Loved While Being Called to Repent

Transcript

GR 1995
Loved While Being Called to Repent
03-05-2017
Revelation 3:19-22
Gil Rugh

We’re going to the Book of Revelation in your bibles. It’s hard going into puberty at my age. I have a little bit of a head cold. I hope it won’t be too distracting as we move along but I’m not feeling sick so we’ll progress in our study of the Book of Revelation. What a thrilling book think of how privileged we are as the church of Jesus Christ to have this last final word from Jesus Christ addressed to us one of His local churches. To learn from to have a better understanding as first He gives His evaluation of seven specific churches so we down to our day could learn from it apply it be more prepared with our understanding of it. Then He’ll move in to the great unfolding of events that will climax with His return and the Book of Revelation will bring everything to its appointed close. We get to the closing chapters of Revelation every unbeliever will be in an eternal hell and every believer will be in an eternal kingdom serving and living in the presence of almighty God. How awesome it is!

We’re looking at the last of the seven letters to the churches the church at Laodicea in chapter three. It covers verses 14 to 22 so it’s a longer letter but it is perhaps the most disappointing letter and in some ways a letter that is very encouraging and somewhat surprising. The letters to the churches have contained that mixture as Christ evaluates them, remember the church belongs to Him He purchased it with His own blood. Every individual local church is a manifestation of the body of Christ on the earth. He evaluates each of these seven local churches individually, specifically; they are not compared with each other. It’s not well you should learn this from this one and this from this one although we can learn and will learn. They will learn from the letters but each church is responsible and accountable directly to Christ as the Head of the Church.

The church at Laodicea is a striking church. If we had been in Asia Minor at this time and perhaps had seen the various churches, it would have probably had the appearance of the most successful. No false doctrines have to be corrected in this church. It’s not like some of the other churches where there’s certain doctrines being promoted that must be stopped, no specific practices, wrong conduct that is addressed that must be stopped and corrected; to appearances this church evidently looks very good.

Their deeds—He said I know your deeds. They’re not cold, they’re not hot; they are lukewarm. Again, from appearance that doesn’t look that bad. They’re not denying any of the truth; they’re not living openly contrary to the truth. They’re not on fire for the truth, they’re not passionately consumed with their service for Jesus Christ but they’re not totally indifferent. They are a comfortable place to be and evidently a successful place to be because their own evaluation is in verse 17. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, I have become wealthy I have need of nothing.” They could speak of how God had blessed them and enabled them to succeed in a difficult and hostile environment and we have prospered but Christ’s evaluation is just the opposite.

He said I’d rather be dealing with people who are cold than lukewarm. Obviously, the desire is those who are hot. The hotter, those who are true believers driven in their service for Christ with a burning love in their heart. The cold are those who are openly opposed to the truth. The lukewarm are those who have a veneer of Christianity but have no true relationship with Christ. He says in verse 17 the last part of the verse in spite of their own evaluation; you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. You have nothing spiritually it doesn’t matter how it looks the appearance that comes across may be the evaluation even of other churches. He said you have no spiritual life you’re wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked but then there is the invitation of grace.

I advise you buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become truly rich, white garments so that you may clothe yourself, the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so you may see. You can have spiritual wealth and riches in Christ. You can have the garment of salvation and His righteousness as your clothes. You can have spiritual sight to see and understand and know and you can have it at no cost. We looked at Isaiah 55:1. He says here that we can buy from Him these things but Isaiah 55 says you can come and buy the benefits and provisions of salvation at no cost to you; a figure of speech drives home the graciousness of God. He has paid it all and now you can come and acquire it from Me at no cost.

A gracious invitation and then He’s going to say something you might not expect in light of the harshness when He has told them because of their lukewarm-ness, I will spit you or vomit you . . . verse 16 . . . out of my mouth looking toward the ultimate end as we have talked about where He constantly carries us. They’ll come a time in connection with His coming and His evaluation of people as we saw in Matthew 7 where there’ll be some who will say Lord, Lord, we did all of these wonderful things in Your name and He’ll say, I never knew you; depart from Me. Basically, the same picture as spitting them out of His mouth.

