I would like direct our thoughts to Revelation 3:14-22 in this section. We will follow this outline.

I. Salutation 14

II Confrontation 15-19

A. Works Revealed 15-17

B. Council Delivered 18

C. Return Wanted 19

III. Invitation 20,21

A. Method of Return 20

B. Reward of Return 21

IV. Exhortation 22

As Christians we need a talking mirror like the one the stepmother had in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The stepmother was assured of her beauty until one day when: "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all? She waited, smiling, for the expected answer. But this time the mirror replied 'Through all the land for many years your beauty won you fame; But now a lovelier maid there is and Snow White is her name.' Marian's face grew ugly with hatred and anger. The girl must die." And later in the story when she again ask "who is fairest of them all":

"Oh Queen, your beauty is full bright, but fairer far is still Snow White who deep in the dark woods doth dwell, with seven dwarfs who love her well."

The mirror was dreadfully honest - not like other mirrors that tend to reflect only what WE want to see. We need Christ to be our mirror - Someone that will be truthful with us!

Psalm 78 and 105, as well as other texts, remind Israel of what their past was like so that they could consider where they were, and consider their condition in the present. This is a principle used in business - you look at the year’s profits to see if you are winning or losing over the previous year so that you can plan the new year.

As a church we need to look at the past to see where we are in relation to where we were in the past.

One of the main things that I learned in one of my Church History class was that the Catholic Church today is what its predecessors did with situations that they lived in in the past.

As I considered the events and the decisions made, I observed that as the church went through a part of its growth, the changes away from the scriptural way were so slight over so many years that no one noticed. Many of the adaptations seemed to be the logical next step in everyday life. THEY JUST FORGOT TO LOOK BACK TO SEE WHERE THEY HAD BEEN!

I have been musing over the church that I was saved in about thirty years ago. The changes that the church has gone through are tremendous. When I was saved the church was ultra conservative. The thought of the pastor preaching in one of the town’s denominational churches and their pastor preaching in our church was unheard of in the 50's, yet in the 70's this came to pass. The denominational church had not changed, so you know which one did. In the 50's they had a yearly missions conference with many missionaries from the field. We received word recently that they had their first conference in many years. The last one I heard about was not staffed by missionaries from the field, but the heads of missions.

In the 50's the group of churches that the church was with was also very conservative, yet today within its ranks are men that would totally reject the teachings of the 50's on truth and ethics. Needless to say, we MUST look back to see where we were, so that we can return to what we once were.

Rev. 3:15,16 State, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."

IT IS AN UTTER IMPOSSIBILITY FOR US TO KNOW IF WE ARE COLD OR HOT OR LUKEWARM UNLESS WE LOOK BACK TO SEE WHERE WE WERE - BASED ON THE BIBLE - AND COMPARE IT TO WHERE WE ARE!

Let me summarize the concepts:

HOT: Christ knew their "WORKS"

Ephesus 2:1-3/labors/patience/can't bear evil/hast labored and not fainted/(2:5 states they are to return to the first works so these must not be the first works.)/hate deeds of the Nicolaitans (Nicolaitans were involved in immorality and eating meats offered to idols and skirting on or at least identifying with paganism.)

Smyrna 2:9/tribulation/poverty/(tribulation and poverty probably related to their enduring the conditions)

Pergamum 2:13/hold fast Christ’s name/haven't denied His faith

Thyatira 2:19/love/service/faith/patience/works

Sardis 3:4/some have not defiled their garments.

Philadelphia 3:9-10/hast a little strength/kept His word/"hast not denied my name"/"kept the word of my patience"

Let us recap what HOT might mean from this text: laboring, patient, hate evil, hate false doctrine, withstanding tribulation, withstanding poverty, loving, faithful, serving, keeping the faith and upholding the name of Christ

What are the ramifications of works like these? Regularity at church, regularity of giving, doing something in the assembly, witnessing, speak against evil, speak against false teaching, and caring for one another

Now let us look at COLD.

Ephesus 2:4/left 1st love

Pergamum 2:14/have some among them that eat meat offered to idols and who commit fornication/15 have some that hold doctrine of Nicolaitans.

Thyatira 2:20/prophetess that is teaching fornication and eating of meat offered to idols.

