The Candlestick - Laodicea — Carter Conlon

We invite you to come, Lord Jesus, and walk in the midst of the candlesticks again tonight. Lord, let your manifested glory reveal in us, in each and every one of us in this house, in the area in our lives, O God, where we fall short of the fullness of what you have purchased for us on Calvary.

If our hearts be otherwise minded, O God, if we're looking in the wrong direction, if we're looking to things apart from you, Lord Jesus, to fulfill and to give strength and to give joy, let your manifested glory reveal these things.

Let us cast them to the earth as filthy rags, O God, and put on the only righteousness, the only true joy, the only truth that is found in you, O God. Lord Jesus, we ask that you would clothe us with righteousness in this last hour of time.

Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Glorious Bride

Through the prophet Isaiah, you said that in the midst of the fire there would be a bride that would burst forth with glory and with singing, strong singing in that day. God, make us of that bride, Lord, here in New York City.

Those who look heavenward in the midst of all destruction and say, there he is, here is our God, we have waited for him. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Jesus, walk in the midst of our hearts tonight. Walk in the midst of our hearts, Lord. God, I thank you for setting us aflame. Thank you for the anointing of your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord, that you haven't saved us because we're wise or strong, but God, you truly choose the foolish and the weak of this world and the things that are despised and things that are not or nothing to bring to nothing, things that are.

I thank you, Lord God, that you have promised that out of my belly would flow rivers of living water. Speak to your church tonight, O God. Speak to your people tonight by the power and anointing of your Holy Spirit.

Open every prison door. Seek out every hiding place, O God, where those have sought refuge from your holiness and sought refuge from your truth. Lord, bring us out into your glory. Bring us out into the midst of where you are.

Hallelujah. Let us see ourselves in the light of your countenance. God, I ask, O Lord, for such a manifested glory to come upon your church in this last hour of time that all of New York City would have to stand up and take notice and say truly of a truth, their Lord is God.

Revelation and the Seven Candlesticks

The Lord is God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the unction to speak this message. And thank you for the ability for the hearers to hear. In Jesus' name. Amen. Revelation, the last book in the New Testament, please.

Revelation chapter 3. It will be the second message in a series of seven that I'm going to be speaking on the seven churches of Revelation. Now, the book of Revelation is a book of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If you go back to chapter 1, verse 1, it's not a book. It's the revelation of Jesus. Jesus walking as John saw him in the midst of the seven candlesticks. Now, we know in verse 13 the seven candlesticks represent the seven churches.

Jesus walking in the midst in his purity. John saw him, he said, and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were as a flame of fire. The eyes of Jesus are in this house tonight. He looks, nothing can be hidden from him.

He looks beyond our suits and our fine clothes. He looks beyond all of the hairdos and everything that are found in this house. He looks beyond the yea's and the yea man's. He even looks beyond exuberance, if it be birthed in him or not birthed in him.

And his eyes go right in to the very center of our inward being. And he's able to discern who and what we are. And that's what happened in Revelation. You see, these churches had been established mainly by the missionary journeys of Paul.

And about 63 years after Christ's resurrection, the Apostle John, who was the same John that leaned on his breast at the Last Supper and loved him and the disciple that Jesus loved. John was lifted up in a place of exile.

He was lifted up into the presence of God. And a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John. And that revelation of Jesus Christ brought to light things that were found in these respective churches that were good, but also brought to light things in the respective churches that were not good in the sight of the Lord.

Now we know in Revelation the seven churches were literal churches. They were actual church bodies that were founded at that time, that particular point in history. But traces of the key elements in each of these churches have been found throughout Biblical history and also are found today.

You can find individual churches throughout the whole world which would perhaps typify the church of Philadelphia or churches that have gone through or are going through suffering. Churches that you're sure that if Jesus were to appear today collectively, that He would speak certain words to these churches.

And so traces are found both collectively and individually. In this house tonight, there are traces of all seven churches that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. There are things that are good in each one of our lives, and yet there are things that the very presence, the manifestation of Jesus, would expose to be disapproved by the presence of God.

You have got to have the heart that John had. I'm sure that all of these churches thought they were doing well. However, with the revelation of Jesus Christ, pathways that they had begun to take which were a diversion from the high calling of God and the purity of that calling were revealed.

The Apostle John said in Revelation chapter 1 verse 4, in verse 6 rather, He has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. And so that's the high calling of God in Christ Jesus on each one of our lives.

We're not made just to sit in a church. We're not made just to be partakers of some blessing. But we are made to be kings and priests. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2 now, he says, You're a chosen generation.

