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The Church That Nauseates God · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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Speaker 1: I'd like you to look at Revelation 3, verse 14
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Speaker 1: down through verse 22. We come to the seventh and
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Speaker 1: last of the churches that are addressed by John the writer.
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Speaker 1: Remember when the Lord directed John to write this book
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Speaker 1: called the Revelation.
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Speaker 2: He told him to write the things which you have seen.
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Speaker 1: That's chapter one. And then write the things which are.
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Speaker 1: That's chapters 2 and 3. And then write the things
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Speaker 1: which will be hereafter. That's next time we're together. It's
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Speaker 1: chapter 4 to the end of the book. Revelation 1.19
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Speaker 1: is an outline of the book. And we're now at
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Speaker 1: the last part of the things that were. Church at Laodicea.
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Speaker 1: Revelation 3.14. to the angel or the messenger of the
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Speaker 1: church in Laodicea write. The amen, the faithful and true witness,
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Speaker 1: the beginning of the creation of God says this, I
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Speaker 1: know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.
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Speaker 1: I wish that you were cold or hot. So because
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Speaker 1: you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will
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Speaker 1: spit you out of my mouth. Only time in all
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Speaker 1: the New Testament where this verb is used, it means
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Speaker 1: to vomit. Because you say, I am rich and have
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Speaker 1: become wealthy and have need of nothing, and you do
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Speaker 1: not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor
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Speaker 1: and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from
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Speaker 1: me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich.
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Speaker 1: And white garments, so that you may clothe yourself and
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Speaker 1: that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed.
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Speaker 1: And I said to anoint your eyes so that you
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Speaker 1: may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door
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Speaker 1: and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
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Speaker 1: I will come in to him. and will dine with him,
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Speaker 1: and he with me. He who overcomes, I will grant
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Speaker 1: to him to sit down with me on my throne,
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Speaker 1: as I also overcame and sat down with my father
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Speaker 1: on his throne. He who has an ear, let him
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Speaker 1: hear what the Spirit says to the churches. You'll find
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Speaker 1: a folded outline in your worship folder this morning that
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Speaker 1: you may want to place right here in the crease
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Speaker 1: of your Bible, sort of guide us, keep us on
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Speaker 1: track as we work our way through these verses at
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Speaker 1: the end of chapter three. One of the most important
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Speaker 1: involvements of a gathering of God's people Is the time
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Speaker 1: spent for prayer.
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Speaker 2: Not just what I may. Say in prayer.
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Speaker 1: But what you say to your heavenly father. So would
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Speaker 1: you bow with me. And as all of us. Turn
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Speaker 1: our attention directly. And only upon.
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Speaker 2: The Lord our God. We come from all different walks
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Speaker 2: of life.
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Speaker 1: Our father. Our roots are different. And our. Family backgrounds
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Speaker 1: are all different. Our tastes differ. Our appearance is different.
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Speaker 1: Every one of us with his own DNA, our own
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Speaker 1: unique fingerprints, our own personality, voice inflections. We're full of variety,
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Speaker 1: and yet we do have this in common, that we
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Speaker 1: know what it is to go through hard times. these
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Speaker 1: tests that are ours to endure, we all have that
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Speaker 1: in common. And if we could know the story of
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Speaker 1: the person sitting behind us or near us, or perhaps
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Speaker 1: right in front of us, we would probably be amazed.
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Speaker 1: These stories are marked by hardship and trials. We thank
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Speaker 1: you for seeing us through them. Some come today lonely
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Speaker 1: for their mate whom they have lost recently. Some come
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Speaker 1: whose arms ache for the child that was once theirs
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Speaker 1: who has been taken from them. And there are those
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Speaker 1: who have known the horrors of divorce, being rejected, tossed
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Speaker 1: aside like a Piece of trash. Some are going through
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Speaker 1: intense financial duress and bankruptcy seems near. Some are without jobs.
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Speaker 1: Some feel without hope. Thank you, Father, for being the
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Speaker 1: burden bearer. Some admittedly come today and this is really
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Speaker 1: a climax for a great week And they rejoice. They're
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Speaker 1: full of praise.
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Speaker 2: You've told us by him.
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Speaker 1: Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.
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Speaker 1: That is the fruit of our lips. Giving thanks to
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Speaker 1: your name. And we do that today. We thank you
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Speaker 1: for seeing us through. For bringing us to green pastures.
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Speaker 1: And helping us to lie down. And be quiet.
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Speaker 2: And to listen.
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Speaker 1: Ours is a world full of noise. And the sound
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Speaker 1: at times.
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Speaker 3: Is tiring.
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Speaker 2: It's full of needs. People demands.
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Speaker 1: Expectations. Quotas on the job. Expectations and requirements. From those
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Speaker 1: who are. Working over us. As our superiors. We get
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Speaker 1: a confusing message from the media. All sorts of things
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Speaker 1: are going on in this day in which we live.
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Speaker 1: We need to know the solidarity and the sufficiency of Christ,
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Speaker 1: who is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever. We would
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Speaker 1: say with Paul that I may know him and the
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Speaker 1: power of his resurrection And the fellowship of his sufferings
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Speaker 1: being made conformable even unto his death. Lord, so many
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Speaker 1: portray the church and Christ as sort of a cheerleading
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Speaker 1: gathering where everybody's on the up and up. And we're not.
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Speaker 1: For some, it's a down time. So we pray that
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Speaker 1: the blend of time with your people and the singing
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Speaker 1: of a great hymn where we have acknowledged, may Jesus
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Speaker 1: Christ be praised. And the articulation of a trumpet, the
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Speaker 1: sound of a trombone, the substance and beauty of a tuba,
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Speaker 1: as they blend together in the skills resulting from hours
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Speaker 1: of practice. that we might have our hearts retuned to
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Speaker 1: things that are eternal. Thank you for the music that
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Speaker 1: softens the soil of our soul. We pray that we'll
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Speaker 1: be prepared for the sowing of the seed today. Bring
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Speaker 1: comfort through the pen that we use to write words
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Speaker 1: of encouragement on these notes that go to our friends
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Speaker 1: at Fort Hood. Meet the needs of those grieving families
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Speaker 1: who've been separated now from their loved one through the
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Speaker 1: horrors of war. Watch over those who serve you in
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Speaker 1: difficult places. And watch over these gifts that we give,
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Speaker 1: our Father. This isn't our money we're giving. This is
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Speaker 1: your money. And these aren't our programs. These are These
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Speaker 1: are your plans unfolding. This isn't our ministry. This is
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Speaker 1: your ministry. It's not about our reputation. It's about yours.
