Revelation 3: 14-22 | May 9, 2010
14 “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. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 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. 18 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. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 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. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame 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 apostle John was an old man now. He was the last living apostle. He was living in exile on a small island off of Turkey because he couldn’t be quiet about Jesus. One day, John was given a vision by the Lord, actually a series of visions. We call it the book of Revelation.
Well towards the beginning the Lord Jesus appears to John and dictates seven letters to seven real churches in what is today called Turkey. The letters are addressed to the angel of each of these churches. Well you don’t have to agree with this. But the Greek word means messenger. So I understand these letters to be addressed to the pastors or bishops, those whose calling was to bring the message of God’s Word to their people.
One of those letters was meant for the congregation in Laodicea. The town no longer exists but back then it was a very prosperous city like this part of Northern California. But our Lord doesn’t look at the wallet or the purse. He looks at the heart of his people, what we value, what we treasure and what we don’t.
It’s mother’s day and we remember our mother’s love. Well part of that love was intervening in our lives when we were heading in the wrong direction. We may not have appreciated it then. It sure didn’t feel to have our mom get on our case. But that too is a kind of love, a love that cared enough to speak up before we ruined our lives.
That’s what we have here in this letter. Not the love of our mother, but the love of our Lord and Savior who died for us and rose again. He cares enough to intervene, to warn us before it’s too late. Here’s the picture our Living Lord paints.
He Stands at the Door and Knocks
I. Who cares enough to answer? (14-16)
II. He alone offers what we need (17-19)
III. He alone can promise blessing now and forever (20,21)
14 “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. IN each of these letters Jesus describes himself in different ways. Here he obviously want the people to understand that every word that comes from him is totally true. But his words are more than words. For Jesus speaks with authority as God the Son, the ruler of his creation. Remember his words before his ascension. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Maybe then we should listen as he speaks to these early Christians.
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! These people knew the truth. They know what Jesus had done for them. But they had regressed to what I sometimes see in others and sad to say in myself. A kind of a shrug your shoulders indifference toward the gospel, the grace of God in Christ.
So as a church they had ceased to be a force for Jesus. I don’t picture them sharing the good news. So they were no blessed good to a world dying in sin. They were just plugging along. Not hot or cold but lukewarm.
I wish you were either one or the other. Huh? If hot means zealous for spiritual truth and engaged, it’s easy to see why Jesus would want that. But cold? If cold means the opposite, against the gospel, how could Jesus prefer that to lukewarm ?
Think about it. The person who is cold at least cares enough to argue. He cares enough to question. Maybe he can be reached. But lukewarm. A person who can say the Apostle’s creed or Lord’s prayer while thinking of what they’re doing after church. A person who is not impressed to hear Your sins are forgiven. Jesus stands at the Door and Knocks. Who cares enough to answer? Well here our Savior warns about such an attitude. …I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Jesus knew they had a heart problem. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ Laodicea was prosperous town. It had a thriving wool industry. It was renowned for an eye ointment invented there and prescribed by physicians all over the Roman empire. Well it seems that rising tide of prosperity lifted up these people also.
Now listen carefully. It wasn’t a sin for them to be doing well. Their problem was this. What they let their wealth do to their relationship with God. Think of the wisdom of Proverb 30:8. Give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say Who is the Lord? Or think what Jesus says in Mark 4. He speaks of the deceitfulness of wealth that can choke out our faith. Or think of Jesus’ words to his disciples in Mark 10: How difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Our hearts are tempted to think, I don’t need a thing.
But you don’t have to be wealthy to lose your way. I’ve met plenty of folks just getting by who see no need for a Savior from sin. Their wealth didn’t get in the way, their lack of repentance did. So many think the federal deficit is bad. It is! But they fail to see the terrible debt our guilt brings. Too many fail to see our desperate need for God’s forgiveness . So these words speak to everyone, rich, poor and in between. It’s each of us on our own. 17…you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Tough words. Isn’t this our loving Savior? It might not sound like it. But think of mom. Sometimes she had to lay into us with hard words. And why? The same reason here. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So Jesus stands at the door and knocks. For He alone offers what we need.
18 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. There was a mint in Laodicea that made Roman coins. Then of course there was the wool industry that provided clothes and the eye medicine produced there. Yet none could provide the needs of their souls.
Here Jesus painted them a picture of what he offers. Gold that makes us truly rich, not stored away in a vault, but a gold refined in the fire of Jesus’ suffering and death. The golden riches of eternal life kept in heaven for you. And white clothes to wear. White is the color of holiness, the only way you and I can stand before God. Otherwise our guilt would condemn us. But Jesus covers the shameful nakedness of our guilt with a white robe of his goodness.
And Jesus has salve for eyes that once could not see. Not these eyes in our head. But our heart. He gives us the Holy Spirit to see what we could not see before. The cross of Jesus which seems foolishness to the world we now see it as the wisdom of God that saves us. So Jesus stands at the door and knocks. He stands and offers what we need. And he alone can promise blessing both now and forever.
So much of life is about relationship with others. Today we give thanks for the blessings that have come to us through our moms. I better stop there before I get choked up. Well here think of what Jesus promises us who answer the door with faith. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. When this was written, you didn’t eat with just anybody. To eat together was a sign of something special between you. Even now meals shared can be happy times full of laughter and joy.
Well here the Lord of heaven and earth who bled and died for us pleads with us, that we let him come into our lives. And not as an acquaintance that we might facebook every now and then. He wants to come to you and bless you with his love.
And not just for this short life. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. What did Jesus overcome? He overcame our sin, our death, our hell. Then he ascended back to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father. Mission accomplished.
What then does that leave us? To hold on to Jesus when people all around us have no use for him and think you are strange. To him who overcomes. And don ‘t picture us all trying to fit on some big chair up in the sky. Rather think of someone telling you to come from the back of an endless line to the front. Think of your mom telling you that she has a wonderful surprise for you. So I guess what I’m saying is this. I’m not sure what it will mean to sit with Jesus on his throne. I do know this. It will be good.
He stands at the door and knocks. He who has an ear, let him hear. Amen.