Revelation 3:14-22 Greg Bahnsen "To the Angel of theChurch in Laodicea" Part 16 of 63

We come to the last of the letters to the seven churches, the Laodicean letter. And we'll begin by reading Revelation, chapter 3, verses 14 and following. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea. Write these things, saith the Amen. The faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, but thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art the wretched one, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest. And I salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see as many as I love. I reprove and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me and my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my father and his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Perhaps in virtue of the nature the exhortation we find here, we should repeat that he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This is a vital message that John brings to perhaps the church that is in the worst condition of all the seven churches of Asia Minor. Laodicea. Jesus instructs John to write to the pastor, the teaching elder of the church at Laodicea, and he says, describing himself, that he is the Amen, the faithful and true witness. Before we get to that designation, though, perhaps a few words should be said about Laodicea in general and then the church there. The city of Laodicea was founded approximately in 250 BC by Antiochus II, and he named the city after his wife. It was known as one of the richest commercial centers of the ancient world. Noted. And this is going to be interesting in light of what we read in the epistle here. Noted for its banking, for its clothing manufacturing, and for its medical school. It's noted for its wealth and its banking. Jesus says, but you are poor. It is noted for its clothing manufacturing especially for the black wool that it produced. Jesus says, you are naked and better buy white garments for me. And it was noted for its medical school where Phrygian powder was used as an eye salve. As a basic ingredient in eye salve. Jesus says, you're blind and you'd better buy salve from me. It was at the junction of the Lycus and Meander valleys and at the intersection of three major roads in Asia Minor, which probably accounts for its commercial importance. 7000 adult male Jews had kept their customs in Laodicea, and so Judaism was present there. The church at Laodicea now more particularly had been ministered to by Paul's co worker, Epaphras. Look at Colossians, the fourth chapter, verses 12 and 13. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he hath much labor for you and for them in Laodicea and for them of the Hierapolis. So Epaphras apparently was the original pastor there in the church. He was the founding pastor anyway. But Laodicea had received one of the what now is called the lost Pauline epistles. And that's rather interesting historical note, I think. Colossians 4, verse 16. And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye also read the epistle to Laodicea. So apparently they were to share these epistles. Paul wrote to Laodicea, Paul wrote to Colossae, and the two churches were to interchange the epistles. But as you know, we don't have the church the letter to the church at Laodicea any longer. It's not part of the canonical Scriptures. But nevertheless, Paul did write to them, and I suppose it's not unfair to assume that there would be some similarity between the two church situations and the contents of the letters. Laodicea is fairly important in early church history. It did have a fourth century church council meet there which produced 60 canons, which is quite a few canons, quite a few directives for the church to follow. Those canons dealt with heretics, the liturgy of the Church, penance, Lent, the church order, and the biblical canon. And so that's interesting, isn't it, because we say that the canon no longer has the letter to Laodicea in it. And yet the council at Laodicea dealt with the church canon, canon of the New Testament Laodicea was a self reliant city, although in 16 or 17 AD we know that it was receiving government aid by the time that 60 AD rolls around and the earthquake hits this Asia, hits the area of Asia Minor. Laodicea was the only city affected by the earthquake which rebuilt itself. It did not need to take aid. And Tacitus, the Roman historian is very impressed by that, commending Laodicea for its wealth that it's able to build itself up again. To all outward appearances, the church in Laodicea was outwardly prosperous. And of course by its boast, it was outwardly prosperous. It says right here in the Epistle you say you are rich and you have need of nothing. You've made yourself self reliant. The letter to Laodicea makes no mention of persecution either from the Jews or from the Romans, the two main enemies of Christ's church in that day. False teachers are not mentioned in the letter and so apparently we're not present. And so Laodicea turns out to be a church which is an example, like Sardis, I think, an example of nominal, self satisfied, complacent Christianity. Very likely. If you were to choose one of these churches that characterize, I think, the Church of Jesus Christ in america in the 20th century, I would at least personally choose Laodicea as approximating best the conditions. Outwardly prosperous, not having a great deal of persecution, self satisfied, complacent and dead. An example of nominal, self satisfied Christianity. The entire church appears to have been permeated with complacency. And that may very well be due to the affluence of society in which the church functioned. Notice the words of Jesus in Matthew chapters 13 and 19. In Matthew 13, look at verse 22 where the Savior says, and he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the Word, and the care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. Choke the word and he becometh unfruitful. The affluence of the world can very often choke out the fruitfulness of a Christian. The seed is sown on rocky places among thorns. And Jesus says that you can buy that very outward wealth that you have lose your fruitfulness in the kingdom. In Matthew the 19th chapter, verses 23 and 24, you have the well known saying, Jesus said unto his disciples, truly I say unto you, it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Not many people in Jesus day wanted to hear that message. Not many people in our day want to hear that message. It's a hard