311-Meeting the Risen Lord Will Set Your Heart on Fire#
311-Meeting the Risen Lord Will Set Your Heart on Fire
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Luke 24:28-35
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Lead us during this time to know the risen Lord through your word. We believe that when the two disciples on the road to Emmaus met the resurrected you in their weakness, their hearts were set on fire. Today, as I meet the resurrected you, my heart will also be set on fire. Let the Holy Spirit help us to know you through your word. Thank you and praise the Lord! Bless the following time, I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Meeting the Risen Lord Will Set Your Heart on Fire
Continuing from the last sharing, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, focusing on the resurrection of Jesus. What if Jesus had not risen? In 1 Corinthians, it mentions that if Jesus had not risen, our faith would be in vain. Would it be all for nothing? Now that Jesus has risen, this is a matter worth celebrating. Through the scriptures, we can see what Jesus did for the disciples after his resurrection, and we need to understand Jesus' heart.
What did he urgently want the disciples to understand after his resurrection? Last time we shared that Jesus walked nearly seven kilometers with the disciples, preaching all the way. Jesus' sermon that time must have lasted over an hour. What was he talking about with these two disciples? If you read the story on the road to Emmaus to the end, you will know that the two disciples changed after listening to Jesus' sermon. They were originally very weak and tired, but after listening to Jesus' sermon and receiving communion, they immediately returned to Jerusalem.
This is the text we read today. On the same day, they gained strength and returned to Jerusalem from Emmaus, a total distance of twenty-five kilometers. Why did they feel so exhausted at first, especially when they set out, not knowing what to do next or where their hope lay, feeling particularly tired? But something happened while walking with Jesus. Jesus preached to them and restored the faith of the two disciples. This is the spiritual food we need, right?
Have you noticed that another thing happened? They were tired, not only because they lacked hope spiritually but also because they were physically exhausted. However, after listening to Jesus' sermon, their physical strength was restored. So every week when we come to listen to the sermon, it is not just to replenish our spiritual food; can spiritual food affect our bodies? Yes, if you believe so, you will surely experience God's power.
Do you know that this tangible world comes from the spiritual realm? God said, "Let there be light." And light appeared. God said, "Let there be all kinds of trees on the earth," and those trees appeared, which we can now see with our eyes.
After we accepted Jesus, we know that His words are life and power. First, bring the power of Jesus into your heart, and your body will change. When Moses was eighty years old, he felt he could do nothing, but at one hundred and twenty years old, how was Moses' body?
The Bible says his eyes were not dim, his ears were not heavy, and he was strong. At one hundred and twenty years old, have you noticed what Moses was doing for the next forty years? In fact, every day Moses was listening to God's words and communicating with God. In other words, he could hear God's voice every day. Today, you are the same; let Jesus' words become your strength every day, and you will be strong and powerful like these two disciples. It is certain that they were renewed and changed.
Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Even strong lions sometimes go hungry, but what about those who wait on the Lord? The meaning of renewing strength is that if you need strength now, wait on God to listen to His words, and He will give you strength. You will mount up with wings like eagles. Why does the Bible mention eagles? They have a characteristic: they are not afraid of difficulties, not afraid of wind and rain. When thunder and lightning strike, other animals hide in their nests.
But the eagle can fly straight up into the face of the storm; the more the storm comes, the more it wants to soar above it. On the other hand, when a chick hears thunder, it hides in its nest, still afraid. But do you know how the eagle overcomes these problems? It keeps flying above the clouds, no longer affected by them. Do you understand?
God wants us to receive His faith and strength, directly overcoming your problems and standing above them, just as Jesus stood above the wind and waves. Today, as you come before God to receive His words, the meaning of renewing strength is that He will give you strength to overcome all the problems you encounter in life. You will soar like eagles, running and not weary, walking and not faint.
