Herbert W Armstrong

   We've had problems in the church. Many have left. We've lost credibility in the minds of many people in the world. The church's image seems to be marred, and Mr. Armstrong recently has emphasized the need to clean up the spots that we have in our midst. Some are disillusioned with all the adverse publicity we've received, with the continuing court action and procedures. The barriers have been knocked down in the eyes of some, and a floodgate of sin and lethargy and just plain lack of love seems to have resulted.

   Now things have evolved in the world to the point where there's no evil anymore. Evil is looked on as good. Just about anything goes, and that influence is affecting many in God's church. It just has to. I think things have evolved in our lives to the point where it seems evident that the church—you and me—has really lost its first love. That new zeal of a new convert is gone. That outgoing love and desire to do anything God says we ought to do, even if it hurts, seems to be gone. It just does to me.

   Probably lots of these things that have transpired give us all excuse to let down. Maybe we reason, 'Well, what's the use? Everything seems to be going wrong. It's not going the way I want it to go.' Things just seem upset, in a turmoil, disturbed, so we have a convenient excuse probably for letting down and for not showing that concern and that love that we ought to have.

   Well, brethren, since we're living in the last time and in the end time and in the last days, probably we ought to consider how will the Laodicean church be recognized. Now in the last days, of course, there are at least two churches that are characterized by Christ being last time churches, at least we understand it that way and Revelation. Second chapter and the third chapter are the characteristics of the total church era—what they would be like, what they would be characterized as, that sort of thing, and we have the Worldwide Church of God today, of course, associate or identify with the Philadelphia era of God's Church.

   Whether you agree with that or not, we do. And that's described over in Revelation the third chapter. Might turn there. Revelation 3, beginning in verse 7 (Revelation 3:7): 'He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says unto the churches.' Verse 7, Revelation, excuse me, that was Revelation 7:3: 'And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write these things sayeth he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens. I know your works.' We ought to really let that sink in. 'Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it for you have a little strength and have kept my word and have not denied my name.'

   And that's one of the characterizing identifying signs of the Philadelphian era of the church or the Philadelphia church—keeping God's word, not denying God's name. Filled with love, 'Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,' verse 9, 'which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet and know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation.' So God has promised to deliver us from the future trying times that are destined to come on this world. And so on it goes. I'm not going to read the rest of it. We might get back into it a little later on.

   But those are the identifying signs of what we associate ourselves with, that is the Philadelphian era of God's church. But there's another era in these end times which follows immediately on the heels of the Philadelphian era called the Laodicean era. Laodicea was just a city, but its church is characterized as lukewarm, cold, rich and increased in goods, having need of nothing, and we'll read that probably later on also. But they're characteristic of end time churches.

   Now some time ago, I received some literature from a fellow. I don't even recall the man's name. And he claimed to be the leader of the Laodicean Church. Will identity of that church be that easy? I mean, is it going to be that simple, that the guy's going to rise up and say, "I'm the leader of the Laodicean church"? Or is it going to be more subtle than that, brethren? Is it going to be something that we ought to really know with respect to the characteristics that Christ himself put forth here in Revelation, the characteristics of that church?

   Now most people in God's church today love prophecy. It's very interesting, stimulating. We've probably read Matthew 24 so often that our Bible just falls open there naturally. We are diligent to keep up with world events and news items. We read all the news magazines in an effort probably to be ready, whatever that means. Or in an effort perhaps to figure out how it all fits together and when Christ is going to return or hopefully try to figure that out so that we can get ready at the last minute.

   But we know Matthew 24. We all know what Matthew 24:14 says. But what about Matthew 24:12? 48? 49-50? We all know what Mark 13:10 says. But what about Mark 13:36? We all know what Luke 21:36 says. But what about Luke 21:34? Most of us could recite from rote the general overall prophetic events about a united Europe, about the false church involvement, about economic collapse, about future atomic warfare, disease epidemics, famine, the great tribulation, a place of safety.

   We could probably recite that from rote from Matthew 24. But what about lethargy? What about sins of the flesh? What about cares of the world? What about slumbering and sleeping? What about serpenting? What about having need of nothing? What about rich and increased in goods? Probably couldn't recite those things.

   The point is, brethren, do we just become titillated by the interesting things? Things that we might be able to equate with on the world scene today? And only please ourselves with knowing those things and not knowing some of the other things that Christ taught that are characteristic of the end time too?

