WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.400 Well, this morning we're going to think about what happens when the church looks like the city 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:19.359 or looks like the world. Just by way of introducing this idea, cities we know have an identity and a 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:25.400 culture that is unique to each one, and it's reflected in lots of different ways. You go to 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:32.299 a new city, you'll identify particular architectural features, industries on which the city is built, 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:37.500 there'll be a particular ethic and a set of attitudes for locals if you have a chance to 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:43.780 get to know them. There are things that are clearly celebrated and spoken about within 00:00:43.780 --> 00:00:50.780 different cities. So Edinburgh, as an example, I imagine for many of us we think about Edinburgh, 00:00:50.780 --> 00:00:57.560 we think about education and ideas. That's been a big part of Edinburgh's history. We think about 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:04.599 politics and power. This is a place of government and influence. We recognize almost immediately 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:13.040 it's a place with a deep history and a sense of culture. Every city has its unique identity. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:21.219 But our question, the question of Jesus, is what happens when a local church takes on the values of 00:01:21.219 --> 00:01:28.260 a particular city? Because as we'll see, that's going to form the basis of two warnings that Jesus brings. 00:01:29.880 --> 00:01:36.360 So here we are in Advent season, thinking about the first coming of Jesus, thinking about the return 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:44.620 of Jesus. One aspect that we perhaps often overlook is the reality that Jesus comes both to save, 00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:52.719 but also to judge. It's really interesting that probably the last significant Old Testament promise 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:59.939 about the coming of Messiah, the book of Malachi, speaks about the Lord coming to His temple. 00:01:59.939 --> 00:02:08.479 People instinctively would think that's a wonderful prospect. But Malachi delivers a shock to the system. 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:17.180 There's a warning about refining and of heat and of a scrubbing with launderer soap that is almost 00:02:17.180 --> 00:02:26.919 unbearable, save for a small remnant. And so almost the last note of anticipation of the coming of Messiah 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:34.019 is that it brings salvation for some, but judgment for others. And response is all important. And then 00:02:34.019 --> 00:02:39.579 we think about Jesus' own ministry. Think about the number of times He speaks messages of war, judgment 00:02:39.579 --> 00:02:46.299 against the religious leaders. Or recognize Matthew chapter 10, Jesus sends the disciples out on their 00:02:46.299 --> 00:02:52.719 mission and He warns them, there are whole cities who are going to want nothing to do with you because 00:02:52.719 --> 00:03:01.419 you represent the message of Jesus. He says that in the mission of God there will be judgment and division 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:07.579 that cuts to the very heart of families. And then we heard one of the many kingdom parables 00:03:07.579 --> 00:03:15.120 that Jesus tells recorded by Matthew. There is that wedding banquet, wonderful provision, great and open 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:22.520 invitation. But some refuse, some to try and get in their own way. And there is judgment, there is 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:32.439 exclusion. So it's an important but overlooked note. We come to Revelation chapter 3, we're listening to 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:42.640 a letter written by the risen, one day returning, Lord Jesus. And it's two warnings. There is a warning to 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:48.039 this city, church in the city called Sardis, because they're a worldly church and they're compromising 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:53.719 their faith. But there's also a warning to the church in Laodicea, because they've grown very wealthy. 00:03:54.359 --> 00:03:59.899 And at the same time, they're complacent in their faith. And remember that these letters are always 00:03:59.899 --> 00:04:06.599 letters to the churches. So it's an invitation to us all to hear the message, to heed the warning, 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:13.819 a chance to reflect, to consider how we stand before Jesus today. Are we ready for His return? 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:20.399 Are we remaining faithful that we might receive that promised eternal reward? 