Untitled Sermon

Good morning and welcome to First Baptist Church Los Alamos. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Brian and I’m one of the Deacons here. For the last 5 or so years I have been working with our youth group which is made up of Middle School and High School students. We are currently meeting on Wednesday nights after the family meal (around 6:15pm) in the basement of Dulaney and on Sunday mornings in the Coffee House on the first floor of Dulaney during the Sunday School time (starting between 9:00 and 9:15am). Any Middle School or High School students are welcome to join as at either time. It is worth noting that there is also an AWANA class for the same age group on Wednesdays that these students can attend.

On Wednesdays we’ve been working through the Focus on the Family’s Truth Project since last summer and now we are on to more topical discussions. On Sunday mornings we’ve been going through the book of Revelation for the last few months.

You don’t often hear sermons on the book of Revelation except for the first 3 chapters because there are so many theories about the author, intended audience, and focus on different aspects of the visions that make up most of the remaining chapters of the book. For this reason, it is easier to discuss in a Bible study setting that allows for a dialogue where multiple interpretations can be discussed.

Regarding the author, we are told that he is named John and he is on the Isle of Patmos which is a prison colony. Historically it was believed that the author was John the Apostle, but later theologians believe that it is a different John because the writing style of Revelation is significantly different from the Gospel according to John. The other problem is that the book was probably written in the late first century AD and it is unlikely that the Apostle John lived that long.

Next comes the question of the intended audience. Today it is generally interpreted as a series of visions given to John about the end times, but there have also been theories that it was meant for the Jewish Christians at the time it was written as an encouragement that the oppression under Roman rule will not last forever. Of course, we already know that in the Bible texts can have multiple meanings. This is one of the great things about the Bible. A text can be read multiple times and each time the reader gets a slightly different insight. For example, in the Old Testament there are descriptions of the messiah that some people believed to be different people throughout history. These people can be seen as prototypes of the messiah, but only Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies and that is why we can now see that the previous “messiahs” were missing one or many of the descriptions we are given throughout ancient scriptures. Similarly, Revelation mentions the Antichrist, but throughout history there have been multiple antichrists. Hitler was one example and throughout the course of history there have been others.

The focus of the reading can be on the many references to numbers in the book, the various symbols, trying to focus on an exact wording or several other things. It is dangerous to focus exclusively on the numbers because there is a great deal more content than the numbers and the other content can simply be missed if focusing on the numbers. It is also not a great idea to focus on the symbols because most of them are John’s best guess on describing them. The frequent use of the word “like” is because John is seeing things he has never seen before and therefore he doesn’t know exactly how to describe them. A great example of this is his descriptions of the four living creatures. He refers to them as like a lion, like a calf, like a flying eagle, and like a man, but also points out that they have six wings and are covered with eyes.

I’m certainly not going to try to go down the path of speaking about any of this, but I will talk about the letters found in chapter two and three. We must remember that these letters are not things that John came up with, but rather they are dictated by Christ with specific wording that concerns and praise about the church that is being written to. The letters generally follow a standard format. First is an introduction of the sender (Christ) that is different in each letter and includes a description that corresponds to the closing of the letter. In doing this it creates something known as an Inclusio so that each of the letters is clearly separated from the others. Next is praise for the things that the church is doing correctly. This is followed by Christ’s critique of the church. The next portion is meant as an encouragement for the church. Then there is a closing that ties to the introduction to the church and allows for a clear separation between books. Finally, there is a close that tells us that the letters are not meant for just one church, but rather that each of the churches and in fact all churches, including ours, should read all the letters. Whereas most of the churches have weaknesses, all the weaknesses may be present in each church even though some are more obvious in a specific church. In fact, we still see these problems in churches today because they are based on on intrinsic elements of humanity. The same is true for the strengths and we should all take the encouragement to heart. This format is very close to some of the methods in Dale Carnegie’s book “How to win friends and influence people.” Carnegie didn’t invent this method, God did, but Carnegie would probably never admit that it isn’t his creation. These methods are also taught in many management classes to this day.

Let’s start by looking at the letter to Ephesus in .

On Wednesdays we’ve been working through the Focus on the Family’s Truth Project since last summer and now we are on to more topical discussions. On Sunday mornings we’ve been going through the book of Revelation for the last few months.

You don’t often hear sermons on the book of Revelation except for the first 3 chapters because there are so many theories about the author, intended audience, and focus on different aspects of the visions that make up most of the remaining chapters of the book. For this reason, it is easier to discuss in a Bible study setting that allows for a dialogue where multiple interpretations can be discussed.