message. The disciples say, well, then, who can enter the kingdom? After all, isn't individual wealth a sign that God has blessed that person? A person must be under God's covenant mercies if he's that well positioned in life. And Jesus says, I tell you, it's easier for a camel to go through the needle's eye than for him to enter into the kingdom of God. It's not impossible. With God, all things are possible. God can even change the heart of a rich man. But it's very hard, outwardly, humanly speaking, for a rich man to really make the type of commitment necessary to be a member of Christ's kingdom. Laodicea apparently was in that condition. Complacent, rich, self satisfied. Well, that's the appearance of things. And Jesus says, I'm now going to tell you the truth. It's interesting that he describes himself as the Amen, the faithful, the true witness. You say one thing, and I'm going to say another about you. In Isaiah 65, verse 16, you will read in the Hebrew that God is described as the God of Amen, the God of Amen, if you will. The Anglicized version, literally the God of truth. That is not to be understood as the true, the living and true God, but rather the God who is characterized by truth, the God who is never failing in his veracity, in his fidelity to the truth. Now those who receive new names according to Isaiah 65, are to be blessed by, and they are themselves to swear by the absolute standard of veracity and reality. And that's why he's described as the God of Amen, the God of truth, the God of firm standing. God is successful in carrying out all of his Word. What he speaks cannot fail to be firm, it cannot fail to be true. That is to be proved according to Isaiah's prophecy, in that the former distresses are now past. According to God's word, all the promises of God shall be completed, shall be fulfilled. It's interesting that Isaiah should attach the Amen of God, the fidelity, the truthfulness veracity of God, with his fulfillment of the promises. For in the epistle Second Corinthians, first chapter, verse 20, you'll notice how Jesus Christ is himself Described by Paul, 2nd Corinthians 1:20 and how many soever be the promises of God? In him is the yes, wherefore also through him is the Amen unto the glory of God through us. The prophet Isaiah says God is the Amen because he fulfills every one of his promises. Jesus is the Amen because in him all of God's promises will be fulfilled In Luke chapter 1, verses 68 through 79 note especially verses 69 and 70. You'll notice how the promises to the fathers are to be fulfilled in Christ. Luke 1 and let me just read here 68, 79 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from old, salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, to show mercy towards our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware unto Abraham our Father, to grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Yea, and thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Most High, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, and the remission their sins because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, to shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke is saying here that Jesus is to fulfill all of the promises given to the fathers, that he is to bring salvation deliverance from enemies he is to set God's people on high, that everything is to be accomplished through him. That's the way Luke begins his Gospel. Toward the end of the Gospel he returns to that theme in chapter 24, the last chapter. Look at verses 27 and 44. Luke tells us that describing Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Verse 44 now and He said unto them, these are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and the prophets in the Psalms concerning me. God's people will be delivered according to the promise God's people will be established as a kingdom throughout the earth. God's people are going to be victorious. And all those promises of the prophets of old, whether they come from Moses or from the Psalms, or from the prophets more particularly, are Fulfilled in Christ. Christ is the yes and the Amen of every one of God's promises. I'm stressing that this morning because if Jesus is the one in whom all of God's promises are fulfilled, what are we to say about the opinion that's currently popular that there are yet promises made to the Jewish people that have to be fulfilled apart from from the Christian dispensation, for instance, the land of Canaan, Palestine, to be rewarded to the Jews for what? Well, I asked for what. After all, they crucified the Lord of Glory. They have been hard hearted. They have rejected the one come to his own. The Jews, nevertheless, according to some prophetic or eschatological schemes are to be rewarded in the future by God, to become again part of God's word plan for history. However, I think Paul and Luke and John make it very clear that Jesus is the Amen. Jesus is the fulfillment. He is the one who brings the reward of every promise. He is the substance of every promise. And so I think we have here a reputation of the key tenet of dispensational thinking in its divorced of Israel and the Church. The blessings to come in the Christian dispensation and then the blessings to come in the millennial or Israel dispensation. Once again, the concluding Amen of our prayers. I think this verse says something to us about that as well. The concluding Amen that we give at the end of our prayers usually is preceded by statements to the effect in the name of Christ. We recognize that in Christ our prayers can be answered. In Christ, God's promises are kept. Christ is the Amen. You can't pray without trusting the sovereign reliability of Jesus Christ. And of course, trusting God's sovereign reliability means being able to take God at His word no matter what he says, trusting God at every point of his word, every one of his promises. And that means trusting him even when he says, contrary to all the appearances that we can see right now in the 20th century, that he is nevertheless going to see the Great Commission fulfilled, that all the nations of the earth are going to come and bow before the Messiah, that the enemies of the kingdom will lick the dust, that they will bow before the Church, they will grant that God is in the midst of her and all these wonderful things. Now if that's one of God's promises, should he fail in that promise, he's unreliable on any promise. And if he's unreliable at any particular point, then why do you pray? And