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10-27-13. Revelation 3:14-22. I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK-my devotional

10-27-13. Revelation 3:14-22.  I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK-my devotional

stand and knock

Revelation 3:14-22

Sunday, October 27. 2013

Key Verse: 3:20                                                                                        Kevin E. Jesmer

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

    Dear Lord, thank you for bringing down walls and restoring relationships in the right way and in the right time. Thank you for helping to change the plot in any story. Lord, your power is wonderful. Thank you for the Gospel that everyone needs in every relationship. Lord, I also thank you for blessing the camaraderie with the barbershop chorus at the Pumpkin Fest. Please produce that kind of fellowship, even deeper fellowship among the members of our church family. Come now and shed you light upon my heart today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: No Place For Lukewarm Christians (14-18).

Verses 14-18, “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

I look at verses 14-16. The Laodiceans thought they had the best of both worlds. Laodicea was the financial center of Asia, with a flourishing garment business and medicinal industry, specializing in eye salve. But their water was infamous for being lukewarm and undrinkable. Jesus rebuked them by using terms they could relate to. The church there had compromised with the world just enough to be comfortable. But Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm Christianity. He said he would spit those who were lukewarm out.

How did the Laodicians get this way? Look at verse 17, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” They were self confident in themselves. They reveled in their riches and prosperity. They may have had money and some modern conveniences, but they were in a bad spiritual condition. Spiritually speaking, they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. They were blind to their spiritual reality.

When we forget the grace of God, take our eyes off of Christ and become self-confident and thinking we don’t need Jesus or the Gospel, we had better examine ourselves before the Lord. We may think that we are something great, but in reality, from God’s point of view such Christians are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

I pray that God may rescue me from false presumptions about myself and my condition. I need to be humble and in continuous dependence on Jesus. This does not mean that I need to pummel myself with self condemnation. But it does mean that I need to know that I am not as good as I think I am and I am daily in need of God’s forgiveness. I must walk in humility, that there are some things about me and my character that I don’t see. I need to know that I am living in denial about many things, things I am not aware of.

The people didn’t not need their empty self confidence. They did not need their deceptive riches. What they needed were the spiritual treasures that God was offering them in verse 18, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” We need the riches which only Jesus can give. Only he can cover our spiritual nakedness and heal our blindness. These are true riches. These are the riches that bring peace and contentment. When we seek these blessing we are not lukewarm Christians, but “hot” Christians.
Part 2: Repent And Open The Door (19-22).

Verses 19-22, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 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 eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Jesus really loves us. He does not want us to become enmeshed in darkness. He does not want to be like a dolphin caught up and slowly drowning with a fishing line entangling his body. No, God wants to cut us free. And so there are times he takes drastic measures. He rebukes us. This kind of knock on the door of our hearts is a call to repentance. We need to open up our spiritual eyes and take heed.

Actually if God did not intervene in this way it would mean that he does not love us. He could not care and just leave us to drift in the sea of life and live as victims of our sins. But he intervenes. He does things and allows things in our lives that move us into the right direction, towards our Savior Jesus and his life giving gospel.

There is a great promise to God call to repentance in 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 eat with him, and he with me.” When we close the door to the world and open the door to Jesus, then he comes in and we have a deep relationship with Christ. We have fellowship with him. The means that we can dwell in the kingdom of God. This is great grace. We, who have ignored God’s grace, lived in our false pride about ourselves…this God forgives us and come to live in our hearts and among us. Not only that, look at verse 21, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”  We can be conquerors through Christ who loved us. We will sit with Jesus throughout all eternity. Without Christ, am I a conqueror? No. I can survive and provide for basic needs. But I am not a conqueror. But in Jesus I can be a conqueror in the battle that really matters. And I have hope in heaven. My life is entering the last half. But I am OK because I know that I am getting closer to sitting with Jesus on his throne, or at least within earshot. Lord, I open the door or my heart to you today.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for knocking on the door of my heart. Come on in and live with me forever.

One Word: Open the door and let Jesus in




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