Then you come to verse 19 and it says those whom I love I reprove and discipline—those whom I love. Well what You have said they’re not in a lovable condition, they’re spiritually destitute in every way. They are disgusting and revolting to Him and will be finally rejected by Him if they don’t take His advice and yet He says what I have said is addressed because those whom I love I reprove and I discipline. A striking contrast and interestingly the word love here—we might say well this is just the love of action what we call agapao love. He acted for their good and their benefit but you know what word He uses for love here; phileo, which is a friendship love a fellowship love. Strange He would say that, I love you. It’s the word in the compound word Philadelphia where you get the word for love and the word for brother, brotherly love. He loves them in this way.

How can He say that when the church is basically comprised of unbelievers and as I’ve talked before I think if we go back and look at the nation Israel and their spiritual condition God had chosen that nation for Himself? He had acted on their behalf and for their benefit and yet by and large they became a nation of unbelievers. Come back to Romans chapter 11. I mentioned this at the end of our previous study. In Romans chapter 11, Paul raises the question. I say then . . . at the beginning of chapter 11 verse one . . . God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! [Such a thought is inconceivable] Then He says I am a Jew an evidence of God’s grace in still saving Jews obviously. Then He says in verse two, God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew or don’t you know what the Scripture says and He goes back to the days of the great and mighty prophet Elijah and Elijah went to prayer against Israel saying, “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS. I ALONE AM LEFT THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” What does God say to Elijah? “I HAVE KEPT for MYself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.”

One of those in their evaluation has done an estimate of the male population in Israel at this time in light of some of the figures we get when they numbered the men for soldiers and so on. His estimate was with only seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal that would have been less than ½ of 1 percent of the men in Israel. Now think about that. That means 99.5 percent of the men in Israel had bowed the knee to Baal but still God had not rejected them; not done. Now that doesn’t mean the unbelievers in Israel weren’t doomed to an eternal hell but it does mean that God’s gracious provision to them; you can’t read the prophets without being impressed how repeatedly God exhorts them. We read in Isaiah 1 an example of that in our previous study. I can’t talk about--this is so out of character even animals know and respond to those who love them and care for them but My people they don’t know they don’t understand. I’ve been a Father to them and they just reject Me. The comparison is not that the church is Israel but in a similar way God has chosen the Church for Himself and the churches are to be a reflection of the work of redemption He did to purchase the Church with His own blood as Acts 20 tells us.

Even here, as we look at this local church professing a relationship with Him in many ways like Israel was going through their offerings their sacrifices keeping portions of the Law; on it goes and yet they were a nation of unbelievers but God still loved them. He continues to say come to Me I’ll cleanse you though your sins be as scarlet they’ll be as white as snow; they’re red like crimson they’ll be as wool. You know you might think I’m done with them well He’s not and here is a church who is comprised obviously of professing believers. They’re not opposed and denying the Person and work of Christ but they have never come into a true relationship with Him and they’re going along ignorant of reality so He offers them His grace even as He does to the nation Israel. We’re reminded in the most severe judgment we see the patience and grace of God. Reminded of Peter in his second letter when he talks about people saying, Oh judgment won’t come look how long they have been talking about judgment and it hasn’t happened but they said the Lord is patient not desiring any to perish but for all to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Here Christ addresses this church and He says those whom I love. He loves the church at Laodicea because in that broad sense he died for the Church to provide redemption so the Church could exist but this church just has the form but no reality so those whom I love I reprove and discipline and they’re two words that would go together with this word love. They are professing children and He deals with them in one sense in that way even though He says you really don’t belong to Me but I reprove you because I love you. That’s a word that could be used in two contexts with a believer and an unbeliever but in both it’s with a desire to bring them back to bring them to Him for His salvation.

Look at the word reprove back in Matthew. I‘ve just picked up a few examples. This is the first use of the word in our New Testament. It’s in Matthew chapter 18 in the context of restoring a fellow believer or a professing believer who is in sin. In Matthew 18:15 He says, “If your brother sins go and show him his fault.” We have it translated with four words, “show him his fault” but it’s the same word as we have translated reprove; elegcho, reprove, rebuke but to bring them in is the goal. When Christ addresses this church and the seriousness of its condition, He says I am telling you this because I love you. I am reproving you, rebuking you and that’s an evidence of love because it’s giving them an opportunity to face the reality of their true condition and respond to Him.