Regarding the author, we are told that he is named John and he is on the Isle of Patmos which is a prison colony. Historically it was believed that the author was John the Apostle, but later theologians believe that it is a different John because the writing style of Revelation is significantly different from the Gospel according to John. The other problem is that the book was probably written in the late first century AD and it is unlikely that John lived that long.

Next comes the question of the intended audience. Today it is generally interpreted as a series of visions given to John about the end times, but there have also been theories that it was meant for the Jewish Christians at the time it was written as an encouragement that the oppression under Roman rule will not last forever. Of course, we already know that in the Bible texts can have multiple meanings. This is one of the great things about the Bible. A text can be read multiple times and each time the reader gets a slightly different insight. For example, in the Old Testament there are descriptions of the messiah that some people believed to be different people throughout history. These people can be seen as prototypes of the messiah, but only Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies and that is why we can now see that the previous “messiahs” were missing one or many of the descriptions we are given throughout ancient scriptures. Similarly, Revelation mentions the Antichrist, but throughout history there have been multiple antichrists. Hitler was one example and throughout the course of history there have been others.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

“Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: 2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God’s paradise.

The focus of the reading can be on the many references to numbers in the book, the various symbols, trying to focus on an exact wording or several other things. It is dangerous to focus exclusively on the numbers because there is a great deal more content than the numbers and the other content can simply be missed if focusing on the numbers. It is also not a great idea to focus on the symbols because most of them are John’s best guess on describing them. The frequent use of the word “like” is because John is seeing things he has never seen before and therefore he doesn’t know exactly how to describe them. A great example of this is his descriptions of the four living creatures. He refers to them as like a lion, like a calf, like a flying eagle, and like a man, but also points out that they have six wings and are covered with eyes.

I’m certainly not going to try to go down the path of speaking about any of this, but I will talk about the letters found in chapter two and three. We must remember that these letters are not things that John came up with, but rather they are dictated by Christ with specific wording that corresponds to the church that is being written. The letters generally follow a standard format. First is an introduction of the sender (Christ) that is different in each letter and includes a description that each church would recognize. Next is praise for the things that the church is doing correctly. This is followed by Christ’s critique of the church. The next portion is meant as an encouragement for the church. Finally, there is a close that tells us that the letters are not meant for just one church, but rather that each of the churches and in fact all churches, including ours, should read all the letters. Whereas most of the churches have weaknesses, all the weaknesses may be present in each church even though some are more obvious in a specific church. In fact, we still see the problems in churches today. The same is true for the strengths and we should all take the encouragement to heart. This format is very close to some of the methods in Dale Carnegie’s book “How to win friends and influence people.” Carnegie didn’t invent this method, God did, but Carnegie would probably never admit that it isn’t his creation. These methods are also taught in many management classes to this day.

Let’s start by looking at the letter to Ephesus. Christ identifies himself as the One who holds the seven stars (the leaders of the churches) and the seven lampstands (the churches being written to) in His hand. This coincides with the warning given to Ephesus that God will remove the lampstand if they don’t change their ways. He then praises the church for their works, labor, endurance, and refusal to tolerate evil. Revelation 2:2-3

2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. [1]

The criticism is that they have “lost their first love.” Since we are told of their works and endurance this probably doesn’t mean that they have lost their love of Christ. On the other hand, we see that they actively question the teachings of others. This would likely lead to a suspicion of everyone even other members of the church. Christ clearly tells us to love others as ourselves and if you are constantly suspicious of everyone you aren’t showing them much love.

The encouragement is more of a warning in this letter as they are told to return to their first love, repent, and to remember their past love of God. If they don’t He will remove their lampstand. It also mentions that they are actively refuting the Nicolaitans just as Christ does.

Nicolaitans are mentioned twice in the letters once here where Christ is pleased that the church is rejecting them and secondly in letter to Pergamum where some members of the church are following their teachings. The source of the Nicolaitans is not entirely clear, but most likely it is from one of the deacons (Nicolaus) who was one of the first deacons from Acts 6. If this is true, then one of the deacons has become an apostate. Their beliefs include eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. In fact, their beliefs are like those taught by Balaam and Jezebel which are included in other letters. The difference is simply the source of their teachings.

The next letter is sent to the church in Smyrna where Christ introduces himself as the One who died and came back to life. He acknowledges that they are afflicted and poor, but it is only in a worldly sense. He tells them that they are rich in a spiritual sense even if they don’t know it. He does tell them that they are going to suffer from persecution due to several people in their area are not Jews, but rather form a synagogue of Satan. They are told that they will even be sent to prison. He encourages them that if they hold on to their faith until death they will be rewarded with the crown of life and they will have eternal life. This goes together with the greeting in that though the people may die they will come back to life in heaven. This is one of two letters that doesn’t list any critics.

From here we move on to Pergamum. In this letter Christ refers to himself as the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword which is used to separate truth from falsehood. The city of Pergamum is described as having Satan’s throne. There was an alter to Zeus that remained there from the second century BC until the Germans removed it in the 1800’s. This church truly was in the presence of evil. They are praised for holding fast to their faith even when one of them was martyred. Unfortunately, there are some within the church that follow the teachings of Balaam and others that follow in the ways of the Nicolaitans. Both groups would be encouraging sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols (probably Zeus in this town). Christ exhorts them to repent and be saved. If they don’t Christ will use the sword from His introduction to fight against the apostates. The rewards for the faithful include hidden manna and a new name that nobody else knows written on a white stone. The hidden manna would be meaningful to Jews as the manna kept in the Ark that would multiply when Christ came again and would be used to feed the people. The white stone would be meaningful to the Gentiles in the area as they were frequently used as admission tickets to festivals. The new name on them would prove that they are real and would likely symbolize the believer’s ticket into heaven.

Christ identifies himself as the One who holds the seven stars (the leaders of the churches) and the seven lampstands (the churches being written to) in His hand. This coincides with the warning given to Ephesus that God will remove their lampstand if they don’t change their ways. He then praises the church for their works, labor, endurance, and refusal to tolerate evil. tells us of the church’s endurance and that they do not tolerate evil.

From here we move on to Thyatira. Christ describes himself as having eyes of fiery flame and his feet are like fine bronze. The praise here is that their works are getting better and better. They also have great love, service, and endurance. Unfortunately, they tolerate a woman named Jezebel. If you’re thinking that Jezebel seems familiar you are correct. Jezebel is a character from the Old Testament who was married to King Ahab. She led him away from worshipping God so that he could worship Baal and Asherah. She also had God’s prophets killed. At the end of that story we see that she is killed so how could Jezebel be in Thyatira in John’s time or even at the end of the world. Obviously, that’s not possible so it must be somebody different. Likely this was more in the spirit of Jezebel and may even have been named Jezebel. Jezebel is generally associated with false prophets, so we have some idea of the problem at the church in Thyatira. In this case Jezebel was leading members of the congregation to commit sexual immorality and eat food that had been sacrificed to idols. Notice that this is basically the same problem with the Nicolaitans and the followers of Balaam. The only difference is the source of the evil. The letter specifically mentions that this Jezebel had been given warnings and time to repent, but she wouldn’t repent. The judgement of Jezebel and all her followers is incredibly painful and slow. This is to allow all the other churches that he can see into our minds and hearts. Christ then tells the ones who were never deceived by Jezebel that no other burden is put on them. They are simply to hold on to their faith until He comes again.

Next on the tour is Sardis. This church is about as far from the church at Smyrna as possible. Remember that Smyrna is poor and afflicted in worldly terms, but rich in spiritual terms. Sardis is known for being alive and active in following Christ’s lead, but Christ tells them that they are basically dead spiritually. Christ specifically says that their works are not complete. This is not to say that works can save you, but they should be bringing glory to God. My best guess is that the church makes a big deal about what they’re going to do so that other people admire them, but when it comes to doing the work, they would do nothing. Therefore, the problem was about motivation. They were motivated by looking good in the world rather than simply doing the right thing and trying to become more like Christ. We are told that there a few people there who are “wearing white robes” and they are fine. He holds these people up as an example of what the rest can be if they repent and return to the right path. They are also promised that the names of those who walk in white are written in the book of life.

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Re 2:2–3). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. lampstand if they don’t change their ways. He then praises the church for their works, labor, endurance, and refusal to tolerate evil.

2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. [1]

The criticism is that they have “lost their first love.” Since we are told of their works and endurance this probably doesn’t mean that they have lost their love of Christ. On the other hand, we see that they actively question the teachings of others. This would likely lead to a suspicion of everyone even other members of the church. Christ clearly tells us to love others as ourselves and if you are constantly suspicious of everyone you aren’t showing them much love.

The encouragement is more of a warning in this letter as they are told to return to their first love, repent, and to remember their past love of God. If they don’t He will remove their lampstand. It also mentions that they are actively refuting the Nicolaitans just as Christ does.

Nicolaitans are mentioned twice in the letters once here where Christ is pleased that the church is rejecting them and secondly in letter to Pergamum where some members of the church are following their teachings. The source of the Nicolaitans is not entirely clear, but most likely it is from one of the deacons (Nicolaus) who was one of the first deacons from . If this is true, then one of the deacons has become an apostate. Their beliefs include eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. In fact, their beliefs are like those taught by Balaam and Jezebel which are included in other letters. The difference is simply the source of their teachings.

