Leading The Way

Dr. Michael Youssef: Hello friends, Michael Youssef here with Leading the Way. As we commemorate the death of our fellow citizens, I find my heart is full, full of gratitude to God for the comfort he gave to the family, but also full of the feeling of responsibility of the task ahead of us.

We had a wake-up call on that day. Sadly, many people turned the snooze button on and then they went back to sleep. We need an awakening in America to realize that our enemy is vicious and he wants to destroy America. Our culture was built on the logic of the cross and they want to remove that. They want to destroy that.

They want to replace it by mosques and they want to replace it by training institutions that are totally opposed and at enmity with that cross. So I'm going to urge you to stand firm in memory of those people who have lost their lives, to stand firm for the cross of Christ. God bless you.

Guest (Male): The early chapters of Revelation contain very personal words from Jesus to the churches of his time. Well, wouldn't you know it? His words also resonate with Christ-followers in 2026. Thank you for making time in your listening day for Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Up next, part two of his message, Seven Letters from the King. Get ready to be challenged. Here now is Dr. Michael Youssef to get you caught up.

Dr. Michael Youssef: The first message is to the church of Ephesus, chapter two, verses one to seven. There were hardworking Christians. They've rejected false doctrine. They believed in accurate biblical interpretation. But the problem with the church in Ephesus is that they loved their accurate biblical interpretations more than they loved Jesus.

And so the great physician's prescription to the Ephesians, he said, retrace your steps. Get back a little bit. Find out where you lost your first love. What is the thing that tricked you? What is the thing that tripped you? Find out and he said not only confess it but turn away from it.

If you do not act soon and if you do not act decisively, Jesus said he will remove the lampstand. He's not talking about salvation, but he will remove the lampstand. He will snuff out the light of your witness. The light will no longer shine even if you are going through the motions. Whatever passion you've got left for sharing Christ with others will die down.

The second message is to the believers in Smyrna, that's chapter two, verses eight to 11. The word Smyrna is a Greek word which actually means myrrh. Myrrh is a fragrance that comes from breaking and crushing a thorn tree or a thorn bush. For the fragrance of the myrrh to be released, it has to be broken. It has to be crushed.

Jesus's message to the church that has been crushed by persecution, that has been crushed for his sake, he said, I know your afflictions. I know your poverty. Let me tell you, God's word to the persecuted believer today is this: don't be afraid. You have it tough now. You have it difficult now. But the day of your glorification is coming.

The third letter is to the church of Pergamum, chapter two, verses 12 to 17. The population of Pergamum was awash with strange religious practices. Jesus said to them, I know where you live where Satan has his throne. What is Jesus talking about? Pergamum had the great altar dedicated to Zeus, and Zeus is the chief deity of the Greek Pantheon. Jesus was referring to that altar of Zeus when he was talking about Satan's throne.

And so Jesus gives them a word of commendation. He said, you remained true to my name. You did not renounce your faith altogether in me. But Jesus immediately goes in with a word of condemnation because they had one big humongous sin that is creeping among them. You have people there in your church who hold to the teaching of Balaam.

Balaam was a fortune teller. So before the people of God got into the promised land, a pagan king brought him in and he said, now Balaam, I want you to curse these people. And here is a bucket full of cash. He looks at that cash and he couldn't wait to go and curse God's people. There was a problem. While he got Satan on his side, the Israelites had Yahweh on their side.

And so every time he tried to open his mouth to curse Israel, he blesses them. The pagan king was frustrated. So he piles more cash and more cash and Balaam sees the cash and thinks, let me try again. He would try again. Every time he tried to open his mouth to curse the people of God, he blesses them. Finally, he came up with a devilish idea. He couldn't curse the people of God, but he can get the people of God to curse themselves.

That's his devilish attack. If he cannot get you straight ahead, he will work on your flesh to get you to cause yourself a curse. And so he goes to this pagan king and said, you know, I can get these people to curse themselves. Bring me out all your loose women. Just bring them out. As soon as these Israelite men see your loose women, they're going to fall. And they did. Satan says mission accomplished.

He succeeded just like he is succeeding today when trying to get so many of God's people hooked on pornography, on infidelity to their marriage vows, homosexuality, and sexual perversions of all kinds. Then there are some preachers somewhere who say, well, you know, you have needs. This is just the way you are. You can't help it. These are the way things are today. It's okay. Don't be narrow-minded. Surely don't be a prude.

Now beloved, let me shoot straight with you. We are under obligation to love non-believers. We have no choice. We have no option but to love the non-believer, to minister to them, to be available in every way. I do that personally as some of you know. We are under obligation to love sinners. We are under obligation in every way to be Christ to these people.

But never, never, never at the expense of biblical truth. Never under the compulsion of having them join a church without repentance and without salvation. That is why Jesus said to the church of Pergamum, repent. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone. Remember in John chapter six, Jesus said, I am the true manna that comes from heaven. He's going to have nothing less than Jesus himself.

