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Let's turn in our Bibles once again to, this time to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation, by the way, notice that it's singular, not plural. Which means this, it's just one revelation, not multiple or many. So, it's the one revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John, and we want to look at Revelation chapter 2, or 3, verses 14 through 22. Revelation chapter 3, beginning with verse 14, we read, And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you. to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Remember the grass withers and the flower falls, but God's word abides forever. Amen. Well, we're continuing our series on untwisting, twisted scripture. And the verse that we want to look at this morning, or at least the passage that we want to look at this morning, is here in verses 14 through 22 of Revelation chapter 3. But in this passage, we do have another one of those scriptures that are taken, pulled out, and used in a different manner. It's this. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me." Typically this passage is used in an evangelistic sort of manner or method. The basic approach is this, that you might see that there's this depiction of a door, and on the door there's an individual who's standing outside of it, There's no door handle on the outside of the door, and the individual is simply waiting. It's supposed to be a depiction of Jesus in fulfillment of what is noted here, that he simply is outside, and he's knocking, and he's hoping, and he's pleading, and he's inviting, and that he is simply just waiting for that one who's on the inside who has the latch to be able to open it up. And if they would just open it up, He'll come in and there will be all sorts of things and benefits that will be available to the individual. Here's the only problem. Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 isn't evangelistic. The point of this isn't to give direction as to Jesus' work in salvation. or even to somehow imply that as it relates to salvation, as some would even argue, well, Jesus has done 99 out of 100 steps, or he's accomplished 99% of the work. There's just that 1% that needs to be done, which is you opening the door so that he then can come in and provide you with all sorts of things. There's so much more to this passage that is missed, that is, that individuals don't avail themselves of when they simply take Revelation 3 verse 20 and focus it individualistically in a manner of evangelism. The point of this passage is that this is one of the seven letters to the seven churches who are identified in the book of Revelation. And in terms of this, the apostle, through the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ, has highlighted seven different churches in Asia Minor, and in these various churches you see ideas or problems that are present among them. It starts in chapter 2 with the church of Ephesus and they're identified as lacking in love and then we see the church in Smyrna is dealing with suffering or persecution and then you find there's issues of compromise and corruption as well as then a church that is just simply without life. One is commended for their faithfulness, the Church of Philadelphia, but then as you come to the conclusion of these letters to the seven churches, you find then a rather strong statement made to the congregation in Laodicea. And so since we want to recognize what really is being said in chapter 3 verse 20, it's our intention this morning then to consider this letter that Ultimately Christ brings to the church in Laodicea through his servant John. As he does so, it's a couple of interesting things that are noted in the layout of the letter itself. For example, the letters start with some sort of credential, and then they go to some sort of commendation, then there's a criticism, and then a command for correction, and then finally a commitment. Although this letter to Laodicea differs in that the church in nowhere is commended. Laodicea and Sardis are not commended. In light of their situation, they are not then given some sort of statement by the Lord Jesus regarding positive things that are happening. There's no attention given to error in their thinking, as it were. There's no pressure of persecution. There's also no blatant immorality. But nonetheless, Jesus has a sharp, strong, and pointed message for them to address their being spiritually mediocre. In some respects, you could look at the letter that John has, or that is recorded for us and find that it would be very appropriate for the church in the 21st century. particularly the church in America. The things that are identified in this particular congregation is a statement of wealth and riches with the recognition that it is in need of nothing. An inability to really see what is present or happening in its particular context. Issues in which they are unresponsive in a strong manner, whether positively or negatively, but simply they go along with where they are without any sort of effect on their spiritual walk or their spiritual life. In saying these things, I'm not trying to pinpoint people within this room or even beyond, but just simply making a general statement as it pertains to the condition of the church today. And yet Jesus doesn't allow His church to simply remain where it is. He comes to it. He calls it out. He calls attention. to where they are and what is taking place. And as he does, it's important for us to see that there is a credentialed individual who's beginning to cite the concerns in Laodicea. Note the credentials of the one who calls out the church. Look in verse 14, these things says the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. It's a lot being said in terms of those particular titles. The one who expresses concern for the church is not simply some liaison or some nobody. For example, if you had some money to invest and you decided to go down and visit an investor and while you were preparing to go and sit with him in his office to talk about how you wanted to invest your funds, here comes the janitor and says, hey, I got a hot tip for you. What would you think about that? Maybe, but if it's a hot tip, what's he doing serving as the janitor? He doesn't have credentials in order to be able to give you advice. But here you have the individual who has the office, who has the desk, who has the nameplate, who has the certificates on the wall