New Testament Reading: Revelation 4:1-3

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (Revelation 4:1–3, ESV).

Introduction

It was about a month ago that our family was driving through town late at night (I think it was probably 9:00 or 10:00) and I noticed that while almost all of the businesses were closed, the psychics and palm readers were open. Their “Open” signs really stood out shining brightly in the darkness. I would argue, of course, that those bright signs were a mirage, promising way more than they could deliver. I remember saying, “how many people go to these palm readers anyways, let alone at this hour of the night?” Well, apparently the answer is enough to keep these people in business, right?

Really, it does not surprise me. It is not uncommon for people to want to know something about the future. We humans are limited creatures. We are limited in more ways than I can list right now, one of them being that we do not know what the future holds. This limitation can make us feel very vulnerable. Some will even find themselves petrified – unable to act – when faced with a major life decision for fear that they will choose the “wrong path”. If only they could know the future, or at least something about the future, they could act with confidence. It is no wonder, then, that they are willing pay these charlatans to read read the palm or the cards or the stars or to consult the spirits on their behalf so that they might know something about the future to help discern which direction they should go.

A Christian would never to think to visit one of these establishments. It is not that we see the future with greater clarity than our fellow human beings, for we too are limited in our knowledge of the future. And it is not that we are immune to the feelings of vulnerability that sometimes overwhelm finite creatures living in an unpredictable world. The difference is that we look elsewhere for help.

We look to God. We trust in him. Really, we do not need to know the future for we know the One who has ordained all things and who has promised to bring his purposes to pass. We trust in him to bring about what is best, both for his glory and our good. We trust in him to sustain us through every season of life. The follower of Christ is comfortable with his finitude. He is at peace despite his limitations. He is content with not knowing the future. Why? Because he knows the One who knows all things, who has decreed all things, and who has all power to bring all things to his desired end, who’s name is Love.

Not only do we look to God himself and to the person of Christ, trusting in them, we also look to the word of God. God’s word does not reveal everything to us, but it does reveal enough. It reveals, among other things, who God is, so that we might trust in him. It also reveals how we are to live in this world so that we might obey. The Christian, then, is not to be consumed with speculations about the future. Instead, we are to trust and obey. You know the old hymn, Trust and Obey:

“When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Friends, we do not need to know what tomorrow holds. Instead, we need to know the one who holds tomorrow in his hands. It is he that we are to trust and obey. This is this thing that Christians should be preoccupied with, not with speculations about the details of our future.

With that said, is should be recognized that God has not left us to wander in total darkness concerning our knowledge of the future. He has revealed something of himself to us so that we might trust in him. He has revealed his will for us so that we might obey him. And he has also revealed something about the future to us so that we might walk according to the light of that revelation. He has not revealed all things. But he has revealed some things so that we might live accordingly.

Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”. There are two main principles communicated in this verse. One, this verse clearly states that some things are “secret” – only God knows them. He, in his infinite wisdom, has chosen not to reveal everything to us. The secret things are things that we sometimes wish we knew: When exactly will Christ return? Who will I marry? Which career path should I choose? Why did this bad thing happen to me – what good can possibly come of it? Etc. But we are to be content with not knowing. We are to trust God, and we are to obey what he has revealed. That is the second principle communicated in this verse. God, though he has not revealed all things, has revealed some things. The things that he has revealed “belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

These two principles are important for us to keep in mind as we continue our study of the book of Revelation. It is here in the book that God reveals to us some things about the future. We should be grateful for the light of this revelation. It should help us to trust in God and to obey him. We are to walk in the light of what has been revealed. But we must also be content to allow what God has kept secret to remain secret.

Brothers and sisters, the book of Revelation has been badly abused in our day. Actually, it has been tortured. It is has been tortured by futurist interpreters who interrogate it with the text of Revelation in one hand and the newspaper in the other. The futurists insist that Revelation say something specific about todays headlines – “What do you have to say about this?”, the futurist asks – but Revelation will not be pushed around. What is says, it says clearly. But it is also stubborn to say not a word more. It is the futurist interrogators who wind up flustered and frustrated, looking rather foolish in the end.

And so here is our objective: to allow the book of Revelation to speak where it speaks, and to allow the book to remain silent where it is silent. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”.

So why all of this talk about the future today?

Well, we have come to the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward. Please know that I chose those words very carefully. I will repeat them: We have come to the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.

Notice the words “after this” both at the beginning of verse one and also at the end. “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this’” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). The words are the same in both the English and the Greek. In both occurrences the words obviously communicate something about sequence – first this, and then after this, that. But the two occurrences – the one at the beginning of the verse and the one at the end – refer to different things.

The first “after this” refers to the sequence of the visions that John received. First, he saw a vision of one like a son of man walking in the midst of seven lamp stands who commissioned him to write to the seven churches. After that he saw another vision. This new vision is described beginning in chapter four.

The first thing that John saw was a “door standing open in heaven”, but he also heard a voice. It was the same voice that he heard at the beginning that spoke to him like a trumpet. This is a reference back to chapter 1 verse 10 where John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying,’“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea’” (Revelation 1:10–11, ESV).

Do you remember how last Sunday I made much of the idea that the whole of the book of Revelation was for the seven churches, and not just chapters one through three? I tried to demonstrate that the letters to the seven churches were intimately related to chapters four and five conceptually. The concepts communicated in chapters four and five correspond to the concepts communicated in chapters two and three. Chapters two and three say, “live in this way, Christian” and chapters four and five (indeed, the rest of the book of Revelation) say, and here is why you should – it will be worth it in the end!

Here we see a more concrete literary connection. In chapter one John was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, [he] heard behind [him] a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches” (Revelation 1:10, ESV). Here in 4:1 John hears the same voice, and in 4:2 he is again said to be “in the Spirit” before describes the visions that follow. What is crystal clear is that the whole of the book of Revelation was addressed to the seven churches alive in 90A.D.. The whole thing was a for them, just as the whole thing is for us. The point I am making is that our interpretation of the book of Revelation must not violate its fundamental unity. It seems clear to me that the futurist interpretation violates the unity of the book by driving a huge chronological wedge in between the end of chapter three and the beginning of chapter 4.

Clearly, 4:1 marks the beginning of a new section in the book of Revelation. But it is equally clear that this new section goes along with the previous one. The first section says, “persevere, conquer, overcome, endure, even to the point of death.” The second section begins to say, “here is why it will be worth it.”

The second “after this” – the one at the end of verse one – refers to the sequence of history. The vision that John saw at first had to do with how things were in his day. Chapters two and three had to do with the condition of seven particular churches alive in 90 A.D. when he wrote. True, those churches represent all churches then and now, but the letters were written concerning how things were with them back then. In 4:1 the focus begins to shift to describe how things would be from that day forward. Christ spoke to John saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”, that is to say, in the days to come and until the Lord returns.

The words “after this” at the end of 4:1 should remind us of what was said by Christ to John back in 1:19. Christ spoke to John saying, “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this” (Revelation 1:19, ESV).The book of Revelation is indeed broken into two main parts. The letters to the seven churches described things as they were in John’s day, and chapters four and onward begin to describe how things would be from the time of John’s writing on to the end of time.

The futurists – that is to say, those who interpret the book of Revelation as if chapters four through twenty-two describe things that will happen yet in our future – make much of the words, “after this” both in 1:19 and also at the end of 4:1. The weight of their system rests heavily upon the word’s “after this”.  But it should be recognized that when they read the words “after this” they do not simply think, “after this”, but rather, “a long, long time after this”. Remember, their view is that almost 2,000 years of history come in between the events described in chapters two and three and the events described in chapters four through twenty-two. They do not read “after this”, but the imagine the text to be saying, “a long, long time after this.”

I’ve come to see this futurist view – which is the majority view today (or it is at least the most popular view) as incorrect for many reasons. I’ll mention only two reasons now.

One, this view reads into the text something that is not really there. True, 4:1 marks the transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day, to a focus upon how things would be in the future, but the futurist makes the text to say more than it says when they cram their huge chronological gap into the text. The gap is not there – they force it into the text. The futurist position, which produces the pre-millennial position that is so popular today, has as its foundation the gaps in scripture. We might ask the futurist, “where do you find support for this idea that chapters four through twenty two describe things that will happen in our future, 2,000 years removed from the original audience?” They will have to admit that they see it in the gap between 3:22 and 4:1. Never does the text actually say it.

Two, I have come to reject the futurist interpretation because it ignores what is clearly stated in the text. I’ve already demonstrated that the chapters four and following are tightly linked to chapters one through three both literarily and contextually. But we should also remember the clear statements found in Revelation concerning the nearness of the events described in this book. Remember what was said in 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, ESV). And the same truth is repeated near the end of the book where John was told in 22:10, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10, ESV). So the futurist reads into the text something that is not there while ignoring what the text clearly says. Most of the things described in the book of Revelation were near. And remember that they were near, not first of all to us, but to those who originally read the book in 90A.D. More could be said – indeed, more has been said in past sermons and lectures – but we must move on.

If I had more time I would also make a case against the preterist, partial-preterist, and historicist position.  The full preterist position is so wild that I don’t fear any of you falling for it. The historicist position is rather uncommon today – you’ll probably never encounter it. The partial-preterist position is not all that different from the one that I hold to – I would not be too concerned if you came to hold that position. I speak against the futurist position strongly because it is both very wrong and also very popular today.

I hold to what is called the idealist, or the modified idealist, position. To state it very simply, the idealist position admits that revelation 4:1, and the words “after this” at the end of 4:1, marks a major transition in the book of Revelation. Things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.  But we recognize that the rest of the book of Revelation will describe, not just the things that will happen at the very end of time – things yet in our future – but rather how things will be in the world in the whole time between Christ’s first and second coming. The thing that the book of Revelation primarily reveals is how things will be in the last days, which are the days between Christ’s first and second comings. Yes, the book tells us us about the future! But is said just as much to the 90A.D. Christians concerning their future, as it does to us concerning ours. Revelation reveals how things will go concerning the redemption of God’s people and the judgment of God’s enemies throughout the church age (that is the story contained within the scroll in God’s right hand that the Lamb was worth to open). It also reveals what will happen in the end – the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment, and the ushering in of the new heavens and the new earth. Indeed, “after this” does have do with the chronology of history, but there is no gap there. The Christians who read the book in 90 A.D. saw and experienced the things revealed in this book, with the exception of the bodily return of Christ, the bodily resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, and the consummation of the new heavens and earth – the kingdom of God.

Here’s the thing I want you to take away from these introductory remarks (Yes, this was all introduction. I have three points for you, but they will be rather brief): I want for you to recognize that God has not left us in the dark concerning the future. He has revealed something to us concerning how things will go until Christ returns, and how things will go when and after he returns.  Really, this has been true from the beginning of time God has always been gracious to reveal something about the future to his creatures. It was true in the garden. It was true immediately after the fall. And it has been true throughout the history of redemption. God has given us warnings and promises and prophesy so that we might walk according to the light he has provided. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV). What a gift this is! He could have simply said, trust and obey! But he, in his mercy and grace, has revealed something to us concerning the reality of things now, the trajectory of human history, and things that will certainly happen in the end. What a gift it is!

Friends, we would be wise to believe what God has said concerning the future. We would also be wise to take comfort in what he has revealed and to walk according to that light. We would be fools if we didn’t.

If you knew that the stock market was going to crash tomorrow what would you do with your investments today? You’d be wise to sell! You’d be called a fool if you didn’t. Why? Because you knew what was going to happen but you failed act accordingly. In the same way, we would be fools if we failed to live our lives today in light of what God has revealed concerning tomorrow.

To believe what God has revealed concerning the future should move us to live accordingly, and it should also produce peace within our hearts along with steadfastness, faithfulness, consistency, and confidence in our way of life.

I mentioned last Sunday that Lindsay and I had gone to a Chinese New Years celebration with some of her co-workers the day before. I had no idea what to expect. I’d never been to one before. And so a few days before the event I ran into Mr. Wynn, Lindsay’s boss, and said, “tell me about this thing. When will it start? What will it cost? How should I dress?” I felt completely in the dark before that conversation. I had no idea what would happen. And so I felt uncertain concerning what I should do in preparation. When did we need to leave? How much money did I need to bring? How should I dress? Paul answered those questions for me. He did not attempt to describe the event in detail – I don’t know that it would have helped anyways. There are somethings that you just need to experience to understand them. But he told me what I needed to know. He gave me enough information to get me to the event prepared. It was interesting to note the psychological effect that that little bit of information had upon me. It set my heart at ease. It gave me confidence. It freed me to make good and wise decisions. I was able to go prepared. It was only after experiencing the event that I can say that I understand it, but I was given the information that needed to go with confidence and well prepared.

The book of Revelation does this for us when it comes to life in general. How exactly will things go in the end? God has not given us all the details – “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36, ESV). But he has given us enough information so that we might walk with wisdom in this world. He has revealed enough so that we might walk confidently in this world, with steadfastness in our steps and peace in our hearts. He’s told us enough so that we might prepare.

So let us consider briefly the first three verses of Revelation four.

It is interesting to notice that chapters four and five of Revelation do not describe events that would happen in the future from John’s perspective, but rather how things already were when he wrote.

You might be thinking to yourself, “but that contradicts what has been said about the words ‘after this’ at the end of 4:1!” Listen again to what I said about 4:1. This is “the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.”

Chapters four and five do not describe things that would happen in the future from John’s perspective – they set the stage for the unfolding of human history. In chapter four John describes his vision of God enthroned in heaven. When did that happen? Not in John’s future or ours, but long before that! If you know your Old Testament, Revelation chapter four will sound very familiar to you, for what John describes sounds a lot like what the prophets of old had seen. And chapter five comes to focus upon Jesus Christ who is seen at the Fathers right hand, appearing like a lamb that had been slain. He is the one who is found worthy to take the scroll from the Father and to break it’s seals, revealing it’s contents. When did that happen? Not in John’s future or ours, but when Christ ascended to the Father after his life, death, burial and resurrection. That happened some sixty years before John wrote. Notice the song that the twenty-four elders sang? “Worthy are you [Jesus] to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9, ESV).

The vision that John saw as it is described to us in chapters four an five reveals how things already were at the time of John’s writing. He was given a glimpse into the present heavenly reality of things. The Father was already enthroned, of course. And Christ was already at his right hand and found to be worthy to receive the scroll and open it because he had finished the work of redemption through his death on the cross. Chapters four an five reveal to us how things already were in heaven at the time of John’s writing – God was (and is) enthroned, and Christ was (and is) at his right hand and is found worthy to open the scroll because of his finished work on the cross.

What’s in that scroll? That’s the question. Well, the rest of Revelation will make that clear. When Christ begins to break the seals of the scroll – when he begins to open it (chapters 6-8:5) – we will see laid out before us God’s plans concerning the salvation of his people and the judgment of his enemies.

Do you see, then, that Revelation four and five do not describe things that would happen in John’s future, but things as they already were in heaven at the time that he wrote. Revelation 4:1is the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward. These two chapters function like a hinge. They set the stage for what will follow, namely, the unraveling of the scroll seen in God’s right hand which Christ alone is worthy to open. The unraveling of this scroll will, in turn, reveal how things will go concerning the salvation of God’s people and the judgment of his enemies from the time of Christ’s first coming on to the end. Chapters four and five present us with an invaluable picture of how things really are in heaven.( The same pattern can be observed in Daniel 2:27-45. The vision that Nebuchadnezzar saw was concern things that would happen “after this” (2:29;45) from Daniels perspective, but the vision and it’s interpretation begin by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s present reign.  (The same pattern can be observed in Daniel 2:27-45. The vision that Nebuchadnezzar saw was concern things that would happen “after this” (2:29;45) from Daniel’s perspective, but the vision and it’s interpretation begin by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s present reign.)

Three things are to be noticed:

There Exists A Heavenly Realm That Lies Beyond The Realm That We Can See

One, notice that there exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

Look again at 4:1 where John says,  “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1, ESV).

John saw a door standing open in heaven. He was invited to by Christ to “come up” so that he might see what was to take place from that day forward. There exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

This idea is fundamental. It is a most basic feature of the biblical worldview.

Do you remember the first verse in the Bible? What does it say? “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). “Heavens” here is not a reference to the stars, but to the heavenly realm where God and his angelic hosts dwell. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. Paul the Apostle says the same thing. Speaking of the Christ he says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16, ESV). There exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

Knowing this changes everything. This world is not all that there is. We would be fools to live for the things of this world. We would be wise to live our lives on this earth being ever mindful of the heavenly reality. We are to be heavenly minded.

The non-believer is blind to the heavenly reality. He looks at this world and thinks to himself, “this is all there is”. It is no wonder, then. that he lives for the pleasures of this life. “What more is there!”, he says.

The Christians is aware of this heavenly reality, for God has revealed it. She looks at the world and thinks to herself, “this is not all there is.” It is no wonder, then, that she denies the desires of the flesh and lives for the world to come.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV).

Cultivate a heavenly mindset, friends. See what God has revealed to us, believe it, and live accordingly.

God Is Enthroned In The Heaven

Two, notice that God is enthroned in heaven.

What was the first thing that John saw in this vision after he was taken up into heaven? Verse 2: “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne” (Revelation 4:2, ESV). God is in heaven, and he is enthroned.

What does a throne symbolize? It symbolizes power. God is the sovereign King. And he is sovereign, not over this nation or that, or over this thing or that, but over all things. Nothing is outside of his control. What happens on earth happens because he has decreed it. He brings what he has decreed to pass by his providential care, through either permission or action, either directly or indirectly.