So what is that white stone? You see, in the Roman judicial system, they did not have a trial by jury. The judge tries, adjudicates, and pronounce judgment all at the same time. The judge was so powerful. If the man being tried is guilty, he hands him a black stone. But if he is innocent or guiltless, he hands him a white stone.

That's exactly what Jesus is saying here. When we seek to please him and him alone, he will declare us innocent and set us free. He wants to see a desire, at least a desire. The fourth message is to the believers in Thyatira, chapter two, verses 18 to 29. This is the longest letter of all the seven and probably the most troubling of all.

As always, Jesus uses something positive, something good to say about every church. He was praising them for some sterling qualities they had: love, faith, service, and patient endurance. Something else Jesus said is that the latter works exceed the first. Growing in love and growing in faith and growing in service and patient endurance is wonderful.

What else? This is a growing church. This is a megachurch. This is a contemporary church. It's a with-it church. At that point, you expect Jesus to say, atta boy, keep it up, doing great, this is great. But sadly he tells them that there is a cancer of moral compromise that is growing on the inside of them.

Beloved, this is a sobering word. Today there are many wonderful megachurches and Bible-believing churches. They love Jesus and are serving Jesus all over the world. I'm not putting everybody in the same bucket here. But those growing churches have moral compromise which is eating them from the inside. Jesus said, you tolerate that woman Jezebel.

You know she's a Phoenician, she's a Baal worshiper. But the king of Israel, Ahab, married her. Be very careful before you marry. Ask the Lord. Are you unequally yoked? Because what she did, she did not only emasculate him, she actually became the symbol of all that is evil. She became a symbol of moral compromise of all sorts.

And why does the Lord Jesus hate the spirit of Jezebel? Because moral compromise inevitably is going to lead to apostasy altogether. It happens and it happened before our eyes. In the old days, it used to take so many generations to go from moral compromise to apostasy. Now with the speed of everything, it takes half a generation.

It doesn't matter how long it takes. When sexual sins are tolerated and quietly approved, it's a matter of time before that church ceases to be the church of Jesus Christ. Some of us were in churches like that. I was in a church 30-plus years ago where they preached tolerance and grace and compassion and non-judgmentalism until, of course, it is no longer the church of Jesus Christ.

Please hear me right. One of Satan's most effective weapons against us is our flesh, as we saw already in Balaam. Satan appeals to our flesh. He tempts us to satisfy the flesh. The temptation is to set our flesh on fire. Then Satan says mission accomplished. Here is how the spirit of Jezebel works. Listen carefully.

Nobody really believes in sexual purity anymore these days. It's just not the thing people believe anymore. No one really keeps these old-fashioned values. The times have changed. How many times have you heard that? Even the laws have changed. Fornication, adultery, pornography, homosexuality, and all of these are open sesame to apostasy.

That is the spirit of Jezebel and Jesus hates it. Here's the bad news. I always tell you the good news, but here's the bad news. Most Christians in Thyatira knew it. They closed their ears and closed their eyes. Who am I to rock the boat? It was wrong. But they were so worried that if they took a stand, people would leave the church.

That's why Jesus said, repent of your false tolerance. Repent of your spineless attitude. Repent of thinking that a large crowd means success in God's eyes. Otherwise, you'll suffer Jezebel's fate. But if you repent and remain steadfast, I will give you the morning star. Revelation 22:16 tells us that Jesus is the morning star. Who would rather you have? Jesus or the approval of culture and society? Ask yourself that question.

The fifth message is to the church of Sardis, chapter three, verses one to six. I pray to God that not a single person would be like those folks in the church of Sardis. There is nothing good that Jesus could find to say about the church of Sardis. He said, I know your deeds, you have the reputation of being alive but you're dead. One of the greatest tragedies is when a church's reputation exceeds its reality.

What does it mean for the church to be alive? The first thing is that a live church must live under the authority of the word of God. It must be determined to obey the word of God. It doesn't mean we're perfect, but we live in obedience to the word of God. The second thing is the priority of prayer. The priority of prayer.

The third thing is that the Holy Spirit must be free to operate. The Holy Spirit is your best friend. How can you be afraid of your best friend? When the Holy Spirit is free to operate, he's going to convict and he's going to convert. Question: can a dead church become alive again? Yes. That's what Jesus said.

He gives five steps to go from dead to alive. Wake up and discover the reality of your spiritual death. Strengthen what remains. You say, what does that mean? Let me explain it this way. If the doctors are operating in the operating room and then the patient's heart stops, what do they do? They stop everything and they do everything possible to get the heart moving. That's strengthening what remains.

Remember what you have received from God at the very beginning. Remember the time when you gave your life to Jesus Christ and you were thrilled and you were excited. You were so much in love with Jesus. Remember that. Go back to that. The truth that you knew from the very beginning. Guard it and protect it. That's number four. Protect what you originally received and heard and hold on to it.