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Speaker 1: So remind us as we give, even those who can't
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Speaker 1: give today, remind us that we invest in that which
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Speaker 1: will never pass away. Lives that are eternal. We give
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Speaker 1: with that in mind in the name of Jesus. our Savior.
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Speaker 1: And everybody said, Amen. Well, let's begin with a quick quiz.
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Speaker 1: We'll make it an oral exam. Okay? Oh, it's easy.
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Speaker 1: You can just answer these simple questions. The opposite of
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Speaker 1: fast is? The opposite of long is? The opposite of
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Speaker 1: cold is? The opposite of young is opposite of soft
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Speaker 1: is opposite of sour is opposite of high is opposite
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Speaker 1: of rich is opposite of love is.
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Speaker 2: No, I'm not sure.
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Speaker 1: You know, that's a standard response. And when I was
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Speaker 1: growing up, I thought if you don't love somebody, then
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Speaker 1: you hate them. That's the opposite.
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Speaker 2: But I learned.
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Speaker 1: I learned from my mother to begin with, and then
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Speaker 1: I have learned through life, that really the greatest insult
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Speaker 1: against someone is not hate. It's apathy. Remember when your
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Speaker 1: mom said there was a bully picking on you at school?
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Speaker 1: Just ignore him. Just act like he isn't there. You
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Speaker 1: know what's amazing?
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Speaker 2: That usually worked. Usually worked.
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Speaker 1: George Bernard Shaw once wrote, The worst sin towards our
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Speaker 1: fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be
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Speaker 1: indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity. Apathy is
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Speaker 1: a terrible thing. So insulting. I have a friend who
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Speaker 1: taught high school students for a few years. It happened
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Speaker 1: to be at a school that was known for its
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Speaker 1: athletics and not for its academics. Ha! So it drew
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Speaker 1: people who were really good in sports but didn't care
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Speaker 1: that much about the solid subjects.
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Speaker 2: He taught math.
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Speaker 1: So it was one of those classes that you had
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Speaker 1: to get there early to get a back seat. So
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Speaker 1: happened that a couple of very well-known athletes in the
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Speaker 1: school got there late and so they were stuck on
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Speaker 1: the front.
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Speaker 2: And they were bored to tears. And they made it known.
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Speaker 1: Rolling their eyes and folding their arms and slouching at
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Speaker 1: the desk and Making eyes at the girls and sighing
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Speaker 1: at times. And finally, my teacher friend had enough of it.
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Speaker 1: He was fed up. He grabbed a piece of chalk
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Speaker 1: and he turned around to the chalkboard and he wrote
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Speaker 1: in letters that must have been 12 inches high. A-P-A-T-H-Y.
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Speaker 1: And he underlined it. Chalk splattered all over the front
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Speaker 1: of the room.
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Speaker 2: And one of the kids sitting here at the front
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Speaker 2: looks at it and goes.
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Speaker 1: says to his buddy, apathy. What's apathy? His buddy said,
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Speaker 1: who cares? It's one thing to be apathetic toward other people, teachers, parents,
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Speaker 1: even preachers, or maybe a judge in a courtroom. It's
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Speaker 1: something altogether different to be apathetic toward God. You see,
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Speaker 1: sort of a lukewarm indifference doesn't anger him. It makes
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Speaker 1: him sick to his stomach. I know that because in
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Speaker 1: this seventh and last letter written to the churches in
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Speaker 1: Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
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Speaker 2: He admits to such.
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Speaker 1: Verse 14 down through verse 22 is addressed to a
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Speaker 1: church that was located in a city you and I
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Speaker 1: would have probably wanted to live in. More than one
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Speaker 1: student of the New Testament that I sought help Information
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Speaker 1: from said that Laodicea was a prestigious place to live.
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Speaker 1: First of all, it was a banking center. Financially, people
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Speaker 1: of means wound up either banking there or living there.
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Speaker 1: It was a pretty well-to-do place. My folks would call
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Speaker 1: it snooty. Laodicea was... Fairly wealthy. In fact, so wealthy
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Speaker 1: that when the earthquake of A.D. 61 leveled it and
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Speaker 1: Nero the emperor offered governmental assistance in rebuilding it, they said,
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Speaker 1: no thanks.
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Speaker 2: We'll rebuild it ourselves.
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Speaker 1: Thank you.
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Speaker 2: Rich place. Banking center.
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Speaker 1: It also had a textile center there. The sheep that
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Speaker 1: grazed the fields around Laodicea.
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Speaker 2: Were these sheep with.
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Speaker 1: black, dark, violet wool, almost glossy in the sunshine. And
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Speaker 1: from the wool, these people who worked with their.
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Speaker 2: Hands and.
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Speaker 1: Made clothing and other kind of garments from the wool
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Speaker 1: found that it was easy to make this rather inexpensively.
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Speaker 1: And so, especially the outer garments were sold all over
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Speaker 1: Asia and even into Italy For a pretty good price.
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Speaker 1: So that caused the cream from that cup. To pour
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Speaker 1: into Laodicea. And a medical center. Along with being a
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Speaker 1: banking financial center. And a textile center.
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Speaker 2: It was also.
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Speaker 1: A place that bragged of a pretty fine medical school.
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Speaker 1: In fact some of the physicians they attracted. Had their
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Speaker 1: faces stamped into the coins. That had been found from
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Speaker 1: ancient Laodicea. They did research there in their own ancient manner,
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Speaker 1: and they discovered that a particular kind of powder called
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Speaker 1: Phrygian powder, taken from that part of ancient Asia, Asia Minor,
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Speaker 1: could be mixed with a liquid and made into an
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Speaker 1: eye salve that would help certain ailments with the eye.