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:32.439 So let's look first at this letter to Sardis, to a worldly compromising church. These two letters are 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:39.160 fascinating in the number of parallels that Jesus draws between the church and the city, 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:45.000 to highlight for us the problem that the Christians are absorbing the values of the city. So the city 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:49.560 of Sardis, here's some things that we need to know about Sardis. Sardis was once a very powerful and 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:56.300 wealthy city in the first century, but that hadn't been the case for quite a few hundred years. Now it was 00:04:56.300 --> 00:05:02.159 regarded as something of a faded glory. The key feature, there's the ruins up there, 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:08.199 there was an Acropolis fortress. So there was this great sheer cliff, fifteen hundred feet, 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:12.120 and they built this Acropolis on the top, and they felt they were really safe because they had this 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:17.620 fortress. If ever there was enemies that came, the citizens would run, hide in the fortress. They 00:05:17.620 --> 00:05:27.759 thought nobody could scale the wall, but somebody did. 214 BC, at night, a group of enemy soldiers 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:36.219 scaled that 1,500 foot cliff. They opened the city gates, soldiers piled in, the city was destroyed, 00:05:36.219 --> 00:05:46.980 and it never really recovered. Another feature that we need to know about this city, and it was a source 00:05:46.980 --> 00:05:55.019 of shame for them in the present. They'd started building a big temple to the goddess Artemis, 00:05:55.019 --> 00:06:03.439 but they ran out of resources to finish it. So it stood there, half finished, on the outskirts of 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:11.099 the city. Okay, so hold those in your mind. Now let's turn to the Bible, and let's think about what 00:06:11.099 --> 00:06:17.839 Jesus says about himself to this church. Remember, all of his introductions serve a purpose. Here in 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:22.899 verse 1, these are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. The seven 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:31.699 spirits, that symbolism of seven perfection, I hold the perfect spirit, and I am in control over the 00:06:31.699 --> 00:06:42.879 angels who's in charge of the church. Jesus' point, I am in control. And this is a good promise in the sense of 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:53.159 Jesus being able to give renewal to this church that has actually almost died spiritually. So if they hear 00:06:53.159 --> 00:07:03.459 and respond, there is hope, because Jesus is in control. But what happens next is that Jesus identifies 00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:10.659 their problems, three problems that are very much tied to the story of the city. First, that idea of 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:17.160 faded glory. Look at verse 1, I know your deeds. You have a reputation of being alive, but you're dead. 00:07:18.080 --> 00:07:24.080 Here is a church that's living on its past reputation. Well, back in the day, there was every evidence that 00:07:24.080 --> 00:07:32.200 they were alive for Christ. Their life was dedicated to him, but in the present, it's as if they're dead. 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:39.479 They've lost any power to witness. They are no different to the world around them. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:49.039 They have fallen asleep. Wake up, he says in verse 2. Strengthen what remains and is about to die. 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:57.879 So just like the watchmen at Sardis who fell asleep and let the enemies in, the church is doing the same 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:06.180 and disaster. And there is this urgent need, Jesus says, for them to deal with this invasion of sin 00:08:06.180 --> 00:08:12.800 that has come into the church. There is this great need to strengthen what little remains. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:19.339 Most have turned away from Jesus, but not all. And that again, there is this hope that with the power 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:25.060 of the Spirit as Jesus would send the Spirit, this remnant can turn the church around. 00:08:27.179 --> 00:08:33.699 And then there's this other reality that they need to finish what they have started. End of verse 2, 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:41.480 for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. It's as if Jesus is saying to them, 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:49.860 look at that useless temple over there, it's like your deeds right now. Because their heart 00:08:49.860 --> 00:08:56.279 is not right. They are half-hearted. And so their deeds are useless. 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:05.440 Faith is a faith that perseveres. Faith is a faith that is seen in our work, in our worship, 00:09:05.560 --> 00:09:10.820 in our witness. And that's not the case here, because they're compromising to get ahead. 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:18.820 And so there is this call. Verse 3, remember what you've received and heard. Hold it fast and repent. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:22.759 There is this urgency again. You need to turn back to Jesus and the gospel. 