Through Isaiah the prophet God said,

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it” (Isaiah 46:9–11, ESV).

God is the King of Kings, and Lord of lords! He is God most high. He is sovereign over all things.

This is why Christ could speak to John as he did, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). Christ can show John what must take place in the future because the future has been decreed by God and he will certainly bring it pass. It’s written in the scroll. It’s written in his book. He will accomplish it.

Brothers and sisters, develop your understanding of the sovereignty of God. Though it might at first perplex the mind, it will eventually bring comfort the heart. The world seems out of control. The events of history seem random, pointless, and unpredictable – from our vantage point they are! But has revealed to us that he is in heaven, and he is enthroned there. Nothing is outside of his control. Trust him and obey.

God Is Glorious Beyond Our Ability To Comprehend

Three, notice that God is glorious beyond our ability to comprehend.

Do you see how John describes the one who is seated on the throne? He struggles to find the words. Human language is poorly suited for the task of describing the divine. John uses the most beautiful things on earth to describe what he saw, saying, “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (Revelation 4:3, ESV).

John did not see a man sitting there on the throne. God is not a man – he is not flesh and blood, but is a most pure spirit. The appearance of God was like precious stones – jasper, and carnelian – radiant in glory. Around the throne “was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” What John saw was glorious.

Friends, we must learn to think thought about God that are true. We are prone to reduce him – to pretend that he is like us, or like the things of this earth. He is not. He is transcendent. He is the creator, we the creature. He is beyond us in every way, beyond our ability to fully describe or fully comprehend. What he has revealed to us about himself is true, but he not revealed himself exhaustively. Our minds cannot comprehend him.

Conclusion

My dear brothers and sisters, do you see how what John saw is of great value to us as we sojourn in this world? Do you see how encouraging this is for those suffering persecution, being threatened even with death? Do see how beneficial these revelations are to the one who is tempted to abandon Christ to live for the pleasures of this world? Don’t do it, friends! It’s not worth it. Stay true to God and to Christ! Remember that there is more to God’s creation that what you and I can see with our eyes. There is a heavenly realm. Store up your treasures there! And remember that God is enthroned in heaven. The things that we suffer in this world are not meaningless or lacking in purpose. God is working all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV). And remember that God is glorious beyond compare. Nothing in this world can compare with him. Trust in Christ, friends, and worship God though him, for he indeed is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

 

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Pre-Introduction

Brothers and sisters, today we are going to consider all of Revelation chapters four and five. We are going to take a step back from the text to consider it broadly, asking, what message does this whole section of the book of Revelation communicate? What is the main point of it? Next Sunday we will come back to 4:1 and begin to walk through the section slowly, giving attention to the details of the text.

If you remember, I took the same approach with Revelation chapters two and three and the letters to the seven churches. On November 6th I preached a sermon on all of Revelation chapters two and three. On November 13th we went back to 2:1 and devoted one sermon to each of the letters (with the exception of the letter to Laodicea – two sermons were devoted to that).

I hope you can understand why. The book of Revelation is clearly divided into sections. The letters to the seven churches hang together in chapters two and three. Chapters four and five hang together, as we will clearly see. As we progress through Revelation we will encounter seven seals, followed by seven trumpets, followed by seven bowls, and so on. Each of these sections are packed with important details that must be considered carefully. That takes time. And we only have 45-50 minutes together each week. We must walk through these sections slowly, then, devoting many sermons to each section. But it must also be remembered that these sections are sections that hang together. They each have a particular message to communicate. Just as it would be unwise to move too fast through each of these sections, so too there is a danger in moving to slow. If we move too slow – if we get too caught up with the details of the text – we run the risk of missing the main point. The old adage rings true: it is possible to miss the forest for the trees.

In fact, I would argue that many interpreters of the book of Revelation get hung up on this very thing. They fixate so intensely on the details of the text of Revelation that they loose sight of the big picture. And I would argue that it is the big picture thats is most clear. It is the big picture which serves to frame the pieces of the puzzle of Revelation so that we might know how to properly interpret the details of the text.

And so this will be my approach throughout our study of the book of Revelation. I will devote one sermon to the introduction of each large section, asking, what is the main thought? And then we will return to the beginning of that section to move through it slowly. Hopefully this approach will help us to step back from the details of the text from time to time in order to regain and maintain perspective.

I want to pose a question before I read Revelation chapters four and five to you. The question is this: what is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches, which we have been considering over the past coupe of months, and chapters four and five, which we are about to read? This is such an important question to consider. I will deal with this question from the text in a much more detailed way in the weeks to come, but for now I want to ask the question generally and conceptually: What is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches and chapters four and five? To put the question another way, what did the original recipients of this book think when they read the letters to the seven churches in chapters two and three and then began to read chapters four and five? The two sections are obviously different. There is clearly a transition at 4:1. But how do the two sections relate to one another? To put it yet another way, the original 90 A.D. audience certainly understood that chapters two and three of Revelation were for them, for they were directly addressed in those letters. But did they also read chapters four and five and say, “this is for us!” Or did chapters four and five seem confusing and foreign to them as if they were speaking of things mysterious and a long way off.

I think you know what I am getting at here. The futurist interpretation of Revelation which is so common today drives a wedge and inserts gap between the end of Revelation three and the beginning of Revelation four insisting that the two sections describe things that are separated by thousands of years. Revelation two and three, they claim, described how things were back then when those churches existed. Revelation four and on, they think, describes that which will happen in our future. According to this view the answer to the question, what is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches and chapters four and five? would be, not a whole lot. 

I will address this problem much more carefully in the weeks to come as we move more methodically through text. For now I simply want to you recognize the obvious conceptual connection that exists between the two sections. By “conceptual” I mean that the concepts communicated in the letters to the seven churches, and concepts communicated in chapters four and five fit together like puzzle pieces. They go hand in glove. They go together like peanut butter and jelly so that they when the original 90 A.D. readers moved from chapter three into chapter four they did not say, “what is this?”, but rather, “Oh, how good this is! Oh, how this feeds my soul!” Chapters four and onward of the book of Revelation are intimately related to all that was said in the letters to the seven churches in chapters two and three.

Friends, it is important for us to remember the concept that was communicated in the first few chapters of Revelation. Jesus Christ was seen walking in the midst of his churches, inspecting them. And he spoke to them both words of encouragement and words of warning. The consistent plea of Christ to the churches was that they would remain true to him in this world. They were to witnesses to the world concerning him. They were to worship him. They were to live in this world in obedience to Christ, denying the lusts of the flesh, refusing false teaching, and bearing up under persecution, even to the point of death. Christians are called to suffer for the sake of Christ. The Christians were called to endure, to bear up under the trouble, and to conquer – that is, to win the victory, or to overcome.

I want for you to really think about this. These were real people facing real temptations.

Imagine the Christian businessman living in Ephesus. He’s both a husband and father. And he is tempted to compromise in the faith for the sake of gain. If he would only offer up a pinch of incense on the alter and say, “Cesar is Lord” – if he would only go to the festivals of trade guilds and bend the knee to their gods – he would prosper. He could buy the bigger house, and feed and clothe his wife and children. But to refuse to compromise would mean poverty for he and his family. If he remained true to Christ – if  he made the worship of Christ his leading concern – he would not be able to buy nice clothes for his wife. His family might dwell in a very small home. They might even go hungry. Christ was calling him to endure, to overcome, to resist the temptation to compromise.

Think of the young Christian woman living in Smyrna. She has her whole life in front of her. She hopes to marry someday and to have children, but she is being threatened with imprisonment, and even death, on account of her faith in Christ. The only thing she needs to do is to deny Christ. If she would just say the words, “I recant” – if she would simply drop the whole Christianity thing – she would be free to pursue her dreams. But Christ says to her, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV).

Think of the young man in Thyatira. He is tempted by the teaching of Jezebel, for she does not say, “deny the flesh”, but rather, “indulge!” The young man is conflicted in his mind and heart. Christ says,  “Put to death… what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6, ESV). But Jezebel says, “what you do in the flesh does not really matter. Christ has forgiven all your sins. This world and the things of this world will pass away. Indulge, then! If you have an appetite for something, then feed it!”

These were real people being tempted in really significant ways. Christ, in the letters to the churches, says “endure; conquer; overcome.”

The question on each of their minds was certainly this: is it worth it? Is it worth it to follow hard after Christ and to suffer in this world? Is it worth it obey Christ but to watch my family go without? Is it worth it to worship Christ and to suffer in prison, even to the point of death? Is it worth it to constantly fight against the sinful appetites of my flesh and to obey Christ? Is it worth it?

Friends, you may not even realize it but you don’t do anything in this life without asking yourself the question, “is it worth it?” I’m sure that this happens on the subconscious level more often than not. And there are some things that we do out of habit having settled the question, “Is it worth it?” a long time ago. But we do what we do, and we refuse to do what we refuse to do, because, at some point, and at some level, we have wrestled with the question, “is it worth it?”

I might crave a cup of coffee. But I will only purchase a cup of coffee, or take the time to brew a cup of coffee, if I decide that it is worth it? Someone might offer me a slice of cake and in that moment I have to decide, is it worth it? Does the enjoyment of eating that cake outweigh what it costs me? I understand that this decision making process often happens very quickly and naturally so that we hardly even recognize it, but it is there. The wise person recognizes that every decision we make has ramifications. Every word that we speak, and every word that choose not to speak – every thought that we think, and every thought that we choose not to think – every thing that we do, and every thing that we decide not to do – has an impact upon our life and the lives of others – it costs something. We are to count the cost, aren’t we? The one who is wise asks, is intentional in asking the question, “is it worth it?”

But I’m sure that you can see that different people will answer the question, “is it worth it?” differently. One man when tempted with sexual immorality decides, “it is worth it!”, and runs with reckless abandon into the sin. But another man faced with the same temptation, says, “by no means would the temporary pleasure be worth it; it will cost far too much”, and so he refrains.

And what is it that differentiates the one from the other? Friends, it has everything to do with the mind and heart of the man. What does the man really think is true? What does he believe about God, and man, and the world in which we live? Does he fear the Lord? Does he love others or himself? Does he live for the glory of God or for his own pleasure. It is what he thinks in his mind and believes in his heart that will determine whether the man runs into sin or away from it.

The man who decides to run full speed into sexual immorality shows by his actions what is truly in his mind and heart. He sins because he thinks the sin to be worth it. He does not truly believe that it will cost him much, if anything at all. The momentary pleasure, in his estimation, is worth it. This man does not fear the Lord.

The man who decides to refrain from sexual immorality shows by his actions what is truly in his mind and heart. He refrains because he does not think the sin to be worth it. It will cost him too much. The momentary pleasure, in his estimation, is not worth it. Something, or someone, else is worthy of his obedience. This one has the fear of the Lord.

This is how human behavior works. I understand that most of our decisions feel more impulsive. But truth be told, we do what we do because our hearts and minds are bent in a particular direction.

We are not animals, friends. We do not act upon simple impulse or instinct. We have the ability to freely chose. And we chose what we chose from the mind and heart. We think, say, and do that which our view of the world leads us to think, say, and do. We are constantly asking the question, is it worth it? And we answer that question one way or the other based upon what we think about reality.

This is why the scriptures place so much importance upon the transformation of the mind in the process of sanctification. Our behavior changes only as our minds change. Paul say, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2, ESV). Our behaviors are changed when our minds change. The things that we think, say, and do flow from the mind and the heart. What we believe about reality – who God is, who we are, what this world is all about, and where all things are headed – will determine how it is that we live in this world. I heard it said by someone, “you are what you think.” This is true! We live according to what we think in the mind and believe in the heart.

I can’t remember why, but I was doing a word study on the word “repent” last week. Here is how the Greek lexicon Louw-Nida defines the Greek word, μετάνοια, which we translate as “repent”. To repent is “to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness.” If we are to change our behavior to bring it into conformity to God’s will we must experience a metamorphosis of mind and heart.

An illustration came to mind as I was thinking about all of this. My wife is very disciplined with her diet, as some of you know. She impresses me very much. She is very careful and consistent to eat certain things and to not eat other things. The reason, though, is because she is thoroughly convinced that certain foods do damage to her body. She has a number of autoimmune problems.  And through study and also experience she has grown convinced that her body reacts very badly to certain kinds of food. She exhibits tremendous self control. She used to eat everything that I eat. She used to enjoy certain foods. But today she is disciplined to abstain even if the cravings are strong. Why? Because her mind has changed. She believes what she believes deeply. And her behavior proves it.

So what does all of this have to do with Revelation four and five?

Here is the point. These two chapters show us how things really are. God’s will is that we might see things as they truly are and believe it so deeply that we would live according to that reality. Revelation four and five (and the rest of Revelation, for that matter) peal back the curtains, as it were, to show us the heavenly reality. They show us how things really are with God and with Christ and with their plans and purposes in the world. The visions that are described here are meant, not to cause us to speculate about the future (when will Christ come and what exactly will it be like), but to renew our minds so that we would no longer conform to the world, but be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is how the two sections – that is, the letters to the seven churches, and the visions of chapters four and five – relate to one another. The letters say, “worship Christ! Obey him! Do not compromise!” The visions of chapters four and five say, “and here is why it is worth it.”

As I read Revelation four and five I would ask that you pay special attention to what John hears in this vision. He sees many things. And what he sees is indeed very important. We will consider very carefully John’s description of all that he saw in the weeks to come. Today I want you to focus in upon John’s description of what he heard. Various figures in the vision speak. And what they have to say is very important. So listen to their words. And listen with the question that we have already posed in mind. Is it worth it to worship God and Christ in this world, though it may cost us everything? If we were to ask the question another way we might ask, who is it that is worthy of our worth-ship? I’m hoping that you notice the similarity between the words “worth”, “worthy”, and “worship”.

Let us give ourselves now to the reading of God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word.

New Testament Reading: Revelation 4-5

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,

‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice,

‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’

And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me,

‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’

And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 4–5, ESV).

Introduction

I understand that as we read this text many questions arise. What are we to make of the description of God? Who do the twenty-four elders represent? What do the four strange creatures represent? What is God said to have seven Spirits? And what is the significance of the scroll found in God’s right hand? We will answer these questions in the weeks to come.

For now I want you to recognize the two obvious and unmistakable things being communicated in this text: One, God is worthy to be worshiped for he is our creator.  And two, Christ is worthy to be worshiped for he is our redeemer.

This is the thing that the Christians in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea needed to hear! They wondered, is it worth it follow Christ in this world? Is it worth it to suffer for his name? And here they have their answer: Yes it is worth it! For God and his Christ are worthy of worth-ship! For God is our creator and Christ is our redeemer. Friends, this is what you and I need to hear. We need to view our lives in the light of the glory of our Creator God and in light of Christ our redeemer, who has conquered for you and for me. We are to live our lives  – we are to think, say, and do all that we think, say, and do – being ever mindful of our God and of our Savior.

God Is Worthy To Be Worshiped For He Is Our Creator

Friends, God is worthy to be worshiped because he is our creator? The Christian is one who says, “it is worth it to give God worship – to obey him, to serve him, to praise his name, witnessing to his goodness – even if it cost us everything in this world, for he is our Creator.”

Where did John see God seated? On a throne! For he is the sovereign King. Nothing is outside of his control.

And do you see that he is radiant in glory? We will consider the description of God more carefully i the weeks to come, but surly you can see that he is radiant in glory. He is holy, all powerful and worthy of all praise.

And what do the four living creatures say to him? “Day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, ESV).

And what do the twenty-four elders say? They “fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:10–11, ESV).

We will say so much more about all of this in the weeks to come. For now notice the obvious thing: Christians are encouraged to think, say, and do, that which they were exhorted to think, say, and do in chapters two and three of Revelation because of what they see and hear in chapter four.

It is worth it to live a life completely sold out for God because God sits enthroned in heaven, he is radiant in glory, he is holy, he is unchanging, he is your creator. You were made by him and for him. From him you came and to him you will return. If this is true then why would you think to live for anyone else, or for any other pleasure other than the pleasure of knowing and pleasing him? A proper view of God has a way a straightening out our lives, friends.

Christ Is Worthy To Be Worshiped For He Is Our Redeemer

And do you see secondly that Christ is worthy to be worshiped for he is our redeemer?

Chapter five opens with a predicament. God has a scroll in his right hand, but no one is worthy to open it. The scroll, as we will see, will reveal God’s plan of judgment and redemption. But here no one is found worthy to open it. John began to weep. But one of the elders spoke to John saying, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5, ESV). Jesus has conquered through his life, death, and resurrection.

When the lamb stepped forward to receive the scroll what did the twenty-four elders say? “They sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9, ESV).

And what did the four living creatures say? “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12, ESV).

After this John “heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:13–14, ESV).

Friends, Christ is worthy to be worshiped because he is our redeemer. The Christian is one who says, “it is worth it to give Christ worship – to obey him, to serve him, to praise his name, witnessing to his goodness – even if it cost us everything in this world, for he is our redeemer.”

Conclusion

So I wonder, have you paused to ask the question, “is it worth it?” to live the way that you are living? Have you looked to God’s word with that question in mind? Have you examined your life in the light of God’s revelation of himself to us? Are you living your life to the glory of God, or for your own glory? Are you storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? Are you living for the fleeting pleasures of this world or are you pursuing the everlasting and all satisfying pleasure of knowing God and Christ?

Another way to ask the same question is to ask, “who is worthy of my worship?” We are made to worship, friends. We cannot help but worship. We worship every moment of every day. All of our thoughts, words, and deeds are an act of worship. They honor the person or the thing that we have deemed to be worthy . The question is not will we worship?, for it is inevitable that we will. The question is who will we worship? Who will we honor – who will we glorify – who will we serve in this life. Will we worship God and Christ, or self? Will we live for him, or the pleasures of this world. that is the question we must answer – who is worthy of our worship?

