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Verse 14.
Revelation 3 verse 14.
And unto the Angel of the Church of the laodiceans fright these things set the Amen, faithful and true witness beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou work cold or hot.
So then, because our lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because I'll say yes, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. I know it's not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold cried in the fire, that thou mayst be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And tonight thine eyes with I shall have that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke Jason. Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him. And he with me to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and then sat down with my father in his throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
Sometimes it's difficult.
To state anything as complex as Laodiceanism in simple terms.
That I have enjoyed thinking of it in this simple way.
It is indifference to Christ.
And insensibility to the low state that causes one to be indifferent to that blessed man.
And sensibility to Christ, and indifference to the State.
I think it's well to to realize that you could not have.
Laodicea following upon Sardis.
Sardis was a partial recovery of the truth.
Laodicea follows Philadelphia.
Laodicea comes after the full recovery of Philadelphia.
And the Laodicean spirit is indifference.
To it, we were just hearing about the truth.
He who is the truth? The Lord Jesus.
And the Spirit is the truth as the power of truth in our souls. And what characterizes the Laodicean is indifference to the truth.
Take it or leave it. If you want to believe in the virgin birth, fine. I don't find we can be brethren together. It's that kind of a disgusting, nauseous lukewarmness that the Lord says I will spew out of my mouth.
He wants us to be out and out for him, not wishy washy.
Not anything goes toleration of everything.
Indifference to the truth? That's Laodicea.
The way the Lord presents himself in verse 14 These things say at the Amen.
He was the confirmation of the word of God, all the promises of God. He's the Yay and the Amen, the affirmation and the confirmation. So he presents himself as the Amen. He was the faithful and true witness.
It was the beginning of the creation of God, the new creation, the head of a new creation.
Now these are the things that ought to characterize the assembly. The assembly we just heard is the pillar and ground of the truth. The assembly ought to to add its Amen to the truth of God to support it, to uphold it. The assembly ought to be the faithful and true witness in the world, that is, that has cast him out. The assembly ought to be the expression of the new creation of which he is the risen, glorified head in heaven, the beginning of the creation of God.
00:05:10
None of those things characterize Laodicea. He does not have one thing here to commend. He does not have one thing to condemn in Philadelphia. All his approbation in Philadelphia, all is failing to meet his mind and what is suitable to himself in Laodicea. What would you say, brother, is the commencement of the decline into the legacy and state.
Well, indifference to him, to his person, could it be knowing the truth, but in having no effect on our heart and conscience, our walking ways, having a form of godliness and denying the power of it.
I think I quoted another man once before here that put it very well and he says that.
That the truth of Philadelphia becomes the intellectual knowledge of those in Laodicea.
You know, and this danger exists for us. You know, truth is really not possessed.
Unless we live it, unless it has an effect on our very being and our way of living.
And that's so important to now that it certainly is important, as has been emphasized, that we make the truth our own, that we enter into these things. But if we do not find grace to live it, we don't really possess it. And that's so important. Now there are those who almost, you might say, despise the truth that has been brought out during the Philadelphia period.
But that is not so much Lord this year. I think those who have been exposed to Philadelphian truth and do not have exercise to really practice it and to live it. That is what is Lord is here Now, I believe there is a sense in which all of Christendom is characterized by indifference to Christ, but I think it is especially referring to those who have been exposed.
To Philadelphia in truth, and do not allow that truth to govern their life. That exposure to Philadelphian truth goes far beyond.
Those professively I use that word advisedly gather to the Lord's name because the truth recovered in the last century has spread, and it's in. It's in all of Christendom. You can go to the various libraries in the theological seminaries. Their books are lined with the writings of the early brethren. It's not that they don't.
Know the truth. It's not that it isn't available to them. It's not that they haven't read it, many of them, but they are not walking in it. So I don't think it should be limited to just those that that have a brethren heritage, but it's those who have been exposed to.
The Truth Recovered in Philadelphia and.
Maintain. Assume an indifferent attitude towards it. That's Laodicea danger life.
I think in each of the churches that God looked at it in its full blown character and what Chuck is describing is the full blown character and what Hanks is picturing to us is the beginning of it and indifference to Christ was the beginning of it.
