Here I Am Standing At The Door: Part ll: Jesus’ Messages To The Last Three Churches

Link to Revelation Messages and Questions        Link to Kevin’s Bible study materials

Revelation 3:1-22                                                                                   Lesson 4

Key verse: 3:20                                                                                       Kevin E. Jesmer 5-2-10

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

      In the last lesson we learned the life giving messages that Jesus made to the first three cities. To the Christians in Ephesus, Jesus commended them for their hard work and their perseverance in the Lord. But he gave them a harsh rebuke in forsaking their first love, their love when they first met Jesus personally. He urged them to repent and restore their first love. To the Christians in Smyrna Jesus commended them for their faithfulness in the midst of suffering and persecution. He encouraged them to not fear and remain faithful. To the Christians in the Pergamum, Jesus praised them for remaining true and faithful. Jesus wanted them to repent of allowing compromise among them. In a word, they needed to repent. Each church would receive glorious heavenly rewards when they remained true to the gospel and to Jesus.

Today we are going to take a look at Jesus’ messages to the last three churches, the church of Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. The church in Sardis looked spiritually alive–but it was dead. The Lord commands them and us to wake up–to repent and strengthen the faith we have by remembering God’s grace and by studying and obeying his word. Jesus promises that he will never blot them out of his book of life. The Church of Philadelphia felt that all doors had been shut for them. But Jesus is the one who opens the door to the kingdom of heaven to all who put their faith in him. The Laodiceans thought they had the best of both worlds through compromising. But Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm Christianity. It is because such Christianity leaves us wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts. When we open the door, he comes in and fills our lives with his love and his riches. Through this passage may we wake up and walk with Jesus and overcome the world. May we learn to never despair over closed doors but have faith to go through the doors Jesus opens. And may we have eyes to see Jesus knocking on the door of our lives so that we can invite him to come and live with us forever.

Part l: Who Is Jesus?

We know that it is Jesus speaking to the churches. But let’s think a little more about his identity from this passage. Look at verse 1b, “…These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The seven spirits of God is the Holy Spirit and the seven stars are the leaders or the messengers to the seven established churches in Asian minor. Jesus is the Almighty Sovereign Lord, who holds the church in the palm of his hand. This is especially comforting to these Christians who were suffering immensely under persecution. Verse 7b reads, “…These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” Jesus is the promised savior king, who sits on David’s throne and reigns forever as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one that can open any door in any place and keep it open by his power and authority.  And verse 14b, “…These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” Amen means, “So it is said, so shall it be.” Jesus’ word and his will prevails. This is how he can be faithful. He is the ruler of all creation. Christians of any age can take comfort in knowing that their Lord and God is the sovereign ruler of the whole creation. Do you get a little better picture of who Jesus is? Now let’s take a close look at the messages themselves.

Part ll:  Strengthen What Remains (1-6)

Let’s take a look at the church in Sardis. All I know about this city is that they were wealthy. But what about the spiritual condition of the Christians? Look at verse 1b-2, “ ^…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” The problem in the SardisChurch was not heresy, but spiritual slumber and death.How could this be? They were a church that looked good on the outside but was corrupt on the inside. They did a lot of activities and outwardly they seemed good, but inwardly they had were spiritually dying. In spite of its reputation for being active, its deeds were without heart and its clothes were soiled.

This could happen to any church. A church may have soup kitchens, praise bands, concerts, lots of social work, but just doing all sorts of Christian activities is not enough. We need Bible study, prayer, and sincere reflection and practical obedience. There is only life in our church if Jesus dwells among us. The bottom line is that we need to ask ourselves, does Jesus dwell among us? You are more than alive if Jesus is walking among you.

What is Jesus’ life giving words to this church? Look at verses 2-4a, “²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. ⁴Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes…” Jesus warns then that he is coming soon and that they must wake up from their spiritual slumber. They were told to strength what remains. There is only one way strength anything and that is through regular use and exercise. They need to obey the Christian truth they had heard when they first believed in Christ, to get back to the basics of faith. Like the Sardis Christians, we too must grow in our knowledge of the Lord, to deepen our understanding through careful Bible study.

What does Jesus refer to when he says that our deeds need to be complete? Can we ever have complete deeds? We can not have complete deeds if we think that our Christian life only consists of church attendance and acts of charity and service. There is never an end to how much we can do for the Lord? What are the deeds? I believe that our deeds can become complete when we repent of our sins and accept God’s complete forgiveness. Our deeds are complete when we are found in Jesus and enter into God’s rest, resting in God’s grace and living in his kingdom. Our deeds can be complete when we find out what God wants us to do each day and do it by faith, dedicating all we do for the glory of God. This is part of what it means to having deeds that complete in Jesus.