We're a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar people called to what? To show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. We are, as a church, we are individually as well as collectively, called of God to be the virtual representation of Jesus Christ here on this earth.

We're called to be His body. We're called to bring the manifested presence of Jesus to this lost and dying generation that we're living in. John said in Revelation 1, When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.

The revelation of Jesus Christ brings an end to all flesh. The revelation of Jesus brings an end to thinking and speaking and walking and doing things that are contrary to the very essence of who Jesus Christ is as the Son of God.

These churches needed to desire that revelation. To return to the purity of their calling. You remember the prophet Isaiah. I shared on it last time I spoke on Ephesus. Prophesying to Israel for around 28 years.

Lifted up in the year that King Uzziah died into the presence of God. And the very manifested presence of Jesus brought an end to Isaiah. Brought an end to who he thought he was and what he thought he was doing.

In spite of all the prophesying. In spite of the fact that he was one of the few that were standing for truth. Isaiah said, Warn to me, I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean lips. I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips.

For mine eyes have seen the King of glory. I've seen the Lord of hosts. Oh, it was Daniel that was drawn into the presence of the Lord. And was left as a dead man. His breath gone from him. And you and I tonight need that desire.

We need it with all of our heart. If we're going to be able to hear from the Lord. And you and I have got to say, Lord Jesus, come into the midst of my heart. Walk in the midst of the candlestick that is within me.

The Spirit of the Lord, the scripture says, is the candle of man. Searching all the inward parts of the belly. Holy Spirit, Holy Jesus, come and walk within my life. Could that be your prayer tonight?

The High Calling of the Church

God, I have a zeal. Oh, this church, I've never been in a church anywhere in the world that has a zeal like this church. But there's still room for Jesus to walk in the midst of every heart. There's still room for Christ to come and search the inward parts of our bellies.

We are, I'm sure, alive in the things of God. But there's always room to come more alive in the things of God. That God can touch us. We need that desire. Precious and holy Lord Jesus, we invite you tonight to touch our lives.

I invite you to touch my life. Oh God, as I preach this word tonight, Father, I'm not exempt from the word that's about to be spoken. For it's your word and it comes from your book. God, it doesn't come from my heart.

It comes from your heart. Lord, we're asking tonight. I'm asking that you walk in the midst of this house. Collectively and individually, Lord God. Walk in the midst of our hearts, Lord. If there's anything that's in us that was found in the church of Laodicea, let it be revealed, oh God.

Let it be cast off like filthy rags and works of death. Let there be a shout of glory and a shout of victory, oh God. As we move on from image to image and glory to glory in Christ Jesus. Jesus, I ask above all things that you would birth your heart in my life and birth your heart in your church in this last hour of time.

Deliver us from our own hearts, oh God. Deliver us from our own ways of thinking. And let your heart and your mind be birthed in us, oh God. May we be found alive and abide, bringing honor and glory to your name in this last hour of time.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. Glory to Jesus. I thank you, God, for what you're going to accomplish in this house. I thank you that you're going to break the bondage of lukewarmness that may be found in any life that's in this house tonight.

I thank you that by faith you're going to speak to hearts, not only in this house but across this nation. God, you will speak to hearts that have gotten into a trap of lukewarmness and are in danger of losing you, Lord God.

Oh, Jesus, speak to your church tonight. Speak to your church. Lord, I'm a frail vessel, oh God, but I don't stand in my own strength. I stand in your strength. I stand in your victory and in your righteousness.

Jesus’ Warning to the Laodicean Church

Speak to every heart tonight. I ask this in Jesus' name. Hallelujah. Revelation chapter 3, beginning at verse 14. The last church age, probably most representative of at least Western society. The Laodicean church age.

It's always been impressed upon my heart that this, if Jesus were to come back and speak especially to the Western world, that this would be the exact words that he would speak to much of what has happened to the church of Jesus Christ in Western society, especially since the Industrial Revolution.

Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans writes, These things saith the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.

I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and of need of nothing.

And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold fried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.

And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 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 sup with him and he with me.

To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The counsel of Jesus. Jesus said to this church, the Laodicean church age, He said, you are miserable. Here's a church that by their own testimony said, I'm rich and we're increased with goods and we have need of absolutely nothing.

I think Pastor David spoke this morning on some of the trace elements of that church that are so vividly found in this generation. These user-friendly churches that we're finding now all throughout the land.

And he said, you're miserable. The original word in the text is elinios, which means you're full of misery and you're worthy to be pitied. You think you're rich and you think you're increased with goods, but the Lord is saying, I look down upon you and you're worthy of pity.