Since most churches do not have people that eat meat offered to idols we can't discuss this unless you apply the principle of partaking of those things which the lost are involved in. In that case we could spend a book or two considering the believers problems in our day.

The world has their movies, which are full of material that is not correct for Christian minds; indeed, it is not fit for the minds of the lost. Many Christians do not go to the temple to watch the movie, but they don't mind going to the market and watching those same movies when they are on the television.

Let us consider now the thought of FIRST LOVE.

What might be meant by "first love?" Revelation 2:5 states "Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works,"

The first love is works! What are the works of "First Love"? What are some of the works or acts that are recorded in scripture when people first met and followed God?

Matt 4:18-20 Peter and Andrew left their lively hood and followed Christ.

Matt 4:21,22 James and John left their living and their father.

Matt 9:9 Matthew left a very good income to follow Christ.

Acts 6 Stephen went preaching after serving tables

Acts 8:39 The Eunuch went away "REJOICING".

Acts 9:20 Saul went preaching.

Acts 16:15 Lydia showed hospitality and provision.

What are some of the things which you have seen new Christians do as a result of their newfound salvation? Witness, give all they can, read the Bible, go to every church meeting and Bible study they can, crave fellowship with other Christians, volunteer for all the jobs they can find in the church, pray, and talk about everything that they are learning.

I once asked a Bible study to list for me some of the attributes of a new believer. The group was quite prolific. I literally filled a fifteen-foot blackboard with a list of characteristics. I stepped back and asked why the new believer was involved in all these things. One of the older women quipped, quite honestly and seriously, that the new believers get over it. HEAVEN FORBID THAT THEY GET OVER IT! WHY AREN'T OLDER BELIEVERS AS THEY ONCE WERE?

We know many items that make up a church that Christ is satisfied with! Are you as an individual satisfactory as you look through this list? Is the Church in the United States satisfactory as you look through this list? Is your church satisfactory as you consider it?

WHAT CHANGES HAVE WE SEEN IN THE CHURCH IN THE LAST 20 YEARS?

BAD CHANGES:

A move to the center on the philosophical attitude in child discipline instead of on the Word of God.

A move to recommend a book to a person in trouble rather than The Book, the Bible.

Though missions giving is up dollar wise it has decreased drastically in relation to inflation.

Interest in missions is on the decline. This is usually due to the pastor not being interested; thus the congregation is seldom challenged.

Lifestyle evangelism seems to have tended toward the laid back approach to evangelism which is usually so laid back that it doesn't get done.

We are moving toward an entertainment air in our services - focusing on people and their enjoyments rather than God and his glorification. (Orchestras/Plays/Tapes/Acted out illustrations)

Move away from Bible Studies in our Sunday Schools to a more trendy Topical Studies method. Usually resulting in a lot of man's wisdom and not so much of Gods.

We are moving away from the concept of "SHEPHERD" and toward the concept of "RULING ELDER". Many pastors view themselves as the only intelligent life form in a church that can not possibly exist with out his total leadership. This is not to say I am against an Elder form of government.

We have lost the concept of "We are co-laborers with Christ" - we have relegated Christian workers into a hierarchy of importance.

A recent poll in a "Fundamentalist University" reports that in a survey of students ask to rank the Churches workers in order of "importance and value", they found that the Missionaries were "without exception" rated at the bottom below the custodian.

We are losing the concept of "ministry". True the pastor of a church should be rewarded for his labors however we have men turning down $20,000 per year plus a parsonage so that they can wait for the $50,000 pay package they hope for. This is not entirely a pastoral problem for we just received a report from one of our personal missionaries that is required to have $2,827 per month for a stateside ministry -- that's $33,924 per year. Hummmmmmm!!!! That is more than the average teacher makes in the public school system in America in 1992.

When I told my father that I was going to Bible College to become a minister his reply was, "Well there's good money in that." At the time this was a Methodist or Presbyterian outlook but it is now becoming a fundamentalist outlook.

We are moving to an "intellectualism" in our schools, which is detracting from the preaching of the Word!

We are moving toward inclusivism, which can only lead toward ecumenism ultimately. Illustration: The music advertised on a fundamental Baptist bulletin board in the 80's. A singer that had been on a recent Billy Graham crusade singing in a Pentecostal church. The concert was being arranged and financed by a Conservative Baptist Seminary.