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Speaker 1: And they became known as a school that developed that
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Speaker 1: particular powder.
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Speaker 2: Ingredient.
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Speaker 1: So it was an attractive place to live. You know,
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Speaker 1: some places you drive through, you just can't get through
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Speaker 1: fast enough. You think, whoa, am I glad I don't
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Speaker 1: live there. But when you got to Laodicea, which you
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Speaker 1: certainly would have to go to Rome or to go
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Speaker 1: to another eastern section of Asia, all roads led through Laodicea.
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Speaker 1: It's a pretty swanky place. It would be an attractive place,
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Speaker 1: whether you worked with your hands or you did your
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Speaker 1: work with your head. You'd be attracted to Laodicea. And interesting,
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Speaker 1: the church that was found in the town or city
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Speaker 1: of Laodicea picked up the culture of the city. And
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Speaker 1: the Lord who writes the church and has the messenger
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Speaker 1: address the church with the letter says, Exposes the truth
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Speaker 1: that you couldn't see in a quick pass through Laodicea.
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Speaker 1: In the margin of your Bible, you might want to
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Speaker 1: write 1 Samuel 16, 7. Which says, the Lord does
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Speaker 1: not see man as we see him. Man looks at
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Speaker 1: the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
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Speaker 1: 1 Samuel 16, 7. Similar thought appears in 1 Kings 8, 39.
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Speaker 1: where Solomon, in dedicating the temple, refers to the Lord
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Speaker 1: looking on the heart and seeing what is always there.
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Speaker 1: Psalm 139 begins that he scrutinizes all our paths. He
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Speaker 1: knows all our ways. So while you and I would
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Speaker 1: be impressed with the externals of Laodicea, the Lord was
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Speaker 1: not impressed. Because the wealth and riches They're relying on
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Speaker 1: it and the garments and they're enjoying them and being
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Speaker 1: proud of them to a fault. And their love for
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Speaker 1: their inventions and discoveries and medical advancements, all of that
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Speaker 1: created a sophistication.
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Speaker 2: That led to a lukewarmness that nauseated God.
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Speaker 1: The letter opens like the other six letters. It's written
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Speaker 1: to the messenger of the church in Laodicea. And then,
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Speaker 1: as is true in the other cases, the investigator of
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Speaker 1: the church introduces himself. And he uses three expressions to
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Speaker 1: introduce himself. First, strangely, he calls himself the Amen, or
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Speaker 1: if you're Presbyterian, the Ah-men. To the angel of the
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Speaker 1: church in Laodicea write the amen. What an unusual way
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Speaker 1: to begin. He's getting their attention. Sort of like when
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Speaker 1: your phone rings and the person at the end of
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Speaker 1: the line says, hello, I'm from the IRA. Oh, all
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Speaker 1: of a sudden you're no longer nibbling on your sandwich
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Speaker 1: or fiddling with your computer.
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Speaker 2: He has your full attention.
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Speaker 1: Or the person may identify herself as an attorney representing
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Speaker 1: this law firm that has two lines of a letterhead
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Speaker 1: of names. and you're being named in the lawsuit. This
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Speaker 1: beginning is a little like that, the amen.
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Speaker 2: But what does it mean?
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Speaker 1: Actually, amen is not an English word. It sounds like
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Speaker 1: that in both Hebrew and Greek.
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Speaker 2: Let me show you. Isaiah 65, 16.
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Speaker 1: Turn back. Isaiah, next to last chapter, 65th chapter and
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Speaker 1: the 16th verse. We're describing the meaning of amen. And
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Speaker 1: here it is translated for us. Because he who is
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Speaker 1: blessed in the earth shall be blessed by Elohim amain.
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Speaker 1: Rendered the God of truth. And he who swears in
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Speaker 1: the earth shall swear by the Elohim amain. The God
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Speaker 1: of truth. Not once but twice for emphasis. Amen means
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Speaker 1: truth or truthful. Remember in Jesus' earthly ministry, before he
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Speaker 1: would give a statement that would be fairly dogmatic or
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Speaker 1: of great significance to the hearer, he would precede the
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Speaker 1: statement with, Verily, verily, I say to you. The Greek
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Speaker 1: reads again, Amen, amen. Truthfully, truthfully, I say to you.
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Speaker 1: So when you get to Revelation 3.14 and you read
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Speaker 1: the word, they knew because they knew the language. And
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Speaker 1: now we know that he was saying, I am truth.
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Speaker 1: I come representing truthfulness. But he's not only in his
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Speaker 1: own character truthful. Observe the next title. I am the
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Speaker 1: faithful and true witness. In fact, literally, the sentence reads,
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Speaker 1: I am the witness, the faithful and true one.
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Speaker 2: Emphasis on the adjectives.
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Speaker 1: But what was a witness? What is a witness in
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Speaker 1: our day? Well, a witness needed to fulfill three conditions
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Speaker 1: in order to carry weight, if you will, to be respected. First,
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Speaker 1: the witness must have seen or heard, seen with his
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Speaker 1: own eyes or heard with her own ears, what was
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Speaker 1: being testified of. It's not hearsay. It's not second or
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Speaker 1: third hand. The witness literally saw it or heard it. Second,
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Speaker 1: the witness must be absolutely reliable and honest, accurate in
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Speaker 1: what is presented.
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Speaker 2: That's the second condition.
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Speaker 1: There must be an accurate presentation of what is being
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Speaker 1: testified to. And third, the witness must have the ability
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Speaker 1: to communicate it and to make a true impression on
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Speaker 1: the mind of the hearer. The same is true today.
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Speaker 1: When an attorney seeks a witness for a case, the
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Speaker 1: attorney desires to find someone who has firsthand knowledge, ideally. Second,
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Speaker 1: that person is a person of character and reliability. And third,
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Speaker 1: they have a way of convincing you when they tell
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Speaker 1: the story or reveal what was heard or seen. The
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Speaker 1: Lord Jesus says, the kind of witness I am is
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Speaker 1: He's faithful and he underscores again, truthful. We'd say in Texas,
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Speaker 1: the Lord is saying he doesn't blow smoke on you.
