Revelation 3:14-22

Revelation 3:14-22

We come to the last and most famous church in Asia minor

Notice Jesus’ tone as we read. Is Jesus angry, sad, concerned, hopeful…?

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Why does Jesus care about one or even 7 churches? What’s the big deal? No church is perfect?

V.14 - The issue was God’s glory in their witness

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

Col. 1:15-18 -

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Jesus is Lord of the first creation and the new creation and we are the first fruit of the new creation.

That’s the big deal, we are the first and best of a harvest that has not fully come.

The Lord deserves and desires the firstfruits!

Ex: Offerings - We bring the first and the best motivated by our gratefulness & generosity.

Jesus is concerned for It is dangerous to have plenty.

There is a subtle deception of the self-made man or woman

Ex: This is the Typical American story isnt it. The one that makes the commercials.

Started with nothing, worked hard and made it!

Do people like Donald Trump because he is the type of man you want your daughter dating or do people like Him because He made it and we want to make it too?

In 2020, the then New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said about Covid, ”God did not stop the spread of the virus. And what we do, how we act, will dictate how that virus spreads. We changed the trajectory of the virus by our actions.” (Christianpost.com)

This is the mindset of the church in Laodicea

The letter is like the one to Sardis, for the church receives no commendation but a severe rebuke.

Ex:Thinking you ok when your not - My first sermon - My Mentor said dude that was bad, all over the place…

Astonishingly, the church thinks they are doing well, but Jesus reveals their true state: they need to come to him to be restored.

The Laodicean story is a common one. When things are going well people live like they need not God and can handle things on their own, but when war, death, or tragedy strikes the whole nation is on their knees.

The Point: Christ as supreme Creator and Ruler of the universe has every right to critique and teach his wayward church.

The Question is in v.22 - Will they listen? Can they listen?

Main Idea: The Lord attends the church in Laodicea and rebukes them for their spiritual complacency, reminds them of its cost, and offers them the gift of repentance and His abiding fellowship.

Fierce charge - Tender Appeal - Amazing offer

The Lord’s Fierce Charge of Complacent Self-sufficiency - vv. 15-17

The Master Teacher Teaches (uses their context)

This test has a couple of mistaught verse in it. We hope to correct.

Their Water supply: The not hot spring water and the not cold spring water - v.15-16

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Laodiceans did not drink the water from the nearby Lycus River, for it was dirty and unfit to drink.

An aqueduct brought water from hot springs 5 miles (8 km) away, but by the time the water arrived in Laodicea, it was lukewarm.

Cold water from nearby Colossae was likewise lukewarm upon arrival in Laodicea.

Hot water is a healing tonic, (Hot shower!) and cold water is refreshing, both representing what is good and pleasant.

But lukewarm water is repulsive. You dont desire to bath init or drink it.

The hot spring wasn't hot nor healing = Their spiritual temperature is not aflame - their Christianity wasn't appealing but nauseating

The Cold Water was neither cold nor refreshing = Their spiritual life brought no comfort nor encouragement to those around them.

There was no hospitality in their visible life

They were missing gospel proclamation and gospel demonstration = lukewarm

Jesus is not teaching he’d rather you be a hell-bound rebel than a luke warm believer.

He is teaching true believers are not lukewarm.

All Christians should be characterized by a life that is both zealous and comforting, both passionate and merciful, both faithful and kind.

Loadacia was so an wealthy that they needed no one's help but rather people came to them for help.

In AD 60, Laodicea was devastated by an earthquake but was so wealthy it refused government Aid and rebuild the city on its own

They were successful middle to upper middle class who could do it themselves, thank you very much!

Laodicea had become famous for three reasons in particular:

Their Wealth

First, for all practical purposes they were the Swiss bankers of antiquity, which meant that it was a city of considerable wealth;

Their Wool

Second, they were famous for a breed of sheep that produced an extremely fine and desirable black wool

Their Health

Third This was a location of one of the Loadacian gods were called men (later Asklepios) and it was there that they provides medical salve to help people's eyes.

the Laodiceans felt they did not need help from man or God or that God has given all this and we deserve it!

The reality is that cultural norms creep into the church because we live in the same world everyone else does and so the Lord speaks into His Church

The Master Teacher’s charge

You say… - v.17

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,

The city was economically prosperous, and the church believed they were flourishing spiritually as well. They thought they had arrived, that they didn’t need anything.

They felt as if economic prosperity = God’s agreement of their lives thru blessing

They characterized themselves as spiritually rich, and certainly didn’t think they were lukewarm.

Jesus’ words must have come as a shock,

Ex: We all say… I’m good when we're not good but sometimes we think we're good when we're not.

It is to be given a diagnosis of brain cancer and convince yourself its not in there eating you alive.

You buy some hat’s and people around you buy you different color hats.

Mean while its growing… your not ok. Not only are you sickj but your have deceived yourself.

1 Cor 4:8 Pauls sarcastic charge; Yall think your ok but your not!

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!

You see they were self-deceived. They didn’t realize far from God’s blessing they may well be as Jonathan Edwards said, Hanging over the pit of Hell by Sovereign grace.” and at any moment that thread might be severed.

You are… v.17b

not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

The words are piled up to unmask their weakness: wretched, in desperate need of mercy, poor, blind, and naked.