You're naked. The word is gumnos. That means naked of spiritual clothing. That is the imputed righteousness of faith. In other words, Christ is looking down on this church that says we're rich and we're increased with goods and have need of nothing.

And he looks down upon this church age and he says unto this church age that you're worthy to be pitied from where I stand and from my perspective. Now, we're talking about the Son of God, the head of the church, walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks.

He says you're naked of spiritual clothing. You haven't got the full armor of God. You don't know how to put it on. And the righteousness that's imputed by faith, you've lost faith. And because you've lost faith, you don't know what righteousness is.

And even though you have a great and grand testimony of yourself, I look down from heaven and say to the Lord, and I see something else. I see a pitiable naked people running around talking about riches and blessing.

Lukewarmness and Loss of Spiritual Zeal

If there were a word that describes the Laodicean church age, it would be the word lukewarm. Lukewarm. Every time you think of Laodicea, I'm sure if you've spent any time in the Bible at all or in any church, you're thinking of that word lukewarm.

Now, there's some characteristics about lukewarmness. Now, first of all, lukewarmness. Think about it now. How many here like going home to a lukewarm supper? Neither hot nor cold. You would wish that your wife or your husband, whoever's making the dinner, had made up their mind.

Either it was going to be a cold buffet or a hot lunch. But there's just something about a lukewarm meal. Or a lukewarm glass of water. Have you ever tried eating a lukewarm ice cream cone? On a summer's day.

The best that it can do is drip all over your hand and make a mess of your clothes. Lukewarm. Think about lukewarm water. Lukewarm water is not good to give a stranger that comes to your door. I can imagine if somebody came to your door and they were thirsty and you went to the stove and you had a pot of lukewarm water and you gave them a glass and they'd take a half a sip and spit it out.

Say, if you've got something else, I prefer it with either hot or cold. That's what Jesus was talking about. There's a lukewarmness that can settle in to people's lives. That is really good for nothing.

But I thank God with all of my heart that I saw something in here tonight. I want you to, next time that you put a pot of water on the stove and you turn the heat on high, watch what happens to that water.

There begins to be a stirring in it. Now, I'm not a chemist, so please don't cast me down for not getting all of the technology right here. But all of a sudden there seems to be a stirring in that pot.

Then bubbles, I don't know from where, begin to rise up from inside. I know that water is made of three components. I got that far in school anyway. The oxygen begins to get heated up and the bubbles begin to come from...

It seems like all it was was water, but all of a sudden there seems to be life and air. And the hotter it gets, there seems to be a jumping up and down begins to happen in that pot. It seems to me I saw that in this house tonight.

There seems to be a joy, an exuberance that's birthed from within. It's not orchestrated by the flesh. It's born of the Spirit of God. And then all of a sudden you see the water level beginning to go down in the pot because in that joy there's an escaping.

There's such a heat that there has to be an escaping. There's a transformation from what they were into another form. Hallelujah! And truly, when God's Spirit is working upon a people, there is a transforming power that comes upon our lives.

We don't have to be brought into the house of God and have somebody as a cheerleader choreograph us and get us going and try to crank up the old machine and get the jukebox rolling in the house of God.

When God's Spirit is working within a people, there's a natural zeal for God that comes up from right down in the inward parts. Hallelujah! Now, one of the characteristics of lukewarmness, the first one is loss of an outward focus.

The loss of love for God equals the loss of compassion for the lost. If you love God with all of your heart, if we love Him with all our heart and our soul and mind and our strength, then automatically we love our neighbor as ourselves.

When that lawyer came to Jesus tempting Him, he said, what's the most important commandment in the law? Without hesitation, Jesus said, love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength.

And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. He said, on these two hang all the law and the prophets. When lukewarmness begins to set in, there's a lack of love for God. There's a lack of love for the Word of God.

Pastor David said this morning from the Scriptures, it's because they receive not the love of the truth that God sent strong delusion upon them. It's the beginning of apostasy when lukewarmness begins to set into the heart.

All of a sudden there's a lack of outward focus and the whole focus is me and mine and what I can get and how God can bless me and what can happen to me when I come to church. There's a development of an inward focus when lukewarmness sets into the heart of any people.

The Other Boats and an Outward Focus

You see that principle in Mark chapter 4. Turn there please with me. Hallelujah. Mark chapter 4. I want to show you a people who have an inward focus. I think the Scripture pretty well illustrates that.

Hallelujah. Mark chapter 4 verse 35. Now Jesus has been teaching, they've seen His miracles, they're excited about following Him. Now He says to His disciples in verse 35, Mark chapter 4,. And the same day when the evening was come, He said unto them, Let us pass over to the other side.