If a person has no hope inside, even if you have strength, it is still powerless. If there is hope inside, even though there are difficulties outside, it doesn't matter; they know they will overcome. Amen! Let's see what happened on the road to Emmaus that caused the disciples' bodies to experience such a powerful surge of energy. Let's look at the testimony of these two disciples when they returned.
Luke 24:32, "They said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'"
This sentence is key. What can set your heart on fire? In this end time, many people feel that miracles and healings can set their hearts on fire, but the risen Jesus tells us that when you meet Him in the Bible, your heart will be set on fire. For example, if there is an anointed pastor at a healing service, will it set your heart on fire? Yes, when you see many people in wheelchairs coming in and walking out, will your heart be set on fire? Yes, I have seen Pastor Bu Yongkang preach in Africa, and indeed many people, because of his evangelistic meeting, had hundreds of thousands attending, many of whom came in wheelchairs and left with them being taken away by trucks.
If you were there, your heart would also be set on fire, truly believing in God. I believe everyone present would be excited, but do you know how long that lasts? Three days. After three days, you will return to normal. Miracles and wonders are not the reason our faith can stay hot for a long time.
Are there such people in the Bible? Yes, brothers and sisters, you can think of this: when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, was it spectacular? This miracle was experienced by all the Israelites, regardless of their faith. There were walls of water on both sides, and they walked through on dry ground. I don't believe anyone was not amazed; it was too extraordinary. Perhaps you could see fish swimming around; they could even catch sea cucumbers down there. Otherwise, where did the sea cucumber skins come from?
So brothers and sisters, they personally experienced these miracles. If you experienced this miracle, wouldn't you think it was wonderful? Our God's power is indeed great. After crossing the river, could they also praise God? Anyone could do that, so Miriam, after crossing the river, gathered the sisters to start praising God loudly and wrote songs… Wasn't that a burning heart? How long did it last? Three days. Because they had no water to drink, they began to complain. All the previous ten miracles, and each of them had experienced the miracle of the Red Sea, were forgotten. They no longer believed that God had such great power and began to complain when they saw difficulties. The reason is that there were no words from God inside.
These miracles can temporarily bring us release, but what truly gives you lasting strength is the words of Jesus. You need to meet the risen Jesus when reading the Bible. Amen! In that case, every day you will have new strength injected into you. When the Jesus in the Bible is revealed, your heart will be set on fire, just like a burning fire, just like the two disciples. Don't forget that Jesus corrected them on their mistaken beliefs.
In Luke 24:27, it says, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
Jesus was explaining the Old Testament scriptures. Brothers and sisters, today under the New Testament, do we still need to talk about the Old Testament? We must talk about it, but how do we talk about it? You need to see the hidden Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus is revealed in the five books of Moses, namely Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, which are called the Pentateuch, telling the things related to Him. This is something the disciples did not know before.
For example, Jesus might have told these two disciples that after God cursed the serpent, He said, "Your offspring will be at enmity with the woman's offspring; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Do you know what that is? In fact, the woman's offspring refers to Jesus.
The serpent's offspring can refer to the forces of the devil's minions. Can they harm us? They can affect us, but they will never be fatal. When they confront Jesus, did they injure Jesus' feet? This happened on the cross; they injured Jesus' hands and feet, but Jesus crushed their head, meaning that on the cross, the devil was completely defeated.
If these scriptures were not explained by Jesus, we would never know. We cannot know that the woman's offspring refers to Christ. So brothers and sisters, when reading the Old Testament, you need to discover the hidden Jesus within. There are many things that foreshadow Jesus. If you discover them, you will know that that person's blessings can also be upon you. Amen! Jesus also spoke of himself in the prophetic books, such as 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, and Isaiah…
In fact, Jesus gave the disciples a very classic overview of the Old Testament. We have also studied the overview of the Old Testament in theology, but while studying, many fell asleep because it was too dry.
