike is one of my favorites. I'm here any length of time you'll hear it a few times and had a really really tough Master blacksmith that I was training under in his name was berend he was from Germany and he wasn't snuggly.

And he was really strict and and I spent the first many many many many many many many days and hours attempting to make a perfect 1 inch Cube and if any had the calipers in humid in if it was wrong just on one side, then I would have to make all the other side's match that side until I had the perfect cube in if I messed up and I had to keep I mean on the file, he was gone one day ye and this other dude who just to kind of do some stuff but he was just kind of you know, if they're going to fill in the spot and he's like Baron got you making the cube. He's like, how would you like to make something really cool? Like I got to have you seen the movie Last of the Mohicans. I see if you're going and I like this I am 15 like out. And you guys just make one of those unlike you can just make my house so we could go to like the shed and he pulls out this gangly ugly dodgy piece of wrought iron Knight rusted in bumping gross says I will be perfect. very very skinny doorstop paperweight go and we put it in the fire. and pump the bellows

and it gets hot. Red hot blue or white hot about to take it out of the fiery put it on the Anvil and I beat the crap out of it. Literally. What I'm doing is I'm banging out all the impurities all the dirt all the grime everything that's not iron. Is being refined. And then it goes back in the fire. and then it's sparks flying out the garbage

It's being burned and pressed out of it. Is back in the fire back on the Anvil back in the fire back in the envelope? And then finally it starts to get shaped. Search getting molded and shaped and draw it out and then we fold it over. I would leave room for the that Hickory handle that are shaped later in the in the woods shopping and we continue to refine it would continue to shape it and then finally at the end you put it back in the fire again back in the fire. But then I looked at it it closed so radiantly. It wasn't all bespeckled and dodging gangly looking. I mean it was like the sun.

And then just as it's about the failed just at the about to begin to melt we pull it out and quench it.

That sharpen it.

intertool it works any two real

I like that fake chainsaw my parents were to Pawn off on me. This is a real tool. I was molded and shaped and refined. The fire revealed what it was.

It was either going to break it or reveal it to be what it was.

Fire is coming.

And it's refining it's revealing.

I pray God's mercy that we would be pre-filled as a work of God.

shown for what it is not our but his Not fake, but real. Not Darkness, but light not just creature but a doctor child.

I just person but pure spotless bride. clothed in white

shining in the reflection of the Sun in spray.

You're the only fire. You're the only you're the only Power you the only force that can. That can strengthen and reveal and destroy. Use your fire god to eat to strengthen us and reveal the good work that you were doing in US mold us and shape us.

BR all of the impurity Burnout beaded we we trust you in this.

You do not promise US comfort.

in this life

you promised us life.

And what can sometimes have the appearance of life you offer us the reality of it?

Search our hearts God show us. Show us the reality of what you're doing. And Jesus if you are light is shining on someone this morning and they do not have their feet on the floor. I pray that they would wake up.

Wake up this morning and let Christ Light Shine on them. And be awake and be refined.

and be shown

Or Jesus we love you. We thank you.

What I would have Grace. You have given us.

Not at work, but yours Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Jesus speak Holy Spirit this morning.

The witness says we fellowship and Cher. and encouraged and enjoy one another we're here for a reason. You're not me prank. I'm in.

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