so what I'm getting at is I trust that when you finish praying today, and I hope every day after today, you might remember that, that Amen is an affirmation that God is going to keep every promise to you and to his church, including those most remarkable ones. It's easy to believe, isn't it, that he's going to save us after history is over? It's rather easy. We need to believe that. I mean, not only is it true, but I mean, there's a certain psychological need to know that we're going to be accepted by God. But it's very hard to believe that those hard hearted people that live next door to you are going to be broken down by the Messiah and that his kingdom is going to flow to every nation and that even the world rulers are going to come and bring their treasures to Jesus Christ and serve Him. The Amen throughout church history has been a definite part of the liturgy of the church, its pattern of worship. We see this in the New Testament in First Corinthians, chapter 14, First Corinthians 14:16, chapter 14, verse 16 Else if thou bless with the Spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say thee Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest. Now this is a different context. Of course. Paul's talking about tongues understanding of what's said in the church. But his point is it's important for those who enter into the worship to be able to say Amen. Now we as Presbyterians are pretty much palmed off to the Baptist and to less formal groups the saying of Amen in church. We let the preacher say Amen and we all kind of silently do that, but apparently was part of Christian worship to say that's true, that's firm, it's voracious. I agree. I support that. The Amen, it's part of Christian worship and that is in continuity with Old Testament Israel's worship. We don't have time now, but put in your notes first chronicles 16, verses 28 through 36, and you'll see how Israel was to continually be saying Amen to the promises and the blessings of God. That saying of Amen expressed the confidence that God was the faithful God, that His promises were certain. Well, one last note. You may recall also that Jesus conspicuously prefaced his most telling statements with what but Amen? Amen I say unto you. See, Always drawing attention to the faithfulness of God, the fidelity of his word, the surety that what he says is true, all of his solemn utterances show that absolute truth in John 14:6. Of course we read that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life is the very standard of truthfulness, the very standard of fidelity. Nothing then can convey higher apostolic systemic certainty, higher certainty in the area of knowledge. Nothing can give that. But Jesus Christ, our Amen is through him who is Himself, the Amen. Now I'm stressing that because as the Laodicea and a complacent church must realize how truthful the Lord is, how absolutely solemn and faithful his word is. The church at Laodicea says one thing about itself. Jesus says, but I'm the Amen, the faithful, the true witness. That designation faithful and true witness comes from chapter one, verse five. You may recall where in that lengthy description of Jesus Christ we have the designations that will be used throughout the letters to the seven churches. In sharp contrast to the unfaithfulness and the self deception of Laodicea, Christ is the faithful, the true witness, the Amen of God. Not only is he described in terms of his fidelity, but he's described in terms of his creational authority. Verse 14 says that he is the beginning of the creation of God. Now the Greek word there for beginning can mean either the beginning of the creation of God or the origin, the source of the creation of God. And I think there's little doubt what John meant. For you see, John teaches not only in his Gospel, but also here in the Book of Revelation, that Jesus Christ exist eternally. Chapter 1, verses 17 and 18, chapter 2, verse 8, chapters 216 and 22, verse 13 all describe Jesus as the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, the Eternal One. And so here where John uses this word, that can mean either beginning or source, we should prefer the translation that Christ is the source or the origin of the creation of God. God. I think it's interesting that where you have this, at least at the beginning, apparent ambiguity as to how to take this phrase. If you say Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, there's always the threat of what? Arianism, the idea that Jesus is the first creation of God, therefore higher than all the rest of creation, but nevertheless a created being. And as created. Those of you who have studied church history, you'll know the famous statement there was a time when he was not, that would make him deity in somewhat less dignified sense than God the Father. I say that ambiguity is there, but I think it's resolved. When you look at what John says about Jesus elsewhere, it's quite clear that he doesn't mean Jesus is the beginning, the first creation of God. He is the source of creation. He's the supreme authority over creation. Now, what I'm getting at is that that same ambiguity occurs elsewhere in the New Testament at a particularly crucial place, Colossians 1, verses 15 and 18, where we read who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, verse 18. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have preeminence. The reason I find that interesting is because that ambiguity appears in John's letter to Laodicea and it appears in Paul's letter to Colossae. And we've just said that the epistles to Laodicea and Colossae apparently had some similarity. I think we can assume that the people in these churches and in that region would have understood the theological significance of the Greek being used certainly a lot better than Greek scholars today. And in Colossians 1:18, you'll notice that the implication of Christ being firstborn in the beginning is that he has preeminence over all. Probably Christ is described as firstborn in Colossians with reference to the cultural phenomena that we don't see a great deal of anymore today. But the firstborn Son, of course, had all the authority of the Father. He was equal with his Father. You recall that the Jews once took up stones to stone Jesus because he made himself equal with God, claiming to be the Son of God. So firstborn, or the source, the beginning of creation applies to Jesus Christ as the one who is its origin, the one who is sovereign over, supreme over all of creation. Excuse