showing I'm qualified to say these things to you. Furthermore, you might look over in the corner and here they have books that they've written and they're well known. You're gonna listen to what they have to say. Jesus here, in calling out the church of Laodicea and their lukewarmness, says, I'm the amen. I'm the faithful and true witness. I'm the beginning of the creation of God. These titles in some respect or another do connect back to even the beginning of the revelation that was brought here in chapter one, verse five, where we see that this is from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. By citing himself to be the amen, he's saying that he is the true one. You recall that Paul notes that in Jesus Christ are the promises of God to be yes and amen. Isaiah reveals God as the God of truth. John, you recall, is the one who used this word very often. Some 25 times in his gospel, he would say, truly, truly, or verily, verily, or this is real, or this is legit. By this, Jesus is noting that as it pertains to the promises of God, He is the one who delivers and speaks of them in a right manner. Therefore, His words are not empty and His threats or His challenges are not hollow. It is only through Christ we have the promises of God. And so Jesus then is speaking of the reception of mercy and grace, of loving kindness and eternal life, and they come only through Him. But He also says that He's the faithful and the true witness. He's not counterfeit or false. He reveals truth. to us. He has a reliable testimony that affirms the truth of God in all things. Who he is, he is, and what he says is real and right and proper altogether. And so there's legitimacy for him then to bring this message This isn't the janitor in the office, this is the investor qualified to be able to speak accordingly. And then to cap it all off, the appeal is made even to creation, that I am the beginning of the creation of God. Some have used this verse to be able to teach a false doctrine that somehow notes that Jesus then is a created being, that's not true. This isn't speaking of Jesus being the first created being who then goes about and brings other things in creation. Rather, he is the origin and first cause of all things in creation, affirming that the work of God in all things that were brought forth in heaven and on earth are through the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Revelation, Jesus on a couple occasions is revealed to be the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Another relevant passage to help affirm this point about being the beginning of the creation of God is found in the book of Colossians, where in verse 15 of chapter 1 we read, he's the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and then listen, for by him All things were created that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things and in Him all things consist. So Jesus here then is noting that he is credentialed to be able to come before the church in Laodicea and to then challenge them regarding their life, their circumstances, that he then is qualified to bring a criticism. Notice what his criticisms are. Verse 15, I know your works. You're neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you're lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. And then he goes on to say, you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. And then he goes on even to say, I'm not even with you. Jesus here is saying some powerful things. And yet in the power of what he's saying, he doesn't do it in a manner that is out of the context of the church in Laodicea. This is something that's just as an aside, that's amazing to consider about the Lord Jesus Christ and a lesson to us. And that is, if we're gonna be critical, and I mean this positively, Do so in a manner that connects with the individual and that is right and loving. Why do I say that? In the three various examples that Jesus used in order to criticize the church in Laodicea, he brings out three things that they're known for. Their water, their industry, and their medicine. This is one of those things that when you start reading, you go, oh wow, I can't believe he actually did that. In terms of the location of the city of Laodicea, it didn't have its own water supply, and so it had to pull water from another source. And yet as it would pull water from a city that was about six miles away, it would pipe in water that came in from a hot spring, and yet by the time that water reached the city, The various chemicals and other things and minerals and so forth that were in it caused it, one, to no longer be hot, number two, no longer to be useful or beneficial, and number three, it would actually make individuals sick. And so Jesus then is citing something that is present in their own context in order to say, look guys, as you sit here and say, I have need of nothing, you've distanced yourself from the one who is the beginning of all creation, the first and the last, the one who is the God of truth and the revealer of truth, you've distanced yourself from me to say, You're fine, you're okay, you have need of nothing, and yet the response that you actually bring from me is one of sickness. Think about what Jesus is saying there regarding this church. You make me sick. Because when I taste of you, it doesn't leave a pleasant feeling in me. Sometimes people will look at this passage and they then will note that Jesus commends them to either be hot or cold. Or sometimes people look at this passage and say, well, Jesus wants them really hot Christians, as it were, and he's not talking about looks, but in a way that they're committed and loving him and so forth, or he wants you to be cold and completely distant, but nothing in between. And yet, that's a misapplication of hot and cold. The point here isn't to say that we all have to be on fire for Jesus. Cold water has benefit too. It's refreshing, it satisfies our thirst. It causes us then to have our, when we take a drink and find it to be refreshing. Jesus' point here is that he wants us to be something in relation to him. How does He want us to be something? Because He makes a second challenge. You say that you're rich, that you have become wealthy, and you have need of nothing. One of the most devastating statements, and maybe that's an exaggeration, but a statement that Christians should never ever make is that I have need of nothing. We have need of everything. God himself notes, what do you have