The answer is that God is worthy of our worship, for he is creator. And Christ is worthy of our worship, for he is our redeemer.  Certainly it is worth it to follow him all the days of our life even if it should cost us dearly in regard to the pleasures of this life.

Posted in Sermons Revelation 4-5
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Old Testament Reading: 

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels. My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all. How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord. Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One” (Hosea 11, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14–22, ESV).

Sermon

It seems to me that the letter to Laodicea is strategically placed in the position of letter seven of seven. In previous sermons I’ve tried to describe the literary structure of the seven letters and how the structure impacts our interpretation of the overall message communicated in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation. I will not rehash all of that here, lest I frustrate you with the redundancy. But I do wish to make a few general observations about the letter to Laodicea and why the position of seven of seven matters before dealing with the details of the text.

Notice that Laodicea is in the worst shape of all the churches. Nothing good is said about her. She is only rebuked. Notice that Christ threatens to be done with her as a church in the most graphic way. If the church would not repent Christ would spit, or vomit, her out of his mouth!

Remember that Ephesus – the first church mentioned in chapter two – was also threatened with loosing their status as a church of Christ. Christ threatened to remove their lampstand if they would not repent. But remember that something positive was actually said about them! To Ephesus Christ said,

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:2–3, ESV).

Ephesus was commended for being strong in this regard. Their problem was that they had stopped loving one another. And this problem was all pervasive. By that I mean that everyone in the congregation (or at least the vast majority) were guilty in this regard. In other words, no remnant remained in Ephesus. This is why they were on the verge of having their “lampstand” removed. And notice that the same can said of Laodicea – no remnant remained! Churches three through five – Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis – were all rebuked, but they were not on the verge, as Ephesus and Laodicea were, for a remnant remained in them. This is how they were rebuked:  “you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam…” (Revelation 2:14, ESV), or “But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden” (Revelation 2:24, ESV). Clearly, churches three through five had problems, but those problems were isolated to some within the church. Their problems were not all pervasive.

Laodicea was in double trouble, then. One, nothing good was said about her – she had no commendable quality (this was worse than the situation in Ephesus). And two, there was no remnant. The problem was all pervasive. The sin had effected (or rather, infected) all of the members in such a way that the church was left utterly impotent. The church in Laodicea had lost her churchy-ness. Can you picture it?

It is no accident that the letter to Laodicea comes last. True, there may be a geographical reason for it – the letters might be listed in the order that a messenger would travel – but there is clearly a literary reason for it. When you are reading a document or listening to a message, what parts do you tend to remember the most? Usually it is the the things said at first, but especially last, that are remembered the most. This is why you, when you are in an argument, want to get the last word!

The letter to Laodicea serves as a kind of concussion to this whole section of the book of Revelation. The effect is that reader, or listener, is sent off into the rest of the book with a sober and somber disposition. We are sent off in our study of the rest of Revelation with this taste in our mouths. Fresh on our mind is the pitiful state of the church in Laodicea. In other words, the public rebuke leveled against Laodicea was not only for them, but also for us, along with all who have ever read this marvelous book. Christ made an example of the Laodiceans. He rebuked them, not privately – not in a letter written only to them – but in a public letter – one that would be circulated to all of the seven churches and preserved for all, even for us. Why? So to that we might fear with a godly kind of fear the thought of becoming what they had become. Public rebuke has that effect, doesn’t it? It has an effect, not only upon the one being rebuked, but upon all who hear. The witnesses are compelled to say, “may it never be said of us!” and “but by the grace of God go I”. This is the effect that the letter should have upon us. It should cause us to tremble at the thought of going the way of the Laodiceans.

I believe the positioning of the letter is significant, but I would also argue that the language and imagery used in this letter is most memorable. This is impossible to prove, I know. I’ll admit that this is a subjective opinion. But I think you might agree that some of most memorable, and, therefore, famous portions of the seven letters are found in the letter to Laodicea. They are famously rebuked for being lukewarm. Christ famously threatened to spit, or vomit, them out of his mouth. The irony is also thick and memorable. The Laodiceans thought of themselves as rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, but Christ, ironically, had a completely different opinion of them. In Christ’s eyes they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Christ invited the Laodiceans to come and do business with him. He said, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (Revelation 3:18, ESV). And then there is a that most famous (and often misused and misapplied) statement where Christ says to the church, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, ESV). Perhaps it is just me, but I find the letter to Laodicea to be most memorable.

The point I am making is that I think all of this is intentional. Laodicea, in my opinion, is set forth as the prototypical “church in really bad shape”. The reason they are addressed last is so that we might be left to tremble at the thought of going in the way of the Laodiceans.

So what was their problem? That is the question. What was so bad about the church in Laodicea?

Christ rebuked the Laodiceans because they were lukewarm: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16, ESV)”.

There is something that you should know about the city of Laodicea before we try to answer the question, what did Christ mean when he called the church in that city, lukewarm?

Laodicea was a prosperous city. You know the saying in real estate that it’s all about “location, location, location.” So it is with trade. Laodocea was situated in a location that made her prosperous in trade. The city was also a center for banking as well as medicine. Really, Laodicea had a lot going for it. But the city was lacking in regard to one vital resource – water. Think of the irony! The city was rich in so many ways, but lacked that which is absolutely vital to life! Water had to be piped into the city from hot springs six miles to the south. The citizens complained that the water was tepid and milky – distastefully lukewarm.  The water was actually known to cause nausea. All of this should be compared to the situation in the nearby cities of Hierapolis and Colossae. Hierapolis had hot springs in the city. They were used medicinally and also for bathing. Colossae had access to water that was cold and pure. Those cities enjoyed water that, in one way or another, gave life and brought refreshment to the people. But Laodocea’s water was lukewarm by the time it reached city. The hot water from the hot springs had lost it’s heat, and the cold water carried from the cold springs in the mountains was no longer cold by the time that it reached Laodocea. The water that was at one time extreme – that is either hot or cold – had acclimated to the temperature of the air by the time the Laodiceans took it to their mouths. It was most distasteful and unappealing. I’m sure that the citizens knew what it was like to take a drink of that Laodicean water only to spit it out in disgust.

With that as the background it is not hard to understand what Christ meant when he said to the Laodiceans, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Christ used this common experience familiar to all of the citizens of Laodicea to illustrate something about the churches spiritual state.

Notice a couple of things about Christ’s words:

One, Christ’s desire was that the church in Laodicea be either hot or cold. I’ve found that readers often assume that to be hot is good and to be cold is bad. They assume that to be “hot” means that we are “on fire for Jesus”, “passionate for him”, or something like that. And to be “cold” means that we are “spiritually dead”. But that interpretation does not fit with the text, does it? For Christ says, “Would [I wish] that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.“ In this metaphor either hot or cold would be good. Christ’s desire was that one or the other would be true of his people. The problem was that they were neither.

Two, notice that Christ does not rebuke them because they lack passion. This is not primarily about emotion. This would also be a typical, but incorrect, interpretation. The thought is that hot is good and cold is bad, and that these two descriptors describe the level of our passion or zeal. To be hot is to feel passion for Jesus. To be cold is to lack passion. Again, this does not fit with the text, for Christ says, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.” This was about the works of the Christians, not their emotional state. In other words, it was about the churches way of life – that was what Christ was concerned with.

I really wish that we would stop measuring our spiritual health – our spiritual maturity – by the question, am I experiencing intense emotion or passion for God and for Christ. By no means am I denying the importance of emotion in the Christian life. I’m simply saying that it is a poor gauge for measuring spiritual maturity or heath. A mature Christian is one who trusts God and obeys him in this world. A mature Christian is one who knows the truth of God’s word and lives according to it. A mature Christians is one who walks by faith and in wisdom. I promise you, I’ve met Christians who, although very “passionate”, are really immature and foolish in their way of life.

Emotion is not unimportant, friends. It is right that you feel love for God. It is right that you feel gratitude. It is right that you feel joy and peace. Emotions are a wonderful thing, and we should never suppress them or disregard their significance. How could you not feel emotion when considering the glory of God and all that he done for us in and through Christ Jesus? But we must allow emotions to take their proper place. Emotions follow where obedience leads. They arise when knowledge grows. Godly emotions accompany a godly way of life. You know this to be true in your human relationships. If you are mean to your spouse – if you speak harshly to him and neglect him – do not be surprised when the feelings of fondness disappear from your heart and his. But if you love him and are kind to him – if you love him with your words and actions – do not be surprised when the feelings of fondness grow.

I emphasize these things only because Christianity in America today tends get it really wrong when it comes to emotion. Passion for Jesus is made to be the goal. Emotion becomes the test of maturity. Having a “spiritual experience” has taken the place of loving God. And what did Christ say? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). Friends, the mature Christian is one who trusts God and obeys him. The mature Christian is the one who knows God’s word and lives according to it.

This passage is often misinterpreted, the thought being that when Laodicea was called lukewarm it was due to their having lost their passion for Christ. In fact, they were called lukewarm because they had compromised in their way of life. They had lost their zeal for him. They had lost their edge. They had become just like the world around them. They were no linger Christlike. Instead, they were just like the world.

This interpretation is the one that fits perfectly with the analogy of the water, doesn’t it? The waters of Colosae were cold. They descended from mountain springs made cold by winter storms. The water was enjoyed by them before it could acclimate to the warm temperatures. It was cool and refreshing because it was different from the surrounding environment – the air was hot but the water was cold. The same was true of the hot water of Hierapolis. It bubbled up from deep within the earth where tectonic powers made it hot. And it was hot and refreshing because it was different from all that surrounded it. The hot waters of Hierapolis would have been most soothing on a cold day, and perhaps even useful medicinally. Both the hot and cold waters brought life. They were refreshing because they maintained their distinction from the surrounding environment. They had not yet acclimated to the environment into which they emerged. Not so with the waters of Laodicea. Their water was lukewarm, room temperature, tepid and murky. Their water, instead of maintaining its refreshing characteristic, had given in to the surrounding environment.

And so it is with the Christian. A church is full of life and is pleasing to Christ when she is different from the sinful world around her. Never should a Christian acclimate to the world. In the moment they acclimate – in the moment they become, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm – they become useless and disgusting to Christ, who is Lord of the church.

You know how easy it is to acclimate. You know how easy it is grow comfortable and complacent. It is so easy for Christians to become just like the world in which they live. We live our lives in the world, and the world is fallen. The world worships the wrong things. The world loves and serves the wrong things. The world lives in disobedience to God and his word. The world is in darkness and walks according to that darkness. But the Christian is worships God alone. The Christian is to love and serve God supremely. The Christians is to know God’s word and obey it in every arena of life. We are to walk according to the light of God and his word. So we have this constant conflict, don’t we? We have these two “worlds”, these two ways, these two kingdoms – they couldn’t be more different – and the one is constantly pulling upon the other, trying to make it just as it is. Gravity functions like this. Anything that is high, gravity wants to bring low. And the earth functions like this. It possesses the power of decay. Anything that sits upon the earth that is alive and whole, the earth seeks to break down. So it is with everything in this fallen world. The sinfulness of the world is forever pulling down upon the kingdom of God and the people of God. The world’s desire is that we would conform to it. The world wants us to acclimate to it. The world would love for us to become just like them – lukewarm – indistinct in both doctrine and life.

So how do we stay hot or cold, and not grow lukewarm? Or, if we are lukewarm, how to grow hot or cold? That is this question.

As I was thinking about this question, an illustration came to mind. You know, today it is really easy for us to take things that are lukewarm and to make them either hot or cold. If we want to make something hot we put it in the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave. And if we want to make something cold we put it in the refrigerator or freezer. It is easy for us to make things that are lukewarm either hot or cold. That is because we have invented devices that are able to create an environment that will, over time, pull something that is room temperature in one of those directions – either to hot or to cold. But what must we do with those devices – the refrigerator or the stove – in order for them to work? We must plug them into power! Power has to be involved. The whole process must be empowered. Everything naturally tends to acclimate to the world around it. If that power is to be resisted or reversed power from without must be applied. Go home and unplug your refrigerator and see what happens over three days time. Or go home and unplug your stove, turn the dial to 350, put a turkey in it, and check back three hours later. You’ll be disappointed, I’m sure. You’ll find that everything is room temperature, neither hot nor cold, because there is no power. But when those devices are plugged in, not only do the they themselves become hot or cold, but they have the power to make other things hot and cold too.

So it is with us, friends. If you disconnect from the power that God has provided, do not be surprised if over time you become just like the world around you. If you neglect to maintain your spiritual life do not be surprised if you become lukewarm. And if you become just like the world around you, you can forget having an impact upon anyone else for good. Things that are hot have the potential to make other things hot. Things that are cold have the potential to make others things cold. Lukewarm things can only generate lukewarm things. And Christ takes no pleasure in that, for his people are to be either hot or cold in this world. More than that they have been called to affect others – to serve as witness to lead others to Christ.

But where is the power found for the Christian life? That is the next question. We know where the power  it is found for the refrigerator and stove, but where does the Christian go to be empowered according to the Spirit?

The answer, friends, is that the Christian is to run to the means of grace that God has provided. We are to go thoughtfully and full of faith to the word of God, to prayer, and to the Lord’s Supper. And these things are to be consumed and enjoyed, not as isolated individuals, but in the church. These are the ordinary means of grace that God has given to us. What the outlet is to the refrigerator – what the gas line is to the stove – the word of God, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper are to the Christian. These are the means of grace – the conduits of power – that God has given to his people so that they might be strengthened to live in this world as he has called them to.

However, it is very important to remember that the power does not come from these things. The power does not originate in the words of scripture, in the act of prayer, or in the elements of the Lord’s Supper itself. The power, friends, is in God himself, and in Christ. He is our life. He is the one who has made us alive, and who sustains us day by day. The outlet and the copper wires that run through the walls of your house are not the source of power, but the conduit of it. So too the word of God read and heard, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper are not the source of power, but the conduit of it. Indeed we are to read and hear the word! Indeed we are to pray! Indeed Christians are to partake of the Lord Supper! But why? Because it is in this way that we enjoy communion with the living God, who is the source of our life, both physical and spiritual.

Friends, I’m sure that you understand that these conduits of grace – the word, prayer, and the sacraments – function as a conduit of grace only when we partake of them thoughtfully and with faith. In other words, they do not convey grace or power automatically. Another way to say it is that is possible to read the word, but not read it. It is possible to hear the word, but not hear it. It is possible to pray, but not pray. And it is possible to eat the Supper, but not eat it. There is a kind of religion that is merely external. There is kind of faith that only goes through the motions. It is possible to be in the church but not be the church, it is possible to name the name of Christ, but to in the end hear him say, “depart from me, I never new you.

I’m afraid this was the situation in Laodicea. Their’s was a merely external form of religion. The had the appearance of godliness, but denied its power. They named the name of Christ, but were in fact far from him. They lacked authentic faith.

Notice that Christ was speaking, not to non-Christians, but to those who claim to be Christians when he said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, ESV). The langue here suggests that the observance of the Lord’s Supper is in mind. The image is this: the church is gathered and is observing the Supper, but where is Christ? He is out in the cold, knocking on the door requesting to come in so that he might commune with them. The people bore the name “Christian”, but there hearts were very far from Christ. Clearly the situation in this church was bleak. The church was so compromised and so worldly that Christ himself is portrayed as standing outside, asking to come in.

Notice also in chapter 3 verse 18 Christ counseled the Laodiceans  “to buy from [him] gold refined by fire, so that [they] may be rich, and white garments so that [they] may clothe [themselves] and the shame of [their] nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint [their] eyes, so that [they] may see” (Revelation 3:18, ESV). In other words, you have looked to the world for satisfaction, comfort, health and security. You’ve fallen in love with the world. You’ve done business with the world. Now come and do business with me! I have what you really need, Christ says.

It is well known that the city of “Laodicea was a prosperous banking center; proud of its wealth… It was also known for its textiles (especially wool) and for its medical school and production of ear medicine and undoubtedly the highly reputed Phrygian eye salve.” Do you see what Christ does here? He capitalizes on this fact and says, you’ve been banking with the world, now come bank with me. You’ve clothed yourselves with the luxuries of this world, now come and be clothed by me. You’ve anointed your physical eyes, now come and anoint your spiritual eyes so that you might truly see.

These Christians were compromised. They had fallen in love with the world and had become just like the world. And notice this: they were completely blind to all of this. If asked to assess their health, here is what the Laodiceans would have said. We are rich, we have prospered, and we need nothing. But what did Christ think of them? “You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17, ESV).

This is the terrifying thing about sin. When we are caught in sin we tend to be blind to the severity of the situation. We have a tendency to justify ourselves. We tend to rationalize our behavior. We tend to compare ourselves to others and think, I’m not as bad as him. We tend to minimize the urgency, thinking, I will change tomorrow, but not today. In short, sin not only entraps us, it also binds. Sin has away of lulling us to sleep so that it might devour.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12–13, ESV).

What do we need, then? We need God’s word. We need to learn to reflect upon it deeply with the Spirit’s help. We need to come to worship with hearts prepared. We need to check ourselves before we partake of the Supper. When we pray we must pray humbly, asking that the Lord would be glorified in us, advance his kingdom through us, make us able and willing to keep his will, forgive all of our sins, and keep us from evil. Thoughtfulness is what is needed. We are to look to God and his word as a mirror. We are to inspect ourselves with it, asking, does my life look like the kind of life that God, in his word, has called me to live. His word is a mirror by which we can examine and assess all of our thoughts, words, and deeds.

The Laodiceans were going through the motions. Their Christianity was Christ-less – the church gathered but he was standing out in the cold. Their faith was really faith-less – though they claimed to believe, it was not authentic faith. They trusted in the world, not in Christ. The loved the world, not Christ. The lived according to the world, not the words of Christ. It is no wonder Christ was disgusted with them and threatened to vomit them out of his mouth.

But here is some good news. Listen to how Christ spoke to this degenerate church. He comforted him with these words: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19, ESV).

It may be that you are feeling conviction this morning. The conviction ought to draw you to Christ, not cause you to run from him. He rebukes those he loves! I rebuke my children from time to time. And why do I do it? Because of love for them! So it is with Christ.

And do you see that an open door remains? “Be zealous and repent!”, Christ says. There is always room for repentance. It is never too late. To repent is to turn from your sin and to Christ. He is always willing to receive the one who repents and believes upon him.

And then there is this promise: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21, ESV).  The Laodiceans were in love with this world. The wanted to be rich in this world. They did whatever it would take to prosper in this world, even bowing the knee to false god and running with the wicked in their wickedness. Christ held before them the prospect of being prosperous in the world to come. Friends, we are to store up treasures in that world, not this one.

And then we have this familiar conclusion: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22, ESV). My prayer for you each Lord’s Day is that you would really hear the word, and not just hear it. This is one of the reasons that the Lord’s Day should be set apart as holy. It should be a day set aside for worship and to reflect deeply upon the things of God.

May the Lord give us grace. May he refine us day by day so that we be a church that brings a smile to our Saviors face.

Posted in Sermons Revelation 3:14-22
Comments Off on Sermon: Laodicea (Part 2) – Lukewarm Revelation 3:14-22 Posted by Joe

Brothers and sisters, today we will consider the letter written to Laodicea (the seventh of seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation), but we will do it in two parts. Today we will focus only upon verse 14 where Christ introduces himself to the church. We will consider verses 15-22 next Lord’s Day, Lord willing.

I would like to begin by reading from Isaiah 65. This is a very important Old Testament text and it serves as the backdrop for the introduction of Christ to the church in Laodicea found in Revelation 3:14. It is important that we recognize this fact.

Would you listen now to the word of God delivered to Israel through Isaiah the prophet some 700 years before the birth of our Lord. And as you hear it notice, one, the firm rebuke delivered to those who were unfaithful to God; two, the promise that God would sustain his faithful ones; and three, the promise concerning the arrival of a new heavens and a new earth.

Hear now the word of the Lord:

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 65

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’ These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. Behold, it is written before me: ‘I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the Lord; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me. But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name, so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [Amen], and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth [Amen]; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 65, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

Would you hear now the New Testament reading for today, which is Revelation 3:14-22? And would you give special attention to verse 14 where Jesus is introduced to the church?

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14–22, ESV).

So far the reading of God’s word. May the Lord bless the preaching of it.

Revelation – A Book About Jesus

The reason that I have decided to take the letter to Laodicea in two parts today, focusing only upon verse 14, is so that we might have some time to give attention to the central figure of the book of Revelation, namely, Jesus who is the Christ.

Over the past couple of months we have considered Christ’s words to six of the seven churches addressed by Christ in the book of Revelation. The focus has primarily been upon the churches themselves.

I have emphasized again and again that the book of Revelation is a church book. It was addressed to seven real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world. And the book was not only for them, but also for us. Their real world struggles were not unique to them, but are common to all churches. We have, therefore, considered their situations, their strengths, and their weakness, and we have asked ourselves, can any of this be said of us so that we might repent our weaknesses and further strengthen that which which is already strong?

I think it has been necessary to emphasize the fact that the book of Revelation is a church book for two reasons:

One, in our day most have made the book to be about something else. Most have handled the book of Revelation as if it were a crystal ball, thinking that it reveals the specific details about specific events yet in our future. I have spoken against this approach strongly in past sermons. I will not repeat the criticisms here. For now I will say that this futurist view ignores the tone that is set in the opening chapters of the book. The opening chapters make it clear that the book is written, not to make predictions about specific events yet in our future, but rather to strengthen the church then and now. Revelation reveals how things are and where everything is heading so as to strengthen the church to live as she has been called to live in this time between Christ’s first and second comings. I have emphasized that Revelation is a church book, in part, to counter the way that the book is typically interpreted today.

Two, I have emphasized that Revelation is a church to book in order to prepare us for the study of chapters 4 through 22. The two sections – the introduction and the letters to the churches which we have already considered, and the visions contained in chapter 4 onward – are intimately related. The things that John saw that are recorded for us in chapter 4 onward are indeed concerning “what must take place after this”, as Revelation 4:1 says. But the “after this” is not from our perspective, but from the perspective of the 90 A.D. audience. Chapters 4 onward will describe the heavenly reality of things, and how it is that the heavenly reality of things impacts what we experience on earth. Chapter 4 onward will describe in vivid and symbolic language the cosmic battle that rages in the heavenly realm, and how it is that this cosmic and heavenly battle manifests itself in our day to day experiences. To put it simply, the Christians living in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, were blessed when the heard and obeyed, not just Revelation chapters 1-3, but also chapters 4-22. The whole book was a blessing to them, as it is for us. They were confused by chapters 4-22, thinking, “well all of this must be for a time far off”. No, chapters 4-22 revealed something to them, as they will for us. And they were blessed when they obeyed what they heard, just as we will be blessed when we obey.

And so it was right, I think, to focus upon the churches, emphasizing that these were real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world, asking the question, how does their experience apply to us today? It has been necessary to emphasizes the churchly focus of the book of Revelation.

But today I wish to give proper emphasis to the central figure of the book of Revelation, namely Christ Jesus our Lord. I wish to lift him up before you. My desire is that you would see that, though Revelation is a book addressed to the church, it is really about Jesus. Revelation reveals who Christ is. Is shows forth the significance of his person and work. The book screams this message: “look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! Now live accordingly.”

That the glory of God and the significance of the finished work of Christ is the central theme of the book of Revelation has already been seen. The letter comes from God and he is in 1:8 called, “the Alpha and the Omega,” the one “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8, ESV). The book will certainly give all glory to God the Father. But the message is given through Christ. He is quickly becomes the central figure of the book.

Indeed, the opening vision of the book is focused upon Jesus Christ. He is the one “like a son of man” who is seen walking the midst of the lampstands, which represent the churches. Everything comes to focus upon Jesus Christ, then. And he is described in such a way that the significance of his person and work is emphasized. Tell me church, does the opening vision in Revelation 1 describe to us how Jesus really looks in heaven now? No! The vision is filled with symbolism. And where do we find the answer to the question, “what does this or that symbolize?” We look to the Old Testament scriptures. As it pertains to that vision we find the book of Daniel to be particularly helpful. Friends, the book is about Jesus – his person and work. It screams: “look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! Now live accordingly.”

Not only is Christ the central figure in Revelation1, but he will remain so throughout the book of Revelation. To list all of the ways in which Jesus Christ takes center stage in the book of Revelation would be to tedious for our time together. For now I think it will suffice to say that the book of Revelation is for the church, it is about Jesus Christ – his person and work, and the victory he has won, and it is to the glory of God.

This principle is certainly present in each of the letters to the seven churches, though it has not been then thing that I have given emphasis to. I wish to emphasize it now. Every single letter begins with a description of who? Jesus!

The letter to Ephesus began this way: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands’” (Revelation 2:1, ESV). The letter to Pergamum started like this: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 2:12, ESV). And this is how the letter to Thyatira began: “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (Revelation 2:18, ESV).

Each letter begins with a description of Jesus Christ. What is said about him corresponds in some way to the difficulty that the church was experiencing. Each introduction is also connected to the vision of chapter 1 so that we might understand that the “son of man” who what seen walking amongst the lampstands which represent the churches generally, really does walk amongst us to inspect us specifically. And the imagery found in these introductory descriptions of Jesus is also, not surprisingly, rooted in the Old Testament.

We could also mention the way that each letter is concluded. If we put aside for a moment the repeated phrase, “he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”, we notice that each letter is concluded by Christ holding out the promise of reward to the one who overcomes. To Smyna Christ said, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life…The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:10–11, ESV). To Sardis Christ said,  “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5, ESV). To Philadelphia Christ said, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12, ESV).

The point that I am trying to make is this: though the letters are written to real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world, they are about Jesus – his person and work, and the tremendous victory he has won.

The message is clear, then. We will have trials and tribulations in this world. There is a real battle that rages around us. Our enemy is real – he is active, seeking to devour. And his activities manifest themselves in real life situations. The weapons of his warfare are diverse. He uses persecution, false teaching, and the seduction of the world to war against God, his Christ, and his people. Beware of these things, Christian! Do not be naive! Do not grow sleepy, but be alert and wise to the schemes of the evil one! But here is the good news: Jesus is victorious. Jesus has all that we need. Jesus is all-sufficient and all-powerful. And he is near to us ready to support us in our time of need. Let us cling to him by faith. Let us draw near to him in obedience to his word so that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).

The book of Revelation is written to the church, but it is about Jesus, for Jesus is our life. He is the one who saved us, he is the one who sustains us, and he is the one who will see us through to the end, all to the glory honor and praise of the Father.

The Introduction Of Christ to Laodicea

The same pattern is found here in the letter to Laodicea. Christ is introduced in a particular way and then the letter concludes with a promise of reward made to the one who conquers. We will save the conclusion for next week. Today I would like to take a brief look at the introduction to the letter.

The letter, we are told, contains “the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14, ESV). Let us consider each of these descriptions of Christ one at a time.

First of all, notice that Christ is called “the Amen”. 

This is an interesting title, isn’t it? We have the habit of saying, “amen” as a conclusion to our prayers. The word means “truly” or “indeed” When we say, “amen” at the conclusion of a prayer we are essentially agreeing with what has been prayed. We are saying “it is true; let it be so”. But here the word is not being used to conclude a prayer, but as a name for Jesus. He is called “the Amen.”

Think about the significance of this title?

We live in a world filled with deception, have you noticed that? But Christ is true. It is not just that he speaks truth, but that he is truth. He is the Amen. His words are true. They are to trusted. And he himself is true – he lived according to the truth and and still does to this day. So to should we. Christ the Amen, brings stability to our lives then. He is the rock upon which we must build. He is the light by which we must walk. He is words and ways are always true, and perfectly so. He is to be trusted and obeyed.

It must also be recognized that there is found in this title a tight link to the Isaiah 65 passage that was read at the beginning of this sermon. It is in Isaiah 65 that God himself is called the “God of Amen”. Listen again to verse 16 of Isaiah 65: “…he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [amen] , and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth [amen]; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes” (Isaiah 65:16, ESV). The ESV says, “God of truth” but it is the Hebrew word, “amen” that stands behind the english word “truth”. These are the only two places in all of scripture where the word “amen” is used as a title or name. In every other instance the word is used as we are accustom to using it, that is to say, “truly, truly”, or “it is true”, or  “let it be so”.

The connection is clearly deliberate. God himself is the “amen”, and so too is Jesus Christ – he is the “amen.” The two share in this quality because the two share in divinity. Jesus the Christ is God with us. He is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh.

Also, this title is used of Christ so that we might consider Jesus – his person and work – in light of what Isaiah 65 says. The title for Christ, “the Amen”, is meant to function as a kind of hyperlink so that when read it takes our minds to Isaiah 65 where the same word is used as name for God himself. And once we get there we see that the Isaiah passage is very pertinent to the the story of the book of Revelation.

In Isaiah 65 the Lord is found rebuking Israel for her unfaithfulness. He is threatening judgment. But he also gives grace and mercy promising to sustain the remnant that remains and to bring about offspring from Jacob. This is ultimately a promise to sustain so that the offspring of Jacob might appear, namely the Christ. This is the thing that God, who is the “Amen” promised to do.

And what would be the result of the coming of the Messiah be? Listen to Isaiah 65:17 says (this is the verse immediately following the reference to God as “the God of amen”. Verse 17:  “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV). The rest of chapter 65 describes “the new heavens and new earth” using what theologians call, prophetic idiom. This phrase describes what we often see in the Old Testament. “When the prophets spoke of the Messiah’s reign they described it [not literally, but] in terms and figures of speech drawn from their Israelite context” (Lee Irons, Prophetic Idiom). The Messiah, for example, would sit on David’s throne. But would he literally sit on David’s earthly throne? The New Testament makes it clear that this promise was fulfilled by Christ when he ascended to the right hand of the Father and sat down in that place of power. The prophesy concerning the reign of the Messiah was given using language common to this world and common to the Israelite experience but it’s fulfillment was not literal, but rather spiritual, far surpassing the original situation from which the idiomatic phrase was drawn.

Listen to how Isaiah describes the new heavens and new earth:

“‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 65:17–25, ESV).”

Tell me, friends. Will the new heavens and new earth be confined only to the literal city of Jerusalem? And will there be any death at all in the new heavens and new earth? No! Not according to the New Testament! So how are we to take the reference to Jerusalem and the remark, a“young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed”, in Isaiah 65? The answer is found in the fact that the prophets often spoke in this way, speaking of things glorious and grand yet to come in the future by using common language and experience to describe it.

The words of Herman Ridderbos are helpful here. He says, “The function of prophecy is consequently not that of a detailed projection of the future, but is the urgent insistence on the certainty of the things to come. This explains why, at the end of the vista, the perspective is lacking … This limitation of the perspective … is connected with the fact that the prophet paints the future in the colors and with the lines that he borrows from the world known to him, i.e., from his own environment.” A little later he adds, “We see the prophets paint the future with the palette of their own experience and project the picture within their own geographical horizon” (The Coming of the Kingdom, pp. 524-25). The same could be said about the prophesy found in the book of Revelation, I think. The images are not to be taken literally, but they do tell us something true and certain about things yet to come.

The point of the Isaiah passage is this: Though Israel was rebellious, a remnant would be keep.  And it would be from this remnant that the Messiah would come. And when he comes he will bring about the new heavens and the new earth. He will usher in an age that is distinctly different from the one in which we now live.

When Christ is called “the Amen” it is meant to take us to Isaiah 65 where God himself is called the “Amen”. And once there we are to take a look around, asking, what does this text have to do with our Lord. What we find is that it has everything to do with him, for he is the offspring – he is the servant – through who the news heavens and new earth will be established.

Christ is called, the “beginning of God’s creation.”

Do you see that in Revelation 3:14 Christ is also called, “beginning of God’s creation.” What is this a reference to?

I could be a reference to the same principle articulated in John 1:1 and Colossians 1:16, namely, that it was through the eternal Word or Son of God that all things in heaven and on earth were originally created. We are to have the events of Genesis 1 in view when we read John 1:1-3:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1–3, ESV).

We are to have the events of Genesis 1 in view when we read Colossians 1:15-17. Paul speaks of Jesus the Christ when he says,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17, ESV)

But I think it is something other than the original creation that is in view here in Revelation 3:14 where Jesus is called “the beginning of God’s creation.” It is better to understand this as a reference to the the new creation. Jesus Christ is the beginning of the new creation mentioned in Isaiah 65. He is the one who has and will usher in the new heavens and the new earth through his finished work on the cross. This is the story that the book of Revelation tells. It is in chapter 21 that we hear John say,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:1–5, ESV).

It is Jesus the Christ who has accomplished these things. He is indeed “the beginning of God’s creation”, that is the new creation of Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21. You and I are a part of that new creation if we are in Christ Jesus

Paul says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV)

In another place Paul says, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:15–16, ESV).

Jesus Christ is the beginning of this new creation. It is here now in part. It will come in fulness at his return.

Christ is also called, “the faithful and true witness.”

And notice that Christ is also called “the faithful and true witness.”

Christ was faithful to God. He witnessed to God through his obedient life and his sacrificial death. He willingly laid down his life in obedience to the Father and for the good of all whom the Father had given to him.

Application

How might we apply these truths?

Well, in a way this introduction of Christ functions as a kind of law for us. It reveals something about how we ought to live. We ought to live according to the truth of Christ. We ought to live as new creatures who have began to taste the benefits of the new creation in Christ. And we, like Christ, ought to be faithful and true witnesses to God.

But there is also gospel here. For when Christ is called, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, [and] the beginning of God’s creation” it is to highlight all of the good that he has accomplished for us. He is truth for us, he has accomplished our salvation through by his faithfulness, and he has earned for us the new heavens and new earth. This is good news.

Christ is enough for us. He is sufficient. He has won the victory. Look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! And live accordingly.

Posted in Sermons Revelation 3:14
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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 45:14–25

Listen to how the Lord spoke to Old Covenant Israel through the prophet Isaiah concerning what would happen in the days to come among the nations of the earth.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’ Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.  Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory’” (Isaiah 45:14–25, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:7-13

Now listen to how the Lord spoke to New Covenant Israel, that is, the church, made up of both Jew and Gentile, through John the Apostle:

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’’” (Revelation 3:7–13, ESV).

