Our topic for the next few weeks will be a Love Letter from Jesus ¡V otherwise known as the letter to the church in Laodicea. How many have ever received a love letter or perhaps have dedicated a poetic piece to that special someone? Why do we write such things; because we care, because we love, because we want to express ourselves to them? Oh dear church family, this love letter that we will study is the single most important letter that one could receive in life. There is none other like. It is beyond comparisons. Jesus in His love, Jesus in His mercy, Jesus in His wisdom dictates this love letter for the church to John the Beloved, John the last of the apostles.
This same John, which the inspired pen writes, did much to confirm and strengthen the faith of the believers. He lived to be very old; he witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the ruin of the stately temple. This same John that was summoned to Rome to be tried for his faith. This beloved apostle that was cast into a caldron of boiling oil, but whose life was preserved by the Lord. This John who was banished to the isle of Patmos. It was in this isolated home, if you will, that John receives this love letter from Jesus to the church of Laodicea, this love letter from Jesus to the North Augusta / Aiken Seventh-day Adventist church.
All Seventh-day Adventists, I presume, and all or most students of Scripture know whom the Laodicean church represents. So I ask you this morning, whom is represented by the church in Laodicea. Yes, the church of Laodicea is a representation of the actual church in the present, in the right here and right now. It represents the rest; the remnant of God in the end time, those persecuted by Satan, attacked by that dragon, those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. To this last church, this rest, Jesus sends this letter.
Today¡¦s passage is one that you have read many times before. I don¡¦t mean to stand before you this morning and try to pretend that this is brand new material for you. I have little doubt that many have heard sermons on this passage in the past. In fact, I would venture to say that a large number of pastors present this message to their congregations and perhaps it has been presented here before in some form or another. So pastor, why are you doing this to us this morning? Oh because we are almost at the end of our journey through Asia Minor and it is imperative that we go through every city on our list. Just because Laodicea is the last city in our trek does not lessen its importance in our study, in our understanding, of the kind of church that Jesus wants us to be. Let us read this love letter from Jesus.
Revelation 3:14-22 ¡§¡K¡¨
This is the love letter from Jesus. Now when you first read this letter, it doesn¡¦t sound much like a letter full of love. I mean, there are some harsh words in this piece of literary work. These are rather grievous words directed at the remnant church. Not just anyone would dare say to another, ¡§You make me nauseous, I¡¦m about to vomit you!¡¨ Not all would dare say to another, ¡§You think you¡¦re rich. You think you have need of nothing! You¡¦re wrong, you are wretched and miserable and you¡¦re poor and blind!¡¨ Think about it, how would you feel if someone came up to you and said, ¡§You are pitiful, you are pathetic, you are deplorable?! You think you are well dressed, but in reality you are a shame because you are naked!¡¨ It probably wouldn¡¦t make one¡¦s self-esteem or mood at the time being.
Why then are our sermons for the coming weeks titled A Love Letter from Jesus? Allow me, brothers and sisters, to tell you that only Someone that loves us can put a dagger in the wound. Only Someone who loves us so much can have the boldness to tell us what which no one else would dare do! Only Someone who is near to us, Someone who desires the good for us. Only Someone who wants to see us saved for eternity would dare tell us the things that that Jesus has to say to the Laodicean church. He doesn¡¦t say it simply just to give us a good ole fashioned whoopin. He doesn¡¦t say it just to beat us with harsh words or to make us feel bad, no, the purpose of Jesus is a redemptive purpose, it is a transforming purpose, it is driving us to recognize our condition, driving us to a genuine repentance so that we may receive a remedy for our sickness and be overcomers and sit with Him on His throne. The purpose of the letter to Laodicea, is so that you and I as part of Laodicea, may become those that overcome. The letter finished on a triumphant note. It ends with a glorious note. It ends in a victorious note. It says, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.