The next letter is sent to the church in Smyrna where Christ introduces himself as the One who died and came back to life.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

8 “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:

“The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: 9 I know your affliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.

He acknowledges that they are afflicted and poor, but it is only in a worldly sense. He tells them that they are rich in a spiritual sense even if they don’t know it. He does tell them that they are going to suffer from persecution due to several people in their area are not Jews, but rather form a synagogue of Satan. They are told that they will even be sent to prison. He encourages them that if they hold on to their faith until death they will be rewarded with the crown of life and they will have eternal life. This goes together with the greeting in that though the people may die they will come back to life in heaven. This is one of two letters that doesn’t list any critics.

From here we move on to Pergamum.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

12 “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says: 13 I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, s even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. y 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna. d I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says: 13 I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, s even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. y 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna. d I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

In this letter Christ refers to himself as the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword which is used to separate truth from falsehood. The city of Pergamum is described as having Satan’s throne. There was an alter to Zeus that remained there from the second century BC until the Germans removed it in the 1800’s. This church truly was in the presence of evil. They are praised for holding fast to their faith even when one of them was martyred. Unfortunately, there are some within the church that follow the teachings of Balaam and others that follow in the ways of the Nicolaitans. Both groups would be encouraging sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols (probably Zeus in this town). Christ exhorts them to repent and be saved. If they don’t Christ will use the sword from His introduction to fight against the apostates. The rewards for the faithful include hidden manna and a new name that nobody else knows written on a white stone. The hidden manna would be meaningful to Jews as the manna kept in the Ark that would multiply when Christ came again and would be used to feed the people. The white stone would be meaningful to the Gentiles in the area as they were frequently used as admission tickets to festivals. The new name on them would prove that they are real and would likely symbolize the believer’s ticket into heaven.

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Re 2:12–17). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.In this letter Christ refers to himself as the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword which is used to separate truth from falsehood. The city of Pergamum is described as having Satan’s throne. There was an alter to Zeus that remained there from the second century BC until the Germans removed it in the 1800’s. This church truly was in the presence of evil. They are praised for holding fast to their faith even when one of them was martyred. Unfortunately, there are some within the church that follow the teachings of Balaam and others that follow in the ways of the Nicolaitans. Both groups would be encouraging sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols (probably Zeus in this town). Christ exhorts them to repent and be saved. If they don’t Christ will use the sword from His introduction to fight against the apostates. The rewards for the faithful include hidden manna and a new name that nobody else knows written on a white stone. The hidden manna would be meaningful to Jews as the manna kept in the Ark that would multiply when Christ came again and would be used to feed the people. The white stone would be meaningful to the Gentiles in the area as they were frequently used as admission tickets to festivals. The new name on them would prove that they are real and would likely symbolize the believer’s ticket into heaven.

From here we move on to Thyatira.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

18 “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

“The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, h says: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. 23 I will kill her children with the plague. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known the deep things a of Satan —as they say—I do not put any other burden on you. 25 But hold on to what you have until I come. 26 The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—

27 and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter;

he will shatter them like pottery —

just as I have received this from My Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star.

29 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Christ describes himself as having eyes of fiery flame and his feet are like fine bronze. The praise here is that their works are getting better and better. They also have great love, service, and endurance. Unfortunately, they tolerate a woman named Jezebel. If you’re thinking that Jezebel seems familiar you are correct. Jezebel is a character from the Old Testament who was married to King Ahab. She led him away from worshipping God so that he could worship Baal and Asherah. She also had God’s prophets killed. At the end of that story we see that she is killed so how could Jezebel be in Thyatira in John’s time or even at the end of the world. Obviously, that’s not possible so it must be somebody different. Likely this was more in the spirit of Jezebel and may even have been named Jezebel. Jezebel is generally associated with false prophets, so we have some idea of the problem at the church in Thyatira. In this case Jezebel was leading members of the congregation to commit sexual immorality and eat food that had been sacrificed to idols. Notice that this is basically the same problem with the Nicolaitans and the followers of Balaam. The only difference is the source of the evil. The letter specifically mentions that this Jezebel had been given warnings and time to repent, but she wouldn’t repent. The judgement of Jezebel and all her followers is incredibly painful and slow. This is to allow all the other churches that he can see into our minds and hearts. Christ then tells the ones who were never deceived by Jezebel that no other burden is put on them. They are simply to hold on to their faith until He comes again.

Next on the tour is Sardis.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

“Write to the angel of the church in Sardis:

“The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you. s 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. 5 In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels.