Sermon

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when writing a sermon. Such was the case this past week as I wrote this one. Never have I felt overwhelmed for a lack of something meaningful to say – God’s word is always meaningful.  And rarely have I felt overwhelmed by a text because I struggled to understand it’s meaning (though I can think of a few instances) – God’s word is generally very clear, though some passages can, at first, be hard to understand. I tend feel overwhelmed with a text when it is complex. I use the word “complex”, not to refer to a text that is confusing or hard to understand, but in reference to one that has lot going on in it. Perhaps a better word would be dense, or layered? Such is the case with the letter to Philadelphia. I suppose the same thing could be said of all the letters to the seven churches, but it seems especially true of this one: the letter to Philadelphia is jam-packed with symbolism. It is filled with allusions – references – to other parts of the book of Revelation. It’s language harkens back to things that have been said in chapter one and points us forward to things that will be developed from chapter four onward. And it is also filled with allusions to the Old Testament, particularly the book of Isaiah. The effect is that, when reading the letter to Philadelphia, the reader’s mind is constantly directed this way and that. One word will take our minds back to Revelation chapter one. Another word will make us think of things that will be said later in Revelation. Another phrase will remind us of Isaiah 22, whereas another will bring to remembrance Isaiah 45, or Psalm 86. That is what I mean when I refer to the letter to Philadelphia as complex. There is a lot going on in it. If we had hours together I would not feel overwhelmed, but we only have a short time.

The letter was written to Christians living in Philadelphia. This is obviously not a reference to our Philadelphia, but to a 90 A.D. city located in Asia Minor that went by the same name. The church there was strong and faithful and true. Notice that Christ did not rebuke this church for any shortcoming. He did not say, “but I have this against you”, but urges them to continue on faithfully to the end. Of the seven churches addressed in Revelation it is only Smyrna and Philadelphia that were not rebuked. The other five were rebuked for their weaknesses. Two of those were in especially bad shape.

I should remind you of something that was emphasized two weeks ago. Christ, though he rebuked and commended his churches for a variety of things, was supremely concerned with this question: is the church fulfilling their obligation to witness? That seems to be the criterion. That seems to be the principle or stander by by which Jesus Christ judged these churches. Is the church doing what she was designed to do? Is she faithful to shine forth as a light in the darkness? That was the primary question that the Son of Man who was seen walking in the midst of the lampstand was concerned with as he inspected his churches. Are they faithful witness to me? Though the word “witness” is not used in each of the seven letters, the idea is there. Christ inspected these churches with that question in mind – are they faithful witness of mine?

When I use the word “witness” I understand that many will automatically think of evangelism – that is, the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ with our mouths. Indeed that is a kind of witness, and an important one at that. But the word “witness” means more than to preach. Certainly we witness when we speak of Jesus, but we also witness when we live in obedience to God’s word, when we faithfully worship as God has called us to worship, when we believe and teach what God has revealed, when we maintain our devotion to God and to his Christ, forsaking the things of this world, even to the point of death. These are the things that a faithful “witness” does.

Witnessing is a way of life, then. The English word “witness” comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, which refers to “a person who has been deprived of life as the result of bearing witness to his [or her] beliefs.” Perhaps “martyr” would be a more accurate English translation. Now, I am not saying that God calls all Christians to “martyrdom”, that is, to literally die for the name of Christ. Indeed, only some Christians are privileged to have that calling. But is it not true that all Christians are called to martyrdom of another kind? Are we not all called to lay down our lives, to die to self daily, and to live for Christ? Is this not how Christ calls us to follow him? He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25, ESV). For some Christians the martyrdom becomes literal and physical, but it is spiritual for all who name the name of Christ. All are called to deny self, take up his cross (die to self), and follow after Jesus.

The churches that were rebuked by Christ were rebuked because, in one way or another, they had failed to live as Christ’s witnesses. They had compromised, either in doctrine or in way of life. Their light was no longer shining in the darkness. Their lamp had grown dim. It had begun to flicker and sputter as a result of their failure to preserver it. These churches, in one way or another, had become like the world around them. They had compromised in their doctrine or in their way of life so that the distinction between Christian and non-Christian was melting away. Their light was growing dim and on the verge of becoming darkness.

The churches that were commended and not rebuked were commended, not because they were perfect in every way (there is no such thing as a perfect church), but because they were faithful to live as Christians in the world. They were uncompromising in doctrine and in life. The were unwilling to bow the knee to false god’s or to run after the pleasures of this world or to tolerate false teaching in their midst. They were true to Christ and to his name.

Such was the case with the Christians at Philadelphia. They were commended because they had (verse 8) “kept [Christ’s] word and [had] not denied [his] name” (Revelation 3:8, ESV). They had (verse 10) “kept [Christ’s] word” and were “patient [in] endurance” (Revelation 3:10, ESV). The Greek word translated “patient endurance” is ὑπομονή, which means to “continue to bear up under difficult circumstances—‘endurance, being able to endure.’” These were uncompromising, faithful, and sincere people.

But we should not take this to mean that things were easy for the Christians in Philadelphia. Clearly the church was under attack. It is not difficult to understand what the problem was there. We are told at the end of verse 8 that the Christians had “but little power,” and yet did not deny the name of Christ (Revelation 3:8, ESV). We do not know exactly what is meant by the phrase, “you have but little power.” Perhaps the Christians were small in number in that city. Perhaps they were poor. Perhaps they were outcasts socially. I would not be surprised if all of the above were true of them. What is clear is that the church in Philadelphia was weak as it pertains to worldly power, and they were vulnerable.

Specifically they were under attack from the Jewish community there in Philadelphia. This is clear from what is said in 3:9. There Christ encourages them, saying, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV).

Indeed, these are harsh words leveled against the Jews in that city, and they are hard to understand if we are ignorant of the historical situation. A synagogue was, and is, a place of gathering and worship for the Jews. The word simply means “assembly, or congregation.” It is not all that different from the word “church”, which also refers to an assembly or congregation. The Jews have gathered in synagogues to worship ever since the Babylonian captivity in the year 586 B.C. The Jews worshipped in synagogues because they did not have access to the temple, which had been destroyed in that. The temple was rebuilt and then destroyed again in 70 A.D. making the synagogue the central place for Jewish worship once more, even up to this present day. Our Christian concept of the church and of worship is clearly connected to the Jewish synagogue system, and not to the temple. We assemble in what we call churches to pray, sing, and read scripture, among other things. Such was the practice of the Jews in the days leading up to, during, and after the life of our Lord.

It is important to understand the tension that existed, and the divide that developed, between the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah and all who received him as such, Jew and Gentile alike.

Many of the first Christians were Jews. Jesus was a Jewish man. The Apostles were all Jewish men. Many Jewish priests confessed Jesus as the Christ. But many more rejected the claim. It was the Jews, after all, who handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified. Most of the Jewish religious elite denied that he was the Christ. The rift between Christian Jews and non-Christian Jews was undoubtably deep and wide. Think, for example, about the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Before he was Paul the Apostle of Christ he was Saul the persecutor of Christians. His aim was to stomp out the Christian movement, but then he was converted. After this his life was constantly threatened by his own kinsmen according to the flesh, that is to say, the non-believing Jews.

It was not at all uncommon for Jews to persecute Christians in the early days of the church. Undoubtably that is what was happening in the cities of Philadelphia and Smyrna. In both letters Jesus uses the phrase, “synagogue of Satan” to describe the non-believing Jews who were persecuting the Christians. In Revelation 2:9 we read Christ’s words to Smyrna: “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9, ESV). The phrase appears again in the letter to Philadelphia. In 3:9 where we read, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV).

They were called by Jesus a “synagogue of Satan” because they were, ironically, doing Satan’s work as they were opposing and persecuting the Christians. They found themselves on the wrong team. They were on the wrong side of the divide, given their decision to reject Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.

And in both letters Jesus makes this remark: they “say that they are Jews and are not”. What does this mean? Clearly these are Jewish people ethnically speaking. Perhaps there were some Gentiles amongst them who had converted to Judaism – to the religion of Judaism. Christ’s critique of them was this: Though they may have been Jews according to the flesh, and though they claimed to be Jews, that is to say, the true children of Abraham, and the true people of God – they were not. Why? Because they had rejected the Messiah. They had rejected the Christ who had been promised to them through the Fathers from shortly after the fall. Ironically then, they were therefore Jews, but they were not Jews; they were children of Abraham, but they were not children of Abraham; and they were Israel, but they were not Israel.   

You may think that it sounds strange to speak in this way, but it is the way that the story is told from the days of Abraham onward. Indeed, Abraham had very many decedents according to the flesh, but not all shared his faith. It was possible, then, from the very beginning to be a child of Abraham according to the flesh, but not according to faith. Jacob and Esau are held up as models of this dynamic. Paul held them up in Romans 9 to illustrate this very point. Though both were decedents of Abraham only Jacob had faith so that God said of them, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13, ESV). So, from the beginning is was possible to be a child of Abraham – a Jew, and Israelite according to the flesh – but not a true child of Abraham, Jew, and Israelite according to the spirit.

And what distinguished between the two? If we put the doctrine of election to the side for a moment and look at the issue from the human vantage point, we would have to say that the distinguishing factor was “faith”. The true children of Abraham, the true Israelite, the true Jew, had, not only the genes of Abraham, but the faith of Abraham. And what was Abraham’s faith rooted in? It was rooted in the promises of God concerning the coming of a redeemer, a savior, the Messiah, the Christ.

Even under the Old Covenant, then, we see that a distinction was made between those who were Jews merely according the flesh and those who were true Jews according to the spirit. This is where the talk of a “remnant” comes from. There where times under the Old Covenant when, though the Jewish population was indeed very great, only a small remnant remained. These were the minority from amongst the Jewish people who had the faith of Abraham – faith in the promises of God concerning the Christ who would accomplish salvation and would, one day, usher in the new heavens and the new earth.

Faith in God – faith in his promises – faith in the promised redeemer was the thing that distinguished between Israel according to the flesh, and true Israel, even under the Old Covenant.

And the same principle is true under the New Covenant. In fact it must be confessed that, not only does the same principle hold true, but it is greatly intensified under the New Covenant, for the New Covenant is made only with those who believe. The Old Covenant differed from the New in this regard: The Old Covenant was made with all who descended from the loins of Abraham. Every child born to a Jewish father was born into the Old Covenant and was circumcised on the eighth day as a sign and seal of that reality. If they would have faith would yet to be seen. If they would grow to become a true Israelite, a true child of Abraham, would depend upon their faith or lack thereof. But all who born to Abraham were indeed members of that Old Covenant. It was a mixed covenant, then, consisting of believers and non-believers, true Israel and Israel only according to the flesh.

But a promise was made in the days of the Old Covenant concerning the arrival of a New Covenant. And this New Covenant would be different from the Old in that it would be made only with those who had faith. In other words, the issue of genealogy or ethnicity wouldn’t matter a lick in regard to being a part of this New Covenant. The Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, ESV).

This New Covenant would be made only with those who “know the Lord”. Everyone in this New Covenant would have a regenerate heart – God’s law would be written on their hearts. Under this New Covenant no longer would “each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me”, says the Lord. This is covenant would not be a mixed covenant, but a pure one.

This is why I say that the distinction between true Israel and false Israel does not pass away with the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant, but is greatly intensified. For after the coming of the Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant, those who do not have the faith of Abraham cannot even be consider as being in covenant with God as was the case under the Old.

Let us use Jacob and Esau as an example. Did Esau have faith? He did not. But was Esau an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, under Moses, and member of the Old Covenant? Yes he was! He was not a part of true Israel, but he was a part of Israel. He was not a true child of Abraham, but he was a decedent of Abraham. He did not benefit from the Covenant of Grace that would be instituted by the Christ, but he was truly under the Old Covenant. He could, in that external and physical sense, consider himself to be one of God’s people, though he was not one of the elect (read Romans 9).

But may I ask you this? Are there any Esau’s under the New Covenant? No! For all who are under the New Covenant know God, are regenerate, having the law written on their hearts – they all have the faith of Abraham. This is the thing that matters – faith in Christ.

This is why Paul spoke as he did, saying, “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel… This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (Romans 9:6, 8, ESV).

In Galatians 3:7 Paul put it this way, saying,

“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7–9, ESV).

Under the New Covenant ethnicity doesn’t matter – your physical birth gets you nowhere. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28–29, ESV).

When the New Covenant was ratified in Christ’s blood the promise made to Abraham that through him (though his offspring) all the nations of the earth would be blessed was fulfilled. Jesus the Christ is the savior of the world. The apostles were commissioned to make disciples of all nations. The wall of separation that had existed under the Old Covenant between Jew and Gentile had been broken down. The dietary laws that distinguished the Jew and Gentile had been removed.  On and on I could go.

All of this made it possible for Paul to write the church in Ephesus as he did, saying,

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:11–22, ESV).

So much more could be said about this. The point that I am laboring to make is that when Jesus the Messiah came he instituted the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was no more. It was fulfilled by Christ. And this New Covenant, while certainly not disconnected from the Old, was radically different. It was particularly different in regards to the question “who is in the covenant, and on what basis.” Under the Old the answer was mainly this: Israel is in and on the basis of birth, though not all have true faith (there was a way for Gentiles to come in too). Under the New Covenant the answer is this: it is those who have faith who are in the covenant, and this is equally true for Jew and Gentile alike.

This was a radicle shift, friends. And it was this shift that makes the tension between the Jews and the Christians in the early days of the church understandable. The Jewish people were (and are) insistent in their claim that they are God’s people on the basis of their ethnicity. What was Christ’s opinion? ‘You say that you are Jews, but you are not. In fact you are the synagogue of Satan.’

It always feels wrong to use this language given what has happened to the Jews in the past. I struggle to say it, but is the language of our Lord. It is the language of scripture. We must remember that this firm language is not racially motivated. Jesus was a Jew. Most of the early Christians were Jews. This is not an attack upon the Jews as a people. And in no way is it intend to motivate hostility towards them. Such action would be completely contrary to the way of Christ.

The strong language, however, is meant to draw attention to the serious error that these Jews had made. They had missed their Messiah. Though they were Abrahams children according to the flesh they did not have the faith of Abraham, for Abraham believed in the promises of God concerning the Christ would be a blessing to the whole world – Jesus was that Christ, and they did not believe upon him. And not only did they fail to believe upon him, but they persecuted those who did.

Do you see the irony. Those who were called “the people of God” under the Old Covenant (the Jews) were now called by God “not my people” under the New given their lack of faith; and those who were called “not my people” under the Old (the Gentiles), are now called by God “my people” under the New because of the faith. The prophet Hosea prophesied concerning these things in Hosea 1, and the Apostles Paul explains these things in Romans 9.

This whole passage drips with irony.

The Jewish synagogue in Philadelphia was strong. They persecuted the Christians. They excommunicated the Jew who professed faith in Christ. The doors were slammed shut in the face of Christians. Their claim was this: “we are the true people of God, you are not”; “We are in covenant with God, you are not”; “We are in the kingdom, you are not”; “Abraham is our Father, not yours”; “David is our King, not yours”; “we are in, given our heritage, and you are out”.

Ironically, the opposite was true. Notice half way through verse 7 that Jesus Christ himself is the “holy one” – a title reserved for God alone, especially in the book of Isaiah, which is alluded to throughout this passage. Jesus Christ is “the true one” – he is the true Messiah, God’s faithful servant. Jesus is the one “who has the key of David” – he is the promised descendent of David who’s Kingdom would be everlasting – Jesus is the King, and God’s Kingdom is his. Jesus, therefore is the one “who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” The Jews in Philadelphia had shut the Christians out, but it is Jesus who has the authority to open and to shut the doors to his kingdom. It is those who believe upon his name that have an open door before them. Look at verse 8. To the Christian church he says, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut” (Revelation 3:8, ESV). For those who do not believe, the door is securely closed. This corresponds to the vision of Jesus in chapter 1 where Jesus is is heard saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17–18, ESV). In chapter 1 it is Christ’s authority to bind and loose in regard to death and hades that is emphasized. He in the letter to Philadelphia it is his authority open and shut in regard to the kingdom that is emphasized. There is a very important passage surrounding Isaiah 22:22 that is behind what is said here concerning the “key of David”. I so wish that we had the time to explore it, but we do not.

The message for the Christians in Philadelphia was clear. They were to continue persevering through the persecution for they were the true Israel of God by virtue of their faith in Christ. Jesus was the Christ. Though him they had an open door to the kingdom.

Notice that Christ said that he would make “those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV). This is a reversal of what was promised to Israel in the Isaiah passage that was read at the beginning of the sermon. In Isaiah 45 it was promised to Israel that the day would come when the nations would come and bow before them confessing the their God was the one true God. Here in Revelation 3 the same language is used but it is promised to the church that the Jews would bow before them. The promise of Isaiah 45 was fulfilled at the first coming of Christ and continues to be fulfilled to this present day as Gentiles come to the God of the Jews through faith in Jesus who is the Messiah. The promise of Revelation 3 will is fulfilled when ever Christian live as faithful witness to God and to Christ in the presence of Jewish people, leading them to confess that indeed Jesus is Lord. It’s a marvelous reversal, isn’t it?

The promise to the Christians was that Christ, through their patent endurance,  would “keep [them] from the hour of trial [was] is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10, ESV). It is hard to know what particular trial this was in reference to. What is clear is that they would be “kept” by Christ. Many pre-tribulation, pre-millennial interpreters take this as a reference to the rapture that will, in their view, come before the great tribulation. Their thought is that Christ would never allow his people to pass through tribulation, but that he will “keep” them, that is, take them out of, the tribulation. That’s an awful lot of theology to cram into this text! And it ignores what is clearly said elsewhere! Was it not just said to the church in Smyrna, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV)? And what about Jesus’ words in John 17 (recoded by the same John who wrote the book of Revelation, mind you)? There we hear Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, saying,

“I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:11, 15, ESV).

It is the same word in the Greek found in both John 17 verses 11 and 15 and Revelation 3 verse10. The word “keep” does not mean “to take out of”, but rather, “to keep watch over”, or “to guard”; “to cause to continue or persevere.” This is the thing that Christ does for his people who are in tribulation – he sustains spiritually. That is what he promised to do for the faithful in Philadelphia.