I believe that Jesus' seven-kilometer explanation was very wonderful because it completely restored the strength of the disciples. Today, I also believe that as you continuously listen to the words about Christ, you will be filled with God's power, and your heart will be set on fire. Amen! The place they were going to was called Emmaus, which means "hot spring" in Greek. Brothers and sisters, when we see Jesus in God's word, our hearts will open, and our eyes will shine, just like bathing in a hot spring. No matter how cold you are, if you are placed in a hot spring, will you sweat? Yes.
So it's very simple. As long as you come into Jesus, come into the church, and continuously hear about Jesus' words, your heart will definitely be set on fire. No matter how long it takes, it will definitely be set on fire. Even if a person has a very low body temperature, soaking in a hot spring for four or five hours will warm them up. Some may need a little longer, but as long as you continuously meet Jesus through the Bible, your heart will definitely be set on fire. Hallelujah!
So on the first day of Jesus' resurrection, He set a precedent for us, letting us know how to read and study the Bible. You will learn some very important reading methods here, which is to see the hidden Jesus in the Old Testament. Amen! Jesus does not want us to find a bunch of laws about what to do and what not to do when reading the Old Testament, or only to pay attention to miracles, wonders, dreams, and visions.
The primary thing is to see Him in the Bible. Amen! From Genesis to Revelation, you must see Him. The more you see Jesus, the more you will gain freedom from various problems, glory upon glory. Amen!
I have shared with you before that there are actually two Bibles in this world. The first is the Bible you hold in your hand, and the other is this world. The development of this world must follow the way recorded in the Bible. When God opens your eyes, you will meet Jesus in life, confirming that what is written in the Bible is true.
If you learn to use the words of the Bible and see Jesus in the Bible, and apply it in life, it can bring changes to your body, your family, your marriage, and even your work. Hallelujah!
This is why many people, when they continuously listen to our sermons, their family, marriage, and health begin to turn around. I cannot guarantee other things, but at least as you continuously listen to my sermons, I believe the Jesus within will surely bring renewal and change to each of you. If you do not know Jesus, all you see are a bunch of things you can or cannot do. Many people do not believe in Jesus but still read the Bible, and what they read are many things they cannot do, or else they will be killed…
People do not believe in the Lord because they read about a violent God. But if you read from God's perspective, from the perspective of love, you will find that many of the sins we should bear, Jesus has taken upon Himself.
If you cannot find Jesus in the Bible, you will definitely focus on yourself in life. When you look at yourself, you will see your failures, mistakes, weaknesses, and even your good deeds. In fact, none of these are lasting hope, joy, or peace. Jesus has shown us that the way to overcome failure and pressure is to meet Jesus in the Bible.
Some people ask me questions, "Teacher Ren, when I attended the special meeting, my illness indeed disappeared, but after returning home, a week later, the illness came back. What went wrong?" Is it that God did not heal completely? Or did God's power diminish, only effective for that one week? Where is the problem?
In fact, when he was at the scene, he truly believed that Jesus loved him and healed his illness. This was something he believed at that moment, but this faith had no foundation. At that time, the person on stage showed him various PPTs, and the atmosphere, lights, and music indeed had a great impact on him, causing his faith to soar. But he had no foundation inside, so after returning home for seven days, he returned to his original thinking, thinking, "Maybe I didn't get better. How could it be so easy? I had a terminal illness; it couldn't be this good." But if your foundation is in the Bible, you will know that if God has healed you, He has healed you. Amen!
If you open the Bible and see Jesus, you will see His goodness and His love filling you. When reading the Old Testament, you need to see the hidden Jesus. Every sacrifice, the Lord's Supper, even the Ark of the Covenant and the priests point to Jesus. In the New Testament, we see Jesus' love and forgiveness, which is for those who are abandoned and looked down upon, such as the blind, the lame, and those oppressed by diseases. These people lack in the eyes of the world, but they are abundantly supplied by Jesus.
I want to tell you not to envy the Israelites at that time. If today you can also meet Jesus in the Bible, you are blessed because you can also experience miracles like the disciples at that time. I assure you that as long as you continuously look up to Jesus every day, your heart will be set on fire, your body will be renewed, and your heart will be filled with joy and peace. All kinds of bad habits, fears, anxieties, and depression will disappear after you are filled with Jesus. In this world, with so much pressure, there are too many people suffering from depression. How can this be solved?
