God has called us to witness and that witness must involve a sacrifice. Christians are no longer sacrificing themselves for with the demonstration of Christ’s love.A sacrifice must cost something or it is not a sacrifice and there is no greater sacrifice than laying your life down for another.A sacrifice is necessary to change the world for Christ therefore we must once again demonstrate the power of Christ’s love by being a living sacrifice.

The response to Jesus was pure amazement. The people were in awe, astonished and overwhelmed with Him. Has the Church lost its amazement with Christ? Aren’t we to be a radiant bride reflecting His glory and amazement? God will bring His church into a place of amazing radiance when we again are amazed at Christ.

My WitnessesGod has empowered His people to be His witnesses, so what has happened to the church?God opens doors for our witness if we pray but with prayer there must be a sacrifice.God told Joel that with a sacrifice there must be a broken heart.We must weep between the doors of prayer and the sacrifice of our lives to be an effective witness for Christ.Revelation 3:8-20Joel 2:17

GO AND SIN NO MOREJohn 8:11 - “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Laodicea – Rev 3:14‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.1. The Amen of God2. Faithful & true witness3. The origin of God’s creationTheir Witness15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable,1. poor,2. blind3. naked.Laodicean AqueductThe rivers were too dirty for drinking and most of the springs in the area were hot springs full of gasses and other chemicals. Therefore they had to pipe in water from a distant spring that made the water luke warm, dirty and impure. - Kenneth DoddersCommercial aspect1. Banking center – Laodicea was a banking center for people moving in all directions of travel. (It was so wealthy that in 60 A.D. the city was flattened by an earthquake, when Rome offered to give them some money to rebuild they refused saying they had plenty of their own and rebuilt the city more beautiful than it had ever been with their own funds.)2. Wool industry – Laodicea was famous for soft wool that was glossy black. It was used for clothing and for weaving carpets.4. Medical school - A medical school developed a certain salve for the eye and people came from all over the world to get it.“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”Counsel“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”1. Gold2. White garments3. Eye salveOvercomer“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Man in the TreeThe Presence - Order of the KingdomHospitality, Fellowship, Edification - Bless, Bond & Build1. Blessing - Invitation & loving the stranger2. Bonding – knitted hearts3. Building up - edifyZacchaeus (*Luke 19) Helping a man climb1. Hospitality – reach out2. Koianaia – fellowship3. Build upZacchaeus - means “pure and innocent” – what happened? Chief tax collector & rich1. Jesus HospitalityA. Divine Initiative- hospitality - reach out, no hesitation, hurry to the needyB. Divine appointment – I must go to your houseZacchaeus gladly responded. Reputation = sinner“And when they saw it they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of aman who is a sinner.” :7C. Divine Value - Jesus gives value to allWhat Jesus saw I Zacchaeus industrious, creative, innovative1. Fellowship –(Koinania) going to your house1. Meeting with you2. Speaking to you3. Room for Response - Zacheus “stood up” ( 2 fold response)Making right between us2. Build up:9-10 “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”Zacchaeus - Lost in the crowdSeek and Save the lostZacchaeus became Matthias Acts 2Clement of Alexandria, (Stromata), Zacchaeus was Matthias by the apostles, and took the place of Judas Iscariot after Jesus' ascension. Luke told us that Matthias in the beginning was with Jesus since the baptism of John (Acts 1:21-23).Zacchaeus became Bishop of CaesareaThe Man in the tree - Jesus climbed a tree for you and me

Philadelphia1. Open Doors7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.Isaiah 22:22 –And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.The keys of David – Kingdom authority- gate keeper8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.Christ “has given the Christians at Philadelphia access to God and no one can deprive them of it” (Norman Perrin, Jesus and the Language of the Kingdom, p. 86).Open door Evangelistic activity (Paul: 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3). Spiritual doors opened Spiritual Doors Closed2. FaithfulnessI know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.3 Things1. My Word (:8)2. My Name (:8)3. Patient endurance(:9-10)11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Don’t let anyone discourage you from your victory There is an open door before you – keep pressing on3. Overcomer’s HopeThe one who conquers,1. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it,2. (A)and I will write on him the name of my God,(B)The name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven,(C)and my own new name.15379

Edification – “oikodome”, "to build a house." Edifice – building - ation the act ofMatt . 16:18 – “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build (oikodome) mychurch, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.1 Peter 2:5 – “you yourselves like living stones are being built up (oikodome) as a spiritualhouse, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through JesusChrist.1. Spiritual Building:Holy Spirit edifies – Gifts are for edification of the body, 5 fold is for edification1 Cor.14:12 – “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit,strive to excel in building up the church.Ephesians 4:11-13- “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for buildingup the body of Christ,13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge ofthe Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,2. Edify self & church - Spiritual Words1 Cor. 14:4 – “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one whoprophesies builds up the church.”1 Thess 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you alsoare doing.3. The Construction method1 Corinthians 8:1b - “… Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”How can I build them up & Esteem others - Don’t speak to the lack draw out the goodMatt . 16:18 – “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build (oikodome) mychurch, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Opening of hades – Mouth of hell (jaws of death) - not overtake it. Accuser of brethren1. Invest in other Christians without expecting anything in return.1 Peter 1:22 -Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherlylove, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,2. Know when to give relationships space.Proverbs 25:17 - “Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill ofyou and hate you.”3. Speak Truth in love into your friends’ life.Ephesians 4:15-16 - Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way intohim who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together byevery joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the bodygrow so that it builds itself up in love. Proverbs 27:6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.4. Let go of relationships that harm our relationship with Christ.Romans 16:17 - I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions andcreate obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them5. Pursue a deeper walk with Christ.- Biggest cause of conflict is a lack of Christlikeness. http://meditationsofhislove.com/2014/05/5-ways-to-build-edifying-relationships.html/