The promise to Laodicea is the most glorious victory that could ever be offered to human beings, to share that Divine throne of the king of the universe. Do you know what means, to share the throne of the Kings of Kings and the Lord of Lords?! Oh what a privilege. Jesus told Peter when he said, ¡§We have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Song of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.¡¨
Laodicea ¡V laos / dikaios ¡V the people of judgment. What a name for the church that was to come about in 1844 and is to culminate when it is taken to heaven by Jesus Christ. It is a people that will sit to judge. It is a people that will have the ability to judge. John towards the end of Revelation Johns says he saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
This is the destiny for the people of judgment of Laodicea ¡V to sit on thrones to judge. It is talking about a people in the last days. It is not talking about those redeemed in the past because the mark and the image of the beast is speaking about something in the present, to a people who must gain victory over that beast. And so he writes, to him that overcomes, to him that is victorious, I will grant to sit with me in my throne. This letter ends on a high note for those that choose to follow Christ, who choose to overcome, who wants to accept the message and change their lives. This is a not popular message. It is not an easy sermon to preach. It is difficult because we might step on some people¡¦s toes or bruise some egos. Our character flaws will be pointed out, but Jesus does it because He loves us. The verse that reveals the motive for the letter is verse 19. It tells us why Jesus writes this letter to his people in the last days. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Therein is the motive for why He says what He says, because He loves us. That is why we call this a Love Letter from Jesus. It is with that same divine love which He has for us from eternity, that love that drove Him to give His life for us. With that love He speaks to His church in the last days and He has a few things to say to them. He has the right to speak to us. He bought us with His blood. He knows us better than anyone and knows our true condition thus He has the right to point things out. Jesus says I am the one that searches the deepest recesses of the heart. He knows what is in the church of Laodicea.
It is my desire that as we go through this last letter to the end time church we will make an in depth examination of ourselves. If we don¡¦t know our true condition then how will we know what to repent of? The attitude of Laodicea is, ¡§Why does Jesus speak this way? Could it be that He is exaggerating a bit? Could it be that He is mistaken? Why does He say you are lukewarm?¡¨ If we neglect to recognize our true condition, then we will not look for the remedy. Because Laodicea is a church that is ill. It is sick with a disease that is fatal, that leads to destruction and death. Praise God though that there is a cure, but there is only One Doctor who can heal. But if the patient does not recognize his sickness he will not seek the remedy or the Doctor who can heal. If the patient thinks all is well, and that is what he thinks as he says, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing¡K He says, ¡§All is well with my soul.¡¨ All is good with me and the Lord. There is no problem if I have accepted Jesus. If I belong to the true church and in the midst of the remnant, among those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. Among those that will receive the seal of God. What could possibly be wrong with me? I accepted Christ, I am in church, I give tithe, I fast three times a week said the Pharisee, and all is great Lord! That is the attitude of the Laodicean. I am increased with goods and have need of nothing.
We must understand our condition and how to get cured. Jesus provides the cure and He gives three ingredients:
- I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in fire
- white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed
- anoint your eyes with eyesalve
Gold, white raiment, eyesalve and all of this has symbolism and this we will look at and see how we can attain victory. The Gold, the white raiment, and the eyesalve form part of the message of justification by faith. By the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the eyesalve, so we can see our condition. We will look at all of this in the weeks to come. We will look at how Jesus was victorious and how we too can gain the victory and sit with Him.
Let us then go to our passage for the morning. In fact, we will take this letter one verse at a time. I may couple verses together later, but today we will look at Revelation 3:14 --
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Who is this letter presented to and how does Jesus present Himself? We mentioned that Laodicea is a Greek term. The city of Laodicea had a Christian church. Nonetheless, although Jesus writes to seven churches through John, the seven churches were chosen by Christ because they are symbolic of seven periods in Christian history. It is not just a local message, but a prophecy that applies to certain periods.
The first is the apostolic period (Ephesus: 31-100 AD), this is followed by a period of persecution and trouble (Smyrna: 100-313 AD) for the church, and it was then followed by a period of union with the state and compromise on many of its principles (Pergamos: 313-538). The fourth period was the medieval period, also known as the Dark Ages (Thyatira: 538-1517 AD). The fifth period was a time of Reformation (Sardis: 1517-1755). The sixth period was a time of Christian Orthodoxy (Philadelphia: 1755-1844). A time when the exciting games of the Reformation began to be lost sight of and doctrine became more important than practice. The seventh period of Christian history, Schaff calls, the period of infidelity and world-wide mission (Laodicea: 1844-present). In other words, this last period of the churches history has been a time of world-wide mission but it has also been a time of falling away and infidelity; a time when we see society in great decline and law and order breaking down and so forth.