What methods can doctors provide? This is a mental pressure issue. They give people medication, which is physical medicine. When there is a problem mentally, how can medication solve it? So this is a spiritual matter that must be solved with the Holy Spirit. Amen! This is why many people, when continuously listening to our sermons, find their depression healed. In fact, I only did one thing: I let them meet Jesus during the sermon and during Bible reading, focusing their attention on Jesus. When they no longer focus on their problems, the problems are solved instead. Isn't that simple?
Reading the entire Bible, in fact, God's method is so simple: let you look up to Him. But how do you look up to Him? This is what I want to tell you. Every time you encounter a problem, ask yourself a few questions: Will Jesus help me? Is He willing to help me? Does He have the power to help me? If your answers are affirmative, just look up to Jesus' love every day, look up to His provision. Listen more to the words Jesus has spoken, how much He loves you, and that is enough. Focus on Jesus, and then God will handle the difficult matters in your hands. Isn't that simple? Let me share a testimony. A sister in the company does business and has always been very strong in her business capabilities, surpassing the total of everyone in her company.
Her boss asked her, "Do you have any winning secrets?"
She smiled and said, "I can't tell you."
She privately told me, "Teacher Ren! In fact, I haven't done anything else; I just bless and pray for my clients every day."
Isn't this something you all can do? For a salesperson, where do you find clients? Once you find them, how do you close the deal? We think it's very difficult, but when God does this, it becomes particularly simple. Blessing and praying for them… Then do you know where she focused her important energy? Every day in the WeChat group, she sends our sermon links, saying, "Listen to this; it will help you…" Many clients come to her on their own. One day while we were chatting, she said, "Teacher Ren, I have good news for you. Just while we were chatting, a client found me and signed a deal." She said, "I realized that working in the company is actually so easy and simple, something I have never experienced before."
Do you also want to experience such work? How do you understand this? Now many people treat believing in Jesus as a side job, meaning their work and family may be their main job, the most important part, while believing in Jesus is just a side job. A side job is something important that cannot be lost, while a side job can be optional. If you have time, you come; if you don't have time, you don't come. If you reverse this, making Jesus your main focus, life becomes your side job, work becomes your side job, and everything becomes simple.
You place the Lord Jesus in the primary position, and God will take care of the rest for you. He will give you wisdom. Amen! God can also take care of your body, your children, and your finances… He can take care of everything for you because many times, we cannot manage everything ourselves. Even successful people in this world have many areas they cannot manage.
For example, a company owner may not be able to take care of their family, but Jesus can. If you make Jesus your most important mission in this world, and everything else your side job, God will manage everything well for you. At that time, will you still be afraid? For example, if you run a company, you think the owner of this company is not you, but Jesus. You are managing this company for Jesus. So when you encounter problems, won't you pray to God?
When you think it is your own, you will feel anxious, wondering what to do. So if you change your perspective, many things become particularly simple. At the same time, your bad habits and problems will naturally disappear when you make Jesus your Lord because you know He is your Lord and will solve all problems.
When you are filled with Jesus, joy and peace will naturally arise. Please remember, jealousy, strife, and peace and joy cannot coexist. You cannot be particularly joyful at one moment and then sorrowful the next, only one can fill you. What God gives you cannot be filled with anything else. Amen!
So when you are filled with the love of Jesus, your heart will definitely be set on fire. When you help others, you will no longer calculate whether it is worth it. When you serve others, you will no longer calculate how much you gain or lose. You are filled with the love of Christ, willing to do so, no matter how others treat you.
