Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been redeemed I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock I faith in Christ my Redeemer King I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock Then row row billows Spirit of Holynes descend thy people Wait for thee Thine ear in kind compassion Bl Let us thy mercy see.
Spirit of holiness is thine to hear our feeble prayer Come for we wait Thy power divine Let us thy mercy.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: Share.
[00:01:22] Speaker C: Welcome to the Voice of Hope. I'm your host, Anthony.
We're continuing our series through the Book of Revelation, a book that unveils Jesus words to the church and offers encouragement to believers pointing us toward his ultimate triumph and the hope of entering his kingdom.
Today we turn again to Revelation, chapter 3, verses 14 to 22, where we hear Jesus seventh and final message spoken to the church in Laodicea.
As we noted in the last episode, the Laodicean Church was materially wealthy and outwardly confident, yet they were spiritually poor.
They lacked true grace and the lasting riches that only Christ can provide.
Now stay tuned as our Bible teacher, Jmark Horst reads the text and picks up on the second part of his teaching. The Church of Dangerous Delusion.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: And to the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans.
These things says the Amen. The faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God.
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.
I could wish that you were cold or hot.
So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
Because you say I am rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see as many as I love. I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore 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 dine with him and he with me to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne. And as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches as we move into Jesus. Message of Exhortation to the Church at Laodicea I'm intrigued by his words in verse 18. Because as Lord of the Church, doesn't Jesus have the right to command, even make demands of those who call themselves by his name, those who say they are members of his Church?
You know, even the gentile centurion in Matthew's Gospel recognized Jesus supreme authority.
But Jesus doesn't demand.
Here's what he says. I am counseling you, I am exhorting you, I am pleading with you right now to buy from me.
And so, even though Jesus has harshly criticized them for their failures, we see his gracious nature on full display.
The Greek word for buy also means to redeem. That is, in the sense of giving up something of lesser value in order to secure something of greater value.
So I think Jesus is telling them to trade in their pride and their self sufficiency and their self confidence, which in Jesus eyes has no value. And he wants them to trade that for something of infinite value, his faith, holiness and power.
What a sincere and generous invitation to those who had just been pronounced beggars and had been threatened with rejection, with expulsion.
And then Jesus lists several specific items that this church should purchase.
The first one is gold that has been refined in the fire.
Now, in my introduction in the previous episode, I noted that Laodicea was a banking center.
Let's think a little bit about gold. It comes out of the ground, generally as ore, and it's mixed with ordinary soil and other minerals and it has to be separated from them.
Then subsequent to that, it undergoes repeated cycles of heating in order to remove the impurities.
Finally, when it's 0.999% pure, it's then cast into bars or stamped into coins.
And you know, gold has been used for millennia as a store of value because it retains that value, not like our fiat currencies. They eventually return to their intrinsic value, which is zero.
Incidentally, there were two coins in Laodicea that bore the images of two prominent doctors from the medical school of that false God Asclepius.
Jesus offered the Laodiceans the chance to trade their fool's gold for what was genuine.
Jesus counsel to the believers in Laodicea reminds me of God's invitation to ancient Israel in Isaiah 55:13. This will be familiar to some of you. The prophet writes, ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me and eat what is good. And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear to me and come to me.
Hear and your soul shall live.
Does God offer this same invitation to us today?
I believe he does.
Next, Jesus said, buy white clothing to cover your shameful nakedness.
It's like Jesus is saying to them, if you want to buy something to wear, then buy white clothing.
We've talked about white clothing in some of the previous messages to the churches.
But in the Bible, white clothing is always a sign of righteousness and or holiness.
The priests in Israel wore white garments.
Angelic beings always appear clothed in white.
And Isaiah wrote to wayward Judah, come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
You know, the purpose of clothing is to cover the shame of nakedness.
Now, the human body is not intrinsically shameful. It is glorious and beautiful. It's made in the image of God.
But the sin of mankind twists what God has created for his glory and tries to use it selfishly.
And so these people in Laodicea were well clothed physically, but spiritually they were naked.
The Lord of the Church clearly saw that nakedness and he counseled them to acquire white clothing that was available only through Him.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight.
But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. That's Hebrews 4, 12, 13.
The third thing Jesus offers to the church in Laodicea is eyesav calurion. It was an eye powder that was manufactured in their city.
Remember, this city was well known for its medication for the eyes and the ears.
Jesus said, anoint your eyes with the eyesav eye offer so that you may keep on seeing.
The members of the church in Laodicea were spiritually blind to their actual condition. And you know, we can be critical of them, but we must recognize that such behavior is often driven by wealth and affluence.
We somehow think it is possible to serve two masters, God and money.
In John's Gospel, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah. He said, go and tell this people, keep on hearing, but do not understand.