me. Creation in the New Testament is always viewed as by God and through Jesus Christ. You might look at 1 Corinthians 8:6, where Paul stresses that. Yet to us there is one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we unto him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. So Jesus is the agent of creation. God the Father speaks. God the Son carries out the speech of the Father as the Logos, the word of God, and creates the world. He is the agent of creation. All right, so this is how Jesus is described. The Amen. The faithful and true witness the source of the creation of God. Is there any doubt that when he says, I know thy works, and there is some, you know, he's really piercing through the appearances. There's no deception here in his sight. He says, I know what you're all about. I know the character of your work. And then he describes it in a way which I trust is familiar to all of us, that you are neither cold nor hot, but I would that thou wert cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and are neither hot nor cold. The interesting thing, if you're trying to, you know, do a commentary on this, is why does Jesus. He says it three times and then summarizes it with the word lukewarm. I know that you're not hot or cold, and because you're not hot or cold, but you are lukewarm. And because you are hot. You know, Jesus is really stressing that the amen of God is coming down, to use our vernacular, with both feet on this church. He's saying, I know that you are lukewarm, that you're indifferent and complacent. You think in your spiritual pride that you stand all right before me, but I know better. They are neither hot, which is the word hot. There is cognate to the phrase which we find in Romans 12 and Acts 18. For fervent in spirit. They are not fervent in spirit. They are not hot, but they are rather cold. And then the amazing thing. Jesus says, there is more hope for one who is cold and openly antagonistic than for one who is lukewarm and indifferent. Why would that be? I don't claim to be in a position of superior authority with these things, but just from my own personal experience, I think I can flesh that out a little bit. Believe me, it's a lot easier to evangelize those who are openly antagonistic, almost blasphemous. Blasphemous to the. To the gospel, than it is to come into a church where everybody thinks they're just fine and things are sailing along. I'll tell you, it's just hard to get an audience out of those kind of people. They are indifferent, they are complacent. And everything you say, they are able to say yes and no to. Without realizing their contradictions. They say yes, we agree with all those things. They say no in their lives. They are hearers of the Word, But. But they're not doers of the Word. Yes, there are those who are complacent in the church of Jesus Christ. And there is more hope for those who come in and who are antagonistic and give you a hard time than there is for those who are indifferent. Because those who are antagonistic are more easily brought right with the Savior than those who think they are right but are not. You see, that's why one of the most difficult fields for evangelism today is liberal Churches, the liberal churches, think they know what you're saying. You take some modern theologian, and I won't bother to name names here, so I won't get into an argument with anybody over particulars. But you take a modern theologian who is known for his ability to read the Greek, to know the history of theology, theology, and to write very intellectual things about the Bible. Of course, they're usually not written in a tone of submission to the Scriptures, but detracting from the Scriptures. Now, if you try to evangelize that person, what likely is to be the response? He knows those things. He knows them better than you do. He feels he's studied them and his response is already set. You take somebody who is completely ignorant or somebody who's heard it and says, oh, that's not true, it couldn't be true, and at least you have something to say, you have somewhere to go. But there are those in this world, whether because of spiritual indifference, complacency, or because they think they already know this, who can hear and hear and hear, but it falls upon deaf ears. The Amen says, you think you're rich, but you're really poor. You think you're clothed, but you're really naked. You think you see, but you're blind. And so John, John 9:41, I think, is a telling analogy to what we've just read about. It's better to be cold than it is to be lukewarm. John 9:41 perhaps is helpful in explaining that Jesus said unto them, if ye were blind, ye would have no sin. But now ye say, we see, and your sin remains. You see. Those who recognize their blindness can be dealt with. But those who say they see and still are blind, what hope is there for them? They remain in their sins. It's important for a man to recognize his true position. Self deception is perhaps the worst problem a counselor or an evangelist or a teacher can deal with in a person. Self deception. Jeremiah tells us, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it from experience? I say, who can know how to approach the deceived heart? The man who says, I know those things and I believe them, and yet it's as clear as day to those who really see that that man is indifferent and does not gain. The Lord's favorite Think about the gradations of God's judgment in the New Testament for a minute. We know obviously that those who receive the blessing of God are those who are fervent in spirit, those who are hot for the Lord, those who are impelled by the Holy Spirit, truly regenerate and moving on in their sanctification. I think after the fervent in the Spirit, we might be inclined to think, well, then, those who are ignorant of spiritual things, they're going to be judged of God, but not as severely. And there's reason to see that. 2nd Peter 2:21. Peter says, for it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having then, after knowing it, to turn back from the Holy commandment delivered unto them. Peter says, it's much better to be in ignorance than to have the way God declared to you, and then you turn back from it. And so clearly, those who are fervent in spirit stand highest in the scale. Those who are ignorant while under the judgment of God, are not as judged as those who hear the commandment and turn away from it. And so our gradation would be what the fervent in spirit, the ignorant of spirit, those