   Well, I sort of think that's true, that we just go about knowing all about the United States of Europe, watching the rise and fall of gold and the dollar and this and that and the other thing. And not worrying about or concerned about or interested in or even aware perhaps that Christ said in Matthew 24:12, and let's turn there. The same prophecy, but we probably have read it. If we were asked to quote it, we couldn't. And we've overlooked it.

   Matthew 24 and verse 12 says, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Sure, we've heard it. But I doubt when I asked you about it, you could have said it like you could have said Matthew 24:14. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

   Now here Christ has been speaking to his disciples. He's been telling them about war and rumors of war. He's been telling them about false prophets. He's been telling them about famine and pestilence. He's been telling them about how bad it's going to be and how people will be delivered up and all that sort of thing, and then he gets up and says, "Because iniquity shall abound," and I believe, brethren, that it means because iniquity in the church shall abound. That's just my opinion.

   Yes, and there's iniquity in the church. And when we see iniquity in the church, then we say, "Oh well, so what? I might as well do it too," or "What's the use?" or "I give up. I can't understand it. Why is that going on?" But perhaps Christ knew it would be that way. There's iniquity in the church. There's some iniquity in the church. And because of iniquity in the church, the love of many shall wax cold in the church. He's not talking about the love of people in the world. The love of the people in the world already is cold. They don't have any love, brethren. He's talking about the church.

   Because iniquity in the church shall abound, the love of many in the church shall wax cold. Now that's my paraphrasing. But he that shall endure to the end, so he can't be talking about the world. He's talking about those that have been called. The same shall be saved.

   So brethren, the love of many can wax cold. And because we see inequity or because we see some of those other things that perhaps mentioned in my introduction—because of a number of reasons or excuses that we may come up with in our own mind to rationalize away why we do certain things or why we think things are OK or why we think now that evil is good like the world is doing and some of us do that, no doubt, why all of a sudden the standard and the barrier seems to have been compromised or let down in the eyes of many. Whatever reason—it's part of the end time prophecy that Christ prophesied, and we ought to look at ourselves and decide, well, we know about the United States of Europe, we know about a false prophet, we know about famine and pestilence, we know about war and rumors of war, but we fail to recognize that the love of many can wax cold.

   Brethern, it's just as much a sign of the times, and we ought not to be ignorant of it being a sign of the times. In Mark 13:36, let's turn there. Mark 13:10 says, "And the gospel must first be preached among all nations." We know that. We've heard that scripture so many times, we apply it to the commission that we've been given and the work we have to do, and rightfully so, not denying that. But we probably have been ignorant about Mark 13:36, which says, "Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping." It's in the same prophecy, brethren. In the same chapter, just down the road a piece, not marked or underscored in our Bibles, no doubt it's not even marked in mine. And if someone would ask me to quote it, probably couldn't quote it. Just like you, but I could have quoted Mark 13:10.

   "Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping," Christ says. And then he goes on to say in verse 37, "And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." Watch, we've heard it and we say watch world events. That's what? And that's true, that's right. We're going to watch world events. But we're going to watch all of this. Watch our lethargy, watch our falling asleep, watch our love waxing cold just as well. Watch, he said.

   Luke 21:36. We all know it. We could say it from memory. "Watch you therefore, and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man." You were given a test on that verse, you could probably write it out with no difficulty, but what about 34, right above it: "And take heed to yourselves that at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."

   Oh, we've read it, we've heard it, we know about it in general, we couldn't quote it probably. If I would ask you on the spot what Luke 21:34 said, chances are most of you couldn't quote it. I couldn't have. But it's there just the same, and we're to take heed to ourselves. It's a sign of the end time, just like the rest of these things of war and pestilence and famine and disease epidemics and the things that we think we ought to watch about, and we should. But why do we think we ought not watch about the other, about taking heed to ourselves? About being overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life?

   It's all part of it, brethren. We need to be studying those things. We need to be aware of those things. We need to say to ourselves that can happen to me just like all the other things can. But no, I think in general we've got the impression many that we're in the Worldwide Church of God now. So therefore we've got it made. Not so. Not so. I hope I can demonstrate that.