Come over to John’s gospel chapter 16. This deals with the coming of the Holy Spirit who Christ said He would send from heaven when He ascended to heaven as He did in Acts 1 and the Holy Spirit was sent then in Acts 2. Note that at the end of verse seven of chapter 16 of John, He says I will send Him to you and He when He comes will convict the world. That word translated convict is the word translated in Revelation reprove. They rebuke them concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. What is the Holy Spirit doing when the truth is presented to a person? His convicting work His reproving work so that they might see themselves as God sees them and respond to receive His righteousness.

Come over to Hebrews chapter 12. There’s several other references but they’d be similar. Now in the letter to the church at Laodicea Jesus says those whom I love I reprove and discipline and that word for discipline is the word that could be translated child training so again He uses warmth in dealing with them. In that sense, it’s like Israel they have no spiritual relationship with Him yet they are His in a certain external way because of the election of the nation and here because of their identity as a local church and evidently making a profession. He still graciously deals with them on this level. The requirement is the same whether they were cold unbelievers but their situation is very serious. I reprove and discipline. Look at these two words together here in Hebrews chapter 12. He tells them in verse five to pay attention to what the Old Testament says, “MY SON DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE . . . and that’s our word that we have in Laodicea. I reprove and discipline. “DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED . . . and there’s our word to reprove, rebuke . . . BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline you endure . . . so again the language is similar to how God dealt with Israel. He deals with them as a father to his sons. There’s that family relationship even though there’s no spiritual connection because they are unbelievers and so it’s come to this church.

There is a superficial connection because they claim to be a church they claim to—you know; believe. They claim to be Christians but they have no life. He extends to them the same grace; this is not a church, who hasn’t had multiple exposures to truth. Remember over thirty years ago prior to this letter back in the early sixties Paul had written a letter to the church at Laodicea. He also told the Colossians in the letter he wrote to them to share it with the church at Laodicea so they’ve had exposure to this great apostolic teaching and doctrine but somewhere along the line, they have wandered off. Maybe the old saints have died off moved away a generation has grown up that didn’t know the Lord. Whole groups of people have come in who have never experienced true salvation but they have been absorbed and absorbed into the church. Somehow, they have gotten to this condition but the Lord deals with them in love. He rebukes them for their spiritual condition.

He disciplines and warns them and then you come back to Revelation chapter three. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent.” That word zealous would be connected to the word hot that we had earlier in verse 15 and verse 16. It would be a related word be zealous be on fire repent see yourself as I say you are and respond accordingly. Jesus says during His earthly ministry that unless you repent you all will likewise perish. Paul would say in the Book of Acts, God is instructing all people everywhere to repent, for He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man that He has appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Be zealous, repent.

To repent means you recognize the truth of what has been said--you’re ready to turn from that condition and that sin and place your faith in Christ. That becomes a word that is used interchangeably with faith because it’s a necessary part of faith because until you’re convicted of your sin and see your lost-ness and your hopelessness and your wretchedness what Christ has done for them you don’t know that you’re wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. You have to see yourself as I see you and now turn from that and place your faith in Me and live for Me and you note He knows nothing of that indifferent lukewarm living for Him. It becomes an evaluation of ourselves. The church is to evaluate itself. You know churches today we are to evaluate our self. We slide into you know some kind of comfortable Christianity that is accepted and recognized and causes no waves and on we go. Is it genuine? He’s looking for zealous hot—He that is not with Me is against Me. This in-between, they make us seem comfortable to feel but we’re concerned is it genuine. To deceive and delude ourselves is a terrible thing! That’s what had happened at the church at Laodicea.


Be zealous and repent and the urgency of it. Verse 20, “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.” Now this verse is used in a couple of ways. A very common way is to use it as an invitation to salvation and Christ is standing knocking at the door of your heart. You’re invited to open your heart and have Christ come in. There’s a truth in that--I mean I don’t get all wound up—there’s a truth there. Christ said when we place our faith in Him--what? He abides in us and we abide in Him so there is a truth in that. The truth that He does not come in until we respond to the message of His truth turning from our sin to place our faith in Him. Then we enter into a mutual relationship of abiding, Him living in us and us living in Him so that’s true.