Older Potter who lived under JN Darby and in a meeting where he was present up in Guelph.
100 and 1020 years ago said the question was asked.
When did Laodicea begin?
He said a voice spoke up, and he never knew whose voice that was, said 1848 and Walter Potter said, Brethren, I believe now what he said is the beginning of it, indifference to the person of Christ.
That association with evil does not contaminate a man. Was teaching doctrine that?
If persisted in Christ himself would need a Savior and brethren.
Gather the Lord's name, are indifferent to it. I do believe that was the beginning of Laodicea, but Chuck has brought the full blown character up. It embraces any and all in these flashport stages of the church who have this indifferent character, this insensibility to what pleases God, like what the Lord spoke to those that were in Moses seat. They sat in that place of authority, took the place.
00:10:25
In Matthew 23 they say, but do not until they mouth it. A lot of them mouth these things, but their conduct and the way they act and what they do is completely the opposite.
Man's will.
And has taken the place of the will of God.
You know, democracy in the Church is really Laodicea, and we have to guard against that, that we do not allow ourselves any liberties as to any aspect of the truth of God, that we set ourselves up against the truth of God and consider ourselves wiser then.
The word of God, that's the danger that we face. And you really have the principle of laudicia politically also in the democratic system, in the world, you know. But in the church it is so disastrous. And I think another thing, too, that we have to realize is the emphasis and the focus is on man instead of on Christ.
That's why.
The creation of God is mentioned here. You know that Christianity has to do with the new order of things of which the Lord Jesus is the head. So in our activities, even supposedly for God, we have to remember that we do not appeal to the old man, and there is much of that even under the name of Christian ministry.
Which is really addressing itself to the old man, or as somebody has said.
It helps the old man get through the world. That is what characteristic of is what is characteristic of Much of ministry that goes as Christian ministry, while true Christian ministry is really addressing itself to what we are in Christ the new man, and that is Christianity.
Is there a danger of looking for something new?
Something a little more modern, but there's a verse in Jeremiah.
Section 16. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, Where's the good way? And walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your soul. But they said, we will not walk therein.
And if we get back to asking for something new, the prophet Zephaniah.
Pronounces judgment upon those who leap over the threshold we had brought before us in John 10 those who enter in by another way in the epistle of second John, we have those who went beyond and brought not the doctrine of Christ. So yes, dear brother, there is a very real danger of seeking to innovate and bring in that which is beyond the revelation that God has given, and beyond the truth that has been recovered to us.
I've always enjoyed the significance of the names in connection with these churches. And back in Pergamos he mentions that they had the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. And if we looked at that in the original, the word nickel means ruler, and laity is where we get the word layperson or the people. And so it seemed that as time went on there, they're actually developed rulers of the people that are clergy. And that went right into Thyatira. And then instead of the the rulers ruling the church, then the church ruled and the church was doing the teaching.
But when we get to Laodicea, it's a word that means just the opposite of Nicolaitanism. There's the word Leia again, people, but to see it means the rights or the judging or the ruling of the people. And so it's like what we have in the Book of Judges, where every man did that which was right in his own eyes. In Second Timothy Chapter 4, I believe Paul gives a little warning to Timothy there where he says, Speaking of the last days, that they that is the people.
00:15:14
Would heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and so now it's instead of the church ruling or there are clergy ruling over it's where the people decide what they want to hear. They like a man that preaches a certain message. They go hear that man but they like a certain line of ministry. They that's what they want rather than looking to the spirit of God to direct. We can be like the children of Israel and say give us quail and they wanted their own desire And so he says about these here he says you think that you're rich and increased with goods.
But you don't know it, but you're poor. And so in connection with those at Smyrna who were suffering, he says, I know thy poverty, but thou art rich. They were looking to the Lord, whereas these here were really looking to themselves and what they wanted doing that which was right in their own eyes. And so he's standing on the outside of the door, knocking and wanting to commune, and yet he's left out because they feel complacent in their truth and what they had leaving the Lord out.
No dependence on the Lord.
The clerical system is an abuse of God ordained and established leadership in the Church, which is of God. Obey your leaders and be submissive, for they watch over your souls as though that shall give account.