The Charismatic and Charismatic Catholic get together might fit in here as well.

GOOD CHANGES:

We have backed away from the list of no-no's of the 50's but I fear we have left a void of "nothing nothing."

The Christian School movement has been good in many respects, in that it has taken the children out of the Secular Humanist environment of the public schools.

We have finally realized that the church leader can also be involved in Politics to the extent that our system of government allows. Since many of the early leaders of our country were very religious men the precedent was set in the early days of our government. Involvement to the detriment of an ongoing ministry is wrong however.

Let us draw some conclusions. What is the bottom line then?

WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE ON THIS LIST? WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOUR CHURCH IS ON THIS LIST? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR CHURCH TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION?

While driving in the mountains a number of times I have felt that we were going slightly uphill yet I had observed that we were gaining speed with no increase of pressure on the gas pedal. I would ask my wife for her opinion and she would confirm that we were going uphill, yet the reality of the speedometer said different. When I looked in the rear view mirror I could see very clearly that we were going down hill. I have told this to others and they all tell me of similar times in their own driving. I'm sure there is a scientific explanation for this, but even without the explanation I think this illustrates well what I wish to communicate to you. We sometimes as individuals and as churches continue forward without looking back and what we perceive as good, may well be bad, if we were to look back to see where we have been.

We often have a wrong perception of what we are doing. Indeed, sometimes we refuse to believe the obvious facts of the situation and opt for the perception of good. Only when we look back to the Standard of the Bible and the example of Christ can we see where we really are.

Rev 3:17 is the condemnation - they were a mess yet perceived themselves as well and good. "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," They were gauging their condition by their worldly possessions and situation.

Chadron, Nebraska was hit by a very bad hailstorm in about 1986. Cars were damaged extensively, as were houses and outdoor equipment. Many of the townspeople were in deep depression for several days over the loss of their possessions. It is interesting that God classifies Materialism as a heart problem in Matt. 6:19-21. Our ultimate reality should never be things!

Instead of BUILDINGS, BUSES, BUDGETS, AND BALL GAMES or PASTORS, PULPITS, PEWS, AND PROGRAMS lets have WILLINGNESS, WITNESSING, WORK, AND WALK!

May we take time to think about our own lives in relation to where we were and where we ought to be. May we take time to think about our church and reflect on what we were and what we are. Yes, there are some negatives in the past that are well to be rid of, however, are some of the positives gone? And have we maybe picked up some new negatives?

Let us look to the Word and Christ as our example not to other people, or other churches! MAY WE PRAY THAT GOD WOULD GIVE US HIS PERSPECTIVE ON OUR LIVES AND ON OUR CHURCH AS CHRIST GAVE HIS PERSPECTIVE TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA!

A chart follows, which may help you see the passage more clearly.

Let us draw some application to all of this information.

1. Verses 20-22 are an open invitation to follow Christ. This is open to believers. Those that overcome will sit with Christ.

2. Our own opinion and estimation of our spiritual lives can, and probably is faulted. We must ask God for HIS opinion and estimation. Taking time with God in prayer asking that He would show us problems in our lives might assist in this area.

Compare yourself to Christ Himself. This will give you a proper view of your own life.

3. If God is rebuking or chastening you, then the only logical thing to do is to repent and clean up your life. Chastening may be effecting you in the area of family, health, finances or just plain problems.

4. The Laodiceans were gauging their condition on worldly possession and situations. They were gauging themselves according to temporal things, not spiritual.

Materialism was their ultimate reality. Take time to read Matt. 6:19-21. Materialism is a heart problem as well as a mental addiction.

5. It would seem that being luke warm is like calling yourself a Christian that is spiritual, when in reality you are not involved in any spiritual activities. The hot person would be very active, while the cold would be someone that is outwardly rejecting the Christian life - carnal.

6. The Philadelphia church in the historical interpretation represents the great missionary church of the last century. Laodicea on the other hand is the lukewarm church that is not following through with their predecessor. The Philadelphia church had an open door to the lost, but the Laodicean church has no time for such things.

How is your temperature? Are you carnal and inactive, are you "spiritual" and inactive, or are you truly spiritual and active. God wants at least the cold or hot, but preferably the hot. At least if you are cold, the world and believers know where you are. If you are lukewarm, you only look good and are a poor example of Christianity.