Jesus has some very special promises to those who overcome the world. Look at verse 4b-6, “…They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. ⁶He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Even though the church in Sardis was full of deadness and superficiality, there was a faithful remnant who kept a pure love for Jesus in their hearts. Jesus promises that he will never blot them out of his book of life. They will walk with Jesus, dressed in white, set apart for God and made pure. They are those who live by faith and overcome the world. All such people are guaranteed a listing in the book of life and are introduced to the hosts of heaven as belonging to Christ. (Luke 12:8,9)

How does one keep themselves clean in today’s world? Proverbs 119: 9-10  reads, “ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. ¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.” Jesus once told his disciples that their whole body is clean because of the word that was spoken to them. (Jn 13:10) And that  “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.” Jesus washes our whole bodies through his shed blood on the cross. Our feet become dirty from living in this world, filled with sin. We can wash our feet and keep our robes white by practicing daily repentance. Come to Jesus by faith to receive his grace and his forgiveness. Spend time in the word of God each day, repent before it and find ways to apply it to our lives.

Part ll:  Jesus Will Write On Us His New Name (7-13)

And now the church in Philadelphia.  Philadelphia means “brotherly love”. It was founded by the citizens of Pergamum. The community was built a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Philadelphia’s residents kept the barbarians out of the region and brought in Greek culture and language. They were used to being on guard against destructive forces that were pitted against it. They were on the defensive.

Jesus sheds light on their spiritual condition in verse 8, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” This church had many good deeds. They are commended for their efforts to obey (3:8) and encouraged to hold tightly to whatever strength they have. But they were on the defensive spiritually. They felt that doors were being shut on them. Persecution was closing doors to ministry and even closing the doors of salvation for many who were giving into the extreme pressure to disavow their faith. Christians today can understand a little of what they might have been experiencing.  Though we are not physically harmed, we sometimes feel the pressure of opposition from the world. There are oppressive philosophies, like humanism weighing heavy on our hearts. There is rejection. We are faced with disinterest from the populace. There is pressure to be quiet and lay down, crawl up in a ball and hide away, hoping to have a little peace. The devil would pummel you to your knees if he could. These may discourage us and make us think that there are no open doors.

But we don’t have to give into this. Jesus is on our side. Let’s read verse 7, “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”  Jesus has the key of David to open doors and keep them open. Jesus is the promised descent of David, who sits on the throne of David. The key of David represents Christ’s authority to open the door of invitation into his future kingdom. He opens the door to the kingdom of heaven to all who put their faith in him. He opens doors to a fruitful ministry for those who depend on him. Jesus opens doors that not even the Roman government can shut, nor any oppressive philosophy or cultural trend, nor even the devil, sin or death.  Jesus keeps the door open. Matthew 7:7-8 reads, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Let’s pray for many open doors this summer.

Jesus also promises to vilify his people. Look at verse 9, ^“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.”  Some people may think that we are foolish to take the way of the cross, the narrow way. Some people wonder why we make so much effort to reach out to so few people. They may think that we are crazy. But we are serving a great and glorious purpose.  We are serving a kind of monastic role. We are showing the world what it means for an entire family to serve as a house church. We are a living example. Where can you find kids who can practically run a church on their own? One day I believe that God will raise up 120 flock of God among us to serve Northern Illinois. There will be a time when it will be obvious to all that Jesus loves us dearly and is with us.

Jesus promises many things to the church of Philadelphia. Look at verses 10-13, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. ¹¹I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. ¹²Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. ¹³He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Jesus promises to keep us from “the hour of trial” Whether this means the hour of tribulation, or from some upcoming sufferings, whatever the case, we must patiently wait on God, obeying him in faith no matter what we face. Jesus also promises to identify with his people who remain faithful. Since they have honored Him on earth He will acknowledge them in heaven (cf. 2:17; 14:1; 19:12). Writing one’s name on something indicated ownership. In the ancient world columns often bore the names of conquerors. In the Old Testament God commanded that Aaron write the name, “Holy To The Lord” on a plate of pure gold and then fasten it to the front of his turban so that it over his forehead. (cf. Exod. 28:36-38). Those that endure suffering patiently and faithfully will be recognized as conquerors who share in Christ’s victory, God’s holy priests and faithful to the Lord. The New Jerusalem is the future dwelling of the people of God. (21:2) We will have a new citizenship in God’s future kingdom.

Part lll: I Stand At The Door And Knock (14-22)

Now, concerning the Church of Laodicea. To understand the church, we must understand the city. Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities known for its banking industry, manufacture of wool, and a medical school that produced eye salve. They were rich and self sufficient.But the city had always had a problem with its water supply. At one time an aqueduct was built to bring water from to the city from hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot not refreshingly cool-only lukewarm.