The name Laodicea has been defined as meaning, ¡§judging the people,¡¨ or ¡§a people judged.¡¨ The messenger of the Lord writes, The Laodicean message applies to the people of God who profess to believe present truth. The greater part are lukewarm¡KThey profess to love the truth, yet are deficient in Christian fervor and devotion. They dare not give up wholly and run the risk of the unbeliever, yet they are unwilling to die to self and follow out closely the principles of their faith.
To whom is this letter written to? To the angel of the church in Laodicea. Every letter sent to the 7 churches is addressed to the angel.
- 2:1 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write
- 2:8 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write
- 2:12 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Pergamos write
- 2:18 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write
- 3:1 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Sardis write
- 3:7 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write
- 3:14 ¡V and unto the angel of the church in Laodicea write
Every letter is addressed to the angels. Who are the angels? The leaders of the churches, the ministers. Read with me, Revelation 1:20, The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.. This is a reference to earlier in the same chapter, Revelation 1:11-20 ¡V The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Well it is obvious the candlesticks are the seven churches and Jesus walks in the midst of them leading and directing. But what about these seven stars, they are seven angels, but what are they. Let us allow the Word of God explain to us. Let us go to the counterpart of the book of Revelation, the book of Daniel 12:3, And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Who shine like the stars? Those that teach righteousness to the multitude. The leaders, the ministers, etc., Okay, we allow the Bible to tell us the angels are the stars, and then that the angels, these stars, teach righteousness to the multitude. Let us go to the SOP, GW 13-14, God¡¦s ministers are symbolized by the seven stars, which He who is the first and the last has under His special care and protection. Who are those symbolized by the stars? The sweet influences that are to be abundant in the church are bound up with these ministers of God, who are to represesnt the love of Christ.
Why does Jesus address the letter of Laodicea to the ministers? Let me continue reading. The stars of heaven are under God¡¦s control. He fills them with light. He guides and directs their movements. If He did not, they would become fallen stars. So with His ministers. They are but instruments in His hands, and all the good they accomplish is done through His power.
So Jesus begins by addressing this letter to the leaders of the church. A message of warning to the church. Now we can see the characteristics of Jesus to Laodicea.
- Amen
- Faithful and True witness
- The beginning of the creation of God
For the sake of review let us look at the other characteristics we have seen:
- In Revelation 2:1, ¡§He that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.¡¨
o These are the same characteristics of Jesus that we saw in the first chapter in verses 13, 16, and 20
o Christ is represented as holding the seven stars in His right hand. This assures us that no church faithful to its trust need fear coming to nought, for not a star that has the protection of Omnipotence can be plucked out of the hand of Christ (Acts of the Apostles, 586).
- In Revelation 2:8, ¡§The first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.¡¨
o These are the same characteristics found in verses 17 and 18 of the first chapter.
o To a church facing persecution and death for its faith, emphasis on life in Christ would be especially meaningful, don¡¦t you agree?
- In Revelation 2:12, ¡§He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.¡¨
o This is the same characteristic as seen in verse 16 of chapter one.
o Oh friends, here we have a glimpse of the incisiveness of His decisions and the effectiveness of His acts of judgment.
- In Revelation 2:18, ¡§Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like find brass.¡¨
o Again, these characteristics are spoken of in Revelation 1:6 and verses 14 and 15
o Jesus¡¦ eyes are as a fiery flame thus indicating that He intensely gazes at us..
- In Revelation 3:1, ¡§He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.¡¨
o These are characteristics seen in chapter one verses 4, 16, and 20.
- In Revelation 3:7, ¡§He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.¡¨
o He is the holder of keys in Revleation 1:18
o The term holy and true is mysteriously not found in chapter one, but could possibly be a reference to 6:10 where prayer goes up from the saints to the holy and true one. The one who never sinned, the true and faithful one.
- In Revelation 3:14, ¡§the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.¡¨
o We see these characteristics in chapters 1 verse 5
Let us look at these three titles:
Amen
- What does Amen mean? It is a Hebrew word. Say Amen. You speak Hebrew very nicely. It is said in all languages the same. What does it mean in Hebrews? Comes from the verb AMAN ¡V be truth; be faithful; say the truth. When Jesus says, ¡§Verily, Verily¡¨ The greek writers use the Hebrew word, ¡§Amen, Amen¡¨ ¡V this is true, secure, what I say is true and what I say will come to pass. He is the Amen
- The one that tells the truth. What I am about to say is truth.