God has established leadership. Everyone of these assemblies is addressed.
Addresses are to the Angel of the Church, and we brought out in the first reading that the Angel is the symbolical representation of the responsibility of the assembly vested in its leaders and its teachers.
Umm, Laodicea is?
A complete As you've just pointed out so nicely, it's the other end of that where everyone has a right to his own opinion. There is the setting aside of leadership.
Where do we see? How do we see that today?
It's it's everywhere in the world. The feminist movement is a movement against God ordained.
Order in creation that the man is the head of the woman. And we see a movement afoot today where young brethren are not submissive to their older brethren any longer. That's not something any of us have made-up. That's what the word of God says. And this is Laodiceanism. It's not respecting God established authority.
The Nicolaitanism is the extreme of setting one man ministry of and it's something like in First Corinthians 14, Paul says to them when they were exercising gifts. He says, How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you hath A Psalm, a doctor, and a teaching, a revelation, he says, Let all things be done decently and in order. They had gone from the extreme that we have today, of one man ministry in many places.
To every man ministry, and that's not of God either. Every man ministry is not of God, any more than one man ministry, and so he regulates it. He says If you speak in tongues, let it be two or at the most, three and one at a time, and then let there be an interpreter. He regulates the use of the ministry. Let the prophet speak two or three and let the others judge. He doesn't set it aside.
But they were in disorder the way they were going on. And when you come to a Laodicean state of things, where God established order and rule in his house is set aside and everyone has an equal right to voice his opinion, it's not the opinions of men that we want.
It's what saith the Lord. It's his word. We want to know what that is. And God has given gifts in the church.
The head of the church has given gifts to give us the meaning of His word, to give the sense, and it's not wrong to look to them to to teach us.
To respect them in their function of teaching, but to look to the one who is the head. So, as Tim is so ably pointed out, laodicea is the opposite end of the situation where.
00:20:10
You have the people having their rights later to see the people's rights. And we have to be very careful. This attitude is everywhere in the world today. It's in the very atmosphere we breathe. Everyone has a right to do what he wants. Our children are taught in school. You don't have to obey your parents, be your own person, do your own thing, exert yourself. You don't have to listen to anyone, just do what you want. Well, that's total overthrow of God, established authority.
And it's an attack against God himself, who has established that authority.
You know about that jet. You were Speaking of bringing in new things, and I like to refer to just some pictures in the Old Testament that showed the disaster to which such things leave the cart. That a new cart was built to put the ark on, that we have to be careful that we don't fall into the trap of imitating.
Those who are ignorant of the truth, like the Philistines. God allowed that with them, but he wouldn't allow it with those who know the truth or should know the truth, that we do not copy the camp or the systems of men. Those might even be blessed in some activities that we do understand from the Scripture to be wrong, and if we do it, we are held responsible for it. And then there is.
The sons of the Prophet remember they said this place is too straight for us and then they wanted to build a new one. You know what a good thing it was that the Prophet was with him and could remove the effects and the damage that happened. There are these dangers, especially the young have to be careful that they don't say, well, we do not want to abide anymore by these things because.
They're just customs. They're just traditions, you know, let's be careful that we do not be characterized by that spirit of things. And there are other examples. When we were in Cairo this last time, we were in Second Kings, and I've read that before, but it never struck me so much in the 4th chapter, You know, there was a dirt in the land.
Chapter four of Second King, verse 38.
And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
You know, Elisha came again to Gilgal, That's how the word started. There was a dirt in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said unto his servants, set on the great pot and seat potted for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field together herbs, and found a wild wild wine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of potted.
For they knew them not.
So they poured out for the men to eat, came to pass as they were eating of the pottage that they cried out and said, oh thou man of God, there is death in the pot. You know, here they were trying to add flavor to the meal. Let's be careful that we don't introduce something that isn't proven to be sound because we might shred death into the past.
Now the prophet was there to put meal into the pot and then they could eat. But then the following verses is how to feed the people of God. In the verses that I've just read we find how not to feed them. But then there came a man from Beth Vial shell, a Shah Aishah and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, 20 loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk thereof and so on. But I don't want to go on but.
