Message given at Generation For Christ 2010 on Sabbath, July 31, 2010 at Camp Balandra in Balandra, Trinidad.

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Norman McNulty

The Straight Testimony to Laodicea

For those of you who weren't here last night, we had no power and no lights, but I believe the Lord was with us.

And I'm looking forward to sharing with you again this morning.

And before I do that, let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Father in heaven, we thank you for the blessing of being here on your holy Sabbath day in such a beautiful location.

And I pray that as we study your word this morning, that we would come to a realization of what your purpose is for us as a people.

Last night, we spoke about the midnight cry and the loud cry.

And you know, the 1 quote that I read that challenges me so much is the quote from Great Controversy, page 464, where Ellen White tells us, before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth, there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times.

And it's clear we have not yet seen that.

We have not yet seen that revival of primitive godliness since the days of the Apostles.

Can you imagine being alive to see the power that the Apostles had?

And you know, Ellen White says that the latter reign will be 10 times more powerful than the early reign that the apostles had.

Can you imagine the power that's gonna hit Trinidad when that falls?

And I believe that we are very close to that being poured out.

And what we're gonna study today from the Bible is, why is it that we have not seen in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, that revival of primitive godliness?

And the answer to the question is found in the message to the Laodicean Church in Revelation chapter 3.

What we are going to do this morning in the next hour is a study of the Laodicean message from the Bible.

Now how many of you, by a showing of your hands, how many of you have studied the Laodicean message?

What I'm going to share with you today is something that was new to me in my study recently.

I have never heard this before, and I'm looking forward to sharing this.

Now I'm gonna start with a quote that is probably familiar to most Seventh-day Adventists.

This is found in Early Writings, page 270.

Here Ellen White says, "'I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the true witness to the Laodiceans.

You know we talk about the shaking that's going to come to the church.

We talk about the straight testimony that needs to be given.

And when we read this quote from Ellen White, what we see is that the straight testimony comes from the message to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3.

So if we want to know what the straight testimony is that will cause the shaking, we need to study Revelation chapter 3 verses 14 to 22 because that is where the message to Laodicea is.

Continuing on, she says, "'This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver "'and will lead him to exalt the standard "'and pour forth the straight truth.'" So as we study this message in Revelation 3, as we come to understand it, we will give it in its straight form.

Some will not bear this straight testimony.

They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people.

Christ is the true witness that comes and he gives this message, a straight message, a straight testimony to his last day people.

Some receive it and some reject it and this will lead to a shaking in the church.

And I am choosing to speak about this message today because I believe that it is time for us to hear this straight message in the preparation for the coming of Jesus.

It's time to see that revival of primitive godliness that has not been witnessed since apostolic times.

We need to hear that message which will prepare us for the coming of the Lord.

If we want to see the experience that the Millerites had to a greater degree in our lifetime, we need to hear this message, accept it, and bring it into our lives so that God can use us.

And So she finishes this statement by saying, I saw that the testimony of the true witness has not been half-heeded.

The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded.

Seventh-day Adventists have lightly esteemed, or almost entirely disregarded, this straight message to the church.

But there is coming a time when we are going to have to choose which side we stand on.

The message is going to come and we won't be able to play like, well, I'm not sure if I understand what that message means.

We won't be able to disregard it anymore, to ignore it anymore.

That message is coming and it's going to have a shaking in the church and we want to be among those who have a work of repentance and response to that message amen she says all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.

I want to be purified by the grace of God, amen.

So let us study this straight testimony to the Laodicean Church.

What is it about this message that is such a straight testimony that will cause a shaking in the church?

Well turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 3 starting in verse 14, and this is the Laodicean message.

Verse 14, and unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

Now here we see at the very beginning of verse 14, this message is given by the faithful and true witness.

And if you look at Revelation 1, verse 5, it says Jesus Christ is the faithful witness.

So Jesus Christ himself is the faithful and true witness giving a message to Laodicea, describing our condition as a people.

Hebrews 6 says it's impossible for God to lie.

So that means when Jesus Christ speaks to the Laodicean church, he is giving a true testimony of our condition.

We may not want to believe it, but he's not lying.

He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Well, let's notice 1 other thing about his title.

Says he is the beginning of the creation of God.

That's saying that God is creator, specifically that Jesus, who is God, is creator.

Now what is interesting about this, this is the message to the Laodiceans, and do you know what the word Laodicea means?

Laodicea, many people believe, means lukewarm, but it actually means a judged people, which means that Laodicea is the church of the judgment hour, And Jesus is giving us a faithful message of our true condition in the judgment hour.

And 1 of the things he reminds us of about him is that he is creator in the judgment hour, which reminds us of the first angel's message, fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven, earth, the sea and the fountains of waters.

So right at the beginning of the message to Laodicea is the first angel's message.

This is the judgment hour, God is creator, and I am going to give you a message that describes your condition in the judgment hour.

Now is it any wonder, and I don't think this is a problem here in Trinidad, and I praise the Lord for this, but back in the United States where I'm from, and Brother Fitzroy referred to this, there are people that are saying, we can accept the theory of evolution and still be Seventh-day Adventists.

And God is saying to the lay to see in church at the very beginning, I am Creator, remember that in the judgment hour.

There is no way you will be prepared to stand on the judgment if you don't understand God is creative.

Now what does Jesus say to us about our condition?

Because what he says is the straight testimony that some will accept and some will reject.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

Now we've heard this, I've heard this my whole life.

Yeah, we're not hot, we're not cold, we need to get more on fire for God.

So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.

That means that the condition of God's judgment our people is nauseating to God.

We as a people, our condition is nauseating to God.

Why is it that not being too hot, not being on fire for God, not being ice cold, Just kind of being in the middle.

The Straight Testimony to Laodicea

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