- He has reasons for presenting himsels as Amen
- Laodiceas is not willing to listen = ¡§I¡¦m okay, I¡¦m all right, why are you telling me all these things?¡¨
- The one who speaks is the Amen, that tells the truth and does not lie cause all I speak is truth.
- It is a title of God in the Old Testament. Not only in the NT -- Isaiah 65:16 ¡V
o The God of Amen ¡V the God of Truth
o How is it in your Bible? The God of truth¡K.
o ¡¥Elohe ¡¥ amen ¡V The God of Truth
- Further message than just being the truth
o The way, the Amen, the life
- Amen does not only mean to say the truth. Amen means ¡§this is so¡¨ ¡§May it be so¡¨
o When we end our prayers we say Amen
o And all the people should say Amen
o Many churches use the amen.
„X People respond to sermons
„X To prayers, etc.
o Biblical custom
- This will come to pass because God has promised. Jesus is the Amen because he is the surety of all the promises of God. In him are all promises kept. 1 Corinthians 1:20 ¡V all the promises of God in Jesus are yes!
o Referring to Jesus --- they are Amen! They are yes!
o Fulfilled in Jesus through us
- Jesus is in us the Amen ¡V all that God promises he fulfills in Jesus
- Ot book of promise ¡V NT book of fulfillment
- Ot promises messiah ¡V NT shows the fulfillment
- Ot promise of lamb ¡V NT is the Amen in Jesus
- All the promises of God are a yes and an Amen
o He has some hard things to say
o Reveal some things that are bad and he knew they would be hesitant to believe
o He also has a promise to make as the Amen
„X Verse 21 ¡V to him that overcomes¡K
„X This is fulfilled in Jesus
- To win the victory we need the Amen, not only to put his hand in the wound, but to heal it. To signal the sin, but to give the cure. Power to be victorious, more than conquerors, sit on His throne as He conquered.
- Now understand there is power..he is the YES, the Amen of all of God¡¦s promises
- These things saith the Amen
The faithful and true witness
- Laodicea ¡V judging the people / the people of judgment
- We need witnesses in a judgment scene
- He is the witness
o Where do witnesses go to? To the court, the judgment
o To testify of the truth
o You swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
o True witnesses and false witnesses that are bought and sold
- What type of witness is Jesus
o Faithful and true
o In the judgment, that is now being celebrated in heaven, in that judgment, Jesus will be as a witness and will tell the truth
o The books will be opened and next to each name will be written the truth and He will give testimony of how in his love and mercy he called to every heart of his children in laodciea.
o Because I loved him I spoke to his heart and to those who accept , ¡§he heard my voice¡¨ my blood covers their sin. Testify that we accepted him. He cannot lie¡Kall that confess him before men, I will confess before my father in the heavens!
o That is what the witness does¡Kgive a confession¡K.theis reference to court and judgment scene
„X To him that confesses¡KI will confess¡K
- Jesus is the faithful and true witness
o Testifies of every member of Laodicea.
o This is a solemn thing. Real soon my name will be called in the judgment of God and your name will be called in that judgment scene and Jesus will give a testimony
o What will he say about you? He is the faithful and true¡Khe will not lie and what he says will determine your salvation or perdition
o He would like to give a favorable testimony but he cannot lie
o Have you accepted him as savior of your life? Have you confessed him before men? Or is your chirstian life lip service only? Is Jesus really the center of your existence. Is he your advocate your defense. Have you confessed¡K
o It will be read, Manny Vela¡Kandin the book it will say, He commiteed such an such sin. What a shame, but immediately Jesus will give testimony and say, what a minute, he confessed that sin, I have accepted and I advocate for him¡K
o He reads yet another, and the angels become sad, but he said he was a Christian. How did he confess you before men? Judge, Jesus says, I am here as a witness, Jesus gets up and lifts up his hands before his father, and says, that too was confessed blot it out from the book!
o Woe to him who has not confessed his sins cause it will be then that Jesus will remain quiet
o Even sadder, he won¡¦t be quiet, he willsay I spoke to him with love and with my spirit. I sent him this person and that person, he sat in church and heard the message preachd where I sent my message to Laodicea and he didn¡¦t accept my call. I have to give testimony of the truth. With tears, he will say
o What testimony shall he give for you and I? That depends on your decision. It depends on what you do about Christ in your life!