   You know, Edmund Burke, a great English statesman, author, and orator said, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. That's probably true without a doubt in the world with respect to anything on the world situation in a physical way, but it's also true in the spiritual way, brethren.

   The only thing necessary for you to let down and to not make it into God's kingdom, for you to become lethargic, sleepy, drowsy, overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness is just to do nothing. Just sit back and let everything go and do nothing. And that's what will happen. Triumph of evil will certainly be true in our lives spiritually in the world physically. Good men must do something. We've been called to do something. We've got to work. We've got to overcome. We've got to keep on the ball. We've got to keep going. We've got to keep struggling. We've just got to do that. We cannot let down—evil will triumph. It's true in our spiritual lives.

   There's an analogy about that given in the scriptures. Christ made it plain, turn to Luke 19. It's called the parable of the pound. We're all familiar with it, but let's just go through it again to see that Christ taught this very same thing. Verse 11, Luke 19 (Luke 19:11): "And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a foreign country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants and delivered unto them ten pounds and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come.' But his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'"

   "And it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first saying, 'Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds.' And he said unto him, 'Well, you good servant. Because you have been faithful in a very little, have your authority over ten cities.' And the second came saying, 'Your pound has gained five pounds,' and he said likewise to him, 'Be you also over five cities.'"

   "And another came saying, 'Lord, behold, here is your pound which I have kept laid up in a napkin.' Here was a good man who did nothing. 'For, I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up that you lay not down and reap that you did not sow.' And he said unto him, 'Out of your own mouth will I judge you.' This man knew—he knew what kind of a judge Christ was—for this ruler, he knew that, he even said that. That's why he said 'out of your own mouth will I judge you.' You wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man taking up that I laid down and reaping that I did not sow. Therefore, take what you have and give it to the guy who made ten."

   Here's a man who sat back and did nothing. A good man doing nothing and he was overcome by evil. Evil will triumph. He was called a wicked servant by an austere man. So it can happen, brethren, is that if good men do nothing spiritually, evil will triumph in their lives. And it's a warning that Christ gave us all the way through His Olivet prophecy, maybe not as detailed and as titillating to the mind and stimulating to our intellect as famine and pestilence and war and rumors of war and a united Europe and the involvement of the Catholic Church or whatever. It's just not as titillating to us to think about serpentine and drunkenness, laziness, lethargy, lack of love, becoming lukewarm and cold and indifferent, claiming to be rich and increased with goods and having need of nothing. It's just not as titillating to the mind, to our intellect to think about those things or to study into those things, but they're just as much a part of the Olivet prophecy that Christ gave of an end time characteristic that's going to be on the scene as the other, just as much.

   And so we let them go by. And we rather occupy ourselves with the other more interesting things. And we may be falling asleep and not know it. That's the sad part or the disturbing part. We're not part of the true church because we meet every Sabbath. We're not part of the true churches because we go to picnics and all the activities and fellowship with the brethren of God's people. We're not part of the body of Christ because we're here today. No brethren, it's more than that.

   Christ was very particular throughout his word as to what it would take to be a part of the true church, a part of that body. It takes more than that and you can kid yourself into thinking "I'm OK because I'm part of the Worldwide Church of God. I'm part of God's church" or whatever. And don't become smug, brethren, and think because we belong to God's church and we come here every week that we've got it made.

   Turn to Matthew 3 verse 9. Verse 7 Matthew 3 (Matthew 7:3): "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, this is talking about John's reference, he said unto them, 'O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore fruits meet for repentance and think not to say within yourselves'"—note that now we don't want to think to say within ourselves a certain thing about being in this church—"'Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father.' Ah, we've got it made. Abraham's our ancestor. And he had lots of promises from God."

   "Think not to say we have Abraham to our Father, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Didn't cut any ice with God if you'll pardon the expression, to say I'm in this church. Didn't cut any ice with those Pharisees and Sadducees to say Abraham is our father and Abraham was given promises and his offspring were to inherit the land and take over many things.

   We know the scripture says that about Abraham and we're Abraham's offspring. But John was telling them, "You better bring forth fruits meet for repentance—doesn't make any difference to God that you're Abraham's seed. In that regard, you still got to repent. You've still got to live God's way. You've still got to qualify just like anybody else, whether you're Abraham's seed or not."