And what do the saints have to look forward to?

“I am coming soon”, he said. This could be a reference to the second coming. But we should also remember that book of Revelation speaks of Jesus coming in judgment and in support of believers in other ways (2:5; 2:16; 3:3).

He exhorted them, saying, “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” (Revelation 3:11, ESV). They have rewards in heaven waiting for them. They are to hold fast to them, and not trade those treasures of infinite worth for the fleeting pleasures of this world.

And to the Christians Christ said, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it…” (Revelation 3:12, ESV). There will be no physical temple in the new heavens and the new earth. Revelation 21:22 says so. Something better will be there, for the whole earth will be the “temple of God”, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, ESV). In other words, the presence of God and the glory of God will fill all. Everything will be what the Holy of Holies in the temple symbolized. What then is meant when Jesus says, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God”. Certainly this is symbolic language. We do not expect to be made into stone, do we? The promise is that the one who remains faithful to Christ to the end will have a permeant place in the new heavens and new earth. That one will enjoy the presence of God and the glory of God always and forever.

Furthermore Christ promised to “write on him the name of [his] God, and the name of the city of [his] God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from… God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12, ESV). Here everything points to the principle of possession. We belong to him and he to us. What he has earned is ours through faith in him. This is our eternal reward.

Conclusion 

The letter concludes with these familiar words: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:13, ESV). I know that you have ears, but I wonder, do you have ears that really hear? Is the word of God alive to you? Does the Spirit instruct you in it? Does it have power in your life? Does it have an effect upon you? I wonder if you have developed the discipline of meditating upon the word after you have heard it? Do you think deeply upon the word? Do you work to understand it? And after that, do you work to apply it? The word is to be applied!

It is true that these letters were addressed to churches living long ago who faced challenges that were in some ways unique to them. But friends, we must not forget that principles stated here are timeless and universal.

You are God’s chosen people. You’ve been called out of the kingdom of darkness to walk in light. You are to shine forth as lights in the darkness so that others might come to give glory to God almighty. Are you walking in the light? Is your life – your thoughts, words, and deeds – distinctly Christ like? Or are you worldly.

May the Lord purify us. May he make us able and willing to keep his will and to walk faithfuly before him, setting our eyes upon the eternal reward.

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Revelation 3:7-13
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Introduction 

Brothers and sisters, I wish to tell you a story this morning. It is a familiar story. And it is the one that you would expect to hear on this Christmas Day. It is the story of our dear Savior’s birth. I will tell it following the contours of the Gospel of Luke chapter 1 verse 5 through chapter 2 verse 21. You may turn there if you wish and try to follow along, or you may simply listen.

Before we get to it, notice that I referred to Jesus as our “Savior”. I’d like for you to think about that title for a moment. “Savior” – that is what we call Jesus, for that is what he is. He is our Savior. And as you consider that impressive title I’d also ask you to recognize that a lot of information is crammed into it.

The title “Savior” indicates that Jesus has rescued us from something. Some victory has been won by him. Some reward has been earned. And the title “Savior” implies that there is a bigger story that needs to be told, one that transcends the story of Jesus’ birth. The story of his birth is indeed an important part of this bigger story, but it is not the essential part – it is not the climax. In fact, the story of Jesus’ birth – as miraculous as it is – makes little sense when considered apart from this bigger story.

And what is the bigger story that I am referring to?

The bigger story is our story – it is the history of humanity beginning with God’s creation of all things seen and unseen, of man’s fall into sin and misery, and of God’s gracious promise to one day send a Savior. This is the story that is told in the Old Testament scriptures. This is the backstory that must be understood if any sense is to be made of the nativity of Jesus.

The birth of Jesus was, in some respects, just like yours and mine. He came into this world in a most natural way. But in other respects his birth was utterly unique. His conception was supernatural. While he was in the womb of his mother miraculous signs were made to abound. Angels appeared. Word’s of prophesy were uttered. And of course, many prophesies from ages past were fulfilled in the events leading up to the birth of Christ. Jesus’ birth, while in some respects, natural, was utterly unique and, indeed, supernatural.

And friends it is so important to recognize that the bigger story that I have made reference to did not end with the birth of Jesus. More significant than his birth was his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Indeed, it was the death of Christ and his resurrection which brought everything to a climax. For it was in that event that sin was atoned for, death was defeated, and eternal life was earned. After Jesus was raised, he ascended to the Father, and from there he will return, bringing all things to a conclusion.

I am certainly happy to retell the story of Jesus’ birth on this Lord’s Day. But I am also concerned that we do not loose sight of the larger story. For we not worship a babe in a manger, but a Savior – the one who, through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of light, if indeed we believe upon him. It is he that we worship. For he is the eternal Son of God who took on flesh, who lived in obedience to the will of God, who revealed the Father to us most fully, who died for sins, and who rose again on the third day securing life eternal for all who believe upon his name.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold – Luke 1:5–25

It should be noticed that Luke begins the story of Jesus’ birth, not by talking about Jesus and his parents, but about John the Baptist and his. The reason is that the Old Testament scriptures contain prophesies concerning, not only the arrival of the Christ, but also the prophet who would prepare the way for him. John the Baptist was that prophet. His birth was also marked by the miraculous. The birth of the Christ was not an isolated event. It did not happen in a corner somewhere. But it was community event. Many were involved in the narrative as it unfolded.

The story of Jesus’ birth begins “In the days of Herod, king of Judea”. According to our way of counting time this would be around the year 4 B.C. And there was a priest named Zechariah. There was nothing particularly unique or outstanding about Zechariah. He was one of hundreds of priests who would serve for two weeks a year in the temple.

The scriptures do tell us a bit about Zechariah. “He had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Both of them were, according to Luke 1:6, ” righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” We should not take this to mean that the two were perfect. Instead, we are to understand that they were faithful people. They possessed an authentic faith and they lived in a way that was consistent with their profession.

Not only do the scriptures reveal that they were a righteous couple, but also that they knew sorrow and suffering. We’re told that Zechariah and Elizabeth “had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” Certainly this inability to have children brought sadness to the couple, but it would have also put them in a challenging situation socially and economically.  Barrenness was looked down upon in that society. And children were expected to care for their aging parents. Zechariah and Elizabeth were “advanced in years”. Without a doubt they worried about who would care for them in the years to come. But the two were not alone. They certainly could recall the experience of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachael, Elkanah and Hannah, and how God provided for these, in some cases even in their old age.

Now the time came for Zechariah to go to the temple to serve as priest before God. And “according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” This would have been a real privilege. Zechariah was to go into the holy place to the alter of incense which stood directly before the curtain which separated to the holy place from the holy of holy’s and he was to burn incense there, offering up prayers for himself and for the people. Picture it: the smoke from the incense would rise and it would pass over, under, and through the massive curtain, entering the most holy place. This symbolized the prayers of the people of God coming before the throne of God, being heard and enjoyed by him.

So far, everything has been typical.  But in verse ten we are told that the “whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to [Zechariah] an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.” This was anything but typical. And Zechariah responded as men do when they encounter the heavenly. “Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.” Friends, we are quite small when compared to the heavenly and the divine.

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:13–17, ESV).

What an incredible announcement this was! Not only would Zechariah and Elizabeth be blessed with a child in their old age, but this child would be most significant in bringing about the salvation of God’s people. The announcement was clear. This child would be the one that the scriptures spoke of. He would be the one like Elijah who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah.

Zechariah had a hard time believing it. He responded to saying,

“‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’ And the angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time’” (Luke 1:18–20, ESV).

Zechariah lacked faith in this moment. As judgment he was told that he would be unable to speak until the child was born. I can’t help but think that there was also a blessing in this. What Zechariah needed was, not to talk, but to think. He needed to reflect upon his experience in light of the holy scriptures if he was to understand the significance of all that was about to happen with he and Elizabeth and their child.

“The people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people’” (Luke 1:21–25, ESV).

Birth of Jesus Foretold – Luke 1:26–38

It was six months later that the angel Gabriel appeared again. This time he came, not to the temple, and not to Zechariah and Elizabeth,but “to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, and to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David… The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26–27, ESV).

By now you should be getting the impression that heaven was intruding upon earth at this time. For four hundred years there had been no prophetic activity in Israel, but now the angel Gabriel has appeared, not once, but twice. And the news he brought was good news indeed!

He appeared to Mary and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Mary, like Zechariah, “was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” Gabriel spoke to her saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:28–33, ESV).

The massage that Mary received was in some ways similar to the message that Zechariah received. Both couples would have a child miraculously, and both children would be very significant in fulfilling the purposes and promises of God.

But there were some important differences. The birth of John to Zechariah and Elizabeth would be “miraculous” given that Elizabeth was barren and the two were advanced in age. But the birth of Jesus would be miraculous (truly miraculous) given that he would be born to a virgin.

More than that John would be significant in that he would prepare the way for the Christ, whereas Jesus would himself be the Christ. He would called “the Son of the Most High.” The “Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.” He would “reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Jesus would be the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited King of Israel, the Savior, who is the Son of God come in the flesh.

Mary also had questions. But her questions were not like Zechariah’s. Her’s were honest questions, and not questions of doubt. She spoke to Gabriel saying,

“‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, saying,  ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:34–38, ESV).

What faith this young woman exhibited! She knew that this calling would mean trouble and hardship for her and Joseph, for who would believer her story? But she was willing to bear it, for she considered herself to be a “servant of the Lord”.

Mary Visits Elizabeth – Luke 1:39–45

I’m sure that Mary felt rather alone in this journey. You and I are here to celebrate the virgin birth, but in Mary and Joseph’s day the story was doubted by many, for how could it be that a virgin have a child? But there was a place for Mary to go where she would be believed. She could go to her relative Elizabeth, for she too was a part of this story.

“Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was glorify spoken to her from the Lord’” (Luke 1:39–45, ESV).

What a comfort this must have been to young Mary! Her story, though doubted by many, was believed by the reputable Elizabeth, her encounter with the angel Gabriel was confirmed, and a blessing was pronounced upon her. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”, Elizabeth said. And “blessed [was] she [for believing] that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat – Luke 1:46–56

Mary’s response was to sing. Her response was to give glory to God and to rejoice in him. That is the very thing that you and I should do today though we are 2,000 years removed from these things. We too should sing. We should be moved to glorify God and to rejoice in the salvation that he has accomplished for us in Christ Jesus.

Listen to her song. It is recorded for us in Luke 1:46-55.

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’ And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home” (Luke 1:46–56, ESV).

This song of Mary’s is quite beautiful, isn’t it? In it she demonstrated her humility. She confessed that what the Lord was doing in and through her was so significant that she, a lowly and humble girl of no reputation, would be remembered and called “blessed” from generation to generation. What the Lord was doing would benefit the humble and raise them up. The proud of heart would benefit nothing and would be brought low. This child that was growing inside of her was the fulfillment to the promises made to Israel in ages past through the fathers, particularly the father Abraham. This Jesus was the Christ, the offspring of Abraham who would provide salvation for Israel and for all who would believe upon his name.

Mary demonstrated a great deal of understanding. Her song shows that she was fully aware of the significance of all that was happening in and through her by the hand of God.

The Birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1:57–66

“Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, ‘No; he shall be called John.’ And they said to her, ‘None of your relatives is called by this name.’ And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, ‘What then will this child be?’ For the hand of the Lord was with him.” (Luke 1:57–66, ESV)

Zechariah’s Prophecy – Luke 1:67–80

Zechariah was compelled, not to sing, but to prophesy. Listen to his words. And see the transformation that took place within him over the past nine months. He must have pondered the scriptures in silence, for he displayed a great deal of understanding with his words. No longer is he doubting, but filled with the Spirit, and filled with faith, he said,

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:68–75, ESV).

Zechariah understood the significance of the child that was growing inside of Mary’s womb. He was the Redeemer, the Savior, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. He had come to deliver and to redeem, to make sinners holy and righteous. This was the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

And he now understood the significance of the child that was born to he and Elizabeth. To him he said,

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76–79, ESV).

This child was to prepare the way for the Jesus Christ. His work was to prepare men and women to meet him so that they might repent and believe. “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80, ESV).

The Birth of Jesus Christ – Luke 2:1–7

“In those days [in the days when John the Baptist was born] a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1–7, ESV).

The Shepherds and the Angels – Luke 2:8–21

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:8–21, ESV).

Conclusion 

Friends, here is thing that we come to celebrate today. We celebrate the birth of Jesus who is the Christ. He is our Savior. He is our Lord. It is through him that we have peace with God, through faith in him. And he is Savior, not only of the Jews, but of all the peoples of the earth in fulminate to the promises made to the Fathers, particularly David and Abraham.

Do you believe upon him? If not, may I urge you to think about the claims that the scriptures make concerning this Jesus? May I urge you to think about what the scriptures have to say about our condition? Apart from Christ we are in sin, enemies of God. But through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of the world, we find the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. If you do not yet believe upon Christ I pray that this would be day that you open the greatest gift of all – that you would believe the good that was announced by the angels to the shepherd on that most significant night. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

For those who have faith in Christ, may we forever grow in our love for him. May we appreciate him more and more, confessing that without him we would be helplessly lost. May our love and appreciation for Christ compel us to worship and to serve more faithfully than ever before, all to the glory of God the Father who has loved us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Luke 1:5-2:21
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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 42:1–9

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them’” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:1-6

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’’” (Revelation 3:1–6, ESV).

Introduction

We have now come to the fifth of seven letters written to seven churches that were alive in 90 A.D. in the region of what is today called Turkey. To two of the churches Christ had nothing negative to say. He commended them for their willingness to stand for his name and encouraged them to press on and to remain faithful to the end. The other five churches, though they might have had strengths, also had weaknesses. They were rebuked by our Lord, some more severely than others. Our objective is to learn from these letters, for they address strengths and weakness that are quite common in churches, even to this present day. These letters are for us, friends.

A few things have become very clear so far in our study of the book of Revelation:

One, the book is principally concerned to show us how things are going to go with the kingdom that Jesus the Christ has been given. It is a book about the kingdom of Christ. I cannot take the time here to repeat all that was said in previous sermons about Revelation 1 where this theme was discussed in some detail. I can only briefly remind you that the opening vision of the book of Revelation is a vision of Jesus the Christ who is the Son of Man of Daniel 7. He is portrayed as the Son of Man who, now that he has accomplished his mission to redeem his elect through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, has been given the kingdom that was promised beforehand through the prophet Daniel, and others. The message of the New Testament is that the kingdom that was for a long time promised is here now that the Christ has come. Christ is king of his kingdom now. Call it the “kingdom of God”, the “kingdom of Christ”, or the “kingdom of heaven” – any of these titles will do, for they describe the same thing. They describe the thing that Christ was given upon the completion of his earthy ministry. It was the reward for his obedience. He has been made by his Father the king of this kingdom. Those given to him by the Father are the citizens of this kingdom – he has redeemed them for himself by his shed blood. And the kingdom is advancing now. It does not yet fill the whole earth, but it will one day when the Lord returns and establishes the new heavens and new earth. The book of Revelation is a book about this kingdom that belongs to Christ. It describes how things will go with it from the time of Christ’s resurrection on to the consummation of all things when Christ returns. The scriptures refer to this period of time as the “last days”. The book of Revelation makes clear that in these last days the kingdom of Christ will advance, but not without resistance. It will be brought to a consummate state upon the return of Christ, and it will fill all the earth. You and I, if we trust in Christ, belong to a kingdom. I rush through this principle because it has already been presented to you. This is reminder and review.

The second thing that has become clear in our study of the book of Revelation is that Jesus the Christ, who is the Son of Man – the one to whom the kingdom of God has been given – is clearly administering his kingdom now through local churches. The book of Revelation is a church book, written to local churches, for the purpose of strengthening local churches.

Do you know what I mean by this? Revelation 1 makes it very clear that Christ is the son of Man who has been given a kingdom by the Ancient of Days. But very quickly everything comes to focus on the local church. When I refer to the local church I am referring to churches like ours – churches like the seven that are mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. Local churches are visible churches. They are made up of Christians – officers and members – that is, elders, deacons, and congregants. The book of Revelation, after establishing the kingship of Jesus who is the Christ quickly sets its focus upon the local church. In other words, it is not a book written to individual Christians. Revelation is a church book. It is addressed to local churches – specifically the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

I’m belaboring the point a bit, I know. But it is for good reason. For we live in a day where Christianity has been made to be all about the individual. Many think that we advance the kingdom of Christ when we preach the gospel and see individuals come to salvation. And I will not deny that this is indeed an essential aspect of kingdom work – the promotion and proclamation of the gospel leading to the conversion of individuals. But notice that Christ, when inspecting his kingdom, and when preparing his people for life in his kingdom, inspects them, not as individuals, but as churches. He considers individual Christians, not individually, but in the context of local congregations.

What’s the point, you ask? The point is that the advancement of Christ’s kingdom involves more than the proclamation of the gospel and the conversion of individuals. In fact the kingdom of Christ advances when local churches are established and maintained according to the word of Christ. The task of advancing the kingdom of Christ and the task of establishing and maintaining local congregations are inextricably linked – the two things cannot be separated. They are, in many respects, one and the same. To plant a church is to advance the kingdom. To refine a church is to refine the kingdom. To strengthen a church is to strengthen the kingdom. Church work is kingdom work, and kingdom work is church work. Of course all of that involves the conversion and discipleship of individuals – but our work does not end there. That’s the point I’m laboring to make.