When I first started serving God, one day the Holy Spirit asked me a question: "If there is only one person in the audience, would you be willing to preach a sermon for him?" You all know that my sermon time is one hour. Do you know what I was thinking at that time? Even as a newcomer on the stage, would I prefer many people or just one? Many people, absolutely not just one. How can I preach to just one person? If one person is sitting on your sofa, that’s fine, but if it’s here? It’s too hard to preach. At that time, I thought for a long time and said, "Lord! You have to give me strength; otherwise, I really can't do it."
Indeed, when I first established the church, the room was even bigger than this, and there were only three people in total. Specifically, it should be three and a half because one was holding a child. By the time I was halfway through the sermon, two and a half were asleep, and the other was an elderly lady who couldn't hear well. Brothers and sisters, can you imagine? At that time, I felt some unbearable things inside. But if you think about it, I was explaining the gospel to them. Regardless of their current physical state, I was speaking to their spirits, and they could hear me. Can you understand what I mean? Even if this person is asleep here, it does not mean their spirit is asleep. As long as they keep hearing about Jesus' voice, their hearts will be set on fire.
I always tell many people that even if you come to church and feel sleepy, it is better to sleep in church than at home. I believe many people have this testimony. Why is it so comfortable to sleep in church? It’s very simple. The Holy Spirit knows you are too tired and lets you rest for a while, but it does not mean your spirit is asleep.
Let me tell you a joke. One time I went to a Korean church. They are different from us; we sit on chairs, but they lie down directly or sit cross-legged or kneel. I really couldn't stand that. Sitting cross-legged for a long time hurts, and kneeling is no better. The sermon time is long, and kneeling for a while makes you sleepy. You can't keep your back straight, and as you listen, your head gets lower and lower until you finally lie down and fall asleep. When it ended, I woke up. Someone next to me gave a testimony that shocked me, saying, "Your snoring was so loud, but it was strange that every time the pastor said 'Amen,' you responded accurately without missing a beat."
I said, "Really?" I realized that even though I was asleep, it did not mean I did not hear anything. Later, I could even remember what the pastor had said. At that time, I was really asleep because that way was too tiring to endure.
What I mean to tell you is that as long as you hear about Jesus' voice inside, you will be renewed. Unknowingly, you will be renewed, and at that time, you will be filled with strength, knowing that Jesus loves you so much and will never leave you. When you serve others, you will do so willingly. For me, no matter how many people there are, I value every soul and am willing to give for you. Amen! I hope that through my sermons, you will know more about Jesus, not about myself. So you know very little about my personal situation; this is normal. I want you to know Jesus more, and that is enough. Hallelujah!
Why did God allow the eyes of these two disciples to be blinded so that they could not recognize Him? On the road, they did not recognize Jesus. From a human perspective, the most direct way for Jesus after His resurrection would be to let them see His hands and feet, to see that He had indeed risen, to take a good look at who He was. Why didn’t He use this method? If Jesus used this method to let the disciples recognize Him, what about us? If the two disciples met Jesus in the Bible, in the Old Testament, can you also meet Him? Yes, you can. So I hope to make Jesus' sermon clear to everyone, so that when you read the Bible, you can meet Jesus in the scriptures. I believe this is more important than meeting Him in person.
Many people always ask, "Jesus, just resurrect and come out so I can see you, and I will believe in you." In fact, this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that you can meet Jesus when you read the Bible. This is the most important aspect that can bring change to your life. If the disciples' faith was because they saw the resurrected body of Jesus, then our hope today would be gone. Therefore, Jesus allowed their eyes to be blinded first, so they could meet Him in the scriptures. This way, today we have the opportunity to meet Jesus in the words and in life, just like those two disciples. Amen!
Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
So as you continuously hear the words of Jesus, faith will naturally arise, and you will have a burning heart inside. I believe that the more you hear revelations about Jesus, the greater your faith will be, and your heart will become more and more fiery. What I do is very simple: I continuously bring you before Jesus, allowing you to meet Jesus in the Bible and in life, and to meet Jesus during the sermon. Amen! I believe faith will arise. This is what God is saying to each of us. Many Christians still fail in life because the Bible is disconnected from them; they have not yet met Jesus in the Bible.