Fifthly he said, change your ways. Change your direction. Respond now to his love. Respond to his invitation. Six is the message to the church of Philadelphia, chapter three, verses seven to 13. God is the one in charge of the door and nobody else. He's got it right here. These are the words of him who's holy. What he opens, no one can shut. And what he shuts, no one can open.

He spells it out here. Why? He is the one. In fact, Jesus here is refuting these false teachers who say that in the last day, in the day of judgment, Jesus is going to feel sorry for the people who have rejected him and he's going to let them in. They're contradicting everything Jesus said here. In the day of judgment, he is the one who's going to shut that door and no one will be able to open it.

But right now, he has that door wide open. Nobody can shut it. He is saying come, come, come, come, the door is open. Verse eight, Jesus is saying, I gave you every opportunity you have for ministry. Every opportunity you have, Jesus gave you. Every opportunity he gave me. He says, I know you're weak by the world's standards, but I have given you opportunities for ministry. If you use these opportunities, I'll bless you out of your socks.

Now that's a Youssef translation, but you get the meaning. Let me ask you this. Did God bless you with time? Where are you spending it? Where are you spending it? Has God blessed you with influence? How are you using it? Did God bless you with wealth? Where are you investing it? On self or on the kingdom of God? Be faithful with what you have is Jesus's message to the church in Philadelphia.

Finally, the seventh message is the message and the letter to the church of Laodicea. If my theologian friends are right in believing that these are periods of time and that we're living in the church of Laodicea time, that makes me weep uncontrollably. Trust me, sometimes I do. There's not a single positive word about the church of Laodicea. Condemnation, condemnation, condemnation.

Why? Because if there's one thing that Jesus detests, it is lukewarmness. He detests lukewarmness. This, beloved, is a picture of an average normal respected American evangelical church. And yet it's neither on fire for Christ nor deadly cold. What Jesus is saying to the Laodicean church is, I deserve better than this insipid response.

I deserve more than this half-hearted commitment. I suffered and died for you and all you do for me is tip your hats for an hour on Sunday morning. I gave my life for you and all you give back to me is a shrug of the shoulder. Come late and leave early and put a couple of bucks in the plate. Either love me with white-hot intensity or drop dead.

Let me plead with you. If your love for Jesus is lukewarm, you need to change it and change it today before you get spat out of his mouth. Here's what Jesus said. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in fire so that you can become really rich. White clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness.

Isn't it amazing how the Lord Jesus takes something that is unique to that town and to that city? You see, Laodicea was prosperous economically. It was a very rich city so much so that in 61 AD, they had a horrible earthquake and nearly destroyed everything. But they built it back so fast without any federal dollars. They got no money from Rome.

They built it themselves. They had so much money. They were so powerful and they were so rich. Laodicea was renowned for two products they were exporting all over the world: textiles and the Phrygian powder that was used as an eye salve. Ironically, the Lord uses those two things that they're exporting to the whole world and brag about locally as the very thing that they spiritually need from Jesus.

The real white garment is to cover the nakedness of their sin, and it can only come from Jesus. The eye salve that can cure their spiritual blindness can only come from Jesus. Jesus alone is the source of salvation, beloved. Jesus alone is the source of righteousness. Jesus alone is the source of spiritual strength when we walk with him.

In verse 20 he gives us a beautiful invitation. He said, I stand on the door and knock. Some of you might know this famous painting. It was painted by Warner Sallman who actually went to be with the Lord few years ago. It's a great picture and it's a great painting where it shows Jesus standing and knocking on a door. There are thorns and thistles everywhere as a symbol of our sin.

There's something else you notice in that painting. There is no doorknob on the outside. The only doorknob is from the inside. Beloved, if you refuse to let Jesus in, you must bear the consequences. You have the doorknob. Invite him in.

Guest (Male): What a powerful example of Jesus seeking a relationship with you. On today's Leading the Way with international Bible teacher, cultural expert, and bestselling author Dr. Michael Youssef. Faith questions? If so, let me invite you to speak with a Leading the Way pastor or counselor. You can begin that conversation so easily. Just go to ltw.org/jesus. That's ltw.org/jesus.

Dr. Michael Youssef: We said never forget, but look what happened. 25 years after 9/11, Islamists have gained a stronger foothold in America and in many nations around the world. In my book, An Unholy Alliance, I expose the most unexpected ally of radical Islamists in the West. Motivated by a deep love for Muslim people, I also outline a path forward for both the world and the church.

Get your copy of An Unholy Alliance right now as my expression of thanks to you when you give a gift of any amount in support of this program and the worldwide ministry of Leading the Way. Order An Unholy Alliance today at ltw.org. That's ltw.org.

Guest (Male): You can also speak with a Leading the Way ministry representative and place your secure order for An Unholy Alliance at 866-626-4356. That's 866-626-4356. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth.