If Jesus Passed a Note in Church, What Would It Say? (Part 7 of 7)
(Series of sermon content original to W. Herschel Ford)
To the Naked Church That Made Me Sick
Rev. 3:14-22
Nov. 19, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A The Huddinge Hospital in Stockholm Sweden, has asked a nurse called Jesus to change his name. Apparently some patients have been concerned after they were told "Jesus will be coming soon."
1 Some people thought they were being told they were going to die.
2 Jesus, who will now use his middle name Manuel, said "my name
never usually causes me problems."
3 I wonder, when you hear that Jesus is coming soon, what emotions come to you? Is it hope or fear?
4 Jesus was coming to sick people in Sweden, but in our text today, the Church of Laodicea was making Jesus sick as we conclude our seven churches of Revelation series.
B Laodicea (banking center, medicine: phrgymum powder, known for their black, shiny wool).
1 Earthquake AD 60-refused money from government to rebuild
2 Strong Jewish presence, also pagan worship
3 Water was a major problem, piped in from two near-by cities
4 Jesus gives them no pats on the back because they’re already doing that themselves.
C Rev 3:14-22 (NASB)
1 Explanation of "the beginning of the creation of God." Some cults use this as a proof-text to suggest that Jesus was created, not eternal God. "Beginning" is a divine title in Revelation (note: Beginning is capitalized)
a Identical to "First and the Last" Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. Rev 21:6 (NASB)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Rev 22:13 (NASB)
b Jesus is the source of creation, not a sample
c All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3 (NASB)
2 Jesus longed for the Laodicean church to come back to Him in devotion & faithful service (essence of the text in a sentence).
3 Jesus points out our flaws so we might come closer to Him by repenting (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
4 I pray you’ll make room for Jesus in your heart by repenting of sins that have pushed Him out (objective).
D How does your life make Jesus feel? (Probing question)
1 Let’s look at two parts of Jesus’ plan of action for the Laodicean church to come back into fellowship with Him (T.S.).
2 Pray
I The first part of Jesus’ plan of action for the Laodicean church to come back into fellowship with Him was...the diagnosis. (vs. 15-20)
A Jesus minced zero words in describing the Laodicean’s disease.
1 "Neither hot nor cold...you are lukewarm...I will spit you out of my mouth." v. 15-16
a Laodicea, for all its wealth, had bad water (two aqueducts: Hierapolis, 4 miles to the north, had a hot spring. Colosse, 6 miles to the south, had a cold sping).
b By the time hot/cold water got to Laodicea it was "lukewarm"-full of sediment, useless, repugnant, & was making people sick.
c Useless unless you did something with it (heat it/cool it in the shade).
2 We’ve interpreted hot/cold as God wanting our hearts ablaze with passion for Him, lost souls, worship (not altogether applicable), & cold as distant, apathetic, lethargy.
a Idea was foreign to the 1st century Christian mind (never heard Jerry Reid’s "when you’re hot, you’re hot, when you’re not, you’re not).
b Hot/cold was useful, lukewarm was not.
c Jesus said, "I will not use you, bless you, work through you!"
3 Because you say, "I am rich, wealthy, & have no need of anything." v. 17
a They pictured themselves as all that & Jesus pictured them as the neediest people on Earth.
b They had plenty of money, but misinterpreted wealth as a blessing from God.
aa They lost their VALUES (size of building [IL: bulletin with buildings on it], fat bank account, human standards).
bb They lost their VISION (couldn’t see their flaws, sin-they couldn’t see Jesus, either).
cc They lost their VESTURE (believed they were dressed in splendor, really naked, defeated, humiliated).
c Jesus said, "You’re wretched and miserable"-plundered/destroyed by war.
4 "Behold, I stand at the door & knock..." v. 20
a Jesus was no longer in the church, they’d forced Him outside
b Had riches, wealth, bills paid, programs...no Jesus!
c Left Him out of their plans, programs, hearts
B If Sardis was a dead church, this is the autopsy report of a dead church.
Although the diagnosis puts this church as dead, Jesus assured them that all is not lost (transitional sentence).
II The second part of Jesus’ plan of action for the Laodicean church to come back into fellowship with Him was...the cure. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ’Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ’Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ’He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
A V. 18 He gives the church solutions to regain what they’d lost.
1 They were poor: the solution is to pay the price to get true "gold refined by fire."
a "By fire" suggests the church needs some persecutions, problems.
b God permits churches to go through times of trial so they might become what He wants them to be.
c V. 19 "Those I love I reprove & discipline..."
2 They were blind: solution is to apply heavenly eye salve (v. 18)
a Only Jesus can cure spiritual blindness! Open the eyes of our heart!
b In John 9, Jesus healed a blind man (spit in dirt, made mud, rubbed it in his eyes). Sometimes, He may irritate before He illuminates.
c Submit to His treatment.
3 They were naked: solution is to put on the white garments to cover their shameful nakedness.
B "If anyone...opens the door, I will come in & dine with him." v. 20
1 Philadelphia’s doors were open, Laodicea must open their own.
a He’d come in for ANYONE who would simply hear His voice/open the door-faith works.
b He wants to have dinner...a big deal in the 1st century (fellowship).
2 Believer, Jesus is offering you gold, sight, garments of white today.
a Your values, vision, vestige may be off...He can fix it.
b He’s knocking! He may knock with a heartache, loss, crisis, health, finances, setbacks. Those He loves He reproves & disciplines. Those He hates...He spits out.
c When we let Jesus in, the supper room becomes the throne room (v. 21), He’s not just wanting to do lunch with us...sine with us.
3 We become overcomers, victors when we are in communion/fellowship with Jesus.
Conclusion:
A Jesus longed for the Laodicean church to come back to Him in devotion & faithful service (essence of the text in a sentence).
1 Jesus points out our flaws so we might come closer to Him by repenting (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
2 We’ve looked at two parts of Jesus’ plan of action for the Laodicean church to come back into fellowship with Him.
a The diagnosis
b The cure
B I pray you’ll make room for Jesus in your heart by repenting of sins that have pushed Him out (objective).
C How does your life make Jesus feel? (Probing question)
1 Harold wanted to be in the annual Christmas play which was always a big production in his town. But Harold was not the top student in his class and seemed to have a lot of problems.
a The directors of the children’s play did not want to hurt Harold’s feelings, but they were worried about whether he could handle a part. They finally decided to give him the part of the Inn Keeper. All he had to say was, "I’m sorry, there is no room in the Inn."
b Well, the night of the big play came and the church was packed. At the precise moment Mary and Joseph came and knocked on the Inn door. The whole village of Bethlehem shook as Harold tried to open the cardboard door to the Inn which was stuck. At last he got the door open, and the pitiful young couple was standing there looking all too real to Harold, but with a little coaching he blurted out the words: "I’m sorry, all the rooms are full, and there’s no room for you here."
c The couple turned sorrowfully away and began to walk off stage when all of a sudden the door of the Inn swung open again, and Harold ran up to the couple and said in a loud voice so that everyone could hear, "Wait a minute. Come back. You can have my room." It was a great addition to the play, even though it was not in the script.
2 The world was not interested enough to provide a room for the Savior, but you don’t have to follow the script either.
a You can give Him room — your room. The room of your heart. Give Him room to live in you.
b Jesus says to us, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
c Jesus is knocking, calloused knuckles . . .In fact, He has been knocking on some of our hearts so long that his knuckles must be calloused. I think he’s worn impressions of his knuckles on our heart’s doors! How many times has God been knocking on our doors, pleading with us to open up to Him, and the only response he sees to his knocking is the shades going down, and blinds closing.
d Isn’t it time we get zealous and repent? He promises that if we will simply open the door, he will come in.
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