6 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

This church is about as far from the church at Smyrna as possible. Remember that Smyrna is poor and afflicted in worldly terms, but rich in spiritual terms. Sardis is known for being alive and active in following Christ’s lead, but Christ tells them that they are basically dead spiritually. Christ specifically says that their works are not complete. This is not to say that works can save you, but they should be bringing glory to God. My best guess is that the church makes a big deal about what they’re going to do so that other people admire them, but when it comes to doing the work, they would do nothing. Therefore, the problem was about motivation. They were motivated by looking good in the world rather than simply doing the right thing and trying to become more like Christ. We are told that there a few people there who are “wearing white robes” and they are fine. He holds these people up as an example of what the rest can be if they repent and return to the right path. They are also promised that the names of those who walk in white are written in the book of life.

The next stop on our tour is the church at Philadelphia.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:

“The Holy One, the True One, the One who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and closes and no one opens says: 8 I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close. 9 Take note! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—note this—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12 The victor: I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My new name.

13 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

It is interesting to note that the Philadelphia translates to “brotherly Love”. This church is another that is described in a completely positive manner. The introduction mentions that Christ holds the key of David which allows Him to open doors such that nobody can close them. Christ acknowledges that they are lacking in resources, but they make the best of what they have. This clearly shows that the other churches can’t use a lack of resources as an excuse for their poor performance. He tells them he has left a door open for them that nobody can close which is the counterpoint to the introduction of this letter. Apparently this church was also plagued by the “synagogue of Satan” and Christ told His people that he would make those who are part of the “synagogue of Satan” bow down before the righteous. He finally tells them that they will not face the hour of testing that the whole world will experience. This might be a reference to a pre-trib belief that Christians will be taken from the earth before the tribulation comes. Christ closes the letter telling them that He will make them pillars in the His God and they will never leave the sanctuary. He also tells them that the city of God (new Jerusalem) will come down from heaven.

The final letter is to the church at Laodicea.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

14 “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea:

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator s of God’s creation says: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. 20 Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. 21 The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Once again this is a very negative letter. It is also a letter that is a great conclusion because it can be argued that it refers to all of the previous letters. Christ introduces himself here and the originator of God’s creation and the faithful and true witness. Unfortunately, there is no praise to start this letter. We go straight to the critique that they are neither hot nor cold. Since they are lukewarm He will vomit them out. In addition we are told that the Laodicean church believes that they are rich, probably in worldly ways, and therefore they don’t need God for anything. Clearly this is wrong. God’s gifts are eternal and the worldly goods can’t be taken with us to the afterlife. Christ goes on to tell them that they need to be “buying gold from Him”. This is a reference to placing our trust in Him and making Him the lord and savior of our lives. So what does it mean to be “hot”? Being “hot” would mean constantly listening for God’s guidance. Following that guidance when given. Serving others. Treating others as we would like to be treated. Testing everything we are told or do against what the Bible has to say. Calling out false prophets and false teachings. Sharing the gospel with others. Not allowing anything to become an idol in our life. Staying away from sexual immorality. This list goes on from the Bible, but of course we are not perfect because we are only human. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be trying to be more like Christ all the time. The point is to seek Him first and follow His word where possible. So what does it mean to be “cold”? Being “cold” would be not only allowing sexual immorality to be a part of our life but allowing it to control us. Making idols out of things or ourselves and allowing these things to control our lives. That sounds easy, but how many of us our using our cell phones to the exclusion of all else, especially God. How many of us are willing to miss the fellowship at church on a Sunday morning because our football team is playing in the early game? How many of us don’t take time to listen for God because we’re too busy? How many of us don’t spend time in the Bible and prayer because we allow other things to take up all our time? Believe me I am as guilty of these as anybody. The point is to steer away from this by the power of God in our lives. So what does it mean to be “lukewarm”? This might include things like being a good person and acting like the other Christians Sunday mornings but embracing the world the rest of the week. It might include saying that we are doing something like helping out at church, but then not following up on it. It might include hiding our sin and failing to repent of it. Remember that God sees everything so there’s no point in trying to hide it.

So to sum all of this up, do we learn from these letters and do our best to correct our weak areas so that we can become more “hot”? Or do we just keep on doing everything the same way we always have? If your life isn’t changed by giving it to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ then have you really given your life to Him? Are we willing to be “cold” and miss out on eternal life with God? Are we so comfortable being “lukewarm” that we don’t even try to seek Him and His ways? In the next few weeks and next few months this church has the opportunity to redefine who we are. This is an exciting time. Are we going to simply sit down and allow things to happen around us or are we willing to get up and participate?