You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from

pastor, author and teacher David Platt.

If you have a Bible, and I hope you do, let me invite you to open with me to Revelation Chapter 2 if you're not already there.

Revelation Chapter 2 and I invite try to pull out those notes.

As returning I want to share with you,

the first sermon I ever preached was from Revelation Chapter 3, was in the 8th grade, and for some reason I was compelled to choose the text in which Christ says to his

church I will spit you out of my mouth. So true story I have locked up to the front this group of students that it holds

a couple hundred people and I was holding a bottle of water in my hand and before I said a thing I took a sip.

I took a sip and I spewed it out on the front row there and I looked at everybody and I said,

that's what God thinks of you, if you're lukewarm.

So not a promising start to preaching, but it's what happened. So we've come

a ways for your benefit. But it does. This reflects some of the graphic imagery. We see

from Jesus to his church in Revelation, chapter 2 and 3. Mark this down from the beginning.

Jesus does not pamper his people. He loves his people too much for that. He loves his people enough not only to comfort him, but to

confront them. He loves his people enough to convict and cleanse and challenge them with stern warnings of imminent judgment.

He's not playing games. I've titled this sermon words from Christ to a church at war

because this is the reality behind the book of revelation. Whether in the first

century Whether in the first century, the 21st century, the church is in a battle on a daily

basis with sin and evil and suffering and you know this don't you?

You're familiar with this as a follower of Christ you face temptation every day to turn from

Christ to compromise with Christ, trust in yourself, to give into

sin all across this room tonight.

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