To the “Swiss bankers” your poor & Pathetic (Wretched)

To those who made the finest black wool -you yourself are naked

To those who gave salve for peoples eyes - you yourself are blind

Will they had they couldn’t perceive that they were spiritually blind and naked; they were the “emperor wore no clothes.”

Rev. 16:15

15 “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”

The Master teachers Warning

I will…

V.16b - , I will spit you out of my mouth.

We are reminded of how the Canaanites were “vomited” out of the land for their evil (Lev. 18:25, 28).

The picture of Jesus spitting people out of his mouth is shocking, but it represents the truth that Jesus would have nothing to do with the Laodicean church if it remained in its current state.

They had no warrant for assurance of salvation if they continued along the path they were walking.

A life characterized by blindness to the truth of Scripture, unrighteousness in life, that treasuring what the world treasures is not a believer individually nor the Church of Jesus Christ corporately

Do you feel the tough tone of Jesus?

This charge is sobering but

The Lord’s Tender Appeal for Wholehearted Dependence - vv.18-19

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

I counsel you…(Present active = I counsel and keep on counseling you)

Buy from me…So That…

Spiritual poverty

Remember These are businessmen so he sepak in terms they understand.

He is not saying salvation is for sale but contrasting their lives now with an authentic Christian life in Christ.

Spiritual poverty need spiritual currency and the only currency God takes is the currency of faith.

Since they were spiritually poor, they needed to buy gold from Jesus to become wealthy (cf. Isa. 55:1–2). They were seeking wealth in the wrong place—material prosperity—when they should have been finding their wealth in Christ, that is, knowing Christ and making him known.

55 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Spiritual nakedness

V.18 - They needed to purchase white garments from him to cover their nakedness, which could stand for their idolatry in loving the riches of this world

Sin brings shame (shame = nakedness)

Phil 3:6-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Oh brothers and sister do you see Paul's passion? Can you feel his grateful, zealous dangerous faith?

Why is Paul more joyful in prison than most of us are in our nice warm homes?

We must ask why?

Only Christ could cover their nakedness (Remember the prodigal - Repented and came to the Father and Father covered him with His robe.

The beautiful and expensive garments made in Laodicea, renowned for its black wool, didn’t truly cover them.

Spiritually blind

Similarly, Jesus has a salve for their eyes so that they can truly see.

Matthew 13:15-17

15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The point of all three illustrations is that the believers need to depend upon Jesus for everything, to humble themselves and realize that they cannot accomplish anything on their own.

How do we know who, within the church are truly saved?

The truth is many of us have seasons of coldness, where it seems God is silent and we are struggling.

Many of us battle depression and fall into bouts of apathy or anxiety.

That’s not the question. The question is can you hear him, do you love him, does he pursue you?

The question is not whether we have a perfect white-hot faith 24/7 but:

Am I zealous in my repenting? Who has an ear to hear? Those are the redeemed, the invisible church made visible by the fruit of repentance and dependence on their God.

I only correct those I love so repent - v.19

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Hebrews notes that the “Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6), just as a father reproves his son in whom he delights (cf. Prov. 3:12).

The matter is urgent, and the spiritual life of the church is in critical condition

Be zealous & repent - Communion … not worthy, repent and come to the table!

Why does he want us to come to the table? Fellowship

The Lord Amazing Offer of Abiding fellowship - vv. 20-22

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The Lord and the Laodacian church are not in fellowship - v.20

The gravity of the situation is communicated by another illustration. Jesus is standing at the door of the church and knocking.

He is outside their lives, the business affairs, and their worship.

The door is the door of fellowship and if their is to be fellowship there must first be repentence

If they do so, he will sit down and feast with them. Perhaps the meal in view here is the messianic banquet of the end time (Isa. 25:6; Luke 22:30; cf. Rev. 19:9).

The Lord's promise those who fellowship with him now will fellowship with him forever - v.21

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

The reign of Jesus is shared with all his saints, all those who belong to him.

Jesus himself is the model for believers, for he overcame through his faithful witness (cf. 3:14) and thus was exalted and sat down at the right hand of the Father, to rule with him.

So What?

What is our spiritual temperature?

2 Cor 3:4-5

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Has my own self-sufficiency become the idol I devote my time, energy, and effort?

Do I get too much out of my career, my titles, my accomplishments, my work…?

Do I have a tendency to keep people at arm's length so I don't have to share my limits, my fears, my struggles and so I don't have to allow them to help me carry my burdens?

Do I pride myself in being a self-made man or woman?

How Do I know that I unknowingly am bowing down before the idol of self-sufficiency?

Self sufficient people are Prayer-less people

Efficient people are impatient people

Self suImpatient get ‘er done mentality - rather than gospel generosity & waiting on the Lord

I can order something from Amazon and get it tomorrow!

Why wait?

Why trust the Lord to provide thru His people?

“Christianity is not for the self-sufficient. It’s not a religion for the rich and the strong. Jesus didn’t come to comfort the well-to-do and rally those who have their lives all in order. He didn’t come to gather the good, but the bad. Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17).” - David Mathis, TGC

Has my fellowship with the Lord become relegated to nothing more than brushing my teeth or checking a box?

Jesus deserve the first and best of everything in life; the start of our day, the first of our finances, the best part of me and he deserves better than to watch a sermon from the couch and get on with my life without him.

Jesus is knocking and longs to be enjoyed and treasured by you?

The question is will we repent and return to the God who loves us and The God we desperately need.