So I hope that in this last end time, we are currently in a spiritual famine lacking revelation. Do you know what most churches teach? You must have good behavior, you must love the Lord, you must serve, you must…
But no one tells them how to gain this strength. My approach is very simple: I let you meet Jesus during the sermon, and faith will naturally arise. I also believe that in this situation, you will know how to live a victorious life. Amen! Since this is a time lacking revelation, many people's states are lukewarm. Where does this come from? Is it from a passage in Revelation? Today I will explain this passage to you.
Revelation 3:14-18
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation, says this: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 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. 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.”
In Revelation, the Holy Spirit spoke some words to the seven churches. I want to tell you that the audience is not speaking to believers, so do not apply it to ordinary believers; it is first spoken to the messengers.
In verse 14, it says, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write.” The angel is the representative of this church, which is actually the pastor. You see, if the pastor has a problem, how can the believers be well?
If the pastor is lukewarm, can the believers be hot or cold? They must also be lukewarm. If the pastor does not have much revelation of Jesus, how much can the believers understand? Therefore, a pastor of a church is very important.
In Revelation, there are letters to seven churches. When it comes to Laodicea, the Holy Spirit says, “I know your deeds.” This is not about salvation or not; these churches are all saved people. It is just that the behavior of the Laodicean church appears lukewarm. What does lukewarm behavior look like? It is what we call indifference, doing whatever, or pushing things off.
For example, today I say, “Brothers and sisters, since we know this is the end time, we should share the gospel with more people.” They might say, “Hmm, we know. Whoever wants to do it can do it.” Isn’t that lukewarm? They didn’t say they wouldn’t do it, nor did they say they would do it. In fact, many things they can push off, they do. Isn’t that the same in serving in a church? If they can avoid doing it, they will avoid it. This is actually a state of lukewarmness. So why does the Laodicean church behave this way?
In verse 16, it says, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
What does it mean to spit out? Many people interpret this passage by saying, “If you are lukewarm, Jesus will spit you out.”
I ask, “Where does He spit you out to?”
“Then you go to hell.”
Let me emphasize again that this passage does not refer to salvation or not; it refers to the behavior of victory, and it is not spoken to ordinary believers; it is spoken to the messengers of the church. Simply put, it is spoken to the pastors of the church. If the pastor is lukewarm, God will spit him out.
What does it mean? God will let all the people here leave, and this church will no longer exist. What about this pastor? He will no longer be a pastor. Do you understand?
This is why some people think they can establish a church, but when they go, the church that originally had people becomes empty under their management. What does this indicate? It is not that the believers have a problem; it is that the pastor has a problem. When the pastor realizes he has a problem, what should he do? He should turn back.
God's meaning is, “I wish you were either hot or cold.” Why use this analogy? Let me explain the background, and it will be easier to understand. Laodicea is a place forty miles from Ephesus, deeply influenced by Greek culture. The people there, if you say they love the Lord, they don’t love Him much; if you say they love the world, they seem to love the Lord as well. Isn’t that a lukewarm state? Laodicea had libraries, a banking center, and a very developed financial industry. At that time, they had two kinds of ointments, one for the ears and one for the eyes, which were very famous medical centers and quite advanced.
Although Laodicea was economically developed, there was no water source in the city. All the water sources came from two places. The people of Laodicea often discussed water. The water that could reach this city had to go through pipelines, similar to our modern water pipes. There were two sources of water that had to be brought into the city: one was from Hierapolis, nine kilometers north of Laodicea, where there were hot springs that supplied hot water. The hot water traveled nine kilometers, and by the time it reached the people of Laodicea, it had become lukewarm.
The other was from Colossae, fifteen kilometers away, which produced cold water. The cold water also traveled through a water channel to Laodicea, and this water was no longer cold; it had also become lukewarm. So the Holy Spirit used the water they drank to tell them that their life status was like the water they drank, neither cold nor hot. “I wish you were either hot or cold,” meaning they should have a response to God. Why did they behave this way? It was due to a lack of understanding of Jesus. They boasted about their possessions and had too little revelation of Jesus.