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.
Make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return and be healed.
And so I ask the question, are your eyes open?
Are you seeing things clearly?
Or is your vision clouded by greed and the deceitfulness of riches that Paul warns about in 1 Timothy 6, 9, 10?
I find it a continual challenge personally to keep my vision clear and keep it focused on Jesus.
And so Jesus continues. He says, I still love you, and as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Jesus says something very important here. Contrary to popular opinion, love and discipline are not mutually exclusive.
Instead, Jesus states they are evidence of his love.
And the writer of Hebrews in chapter 12 and verse 6 echoes Proverbs 3:12 and affirms, for the one whom the Lord loves, he chastens and disciplines every son whom he receives.
The purpose of discipline is clearly stated. It is repentance.
And so Jesus instructed them to be zealous in repentance.
The word zealous derives from the Greek zelos. It means ardor or heat or holy zeal.
As you might remember, there were many zealots in Israel in the time of this letter, and they were advocating for the overthrow of the Roman government.
Jesus even had a zealot among his 12 disciples. Simon, remember, Jesus said he wanted the Laodicean believers to be hot, that is, to be committed to him.
In other words, show the temperature of your spirituality by eagerly repenting of your sins.
I believe the Lord of the Church would have that same message for us today.
Now notice with me Jesus final exhortation, and I imagine he delivered it with a voice filled with pathos.
Behold, I am standing at the door and knocking what?
The Lord of the church at Laodicea is on the outside seeking admission.
How can that be?
I'm sure that many of you listening to me are familiar with some of the paintings that depict Jesus standing before a large wooden door, and they're often used as invitations to salvation.
The original painting by William Holman hunt from the 1800s was, when it was painted, criticized jeeringly by an art critic who noted that the door was lacking a handle on the outside.
In response to that, John Ruskin, who was a friend of Hunt, said, you do not understand the painting at all.
The door Jesus is knocking on is the door of our hearts. There is no latch on the outside because the door to our heart can only be opened from within.
And so many have used this picture as an illustration of verse 20, they discuss conversion and salvation. But I have to tell you, that's not the point of this text.
In Laodicea, Jesus had been excluded from what was rightfully his, his church.
And so instead of using his divine power to open the door forcibly and enter, he stands outside asking for admission that fits with his counsel. In verse 18, if the church responds positively to his exhortation, then what is the compensation or the reward?
Well, let's move on to think about that now, as we have with all the other churches.
Jesus not only knocks on the door, but he speaks. He says, if anyone hears, remember that's obeys my voice.
That is a conditional statement. The first word is, if that means it's possible that those inside can be so distracted or so busy that they won't even hear him, then you might ask, well, how do we hear the voice of Jesus?
Well, we hear it through daily prayer and praise and worship and staying in the Word.
It's our responsibility to order our lives so that we live in his presence moment by moment. And yes, special times for Bible reading and prayer are essential, but what they are meant to do is to help us practice the presence of Jesus all through the day.
And so, if you're on the inside of a solid door and someone knocks, what's the common question?
Who's there?
If you recognize the voice, you open it up immediately.
In John chapter 10, Jesus used this illustration of a familiar voice with his sheep.
The church at Laodicea had shut Jesus out, yet they still should have recognized his voice.
Someone put it this way, the voice will often interpret and make the purpose of the knock intelligible.
If the one who hears the knock and the voice opens the door, the Savior will come in and recline at the table with him in mutual fellowship. And I have to note, there is no irresistible grace here. Did you catch that? He said, if you open the door, I will come in.
We have a choice to make. And you know, this image of Jesus reclining at the table appears repeatedly in the New Testament. As someone has said, the crown of fellowship is eating together.
Now, we may consider these promises individually, and I believe that's valid because the church is composed of individual members. But let's keep in mind that what Jesus is speaking, he is saying to the church body at Laodicea. He's inviting the congregation to enter into this intimate fellowship with him, and that will have a lasting impact on both the individual members and the whole assembly.
Israel's King is willing to have real table fellowship with his followers. But we must remember, because he is holy, no compromise, contamination or defilement is allowed.
This is clearly stated in the Hebrew scriptures.
Here's Leviticus 18:24. Do not defile yourselves by any of these things. For by all these, the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.
The Nicolaitans found in both Pergamum and Ephesus those who claimed we will eat.
They practiced indiscriminate eating, and they most likely participated in unrestricted fellowship with Roman paganism.
In his final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion, Jesus said, but you are those who have continued with me in my trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
This is the reward for hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord of the Church.
You know, when I think about this invitation, I think of the tragic choices that Judas made. At that final meal, Jesus singled him out for a special favor. He dipped that piece of bread into the dish and gave it to Judas as a sign of their friendship.