   And just sitting in here warming one of these chairs, brethren, for you or for me or anybody else doesn't make a bit of difference with God. If we haven't repented, and if we haven't done the things that God expects us to do to become a son in his family, it just doesn't make a bit of difference, and we don't want to get smug in our attitude and say, "We have Abraham to our father." Because He can say to us just like that, God's able to raise up stones out there in the parking lot and bring them in here and sit them in these chairs to be members in God's church to carry out a commission to be done in the end time.

   He doesn't need us. That's the truth, brethren. He doesn't need us. And he can raise up stones to take our place when we get smug and complacent like the Sadducees and Pharisees were back in John's day. He could raise up stones. The fact that they were Abraham's offspring made no difference to God. Well, it makes a difference after they repented because there were promises given to Abraham's seed. They have to qualify just like anybody else.

   Well, we're to give a light, you know, Matthew 5:14, we all know that we're to be lights of this world. There are certain things Christ said we had to do if we wanted to be recognized as being part of his body, part of his church, and he set the example and he did the things that were the right way to live and the way that he wanted his people to go.

   Would it be lights? Turn to John 15. More than that, he told us other things, talking about the vine. Beginning in verse 1 John 15 (John 15:1): "I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you, abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except to abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me."

   And if we think that we being the Worldwide Church of God are part of that vine, fine. It is, it is essential to be a part of that vine. But not sufficient. There's more than more required than just being part of that vine to be in God's family or to be part of God's church. But it's necessary to be part of that vine, but not sufficient.

   "I am the vine, you are the branches," verse 5. "He that abides in me and I in him the same brings forth much fruit," and that's an evidence that we're in the vine properly. "For, without me, you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch." OK, the vine can stick around for a while. Those dead parts are gonna be cut away. "And is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you."

   Now, notice verse 8: "Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples." And it's that doing, it's that evidence of bringing forth fruit, of copying the life that Christ lived in that regard of a fruitful life, that we're going to be Christ's disciples, not because we sit here, not because we're associated with the Worldwide Church of God.

   It's sufficient. I mean, it's necessary to be a divine but not sufficient brethren. We have to bring forth fruit or we're going to be a part of the vine which is withered and is going to be cut away and cast into the fire. Pretty plain.

   Verse 9: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." So we've got to be a part of the vine, but we've got to be a fruitful part or we'll be cast away.

   And Christ was a servant. He came and supped with sinners and with the lowly people. He had concern for all men and all human beings. And we need to follow that example and be servants also. He preached the gospel and he told us that we had that commission and he left it with his disciples in Matthew 28, verse 19 and 20 (Matthew 28:19-20). Let's read it. We probably can quote that one too, and it's true we have to do that. The job he gave us.

   Verse 19, Matthew 28: "Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world." So we have the job to do. It's true we do. I'm not trying to deemphasize that at all. It's the other things, brethren that I'm afraid that we've overlooked.

   Christ laid down his life for us, you and me individually and all people, and he expects us to do the same. John 15 verse 10, we were just there, but verses 10 to 14. We read verse 10 before, but we'll read it again (John 15:10-14).

   "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandment and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." And it's that love that what I call first love that I'm afraid has sort of withered away in our midst. And I'm speaking of myself, brethren. Just not like it was once, and we need to, we need to be reminded of it. That love, that first love.

   Verse 13: "Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friend, if you do whatsoever I command you." So Christ laid his life down for us and we've got to do the same. And that's a tough thing to do physically if it ever comes to that. I don't know if I'd be able to. I hope so, but he's talking about in the spiritual sense more than that. We have that opportunity every day probably to lay our lives down for others, but we don't anymore because the pace of the world is "I've got to take care of myself. I've got to worry about me, I don't have time for that. I want to do my thing."

   That's true. It's prevalent in the world. And it's rubbing off on the church, unfortunately. But there's no provision for that in God's way. That's what he calls the cares of this life. The surfeiting, the drunkenness. Worrying about this concern of this life brethren—there's no provision for that in God's word, just love. Just outgoing concern, just the example Christ set. We've got to have that or we're losing our first love in my judgment.

   I John the 3rd chapter. Here's a good example what that love ought to entail. I John 3, beginning in verse 17 (I John 3:17): "But whoso has this world's good and sees his brother have need and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him? How dwells the love of God in him?" Now that's a question we ought to answer, brethren. It's a question. How dwells the love of God in someone who shuts up his bowels of compassion for someone? Well, I don't know.