I hope that as you continuously hear revelations about Jesus here, your hearts will definitely not be lukewarm; they will be either hot or cold, bringing help to others. Amen! At that time, the Laodicean church's servants had their eyes on this world. They became lukewarm, as if they were spiritual people, but they did not pursue Jesus and did not pay much attention to the things of Jesus. Their behavior became lukewarm, retreating and not advancing. Only when we meet Jesus in the word will people be more willing to serve. Why do I want everyone to participate in church service?
For example, if one of us is sick, I say, “Let’s all pray for him.” Why do I do this? Because when this person gets better, you will think, “Thank the Lord! God has used me.” You can be assured that when you pray for someone and they get better, your heart will be more willing to do this. What’s scary is when you are unwilling to participate in anything; the less you want to participate, the less you will want to do anything.
Meetings are the same; the more you gather, the more you like to gather. Gradually, if not gathering becomes a habit, you will really become that way. So I hope that every day you can meet Jesus in your life. You can be assured that your heart will definitely be set on fire. Just like a person in a hot spring will definitely feel warm all over, this warmth is continuous. Amen!
The gospel is about Jesus, so it is not that you must do the right thing. When you believe correctly, you will live correctly. Everything is about Jesus Christ. This is why every Sunday, I emphasize the message about Jesus. I believe that when Jesus takes the first place in your life, your fears, guilt, and all kinds of bad habits will flee from you. When Jesus is revealed, we receive His life, and your life will be uplifted time and again. This is why many people, during the continuous listening to the sermon, find their depression disappearing and other diseases disappearing. This is the reason.
Romans 1:17, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’"
The Bible never says that the righteous will live by works. Therefore, our winning treasure is to continuously know Jesus. Hallelujah! The center of the gospel is based on your correct faith. When problems arise in life, what needs to be adjusted is your faith, not your behavior. Behavior is merely the fruit. When your faith is correct, you will live correctly. Let’s look at a verse.
Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
When you know that the righteousness of Jesus is upon you and follow Jesus, your path will only become brighter and brighter. One day, when we reach the kingdom of heaven, it will be like the midday sun; that is a future time. When we realize that Jesus is our righteousness, we can expect good things to happen. In other words, how can we have lasting hope? First, we must believe that Jesus loves you, and at the same time, believe that Jesus is willing to bless you, and your focus is on Him, so you can have lasting hope. Amen!
If you always look at yourself and the people around you, you might think, "Maybe God doesn't love me that much." At that time, your faith will fluctuate. Only in Jesus can you expect good things, expect victory, and expect success. Amen! Brothers and sisters, you need to understand through the Bible how much Jesus loves you. He died on the cross for your sins, which is the proof of His love for you. To save you, the Father sent His beloved Son to the cross, which is a manifestation of His infinite love.
I hope that when you read the Bible, you can meet the risen Jesus, so you can break free from self-centeredness. When you meet Jesus in God's word, you will be filled with Jesus' love. No matter how turbulent this world is, you will always have rest in Him. Amen! The words of Jesus are like a hot spring. When you meet Him in His words, His grace and love will bathe your heart. I believe your heart will also be set on fire. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for helping each of us through such words. The risen Jesus first taught the disciples, hoping they would meet Him in the scriptures because when the disciples met the risen Jesus in the scriptures, their hearts were set on fire.
Today we also have the opportunity to meet the risen Jesus in the scriptures and in the sermon. I believe that Jesus will work in each of our hearts. He will renew my thoughts and ideas and will renew my work, my family, and my marriage, all of which will be transformed by Him. I believe He loves me. The love of the Father is upon me, and the resurrection of Jesus is actually a proof of His love for me.
I am willing to increase my faith every day through the words of Christ. Lord! Give me strength and wisdom, and let me see you in your words. Thank you and praise the Lord! All glory be to you. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!