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Speaker 1: He tells it straight out.
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Speaker 2: As it is, he says it.
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Speaker 1: I've loved that about Christ ever since I've come to
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Speaker 1: know him. I've never known him to deceive me or
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Speaker 1: to hold back something I needed to know that was
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Speaker 1: true in my own life.
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Speaker 2: And you could say the same.
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Speaker 1: And the third title is the beginning of the creation
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Speaker 1: of God. There isn't a theological thinking person who doesn't
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Speaker 1: struggle with that line. You're telling me that Jesus was
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Speaker 1: the beginning of God's creative acts? I thought Jesus was God.
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Speaker 1: If he's the beginning of the creation of God, then
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Speaker 1: Jesus is the first among all created beings.
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Speaker 2: That means God.
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Speaker 1: He had a beginning and so he isn't God because
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Speaker 1: God is eternal and has no beginning or ending. The
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Speaker 1: word rendered beginning is arche. We get our word arch
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Speaker 1: from it. Arche. And it does mean beginning or origination.
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Speaker 1: It's found in John 1, you may recall, that opens
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Speaker 1: with these words. In the beginning was the word. The
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Speaker 1: word was with God. The word was God. There's no
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Speaker 1: definite article in John 1.1. And so it really says
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Speaker 1: in beginning existed the word. In a beginning which really
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Speaker 1: didn't have a starting place, eternally existed the Lord Jesus.
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Speaker 1: Would be a paraphrase of that. What am I driving at? Well,
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Speaker 1: I'm saying it can't mean that he is the beginning
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Speaker 1: of the creation. So what it must mean is that
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Speaker 1: Jesus began the process of creating. He was the start
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Speaker 1: of all that was created. John 1 also says that.
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Speaker 1: He created all things and nothing came into being that
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Speaker 1: did not come into being from his own hands. Maybe
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Speaker 1: you didn't know that, but God the Father is the
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Speaker 1: planner of And God the Son is the implementer of
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Speaker 1: the plan. And God the Holy Spirit is the empowerment of.
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Speaker 2: The plan as it unfolds. God planned the creation.
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Speaker 1: The Lord Jesus carried it out as the archaic of creation.
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Speaker 1: And the Holy Spirit empowered it. So what he's doing
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Speaker 1: is establishing his sovereign right to evaluate the church. If
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Speaker 1: someone stands and says, I am the embodiment of truth.
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Speaker 1: I am one who has witnessed what I am telling you.
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Speaker 1: I've seen it with my own eyes and heard it
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Speaker 1: with my own ears and therefore communicating it in a
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Speaker 1: way that will make an impression so that you'll not
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Speaker 1: forget it. And I am also one who was there
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Speaker 1: at the very start when creation began. I have the
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Speaker 1: right to tell you the truth about where you are
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Speaker 1: and what you're doing. I'm sure by now this snooty
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Speaker 1: congregation began to get a little nervous. Especially when he
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Speaker 1: goes on to say, I know your deeds. Even though
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Speaker 1: that appears in all seven of the letters, I know,
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Speaker 1: I know, I know. I've marked every one of them.
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Speaker 1: All the letters begin with those words. And often, I
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Speaker 1: know your deeds is. He's saying, I know all about you.
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Speaker 1: Hold your place and look at Psalm 139.
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Speaker 2: Psalm 139.
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Speaker 1: Good night. Where is Psalm 139? There it is.
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Speaker 2: Oh, Lord, Yahweh, you have searched me and known me.
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Speaker 1: Watch closely.
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Speaker 2: You know when I sit down and when I rise up.
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Speaker 1: You understand my thought from afar, meaning long before I
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Speaker 1: have the thought, you already know the thought. I love
28:11
Speaker 1: this next line. Excellent translation from the Hebrew. You scrutinize
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Speaker 1: my path and you are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
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Speaker 1: All my way. You know motive as well as words.
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Speaker 1: You not only know action, you know reason behind the action.
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Speaker 1: You know the result of the action. You know thoughts
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Speaker 1: before I even get the thought. You scrutinize and you
28:35
Speaker 1: are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there
28:39
Speaker 1: is a word on my tongue. Oh Yahweh, you know
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Speaker 1: it all. When he says in Revelation 3.15, I know
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Speaker 1: your deeds. He knows their deeds. In verse 15 and
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Speaker 1: verse 17, we have an evaluation of the church itself.
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Speaker 2: Really, the condition that existed at the church.
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Speaker 1: Leave 16 for a moment and look at 15 with 17.
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Speaker 2: I know your deeds.
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Speaker 1: And now he's looking at all of them as an assembly.
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Speaker 1: I know that you are neither hot, neither cold, nor hot.
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Speaker 1: And he adds, I wish you were cold or hot.
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Speaker 2: I find that fascinating, don't you?
29:38
Speaker 1: Curious line.
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Speaker 2: I would that you were out.
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Speaker 1: And out cold to spiritual things. I wish you would
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Speaker 1: make it known to the community that you don't believe
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Speaker 1: in the things.
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Speaker 2: Written in Scripture.
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Speaker 1: I wish you made it known that your trust is
29:52
Speaker 1: really not in the living God.
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Speaker 2: You're cold to these things. Make it clear. Say it straight.
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Speaker 2: Or I wish you were zealous, boiling.
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Speaker 1: With excitement and enthusiasm over spiritual things.
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Speaker 2: I would like you one or the other.
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Speaker 1: Verse 17. Because you say, I.
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Speaker 2: Am rich.
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Speaker 1: Listen to their testimony. I have become wealthy and I
30:23
Speaker 1: have need of nothing. And you do not know. I've
30:27
Speaker 1: marked an arrow between verse 15 and verse 17. I know,
30:33
Speaker 1: verse 17, you do not know. He's exposing something to
30:39
Speaker 1: them that they had become blinded to. I know that
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Speaker 1: you are, or you do not know that you are
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Speaker 1: wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Here
30:55
Speaker 1: sit these rather sophisticated people, certainly well-dressed, certainly self-satisfied, proud
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Speaker 1: of what they were able to do with their own hands,
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Speaker 1: who were neither hot nor cold.