In other words, we're going on a journey. You know, it should have been sufficient for those disciples to hear the words of Jesus. We're going to the other side. I'll tell you brothers and sisters in Christ, when God says you're going to the other side, you're going to the other side.

Hallelujah. When they had sent away the multitude, verse 36, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships. In other words, they took off in the boat, they had the Son of God with them, and there were also other little ships heading across to the other side.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And verse 38 says, He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow, and they awoke Him and said unto Him, Master, carest not that we perish?

And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Now listen to what He said to them. And He said unto them, Why are you so fearful?

How is it that you have no faith? We need to understand this thing. They were going to the other side, and of all people I think these disciples were to be pitied at this particular moment in history.

They had the Son of God in the boat with them. And the Scripture said in the storm, there were also other little ships. There's three words that sometimes we fail to pick up in the Scriptures. They weren't the only boat going to the other side.

There were also other little ships. And in the midst of the storm, they began to fear for themselves. Their focus was inward. There was no concern. It wasn't wake up, they woke them up. Because you see, they had God in the boat.

Hallelujah! If you've got God in your boat, you've got absolutely nothing to fear, no matter what kind of storm comes along. Something had happened. The heart of Jesus was not yet perfected in these early disciples.

And they woke him up. And they said, Master, do you not care that we perish? There was an inward focus in their lives. They had God in their boat. Do you understand? Of all people they should have felt safe.

Their thoughts should have been, we'll be unto those other little ships that are out there trying to make it through the same storm. Thank God we have the Son of God in the boat with us. We don't have to fear drowning in this boat.

And that's the way it's got to be with the child of God once your eyes are opened to who Jesus is. You and I are not to be focused on ourselves. We're not to live for ourselves. We're not to pray always for ourselves.

We have God in our boat. No matter how strong the wind gets, no matter how big the waves are, God is with us. The Son of God is with us. He's promised He's going to take us to the other side. Our focus has got to turn away from ourselves and to those other little ships that are out there.

The moms, the single moms and their children, the men and women in prison, our sons and daughters in the streets committing suicide. Our focus has got to go out beyond ourselves to them. Say, Oh God, they perish.

Jesus, they perish. God, touch my heart with Your heart. An inward focus leads ultimately to a preoccupation with self. Pastor David spoke this morning about an anti-Christ spirit and that's what I've got written down here.

A preoccupation with self is an anti-Christ spirit. Jesus said, If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Pastor David spoke this morning. If you weren't here, I would really encourage you to get that message.

One of the most powerful that I've heard in a long, long time. Talked about the development of an anti-Christ spirit in this last hour. I believe that the open door to much of that thinking is self-preoccupation.

And doesn't that characterize this church age that we're living in? The testimony of the Laodicean church. Jesus said in Revelation 3 .17, You say, You say I'm rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.

You hear the testimony of this Laodicean church saying we've got Bibles of every translation on our shelves. I'm going to look beyond just the natural riches. We are the richest generation that's ever lived on the face of the earth.

I'm going to look beyond the carnal, covetous preachers and their church congregations that have taken the word of God and virtually blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ by saying that He died so that we might inherit the treasures of literal riches here on this earth.

They're so lost in space that it's not even worth discussing their doctrines tonight. No, I'm talking about the church that says I'm rich. I've got a Bible of every translation sitting at home on my shelves.

We've got seminars for every appetite now all over North America. Whatever your personal problem is, whatever your personal quest is, we've got seminars to deal with it. You just have to pick up some of these brochures and you can pick and choose.

We're rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. But Jesus said you don't realize that you're naked and blind. You've lost something. You've lost something. The whole of Scripture cries out against the lukewarm approach to God.

Amos and the Sin of Self-Absorption

The prophet Amos, let me just read it to you, cries out against this. In Amos chapter 6, he says,. Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion, that trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations to whom the house of Israel came.

And in chapter 6 verse 4 he says,. They lie upon beds of ivory. They stretch themselves out on their couches. They eat lambs out of the flock and calves out of the midst of the stall. They chant to themselves of the vial and invent to themselves instruments of music like David.

They drink wine in bowls. They anoint themselves with the chief ointments. In other words, all of their quest is for themselves. All of the anointing is for themselves. All of the healing is for themselves.

But he says they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. There's no grief in their hearts. And in verse 7 he says,. Therefore now they shall go captive with the first to go captive. And the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed.

The Lord says even they sit and they nurture themselves. And they're a totally egocentric people. They are constantly looking to better themselves. And constantly looking to fill themselves. And constantly looking to pacify themselves.

