God With God With UsUs

““Immanuel Immanuel God With Us !”God With Us !”

God With God With UsUs

Revelation 3:18 (NIV)Revelation 3:18 (NIV) I counsel you to I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.on your eyes, so you can see.

God With God With UsUs

• The The Laodicean churchLaodicean church was was blindblind to its to its own needs and unwilling to face the own needs and unwilling to face the truth…truth…

• The The Laodicean ChurchLaodicean Church was was lukewarmlukewarm – a lukewarm Christian is comfortable, a lukewarm Christian is comfortable,

complacent, and does not realize his need.complacent, and does not realize his need.

CoffeeCoffee – hot or cold but not luke warm… – hot or cold but not luke warm…

God With God With UsUs

• The The Laodicean churchLaodicean church was urged to buy was urged to buy not ordinary gold, but not ordinary gold, but refinedrefined goldgold

• Though they Though they had beautiful clotheshad beautiful clothes, they , they were urged to wear were urged to wear white clotheswhite clothes symbolic of righteousness which would symbolic of righteousness which would cover their spiritual cover their spiritual nakedness.nakedness.

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• Then Christ exhorted them to put Then Christ exhorted them to put salvesalve... ... onon their their eyes. eyes.

• The church at Laodicea is typical of a The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church – quite unconscious of its modern church – quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money buildings and all the material things money can buy. can buy.

• To all of us is the encouragement to To all of us is the encouragement to be be earnest, and repent.earnest, and repent.

God With God With UsUs• Christ rebuked them because He Christ rebuked them because He lovedloved

them…them…

John 15:5 (NIV)John 15:5 (NIV)“…apart from me you “…apart from me you can do nothing.”can do nothing.”

• The Laodicean church was independent, The Laodicean church was independent, self-satisfied, and secure. self-satisfied, and secure.

All the while, their spiritual power had been All the while, their spiritual power had been decaying; their material wealth and glowing decaying; their material wealth and glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding a rotting statistics were but shrouds hiding a rotting

corpse. corpse.

God With God With UsUs• All the while, their spiritual power had All the while, their spiritual power had

been decaying; their material wealth and been decaying; their material wealth and glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding something that was rotting. something that was rotting.

• Their Lord was Their Lord was outside the churchoutside the church,, trying trying to get in to get in

• Revelation 3:20 (NIV)Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with come in and eat with him, and he with me.me.

God With God With UsUsIMMANUEL (HEBREW - ‘GOD IS IMMANUEL (HEBREW - ‘GOD IS

WITH US’ WITH US’ • Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Therefore the Lord Therefore the Lord

himself will give you a sign: The virgin himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.son, and will call him Immanuel.

God With God With UsUs• Matthew 1:23 (NIV) Matthew 1:23 (NIV) “The virgin will be “The virgin will be

with child and will give birth to a son, with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” which means, “God with us.”

• Matthew 28:20 (NIV)..Matthew 28:20 (NIV)... And surely I am . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the with you always, to the very end of the age.”age.”

God With God With UsUsRESPONDING IN CHRIST…RESPONDING IN CHRIST…

1.1. Work FunctionsWork Functions – Christ is with us… – Christ is with us…

2.2. PartiesParties - Stack it with your Christian - Stack it with your Christian friends - Christ is with us friends - Christ is with us

3.3. ServicesServices – here are the invites – several – here are the invites – several asks is what works - Christ is with us asks is what works - Christ is with us

4.4. Help someone in needHelp someone in need - Christ is with - Christ is with us us

5.5. Christ is with usChrist is with us

God With God With UsUs