00:09:24.220 --> 00:09:29.399 You need to get back to that place where Jesus is first priority. You need to remember what faith 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.860 looks like. It holds on to truth, and it works itself out in practices of love. 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:42.659 So the story of Sardis, the letter to Sardis stands as a warning to churches and to Christians 00:09:42.659 --> 00:09:47.720 of the problem of a church becoming like the city, becoming like the world. 00:09:48.700 --> 00:09:56.419 So Jesus would want us to have a counterculture, to be different to society around us, because he has 00:09:56.419 --> 00:10:04.740 called us to be citizens of heaven. And so that inevitably must affect what we think is most 00:10:04.740 --> 00:10:12.479 important. So as much as we might live surrounded as Sardis did with people who are living for power 00:10:12.479 --> 00:10:20.059 and success and education, that that's everything, we need to resist to make sure that our loyalty 00:10:20.059 --> 00:10:30.959 belongs to God. And so there is that call to wakefulness for us. Is my focus and my hope fixed 00:10:30.959 --> 00:10:39.639 on Jesus, or has it shifted? Are my values, the way I go about family life and work life and 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:46.839 friendships, are those values based on what Jesus teaches or what I receive from my peers or from 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:56.500 my culture? Is my faith being squeezed into the wrong mold? And it's also, I think, a warning 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:05.840 about reputation over reality. It's true, isn't it, that every relationship needs ongoing work. 00:11:06.540 --> 00:11:15.340 It would not go well, I suspect, if we decided to say, do you know what, I gave Christmas presents 00:11:15.340 --> 00:11:24.700 last year to my friends and my family? I'm not going to bother this year. I've shown my love in the past. 00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:31.879 It doesn't really matter in the present. That's kind of the attitude going on in Sardis, and we need to 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:40.080 be careful that that's not our attitude towards Jesus in our present. So we need to be asking ourselves, 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:45.139 what's the state of God today? What's the state of my heart today? Not last month, not last year. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:56.420 Am I walking with God today? Do I love God's Word and God's people more today than I did in the past? Am I 00:11:56.420 --> 00:12:05.160 growing? Is my commitment to deal with sin still there? And if not, we too need to wake up 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:13.279 and repent and recover to heed that alarm, because it can be all too easy to sleep through an alarm. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:20.819 But Jesus wants to sound that spiritual wake-up call so we don't miss it, because His judgment messages 00:12:20.819 --> 00:12:31.000 can be redemptive messages, ultimately for our good, if we hear and respond and believe in light of His 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:40.059 coming. Well, moving from the problems, let's think about the promise made to the church in Sardis. 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:47.480 One other thing about the city, it was the center of the wool industry, a key industry. It was clothing 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:53.720 for them, and again, Jesus draws on that, as well as a Roman background, as He says in verse 4, 00:12:53.720 --> 00:13:00.320 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with Me dressed 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:06.740 in white, for they are worthy. So imagine for a moment a nice white robe. You can think of a wedding 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:18.940 dress if you want, and picture the dark stain right on the front. Jesus says compromise makes a person 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:28.020 unclean, trying to be part Christian and part worldly. For whatever reason, maybe that's fear, 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:35.420 maybe that's comfort. It serves to spoil and to soil. But there are those who haven't done that. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:43.340 And there's this promise in verse 4 and verse 5 of a people who will walk in white. And maybe you 00:13:43.340 --> 00:13:49.639 think, what does it mean to walk in white? That's an unusual phrase. And that's what we need to know 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:58.440 about a Roman triumph. So a Roman triumph would be thrown whenever a Caesar did anything particularly 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:04.920 impressive, or perhaps a general won a great military victory, and a city would throw a triumph. And so 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:16.099 this great leader would be led in procession by folks wearing white togas. It was a symbol of victory, 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:25.620 honor, and glory. And Jesus uses this picture to say that His second coming will be like a victory 00:14:25.620 --> 00:14:34.899 procession. When He returns, His salvation will be fully and finally complete. His kingdom will be 00:14:34.899 --> 00:14:41.779 fully established and the faithful. They will share in that victory and that honor, 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:49.459 joining the procession where Jesus gets the glory. And what Jesus is saying, for those who avoid 00:14:49.459 --> 00:14:58.399 compromise, for those who keep our faith in Jesus, end time eternal glory is coming. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:04.620 And related to that is the second part of the promise. In verse 5, the one who is victorious 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:09.080 will be dressed in white, I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, 00:15:09.139 --> 00:15:16.100 but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels. So again, in Jewish thought and in Roman 00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:24.460 thought, you know, if your name was blotted out, if it was inked over from some public record, 00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:32.960 it was a sign of judgment, of exclusion, and of shame. But Jesus promises to the faithful, 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:40.400 those who keep faith in Jesus, those who keep faith in Jesus, I will never blot out your name. In fact, 00:15:41.040 --> 00:15:49.759 I will publicly acknowledge you before my Father and before the angels on judgment day. 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:55.660 So the reality is that when Jesus comes back, there will be a day of judgment. 00:15:55.659 --> 00:16:01.779 And what Jesus says by way of good news is that when our faith is in the Lord Jesus, 00:16:01.779 --> 00:16:08.059 we have this certain confidence that we will not be condemned, but rather we will be welcomed, 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:16.199 we will be honored, we will be acknowledged. That Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and 00:16:16.199 --> 00:16:22.779 sisters to publicly acknowledge us. It's a reminder that the most important thing in the world 00:16:22.779 --> 00:16:34.339 is what does God think of us? What will Jesus say of us? That we would live for well done, good, 00:16:34.699 --> 00:16:41.799 and faithful service. And so Jesus writes this word of warning to those who are looking for honor and 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:49.720 status in their city and in their world, and they're compromising their faith. He says, 00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:58.800 come to me, come to me, return to me, that honor and glory you seek ultimately is found in what I offer. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:08.259 I will give you a seat at my table. Eternal honor awaits. Don't compromise, but keep the faith. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:16.960 Well, what does he say then to the church in Laodicea? It's a remarkable letter, this one. It's a 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:24.259 beautiful reminder of God's grace because Jesus will say to this church both, you make me sick, 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:33.579 and here I am, I stand at the door and knock, welcome me in. And it's a reminder that there is 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:39.299 no church, there is no Christian, there is no person who is beyond the hope of God's grace. 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:43.779 So the city of Laodicea, what do we know about that? It was in a wonderful location. 00:17:43.779 --> 00:17:48.839 It was right in the center of these two great trade routes, one running north to south, one running east 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:54.700 to west. It was very wealthy. It was very loyal to Rome, so it had great importance, had this big 00:17:54.700 --> 00:18:01.000 banking industry, so it was very successful and affluent. It was also a place where the Jewish 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:06.039 leaders, we've seen this before, they were trying to do this kind of mix and match thing with their 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:12.639 religion to compromise their beliefs in order to get ahead in the world. And the church is tempted 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:19.880 and in danger and sometimes doing the very same. We'll worship Jesus, but we'll also worship the 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:27.700 local gods of Rome. The one problem that this city had, beyond that spiritual problem, is they had no 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:35.860 water supply. So they were utterly reliant on water being piped in from a nearby city, the city of Colossae, 00:18:35.859 --> 00:18:40.759 and we're going to see how Jesus draws on that. So what does Jesus have to say to the church? First 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:48.979 of all, about himself. Verse 14, these are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler 00:18:48.979 --> 00:18:55.639 of God's creation. What's being emphasized here? Here is the voice of ultimate authority. 00:18:55.640 --> 00:19:04.460 Here is the one voice to listen to. Here is the agent of creation. And indeed, he is the agent of new 00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:12.040 creation. And so he reminds this church, you may think that you're getting on and you're wealthy 00:19:12.040 --> 00:19:17.320 and powerful, but you need to recognize, I am the voice of authority. I'm the one in control. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:23.520 My assessment ultimately is the one that matters. Now, how does Jesus assess their problem? 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:30.359 And again, we're going to see some parallels with the city. First, and maybe most famously, 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:39.920 he talks about their sickening deeds. I know your deeds. They are neither hot or cold. I wish you 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:45.599 were one or the other. So because you're lukewarm, I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. So this is to 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:53.379 do with, this is an image drawn from the Laodicean water supply. So as it gets piped about 50 miles or so, 00:19:53.519 --> 00:20:00.400 from Colossae, gradually the water temperature was rising. Those pipes, they always struggled to keep 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:05.460 them clean. So often the people in Laodicea, they're drinking horrible lukewarm water and they're having 00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:14.440 stomach problems. And Jesus uses that and says, listen, your half-hearted deeds are offensive to me. 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:21.019 Unlike the neighboring city of Hierapolis, which was like a spa town, it had these hot springs 00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:26.580 with healing properties in the water, Jesus says, your deeds have no healing properties. They're not 00:20:26.580 --> 00:20:33.160 doing anybody any good. Unlike the city of Colossae with that beautiful, pure, refreshing spring water, 00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:38.700 your deeds have no refreshing properties. They're benefiting no one. 00:20:38.700 --> 00:20:48.360 Jesus sees and knows hearts and he says to them very clearly, your deeds, because of your heart, 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:58.440 make me want to vomit. He goes on to talk about their self-reliance, the fact that they are complacent. 00:20:58.980 --> 00:21:02.920 And again, they've taken on the character of the city. Verse 17, you say, I'm rich, 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:11.800 have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. Really interesting. In AD 60, this city also, 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:17.720 we've seen a lot of earthquakes, this city was hit by an earthquake. And Rome sent word and said, 00:21:17.800 --> 00:21:21.880 listen, we heard you had a really bad earthquake. We'll send some resources and we'll help you fix 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:28.820 up the city. And they said to the center, no thanks, we're fine by ourselves. We'll build back 00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:35.359 bigger. We don't need you. And they did. And so they're very self-reliant. And the church has come 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:41.839 to see itself in the same way. We've got it made. We've achieved success. We've got wealth and status 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:50.500 and luxury and security. They need to hear Jesus' verdict to recognize the heart problem. You do not 00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:57.220 realize you're wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Christians must always have humble dependence. 00:21:58.819 --> 00:22:05.859 It's a huge heart problem when a Christian says no to Jesus as Lord because we feel we can do it by 00:22:05.859 --> 00:22:11.679 ourselves. This is one of these churches that they don't have an external problem. We don't hear 00:22:11.679 --> 00:22:17.500 anything about persecution. The problem all lies within. So there's these sickening deeds, there's 00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:23.899 self-reliance, and also, to continue the image, they're shopping from the wrong supplier. Verse 18, 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:31.120 I counsel you to buy from me. And then there's this list of things. So again, we've probably had this 00:22:31.120 --> 00:22:37.840 experience at some point in our lives, especially if we use online suppliers. You think, ah, here's the 00:22:37.840 --> 00:22:43.900 thing that I need. I can find it cheaper and quicker online. Eventually, you get the product. It turns out 00:22:43.900 --> 00:22:49.880 not to be exactly as described. The quality is not great. We think we've got the right product. We've got 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:56.420 the wrong supplier. It's a disappointment. Jesus comes to this church and says, you're looking for 00:22:56.420 --> 00:23:02.600 wealth and glory and healing and contentment, but you're going to the wrong supplies, thinking you'll 00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:07.800 find them in the world rather than finding them with Jesus. And so he says, you need to change your 00:23:07.800 --> 00:23:17.480 buying habits. Come to me. Buy from me. And again, he draws on the reputation and the industry around the 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:22.620 city. So Laodicea's wealth and reputation was built around three industries. First was banking. 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:30.079 Huge banking center. What does Jesus say to them? I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire. 