And there's no grief in their hearts for those that are out on the streets and those that are without God. There's no grief for the poor. There's no grief for those that are suffering in the body throughout all of the world.

There's no outward focus. The whole focus is inward. Lukewarm, Jesus says. Lukewarm. Lukewarm is the testimony against this church. Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah, cries out against it. If you'll turn to the book of Isaiah please with me.

Isaiah’s Call to True Fasting

Isaiah chapter 58. Scripture and history cries out against Lukewarm. And that's in our relationship with God. Listen, God speaks to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 58. He says, cry aloud. Verse 1. Spare not.

Lift up your voice like a trumpet. And show my people their transgression. And the house of Jacob their sins. Well, God says to Isaiah, I want you to cry out. I want you to not spare. Lift up your voice like a trumpet.

Shout it from the mountaintops Isaiah. Show my people their sins. Now what sins? The list begins in verse 2. It says, they seek me daily. And delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness.

Now here's the people going to conferences. And they have a pretense of wanting to know his ways. They have an outward expression of righteousness upon their life. And they forsook not the ordinance of their God.

They ask of me the ordinances of justice. And they take delight in approaching unto God. In other words, there are people that are crying out. At least in some measure. Or they're giving a pretense of caring about abortion issues and things in the land.

And they want that justice of God to come into the nation. They appear to have a delight in approaching unto God. They are a people who fast and they do all kinds of things. But the Lord says, as in Isaiah's day, the Laodicean church, they had no doubt an outward semblance of seeking God.

But the error of it was that all of their seeking was for themselves. Everybody today wants spiritual passion with no cost and no cost. We have seminars on spiritual passion. We have conferences on holiness.

You name it, all over the nation. But everybody wants the passion with no cost and with no cost. And I will tell you this day that you and I can't have God's heart until we're willing to share the heart of God and to allow it to beat within us.

All these people get who seek for themselves is ever deepening delusion. Ever deepening darkness. Ever deepening self-seeking. Ever deepening lukewarmness. Because their whole heart is for themselves.

And not to allow the very spirit and nature of Christ to possess them and allow the works and heart of God to begin to beat through them and cry out through them. In verse 6, the Lord says, Is this not this the fast that I have chosen?

Is it not to loose the bands of wickedness? To undo heavy burdens? To let the oppressed go free? That you break every yoke? You see, the Laodicean church couldn't do this. Because they didn't have the armor of faith.

They didn't know what it was to be free themselves. So how could they take freedom they didn't possess to others around them? Things that are going on in the nation. And what has it done? Brought a church that has to be designed around user friendliness.

I tell you brothers and sisters with all my heart, it's time that you and I get back to the good old fashioned power of God and trust Jesus to sanctify and set apart our lives. Hallelujah. We don't have to understand it.

All we have to do is seek Him with all of our hearts. God will set you free if you seek Him. He'll open every prison door. He'll heal the wounds in your heart. You don't have to go back to your third and fourth grandfather.

Go to Jesus with all of your heart. Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to your house or to this house? And you see the naked, you cover him and hide not yourself from your own flesh?

You see these people had a pretense of seeking God, but their pretense was bankrupt. All they wanted was pleasure for themselves and strength for themselves. They had no intention of ever allowing the heart of God to be manifested in them.

Sacrifice and the Church’s Mission

Hallelujah. I shared a couple of last week that the church of Jesus Christ has been built upon the foundation of sacrifice. And you can't build anything else on that foundation. God the Father sacrificed His Son.

God the Son sacrificed His life. The apostles and prophets gave everything they were. They gave their lives to give everything they had upon that foundation of sacrifice. And you can't build stones. You can't build wood and stubble on that foundation.

The church of Jesus is built upon sacrifice. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Lord says through Isaiah, He says, If you will do these things, then your light will break forth as the morning. Your health will spring forth speedily.

If you will allow my heart to be produced in you, your light will break forth as the morning. Your health will spring forth speedily. You won't have to go to any more seminars on inner health. Do you understand this?

If you will just do it the way it's written in the book. Seek God with all of your heart. Let the heart of Jesus be manifested in you and develop an outward focus. That's the only focus is of God. He says, And your righteousness will go before you.

The glory of the Lord will be your rear ward or your rear protection. You will call and the Lord will answer. You will cry and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity, and draw out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, your light will rise in obscurity and your darkness will be as the noon day.

Listen to the promises of God. The Lord will guide you continually. He will satisfy your soul in drought. He will make fat your bones. Hallelujah! You will be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.