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Speaker 2: Now, what you can't.
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Speaker 1: See here is that Jesus is talking to them in
31:16
Speaker 1: terms everyone in Laodicea could understand, especially when he came
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Speaker 1: to his own indictment.
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Speaker 2: You are lukewarm.
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Speaker 1: Verse 16.
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Speaker 2: Neither cold nor hot.
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Speaker 1: I will spit you out of my mouth. In the
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Speaker 1: Lycus Valley were three cities. Not that far from each other.
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Speaker 1: One only about six miles away. The other about ten
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Speaker 1: miles away. Laodicea, Colossae, and Hierapolis. In fact, in Colossians
31:56
Speaker 1: chapter 4, you'll see the other two places named. Colossians 4,
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Speaker 1: verse 13, Paul writing to them, I testify for him,
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Speaker 1: meaning Epaphras, that he has a deep concern for you
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Speaker 1: and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
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Speaker 2: We know more about Laodicea.
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Speaker 1: We know virtually nothing about Hierapolis except what the archaeologists
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Speaker 1: have dug up.
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Speaker 2: And it's fascinating.
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Speaker 1: At Hierapolis, there were hot springs where people would go,
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Speaker 1: even in ancient days, to find soothing relief from the
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Speaker 1: aches and pains of their bodies. They would sit in
32:37
Speaker 1: stone spas as the natural hot springs of Hierapolis would
32:43
Speaker 1: wash around them in these hot baths. The current from
32:48
Speaker 1: the springs would move the water. To this day, people
32:51
Speaker 1: go to such places regularly. and enjoy the benefit of
32:55
Speaker 1: the spa. Other countries place even more emphasis on it
33:00
Speaker 1: than we do here in these United States. Hierapolis had
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Speaker 1: the hot water. Colossae, interestingly, though not far from Laodicea
33:09
Speaker 1: or that far from Hierapolis, had frigid cold springs that
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Speaker 1: bubbled up and were fresh and refreshing, and you could
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Speaker 1: even drink from the spring without becoming sick. I failed
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Speaker 1: to tell you earlier, Laodicea is located at the end
33:27
Speaker 1: of the Lycus Valley and was elevated several hundred feet,
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Speaker 1: which is a good place to be for a military invasion.
33:34
Speaker 1: You were virtually impregnable up there. The only problem was
33:38
Speaker 1: they had no water supply, unlike Colossae and Hierapolis. So
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Speaker 1: they drew their water from these other places through.
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Speaker 2: Stone aqueducts, stones.
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Speaker 1: Having their own minerals that would be blended into the
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Speaker 1: water as the water flowed through, and by the time
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Speaker 1: it got to Laodicea, the water was neither hot nor cold,
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Speaker 1: and it was disgusting in its taste. It could even
34:07
Speaker 1: make you sick to your stomach. So they had to
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Speaker 1: treat the water in order for it to become drinkable.
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Speaker 1: But by itself, if you drank, even as this day
34:17
Speaker 1: when you're not feeling well, you rarely want to drink
34:20
Speaker 1: a cup of warm water.
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Speaker 2: While I'm at it, since.
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Speaker 1: I'm speaking to Texans, I've never seen anyone ask for
34:30
Speaker 1: a tepid glass of tea.
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Speaker 2: We like iced tea, mainly ice.
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Speaker 1: They may not bring back more tea when we get low,
34:41
Speaker 1: but we like more ice. I had a friend bring me,
34:46
Speaker 1: as a result of preaching this in the early service,
34:49
Speaker 1: he brought me a kind of a tepid glass of
34:53
Speaker 1: iced tea.
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Speaker 2: There's just a couple of three.
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Speaker 1: There are three little tiny ice cubes in here. Not
35:02
Speaker 1: a Texan on earth would like this tea. When we
35:07
Speaker 1: lived in New England, we would ask for iced tea
35:09
Speaker 1: and their first question was, would you like cream?
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Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. I'd like ice in it though.
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Speaker 2: Then give you one cube. Like it was gold bouillon.
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Speaker 1: Can't use much of this ice. I'd say, you know,
35:29
Speaker 1: I really like ice in my tea. They'd bring one
35:32
Speaker 1: more cube. We don't like tepid coffee. We like our
35:41
Speaker 1: coffee piping hot. We like it steaming fresh. Hot coffee.
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Speaker 1: But lukewarm.
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Speaker 2: No one ever says, pour me another.
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Speaker 1: Cup of warm. We call it cold. I've asked the
35:58
Speaker 1: waitress or waiter to bring another cup because this is cold.
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Speaker 1: It isn't really cold, it's just not really hot.
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Speaker 2: You got the point.
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Speaker 1: The Lord says, as I evaluate your life deep within,
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Speaker 1: I find that you are not all that zealous and
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Speaker 1: enthusiastic and on fire about spiritual things. Nothing like the
36:24
Speaker 1: water at Hierapolis. And I don't even find that you're cold.
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Speaker 1: You're not announcing that you have shipped the faith or
36:33
Speaker 1: that you no longer stand where strong churches like Colossae
36:37
Speaker 1: would stand.
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Speaker 2: But you're just lukewarm. Rich, yes.
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Speaker 1: Famous and popular, no doubt. well clothed, well educated. But
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Speaker 1: spiritually speaking, the truth is you are wretched and miserable
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Speaker 1: and poor and blind and naked.
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Speaker 2: Now, I can tell you from experience.
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Speaker 1: When you deliver a message like this at a lukewarm church,
37:23
Speaker 1: You're never invited back. I've said to people, I've preached
37:29
Speaker 1: in a number of lukewarm churches. Never twice, but I've
37:32
Speaker 1: preached once in a number of lukewarm churches. Why?
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Speaker 2: I mean, how dare you? How dare you say that
37:42
Speaker 2: about us?