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:39.000 It's that basic point that Jesus makes so many times. Finances do not make you rich, 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:45.339 ultimately, eternally, spiritually. His gold is the treasure in heaven that were Jesus as Lord. 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:55.299 They had a big clothing industry and place known for its fashion. I counsel you to buy from me white 00:23:55.299 --> 00:24:02.359 clothes to wear so that you can cover your shameful nakedness. He says to these Christians that have 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:08.559 forgotten him, these fancy clothes you're wearing, they don't deal with your shame. They don't cover 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:14.980 your disgrace. Looking good does not equal being good in God's sight. Jesus' clothing 00:24:14.980 --> 00:24:27.779 is different. By His grace clothes us with His perfect righteousness. In His goodness, He takes our 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:38.420 shame on the cross that we might be clothed with His honor. A third industry was that of medical care, 00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:43.500 and especially they'd recently come up with a treatment for eye problems. And so Jesus says, 00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:51.859 I counsel you to buy from me salve to put on your eyes so that you can see. So they had all this 00:24:51.859 --> 00:24:58.700 worldly success. They were very wealthy, very influential. Jesus says, listen, that won't deal 00:24:58.700 --> 00:25:05.920 with your spiritual blindness. If you are not right with God, if you do not put yourselves right with God, 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:15.019 you're in the dark. Jesus' healing deals with spiritual blindness. Jesus would come so that we 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:22.240 might see the glory and the beauty of Jesus above all else. And so Jesus, again, sounds a very similar 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:27.039 alarm with Sardis, that without faith, without enduring in truth and love, if we become complacent 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:33.839 and live in the past, all the great achievements that we might have are nothing but an illusion 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:41.039 in light of eternity. But here's the thing that's so remarkable about this letter, 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:45.980 is that before we get to the promise, we also get an invitation. This is unique in these letters. 00:25:45.980 --> 00:25:52.379 Verse 19 and 20, we see the remarkable patience and love of Jesus as He says to them, 00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:57.760 those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest and repent. So there's the first 00:25:57.760 --> 00:26:03.160 invitation that He gives to this church. And remember, Jesus has said, your deeds make me 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.880 want to vomit. But He says, listen, I'm inviting you to receive loving discipline. 00:26:10.520 --> 00:26:15.640 Here is another example where the opposite of love, you know, the opposite of love, sometimes we often 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:19.640 think the opposite of love is hate, but sometimes the opposite of love is indifference. He says, 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:24.920 I don't care enough to deal with the mess that you're making of your life. But Jesus is not like 00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:30.820 that. Jesus sees the mess, sees what is going wrong, and He gives a clear warning. He gives rebuke. He 00:26:30.820 --> 00:26:38.140 identifies their problem, and He calls them to act. He brings His discipline. He will punish in order to 00:26:38.140 --> 00:26:47.600 correct error. And the question is, will they receive this? It's a hard invitation, but it's a merciful one. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:59.059 What a gift to any of us. We find ourselves spiritually disobedient, spiritually deadened, 00:26:59.559 --> 00:27:04.759 spiritually defeated, to know that Jesus would love us enough to speak to us, 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:11.399 to intervene, to draw us back, by His Word, through His people, by His Spirit. 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:23.000 But we humble ourselves to receive correction from Jesus. It's so easy to tune it out, to be convicted in 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:30.180 a moment, but then to leave it, or to take offense. But our great need, like that in Laodicea, so often 00:27:30.180 --> 00:27:38.860 is to turn, and to be disciplined, and to repent. And then there's that second loving invitation. The 00:27:38.859 --> 00:27:45.159 second aspect is that they're invited to receive the offer of Jesus' friendship. Isn't that remarkable? 00:27:45.639 --> 00:27:53.059 It's this church to which Jesus says, here I am. I stand at the door and knock. 00:27:55.119 --> 00:28:00.299 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 00:28:00.659 --> 00:28:04.240 In the ancient world, there was a saying, to share a meal is to share a life. 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:08.779 Table fellowship was always very significant, significant in the ministry of Jesus. 