I think though in the context of these letters and in the overall context of the Book of Revelation what He is talking about here is not that personal knocking on the door of the heart. That would be covered in verse 19 of the invitation to salvation but here he’s talking about the fact that He is at the door and you’re living in light of His coming to establish His kingdom and the judgment that will come with that. In other words, He is carrying us to the end. He does that at the end of several of these letters He carries us to the ultimate end. The ultimate end for the unbeliever will be found at the end of chapter 20 the judgment of the great white throne. The ultimate end for the believer is chapters 21 and 22 eternity in the presence of Christ. Those are the only two options. Eternity in the fires of hell forever and ever or eternity in the presence of the God of glory for all eternity. So, the ultimate end that everything is carrying us to is the end of the Book of Revelation and the ultimate destinies that are there. I think what He is talking about here is the kingdom. “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and He with Me.”

Come back to Matthew chapter 24. We’ll be going back and forth and we’ll be coming back to Matthew so when you get to Matthew 24 we’re going to leave there and then we’ll come back so if you want to leave a marker it will make it easier to get back. Matthew chapter 24 and we’ll be in Matthew 24 and 25 when we get further into the Book of Revelation because He’s dealing with matters relating to His Second Coming the coming to earth again not to die but to rule and reign. Now this is a remarkable unfolding; something the Old Testament saints knew nothing about. All their prophecies dealt with was Christ is coming and those prophecies are mixed, intertwined sometimes they’re talking about Christ coming to rule and reign in glory other times they talk about His suffering and dying and to get it sorted out. They never did.

Even John the Baptist the greatest of the Old Testament prophets was confused about all these things. Remember he was the one who came to announce the coming of the Messiah. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What’s he talking about we are on the verge of having the Messiah come to establish the kingdom. What happened when he went to prison? He sent his disciples and asked Jesus, did I misunderstand something? Are you really the Messiah, or are we supposed to be waiting for someone else? Why would you ask that question? Well he’s expecting the Messiah to come and establish the kingdom so here Christ is now beginning to prepare His disciples for the fact there will be no kingdom on this occasion.

Some terrible events are going to come to pass before He returns and some of these are found in the Old Testament, as well but they could never sort out how this was all going to work. He’s talked about the tribulation that’s going to come on the earth and that will be climaxed by the coming of the Son of man in glory. Verse 30, this will be a worldwide event. People of the world will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. After you see all these things and the events of the tribulation then He said to them verse 33, so you too when you see all these things recognize that He is near right at the door. There’s the picture, being at the door is a picture of imminence, anytime. Now here it fills in with that picture of being at the door.

Come over to James chapter five. James is writing to Jewish believers who are in the diaspora scattered outside the land of Israel. James chapter five verse nine. Do not complain, brethren against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door, before the door so you see encouraging live in light of the fact that you will have to confront Christ and the picture of Him being at the door is His imminence. They know when He comes to establish the kingdom He will first exercise judgment rooting out all unbelievers so you live in light of that. We say there’s a-lot-of things that come in-between. I know but everything’s being compressed in some of the passages. Let’s go to the ultimate end just like, we tell someone, well if you don’t believe in Christ you’ll spend eternity in hell. That doesn’t mean tomorrow but it may be tomorrow. We talk about the ultimate end that’s what He’s doing with these churches.

You keep in mind because this is where the Book of Revelations is going to take us in a way and with a fullness that we haven’t seen before and with a clarity so you live in light of that ultimate event. We say well we know there’s going to be a tribulation and a rapture so shouldn’t we be living in light of that event. Well, yeah all that’s in there but the ultimate event we are looking toward and anticipating is the final fullness that will be particularly in Revelation 21 and 22 as we will see so He is at the door. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him and dine with him. I take it what He is talking about here is those who are ready to receive Him and welcome Him when He comes and they will go into the kingdom to enjoy intimate fellowship and relationship with Him.

Come over to Revelation 19. Now we have the coming of Christ to earth. He’ll come bring judgment on the earth we’ll get into these and then in Chapter 20 He’ll establish the kingdom where for the first time it will be revealed there is a thousand-year phase at the beginning of that kingdom that we’ll have to talk about and in chapter 19 though with the coming of Christ. Heaven is celebrating we are ready for Christ to come to earth for the establishing of the kingdom and then verse nine He says. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” that’s what He is talking about being invited in to the wedding feast so when Christ comes in through the door He’ll sit down and dine with His people. That’s the picture.