There we find that which speaks of Christ.
And we find the result is while it seems to be so little. And what can that do for all the people present? But it was just like in John six there was much more than they needed. So what in the eyes of man is insufficient to meet the need? If it is that which speaks of Christ, it will meet the need and more than meet the need. There is still another example, and that is when they took the manna and they grounded.
00:25:08
You know in Numbers 11 That loses something. These are dangers that we are exposed to and examples from the Word of God that warn us and this loudly see in spirit. Allowing liberties to man to introduce what he thinks contrary to the Word of God might lead to these various things. And in the long run the people of God suffer and lose and might come to harm. You mentioned David putting the ark on a new cart.
I just like to refer to First Chronicles chapter 15.
Verse 11 David called for Zadok and the bias of the priests, for the Levites, for Uriel, Asias, Joel, Shamiya, Ilio, and the Minidab, and said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel under a place that I prepared for.
Four, because you did it not. At the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us.
For that we saw him not after the New Order. God has a due order for us today, and it's found in the precious word of God. May we not be part from that due order.
In that portion you were mentioning Brother Brinkman when one went out into the field to gather, it said. He got a laugh full and it was very readily obtainable and easily obtained.
It was provided for him because to get a lap full you're sitting at ease and it was poison. And it doesn't say there's poison in the pot. It said there's death in the pot. I was thinking of that. You know, we can get the doctrine that would be very solemn for our children who may not be the Lords yet and saved and in that sense death. But for those of us that are his, it can lead us on in the wrong path, many of ours. And it would be death of the sense of the loss of a life here.
For Christ. So it's a solemn portion, but you know it's from.
Is provided for you out there in the field I'm quite Speaking of and if we look at John.
7/17 it says this.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself, he that speaketh, and I think the other translation has it from himself, seeketh his own glory, and so much of that.
Is something that exalts a man. It's something that a man speaking from himself and we have to be careful because we want it. Spirit taught what we have. We pray for that, that the Spirit has liberty and none speak from themselves. A brother was having a conversation.
With another who was.
Known to use the more modern translations that are not as.
Precise. They're more of a paraphrase type.
They have some usefulness, but to read them as a steady diet to make them your your study Bible, you're going to suffer very, very much because that they do not have the precision, the accuracy. I want to tell this story before finishing the first one of a young sister that was recently saved out of the world.
And she had one of these modern translations that she was using paraphrase type dynamic translation based on the principle of dynamic equivalence, which is get the thought and then translate it into your own words. Not translate the words into the words of the language you're translating into, but translate the thoughts. Well, that's really an attack upon the verbal inspiration of the scriptures.
God has said the words are taught by the Holy Spirit, not the thoughts but the words. So a translation on that principle is false. To start with, it ought to warn us his sister was in a Bible study and enjoying the the study and she.
Thoughts were brought out from the King James that they were using, and her translation didn't have those thoughts.
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She looked at that and it wasn't after too many meetings. She said to one of the brothers no one had talked to her about the one she was using. She said, I'm going to have to get a better translation. This one I'm using is too watered down and she had the discernment. She she couldn't find the precious gem, some of which we've been enjoying together at this conference as we have mined this wonderful minefield, the word of God and dugout the gems.
If you get one of these watered down translations, the gems aren't there. You miss them, and she realized it, So she said. I have to get myself.
Hey, King James. Well, the first story that I was starting on was this brother was stressing to this other one that you're going to lose that precision. And his comment was, I really don't care.
Now that's Laodiceanism. That's Laodiceanism. I really don't care.
You know, we had Ministry on offending and we certainly need.
Deadline of things that we do not hurt people's feelings or offend. But the real sense of these verses in Matthew 18 is to cause to stumble, to cause to go astray. And some will have to answer to the Lord for leading babes in Christ to a inferior translation which might lead them to error and away from the truth of God that is offending.
That is offending and they will have to answer to God for it.
I wonder if we could say a few words on what seems to me to be even deeper and I don't know in any way take away from what we're talking about. But in medicine, you know, which I practice for a few years, we had symptoms, but then they were only a manifestation of an underlying disease. You never treated symptoms, You treated the disease. And I hope, my brother.
