Revelation Part 4 Chapter 3 Letter to Laodicea Revelation 3:14 22

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Aldous Randall
5 years ago
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1 Revelation Part 4 Chapter 3 Letter to Laodicea Revelation 3:14 22 So, here s the question how would Jesus address our gathering? How would Jesus address you? What would HE see? Point out? Reveal? Challenge? We are in the second section of the book of Revelation seven letters to seven faith communities (aka churches) Remember, each letter has a specific format: Statement of who Jesus is (drawn from chapter 1) Affirmation/Exhortation/challenge pros/cons if you will law/gospel Promise for faithfulness please the King (specific goal) in other words, we are all under examination need fixing Decisional challenge to faithfulness said last week, urgency and decisional character, here it is this isn t a game, aren t playing church there are eternal consequences at play Seven Letters (sum for you taking notes): Ephesus challenge of leaving first love Smyrna tested but remaining true Pergamum and Thyatira compromise truth/falsehood (inside pressures); truth and falsehood (outside pressures) Sardis sleeping church wake up lulled into false security going through motions think alive but dead Philadelphia open door God honors steps no matter how small walk the talk So we have to jump in with a fury! PRAY! Read text - I do believe this message is as true for us today as it was for them. Remember, they key to understanding and applying the truths of these letters has to do primarily with how each letter offers some pros/cons to these faith communities/jesus followers from the perspective of Jesus himself Look first for the positive you look for the challenge and the call to decision in other words, how are these people going to respond to the challenge to faithfulness that Jesus brings to them? 1 - The Place Laomedeia the setting of each church important every context unique McCall different from any other place Context is king in Bible study and in ministry Was a very prosperous city o Devastated by an earthquake in 60 AD (Paul there around that time) o Rebuilt without Roman Army o Banking Center o Home of large textile industry

2 o Center of commerce o Medical school location o Praised for eye salve Phrygian ointment o No natural water source all water had to be brought into the city via aqueduct 10 miles away sediment (have you ever been to a place with cisterns?) 6 miles to the north Heropolis place of valuable and rare hot springs therapeutic and purified but as you can imagine mineral water tepid and foul tasting SE Colossae cold springs naturally indigenous cold water in a world without ice One of, if not the dominant metaphor used in this text has to do with water (if you get this wrong, may lead to misunderstanding of what Jesus is getting at) So, let s say this = temp of water is important in a lot of ways in our lives 1. Cold invigorating, thirst quenching (cold water on hot day) we go out of our way sometimes to make water cold sometimes avoid it like plague (water in lake, etc.) 2. Hot soothing calming coffee/tea hot tubs Truths about water temperature - Lukewarm always complain about lukewarm not cold enough for refreshment or hot enough for relaxing Every time I read this flashback to when I play football in JH would have killed for cooler water or ice water only water we had was old water fountain in the park barely worked 3. Rotten water really thirsty and you drink something just not good? Spit it out - spit more like vomit little more violent in the text 4. Keep those metaphors in your mind when you go through this text 2 Exhortation I know your deeds (vs. 15) - observations of Jesus remember, Jesus sees us, knows us, has opinion about us We are not deists we don t believe in a God that made us and then leaves us alone in fact, God came to this world comes close to us - Jesus in RELATIONSHIP with us Like I tell my kids I m your dad until the day you die! Same here So, Jesus observed the Laodiceans. He knew their actions and what did he find? He found they did not measure up So, here s the backstory have to read the text and then make some assumptions based upon the content God has blessed these people they were a community of unprecedented prosperity The problem though is that prosperity didn t lead them to a deeper dependence upon Jesus but rather into a sense of self-sufficiency that caught the attention of Jesus

3 In fact, it got his attention so well that he sounds a spiritual alarm That s why the word pride is brought up in vs. 17 trust me, the word pride in the Bible never good thing usually when the word pride is mentioned, it is coupled with the word humility Why? Prideful people people who are stuck on themselves they believed they needed nothing Look at the bible pride = bring down, they will be humbled, God opposes the proud So, Jesus looks at the Laodiceans - they have the gold, purity, sight, prosperity but they still lacking Now admit, hard to understand why Jesus says they are lacking in fact they seem to have exactly what most of us work all our lives to achieve wealth, prosperity sounds good huh? The problem is that phrase, I have need of nothing that s prideful self-sufficiency The problem is that self-sufficiency isn t one of the characteristics, personal foundational values that Jesus is seeking to make real in any of our lives Read an article while back that I kept - Conversation with Bishop Tutu I feel sorry for Christians in the west why would he say that? Same reason Jesus did prosperity and peace leads to apathy, self-sufficiency It will not be scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism that in our day and in this land is likely to quench or hide the light of the gospel it is a proud, sensuous selfish, luxurious, hollow-hearted prosperity Fredrick Huntington 1896 Don t take me wrong Jesus not blasting riches but if the result of self-sufficiency there s a problem - not part of how Jesus sees the KOG taking shape in our lives YOU see, self-sufficiency always comes at the expense of relationship If I am self-sufficient why do I need you, God or anybody for that matter? Unfortunately, that s not the way we were wired up relational beings gain meaning and joy and purpose from our relationships with each other Sister - CPA pretty successful in business problem was he was working alone in an office by himself she was missing something she knew it rented an office space wework, regus, companies that just provide collaborative office space relationships are important Self-sufficiency not all it is cracked up to be on that level for sure but on spiritual level? Self-sufficiency can be deadly when it comes to our walk with Jesus

