Revelation 3:14-22 Always be with the LORD!

Revelation 3:14-22 Always be with the LORD!

  We love to hear compliments, but the LORD blesses the church with a compliment and a rebuke. Today’s Scripture addresses the church in Laodicea, one of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Hear the words and be the church that Jesus commends.

1. Spiritual condition of the church in Laodicea (15-16)

1) They were lukewarm in their faith. They were neither hot nor cold like a hot spring or a cold spring. They were not diligent in worship, Word, prayer, evangelism, and fellowship.
2) They were conceited and prideful (17). They said they have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.
3) They did not realize that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. How would they not know? They thought they were rich (17). They worshiped what they thought to be the greatest god Zeus and god of healing.

2. Look to the LORD (14)

  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful, and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. God’s character is the opposite of the church in Laodicea. 1) The LORD is Amen (Truth). But they were lukewarm. They were not truthful. 2) Jesus was faithful and became obedient to death, even death on a cross and rose again. He is a true witness of resurrection. But they were not faithful to the LORD. 3) The LORD is the ruler of God’s Creation. John 1:3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” He urges the church to recreate.

3. The LORD’s counsel (18-19)

1) Buy three things and be healed (18). 1. Buy from me gold refined in the fire. 1 Peter 1:7 says, “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
2) Buy white clothes to wear. He will wash our sins away by His blood. He will give us white clothes to wear. Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Revelation 19:8 writes, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.
3) Put salve on your eyes. Look to the LORD and wait on Him and long for Heaven. 2) Be earnest and repent (19) Those He love He rebuke and discipline. Hebrews 12:8 writes, “If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.”

4. The LORD’s promise (20-21)
1) He promises abundant blessing of fellowship with Him (20). William Holman Hunt’s painting, The Light of the World portrays this very well. Jesus stands at the door and knock. He has been knocking for a long time and He is knocking even today. There is no doorknob. When we open the door of our hearts, Jesus will come in. Have you invited Jesus as your LORD and Savior? Last week, during dawn prayer meetings, we meditated on the Book of Judges 19-20 and took the time to repent for we have become like the Israelites and lived as if we were in charge of our lives and did whatever seemed right in our own eyes. When we open the door of our hearts, He will come in as our LORD and eat with us. We will have abundant fellowship with Him. Psalm 23:5 say, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

2) To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne (21).
  Jesus overcame and destroyed the power of sin and death, resurrected ascended to heaven and He is sitting at the right hand of God. He also promises those who are victorious, He will give the right to sit with Him on His throne in heaven. With Him, we will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10, 20:4,6, 22:5). Let us hear what the Spirit says and receive His blessings. Verse 22 says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Dear saints, let us examine our hearts. Are we lukewarm like the church in Laodicea? Are we prideful? Do we say, “I am rich, I do not need a thing.” Be earnest and repent. Buy from Him gold refined in the fire, so we can become rich in faith and buy white clothes to wear, so we can cover our shameful nakedness of sin, and salve to put on our eyes, so we can see with spiritual eyes of faith. Open the door, invite Him in as the LORD, and sit with Him on the throne and reign for ever and ever. Amen.