And also brother-in-law in the flesh won't mind if I ask him if he'll repeat some of the remarks that we were sharing over lunch today, which.
Really, I felt went deeper in the sense that they brought out more what is the essential state of things that causes these things? Because that's something I feel that we all need. We may be able to look on these things and say these are manifestations of laodiceanism, and no doubt they are. I thoroughly agree with that. But there is an essential difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea, which has been, I believe, partially brought out. But.
There's a depth there that I think that, at least to my own soul anyway, I think that I can really take to heart. Which takes in not merely some of these things which we can all see and be concerned about, but which gets right to the root of the problem, perhaps in my own soul more than any other. That be all right, Don.
The people that witnessed what Peter had to say said your speech betrays you.
And I believe that our speech sometimes is the first thing that detects the spirit of Philadelphia and the spirit of Laodicea. There's a pronoun problem that really often manifests what is in our hearts that we may use and not really be conscious of it. In Philadelphia, the emphasis of Brother Heinz actually touched on this point.
The emphasis is my word.
My patience is not when we talk about patience, For example, it's not simply that we are going to endure until the end, that we are going to patiently wait for the coming of the Lord.
It's He is patiently waiting and the Philadelphia and identifies himself.
With the Lords interest, not his own interests. And so it's thy word.
It's not that we can say we have these wonderful recovered truths and they're ours. That may be true, but that is not the Philadelphian interest or exercise. He identifies himself. His interest is with the Lord, and so he puts himself in the background and he looks at the Lord.
00:35:19
In the last, the hymn that was sung in the last meeting by brother, written by brother Lord Cecil in the last century, it was.
Thy dear Word. And then it was thy name. And so even in the writing of the hymn, it was not what the word was to him, or what it was in itself, but it was looking to the Lord. And so the hymn we began with this afternoon.
Again had a Philadelphian character to it, because it was thy ways, thy love, thy patience that was brought out in the hymn.
And so there can be this pronoun problem that manifests what's in the heart sometimes.
Here in Laodicea, the focus turns around and what characterizes the heart and the state is I am, I have, and brethren. It can creep into our speech. We may not intend it this way, but we're in danger when we start to think about.
And both think of.
Our assemblies.
Because the minute we start to say our assemblies, we've lost the sense that they're not ours at all.
They may not mean it that way, but in truth, that's what it is. It's not our assemblies at all. It's the Lord's assembly. It's the Lord's table. We don't have any table. The Lord has a table. And by God's grace, it should be the exercise of everyone.
To be at his table. But our speech sometimes indicates that we are starting down that point where we begin to think about what we have.
And just to add one more, because I believe it has something to do with the difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea.
And that is, I don't believe you can have Philadelphian position without Philadelphian character. You can't talk about Philadelphian truth and set aside the manner in which it's kept. They can't be separated in the word of God. You won't find in the Word of God an expression like Philadelphian position or Philadelphian truth.
I don't object to the use of them in my own soul, but they always have to be identified with the manner in which it's kept. We can't just talk about truth. It's truth and love. And if the love is missing, then it's not the Lord's truth. It's just truth in itself. And it leads to, and perhaps to me, the very first step to Laodicea.
Is can I use the expression Philadelphia and position held in Pride?
That's the first step in Downfall and I believe it is the most serious.
Concern for those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be lifted up in pride, and that's the beginning of departure. Because pride is I, and when it's I, the Lord has been set aside, and so May God help us to always have the focus of our hearts. Not self worth, but Christ.
That we have his word. Why do we want to keep it? Just because it's good? No, because it's his.
And so the encouragement to Philadelphia was my God.
The identification, my God, four times over, it says in the word to the overcomer what he's going to do because that person, which.
Has interest simply for himself is going to be self-centered, but the one whose interests are Christ.
He's going to have the encouragement that Christ is going to give him the enjoyment of God.
00:40:21
In reality.
We know The Legacy and Assembly had a Philadelphian character probably in its origin.
And was probably in a state of soul to receive Ephesians and Colossians truth. And we used the expression and and and I don't object to that either.