Come back to Matthew chapter 25. Many of you are familiar with this and we’re back in Matthew 24 and 25. Two chapters that come because the disciples ask Christ regarding the signs of His coming and the end of the age. Matthew 25, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” These are not the bride. These are friends of the bridegroom and these are the brides but the picture here is of those who are ready for His coming the arrival of the bridegroom. Five were foolish five were prudent and to summarize it the five foolish ones weren’t prepared for His coming so when He came they weren’t ready. The prudent ones the wise ones prepared and were ready even though He came unexpectedly. Verse six, “At midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”

Oh, wait, wait, we weren’t expecting him! The foolish say we’re not ready, so they have to go and try to get ready but those who were prudent were ready so verse 10. “While they . . . the five who weren’t ready, . . . we’re going away to make the purchase . . . and get ready . . . the bridegroom came and those who were ready . . . the five wise virgins they . . . went in with him to the wedding feast; the door was shut” and you note. They say, “Lord, Lord, open up for us.” They don’t even at this point realize they’re lost wretched condition. Like Matthew 7, “Many will say to Me on that day . . . and I will say to them . . . I never knew you. Come back to Matthew 25:12-13, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. “Be on the alert you do not know the day nor the hour . . .” So you live in light of the ultimate event, that ultimate time because that’s eternity, your eternal destiny. There are other things intervening. He’s talked about the tribulation there and all was living in light of that event and ready for it. Whatever else comes in-between is just part of the readiness but it’s in light of the ultimate event.

So He comes in they have the wedding feast He dines with them that picture. Matthew 26 while you’re here look over to verse 29. This is His last supper and we celebrate this at the communion service but note what He said to His disciples in verse 29. “I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” That’s the picture so it’s consistent. We come to Revelation what does He say? Be ready and open the door to me. I come in you’re prepared I dine with you. We enjoy the wedding feast and the fellowship there in the kingdom. Great promise!

Come back to Laodicea. Further promise here connected to the kingdom. He who overcomes . . . verse 21. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’ The picture here to sit down on the throne, Christ sat down on the Father’s throne and He shared the authority to rule with the Father. When we sit down with Christ on His throne, it doesn’t mean we’ll all be sitting on the same throne chair but the point is we share the authority. We will rule and reign with Him when He reigns. It’s a promise to the overcomer because they were overcomers as Christ also overcame and that’s why He can rule and reign. Come back to John’s gospel chapter 16. Look at verse 33. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” So, as He said there, I overcame, sat down on My Father’s throne to share authority with Him.

Now come back to the Book of First John all the way back to just before the Book of Revelation. The epistle of First John chapter five verse four. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world . . . there we see how we become overcomers; we’ve been born of God thus we share in the victory that Christ accomplished on our behalf so that we could overcome the world as He overcame the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Verse 11 and the testimony is this, God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

It’s that simple, if you don’t have life in the Son of God you’re not an overcomer you don’t overcome the world. That’s why we are not involved in reformation of the world and trying to improve it. It doesn’t mean we don’t do our quote “share” in taking care of things but we’re not here to try to improve the lot of the unbeliever. You can’t become an overcomer you can’t finally deal with sin in a victorious way outside of Christ but when you place your faith in Christ that’s what is the victory. Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes, places His faith in Jesus as the Son of God? We will reign with Him we will sit down with Him on His throne.

That’s not happening yet. He sat down with the Father and shared that authority but He hasn’t yet taken the throne of David. You’re here almost to the Book of Revelation—turn in the Book of Revelation to chapter two just before where we are; the promise to the Church at Thyatira to the overcomer. Note what He says in Revelation 2:26. ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I have received authority from My Father . . . you see we share in His authority we share in His reign.

Come to chapter five of Revelation verse 10 and these are those who have victory their victory is being celebrated in heaven and it is said in verse 10, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; . . . now note . . . and they will reign upon the earth.” They’re not talking about some kind of spiritual none physical kingdom. They will reign upon the earth. In chapter, 20 verse four He talks about those resurrected reigning with Christ for a thousand years. In chapter 22—come all the way back to chapter 22 the end of verse five . . . and they will reign forever and ever. That’s eternity; forever and ever, they will reign so that picture that responsibility.

