Point of Grace Worship 3.21.21 Sermon Notes – Letters from Jesus – Lent 2021
The encouragements and admonishments build throughout the seven letters with “forsaking your first love” as the foundational threat to faith and faithfulness.
The answer is always “Repent!” – Surrender to the truth as revealed by Jesus and “love your first love first…”
The final two letters contain some of the greatest affirmations (Philadelphia) but also the most severe admonishments (Laodicea) while delivering to us in 2021 some of the richest application.
In both Jesus speaks of “doors”! Doors He opens for us to go through … and doors we open for Him to come in!
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
As if Jesus is saying, “Church, seize the doors of opportunity especially when you feel shut down-dejected!
Keep moving forward in truth (“you have kept my word”) and mission (“you have not denied my name”) through the open door I place before you!
I am working. Stay faithful to my truth and mission!
Take heart! You belong to Me! You belong in my Love! You belong in my house!”
What you don’t want to do is settle for “apathetic mediocrity”!
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
As if Jesus is saying, “Apathy is a subtle and quiet destroyer of zeal, of life, of hope, of joy and of faith …!
When you become wealthy in the things of this world you are vulnerable to a “blindness setting in”. So you do not see that you have given up true riches, clean clothes, shameless presence, healing so you see and seize life.
So, out of love I “knock”! If you hear my penetrating voice -“open” and I will come in. You don’t have to fix yourself or recreate yourself or clean up yourself. Your job is to allow Me in … into broken places, wounded places, rebellious places, places you think are fine... So I can intimately bring life into all of you!
Jesus
Places open “kingdom” doors before us so we can go through
Knocks on closed “heart” doors so He can come in!
He truly wants us to live fully alive … to “Love our First Love First”!
This Week’s Prayer Jesus, I love You! I worship You! I trust You! I give myself over to You today in my heart’s search for life. Restore me in You! Renew me in You and lead me in this time of prayer.
I thank and praise You for placing before me the open door of opportunity in Your kingdom. I now enter that door by faith surrendering myself completely to You – my spirit, soul and body, my heart, mind and will. I now receive all the belonging that comes with being in Your kingdom. I Belong to You, I Belong to Your Church and I Belong to Your Mission.
I ask You to give me eyes to see the open door of opportunity for Your Mission to advance, this day, through me and my church. I truly want to join You in Your mission today. I deeply desire to walk with people who are far from You on their journey closer to You. Use me Jesus. But I confess… much of the time I don’t want to or am indifferent. Jolt my indifference out of complacency so I can see and seize every opportunity you give me to be a witness for you. Lead me in the part of the I Belong Challenge to pray for, invite and bring someone to the Alpha Course this year. I want to Jesus … and when I don’t want to… help me want to want to.
Jesus, Your Word in Revelation 3:16 convicts me of apathy and lukewarm-ness towards You, Your Church and Your mission which sometimes creeps in. I repent! Search me, know me and reveal any apathy and complacency so that I might be open to Your presence there, in me, to heal and make whole. I thank You for loving me so much that You knock on my heart’s door. I desperately need Your healing hand in every crack and crevice of my soul. Come in Jesus. I place my whole self and my whole story in Your presence for healing, wholeness, redemption and resurrection. I am a new creation in You and I surrender to Your ongoing transformation of Me!
Jesus, You are my First and Highest Love and I love You now! Fill me afresh with Your Spirit so that I might live today as Your beloved, loving my first love first!
Amen!
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Revelation 3:7-13 Tue – Colossians 4:2-6 Wed – Revelation 3:14-22 Thu – Romans 12:9-16 Fri – Ephesians 5:8-11,15-20 Sat - Psalm 139:1-10
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: Join the “I BELONG” Challenge Go to pog.church and click the “I BELONG CHALLENGE” menu tab. After you sign up you will get a daily email with the daily reading. “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
“Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge