Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

My wife and I have four children.

And one of the things that means is that we’ve done a good bit of trick-or-treating over the years.

Our youngest, Jeremiah, is 14 now.

So, the majority of those trick-or-treating days are well behind us now.

There was a regular occurrence with our kids and other kids and their costumes over the years.

A lot of times they’d dress as superheroes.

And most superheroes have a secret identity.

That means that the costume will often come with a mask.

One year Jeremiah was dressed as Captain America and one of the boys in the neighborhood was dressed as Spider Man.

They were so excited to go trick-or-treating that they were literally running from house to house.

They were leaving the girls behind.

At one point I had to say to them, “be gentlemen and wait for the ladies.”

But all of that running wears you out, and when that happens the mask becomes cumbersome and you’ve got to take it off.

Captain America and Spidey’s true identities have been revealed!

They no longer cared about the mask.

All that mattered was the candy.

In fact, all that ever mattered was the candy.

This is similar to what we see in the first three chapters of Revelation through the letters to the seven churches.

Jesus is removing masks, and the identity of each of these churches is being revealed.

That’s because Jesus isn’t concerned about the masks.

Just like for the trick-or-treaters—it isn’t about the mask, it’s all about the candy—for Jesus when it comes to the church he isn’t concerned with how you appear as much as he’s concerned with how you are.

What matters is the truth about your condition.

This is exposed in positive ways and negative ways.

Smyrna who appears to be poor, but is really rich.

Philadelphia appears to be weak, but is really powerful.

And Sardis appears to be alive, but is almost dead.

But today, church number 7, Laodicea, is in the worst condition of them all.

Their mask is on tight.

If you were to ask them, they’d say, “we’ve got it going on.”

Jesus says to them, you don’t even know that you’re wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked!” “You’re not even close to having it going on.

You have essentially kicked me out of the church.”

How can this be?

How can a church lock Jesus out?

We’ll see what’s going on as we examine the situation in our text from these four points, A New Day, A Nasty Taste, A Necessary Turn, and A Nourishing Meal.

This is similar to what we’ve been seeing in this series through .

Jesus is removing masks, and the identity of each of these churches is being revealed.

That’s because Jesus isn’t concerned about the masks.

Just like for the trick or treaters, it isn’t about the mask, it’s all about the candy, for Jesus when it comes to the church he isn’t concerned with how you appear, he’s concerned with how you are.

What matters is the truth about your condition.

We’ve seen this exposed in positive ways and negative ways.

We’ve seen Smyrna who appears to be poor, but is really rich.

We’ve seen Philadelphia who appears to be weak, but is really powerful.

And we’ve seen Sardis, who appears to be alive, but is almost dead.

But today, church number 7, Laodicea, is in the worst condition of them all.

Their mask is on tight.

If you were to ask them, they’d say, “we’ve got it going on.”

Jesus says to them, you don’t even know that you’re wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked!” “You’re not even close to having it going on.

You have essentially kicked me out of the church.”

How can this be?

How can a church lock Jesus out?

We’ll see what’s going on as we examine the situation in our text from these four points, A New Day, A Nasty Taste, A Necessary Turn, and A Nourishing Meal.

A New Day

Jesus says something significant for each church’s condition in the introduction to every one of these letters.

Here, he says to Laodicea, “Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”

Jesus is saying to them, “Listen, Laodicea, I was faithful and true in the way I testified to my Father in my earthly ministry.”

John had already described Jesus this way to all the churches in his introduction back in 1:4-5,

Jesus says something significant for each church’s condition in the introduction to every one of these letters.

Here, he says to Laodicea, “Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”

Jesus is saying to them, “Listen, Laodicea, I was faithful and true in the way I testified to my Father in my earthly ministry.”

John had already described Jesus this way to all the churches in his introduction back in 1:4-5,

Jesus’ reminder here to Laodicea is that the very definition of my ministry was faithfulness to God and truth.

The reason that you need to hear this again, Laodicea, is because what needs to define Christian ministry is faithful and true witness to me.

I am the head.

I am the ruler of the kings on earth.

Those who are called by my name are called to demonstrate faithful and true testimony to me.

Let’s be clear on this.

It’s a new day.

That is his point when he refers to himself as the beginning of God’s creation.

It’s another way of saying what he said to John in 1:18 when he said, “I am the living one.

I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.”

Or when he said to Smyrna, “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.”

In my living and in my dying, in my burial and resurrection is the beginning of a new day.

We sing that song, “Living he loved…” That’s true, but Jesus’ life death and resurrection isn’t just about my being freed from the bondage of sin as an individual.

It’s about new creation.

It’s about the restoration of everything, this whole world under the good lordship of Jesus.

It’s about the whole creation restored to new life in willing submission to God.

When Jesus says, “I am the beginning of God’s creation, he is declaring to the church in Laodicea and to us, this has already started with me.”

“John, to the seven churches that are in Asia, Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings on earth.”

Jesus’ reminder here to Laodicea is that the very definition of my ministry was faithfulness to God and truth.

The reason that you need to hear this again, Laodicea, is because what needs to define Christian ministry is faithful and true witness to me.

I am the head.

I am the ruler of the kings on earth.

Those who are called by my name are called to demonstrate faithful and true testimony to me.

Let’s be clear on this.

It’s a new day.

That is his point when he refers to himself as the beginning of God’s creation.

It’s another way of saying what he said to John in 1:18 when he said, “I am the living one.

I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.”

Or when he said to Smyrna, “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.”

In my living and in my dying, in my burial and resurrection is the beginning of a new day.

We sing that song, “Living he loved…” That’s true, but Jesus’ life death and resurrection isn’t just about my being freed from the bondage of sin as an individual.

It’s about new creation.

It’s about the restoration of everything, this whole world under the good lordship of Jesus.

It’s about the whole creation restored to new life in willing submission to God.

When Jesus says, “I am the beginning of God’s creation, he is declaring to the church in Laodicea and to us, this has already started with me.”

He has to remind them that it’s a new day because their life as a church doesn’t demonstrate that Jesus has made any difference for them.

What has changed about their outlook on life in this world and who they ought to be as people who follow Jesus?

And the answer to that question is, “nothing.”

Nothing has changed for them.