   "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him, for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

   "And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandments, and he that keeps his commandments dwells in Him and He in him, and hereby we know that we abide, that he abides in us by the Spirit which he has given us." So it's God's spirit and it's that first love continuing in our lives, which is I guess hard to sustain. It really makes a difference and then we can answer the question, "How dwells the love of God in you if you don't have concern for your brother?" And I'm not talking about just your neighbor that's in the church. I'm talking about all mankind, brethren. Christ was concerned about the whole world, and we need to be also.

   The parables apply to us. Turn to Matthew 13. But we always apply them the pleasant way. In Matthew 13:15, Christ was reminding them about a prophecy that he could see at that time was being fulfilled. To read that before we concern ourselves with a parable: "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed." Note, they have closed. It's a willful thing on the part of the people that he was talking to. "Lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them."

   He's talking about why he spoke to people in parables, but our hearts becoming waxed closed? It was one of the signs of the end time that Christ prophesized in Matthew 24. You know, I'm reminded about a comic strip that used to be in the papers. I don't see it much anymore, but I don't look at comics all that much now and then glance at them. Maybe it's in some papers called "Pogo." You're all familiar with it. Pogo is the little possum, I believe.

   You know there's some pretty good humor in there, but I recall one thing and I paraphrase it because I would probably misquote it now it's been so long ago. Pogo was talking about "We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us." Brethern that's pretty apropos, I'm afraid. We need to recognize that we have met the enemy today in this world in this struggle to be Christians and live God's way, and the enemy is us.

   Now I hear an awful lot of statement saying Satan's doing this, Satan's doing that, Satan's stirring up this, and Satan's doing that, and that's true. He's going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and he broadcasts and he puts, I mean thoughts in our minds, and he stimulates our wrong thoughts and that sort of thing. That's true enough, but I think he gets blamed for a lot of things that ought to be blamed on the enemy. And the enemy is us.

   You see, we're supposed to have God's spirit too, which should bombard those broadcasts by Satan. We should have enough of God's spirit that those broadcasts by Satan shouldn't affect us like that. You shouldn't be to blame for all of those things, but what about us? OK, we can turn that on and off ourselves. That is God's spirit. We can quench that spirit, Paul says—said quench it not, but it can be quenched. And if we quench it and we've got it turned down low, if you want to compare it to volume or something like that on the radio so that Satan's volume is a little louder, then yeah, God's spirit won't be heard, but the other will be.

   But the enemy is us. In many cases, we have met the enemy today, brethren, and in many cases the enemy is us and not Satan. Sure, he's still around and I'm not minimizing his importance and his cleverness and all the things he does, but I think we ought to recognize the enemy too, another enemy that we have, and that's us. Because you know there's going to be an enemy in the world tomorrow and Satan's going to be bound. People are still going to have to overcome us themselves. And human nature is there, and we control a lot of that with God's spirit, supposed to be within us to overcome that bombardment by Satan. But if we turn the volume down so that we can't hear it anymore, then Satan can get to us, sure he can, but the enemy's us in many cases.

   Turn to Luke 21. Read about again, these things that we're to watch for. Beginning in verse 32 this time of Luke 21 (Luke 21:32-36), and we're going to read on down through verse 36, we've read some of this before: "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves." There's that enemy is us. "Take heed to yourselves," he says, "lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them to dwell on the face of the earth."

   Everybody in the world is going to be surprised by that day, but Christ is giving us warning so that we won't be brethren. It's going to take people by surprise, and it shouldn't take us by surprise. But it can if we don't take heed to ourselves and we become overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life.

   And then in Luke 10, backing up to Luke 10, Christ gave Martha a lesson in that. Martha and Mary were entertaining Christ at their place. Back up to verse 38 (Luke 10:38): "Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word, but Martha was encumbered about much serving. And came to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore, that she should help me.' And Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"

   So Christ was telling Martha here that she was overcumbered with the cares of the world and the serving and the everyday life. And was maybe not quite as attentive to the necessary things. Now, brethren, I hesitate to even bring this up because some of us can go off balance in that end. I think that they've got to pray and study all day and all night and think that they can let their house go or let their job go and always be sitting at Christ's feet, as it were, and get overboard on the other end. We have to get a balance, but we don't want to be overburdened by the cares of this life. There are certain things that are necessary though for this life, and the balance has got to be drawn.