That signified the great love that he had for Judas. And yet Judas went through with his plan to betray Jesus.
He traded intimate fellowship for a bag of money with holes in it.
And I know we're quick, we're quick to criticize Judas.
I would just suggest perhaps we should look in the mirror a bit more carefully.
And then, in addition, Jesus says to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Isn't that amazing? Can you comprehend that Jesus told the twelve that they would judge the tribes of Israel? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:2:3, do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
And if you will judge the world, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels?
How much more things that pertain to this life.
And Romans 8:17 proclaims that we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Jesus sits on his throne because he overcame.
What did he overcome? He overcame all that the world and the flesh and the devil threw at him.
In John 16:33, he said these things. I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
As a result of his faithfulness, he is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for you and me. And if we overcome, he will welcome us there to his side.
To overcome means to prevail, to get the victory, to endure, to resist, be resolute, be steadfast and stand.
You know, overcoming involves attention, a tension between our responsibility and God's grace.
This does not mean that the overcomer is without sin, but he depends upon Jesus for his life. He stays connected to and dependent upon Jesus through prayer and worship and reading and studying the Scriptures and by making good choices about how he spends his time.
You know, there is no doubt in my mind that a commitment by those early Christ followers to refrain from the defiling lifestyle in the Roman Empire was really tough because business and religion and politics and culture were all intertwined. They were all mixed up together.
Refusing to conform could cost you your livelihood, your status, your wealth, and in some cases even your life.
I would say it's not very different today, especially in some parts of the world where religion is actually defines culture.
The pressures around you and me to conform to the world system are intense.
And many today who claim the name of Christ are yielding to that pressure.
The writers of the epistles repeatedly warn that this will be the case as we get nearer to the return of Jesus.
And so we must keep our eyes fixed on him and rehearse his promises daily, lest we be swept away in the enticements of the moment.
Jesus closes this letter in the same way that he does all the others. The one who has ears must hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Now you and I may debate among ourselves what is hot, what is cold, what is lukewarm, and maybe there's some benefit in that.
But I believe the Holy Spirit will reveal to each of us our spiritual temperature if we ask Him.
Paul wrote in Romans 8, 26, 27. Likewise, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered now. He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
I have found these letters to the seven churches of Revelation to be powerful and convicting, especially this one.
If someone were to ask me whether I consider myself hot or cold or lukewarm, I would struggle to answer.
I see elements of all three as I look into the mirror of God's word.
I want to accept Jesus counsel to buy from him gold refined in the fire, so that I can be rich and white garments that I may be clothed, that the shame of my nakedness may not be revealed, and to anoint my eyes with eyesaf that I may see.
And I invite you to share in that desire.
[00:22:55] Speaker A: Behold a stranger.
He gently knocks as knocked before.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: Us.
[00:23:11] Speaker A: Waited long is waiting still you treat no other friends only.
But will he prove a friend?
Indeed he will, the very friend you need the man of Lazarre with garments d.
O lovely aditude. He stands with melting heart and laden hands O matchless kindness. And he shows this matchless kindness to his fall.
When at his.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: Time.
[00:25:11] Speaker C: Thank you jmark. It's sobering to realize that while we may feel self sufficient, Jesus sees our true need. I'm so grateful for his grace.
He doesn't force his way in, but kindly counsels us to trade our pride for the infinite value of his presence.
May we all hear his voice today and choose the intimate fellowship that comes from our repentance and dependence on Him.
If you've been encouraged by this episode from the Book of Revelation, we invite you to listen to more of our Bible teaching by visiting our website at heraldsofhope.
You'll find past episodes, additional podcasts and videos, as well as our ministry updates. You can also purchase the book A Revelation of Jesus Christ by J.B. smith and Dr. Yoder on our website at heraldsofhope.org Store your prayers and support make this ministry possible and we're thankful for each one who walks with us as we share the good news of Jesus Christ around the world. We'd love to hear how this episode spoke to you. You can send us a Message@Hope heraldsofhope.org or call us at 866-960-0292 or find us on Facebook or Instagram.
Or if you prefer, you can send us a letter. Our mailing address is heraldsofhope, 6183 Lincoln Highway, Harrisonville, PA 17228.
Keep tuning in for more Bible teaching and encouragement right here on the Voice.
[00:27:03] Speaker A: Of Hope who at my door is standing patiently drawing near entrance within Demanding whose is the voice I hear?
Sweetly the tones are falling Open the door for me if thou would heed my call I will abide with Thee.
All through the darker's dreary knocking again Is he Jesus? Art thou not weary waiting so long for me?
Sweetly the tones are falling Open the door for me.
If thou would heed my calling, I will abide with thee.
Door of my heart, I hasten thee Will I open wide though he rebuked.
