Apocalypse: Neither One Thing Nor The Other

Apocalypse

I. Certain things in life that are just gross, disgusting, worthless, etc.

Traveling last week for board meetings… “grab and go breakfast” cold eggs...

- Luke-warm coffee...Luke-warm pizza…luke-warm eggs...reheated eggs!

“Half-Calf” coffee…what’s the point?!?

II. We’ve been looking at the church of over 1900 years ago…they were facing persecution, temptation, false teachings, compromise, and more…Looking to Discover Truth in Revelation, not a secret code to be cracked… but a message to the Church of that day and the church of the ages:

We’ve looked at Seven letters to them that really spoke to the WHOLE church of that day and has a message for the WHOLE church today…that REVEALS what’s really going on and the truth that God has to say to us today...

III.

Revelation 3:14–22 NIV

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This is the final of the seven letters: Only one where no affirmations or positive words are given.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation

Revelation 7. To Laodicea (3:14–22)

By referring to himself as the Amen, the reference seems to be to the fact that Christ is the affirmation of God.

The New Testament formula, “Amen. I say unto you,” (Verily, Verily…) is equivalent to the Old Testament formula, “as I live, saith Jehovah.”

In John’s the double “Amen,” is used of Jesus as He speaks.

The title is a contrast of the unchanging faithfulness of Jesus as “the Amen” with Laodicea’s wavering.

Amen is saying: “I have spoken.”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3

The Greek word used here to describe Christ can mean “ruler” or “originator.” Compare John 1:1–5; Col 1:15–18.

...you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

- Neither one nor the other

They had Worthless Water - Their water in their city had to be piped in from 7 miles away...

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Worthless Wealth

- It was a great banking and financial centre. When Cicero was travelling in Asia Minor, it was at Laodicea that he cashed his letters of credit. It was one of the wealthiest cities in the world. In AD 61, it was devastated by an earthquake; but its citizens were so rich and independent that they refused any help from the Roman government and rebuilt their city out of their own resources. The Roman historian Tacitus writes: ‘One of the most famous cities of Asia, Laodicea, was in that same year overthrown by an earthquake and without any relief from us recovered itself by its own resources’ (Annals, 14:27). No wonder Laodicea could boast that it was rich and had amassed wealth and needed nothing. It was so wealthy that it did not even need God.

It was a great center for the manufacture of clothing: famous for soft, violet-black, glossy wool. The city mass-produced outer garments. They were so proud of the garments they produced that they never realized they were naked in the sight of God.

Worthless Wisdom

medical centre. Nearby medical school was famous throughout the world for two things—ointment for the ear and ointment for the eyes... They were so proud of their medical skill that they never realized that they were spiritually blind.

Wretched & poor... Naked and blind... - The words of the risen Christ speak directly to the prosperity and skill that Laodicea was so proud of, and which had in the minds of its citizens, and even of its church, eliminated the need for God.

- Self-Sufficient...We Have All We Want...We Have Need of Nothing

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. - They thought they had it all…

Example: You can’t fill a glass that’s already full...

REPENT

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Disciplined out of love!

Open ears…the door is being knocked at…not knocked in...

The invitation is to Fellowship if you welcome Him…otherwise there will only be judgment that remains...

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The invitation is to Fellowship and Partnership

IF you return to Him and are Faithful!

Recognize

The church was lukewarm…Their pride and self-sufficiency blinded them from seeing they were poor and naked!

- They thought of themselves more highly than they ought to (pride) and that prevented them from receiving what they actually needed... - Story: friend commenting on my weight loss and laughing that I didn’t think I had any to lose!

- We need to Recognize our true state... - Need for Humility...you don't know what you don't know...you can't see what you can't see

- Example: being color blind

Repent

Repentance...of pride and apathy...contentment with status quo...

Receive

Receive...actually BUY.. requires Intentionality and pursuit - Righteousness - garments - Salve for Sight - healing of the infection that is blinding (wisdom? Knowledge? Pride? With Humility - Proper understanding of God and yourself) - Gold - true wealth

Faithful to the End

The letters to the seven churches are an incredibly complete/full treatment of problems that face the church today.

- Losing their first love (2:4), being afraid of suffering (2:10), slippery slope of syncretism where we adjust our theology to fit society (2:14–15), conforming to the immorality of society (2:20), spiritual deadness - trying to pass as life (3:1–2), not holding fast to what we have received (v. 11), and lukewarmness and apathy (vv. 15–16) are just as prevalent today as they were in first-century churches.

Jesus addresses the specific problems facing each church! He was there in their midst!

Some were apathetic due to wealth and affluence while others were morally compromised but there were others who remained faithful to Jesus and were suffering harassment and persecution...

Each time Jesus calls the churches to Faithfulness by which they will conquer and receive a reward! Will the church conquer and inherit what God has in store?

We’ll continue with a new series looking at the Heavenly Throne room of Chapters 4 and 5 over the next 8 weeks.

The promise for us is that we get to be with GOD in Fellowship and Partnership!

- Do you have ears? What is God saying to YOU today?

Prayer