   So don't go to the other extreme and just think that you've got to sit and study and pray and meditate all the time. It's just not the balanced way. It won't work. It's just not the way Christ intended it to be, but he was teaching a lesson here to Martha and all of us that we don't want to get overburdened and overcumbered with the cares of this life and worrying about the things of serving physically and doing those things. And when the opportunity does present itself for us to be edified and instructed and taught at Jesus' feet, then we ought to do that. So it can happen, brethren, and it can also happen to an extreme the other way.

   Now back to the parable in Matthew 13, where perhaps we apply it improperly to ourselves. These scriptures apply to everybody. That's what I like about God's word. It's so easy to read through them and always equate yourself with the goody-goody parts and like to be the nice guy, you know, and like to be on the ball and like to be the chosen and the elect and like to be the called ones, which we are. But you see, that's a state that happens only if our attitude stays right and our love stays right and our actions stay right. We can let that just fall away and we can become the other part of what these scriptures speak to and think that we're still OK because we're part of the group.

   So in Matthew 13, the parable of the sower in verse beginning in verse 18 (Matthew 13:18), parable of the sower. Let's look at that. Not in detail. I've been through it before in detail, but one phrase in here that I would like you to pay attention to: "Hear you therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and understands it not, then comes the wicked one and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which receives seed by the wayside."

   Now we don't equate ourselves with that. I mean, we're not those that had the seed sown in our heart and don't understand it. We understand. We always say that to ourselves. We're not the ones that don't understand it, so this doesn't apply to me.

   "But he that received the seed in the stony places is the same as he that hears the word, and anon with joy receives it. But yet has he not root in himself but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended." Now that's not us. That can't apply to us. We're grounded and we're rooted and we're deep-seated in this, and so this is not me. You know, tribulation and persecution arise. I'm not going to be offended. This is not me.

   Verse 22: "He also that received seed among thorns is he that hears the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful." Oh, that's not me. I don't worry about riches and the cares of the world at all. It can't be me. "And he becomes unfruitful."

   "But he that receives seed into the good ground is he that hears the word and understands it." Now that's me, right? We're all the good ground. That's who Christ is talking about right there, me. The good ground. He that hears the word and understands it. Sure, that's me. I understand it all. No problem. I finally found out what Christ is talking about in this parable now. It's me here. "Which also bears fruit and brings forth some hundredfold and sixtyfold," and mine's two hundredfold, right?

   Yes, this is how we read the parables in the scriptures, brethren. We always equate with the good part. And we often disregard or overlook or put aside the things that ought to be applied and that might hurt just a little bit because they don't, we don't think that it applies to us. Which are conditions of the mind, brethren. And even though we might at one time have had the good ground position of the mind, maybe the ground has become a little infertile.

   These conditions are still there for him "who has an ear to hear, let him hear." We always apply it—the good guy part to ourselves. We seldom think that we fit anything that's a little bit distasteful, a little bit hurtful, a little bit uncomfortable. Brethren, I think we ought to take a look at them and at ourselves and see just exactly whether we might be maybe becoming a little bit stony ground. Maybe we are the thorns and the thistles. Maybe we just think we're deep rooted. And then when persecution and tribulation comes, we're not going to be offended. Maybe we ought to take another look at that and not be so complacent and think "I'm the good ground. I understand it all. This applies to me."

   There's many, many scriptures throughout God's word, brethren, that we read down to and we say, "Huh, that's that other guy. That's somebody else," and we read these nice ones, "That's me." And that can be a very, very dangerous position to get into, brethren, a very dangerous position to get into. We ought to apply them all to ourselves, all of them. Even the ones that hurt and we ought to recognize that God is talking to me when he says that maybe this is a stony place. Then maybe my love is waxed a little cold. Maybe I don't have that compassion for the people in the world that says "I have lots, he has none. I'm not gonna give him any," so where dwells the love of God in that person?

   Maybe we ought to ask ourselves that. Maybe we ought to say to ourselves, maybe that first love is just a little bit cold now. Because I think it is.

   Let's turn to Revelation 3 and take a look at the characteristic of the Laodicean church. Beginning in verse 14 (Revelation 3:14): "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works." In every case, God knows our works. We may not know our works, but God knows our works "that you are neither cold nor hot." Neither cold nor hot. "I would that you were either cold or hot, one or the other—it's better than being lukewarm. So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth."