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Speaker 1: You realize that we told Nero when our city was destroyed,
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Speaker 1: we'll build it ourselves. We don't need government help. We're
37:51
Speaker 1: an independent group of people, okay? You realize that we
37:54
Speaker 1: don't need a handout. We're not homeless. We've got we've
37:57
Speaker 1: got a manufacturing plant. In fact, several of them and
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Speaker 1: our people are not on the street. We take care
38:03
Speaker 1: of our own. Do you realize that we have the
38:06
Speaker 1: finest in medical facilities and people from all over Asia,
38:10
Speaker 1: even Italy, would come here to find help in there?
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Speaker 1: eye problems, and some of them even with blindness. And
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Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus says, you don't even know it, but
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Speaker 1: you're walking around miserable and naked and blind. And because
38:29
Speaker 1: of that, I want to vomit you out of my mouth.
38:39
Speaker 1: This is the only place in scripture where that That
38:42
Speaker 1: verb appears, only place in the New Testament where it appears.
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Speaker 1: The place made him sick to his stomach. Warren Wiersbe
38:53
Speaker 1: adds a very insightful and thought-provoking comment here. I quote,
38:59
Speaker 1: The second law of thermodynamics requires that a closed system
39:03
Speaker 1: eventually moderates so that no more energy is being produced.
39:08
Speaker 1: Unless something is added from the outside, the system decays
39:12
Speaker 1: and dies. Without added fuel, the hot water in the
39:16
Speaker 1: boiler becomes cool. Without electricity, the refrigerant in the.
39:21
Speaker 2: Freezer becomes warm.
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Speaker 1: He adds, the church cannot be a closed system. Jesus said,
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Speaker 1: without me, you can do nothing. The Laodicean church was independent, self-satisfied,
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Speaker 1: and secure. We have need of nothing, they said. But
39:44
Speaker 1: all the while, their spiritual power had been decaying. Their
39:48
Speaker 1: material wealth and glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding a
39:54
Speaker 1: rotting corpse. Now, if this were just another human being
40:06
Speaker 1: writing this, if this were just another person evaluating the church,
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Speaker 1: you or I or someone else, we would probably be
40:14
Speaker 1: tempted to say at this point, Get out of my sight.
40:18
Speaker 1: You make me sick. You know, that's not the Lord's style.
40:26
Speaker 1: And I'm glad for that because there have been days
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Speaker 1: in my life when I've been lukewarm and he never
40:33
Speaker 1: threw me out. He never kicked me out the back
40:38
Speaker 1: door and slammed it shut and locked it from the inside.
40:45
Speaker 1: He talked straight to me. He gave me advice and
40:48
Speaker 1: offered solutions, but he never threw me out. And in
40:53
Speaker 1: verses 18 and down through 22, we have some wonderful,
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Speaker 1: merciful words.
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Speaker 2: First, he gives us advice.
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Speaker 1: I advise you to buy from me gold refined by
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Speaker 1: fire so that you may become rich. Implied truly rich.
41:17
Speaker 2: What does he mean by that? These are symbols. These
41:20
Speaker 2: are all terms that he's going to be using.
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Speaker 1: Not literal gold. He doesn't have his salvation for sale.
41:26
Speaker 1: He's saying there is gold that I offer that is
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Speaker 1: refined in the fire. That includes trials, testing, suffering, refinement.
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Speaker 1: The flame will not hurt you. I only design thy
41:40
Speaker 1: dross to consume. Thy gold to refine.
41:44
Speaker 2: Says the hymn writer.
41:46
Speaker 1: I offer gold that will be refined in fires of
41:49
Speaker 1: testing because you're living your life on the edge spiritually.
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Speaker 1: You're trusting me when all those around you are trusting
41:57
Speaker 1: in themselves. I offer you refined gold purified by the fire.
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Speaker 1: And he said, second, I advise you to take these
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Speaker 1: white garments so that you may clothe yourself. Remember, their
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Speaker 1: garments were all black. Or deep, deep violet in color.
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Speaker 1: Very attractive to the human eye. But he says, I
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Speaker 1: have a righteousness that is like a white garment. You
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Speaker 1: come to me and I will justify you before my God.
42:28
Speaker 1: Listen to this definition of justification. It's the sovereign act
42:32
Speaker 1: of God whereby he declares righteous the believing sinner.
42:38
Speaker 2: While we're still in a sinning state.
42:43
Speaker 1: He declares us righteous because we come naked, needy, broken, sinful,
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Speaker 1: depraved creatures to the cross. And he clothes us in
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Speaker 1: a righteousness that is brilliantly pure, white for all eternity.
43:07
Speaker 2: He offers them a.
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Speaker 1: White garment and he then says it will Cover the
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Speaker 1: shame of your nakedness. And look at this. He even
43:15
Speaker 1: mentions the eye salve. Eye salve, I offer. Another symbol
43:19
Speaker 1: to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Remember,
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Speaker 1: they didn't even know that they were naked. In 2
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Speaker 1: Corinthians 4, Paul says that the God of this world
43:35
Speaker 1: has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. Those
43:39
Speaker 1: without Christ live blinded lives. That explains, friends, why you
43:45
Speaker 1: can take a copy of the scriptures and turn to
43:48
Speaker 1: some section and you will be thrilled by what you read.
43:51
Speaker 1: And you look at this lost person next to you
43:53
Speaker 1: and he's sound asleep. Or he's disinterested, or she is.
43:58
Speaker 1: It's like, what's the big deal about it? They're blind.
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Speaker 2: They can't see it.
44:04
Speaker 1: Or some particular truth is applied in a realm of
44:08
Speaker 1: your life that's pretty pointed and you feel convicted. You
44:15
Speaker 1: feel exposed to the scalpel of the word and your
44:22
Speaker 1: friend who doesn't know Christ is thinking, what right does
44:25
Speaker 1: he have to say that to me?
44:29
Speaker 2: He's hoping to open.
44:30
Speaker 1: Their eyes that they might truly see Why does he
44:36
Speaker 1: do that? What's the solution here? He says, those whom
44:39
Speaker 1: I love I reprove and discipline. Isn't that the truth?