that you haven't received? How is it that we are even members in the household of faith or a part of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, had it not been for the gracious act of God in our lives? Never should we say, I have need of nothing. And yet, these individuals, in reflection of their lukewarmness, then say, we have everything that is needed and we need nothing more. We're sufficient in and of ourselves, and consequently, we're good to go. Jesus, again, is citing an example regarding the city itself. The city was known to be rich and quite prosperous. It was a banking community because it was along trade routes that ran north to south and east to west. And they were so affluent that when the Jews were called upon in order to pay their tax for the temple, they sent out some 22 and a half pounds worth of gold. You can do the math in terms of $2,000 an ounce in order to figure out how much wealth that was. In AD 60, when there was an earthquake that pretty much devastated the city, the Romans offered assistance and yet the city said, no, we got it. And they rebuilt. And here you see these individuals who are present then within this city and having then the affluence and the influence of the world that's around them that has caused them then to be separate or to be distant from their Lord. And Jesus then is noting, you guys think that you're okay, you see yourself to be clothed, you see yourself to be able to see, you see yourself as having a position of standing and yet what you don't see is that you're wretched and poor and you should be pitied and you don't understand your blindness and that you're unclothed. Jesus notes that their affluence is actually the real burden that they are sustaining, that they see themselves to be of wealth and yet they are destitute. They think all is okay and yet they are miserable. They believe that they can see and yet they can't. And so what does then Jesus note to them? He brings this compassionate call. Come to me. Buy gold from me, be clothed in my garments, and take the salve that is available from me in order to secure your sight. Again, references to their context. They were well known for their wool. They also had a medical school in their city that addressed the issues of blindness and other eye ailments. And Jesus is saying, you know these things, you have your experience to see the consequence of what happens when you're without wealth, or with your outclothing, or without sight. And yet the solution is found in me. The call here is to come by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ in order to let go of their robes of unrighteousness and put on His robes of perfect righteousness. In the same book, in chapter 19, verse 6, the robes of righteousness are seen as the holiness or the acts of the saints. And this reflection isn't because it's their standing before God, but instead is a revelation of the work of God's Spirit by the power of Christ in them to put off the works of the flesh and to reveal the hidden person of the heart. And so the Lord Jesus then is calling the church to say, be clothed not in yourself or in your garments, but in me. Recognize that you cannot see. And so allow me to touch your eyes so that you might comprehend and apply the truth. For after all, without me, you can do nothing. He also calls upon them to see that the real wealth that is found is only that which is tested by the trials and hardships of life, and yet as true faith is tried and tested, it comes out purely. The call that the Lord Jesus Christ is making the church in Laodicea and to us is to recognize that there is a real danger that is present within the church. It's the danger of lukewarmness. It's the caution that needs to be made to us all because as the people of God, it can be so easy to grow complacent. It can become so easy to allow ourselves to simply be settled, to be comfortable in terms of our context so that we then allow ourselves to no longer be challenged through God's word or by his servants and we then become comfortable and complacent in terms of our context. And little by little by little we see the creep that occurs and the consequence of it is that we're so far off from where we first started or where we first were. Remember that Jesus here is talking to the church. And it's so important for us to hear that because all too often we can look at this and the consequence becomes, well, these individuals must not be saved. We can't say that on this side of heaven. Jesus lovingly comes to chasten his children, to rebuke his people so that they may then awaken from their context to hear and to see and to be brought back. How might we know if we have the aspects of lukewarmness present in our lives or in the context of the church? What becomes our view of sin? Do we really see sin as something that should be disdained and fled from or do we allow ourselves to make excuses for it? Are we thankful for deliverance from the penalty of sin, but do not want to fight against the practice of sin? Are we allowing ourselves to say we have need of nothing because we're content to know that Christ has died and it's sufficient, and yet do not see the call to yield ourselves and our members unto righteousness? What are our thoughts towards the pursuit of holiness as we would live before a holy God? Is our desire as those who are the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to truly take up our cross and deny ourself and follow after Him in His steps? Or is our thought instead to say, well, that was for another time and for another place, or that's only when I really, really, really wanna be serious about my Christian faith, but I don't really need to give thought about that right now. Where do we set our attention? Where do our affections lie? Where ultimately is our heart? Jesus notes, where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. What do we find to be our greatest priority? Things here on earth and the pursuit of things that are present before us now? Or do we live with the thought of that which echoes and stands forth in all eternity? How much do we think about heaven and the things that will truly last and those things which are eternal and have greater significance? How often are we willing to give in a sacrificial manner? for those who are in need or those who need encouragement or support or to see the advancement of the work of God's kingdom and missions or as it pertains to the local church. In Malachi, we