Good Morning Everyone and Happy Sabbath.

Thank -introduction-song

Key Text: Revelation 3:20 ESV(Change Slide)

Revelation 3:20 ESV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me

Face Screen and Read TextPlease read the text with me. Let's Pray.Change Slide - bombarded by messages. TV, Print, Internet,

Constant State of (Click)Information overload

Information Overload

Evaluate the message.

What kind, for whom, and who sent this message. Then what's the content of the message Change Slide

Lets try to Read again our key text

Revelation 3:20 ESV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me

Let us look at the key phrases and what does it tell us about the message

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I stand at the Door and knock

This message is a personal message

I Stand at the door and knock

This is a personal message

God knocks at each of our hearts.

Not at the door of the church or a house but each of our hearts.

It is a very personal message.

It is also a... (change slide)

If anyone

This message is a message of freedom for everyone

if... I want you to remember it. It may be a small word but it speaks of freedom of a choice, a decision.

This message is about making a choice. The sender of the message does not force anyone to open the door. He waits for our choice

The next phrase is...

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Hears my voice

This message is a call

Hears my voice...

This message is a call, an invitation to everyone, its not only of a selected few but to all who has ears and has the ability to hear.

Listening is not even required

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And opens the door

This message demands action

Opens the Door- This message demands action- This message must be acted upon, only then can one benefit from it

Message- personal- optional, freedom- invitation, call- demands action,

For whom is this message? Rev. 3:14Change Slide

Revelation 3:14 ESV

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

To the angel of the church in Laodicea

Who is this angel, who are the members of the church in Laodicea?

Lets try to look at what our Prophet Ellen G. White says about it...

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The inscription:1. to whom2. by whom...to the angel of the church in Laodicea

The message to the Laodicean church reveals our condition as a people (E.G. White; The Review and Herald, December 15, 1904).

Lets have a little audience participation, lets read it together giving emphasis on the word or phrase that has a different color from the rest.

Ready Read

Our condition... Ellen is talking about our condition

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...to the angel of the church in Laodicea

The condition of many of those who claim to be the children of God is exactly represented by the message to the Laodicean church

Ellen G. White Manuscript 117, 1902

Here's another statement from E.G. White. Let us read it together just like the other one.

Who is claiming to be the children of God in these last days?

The Message is for....Change slide

You

This is our message, our special message...

Next Let us try to discover who sent this message. In receiving any message it is so important to know who sent the message

That's why we have caller ID in our phones

Who sent this message?

Revelation 3:14 ESV

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

Revelation 3:14 gives us the answer lets try to read it again...

Read:

The sender did not just give one description of himself but provided us with several let us go to the first

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The words of the Amen...

one that is steady and unchangeable in all his purposes and promises

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible

Who is the Amen

According to Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible

Amen is the one that is steady and unchangeable in all his purposes and promisesThe one that never changes

Let's go to the next description...Change Slide

The faithful and true witness...

Faithful: pis-tos'; trustworthy

True: alethinos (al-ay-thee-nos); truthful

Strong's Greek Bible Dictionary

Faithful and True Witness

- faithful- True

The one that faithfully speaks(as a witness, a witness always speak) the truth.Someone who will tell you the truth whether you like it our not. The truth hurtsLast... Change Slide

The beginning of God's Creation...

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last

Revelation 1:17 ESV

The beginning of God's Creation

Our Creator

The first and the last...

The one who holds everything in his hands including time...Time the beginning, the ultimate demonstration of our finiteness, we could not control it

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This is a message from Jesus

Jesus- the one that never changes- the one who is the truth- the alpha and the omega

We are now we ready to study this special message from Jesus for us today.

I'll like to call these God's Loving Rebuke

Ready... Let me ask you this question... Change Slide

What do you think is your standing before God right now?

1 = worst

10 = excellent

If you are going to rate yourself on a scale of 1 10 with 1 as worst10 as excellent

Lets have a show of hands...

If you want let's try it with pictures

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What do you think is your standing before God right now?

Let us asked the Bible...

Revelation 3:16 ESV

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What is really our standing before God?

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:16 ESV

Let us focus on what God will do to us...

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I will speu you out... KJV

Speu - emeo (em-eh'-o) to vomit.

Strong's Greek Bible Dictionary

The KJV uses the word SPEU which comes from the word emeo in Greek which means to vomit.

Vomit suka

Let us try to look at EGW comments on this text

Chang Slide

I will spew you out... KJV

Christ represents them as nauseating to His taste [Revelation 3:17, 18 quoted]

E.G. White (Manuscript 61, 1898).

Nauseating in our vernacular LOOD

Why are we nauseating to His Taste?

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What is our condition as seen from the point of view of Jesus?

What is really our condition as seen from the point of view of Jesus?

Read Revelation 3:17 ESV

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Revelation 3:17 ESV

Revelation 3:17 ESV

clearly says that we are nauseating because we are....

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wretched

miserable

poor

blind

naked

But these are only the symptoms.

The root cause is that we Believe otherwise...

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Revelation 3:17 ESV

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

For you say... but you do not realize

We are deceiving ourselves

The Heart is deceitful, who can understand it.

Ellen G White says...