Believing the Lord's word. We believe this book is true, but it it speaks of keeping his word. And I think that goes beyond what we might think of when we speak of believing that it's keeping it and and I believe in that thought.
You know, in the Book of Revelation it begins about keeping the words of this prophecy. Well, you might say, how can I keep the words of this prophecy?
The beast isn't marking anybody yet. Well.
The principles, the moral principles that are revealed in the Book of Revelation that marked the overcomers and God's people.
But I can keep those principles in my life and carry them out in my life, and I think that's a invite. And the thought of keeping the Lord's word, that it has authority over my life.
And my life is subjected to the word of God. Otherwise I am inclined to think.
In the way we think of these assemblies and the way we have been considering these seven churches in a sort of a prophetic way, that there would be a Philadelphian position. By that I mean, I think there is such a thing as being gathered to the Lord's name, and I think there's only one place where the Spirit of God would gather every believer to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Is a position, but I don't in any way believe that those of us who may occupy that position are in. It means then that we're in a Philadelphian state of Seoul, and I think it's possible.
That in fact, I believe Laodicea was as much a Church of God. It speaks in the very last word.
He that here let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I think that's all seven churches, and in that sense.
Laodicea was much as much a Church of God as Philadelphia was. But the state of their soul, and occupying that position before God is deplorable. And we could we could ask ourselves, brethren, and I think it would be wholesome for us to ask ourselves.
I can ask myself, if John were writing these letters, which one would he send to the the Des Moines gathering that I am a part of? Well, brother, and I would be embarrassed to say there's nothing wrong, that John would have nothing to write.
Correctively about the Des Moines gathering, it would embarrass me to think in those terms.
Things because though I I believe the aspect that we've been considering them is no doubt true, but.
I would like to suggest that we allow ourselves to consider that Philadelphia degenerates to Laodicea, and that's what should be our exercise.
Our Have I degenerated in my soul? Am I in a degenerating condition right now, or is the exercise of my heart to tell the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I am needy? I think one thing that Marks Laodicean is the insensibility as has been brought up.
But.
Let's be exercising. We have the truth. We don't need any more. That's that's a nice statement, but it isn't really the same expression that the Laodiceans were saying. We are rich. We have need of nothing and insensible to our condition before the Lord. The important thing is in the seven assemblies is not what?
00:45:23
They thought, but it was how the Lord who stood in the midst of those candlesticks, how he saw them to be. And that's what we have recorded so.
I I do think when you allow the down, there is a position that could be occupied. I think Laodicea was in the same you might say position before the Lord in this condition as they were in where they're mentioned in Colossians, but they're.
Soul had deplorably departed from God.
Would you allow those thoughts present?
However, he's outside. I thought of that in a way good at Heinz, but it cannot be possible in the gathering of the Lords people to his name, that he is outside of us as far as our communion with him. And we we're missing his mind at times and are in even our enjoyment of each other and and our enjoyment things are really not connected with the Lord's thoughts at all.
Could you? Am I clear in what I am saying? Well, it could be exercising to each one of us, and I believe it should be. But the description of naked can't be applied to those of us who are clothed upon. I mean, we have the robe of righteousness. We'd never get that term. They, their riches were that they were increased with goods, and it's in a worldly sense. And so they don't have what's real.
I believe we we could be exercised with those things that they don't characterize us.
That we feel we have need of nothing. It's an awful expression, isn't it? Because we started in our prayers here, we're needy people and I'd like to hear that. And we don't really think that, do we? That we have need of nothing, We have need of the Spirit, we have need of His guiding, we have need of the Lord, we have need of the truth. We don't have that sense. And I trust we never will. But this is just driving something that's empty profession, am I right?
It isn't really reality here. It's worldlyism. In verse 19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chastened.
The Lord has laid his hand upon us in many places. How many have been mentioned in these meetings?
As being laid aside in sickness. If one member suffer, all the members suffer with them.
Oh, do we hear the Lord's voice speaking to us, and one another being laid aside. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent does not tell us to take heed to our pathway.
But in verse 17 he says in the middle of the verse thou knowest not that thou art wretched.
And miserable, and poor and blind.
And naked.