o It is not coincidence that He sends this message to us today. If you are here today he wants to speak to your heart. Do not reject his calling. He will speak to your heart. Is he speaking to you right now? Listen to his voice and say not.
o He calls you with an invitation of love. Do not let him call in vain. Come to Christ today and I give him my soul.
o He wants to be your defense attorney not your judge¡K
„X It is time to hire him as your defense attorney
„X this is ht emoment to come to Jesus
- important that Jesus speaks to Laodicea like this
- not coincidence¡K.do you like that he is faithful and ture
beginning of the creation of God
- we are called to give a special message in the time of the end
- message that distinguishes the SDA church ¡V the Sabbath
- interesting that He presents himself as the creator
o as the beginning of the creation of God
- some people use this text incorrectly. They are called witnesses. They testify that Jesus is not God, that Jesus is the first created being. And they use this text to prove that.
o The beginning, he was the first to be created
o They are good people with good intentions but misinformed
- Word in greek is arche ¡V initiator, originator, principal, superior, fountain, origin, beginning, -- all refer not to something created but that he is the creator, the originator
o Not the first created but the creator
o He created all that exists
o Origin ¡V source ¡V Jesus is the Creator
- He speaks to Laodicea as the beginning of Creation
o Fear God and Give Him glory ¡V Rev 14
o Because he made all that exists and Laodicea needs to call the world to this message
o The Sabbath reminds us of Jesus as creator for in six days he ¡K..
- There is something else ¡V
o This period begins to be counted in 1844 ¡V Laodicea
o In 1844 is famous for not only the great disappointment, not because it is the beginnings of our church
o It is historic for something else
o A young man, son of a protestant minister
„X In November of 1843 boarded a ship named ¡§the beagle¡¨
„X His name was Charlie
„X He went on a trip around the world
„X Left as a believer and returned after a year, a non-believer
„X He read a book on that trip. You always take something to read on a trip it seems like. Especially in that time when you had to go months and months on boat
„X He took a book of a Frenchmen, LYLE, and it transformed his life, in a negative sense
„X He looked for facts supporting lyle theory
„X When he returned he published the origin of the species ¡V Charles Darwin
„X The father of evolution ¡V in the same year , 1844, this book is published, the foundation for atheist, to take God out of the picture and to say that He did not creat anyyhing but that it came through an evolution of the species.
„X He said we cam from the monkey
„X It has been revised¡Knot they say we come from a ancestor common to both man and monkey
„X Almost all schools teach this theory and is responsible for creating atheists
„X Since 1844 and ahead we have this theory
„X And God lifts up a people that will declare rev 14
o Jesus is the foundation of the creation of God
- Apropoe this title right? In a period where God is denied, in Christian seminaries, we have this false theory of evolution. In universities that used to be cornerstones of Christianity now deny God
- Incredible how Satan works
- He is the foundation the origin and Laodicea is called to build of the ruins, to proclaim the Sabbath, the creation, etc¡K
- Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath
- Reminds me of creator, but also of Jesus as redeemer
o Same creative power needed to recreate man in God¡¦s image
o Man fell, and the image of God has been lost and he is coming to seek and find to recreate us in His image.
o The same power needed now for a new heart and life
- He bought us with His love
o With his blood
o The Sabbath is sign of redeemer and sanctifier
o When did Jesus finish creating?
„X Friday and rested on the Sabbath
o When did Jesus finish his work here on earth, the redemptive work?
„X When did he say, it is finsiehd
„X 3pm ¡V Jesus finished redemption a Friday afternoon and he rested on the Sabbath, in the tomb
o the Sabbath is a reminder of Creator and Redeemer
„X the work of redepmton was finished
„X the cost has been paid
- Don¡¦t be fooled by those that say you keep the Jewish Sabbath.
o It is his creative power and redemptive power
o he that formed me in his image and will recreate me
o the power of Jesus blood that was shed
o he is my Lord, because he made me he bought me and redeemed me with his blood
the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God He is the one that writes¡K
May he be the yes and the amen, cling to him the faithful and true. Ask according to His will because He is the Yes, the Amen¡KMake him your intercessor, your attorney that he may be your witness in judgment and may he testify that you are pardoned because of his blood. Make him the creator and redeemer of your life¡Kbecause he is the sustainer and creator
