Sermon Notes - Revelation 3:14-22 - Letter to Laodicea - Littleby Baptist Church - July 4, 2021

 1.     The final letter – Laodicea

a.      From Sardis we traveled 28 miles east by southeast to Philadelphia and from there continued southeast another 40 miles.

b.     From Ephesus it would have been almost due east for 80 miles.

c.      Area is known for its hot springs and snow-covered mountains.

                                                    i.     They attempted to bring in hot and cold water, but it did not turn out well.

d.     Wealthy town on a prominent trade route.

e.      Center of worship for Asklepios, the god of medicine

f.      Laodicea was near Colosse.

                                                    i.     Colossians 4:12-16.

                                                  ii.     Shared letters and minister.

g.     In 361 AD one of the councils who formed the canon of Scripture, the Bible was held there – important town in the early church.

h.     Today the town is known as Denizli, with a population of 650K people.

2.     Revelation 3:14

a.      The Amen – Jesus is our sovereign, the supreme ruler of all of creation. He is the guarantor and executor of God’s purpose. He is in charge, He put Himself up as collateral for our sins, and He paid the price – you might say the buck stops with Him.

b.     The faithful and true witness – Jesus is willingly sharing what He has seen and what He understands. He shares what only He can (meaning others don’t have access to the information) to all who follow Him.

c.      The originator of God’s creation – Colossians 1:15-18

3.     Revelation 3:15-16

a.      No praise for the Laodicean church!

b.     Used viaducts to get water from other areas, which was neither hot nor cold when it reached people – it was lukewarm.

c.      Lukewarm is not a good thing. I like my coffee hot or iced and same with my tea.

d.     The lukewarm water being piped into Laodicea was known to be impure and foul smelling and made people sick.

e.      The implication here is that the church was impure and foul smelling to our Lord Jesus.

                                                    i.     The church professed faith but did not live it.

                                                  ii.     Did not walk the talk.

f.      If we profess that we are Christ followers, if we walk forward and proclaim our faith, if we follow our Lord in baptism…

                                                    i.     These are not just statements we make and go on living the same old way.

                                                  ii.     These are proclamations that signal the start of a lifelong journey of us seeking our Lord and living for Him.

                                                iii.     Not something we do, but who we are.

g.     Our lives must reflect our beliefs, or we would be found as lukewarm.

h.     One might say that Jesus was sickened by their fake faith, not a group I want to be associated with.

4.     Revelation 3:17

a.      The people in the church had put their faith in their money, not in Jesus.

b.     They were placing their trust in things they can touch and see.

                                                    i.     They thought highly of themselves, but in the eyes of Christ they were, ‘Wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.’

c.      Jesus is rebuking the church for not putting their trust in Him first and foremost.

                                                    i.     They were in full blown spiritual poverty.

                                                  ii.     Their fake faith was just as bad if not worse than no faith.

                                                iii.     Their witness was not one Jesus would want to claim as His.

d.     It is easy for us to read these words and say something along the lines of, ‘what were these people thinking?’

e.      Problem is we tend to put our trust in things of this world, we tend to trust in our abilities to get things done.

f.      As we read these words this morning we need to reflect, are we putting our trust in Jesus and Him alone or is it elsewhere.

                                                    i.     Pray about it, ask God to point out where you are not trusting Him.

5.     Revelation 3:18 – The olive branch…

a.      Buy Jesus’s gold to be really rich – Buy into the message of Jesus… Buy into the gift that He is offering… Live as people who have been set free through the blood of Christ.

b.     White clothes, the covering of the blood of Christ so that you may be righteous in the eyes of God. Don’t be judged by your sin when you stand before Jesus, instead be clothed as a child of God and judged accordingly.

c.      Ointment so that you may truly see that they needed a Savior and to see things as God sees them.

d.     How about us?

                                                    i.     Have we bought in to what Jesus is offering, to become children of God clothed in righteousness?

                                                  ii.     Have our eyes been opened to see the world and the people in it as God sees them?

                                                iii.     Think about it… pray about it.

6.     Revelation 3:19 – Tough Love.

a.      This letter is proof that Jesus loved everyone in Laodicea. He wanted them to turn from their ways and follow Him.

b.     Jesus loves them and He loves us.

c.      He wants any who are lost or are losing their way to listen to His rebuke.

d.     He does not want any to perish.

e.      Be zealous and repent.

                                                    i.     Do not waste a single moment.

                                                  ii.     Do not put in half your effort or half your heart.

                                                iii.     Go all in with GUSTO.

                                                iv.     Repent, repent, repent… and turn to Jesus!

                                                  v.     Give your life fully over to Him.

                                                vi.     Don’t put your trust in the wealth or things of this world, put them in Jesus.

7.     Revelation 3:20

a.      Jesus is there knocking on the door. He is giving them a wakeup call.

b.     If they answer, if they respond and invite Jesus in, He will be with them always.

c.      If we leave Jesus on the outside, there is no fellowship between us and our creator.

d.     If we exclude Jesus from parts of our lives, how can that fellowship grow?

e.      Jesus is knocking to get into every nook and cranny of our lives, are you going to let Him in?

                                                    i.     Are you going to have true everlasting fellowship with Him?

                                                  ii.     Will you accept His invitation? Will you share in His victory?

f.      It is not to late… grab your chance, don’t waste a single moment, and choose Jesus.

8.     Revelation 3:21 – The reward.

a.      Those who repent, those who choose Jesus, those who defeat death through being bathed in the blood of Christ, the conquers…

b.     Those who follow Jesus will be victorious as a child of God.

c.      Victory over sin through the everlasting Hope we find in Jesus.

9.     Revelation 3:22

a.      Listen to what Jesus has said.

b.     Are we going to be lukewarm, halfway Christ Followers?

c.      Or are we going to be all in zealous believers who ask Jesus to be in every part of our lives?

d.     One group will be vomited out of His mouth, the other will be clothed in righteousness.

e.      The decision is easy if you believe the Words of our Lord.

10.  Jesus has not pulled any punches in the seven letters to the churches.

a.      His followers are to:

                                                    i.     Love Him more than anything.

                                                  ii.     Trust that God is in control, even during the worst of times.

                                                iii.     Stay true to the Word of God.

                                                iv.     Be faithful in doing the work, the things, that Jesus created you to do.

                                                  v.     Listen to the Word and let the Holy Spirit guide.

                                                vi.     Put all of our trust in Jesus!