44:46
Speaker 1: When a parent really loves a child, one of the
44:49
Speaker 1: tasks of the parent is to reprove and to discipline.
44:57
Speaker 2: You don't do that with a stranger, do you?
45:01
Speaker 1: Even a little child. You're in a grocery store and
45:04
Speaker 1: your child acts up. You say, don't do that. And
45:08
Speaker 1: your child acts up again and you take him by
45:10
Speaker 1: the arm and shake him and you say, I said,
45:13
Speaker 1: stop it. And if the child continues, you lift the
45:18
Speaker 1: child out of the little basket and go out to
45:20
Speaker 1: the car and pull the blinds on the car and
45:23
Speaker 1: you wear them out. But you know, it's interesting when
45:27
Speaker 1: somebody else's child is doing that, you just get your
45:30
Speaker 1: card away from them. You don't reprove them and you
45:33
Speaker 1: don't discipline. You do it because you love them.
45:36
Speaker 2: The Lord does that here.
45:40
Speaker 1: I'm slapping you in the face so that I'll get
45:44
Speaker 1: your attention. Stop it.
45:50
Speaker 2: Here, take what I have. I'm offering you life. What
45:55
Speaker 2: is he saying?
45:56
Speaker 1: The solution in verse 19 is be zealous and repent.
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Speaker 1: You talk about being hot about something.
46:04
Speaker 2: Turn around. Turn around.
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Speaker 1: Half your life, maybe all of it, you've been moving
46:10
Speaker 1: in this direction. Turn around and come to me in
46:14
Speaker 1: all of your need and I'll be there to forgive
46:16
Speaker 1: you and to help you as you take your next steps.
46:20
Speaker 1: Martin Lloyd-Jones defines.
46:25
Speaker 2: Repentance.
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Speaker 1: It means that you realize you are a guilty, vile
46:31
Speaker 1: sinner in the presence of God. That you deserve the
46:33
Speaker 1: wrath and punishment of God. That you are hell bound.
46:39
Speaker 1: It means that you begin to realize that this thing called.
46:42
Speaker 2: Sin is in you. That you long to get rid
46:46
Speaker 2: of it.
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Speaker 1: And that you turn your back on it in every
46:49
Speaker 1: shape and form. And you move in another direction. Turn around.
46:56
Speaker 1: Get rid of the old self-righteous garments and take mine
47:02
Speaker 1: fresh from the cross. And I'll prepare you for a
47:07
Speaker 1: lifetime with me. Now, interestingly, here we are in this
47:15
Speaker 1: letter to Laodicea and we come to Revelation 3.20. Now,
47:19
Speaker 1: if you've been raised in the church, as I have,
47:21
Speaker 1: you've heard Revelation 3.20 quoted by All kinds of people
47:25
Speaker 1: as the verse to use when witnessing. Behold, Jesus stands
47:28
Speaker 1: at the door and knocks. If anyone will answer me,
47:31
Speaker 1: he will open the door. I will come in to
47:33
Speaker 1: him and I will fellowship with him and he with me.
47:36
Speaker 1: But you know what? The verse is written to the
47:37
Speaker 1: church at Laodicea. Now, I think it's applicable for the individual.
47:43
Speaker 1: As we'll see in a moment, he addresses anyone. You know,
47:47
Speaker 1: you'll never save the whole church. You'll never save everybody
47:52
Speaker 1: in the congregation. But there will be many, each one
47:56
Speaker 1: coming individually. Look at how he puts it. Behold, I
47:59
Speaker 1: stand at the door, the door of your church, and
48:03
Speaker 1: I knock.
48:05
Speaker 2: You hear me? I'm knocking.
48:12
Speaker 1: If you've ever seen Holman Hunt's fanciful picture of Jesus
48:16
Speaker 1: standing at the door, he's standing there knocking at the
48:19
Speaker 1: lamp and he's knocking at the door. you look closely,
48:22
Speaker 1: you will not see a doorknob on the outside. Someone
48:26
Speaker 1: corrected the artist, Holman Hunt, for not putting the doorknob there.
48:30
Speaker 1: He said, no, the door opens from the inside. If
48:36
Speaker 1: anyone will open the door, this door opens in. And
48:43
Speaker 1: I will come in and I will dine with him
48:47
Speaker 1: and he with me. It's a picture of close harmony
48:50
Speaker 1: and He who overcomes is the one who has repented,
49:00
Speaker 1: the one who has opened the door. He says, I
49:02
Speaker 1: will grant to him to sit down with me on
49:04
Speaker 1: my throne, as I also overcame, referring to his resurrection
49:09
Speaker 1: and ascension, and I sat down with my Father on
49:12
Speaker 1: his throne.
49:13
Speaker 2: Do you know that the Lord.
49:14
Speaker 1: Jesus exists in a sitting position? Did you know that?
49:19
Speaker 2: He sits.
49:20
Speaker 1: At the father's right hand. When he left this earth
49:25
Speaker 1: in the ascension and he went to the father's side,
49:28
Speaker 1: he was seated at the right hand of the father.
49:32
Speaker 1: The doctrine of session.
49:34
Speaker 2: Ascension and session.
49:37
Speaker 1: He's seated. And he said, who comes first? He who
49:39
Speaker 1: comes to me will sit by me in that sense
49:43
Speaker 1: of harmony. And he who has an ear, let him
49:46
Speaker 1: hear what the spirit says. I think there are three
49:51
Speaker 1: statements of invitation and application. For you who think Swindoll
49:57
Speaker 1: doesn't give an invitation, please listen. The first part of
50:01
Speaker 1: the invitation says this. If he is outside your life,
50:08
Speaker 1: open the door and let him in.
50:11
Speaker 2: I cannot tell by looking.
50:16
Speaker 1: If I could tell by looking, I would stop you
50:19
Speaker 1: before you left this building and I'd talk to you
50:22
Speaker 1: directly and I would urge you to open the door
50:25
Speaker 1: of your heart.
50:25
Speaker 2: And let him in. Let him come in.