who are antagonistic. But then you got to insert one more class of people. And interestingly, while we might be inclined to say the indifferent to the Spirit are to be put, you know, somewhere in between the fervent and the antagonistic, we might perhaps in our own human wisdom be inclined to say, well, you have the fervent in spirit, the ignorant of spirit, those who are indifferent to the Spirit, and then those who are antagonistic to the Spirit. I mean, it makes sense, right? Degrees of distance from the Lord, apparently, is what Jesus says here, that that scale is wrong at the bottom. You see, it's to be inverted. Rather, it's those who are fervent than those who are ignorant. And then those who are antagonistic and below the antagonistic, worse than those who are cold, are those who are lukewarm and complacent. In light of that kind of thing, oughtn't there to be some real revival called for in the church of Jesus Christ? You see how dangerous it is to be sitting in the pew and to think that you're all right with God and not to be. It's better to be outside throwing rocks at the windows than to be sitting in here thinking that you're all right with God when you're not. It's certainly startling, I think, that Jesus should say, I would rather you were cold than you were lukewarm. And then he goes on to say what he's going to do to those who three times over are said to be not hot or cold, but rather lukewarm. He says, I will spit you out of my mouth. Now, before I get on to the important thing, the spitting out from his mouth where it says, I will. Please don't read that as a definite declaration of what's going to happen to the church, although it says, I will do such and such, that is conditioned upon the fact that they are not going to repent. For we're going to read in verse after this that Jesus offers to them the way of repentance and so they can be recovered. And so, in a sense, interpreted, it should say, because you are lukewarm, I am likely to. If you do not repent, it's a strong warning, but not a pronouncement that the church will not turn. But it's saying, if it will not turn, I will spit you out of my mouth. And I was, in preparing for this lesson this morning, attempting to find, if anywhere, some source in the Scriptures for the background to this really vigorous, deplorable expression that God is going to spit complacent people out of his mouth. That's a grotesque image. Usually when something that strong is brought up so casually. I mean, casually in the sense that it's introduced as though everybody's familiar with it, you can find some scriptural background. I was saying to one of us this morning that I can't find any background for the image of God spitting people out of his mouth or so forth. However, the image of expulsion is found throughout scripture, that's for sure. Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden. Weren't they the inhabitants of Palestine? This is interesting. The scripture says literally would be vomited out of the land because of their abominations against God's law. Israel later, because of its sin, was taken out of the promised land and removed into captivity. And so God does punish by expelling, that's for sure. And that image of expelling is a rather deplorable one. In the law of God we read that, you know, if one spits into the face of another, that is a particular unconscious cleanness that is on the other person. That's a strong way of expressing how you detest the other person. Jesus says, and I will spit you. I will expel you out of my mouth. It's one thing to have, you see hot tea in the winter and cold iced tea in the summer. But nobody likes to go to the faucet and just turn it on and drink lukewarm water. Jesus says, if you're lukewarm, I'll spit you out of my mouth. Now, verse 17 will explain the repudiation and describe the problem that exists at Laodicea. Because you say, I am rich and have gotten riches and have need of nothing, and because you don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel thee, and we'll get to what Christ's counsel is in a moment. The reason for that expulsion from Christ's mouth is their delusory self reliance. They believe themselves to be reliant on themselves. They think that they are self sufficient. But that's a delusion. It's pseudo self sufficiency. The Greek here indicates that the church habits habitually says I am rich and have need of nothing. That characterizes the tone of the church's talk, if you will. We are rich, we're all right, we have need of nothing. They had deluded themselves into thinking that they were not poor, that they were not dependent in spiritual matters. Now, contrast. What church? Don't look what church? Now that we've studied and we've been spending a lot of weeks in this, what church is just the opposite. A church that is outwardly poor. But Jesus says, but I know you're rich. Smyrna, chapter 2, verse 9. I know thy tribulation and thy poverty, but thou art rich. Now which would you like to have said of you and of your church? That you're really poor in worldly standards. But Jesus says, what a rich church? Or the world says, look at that magnificent church, outwardly successful, successful, prosperous. But Jesus says, you're destitute. The Amen of God speaks. And one prefers to have the Amen speak the truth of spiritual riches rather than being destitute. The church at Laodicea is even worse for the fact that they do not perceive and discern their poverty. They were self deceived where they thought they were self reliant. Jesus says, you are self deceived. It thought itself spiritually rich, but that's because it couldn't distinguish between material and spiritual prosperity. Look at the Beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew the fifth chapter. These are the attitudes that we are to have or sell. Or as it's often put, the be attitudes be this way attitudes. Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the poor of spirit, the humble of heart. Blessed are those who are thirsty and hungry for righteousness, for they'll be filled, and they'll have their part in God's kingdom. I think it's interesting and something that really should be said of a spiritual nature to exhort to those who hear the word at this point that God's word ever puts spiritual pride next to spiritual complacency. The complacency church is usually the very proud church habitually saying, I am rich, I have need of nothing, I'm just all right. Everything's great with us. That pride, interestingly, you know, really the pride is appropriate for churches like Smyrna or others Philadelphia, but it's not appropriate for a church that's complacent. And yet that's where you find it. You'll find the churches that are really spiritually healthy, poor of spirit, humble of spirit, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Spurgeon was wont to say in his sermons that those who knew the way of the Lord, you see, were even worse sinners than those who didn't. Because you see, those who know the way of the Lord should be even more sensitive to their sin than those who are outside of Christ. Really. Sin spiritual churches are sensitive and there's kind of an analogy there. It's not a, it's not a great one because it comes from such an obscene place. But in pagan philosophy, Socrates was want to say that he was the wisest of men because he alone knew his own ignorance. Well, in a similar way, the most spiritual of churches know how they sin. And therefore, you see, they will not say we are really, you know, in good shape spiritually, but they'll be really sensitive to what remaining sin there is. But churches that are complacent, that are blind, don't even see that they're naked. They're so proud we are rich and have need of nothing. Laodicea then is the unsatisfactory church par excellence. Why do I say that? Because Jesus says that. Jesus says you are the wretched one. I mean, if you're going to be beat down spiritually and depressed, Jesus, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. That is terrible to have the Lord say that to you. But then Jesus turns right on and says, you are the wretched one. And the definite article that cannot be, you know, put out here in the Greek. Jesus doesn't say you are a wretched one. He says, you are the well known wretched one. You're the highest of the wretched ones. Just remember what I said in God's gradation. It's better to be throwing rocks at the windows of the church than to be sitting in there and to be lukewarm. You're the wretched one. Jesus says the church lacks mercy. It's a miserable church. Look at that. For all of its wealth, it is rich, it's in an affluent society, but it is. It lacks mercy toward others. And then notice how Jesus describes it. You are destitute, you are blind, and you are naked. Probably the Greek there, not to give you the wrong impression, in English, means scantily clothed, not literally naked, but nevertheless, even if you take it that way, the point is they are without true wealth, they are without true sight and without true clothing. I think that's a. You can't avoid seeing that as a critical illusion to Laodicea in society. For what are the three things Laodicea was known for? Its wealth and banking, its medical school with its eye salve and its clothing manufacturing of black wool. Jesus says, you live in a city that thinks that it's wealthy, but you are poor in a city that is known for its eye salve, but you are blind in a city which has so much to make by way of clothing, and yet you are still scantily clothed. And so verse 18 gives Jesus counsel. Jesus says, I counsel you, buy from me. Jesus is going to become a. Jesus says, you live in a city that thinks that it's wealthy, but you are poor in a city that is known for its eye salve, but you are blind in a city which has so much to make by way of clothing, and yet you are still scantily clothed. And so verse 18 gives Jesus caliphate. Jesus says, I counsel you, buy from me. Jesus is going to become a merchant here in a way. He says, buy from me. Now, how are we to take that? We are to buy our spiritual position before God, that we can enter into the kingdom by some sort of monetary outlay. Jesus says, buy from me. Matthew 13:44 explains, I think in one of the parables what Jesus is getting at. And the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. And in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Now, that could take a whole lesson in itself, that one verse, fascinating parable. Jesus says, you know what the kingdom of God is like? It's like a man is walking through a field and he comes upon this treasure, so he hides it, you see, in the ground, and he goes off and he buys the field so that the treasure will be his. You see, he's no dummy. He's going to take advantage of that opportunity. Nobody else knows about that treasure. So he's going to buy the field. And he's going to buy it, even if it means selling everything he has. That's how important it is to him. Jesus says, buy from me. The kingdom of God is so important. Be willing to give up everything. And then every time he says that to a rich church, what did Jesus say to the rich young ruler? Go, sell all that you have and follow me. But he couldn't. Jesus says to a rich church, buy from me. Be willing to give up everything that you might gain from me, what you need. And yet, Jesus isn't talking about monetary transactions. One can buy from Jesus without money, without price. The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 55, verse 1, put it beautifully and well when he says, ho, everyone that thirsts, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money, without price. Jesus doesn't charge those who come to him. You can do it freely. That purchase really literally is taken to mean coming to the Lord and hearkening to his word. Look at verse 3 of Isaiah 55. Incline your ear and come unto me. Hear, and your soul shall live. Jesus says, you must be willing as a church to give up everything, just as the man who gives up everything to buy that field, you must be willing to come unto me, to incline your ear unto me, to hear and thereby to live. So Jesus says, buy from me. And he tells them to buy those three things that are appropriate for their condition. To buy gold, he says, you're really poor, you're destitute, and so you need my gold. Jesus says, you need white garments instead of the black wool that's produced in Laodicea. In contrast to your scantily dressed condition, you need white garments. And then he says, you need also, I see, to anoint your eyes, that you may see a threefold remedy for the threefold condition of the church. The church is destitute, and so they need gold that is tried in fire. Jesus says, refined by fire. In 1st Peter 1, verse 7. The same image of gold refined by fire is used to talk about the purity without any dross, without any polluting elements. Along with it. You need pure gold, gold refined in fire. That's real wealth. He says to those who are naked that you need white