It is this truth that is sadly neglected in our day as we make everything to be about the individual. The general Evangelical sentiment in our day seems to be this: we are doing kingdom work when we evangelize the individual, when we disciple the individual, and when we provide a wide variety of ministries specifically designed to help the individual. But these works are often done separate from, or irrespective of, the local church. There is something very incomplete about it when compared to the decidedly corporate and congregational pattern established in both the Old Testament and the New.

Do you think that Christ cares for individuals? Of course he does! But look at how he addresses his people in the book of Revelation. He addresses them as churches, and not as individuals. The same can be said for all of the other books in the New Testament. The New Testament is a church book from beginning to end. Christ is administering his kingdom through local churches.

Perhaps an illustration would help. If a portion of the US ARMY is to be inspected I would imagine that they the would come out for inspection, not as individual soldiers, but in battalions and companies, platoons and squads. The ARMY, though certainly made up of many individuals, is administered in a particular way. So too with Christ’s kingdom. When he is seen by John walking amongst the citizens of his kingdom to inspect them, he is seen walking, not amongst individuals, but individuals situated in local congregations. It is to the local church that the book of Revelation is addressed.

Revelation is a kingdom book, and it is a church book.

The third thing that is clear from our study of the book of Revelation is that Christ is concerned that his churches be healthy and whole. He is seen walking in the midst of his churches, and he is there to inspect. Where they are found to be strong he commends them and urges them to be faithful. But he rebukes them where they are weak. His desire, then, is not only to have churches, but to have churches that are healthy and whole. In fact if a church is found to be severely delinquent in doctrine or life he threatens to remove them. To Ephesus he said, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5, ESV). To Laodicea he said,  “I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16, ESV). Christ is concerned that his churches be healthy and whole.

But I have a question for you. Why? Why is he concerned to have churches that are healthy and whole? Is it just for the sake of being able to say, “the church is healthy”? Is that it? Or is there a purpose – an end goal – for the inspection, the encouragement, and the rebuke? Is there a purpose for the health? And if so, what is it?

When I take my car in for an inspection and tune up, I do it for a reason. It is not just so that I can say, “my car is in good shape”. I take it in for a tune up so that it might run well – so that it would carry my family to and fro safely and efficiently. There is a reason and goal motivating the inspection and tune up. We maintain things so that they might do the work they were designed to do.

When I picture the priests under the Old Covenant working in the temple, tending to the lamps on the lampstand in the holy place – trimming the wicks and refilling the oil – I envision them doing it for a purpose. They walked among the lampstand and maintained the lamps so that they would never fail to give the light that God intended for them to give. That was the purpose for the maintenance. You see, it is maintenance with a purpose.

It is the same with Christ and his churches. He, the great hight priest, inspects his churches and maintains them so that they would function as God intended them to function – so that they would do what God has called them to do.

But the question still stands: what is the purpose – the end goal – for the inspection, the encouragement, and the rebuke of the churches? What is it that God has called them to do with their health and wholeness?

The answer is that they are to do the very thing that the lampstand in holy place did. They are to shine forth as light into the darkness. This is why Christ is so concerned to have churches that are healthy and whole – so that they might shine as lights – as witnesses – to the non-believing world around them.

To put it another way, the mission of the local church is to witness.

Listen also to Acts 1:8 where Christ says to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, ESV). We are to function as witnesses in the world. We are to testify concerning the risen Lord through our words and deeds.

Jesus put it another way in Matthew 5:14, saying to his followers, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16, ESV).

I’m wanting you to make the connection between the vision of the Son of Man seen walking amongst the lampstand in Revelation 1 and the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. The two things are indeed connected.

What was symbolized in chapter 1 by the vision of Jesus Christ, the great high priest walking amongst the lamps to tend to them so that they might burn bright as God intended, is actually happening in chapters 2 and 3. The word of Christ is delivered to the churches to refine them and to strengthen them – to make them healthy and whole – so that they might indeed burn bright as witnesses for Christ in the dark world in which they live.

The goal is health, not for the sake of health. But health for the sake of the accomplishment of mission.

To put it another way, though it is true that 5 of the seven churches were unhealthy in a variety of ways, Christ’s critique of each of these churches could have been the same. He could have said this, “I have this against you, you’re failing to witness. You’re falling to shine as lights in the world. You’re failing to live in a such a way that brings glory to me. Specifically, Ephesus, you have failed to love as you did at first. Pergamum, you have compromised in regard to doctrine – some have grown immoral and idolatrous. Thyatira, you have tolerated false teaching and immorality in your midst. You’ve all become like the world. You’ve compromised. Your light has become darkness. You are unhealthy, and are no longer fulfilling your purpose – you are no longer witnessing in word and deed.” A healthy church will witness in word and deed to the glory of God and for the promotion and proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sardis is interesting.

Really nothing good is said about her, except for that not all within the church had been compromised. This is what separates her from churches one and seven – Ephesus and Laodicea. Those churches were compromised, but in a thorough way.  Sardis was compromised, but in verse 3 we read, “Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4, ESV). That is the only positive thing mentioned.

Christ’s critique of the church was this: “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1, ESV). The language here is hyperbolic, or exaggerated, for we are quickly told that Sardis was not completely dead. Look at verse 2. There Christ says, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (Revelation 3:2, ESV). What we have, then, is a church that has grown sleepy and lethargic in the faith and was on the verge of death. They had grown apathetic. The body of Christ in Sardis had begun to atrophy. Death was at the door.

Isn’t it interesting that in the letter to Sardis we find no mention of external pressures or threats to the church. Persecution does not seem to be a major problem. Nor is there any reference to the presence of explicit false teachings. The same can be said of the letter to Laodicea, which is the seventh church. No external threat is mentioned in the letter to Laodicea, and they are described as being lukewarm. Sardis is dead. Laodicea is lukewarm. Both share this in common: they seem to be in a rather comfortable place. It is important to recognize that comfort, prosperity, and security can posse a real threat to the church. A comfortable situation can lead to complacency.

It is interesting that Sardis had a reputation for being alive, when in fact she was more dead than alive. How she came to have this reputation, we are not specifically told. Perhaps she once possessed a lively faith, but had lost it – her reputation had not caught up with the new reality of things. Or perhaps she had the appearance of life, but never really had it. This is also possible. A church can look alive on the surface – many involved, elaborate ministries, fancy facilities, etc. – but in fact be dead spiritually. We do not know how Sardis came to have this reputation. The point is that Christ knew the truth of the matter. It is his word – his opinion – that matters.

In verse 2 Christ calls the church to, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die… (Revelation 3:2, ESV). The Greek words translated “wake up” really mean to “wake up and be vigilant, alert, and on guard.”  The church had grown sleepy. They had grown comfortable with the culture. They had failed to keep watch and had begun to compromise in regard to their devotion to Christ.

The history of the city of Sardis becomes significant at this point The city had been conquered, not once, but twice due to a lack of vigilance and complacency in the heart of it’s people. In the 6th century B.C. Cyrus, king of Persia conquered the city. Croesus, king of Lydia, thought he was safe in Sardis. He assumed that no army could ever scale the wall of the fortress. One day, a soldier dropped his helmet down the wall and went to retrieve it, climbing down and then back up again. He, in his carelessness, demonstrated that the wall could be climbed at that point. That night, the wall being left unguarded, the Persians climbed the wall and took the city. Ironically, “in the third century before Christ, Antiochus the Great of Syria sent his armies against Sardis (214 b.c.). His soldiers scaled the unguarded walls of the city and captured it in much the same way as the Persian warriors did in 546 b.c.” Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

When Christ said “wake up” or “be alert” to the church in Sardis, they would have undoubtably made the connection. They, like those in their city’s past, had grown complacent. They were too comfortable. They felt too secure. They underestimated their enemy. They were unaware of the fact that death was a the door. “Wake up”, Christ said, “and strengthen what remains and is about to die… (Revelation 3:2, ESV).

Christ said, “For I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (Revelation 3:3, ESV). As Christ considered the life of this church he saw that, the first generation believed upon Christ and faithfully served the Lord, but the later generation failed to advance. They failed to build upon the foundation they were given. The work in Sardis was left unfinished as the church fell into apathy and complacency.

He then urges them, saying, “Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent” (Revelation 3:3, ESV). They had received a good heritage from that first generation of Christians. Now they were to “keep it”. The Greek word translated “keep” caries the idea of continuing in something. It is not “keep it”, as in burry it in the ground, but “keep it”, as in continue to build. The gospel that was entrusted to them was to be proclaimed; the word they received was to be obeyed. They were to turn from their idleness and begin to walk faithfully before the Lord once more.

Christ threatened them, saying, “If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” (Revelation 3:3, ESV). This language should certainly remind us of the way that Christ spoke concerning his second coming at the end of the age. He warned his disciples, saying,

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42–44, ESV).

The apostles also spoke in this way concerning the eschaton. Paul warned the Thessalonians, saying, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, ESV). Peter put it this way: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10, ESV).

Clearly, these are all references to the second coming of Christ – his final and consummate coming – the eschaton. And the book of Revelation certainly will describe this event. In Revelation 16:15 we read the words of Christ: “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed” (Revelation 16:15, ESV)!

But here in Revelation 3 we do not have a reference to the second coming of Christ. Instead, Christ uses end time, second coming, eschatological language, and applies it specifically to the church in Sardis. “If you will not wake up”, he says, “I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”

This should not surprise us. We know that Christ will come again at the end of the age to judge the world fully and finally, but he is active in judgment even now. He judges his churches because he loves them. He disciplines them as children for his glory and their good. This has been demonstrated time and again in the letters to the churches. He has threatened to remove Ephesus’ lampstand. He has threatened to war against Pergamum with the sword of his mouth. He threatened to throw Jezebel and her followers onto a sickbed. Here he warns Sardis that he will “come like a thief”. He uses the language that is elsewhere used to describe the second coming and he applies it specifically to Sardis.

His desire for them was that they would repent of their sleepy slumber; that they would wake up and be alert; that they would remember what they received at first, and continue in it, serving Christ faithfully and without compromise. He desire for them was that they would live as Christians in the world, shining as lights in the darkness as his witnesses.

His promise to them is found in verse 5: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5, ESV). Their eyes were directed to the eternal reward. They had fallen in love with the world and had grown complacent. Christ set their eyes upon the eternal reward. The last thing mentioned is that Christ would confess their name before the Father and the angles. If they would confess Christ (witness) then he would confess them.

The good news is that the church has all she need to succeed in this. For it is the one who has “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars” that speaks to them. The seven spirits of God is a way of speaking of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is perfect in power. The Holy Spirit is given to all the churches. That is why the number seven is used – perfect in power and given to all the churches. Christ has the Spirit and he gives the Spirit to those who are his to empower them. And he hold the seven stars, which represent the angels of the seven churches, in his hand. This is to remind the churches of their heavenly status and position. They are not of this world. They are seated with Christ in the heaven places. We are sojourners passing through. This is not our home. Our life is hidden with Christ. Our hope is in the life to come. Christ is all that we need to live as we ought in this world. We are to look to him and trust in him.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, have you grown complacent? Our situation is quite comfortable, isn’t it? Have you been lulled to sleep? Are you naive to the fact that the enemy is at the gates? Have you lost your zeal for serving Christ?

If so, Christ is calling you to repent.

Remember the word that has been taught to you. Remember the basics of the gospel. Do not forget the foundational things of the faith, but rather remember them, keep them, and build upon them.

Live a life devoted to Christ. Obey his commands. Keep his words. Walk in his ways.

May our lives be marked by holiness. May we be Christ-like so that, indeed, we shine as lights in the darkness.

It is in this way that we will be effective witness to the grace and mercy found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Posted in Sermons Revelation 3:1-6
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Old Testament Reading: Psalm 2

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 2:18–29

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 2:18–29, ESV).

Introduction

Thyatira was probably the least significant of the seven cities mentioned in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation. It was neither politically nor religiously significant, but there were powerful trade guilds in that city, which is a fact that will become important as we progress though this letter.

Though Thyatira was the least significant city, the letter to the church in Thyatira is the longest. It is letter number 4 of 7. It is therefore at the point of the chiasm that I mentioned many weeks ago. Do you remember that? The letters to the seven churches form a chiasm, meaning that there is a literary structure to the letters to the seven churches. Each of the letters relate to one another in such a way that, if diagramed, they cross or come to a point. Churches 1 and 7 correspond to each other. These churches are in the worst shape. Christ threatens to remove them as churches. He threatens to remove their lampstand or to vomit them out of his mouth. Churches 2 and 6 correspond. They are sound. To them Christ has nothing negative to say. And churches 3, 4, and 5 are similar. These churches are mixed, being strong in some respects but compromised in others. Christ commends and rebukes these churches. Notice that the letter to Thyatira is positioned at the point of this chiasm – it holds the central place.

Chiasms are used in literature in order to make a point (pun intended). The churches that are doing the worst are emphasized in the structure being given positions 1 and 7. The churches that are doing the best are minimized, being tucked away in positions 2 and 6. And the mixed churches are placed at the heart of the thing, perhaps indicating that their experience and condition is most typical. Churches tend to be mixed – strong in some respects and weak in others. Perhaps Thyatira is most typical. They dwell in a typical city and their struggle is typical.

Notice three things that pertain to this: One, this is the longest of the seven letters. Two, notice that Thyatira is explicitly held up as an example to “all the churches”. In verse 23 we are told that if those who are rebuked do not repent Christ will judge them and “all the churches will know that [Christ is] he who searches mind and heart, and… [gives] to each… according to [their] works. Three, notice that it also here in the letter to Thyatira that encounter a change in the pattern that we have grown accustom to. The first three letters were concluded with, first of all, the words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:17a, ESV),  followed by a promise of blessing to the one who overcomes. But in the letter to Thyatira that order is reversed. Here we have the blessing followed by the exhortation, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29, ESV). A couple of months ago one of you asked me about the reason for the change in order. I gave a decent answer then saying, “I’m not sure, but it seems to have something to do with the literary structure or for the sake of variety.” I’m convinced now that the change in order is a marker to help us see that we have come to the point of the chiasm and are now about to descend the backside of it, looking now at the churches that correspond to those already mentioned.

I hope this is interesting to you. It is to me. But the point of it all seems to be that churches 3-5 are most typical. It is unusual for a church to be on the verge of loosing it’s status as a church in the eyes of God. Most are not that far gone. Others have already gone so far that they have lost the right to be called a church by Christ. Few are in the position of being on the verge. And it is unusual for a church to be above the reproach of Christ. Certainly, there is no such thing as a pure church – we all sin – we all stumble. But it would seem that there are some churches who, when Christ the Judge inspects them, he finds nothing worthy of rebuke. They are basically whole and sound. Sound in doctrine, faithful in their witness, loving towards one another, and striving against sin. These churches are somewhat unusual. But it is typical, I think, for churches to be both strong and weak. Christ commends them for their strengths and rebukes them for their weaknesses. Thyatira was one of these.

Where Was Thyatira Strong? They Were Growing in Love.

The strength of Thyatira was found in their enduring and increasing love. In verse 19 Christ says, “I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first” (Revelation 2:19, ESV). The Thyatira church knew how to love. They loved one another, and they demonstrated the love of Christ to the world. This they did through their works. They served of one another, being moved to do so by their faith in Christ. They endured in this patiently. And they were found to be increasing in it! Their “latter works exceed the first.”

Can you see that the church at Thyatira was strong where the church in Ephesus was weak? Ephesus had “abandoned the love [they] had at first” (Revelation 2:4, ESV) and were warned  to “do the works [they] did at first. If not, [Christ would] come to [them] and remove [their] lampstand from its place, unless [they] repent” (Revelation 2:5, ESV). Thyatira was strong where Ephesus was weak. They loved. And they demonstrated their love consistently by their works of service. They were even increasing in their love – their “latter works exceed the first.” May it be said of us, brothers and sisters.

But not all was well in Thyatira. They knew how to love – for that they were commended – but they were also naive; undiscerning; inappropriately tolerant. There is a time and place for tolerance. There is a good and true kind of tolerance. But the Thyatirans were tolerant in a bad way. They tolerated things within the church that should not be tolerated within the church. In verse 20 Christ spoke to them saying, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20, ESV).This, they should not have tolerated.

The situation is similar to the one in Pergamum. There it was the teaching of the Nicolaitans and the sexually immoral and idolatrous lifestyle that flowed from it that was tolerated. Here it is the teaching of a woman called “Jezebel”. That was not really her name, mind you. Christ is again using a well know figure from the Old Testament to signify something about the churches current situation.  This woman, whatever her name was, was to the church in Thyatira a modern reincarnation (excuse the term – you know what I mean) of that woman Jezebel, who is described to us in 1 Kings chapters 16-25.

I cannot take the time to read the Old Testament account of her. To summarize, she was the Queen of Israel in Israel’s darkest days. She was the wife of Ahab and daughter of the Sidonian (Phoenician) king Ethbaal. And she was notorious for waring against the true prophets of Yahweh, and her promotion of idol worship. Israel had been compromised by wicked leadership and had been lead away from the worship of the one true God into idolatry. Jezebel had a lot to do with that.

The message that Christ was sending to the Thyatiran church was clear: that is happening in your midst. You, the Israel of God, have allowed “Jezebel” to creep in. She is spreading her teaching and leading some into immorality and idolatry. Shame on you for tolerating it! Don’t you remember what happened to Israel, how they were carried away into captivity never to return (Judah would be carried into captivity later and would return – but to Israel, the northern kingdom, no such mercy was shown). Repent before the same happens to you, church of the living God. That was his message.

