Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Christ our Sufficiency”*

*Rev.

3.14-22*

* *

Intro.

– The last several weeks we have gone a bit of a church tour.

It’s as if the Lord Jesus has walked with us and opened the doors on these seven different churches in the book of Revelation.

We have visited the church in Ephesus and witnessed Jesus commending their doctrinal vigilance and their endurance.

And we heard his rebuke for they had lost their first love.

Jesus tells them to remember, repent and return to the works they had done initially.

Next, we went to Smyrna where the Lord Jesus commended them for they were spiritually rich and enduring persecution for his name.

He encouraged them to be faithful unto death.

We visited the church in Pergamum and our Lord commended them for holding fast to his name and not denying their faith.

However, the Lord reprimanded them for tolerating false teaching and told them to repent.

The church in Thyatira was growing in love and was evidenced by their deeds.

However, they lacked discernment and tolerated heresy for which Jesus rebuked them.

In Sardis there was no commendation, but only rebuke.

They were dead and Jesus commands them to wake up, remember, and repent.

Last week, we were in Philadelphia visiting the church which was commended for its patient endurance, faithfully keeping God’s word and not denying his name.

For the churches where there was rebuke, Jesus offered consequences for their disobedience.

But also he reminded the faithful of the glorious rewards for the one who conquers to the end.

This week we visit the last church on our tour.

Join me if you will as we peek in at the last of the seven churches – the church at Laodicea.

Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 3 beginning in verse 14.

What we have in our text this morning is a trial.

Unfortunately for the Church in Laodicea, there is no commendation, only rebuke.

*First we have the Prosecution and Witness.

*And this is found in verse 14.

The text indicates that Jesus instructs John to write to the angel, or messenger, who it is that brings charges against the defendant.

Jesus Christ identifies himself with three names: the Amen, the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of Creation.

We certainly know the first word identified.

Why we even close all our prayers with this word.

So what is it that we mean when we say the word, “amen”?

It is an expression of faith saying, “let it be so” or “truly”.

So, when Jesus refers to himself as THE Amen, he asserts that he is the one who fulfills everything he promises or sets out to do.

In 2 Corinthians 1:20, Paul writes this, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him [Jesus].

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

Jesus IS the Amen.

Because he is the Amen, he is a faithful and true witness.

He is all-knowing, or omniscient.

In John 8:14, Jesus responds to the Pharisees who have pointed out to Jesus that he is unable to testify for himself.

Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, /my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going/, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

Jesus is also omnipotent.

He is powerful to do whatever he desires.

So he knows and he can deliver.

In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the *truth, *and the life.

What this church (and every church) needs is the truth.

Jesus is the embodiment of truth.

Without the truth of Jesus and the written Word of God, we fall prey to our own desires, false teaching, and the deceitfulness of sin.

Jesus is the beginning of God’s creation.

Throughout history there has been heresy that argues that Jesus is the first created being, and thus not God.

There are some in our own community that will come to your door and tell you this very thing.

He is not created, he is Creator!

Turn with me to Colossians chapter 1 beginning in verse 15.

God’s Word says, “He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

*/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/*.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

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/*.

For in him */all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell/*, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Heb.

1.1-3, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he */created the world/*.

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the */exact imprint/* of his nature, and */he upholds the universe by the word of his power/*.”

Jesus is the Creator and he is God!

So Jesus is the beginning of creation in the sense that he is “Beginner” and “Ruler” and “Source” of all of it.

This will be an important thing to remember as we get into the text.

Before we move to the indictment, let’s meet the *Defendants*.

They are the church at Laodicea.

Laodicea is located between the cities of Hierapolis and Colossae.

It is located on two major trade routes and likely played a part of their incredible wealth.

And they were proud of their wealth.

It was a city that benefitted from three primary means.

They were known for their banking, their production of fine black wool for clothing, and the medical source of eye salve.

They were so wealthy (and proud) in fact that when an earthquake occurred in AD 60, they refused any help from the Romans in rebuilding the city.

Also significant to note is that they did not have an adequate water source.

So they were quite inventive in that they tapped into two water sources: one to the north and one to the south and created an aqueduct to channel the water in to the city.

Hierapolis was the city to the north and was known for their hot springs and Colossae to the south for their refreshing mountain cold water.

Perhaps they didn’t anticipate that by the time the water was relocated, it would have lost both of those positive qualities.

By the time it arrived in Laodicea, it was lukewarm.

In addition, the high mineral content from the water in Hierapolis and the dirty water from Laodicea made it quite distasteful.

Now let’s move to the *Indictment.

*Jesus begins by saying to the church in Laodicea “I know your works”.

A normal trial often consists of the prosecution trying to convince the judge or jury the guilty nature of the defendant.

He or she would likely introduce evidence and witnesses in order to present an overwhelming package to the judge.

Jesus simply says, “I know your works.”

Now if you or I were to say something like this, we would be communicating that we see something going on.

“I saw him swipe the lady’s purse” or “I saw her run the red light and hit the other car”.

When Jesus says I know your works, he truly knows.

And here he further explains by indicating he knows their inner character.

When we survey Scripture, we understand that our outward behavior is driven by what is in the heart and mind.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Romans 12 tells us that outward changes happens by the renewing of our minds.

We must be changed inwardly first.

That is why in our parenting we target the heart.

When we counsel biblically it is the heart that must change.

When we disciple one another, we minister the Word so that it is the Spirit that works on the heart and mind.

When we perform good deeds apart from heart change, we are essentially hypocrites.

Jesus repeatedly charged the Pharisees as hypocrites when he said that these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Jesus links ‘works’ with ‘character’ here for he is God and is able to know what is in a person.

In our Addictions class, we talked about living in the fear of the Lord.

Often our initial thought about this concept is dread.

But we really need to look at it as a gift.