50:27
Speaker 1: Don't excuse it anymore. Don't put it off.
50:32
Speaker 2: Don't fake it. Open the door. Let him in.
50:35
Speaker 1: He's not going to rebuke you. He's going to welcome you.
50:38
Speaker 1: He says, I will come and dine with you and
50:40
Speaker 1: You with me. If he's outside your life, open the
50:45
Speaker 1: door and let him in. Now, the next part of
50:49
Speaker 1: this invitation says this. If he's inside your life, give
50:55
Speaker 1: him the throne and let him rule. For some who
51:01
Speaker 1: turn to Christ, there's sort of a shared authority. When
51:05
Speaker 1: it comes to business, Lord, I'll take care of things myself.
51:09
Speaker 1: When it comes to the raising of family, Lord, I
51:11
Speaker 1: know these kids. I'll call on you when they mess up,
51:14
Speaker 1: but until then, I can handle it. When it comes
51:17
Speaker 1: to finances, Lord, I've earned my own money, and I think,
51:21
Speaker 1: you know, as the Bible says, God helps those who
51:23
Speaker 1: help themselves. It never says that, but that's the most
51:27
Speaker 1: quoted verse from the Bible ever given by people. Some
51:33
Speaker 1: live like that. But when he comes in, he's in charge.
51:38
Speaker 1: He's in charge.
51:40
Speaker 2: You're not your own. You've been bought with a price.
51:45
Speaker 2: So if he is inside your life, give him the throne.
51:48
Speaker 2: Let him rule.
51:50
Speaker 1: Turn it over to him. Spirit of God, I trust
51:54
Speaker 1: you to take charge of my life. I acknowledge that
51:58
Speaker 1: if I went my own way, I'd mess it up.
52:00
Speaker 1: Just I have my past, just as I have there.
52:03
Speaker 1: And I'm not going to do that. You are my ruler,
52:06
Speaker 1: my Lord, my master. Guide me.
52:10
Speaker 2: Guide me clearly and I'll obey.
52:11
Speaker 1: Where I'm wrong, tell me, show me, and I'll submit
52:15
Speaker 1: to your plan. Where I need to change, help me
52:18
Speaker 1: know how to do that and I'll change. I won't
52:21
Speaker 1: resist you. I'm single. I'm looking for a mate. I
52:25
Speaker 1: want your choice for me. I pray that you'll guide
52:28
Speaker 1: me and my eyes will be open. I won't be
52:30
Speaker 1: driven by just the physical. I'll be sensitive to what
52:35
Speaker 1: you're saying to me and I'll watch carefully how you're
52:39
Speaker 1: leading me. In my business, as it grows, I'm going
52:43
Speaker 1: to be sensitive to you, Lord. You are enthroned over
52:46
Speaker 1: my life.
52:47
Speaker 2: This is your business. I'm just a steward of it.
52:51
Speaker 2: You own it.
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Speaker 1: And the third part, if he is convicting you of
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Speaker 1: something about your life, release it and let it go.
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Speaker 1: Release it. Release it to him.
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Speaker 2: You can trust him with it.
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Speaker 1: If it's a worry, he can handle that for you.
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Speaker 1: I know you're attached to it, but you don't have
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Speaker 1: to live like that. We sing our great songs and
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Speaker 1: we thank the Lord for taking our burden and then
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Speaker 1: we stop singing it and we take our burden back
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Speaker 1: and we carry it with us.
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Speaker 2: Thank you.
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Speaker 1: I've been nurturing this burden a long time. It's mine.
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Speaker 2: I know it by its first name.
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Speaker 1: Ah, just leave it with him. Release it. I started
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Speaker 1: with an.
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Speaker 2: Oral exam, I end with a silent one.
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Speaker 1: Does Christ live within your life or outside? If He's outside,
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Speaker 1: why not open the door? If He's inside, is He enthroned?
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Speaker 1: I can't tell by looking. We all are good at cover-up.
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Speaker 2: Is He enthroned? If He's not, what's keeping Him at
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Speaker 2: a distance?
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Speaker 1: And finally, if you know what that is, why don't
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Speaker 1: you release it to him? See, an invitation is more
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Speaker 1: than just coming to Christ. An invitation is often directed
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Speaker 1: to those who know the Lord Jesus, but they're walking
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Speaker 1: their own way. That's called living in a carnal state
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Speaker 1: of mind. They're the most difficult kind of Christians to
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Speaker 1: be around because they look spiritual, but they're really Selfish. Self-willed.
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Speaker 1: I'd like you to bow your heads for just a
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Speaker 1: few closing moments. You've heard enough to respond and I'll
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Speaker 1: leave the response between you and the Lord.
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Speaker 2: I've done my part.
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Speaker 1: Now it's his part. If you'd like to visit with
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Speaker 1: someone about these issues, we have a wonderful group of
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Speaker 1: men and women who are part of our ministry at
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Speaker 1: They care about your soul.
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Speaker 2: You may not want to talk to anybody.
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Speaker 1: We respect that too. You may need to come to
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Speaker 1: terms with this on your own. Our Father, we love
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Speaker 1: you and we lay our lives before you. We trust
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Speaker 1: you to take the truth that's been revealed and drill
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Speaker 1: it home to us. Help us to move it from
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Speaker 1: the black print on white pages related to a first
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Speaker 1: century church named Laodicea and convict us of the truth
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Speaker 1: as it relates to us in our church or us individually. Now, Lord,
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Speaker 1: dismiss us and keep us restless until our hearts are
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Speaker 1: at rest with you. Keep us sleepless until we have
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Speaker 1: come to terms with those things that need to be
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Speaker 1: addressed Keep us in your will as we seek to
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Speaker 1: walk it and talk it and live it. In the
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Speaker 1: name of Jesus, we all pray. Everybody said amen.
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Speaker 3: The preceding message, The Church That Nauseates God, was copyrighted
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Speaker 3: in 2003, 2006, and 2024, and the sound recording was
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Speaker 3: copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights
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Speaker 3: are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use
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Speaker 3: is strictly prohibited.