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Ellen G. White, Manuscript 108, 1899

Those whom Christ warns have some excellent qualifications, but they are neutralized by all who have a diseased self-love, self-deception, self-justification

Please Read

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wretched

miserable

poor

blind

naked

Self - Love

Self - Deception

Self - Justification

God considers us, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked

Because of

- Self Love- self deception- self justification

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Ellen G. White, Letter 66, 1894

Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual self-deception. They clothe themselves in the garments of their own righteousness, imagining themselves to be rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing,

Read and Emphasize

Let us continue

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Ellen G. White, Letter 66, 1894

when they need daily to learn of Jesus, His meekness and lowliness, else they find themselves bankrupt, their whole life being a lie

Read and Emphasize

- Bankrupt- living a lie

These are pretty strong words and these are addressed to us as the Laodecean church

Lets try some more Change Slide

Ellen G. White Manuscript 163a, 1898

But they are worse than dead in trespasses and sins. They hear the Word, but make no application of it to themselves; instead, they apply the Word spoken to their neighbors

Read and Emphasize

Worse than DEAD

- a message, rebuke for them but they apply it to their neighbor

Let us pause for a moment...

These attitude reminds me of one of my favorite stories... Change Slide

The Emperor's New Clothes

Self Deception, Self Justification, Self Love

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HOPELESS?

miserable

poor

wretched

blind

naked

Self - Deception

Self - Justification

Self - Love

We are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and nakedBecause we love our selves, we deceived our selves, we think ourselves righteous usually by comparing ourselves with our neighborsYet this is our true condition... and we do not realize it or we just don't like to seeStare for a minute at the pictureIt's not nice but that is the truth

It seems hopeless...but are we. Change

Revelation 3:19 ESV

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline...

The underlying reason is LOVE, it might be a message that would really hurt but it is out of LOVE

The message is not a hopeless messageWe could do something about our condition.What do we need to do,

Let's look at the message...

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Revelation 3:18 ESV

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see

Read...

This is our hope...

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We need to do three things

First we need to listen to the counsel

Not just hear but listen

Next...

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We need to do three things

Go to Christ

Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden

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We need to do three things

Then we must buy... we need to buy three things

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Gold tried in fire

According to Ellen G White...

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Gold Tried in Fire

The gold that Jesus would have us buy of Him is gold tried in the fire; it is the gold of faith and love, that has no defiling substance mingled with it

E.G. White The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890

Gold of Faith and LoveTo make us truly rich

A love without any tinge of selfishness

A faith without a tinge of doubt

After the gold we need to buy...

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White Garment

This is...

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White Garment

The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ, the wedding garment which Christ alone can give

E.G. White The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890

White Garment to cover the shame of our nakedness

We become naked when we fell into sin

The Righteousness of Christ obtained for us at an infinite price

The last thing we need to buy...

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Eye - Salve

Eye Salve...

Let us see what does Egwhite says about it

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Eye - Salve

The eyesalve is the true spiritual discernment that is so wanting among us, for spiritual things must be spiritually discerned

E.G. White; The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890.

The eye - salve, the Word of God, makes the conscience smart under its application; for it convicts of sin

E.G. White; The Review and Herald, November 23, 1897

The word of God with true Spiritual discernment

To open our eyes to our true condition

But there is a big BUT...

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How can we buy anything when we have nothing

With our present condition... Click

Not just anything but very expensive things.

How can we afford things that even if we sell the whole universe we could not even affordThings with an infinite price

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How do we buy anything when we have nothing?

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

and he who has no money, Come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price

Isaiah 55:1 ESV

Here is the answer...

We just have to come to Jesus

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How do we buy when we have nothing?

Says Christ, By renouncing your own self-sufficiency, giving up all things, however dear to you, you may buy the gold, the raiment, and the eyesalve that you may see

Ellen G. White; The Review and Herald, November 23, 1897

Renounce ourselves,

How do we buy when we have nothing?

You may manifest great zeal in missionary effort, and yet because it is corrupted with selfishness, and tastes strongly of self, it is nought in the sight of God; for it is a tainted, corrupted offering.

Ellen G. White; Manuscript 33, 1894

Empty our heart of selfishness

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How do we buy when we have nothing?

Unless the door of the heart is open to Jesus, unless He occupies the soul temple, unless the heart is imbued with His divine attributes, human actions when weighed in the heavenly balances, will be pronounced Wanting.

Ellen G. White; Manuscript 33, 1894

And allow Jesus to enter our hearts and show us our real condition

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Self - Deception

Self - Justification

Self - Love

Utter Hopelessness

We need to remove our love for ourselves, stop deceiving ourselves, and accept our sinfulness.

Open our eyes to our utter hopelessness for only until then will we be able to hear...

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...Jesus knocking at the door of our hearts, only until then will we open our doors and welcome him into our lives.

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Then he will come in bringing with Him all the richness of heaven, including The Gold of Faith and Love, The White Garment of His Righteousness, The eye-salve of God's Word coupled with Spiritual Discernment, not to mention eternal life, and sup with us forever

Will you let him in today.

Flower In The Rain

You are the one, there's no one else
Who lifts me up and gives me water from the well
But there's a hole that seems to drain it all away
And once again I'm left in fear and doubts
When all my strength is crying out

Flower In The Rain

So here I am againWilling to be opened up and brokenLike a flower in the rainTell me what have I to doTo die and then be raisedTo reach beyond the painLike a flower in the rain

Flower In The Rain

The evil wind it blows a stormto rock my worldJust when I think I'm safe and warmI'm led astray far too easilyIt's always hard for me to say I'm wrongUntil I know I can't go on

Flower In The Rain

So here I am againWilling to be opened up and brokenLike a flower in the rainTell me what have I to doTo die and then be raisedTo reach beyond the painLike a flower in the rain

Flower In The Rain

Lord, You have searched meAnd know when I sleep and when I riseYou're familiar with all my waysEven the darkness will shine like the dayWhen you look into my heart

Flower In The Rain

So here I am againWilling to be opened up and brokenLike a flower in the rainTell me what have I to doTo die and then be raisedTo reach beyond the painLike a flower in the rain

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