00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:16.039 Significant here in this picture. Jesus comes to these complacent and cold Christians, 00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:26.720 whose deeds are making Him sick, and He says, here I am. I want you to invite me deeply into your heart 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:35.339 and life. Don't be content. Don't be complacent with keeping me at arm's length. Invite me in 00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:38.440 to restored fellowship and blessing. 00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:47.039 And so they hear, and we hear, and the question is, will we open the door? 00:28:49.100 --> 00:28:54.180 Will we welcome Jesus to enjoy life with us? Because it's a reminder to us, isn't it, 00:28:54.180 --> 00:28:59.140 that Christ and all His benefits, all that we would ever need, every spiritual blessing 00:28:59.140 --> 00:29:05.640 is there for us in Jesus in the gospel. The pathway back to the joy of life with God 00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:12.820 is found in Jesus. And Jesus doesn't stay at a distance, but rather He comes and He knocks 00:29:12.819 --> 00:29:21.679 and He invites by His grace. And the question is, will we be content to keep Him out there, 00:29:22.859 --> 00:29:29.519 content with our wealth, our influence, our security, our comfort, or do we want more? 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:38.359 More of Jesus. More of His love. More of His joy. In which case we'll invite Him in and find 00:29:38.359 --> 00:29:46.079 His promise is true. Look at the promise that Jesus gives to this church. To the one who is 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:51.740 victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down 00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:57.319 with my Father on His throne. So He says to this church, listen, if you overcome the pull of the 00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:03.859 world, if you turn back to me, you'll share my throne. You'll share glory. You'll share honor. 00:30:03.859 --> 00:30:10.559 Yourself victory. So you've got this picture of here is God. We'll come Revelation 4, God on the 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:15.599 throne room of heaven. Here is God who sits on the throne, who rules in majesty. And here is the risen 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:23.219 Jesus, who is now appointed to sit, to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. And He takes 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:32.940 the throne and He has authority. And He says that believers who trust in Him, we get to share His 00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:39.000 victory, share His glory, share His honor. To understand this is actually what we were made for. 00:30:39.819 --> 00:30:47.180 Adam and Eve, made to rule for God, to rule under God, to rule in relationship with God, to have joy in 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:55.560 God. And there is this promise for all eternity. What we were made for is how we will live as the 00:30:55.560 --> 00:31:03.140 people of God. And Jesus invites Laodicea and He invites us to recognize this is true wealth. 00:31:05.120 --> 00:31:11.340 Here is a wealth we never want to lose hold of. Here is a treasure that never gets old, that never 00:31:11.339 --> 00:31:21.919 devalues. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So what happens when 00:31:21.919 --> 00:31:29.439 the church looks like the city? Jesus' letter reveals it's a dangerous temptation that we can all face. 00:31:31.059 --> 00:31:38.500 And He lays out really starkly the warnings that it will lead to a compromised faith. It will lead to 00:31:38.500 --> 00:31:47.700 complacency. It will lead to us chasing the same goals as the world, which are not the goals of the kingdom. 00:31:48.500 --> 00:31:53.799 And it will lead us to operate as a church with the same values as the world, which are not always and 00:31:53.799 --> 00:32:02.180 often not the same as the values of Jesus our King. And so as Jesus reveals the danger, He calls the church 00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:11.720 to the total opposite. Choose to return to Me. Choose to live for Me. Choose to open your heart to Me, 00:32:11.820 --> 00:32:18.779 to recognize that fellowship and glory and honor, that's the thing. And that will change how we live. 00:32:18.840 --> 00:32:26.220 As Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 00:32:26.220 --> 00:32:33.680 That's the city we are to represent and reflect. The city that bears the values of Jesus, that wants to 00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:40.180 love like Jesus. He wants the church, He wants His people to be known for truth and love, to be a 00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:50.500 positive influence on the city as we point people to Jesus. This Jesus who humbled Himself and bore shame 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:56.480 so that we could know honor. This Jesus who died that we might live and live for all eternity. 00:32:58.099 --> 00:33:06.299 This Jesus who rose again and will return to share His glory and honor and victory with His people. 00:33:07.900 --> 00:33:11.900 Let's let Him be the one we live for. Let's pray. 00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:41.880 Let's pray.