4 Now, here is where we have to jump in with a bit of personal application truth of the matter, God has blessed us just like God did in the lives of those young Jesus followers in the city of Laodicea 2000 years ago We ve seen the fruit of the Kingdom of God amongst us just like they did we ve enjoyed being part of a movement of God just like they did But there s also the other side of the coin because the problem with being the recipient of HUGE blessings (which again was part of these people s journey) is that often a blessed life doesn t lead people (especially the Laodiceans in this instance) to a renewed dependence on Jesus rather leads to self-reliance and arrogance and pride and disconnection If you think about that pretty relevant message to you and me SO - Like the Laodiceans, Jesus ALWAYS wants to challenge our issues with dependence ARE WE GOING TO depend and trust in HIM OR are we going to depend on our riches, knowledge, and technology that by their very nature have the tendency to make us proud and self-sufficient? We become like rulers WE become the bosses we buy into the misbelief that WE are real LORD And that is not the role Jesus has mapped out for us! 4 THAT S why in the Decisional aspect of this letter, where Jesus says essentially - TAKE A STAND, apparently all this stuff, all this prosperity and self-sufficiency has caused apathy and lethargy and not vitality and passion That s why Jesus says, Be hot or cold Be an invigorator or soother but be something Take eyes off of self/own agendas blinding you to the truth They have passion for a lot of things but it is all the wrong things - all it is leaving them with is vs. 17 blindness, nakedness, misery Buy from me vs. 18 get refined get a white garments so that you won t be seen for who you really are blind and naked 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. Revelation 3:17 The Laodiceans feel rich. Jesus says they are poor. Which is true? And why would these mature Jesus followers have the opposite viewpoint of Jesus Himself? They were stuck on themselves bowing at the altars of their own Lordship and not Jesus Lordship That s why 3:20 this isn t about evangelism edification and confrontation intended for Christ followers these Christ followers You see, Jesus is going to keep knocking until something changes until they make a decision

5 Friends, that same challenge comes to us today. We re so often like the Laodiceans: it is so easy to be self-dependent - dependent on our own resources, quick/easy attempts at fixing our own lives, our dependence upon our wealth, lot in life, and technology that sometimes we don t see the impact that they make on our spirits Jesus says to the Laodiceans that all their prosperity has made them wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.have you ever wondered asked yourself, what is has done to you? What has all the immense blessings that God has given to you and me really done to our lives? And I think our problem is a lot closer to the Laodiceans problem than we would care to admit. Like I just said, we too have the tendency to lean heavily on our abilities and our resources and you know, I don t think God is impressed by this That old cliché, God helps those who help themselves, is NOT in the bible ultimately speaking God s presence is with you and me NO matter what happens in our lives but make NO mistake our help is in the name of the Lord! You see, Jesus sees the Laodiceans wallowing in deep poverty. I think that, as people and as a church, we need to own this for ourselves as well and say, Lord Jesus, we ask for your forgiveness for our self-sufficiency and dependence upon ourselves and not you We need to agree with God that we are in inner poverty and that the shiny perceived resources are only empty shells! That s why Jesus tells them as he does us to repent - the word metanoia - defined as a shift of mind. One author wrote, To grasp the meaning of metanoia is to grasp the deeper meaning of learning, for learning also involves a fundamental shift or movement of mind. 1 Metanoia is the New Testament Greek word used for repentance. True repentance, this shifting of the mind from faulty mental models, is a prerequisite for operating appropriately in our world, and an attitude of ongoing repentance is key to redemptive, transformational thinking. Why because it leads to dependence upon Jesus and keeps us in a position where we have open hands and hearts and NOT closed fists and hardened hearts I am constantly stunned to come face to face with the fact that the really big problems, the ones that are difficult to address, result from the efforts of very sincere, well-meaning people. Embracing our poverty is precious in the sight of God. If I start any plan or activity with the realization that it could very well blow up in my face, that I may do more damage than good, that I could easily reap a harvest of unintended negative returns, that I inevitably tend to be counterproductive in all my actions, that I can reap death instead of life, then I have placed myself in a position of humility and dependence upon God before I even start to move. It is precisely from that position that fruitfulness begins.

