Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, or should I start saying Merry Christmas….

Too soon?

We are doing a little something different this weekend, because we thought the special music would be more fitting at the end of the sermon.

It will all make sense in the end.

I promise.

But if you are new here, you wouldn’t know the difference so enjoy either way and thanks for being a part of the family of worship today.

Whether you are at home or in this house, I am happy to be with you.

Well to catch you all up.

We are finishing up a series called Tables: Conversations that lead to change.

Now most of us probably experienced some sort of table setting this past week, and if your family is anything like mine you probably shared all the change you have experienced with your family rather than walking away changed.

I love gathering with my family for thanksgiving, it’s an all-day feast with family and friends coming and going throughout the day.

My family’s table is filled with diversity, stories of change and laughter.

Many people we never expected to be around our table, but over the years have come to enjoy the love we share.

PICTURE

These gatherings remind me a lot of our weekly gatherings here.

Beautifully diverse family, with stories of change and challenge, but also laughter and beloved guests.

You see Jesus had a knack for wanting to eat with his people.

The son of God was always hungry, but not for food, but time with us.

In our text for today, I find this unique declaration in the book of Revelation, Jesus says to one of his churches, “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 him, and he with me.”

Why is this what God says?

Why not something more than a meal, something more shiny, more meaningful?

There is something God wants us to experience as we enjoy a close meal with him around the table.

Maybe it’s because our guard is down over a meal, perhaps we listen better because our mouths are full, right?

If it’s awkward we can play with our food, or take a sip to see what unfolds.

It should not surprise us then that when we look at the book of Luke, who is charting these events of Christ life.

There are 24 chapters, and nearly 50% of the chapters cover a moment over a meal or around a table.

Jesus meets us at these tables.

This whole series has been designated to looking at these conversations, and hopefully stirring our own conversations with others as well.

Last week Pastor Rufus shared with us about a “tough” talk that arose out of a dilemma or tension in the church, particularly in the early church.

Today I want to look at another tough conversation, but this time for our church today.

The text I read earlier is often used as a word picture of Christ knocking on our hearts for the first time.

As beautiful of a picture that might be, and Christ certainly does knock on our hearts , there are a few more questions that need to get answered for us to appreciate these words a little more.

So today I would like for us to take a closer look at why Jesus is knocking and to whom is he wanting to eat with.

So let’s read the full scripture of Revelation and its address to the church of Laodicea, 3:14-22

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea.

This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning[a] of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.

I wish that you were one or the other!

16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

17 You say, ‘I am rich.

I have everything I want.

I don’t need a thing!’

And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire.

Then you will be rich.

Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

19 I correct and discipline everyone I love.

So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look!

I stand at the door and knock.

If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

The first thing to take note of is that Jesus is knocking on the doors of the church that already claims to be his?

This knock is a re-invitation.

You are re-invited to this feast that Christ is preparing….

(so I ask) will you join him again?

So what we have here is the church of Laodicea has moved to a stagnant state.

They are no longer being used by God.

You can use cold water and you can use hot water for specific purpose but in this case they are neither and they have rendered themselves useless.

They essentially say

“Oh Hey God we love you, but we are good, we are “rich” we don’t need anything.

But the reality is Jesus wants them to know the richness of what he has called them to do, he wants them to be able to see who he has called them to be.

But they think, “No thanks, we are good.”

You ever watch a little kid try to eat chocolate pudding, or cone of ice cream in warm weather.

They are old enough to “do it themselves” but don’t have the dexterity to do it without making a mess.

You know what I am talking about.

You look over to them to see how they are doing, and it’s sliding down their face, spilling over their fingers and all in their hair as they use their collar for a napkin.

When I ask my kids, hey buddy, it looks like you need help.

“No thanks, I’m good”.

No, you are not good!!!

I can’t take you anywhere like that.

I kind of think something like this is going on, obviously much more severe.

Christ sees this church enjoying the plentifulness of his love, and making a mess with it, or storing it up for their own appreciation.

So much so Christ can’t take them anywhere to use them.

It’s as if Jesus’ re-invitation is a call to go get cleaned up, so they can be used once again.

In fact, just before he talks about knocking, he even calls it discipline.

Hey repent, clean up, and remember I am here to be with you.

I want to use you, but not when you are like this.

Funny thing about repentance though, there is at least two ways we can think about repentance.

There is repentance with “Big R”, that’s when we answer the stirring in our spirit to submit our lives to Christ, where we come to the first step of believing God has taken care of my sin of my past, present and future

Then there is the second way, repentance with a “little r”.

This is the continual repentance we do daily to redirect our attention back to the “Big R” repentance.

This is the daily dying to self, and remembering what Christ has done and what he calls me to.

Redirecting your heart and soul back to who’s you are and why you are his.)

This knock is a “little r” repentance.

In some ways it echoes the words Jesus gave to the church of Ephesus, just a chapter before.

“But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning.

So remember where you were before you fell.

Change your hearts and do what you did at first.

If you do not change, I will come to you.

I will take away your lampstand from its place.”

Revelations 2:4-5

Repentance is a lifelong practice, and it is not just repentance/redirection away from sin, it’s a repentance/redirection towards God and his mission.

A redirection of our waywardness.

The church of Laodicea was not blatantly called out for a particular sin that needed to be repented of, they were called out for a misdirection or complacency, or no direction.

It wasn’t repenting from a sin, it was repenting toward God.