So what was this woman “Jezebel”, who called herself a prophetess, teaching? We are not told, but we know the result of it. Some within the church were being led astray into sexual immorality and idolatry. Sexual immorality is the improper uses of our sexuality for anything other than the sexual union that is to be enjoyed within the confines of the marriage bond. Idolatry is the act of giving worship to someone or something other than the Triune God. Whatever “Jezebel” was teaching, this was the result.

And it is possible, I think, to reconstruct the essence of her teaching given what we are told here in this text and also given what we know about the city of Thyatira. The city was not terribly significant politically or religiously, but it was filled with powerful trade guilds. Do you remember the woman named Lidia mentioned in Acts 16 who was “from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14, ESV)? Lidia was involved in trade, as many were in Thyatira. And things worked then as they do now. Do you want to succeed in trade? Then you need to know the right people, go to the right events, and play the social game. In the Roman culture that involved going to feasts and festivals hosted by the trade guilds, worshiping the Roman gods, and conforming to the Roman culture. There is a reason why the phrase “when in Rome do as the Romans do” has staying power. It is safe to assume that, whatever “Jezebel” was teaching it had to with justifying compromise in regard to one’s devotion to Christ. She peddled some form of antinomianism (lawlessness). Perhaps she reasoned that what you do in the flesh doesn’t really matter – it is the spiritual that matters. This was a false teaching prominent in the days of the early church and it remains to this day. Who cares what you do in the flesh, so long as you are spiritual, is the thought. Away with laws. Forget the rules and regulations. Let’s just connect to Jesus spiritually, and so it goes. And so you can imaging “Christians” going to the festivals and participating in the immorality there, bowing the knee to Roman god’s and enjoying the riches of the world that their compromise had made possible. All of it was justified by the false teaching of “Jezebel”, who called herself a prophetess. Her claim was that she possessed deep and secret knowledge not available to all. But what does Christ call it? He calls it for what it is. According to him she was peddling, not the deep things of God, but “the deep things of Satan” (Revelation 2:24, ESV).

Please take note of the pattern established in these letters. The churches are attacked and assaulted in a variety of ways, but who is behind it all? Satan. In Smyrna the Christians were being persecuted by the Jewish population; Christ called them, the “synagogue of Satan”. In Pergamum the Christians were persecuted by the Romans; Christ said, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is” (Revelation 2:13, ESV). Here in Thyatira it is the teaching of “Jezebel” that threatens the church. The deep and secret mysteries that she utters are not of Christ, but are of Satan. This pattern is important to notice for we are already being exposed to the central message of the book of Revelation. The book reveals something of the cosmic and spiritual battle that rages between God, his Christ, and his people, on the one side, and the evil one, his emissaries, and people on the other. This cosmic and spiritual battle, though essentially invisible, manifests or shows itself in the happenings of human history. The dragon uses the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot to war against the God, his Christ, and his people. These three figures – the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot – will emerge as the drama unfolds in the book of Revelation. They represent persecuting political powers, false teachers, and the seduction of the world. Together they make up a kind of false trinity. And do you see that these powers, which will later be symbolized by these three figures, were already active among the seven churches to whom the book of Revelation was addressed. In other words, the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot are not figures that will arise in the future, but rather they represent powers and forces that have always been and will always be, until they are finally judged by Christ and thrown into the lake of fire along with the devil who inspires and empowers them. These churches, though they existed long ago, were already encountering local and specific manifestations of the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot. They were being persecuted by political powers – that is what the beast does. They were being threatened by false teaching – that is what the false prophet does. And they were being seduced to practice immorality – that it is what the harlot does. Do you see, then, how the letters to the seven churches correspond to the drama that will unfold later in the book of Revelation. A picture will painted from chapter 4 onward concerning how things will go for the people of God between Christ’s first and second coming – the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 were already seeing specific manifestations of it in their, day just as you and I see specific manifestations of it in our day.

And you do see specific manifestations of the activity of the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot, don’t you? You do know that persecution of Christians goes on all around the world, don’t you? You do understand that false teachings are all around us? And you do understand the seductiveness of the world, don’t you? I pray that you can see it for what it is. I pray that you are able to identify it and see it’s power to keep the hearts of men and women from God and from his Christ. I hope that you are able to recognize how it is that the Satan uses these three to war against Christ and his church. Recognize it, friends, and prepare yourselves for battle.

All three were at work in Thyatira. False teaching, seduction towards immorality and idolatry, and pressure in the political realm, especially associated with economic sanctions.

Where Was Thyatira Weak? They Were Inappropriately Tolerant.

The problem with the church in Thyatira is that they were too tolerant.  Verse 20: “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20, ESV). They were loving, yes. And that is very good. But they were naive, undiscerning, and inappropriately tolerant.

Tolerance is a buzz word today, isn’t it? Our society expects everyone to be tolerant. The word means to “show a willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.” There is a place for tolerance, friends, if this is what we mean by it. It is good for us not to mistreat others because they think differently that we think, and believe differently than we believe, and act differently than we act.

But notice a few things about tolerance: One, there are some behaviors that we do not tolerate even in society. It would be wrong for our society to tolerate murder, for example. Can you imagine saying to a murderer, well you just think and behave differently that I do, I suppose I must tolerate your opinion and your way. This would be absurd. All intuitively understand this (which I think is an evidence for an absolute and unchanging moral law, and the existence of a moral Law Giver, namely, God). Tolerance has it’s limitations, then. And what we tolerate differs depending upon our position and the situation we find ourselves in. Your kid might be out of control (I don’t have anyone in mind, I promise), but it is right for me to tolerate it, to a certain degree, whereas it would be wrong for you as the parent. Out in the public we might tolerate things that people think, say, and do that we would not tolerate in our home.

Here I am simply trying to make the point that tolerance, though very good when rightly applied, can also be very bad when wrongly applied. Christ’s critique of the Thyatiran church is that they were too tolerant. They had allowed certain teachings, beliefs, and behaviors to creep into the church that had no business being there.

Christians must be both wonderfully tolerant and dogmatically intolerant all at once. It is your position and the setting or situation that determines the appropriate response.

Treat your your neighbor who is a foul mouthed, fornicating, drunkard, well. You do not have authority over the man. You have no reason or grounds to attempt to hold him accountable. He needs the gospel, yes. He needs to hear God’s law and be told that he stand under God’s authority and will one day be judged by him. And this you would say to him if the Lord were to give the opportunity. But it would be inappropriate and, frankly, kind of strange, if you, as a Christian, try to, somehow, discipline or punish a man like this, expecting him to think as you think, and behave as you behave. He is in the world, living according to the way of the world. You’ll have to tolerate him.

But what if this man claimed to be a Christian? What if he were a member of your church? Should you tolerate his behavior then? No! It would wrong for you to tolerate him then. You would be in sin if you failed to rebuke him if that were the situation. The man names the name of Christ. He eats the supper with you each Lord’s Day. Here is the time for dogmatic intolerance.

Christ was calling Thyatira to do, what we call, church discipline. They were wrong to put up with “Jezebel” and her followers. They were wrong to tolerate the false teaching and the immorality in their midst. The church in Thyatira was weak where the Ephesians were strong, for the Ephesians were commended for the fact that they, “tested those who [called] themselves apostles and [were] not, and found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2, ESV). They were congratulated by Christ for the fact that they “[hated] the works of the Nicolaitans, which [Christ] also [hated]” (Revelation 2:6, ESV). It is at this point where the Thyatirans fell short.

Notice how, just like in the letter to Pergamum, Christ says to the Thyatirans, if you wont do it, I will! In verse 21 Christ says,

“I gave [Jezebel] time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works” (Revelation 2:21–23, ESV).

The language is strong, isn’t it? Christ vowed to come in judgment against this “Jezebel” and her “children”, which I take as a reference to all who have followed after her. By the way, I think this is meant to contrast with the way that John refers to the church 2 John 1, referring to her as “the elect lady and her children”, but I digress. The point is that if the church would not do the discipline – stop tolerating the false doctrine and the delinquent living – Christ himself would come in judgment and, to borrow the language from the letter to Pergamum, “war against them with the sword of [his] mouth” (Revelation 2:16, ESV).

This reminds me of Paul’s warning concerning partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy or improper manner. In 1 Corinthians 11:27 he says,

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:27–32, ESV).

It is better that we judge ourselves, friends. Otherwise the Lord himself will judge us.

It is important that we never tolerate false teaching nor immorality nor idolatry within Christ’s church. Expect in the world, but never in Christ’s church. We must be willing to put it out. But we must also be careful to do so according to the way of Christ.

Something can be observed concerning the way of Christ here in Revelation 2:22. Concerning this “Jezabel” character he says, “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:21, ESV).

Ordinarily when there is false teaching or immorality present with the church it should be confronted in such a way that time is given for repentance. Repentance and restoration is the goal of church discipline. The goal is not ultimately to punish, but to lead one to repentance. This usually takes time.

Christ himself has provided a pattern for us to follow when doing church discipline. Matthew 18:15-20 says,

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:15–20, ESV).

Notice a few things:

One, notice the motivation behind, what we call, church discipline. It is love for our brothers and sisters in Christ that compels us to do this difficult, tiresome, and sometimes discouraging work. Love.

Two, notice the goal. It is to bring the brother or sister who is in error to repentance. “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother”, the text says. Repentance is the goal, not punishment.

Three, notice the progression. There are typically four steps to the process of discipline. I say typically because situations do sometimes arise within the church that require an expedited process. I believe that 1 Corinthians 5 provides biblical warrant for this notion. The process can and should be expedited when the sin is particularly heinous, public, and threatening to the church of God. But typically there are four stages to church discipline.

Has a brother sinned against you? Then the first step is for you to go to him and tell him his fault. Don’t go to pastor first. Go to the one who has offended you. If you come to me to complain about someone else the first question I will ask you is, have you gone to them? If you been sinned against; if you have been wronged or offended by someone in the church – you have the responsibility to make it known to the offender. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Truth be told, sometime people don’t even realize that they have offended someone.

But what if they do not listen? Then you are to, secondly, bring another with you. Why? So that the “charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” Do you hear the legal language here? We now have a “charge” and “witnesses”. It is important that others look in upon the matter. Maybe you are wrong. Maybe you don’t have a reason to be offended. Maybe the brother has not sinned. But if the other is wrong – if they have indeed sinned, or fallen into some pattern of sin – it is only proper that it be confirmed by multiple witnesses. More than that, it is good for the sinning brother to hear more than one voice calling them to repent.

And what if they will not listen to the two or three? Then, thirdly, the matter is to be told to the church. The orderly way to do this would involve bringing the mater before the elders who have been entrusted with the responsibility to oversee and to lead the church. They should then investigate the matter and prepare to bring it before the members of the church.

The elders must be involved – their authority cannot be circumvented – but it is important to recognize that the elders are not the church. The third step in church discipline involves bringing the matter before the church, that is, all of the members of the congregation. That is what the text says. In other words, the elders do not have the authority to take church discipline to it’s final stage on their own, independent from the congregation, in a back room somewhere. The matter is to be brought before the church. And what is the purpose behind telling the matter to the church? It is still, even in this third stage of discipline, for the purpose of calling the brother or sister to repent – to confess their sin with a broken and contrite heart, to turn from their sin, and to begin walking according to the will of God again.

And what if they will not listen to the church? The forth step (God forbid we ever have to go this far) is to “let him be to [us] as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17, ESV). In other words, we are to put the unrepentant sinner out the church and view him as a non-believer if he does not respond to this third call to repent from the body of Christ at large. Paul puts it another when he says to the Corinthians, “you are to deliver this man [this unrepentant sinner who claims to be a Christian] to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5, ESV). He was in the church, identifying himself with the kingdom of God – he is to be put out of the church, and delivered over to Satan to live in his realm. And notice the end goal: it is “for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”The hope of seeing the man come to repentance is still there even after the act of excommunication.

What Paul says 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 is also helpful in trying to understand what putting a person out of the church involves. Here he says,

“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate [to involve yourself in a somewhat intimate and reciprocal kind of relationship] with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:9–11, ESV).

I take this phrase, “not even to eat with such a one”, not so much as prohibition against sharing a meal with someone (though it may involve that), but an absolute prohibition against eating the Lord’s Supper with the unrepentant sinner. Though the verse might imply more than this, it certainly forbids us from sharing communion with the one who is found to be unrepentant.

Another way to put it is to say that the forth and final step in church discipline is excommunication. It involves putting the rebellious one out of the church, considering him to be like a Gentile and a tax collector, handing him over to Satan for the destruction of the fleshing, not associating with such a one, and not eating with them, especially the Lord’s Supper, which symbolizes our union with Christ and with one another.

This is very different than the shunning practiced by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is not shunning. You may talk with the one who has been excommunicated. You may continue to relate to him at work, if you work with him. You might sit down for coffee with them (and even share a bagel, who knows). It may be that you are married to the one under discipline, and therefore you must fulfill your marital obligations with him or her (assuming that the matter that lead to discipling does not involve the sin of infidelity – that would obviously effect the marriage). The excommunication, you see, pertains to the church, and not the family. The end stage of discipline does not forbid any and all contact with the individual- it does not require that we shun the person. Instead it means that the way we view and relate to the individual is to change. If you enjoyed sweet Christian fellowship with the man before, that is no longer. If you meet for coffee it should not be to shoot the breeze with the man as if all was well, but to again exhort the man to return to Christ before it is too late. The question conferring the obligations of a husband or wife to a spouse who has been excommunicate is the most complex, but I do not have time to say more.

Things can get rather complex, I will admit it. But do you see the wisdom in the process? Do you see the patience? Do you see how time is given for repentance? How much time is not specified. It could be that these four stages happen within a few day or a few months. I suppose it depends upon the situation, doesn’t it? But what is clear is that one man does not have the authority to cast another out of the church on his own apart from the involvement the church at large. The process is to be followed, ordinarily. The authority to excommunicate, which is the most powerful and potent weapon of the church in regard to it’s quest for purity, resides with the local church. It does not reside with the individual Christian, not the pastor alone, not the denomination or Presbytery – Jesus says the power to excommunicate resides within the local church.

This is the thing that the church at Thyatira was failing to do. They were too tolerant. They put up with false teaching and immorality within the congregation, and Christ said, “this I have against you.”

This is has been long sermon, I know. But it is a very important one. Let me say a quick word about the way that Christ is introduced to this church and the way that the letter is concluded before making a few quick points of application.

What Is The Remedy? Jesus, The Son of God.

Christ is introduced as the “Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” This is the only time in the book of Revelation that the phrase “Son of God” appears. It is, without a doubt mean to take the readers mind to Psalm 2, which we read at the beginning of this sermon. He is said to have eyes like a “flame of fire”. He sees all. You might be able to hide your sin from others, but Christ sees all. And his gaze is likened to a consuming fire. His feet are like “like burnished bronze”. This, as I have said in past sermons, I take to be an allusion to the episode in Daniel 3 where Nebuchadnezzar has Shadrach, Mechack, and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace, why? Because the would not commit idolatry, like some in Thyatira were. And who was seen walking in the midst of the furnace with the faithful witnesses? Nebuchadnezzar’s description of the figure was that he was “like a son of the gods”.

The saints in Thyatira were tempted by the teaching of Jezebel because they feared persecution and be cause they loved the world. The remedy to fear of persecution and love of the world is to set ones eyes upon the risen Lord, who is the Son of God, who sees all and will judge all with an all consuming fire, who is known to walk with his people through the fiery trials that they endure in this world. The remedy to fear of the world and our love affair with the things of this world is to fix ones eyes upon Jesus the Christ, who is the Son of God, who will judge the world on the last day. We are to live, therefore, being mindful of where all things are headed.

In Psalm 2 the one called the Son of God is given by God the “nations [as his] heritage, and the ends of the earth [as his]  possession. “ It is said that he will “break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This is the authority that our Lord has now (Matthew 18:18). And what is our hope? Our hope is in him. We are to endure in him and remain faithful to him, for he promised to “the one who conquers and who keeps [his] works until the end, to him [he] will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as [he himself has] received authority from [his] Father. And [he] will give [the one who conquers] the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 2:26–29, ESV).

Application and Conclusion 

Here are few very quick points of application:

One, continue to love one another, and increase in it, as the Thyatirans did.

Two, love one another enough that you be willing to call another to repentance when they be found in sin.

Three, understand that while tolerance is appropriate in some settings and situation, there is such thing as bad tolerance. Do not be surprised when this church refuses to tolerate unrepentant false teaching and immorality within our midst.

Four, understand why a well defined, thoughtful, and biblical membership process is essential of the establishment and maintenance of a healthy church. There must be a way for us to know who is with us, and who is not. Otherwise the things we have discussed this morning would be impossible to implement properly and consistently.

Five, understand how important the proper observance of the Lord’s Supper is in all of this. Everything eventually comes to focus on the Supper in church discipline. It is the eating of the Supper which signifies our union with Christ and our union with one another. Non-Believers are not permitted to the table, nor are those who have professed Christ but have been found living in unrepentant sin, being unwilling to listen even to the voice of the Church calling them to repentance. They are to be excommunicated – barred from the sacred meal, which symbolizes their being severed from Christ and from the church.

Six, flee from all forms of sexual immorality and idolatry. They will lead to your destruction.

Seven, do not put up with false doctrine, knowing that doctrine – what is taught in the church, and what we come to believe – will certainly lead to a particular way of life. Doctrine and life are tightly linked.

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Revelation 2:18–29
Comments Off on Sermon: Thyatira – Growing in Love, But Inappropriately Tolerant: Revelation 2:18–29 Posted by Joe