garments, that you may clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest. In the ancient world, the ultimate humiliation was the nakedness of a person in society. Time will not allow us to look at the this, but in 2nd Samuel 10, Isaiah 20, Ezekiel 16 and Nahum 3. This is definitely drawn on as a symbol in scripture. A token for the ultimate of social degradation and humiliation is that one would be naked in society. Jesus says, don't let your nakedness be made manifest. Have white garments that I will supply. The fine clothing that a person wore in society was often taken as even today, a token, a symbol of his being received with honor, his being wealthy, his being well positioned. So Jesus wants the church to be clothed in true righteousness, purity and sincerity, rather than in the self deception of the Laodiceans. And then finally he says to those who are blind that he will give them eye salve. Christ alone gives genuine sight. John 9:39 and so Jesus gives real wealth, Jesus gives true righteousness, and Jesus gives real eyesight. Verse 19 tells us that there are no exceptions. As many as Jesus loves, he reproves and chastens. You know Laodicea is taking a real beating. Jesus says, I'm going to spew you out of my mouth. You are the wretched church. You are selfish, deceived. But Jesus only does that because he is chastening the ones whom he loves. In Hebrews the 12th chapter. That of course is the classic passage of the Lord's chastening. In Hebrews 12, 5, 8 we read, and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons. My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art reproved of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. It is for chastening that ye endure God dealeth you as with for what son is there whom his Father chasteneth not? But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons? You see, in the midst of all of that rebuke and reproving, there is a word of grace. They aren't bastard sons, they're sons of God. And God reproves everyone that he loves. Every son comes under his chastening. And so Jesus is not willing to let a complacent church go on and on and on. But he stops them in their tracks and he chastens them that they might be returned to him. Those who deserve it least are yet tenderly entreated and shown that Christ is loving them. In the midst of this reproof, it's a chastening that comes from Christ. Notice that he says, I do this. It's not just external, extraneous, hostile forces to the church. But Jesus himself will send this rebuke and the chastening into the church. And that chastening can be lifted only at the decisive act of repentance. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. I've been told often that, you see, when you're teaching, you give the mashed potatoes and gravy, but you don't take people into the kitchen. And I know I've been taking you into the kitchen telling you a little bit about Greek this morning, but I have to, for the sake of those who are perhaps just learning Greek right now, point out to you. It's interesting that where Jesus says repentance, you'll find that in the aorist tense. But to be zealous is in the present continuous tense. And that's a lesson right there, even if it is from the Greek. You see, repentance is to be a decisive act. We are to repent and to be turned around, converted. But you see, we are to continue from that in a life of being zealous for the Lord. Decisive act of repentance followed by a continuous zeal. And then in verse 20, Jesus appeals to each and every one in the church at Laodicea. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. One might think, well, let's just Skip over verse 20. Go on to verse 21. We've all heard so much verse 20 in every evangelistic service you've ever been to that we all know what that means. The amazing thing is, has nothing to do with evangelism, and yet it appears in all his evangelicals evangelistic services. Jesus is saying to those who claim to be Christians already, to those who have fallen back and are complacent and indifferent, he says, I stand at your door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. See, John vividly sees Christ now standing at the door, continually knocking in hope of response. We've seen Jesus in, if you will, the strongest of condemnation. I will spew thee out of my mouth. You are the wretched one. But then Jesus says, but I chasten you, you see, because I love you. And I continually stand at the door and knock that I might get response from you. There's a tender promise of active and intimate fellowship between Christ and the believer if we will cease being complacent and become now continuously zealous for the Lord. A shared meal in the ancient world was a Token of affection, of confidence and intimacy. I think you can see that although we don't have time to look up the verses, if you look at Luke 15:2 and Acts 11:3. For when the Jews, the Pharisees, wanted to express their disdain for publicans and sinners, they wouldn't eat with them. And when Peter wanted to show his Jewish separation from the Gentiles, he would not eat with him. We don't usually think of it that way in this day, but in the ancient world, if you wouldn't eat with a man, that was a sign of your disapprobation for him. But if you did enter into a man's home and have a meal with him, that meant that there was an intimacy and a confidence of fellowship between you. Jesus says, I'm standing at the door, and any man who will respond to this, I will have that kind of intimate, confident, affectionate relationship. Very often in Scripture, a banquet is used as a symbol for fellowship with God in His kingdom. Luke 14: and 22, Matthew 8, 22, 26, even Revelation 19 might be thought of. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham, Abraham immediately offered what a meal that they might have a fellowship of supper. Christ's church is reminded continually. I wish it were more continually. But Christ's church is reminded continually of its fellowship with the Savior by means of what a meal. The Lord's Supper, John 14:23 teaches us that if we love Christ and do his word, he will make his home his abode with us, he and the Father together. Jesus, as I stand at the door and knock, I wish to have that fellowship supper with you. I wish to have an intimate and loving relationship with you. Verse 21 expresses the promise. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father in his throne. As a remarkable offer to a church that's in such a deplorable condition, a church that needs to be recovered. So great a distance. Jesus says to the one who overcomes, I'll bid you to sit down on the throne of God with me. Now, our image of heaven is usually very different from that, right? There's God's throne. I mean, I don't know how you may visually see the geography of heaven, but certainly wherever we abide, wherever we sit is away from the throne. And when we're really, you know, genuine with ourselves, we see ourselves as further from the throne because of the condition of our spiritual lives. Jesus says, but to those who overcome, I bid you not to be just at the right hand of the throne, but to sit right on the throne where I sit with God the Father. I mean, you can't exposit that in a way that's adequate. I mean, that's just remarkable. Jesus says, if you'll overcome, you'll sit with me where I sit with the Father. Notice how Jesus is variously pictured in the Book of Revelation. In chapter one, we read that he was in the midst of the lampstands. In chapter five, we'll see that he, as a lamb, stands before the throne of God. In this chapter, chapter three, and also in chapter 22, we read that Jesus is seated on the throne of God. In chapter 14, we'll see that Jesus is standing on Mount Zion prepared for war. In chapter 19, Jesus is at the marriage banquet with his Saints. In chapter 19, later, he appears as a conquering warrior. There's no doubt that John views Jesus as supremely divine. Jesus fulfills all of these functions simultaneously. He is the one who is with the church. He walks in the midst the candlestands. Jesus stands on Mount Zion with 144,000 saints behind him. In chapter 19, he goes to war against those who are not believers and conquers them. In chapter five, he is before the throne of His Father as the Lamb. In chapter three, he sits on the throne of His Father as the victorious savior. In chapter 19, he has Communion with his saints in the marriage supper. And so Jesus fulfills all these functions. And here we read that in terms of that highest of dignities, being the exalted Savior, the Son of God, seated on the very throne of God, he bids us to partake of that with Him. Even as I overcame and sat down in my Father's throne. So if you will overcome, you will sit down on that throne with us. Christ is the pattern of overcoming and enthronement. And what is that pattern of overcoming and then enthronement, but the pattern of from suffering to glory? And throughout the New Testament that is emphasized, the highest conceivable honor for a Christian would be to be enthroned with Christ, who is enthroned with the Father. But we can only have that highest of blessings if we will be willing to undergo what Jesus himself did to overcome, even to the point of death. He was humiliated. Philippians tells us. Matthew 10:25 teaches us that a disciple is even as his master, as his teacher, that he's not above his Lord. And so whatever his Lord is to undergo, so he undergoes. Jesus says that if you will overcome you will be rewarded, just as I overcame and was rewarded. Perhaps we could look at Philippians too. It's not the only passage. Luke 24:26 or 2 Timothy 2:12 or Hebrews 1:3 all teach the same thing. But this pattern is very well put by Paul when he says, have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross, wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow. In Luke 24, verse 26, Jesus tells us is that that theme is not an isolated New Testament theme, but it is in fact the continuous theme of Scripture. All of Scripture. Luke 24:26, behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory. And beginning from Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself. Throughout the Old Testament, that pattern of suffering and then glory appears, Jesus said, didn't it behoove the Messiah to follow the pattern of suffering and then glory? And now Jesus turns and through John says to you, doesn't it behoove you as my followers, to overcome, to suffer, to be victorious, and then to be seated with him on His Father's throne? We are told, at least in this verse, if nothing else, that Jesus already reigns as the Messiah, that we do not await the kingdom of God, that the kingdom of God has been established. It is not in some future day after a seven year tribulation. But Jesus came in his first advent to establish the kingdom, not in his second. In fact, his second advent will be for the purpose of consummating, not establishing, his kingdom. Jesus now reigns, and according to First Corinthians 15, verse 25 is now subduing every enemy under his foot. Jesus asked the church to enter into that task with him, to overcome even as he has overcome and is overcoming, and to enter into his reign. Christians share in that with Him. Our time is up. So next week what I'd like to do is to look at this pattern of overcoming throughout the book of Revelation and then in Scripture and tie it in with the covenant promises of God and then also to summarize the letter to the seven churches. But today Let me just close by reminding you that there's an alternative that has been set before you. Those who may be complacent or indifferent, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. Jesus says that the choice is either having him enter in and sup with you in the intimate communion of his divine fellowship, or if you won't have him sup with you, he will spew you out of his mouth. Let's pray. Our Father, we would pray this day in all holy terror, that you would indeed impel us not to be complacent, not to become self reliant, not to fool ourselves that we have any standing in your sight, apart from a continuous zeal and repentance for our sin and embracing of the Savior. Indeed. Make us on fire for the Kingdom of God. Empower us by your Spirit, daily to be walking in righteous ways, daily to be witnessing for our Savior, daily to bringing the kingdom of God to bear on our lives and the lives of others. We ask, Father, that those among us who are complacent and indifferent might by your grace, by your sovereign power, be pricked of conscience, be made sensitive to their blindness and their nakedness. Indeed, Lord, we pray that the Spirit would give them sight, that they would first recognize where they stand in your sight and might repent. We thank you that you offer to us the pure clothing of righteousness in Jesus Christ. And we come to you praying, knowing that it's only for the righteousness of our Savior that we can enter into your throne room this morning. In his name we pray. Amen.