Jesus had some words to say to the Christians living in this city.  Look at verses 14-17, “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. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” First, they had lukewarm deeds. They carried on ministry, holding Sunday worship service; they had outreach and soup kitchens; they took care of the poor and needy. Jesus acknowledges their deeds, but there was something wrong with their hearts. They hearts were lukewarm in their love and devotion to Christ.  Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink, fit to be spit out. Because of their halfhearted devotion, the church had become distasteful and disgusting and repugnant. Luke warm believers are believers who don’t take a stand for anything. They are indifferent that led to idleness. They were on the road to destruction. As God’s people we must never settle for following God halfway. Our lives of faith must be undergirded by a passionate love for God. Deuteronomy 6:5, “⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Second, they were self sustained. Look at verse 17 again, “¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  Some believers falsely assumed that numerous material possessions were a sign of God’s spiritual blessing. But their material abundance made them feel self-confident, self-satisfied and complacent. They forfeited a vital relationship with Christ for God’s blessing.

Third, they were blind to their spiritual condition. Look at verse 17 again. Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm, self sufficient Christianity. Such Christianity leaves us wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. We can be blind to our present spiritual condition. We can be blind when we compare ourselves with others and never see ourselves before the word of God. We must look at the objective truth of the word of God. We need to look Jesus. Then we can see ourselves and our present condition and respond accordingly, with repentance and be restored by the grace of God. How?  Look at verses 18-19, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” We need the pure spiritual riches which only Jesus can give, a right relationship with God and an everlasting future in Christ’s kingdom.  He told them to get medicine from him to heal their eyes so they could see the truth (John 9:39). Christ also told them to purchase white clothes from him which is his righteousness and not our own threadbare self righteousness.

Jesus also gives a very gracious invitation in verses 20-22. “²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The Laodicean church didn’t have Christ’s presence among them. Christ knocked at the door of their hearts, but they were so busy enjoying worldly pleasures that they didn’t notice that he was trying to enter. The pleasures of the world – money, security, material possessions – made them indifferent to God’s offer of everlasting satisfaction. Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts. He wants to have eat with us. Eating together is actually having close, personal fellowship. It is deliberately spending time with someone else…face to face. Jesus really wants us to open up to him. He is patient and persistent in trying to get through to us. But we must close the door to the world if we are to open the door to Jesus. When we open the door, Jesus comes in and fills our lives with his love and his riches. Leave the door of your heart constantly open to God.

In this passage we discovered Jesus’ messages to the Christians in the last three cities. To those in Sardis (3:1-6) we discover that some had not soiled their garments. Many were dead, had incomplete deeds, and were sleep. But Jesus told them to wake up, strengthen what remains, remember what they heard, obey it, and repent. Then they would be clothed in white garments, their names retained in the book of life, and their names confessed before the Father and His angels. The Christians in Philadelphia (3:7-13) had deeds but little power. They had kept Jesus’ word, and not denied His name, and had persevered; holding fast what they had, even in the midst of extreme opposition. But because of their faith, they were made a pillar in God’s temple. They would have the names of God, His city (the New Jerusalem), written on them.  The Laodiceans were lukewarm, self-sufficient, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  But when they bought from Christ refined gold, white garments, and eye salve and open the door of their hearts to Jesus, they will have a close personal love relationship with Jesus and sit down on Christ’s throne with Him. Through this passage may we wake up and walk with Jesus and overcome the world. May we learn to never despair over closed doors but have faith to go through the doors Jesus opens. May we hold fast to what I have, even strengthening what we have until Jesus comes again.  Invite Jesus in so that you can live with him forever.

Part l:  Strengthen What Remains (1-6)

1. What is the spiritual condition of Sardis church? (1, Mk 11:13) How does it acquire a reputation of being alive, but spiritually dead? (1) Why has it so happened? (2, 3)

1. How does Jesus warn them? (3b)  How can they come to life? (2,3,1) How does Jesus acknowledge those who obey his word and live in righteousness? (4,5)

Part ll:  Jesus Will Write On Us His New Name (7-13)

1. What is the characteristic of Philadelphia church? (8b,10a)  How does the Lord encourage them to keep the faith? (7, 8b, 9, 10b, 11)

1. What rewards does Jesus promise to those who overcome? (11,12)  What does it mean by the promise of an “open door?”  What does it mean that the “names” of God will be written on them? (21:12,14) How does this assure that they belong to the Lord? (12, Revelation 14:1)

Part lll: I Stand At The Door And Knock (14-22)

1. 5.          What is the problem of the rich Laodicea church? (15) What is their spiritual condition? (17)  How has it become lukewarm – neither cold nor hot? (15,16)

1. 6.          What is Jesus’ warning and how does he counsel them? (16,18, 19) How can they become spiritually fervent? (18)

7.     Read vs. 20-22. How does Jesus plead with such a lukewarm church? (20)

What privilege does Jesus promises? Think about how they can be truly rich.

In summary, compare the spiritual conditions of each church and share the modern equivalents.