Sermon Tone Analysis

Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds

Part 95: Victory over Self-Sufficiency

Revelation 3:13-22

November 18, 2012

PRAYER

SCRIPTURE READING: Rev. 1:1-3 (Aaron M.)

NOT FEELING SO BLESSED

When I was a young teenager I decided, with all of the ARROGANCE of YOUTH, that I was going to figure out the book of Revelation, just me and my FOUR-VERSION PARALLEL Bible.

~* I was especially interested in figuring out “666.”

~* I read through it about a DOZEN TIMES, skipping the letters to get to the good stuff.

At some point I realized how FOOLISH I was being.

I wasn’t any CLOSER to God AND I still didn’t know who the BEAST was.

Then I noticed that verse we just heard:

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

The one thing I wasn’t getting from the words of Revelation was “BLESSED.”

I wondered WHY GOD would put a book in the Bible that just encouraged foolish SPECULATION.

~* I basically put Revelation on the SHELF, for about 10 years.

It was a little commentary, “BREAKING the CODE” that saved Revelation for me.

THE THEME OF REVELATION

It taught me that the point of Revelation was NOT SPECULATION, but ENCOURAGEMENT.

The theme of the book can be summarized in one word: “NIKAO,” “to be victorious.”

~* BTW: Greek for “victory” is “NIKE,” the goddess of Victory, which is what Nike is named for.

Like Hebrews, Revelation was written to Christians discouraged by persecution.

If God is in CHARGE, why aren’t things going BETTER for us?

~* Revelation was written to encourage them with the message that “GOD WINS – you are on the WINNING TEAM.”

With that UNDERSTANDING and OTHER TOOLS we’ll talk about later, I was able to READ and ENJOY and be BLESSED by Revelation.

~* In the next THREE SERMONS, I will both show you some of the KEY MESSAGES of Revelation as well as help you read it better.

I will also tell you who “666” stands for, but you will have to wait until next week for that.

AWED BY JESUS

Revelation begins with John seeing Jesus for the first time after his ascension.

Remember that John was “the DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED,” so you’d expect a warm, running on the beach scene:

Revelation 1:10-18 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.

And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.

His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid.

I am the First and the Last.

18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!

And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

I like the Jesus of the GOSPELS, the FRIEND of SINNERS.

This Jesus SCARES me a little.

Q Which one are we supposed to WORSHIP?

BOTH.

He is and continues to be both.

We need to oscillate between seeing both sides of him rather than camping on one.

We can be TOO FAMILIAR with Jesus (cf.

Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt), but when we see him, we will be OVERWHELMED by his GREATNESS, our UNWORTHINESS, and GRATITUDE that he welcomes us.

~* Yet he continues to be the HIGH PRIEST who suffered in every way like us.

THE LETTERS

It is THIS JESUS, Risen LORD and FRIEND of Sinners, that dictated these letters to seven literal churches.

The order reflects the route the mailman would have gone.

Each church had a different challenge and needed different encouragement.

~* I struggled to determine WHICH LETTER to preach on because I wanted to find the one which best speaks to us.

The one letter I was NOT going to use was the one to Laodicea, because (frankly) it’s CLICHÉ.

I have heard a hundred sermons on it, most of them saying pretty much every American CHURCH SUCKS.

~* I just read that in a book, but I think it is OVERSTATED.

MOST CHURCHES are led by PASTORS like me doing their best to glorify God and lead their people.

They are filled with PEOPLE who have MIXED MOTIVES, but do LOVE Jesus.

~* In other words they are like MOST CHRISTIANS.

I DON’T THINK you are all LUKEWARM like the Laodiceans.

I don’t think that Jesus is getting ready to spit us out.

But I do think that the GREATEST DANGER we face is the same one that was in danger of sinking them.

HOT OR COLD WHAT?

Revelation 3:14-16 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

You may have heard this PREACHED MANY TIMES, but I know that every sermon I have heard on this passage MISSES Jesus’ POINT.

The standard take is that this is talking about PASSION, that Jesus would prefer that we either be on fire and PASSIONATE about him, or REJECT him altogether, but not be lukewarm.

Q Where in does it say that Jesus is taking about PASSION?

Q “I know your _____?”

Passion, love, devotion?

“I know your DEEDS – you are neither hot nor cold.”

It is their deeds, not their passion, that is lukewarm.

Q What does that mean?

Jesus is using imagery based out of their context: About 6 miles to the north of LAODICEA was the city of HIERAPOLIS which was renowned for its hot springs.

About 6 miles to the east was COLOSSE which had excellent, cool springs.

~* Laodicea lacked reliable water, so an aqueduct brought in water, which would have been lukewarm and contaminated.

We love HOT DRINKS in the winter and COLD DRINKS in the summer, sometimes the other way around.

At STARBUCKS I sold a lot of hot and iced lattes, but I never had anyone as for a tepid latte.

~* Jesus was saying that they neither had the value of hot or cold water.

USELESS

In other words, their DEEDS were USELESS.

They had their church SERVICES, read their BIBLES, took COMMUNION, sang worship SONGS, did COMMUNITY SERVICE, but it was all USELESS.

~* This letter reminds he of the PARABLE of the SHEEP and GOATS, they thought they were doing everything but didn’t know Jesus.

Maybe this should SCARE us a little – the Laodiceans thought they were FINE, the goats thought they were fine, we think we are fine.

Q Are OUR DEEDS are also lukewarm?

The GOATS faced the Risen Lord in all of his splendor and heard the HORRIFYING PRONOUNCEMENT, “I never knew you.”

The LAODICEANS were close to “BLAAACH.”

It literally means “VOMIT,” not “spit.”

~* Why do so many TRANSLATIONS SANITIZE it?

Is vomit too graphic for Jesus to say?

At this point, MOST SERMONS respond with “GIVE more!

PRAY more!

READ your Bible more!

WITNESS more!