heard of the church that had come together and they allowed themselves to follow after the steps that God had called them to do so, but when they did it, it was in a manner of half-heartedness or an aspect that was somewhat apathetic. It was justified by a busy schedule or by just simply the weight of the burden itself and even looked upon as being evil. Do we ever look at the things within the church of God? Do we ever consider the things that are present within true Christianity, real Christianity, and call it something that would displease God? As we approach our life within the church, do we do so with our first and our best? Or is it simply with our leftovers? What stirs us up? Sports? Politics? Entertainment? Things happening in our kids' lives? Our hobbies, our enjoyments? All of those things are not wrong in and of themselves, but if those things cause us to then lose focus and attention on the Lord Jesus Christ, even to the point where we then neglect His worship, or allow ourselves to say, no, I'm okay because I was confirmed. I'm okay because I did my time earlier on in the context of the church. I'm okay because I attended on Christmas or on Easter and I made sure to do other things. Then we need to hear Christ call here that challenges us to see what our condition truly is. And yet Christ graciously notes an amazing invitation. He says, be zealous and repent. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and dine with him and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. The Lord Jesus Christ notes that he then will come toward us as his people. not simply with the offer of salvation, but rather to note that as we have already received Him, He then is being brought forward into our lives in His assembly so that He then will have supremacy in our lives individually and corporately. That's the beauty of this passage. Jesus standing at the door and knocking is coming to the church that is distant and has, as it were, put him out to say, I'm willing to come in. I love you. I'm connected to you. I want to interact with you. I want to have fellowship with you. I want to engage with you. I want to sit down and to know and to talk and to be present in order to encourage you and strengthen you and uphold you to the very end. The Lord Jesus Christ offers these things to us. For some, it is the case that you have been distant, that you haven't been present. Jesus lovingly comes to bring discipline. not to rebuke you and to push you away, but to gather you up in his arms and to hold you close to say, I'm here with you through my church and my people in order to engage you. Jesus makes the same encouragement to others at any time in which we are unfaithful, or do not walk in accordance with the call that he sets before us as his children. Because as it were, each and every time we sin, he's put out. And he's there, and he receives us to himself as we open the door to restore fellowship and communion with him. but he also then assures us that it's leading somewhere. That Christ is not simply doing this in a manner that somehow or another you might have some thing to get you through the day or to have something that takes place in your life so that you then can make it or have it as a mantra or some other sort of positive thinking or encouragement for a particular time, but this is eternal. There is an eternal hope that is present that even as we may have struggles and as we have difficulties and as we have challenges, as we have occasions that discourage us, as we have our enemies fight against us and overtake us, he says, as I am with you, I will strengthen you to be with me. so that you are led then to a place of eternal hope and a position of security. Isn't that far greater than the things that can be offered or present now? Yes, there is, as it were, times of security here on earth as to what we can see, but it isn't eternal. Yes, there are times of pleasure that feel good for a moment, but it's only momentary and doesn't last forever. Yes, there are occasions where there's all sorts of other things that come before us and they seem to be good and pleasant, but they have no lasting, eternal value. The way of Christ is hard. The steps of the Lord Jesus Christ are difficult. But Jesus assures us that even in the midst of being refined by the fire and even as we then would do those works that others would look upon and disdain and even lead to our end or our demise, even as we may have the fight to deal with the issues of the things that we look upon and how he then may grow us through that, Jesus assures us that in the end, it leads to lasting success. His reward. And so where do you set your attention this morning? Where do you look? Where do you hope? Where do you stand? Jesus calls you to a deeper communion with Him, that yes, calls you to lose yourself and to humble yourself and to go through the difficulty of the experience of weakness. But Jesus assures you, He's with you, He strengthens you, He upholds you, He guides you to the very end. and He will then give you a crown of righteousness where you will dwell with Him forevermore. May the Lord keep us from aspects of lukewarmness, and may He instead strengthen us to find our standing in Christ. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, as we reflect upon these things, we cry out to You, recognizing the weakness that is present before us, that as we look around and we see the things that would be present and would entice us, it's so easy to become comfortable, to become complacent, to become satisfied. It appeals to our desires. It appeals to simply ease. And we pray, Lord, that you would cause us to overcome here and now with the promise of that which lies ahead. May we see the importance and the value and the benefit of the fellowship that we may have with the Lord Jesus Christ as He would sit with us, as He would strengthen us, as He would refresh us, as He would encourage us. And may we see that we would much rather have those things than the ease and the comfort and the pleasure that appear to be wondrous and great and in the end have no real substance. And so, cause us, we pray, to seek the Lord, even as we pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
I Stand at the Door and Knock
Series Untwisting Twisted Scriptures
Sermon ID | 11321152461272 |
Duration | 40:34 |
Date | |
Category | Sunday Service |
Bible Text | Revelation 3:20 |
Language | English |
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