Come back to Luke chapter 12 verse 35. You see a similarity to the parable of the ten virgins we looked at in Matthew 25. Here different but similar. “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.” See the point again is be ready you live in light of that ultimate event. “Like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he knocks.” See a similarity to Revelation. He stands at the door and knocks so the picture here a little different from Matthew 25, the similarities but different, now it’s here ready for the master when he returns and you welcome him; you’re prepared. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. “Whether he comes in the second watch or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.” Verse 40, “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” He’s not misleading them, there are a-lot-of events that come in but you live in light of the ultimate event, the coming of Christ and the establishing of that kingdom.

Come back to Revelation. This throne is the throne promised in the Old Testament, as you’d be aware in Daniel chapter seven. The Son of Man comes before the throne of the Father and to Him is given dominion and a kingdom. In Matthew 19 verse 28, Jesus said that His followers who follow Him in the regeneration they’ll sit on twelve thrones governing the twelve tribes of Israel. These kinds of promises are a reminder that we are not in the kingdom it is yet a future event. He tells them this will happen at a future time. So many have spiritualized these events and allegorized them so that we don’t have any kind of real earthly kingdom. It’s Christ ruling from heaven and we are His spiritual subjects and we are—it couldn’t be any clearer and it is repeated so many times. The kingdom hasn’t begun. Now there is that universal kingdom. God has always ruled over all His creation but that kingdom mediated through His appointed servant on the throne of David that has not yet been fulfilled and when were finally done then there will be a merging of that mediatory rule and that eternal rule as we move into eternity.

What does He say to the church? Verse 22, you note here, we have the Trinity clearly brought out throughout this book but we have the Holy Spirit again as we have at the end of every letter. “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” It is addressed to the church at Laodicea but it is a message for the churches as each one has been and true down through history. It’s a message for us today to learn from to take to heart. We should read and reread these letters evaluate ourselves in light of them. Are we commendable where we should be commendable? Are there things that need to be corrected that must be corrected? Now the rest of the Book of Revelation is also for the churches because He’ll close in chapter 22 reminding us of the importance of listening to what He has said to the churches so this is church truth.

It doesn’t mean everything in here will involve the church but everything in here is for the church to know, understand and appreciate as He unfolds in a way not done before. A chronological development of what we just had the pieces mixed together before and as a final word of encouragement for us to live in light of these truths. It doesn’t get any better than this Christ loves the church even the churches that have strayed and wandered the churches that have been in effect taken over in many ways by unbelievers, populated by unbelievers. He loves them He rebukes them He disciplines them. What patience to say yeah there’s still time to come; come. What’s the proper response? I have to see myself as God sees me. You know there is no fooling Him. This church could have a veneer of looking Christian. We can have a veneer of looking Christian but you know we have to look at our own heart. Where am I am I just going through the motions? This is the way I was raised this is what we do or this was the way it was when I came and I just sort of fit in and we move on. We are to evaluate ourselves in light of the truth be zealous and repent. Cooling off is not an acceptable option. I like the way He put it; be zealous and repent. There must be a recognition of your condition and a turn from it and that will be connected to zeal. This idea we can be lukewarm, not everybody is going to be on fire, not everybody is going to be hot and not everybody is going to go into the kingdom. The cold aren’t going in and He says the lukewarm aren’t going in so there’s only one kind of Christian one kind of true believer; those who are hot, zealous and the promises are great! In the kingdom, we’ll enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. What a blessing eating together enjoying that kind of relationship. We’ll reign with Him forever and ever so we had better pay close attention. What a blessing to have a message from Christ to us.

Let us pray together: Thank you Lord for the riches of Your word. Lord we are in awe. Each of these churches, You are firm; Christ speaks with clarity. Some of it is painful to hear but Lord in it all there is grace. You know us as we gather together You see us as we are. Lord pray that we will be open to the ministry of the Spirit to evaluate ourselves personally and individually and then to look at our church. Lord we want to be a church that is living, prepared, anticipating and ultimately looking forward to the time when we will enjoy fellowship in Your presence forever. Pray You’ll bless Your word in our lives today and through the week. In Christ’s name. Amen.

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