Everyone of those terms describes one who's not even the Lord's.
Who has a profession, but there's no reality there.
Does he ever use Does the spirit of God ever use terms this strong and apply them to a true believer?
I would have great difficulty with that. Do you get a mixture of profession and some that are real? Here brother? Verse 19 would suggest that as many as I love. I mean you can chase it. There seems to be a mixture.
And that's why he hasn't totally set aside the assembly there. He's he threatens to spew it out of his mouth, but he's outside knocking.
He's not inside. The state is such that he's not inside. There are some that are living up to the truth that they have, even in the laodicean condition in that place, but he knows them. They hear his voice isn't that lovely. And that 20th verse is really a verse of marvelous grace today, I feel. And and he sucks with them. There's a sense he'll go into them.
00:50:05
But not to the laodicean position at all. It's individual, isn't it? You fight that. Even in fact, Timothy, there's much mentioned there in Second Timothy that is addressed to the individual in a day of general ruin. There are these individual things especially brought out now we do have a collective path in second chapter of Second Timothy, but generally speaking, what is brought out there is especially.
For the individual, And so individual, communion is enjoyed and is possible to be enjoyed by a St. who finds himself in Laodicean conditions. But the things that the Lord recommends that they would buy for themselves clearly show what their poverty is. You know they need gold, divine righteousness, and white Raven. You know that speaks of practical righteousness, doesn't it? And I said.
There is lack of lack of discernment.
And I'm afraid sometimes we have to admit that we're characterized by that, that we do not have discernment, you know, and dealing with matters in the assembly, in our own individual lives, in contact with souls, People slip into the meetings. Later on we find out that they were evidently never the Lords. We didn't have the discernment. We didn't have that, I said, as to our own individual problems as well as to the assembly testimony.
Discernment is oftentimes greatly lacking, and almost willfully so at times. You mentioned discernment and speaks to my own heart. If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light, beloved, because we haven't got a single eye for the glory of Christ.
That we're so lacking in discernment we wouldn't want to be guilty of oversimplification.
Since be made a fairly simple statement as to what is Laodiceanism, I would like to suggest an oversimplification of the cure.
If the disease is indifference to Christ and insensibility to the state, then the cure is occupation with Christ and personal purity that answers to it.
I'd like to ask this question.
This question is in relation to what our brother Henry Short has been telling us.
My question is.
That when the believers in Laodicea.
Met together to remember the Lord Jesus and his death.
Once the Lord Jesus Christ in their midst.
He's on the outside knocking.
My question is, was the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst?
Of those gathered to his name and Laodicea.
But Iran, may I attempt to answer that, that must not look at the churches in Revelation 2 and three, the way we have it presented in Pauls ministry. You know, the churches are viewed by the judge and their testimony is judged. And I believe that is what we have to keep in mind, like one of the expositors.
Of the word of God that has much help to offer uses.
Revelation 2 and three to support the independent local church position. Because of these various conditions in the church. Now, I do not believe that we should read Revelation 2 and three like that, otherwise we would be forced to go on with gross evil in other assemblies that we.
Except for practical fellowship, and I don't believe that that is the way to use Revelation 2 and Three.
It's not viewed exactly in the light of the body of Christ and so on. It's really viewed as a testimony. And even this wicked system of Thyatira is still viewed as a Christian witness.
In the last four churches, I believe we find it is a remnant that is recognized as the assembly.
00:55:06
I may be wrong on that, Brother Heights, but I think that's.
Well, I believe in the sense all of this Lord is here, you know, and.
But I think the individual side is out here and the Lord is looking for communion, and I think we cannot let that speak to our hearts. And I really giving to him what he is looking for in my life, He longs to come in and Sup with me and have fellowship with me. That's a marvelous fact in itself, that he wants to and that he longs for it and that is possible for us today. We can also do that collectively, and I hope.
We do, but I would allow the possibility and maybe I'm wrong.
That we might consider an assembly to be still gathered to the name of the Lord, and the Lord does not consider it so.
And we sing #166.
166.
Lord, thou have thought us after thee.
Now let us run, and never tired Thy presence shall our comfort be Thyself, our Hope, our soul desire. Number 166.