   Verse 17: "Because you"—and I have put me in there—"Because I say I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and know not that I am wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." We don't recognize it, brethren. We don't know that we're in that state or condition. We always equate with the good ground. And we don't know that we're there. But Christ is telling us somebody's going to be there anyway. And we don't know that we're that way.

   "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire that you may be rich, and white raiment that you may be clothed and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see." Yes, we ought to pray that our eyes be opened up to what our condition really is, brethren, so we can see whether we're there because we don't know that we're there if we're there. We don't recognize it.

   Now when a Laodicean church comes on the scene, there's not going to be a label on her forehead that says "Laodicea." And there's not going to be a sign over a building door somewhere that says "Laodicean Church. Come and sleep with us" or something like that. No, it's not going to be that way. The temperature of the church is monitored by checking the individual—you and me, ourselves. The church has lost its first love, it's because we as individuals have. And if we're in that condition and don't recognize it, then we'd better pray that our eyes are opened up so we can see it. Because we don't recognize it.

   We need a spiritual revival in God's church today, in my judgment. We need to get back to that first love. II Timothy, first chapter. Beginning in verse 1 (II Timothy 1:1): "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy, my dearly beloved Son. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing, I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of the tears that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance, the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in you also."

   Now verse 6: "Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands." We need to stir up that spirit of God. Maybe it's tuned down so low that we can't hear it anymore and Satan's broadcast is all we can hear. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Yes, we need to stir it up within us, brethren.

   In II Peter chapter 1. II Peter 1:1: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding nd precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

   Yes, all of those things have been given to us. All those promises have been made to us. But notice what he says: "And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge," and so on. Verse 8: "For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fail."

   Verse 13: "Yes, I think it means as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly, I must put off this my tabernacle." So if I could, I would like to stir you up, brethren, and myself. I think we need to take a look at ourselves and see where we really stand in God's eyes, and we don't see the Laodicean conditions if they exist in our lives, and we need to ask God.

   Maybe it was described to you today. That lukewarm turned off cold lack of love, attitude. It's prevalent that cares of this life and of this world burdening us down and doing our thing and going the way of the world where everything goes nowadays.

   Probably you've heard of the TV program, "Dallas." I don't watch it because it comes on Friday night. I'm not saying I wouldn't watch it if it didn't, but it's the topic of conversation at the office. There must be some show. In my sister-in-law's family, their friends set the alarm clock at 9 o'clock on Friday. And whatever's going on, bam, that stops, and the television goes on and Dallas comes on the tube. And I understand it's a real swinging, happy, fine thing in the eyes of the world today. Those things rub off, and the way of the world is becoming the way of us in too many cases, brethren—just is. And we need to recognize it, and we need to ask God to open our minds about it.

   And we need to have compassion and concern about these things more than we do have, and I'm speaking of myself as much as you. I think we ought to wake up. I think near Passover time, we're gonna examine ourselves and now is a good time to do that.

   There's another commercial on TV that I note recently—it's called, I think it's a Schlitz beer commercial where they show some exciting, invigorating thing taking place like riding a catamaran across very heavy seas and flopping and going. It's very exciting and interesting. I'd like to do it except I'm probably a coward. So it shows the man scooting across the ice on a frozen lake at 70 miles an hour on one of these ice boats, you know, or something exciting and titillating and interesting to do, and maybe a little bit dangerous.

   And the thing is, "Get the gusto." You only go around once, they say, so get all the gusto you can get. And then they advertise Schlitz beer.

   Well, couple that with Dallas and say I only go around once. When am I going to commit my adultery? When am I going to cheat and lie and steal and do the things they do? Well, brethren, I'm afraid that association takes place in the world.

   Well, let me remind you, you only go around once with God's calling too. You only go around once with God's calling. When you're called once, that's it. You better make the most of it. You better get all of God's spirit you can get if you want to call that gusto. You better start equating yourself to all the scriptures in the Bible because you only go around once with God's calling, and that calling has been given to us now, brethren—now. You only have one chance.

   I think we need to stir ourselves up. I think we need to look at ourselves and decide just where we do stand with God and recapture that first love that we once had.