6 By starting with the recognition that I cannot solve problems because I live in a fallen world, I am starting to transform the very essence of the way I go about ministry activities. The only real riches the only real answers to complexities in life come from being in that dependency upon Jesus It really is true doesn t mean you and me will have a carefree life doesn t mean all our problems will go away and that we won t struggle in life But the GOLD is that which is refined by fire in other words, only Jesus can make something out of nothing or out of something painful and trying So metanoia - repent early and often! It is not a one-time event, but a lifestyle. As we confess what has gone wrong, we can go on to the next step a joyful one of receiving forgiveness and getting a renewed sense of hope in the midst of the complexities The white robes we receive from Christ show us that we, too, are given a second chance. When we are clothed with Christ, God sees his own white clothes on us. We are accepted. We can take confidence in God s loving favor. We can stand up and walk. Clothed in white robes, we stand in a safe environment, free from accusation, comfortable in the presence of God. We can begin to have hope that we can operate in a higher level of life and faithfulness to God s call that does not produce futility But for now God calls us to align our actions with God s ways, because He s going to give us a new mind - he is going to have to train us to think the way he thinks. SO, I want to close this way this door image is too potent to ignore: Jesus is knocking for the Laodiceans the door to their hearts was closed Jesus stood at the door of their hearts and said, "The door is closed." It wasn't always like this. There was a time when the door of their heart was wide open to Jesus in what he was doing in them and through them But somehow over the years what would have been a wide-open door had become a closed door. This is one of the most tender images in Scripture, and I hope that you see it I wonder if Jesus is seeing the same thing in you and me? When our g-kids were real small, they had a tiny little plastic house in the backyard that they could play in. It was ve1y small because we didn't have much space, and it was very inexpensive They had a place of your own is a very cool thing loved playing in it

7 Some of our favorite moments, I remember this, Vicky, do you? Come to their house - door and knock. And their little faces would light up, and they would open that door -- "You came to visit." They'd go into hostess mode, you know, and prepare some imaginary stuff for us to eat or drink. We'd make ourselves real small because it was a real little house but we'd go inside the door was always open. Jesus is knocking on the door to our lives He is asking, Will I always be welcome in their heart? Is the door open or closed? And friends, this is just between you and God, but where is your heart? Is it open? Closed? Jesus comes to your heart he made that heart, just as he made the hearts of the people at Laodicea the issue was then as it is now, are we opening the door to Jesus Now you think about this: as I just said, He made those hearts. He could destroy them or he could invade them, but he doesn't. Do you see what a humble thing he does? Patiently and gently Jesus says, "I'm standing at the door and knocking." He just stands there and knocks at the door. Do you see how amazing this is? The God of the universe, the Jesus of the cross, is standing like a rejected suitor, like a humiliated lover, standing at the door of our hearts and he s knocking The most famous artistic expression of this image/verse is up on the screen You'll notice on this door there's no door knobs. There's no latches because the door of the heart can only be opened from the inside! God has designed you so that your heart has a little door on it. And nobody can force you to love him. Nobody can force you to bring them into their heart. People can force you to do a lot of things, but the human heart cannot be forced. It cannot be coerced. Only you can open the door of your heart. God himself will not violate that door, but he won't go away. He will never give up knocking because he loves you as his child too much. Very often, people think of these as words addressed to non-christians, a conversion text. But they're not. They're addressed to the church. Jesus stands at the door of the church, and he says, "I'm knocking. If you hear my voice even now, if you just open the door of your heart, you don't have to get everything perfect. Just open the door of

8 your heart. I'll come in and everything will be forgiven. You and I will sit down at the table, and we will have intimate communion with each other." For some of you right now if you'll just be real quiet and listen, Jesus is standing at the door of your heart. He's saying, "Would you pour your heart out to me in prayer as you once did?" To some of you Jesus is saying right now, "You know, there's a sin that's been junked up inside you. It has been like a wall between you and me."won't you confess it? It's not bringing you joy. It's killing you. It's destroying you, mining your character. Won't you bring it into the light? Won't you repent? Won't you seek help? Won't you open the door of your heart? To some of you Jesus is saying, "Won't you just let go of the ceaseless, frantic busyness and the noise?" To some of you Jesus is saying, "Won't you stop being afraid? Won't you stop holding me off at arm's length? Won't you trust me?" And if you open that door, even if just a little bit, he'll make himself real small, and he will come in. He will sit down, and you will share rich, intimate communion because he's the God of the open door. Let's stand for closing prayer.

Jesus and the Lukewarm Church Revelation 3:14-22 August 3, 2014

Jesus and the Lukewarm Church Revelation 3:14-22 August 3, 2014 Today we finish the sermon study of the letters written to seven churches in the book of Revelation. Turn with me to the sermon page of your