A Knocking at the Door

 

[Jesus said] “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. 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.” (Revelation 3:20-21 ESV).

 

We can’t leave this brief series without looking back a bit. Perhaps you remember I started it with the image of the journey toward the “chapel”. That was an intentional image to call to mind our walk with Jesus as believers. Theologically we could simply say that is our sanctification; or, simply reference the process of making each of us ready for our eternal home in heaven and ultimate glorification. Of course, our journey has a beginning as well. That is that moment we are born again. Our reading today calls that to mind as Jesus directs the Apostle John to write the last letter to the seven churches addressed to the Laodiceans. The picture of Jesus knocking at the door is perfect, especially when we remember that Jesus came to us with the invitation to be redeemed and take this marvelous journey.

 

We should remember that the Laodiceans were so bad off that Jesus threatened to spit them out of his mouth. But he comes in mercy and graciously knocks, wanting to provide forgiveness and to join with his followers in the banquet prepared for everyone in God’s eternal kingdom. This invitation has continued throughout history. Believers who respond are sinners saved by God’s amazing grace, restored and revived through Jesus. He is at the right hand of God the Father, who is, and was, and always will be. We can find comfort in this today and tomorrow and forever.

 

The reading emphasizes the personal nature of faith, highlighting that salvation is not merely a communal experience but a calling by God made to individuals to come be a part of His family. It speaks of a reciprocal relationship, where believers share in Christ's victory and reign, just as He shares in their lives and experiences. The promise of sitting on the throne with Christ is a powerful symbol of ultimate victory and eternal glory for believers. The scene is that of victory, salvation, and full life with the Lord of lords and King of kings. Could there ever be a more wonderful end to this journey of ours! Whatever the path looks like right now, trust that it will end with Jesus taking you into eternity as His chosen child, forever! If you are hearing Him knocking today, open the door!

 

The Letter to the Church in Laodicea

 

[Jesus said] “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. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 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. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:14-22 ESV).

 

Today we come to the last letter Jesus told the Apostle John to write to the seven churches. That church was in Laodicea. It is both striking and terrifying at the same time. He has nothing positive to say about this church. He does graciously warn them and call them to repentance, saying, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” As I look at the churches of our day, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that this letter is the most fitting for many of these. We dare not heed the words of Jesus here bot as individuals and churches.

 

Jesus names himself the “Amen,” which means, “So be it” or, in other words, “This is the truth.” Jesus is the true One, and what he says is trustworthy and true. When he speaks, so be it. He is “the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” Jesus rebukes the Laodicean church for its ineffective ministry. The cold mountain water of Colossae, just ten miles away, and the hot mineral water of Hierapolis, six miles away, both served people well. Cold water refreshes, and hot water heals. But Laodicea did not have a natural water source, so when either the cold or hot water made it to them, it was lukewarm and not beneficial.

 

Jesus uses this local situation to describe the ministry of the church. It neither refreshed nor healed; it was putrid. Jesus wished for this church to be either refreshing or therapeutic so that their ministry would be effective. These words were harsh but needed. The Spirit calls us to search our hearts too. Are we lukewarm… it is not to late to open the door to the full work of Chrit in our lives!

 

The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him ka pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:7-13 ESV).

 

One of our “must see” places when we visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is Cades Cove. Within the eleven-mile loop of the cove are several restored cabins and churches of the community that once thrived there. The picture I’ve attached is of the Primitive Baptist Church. You can enter the structure that still has the pews and pulpit of that long ago time when it was one of the active churches for the people of Cades Cove. I can easily imagine how central it was to the community of people living around it. I have pastored such a church also located in Tennessee. Santa Fe Baptist Church of Maury County, Tennessee, is still doing a great work in their community. They minister to one another with love and respect, affecting the entire community with a sense of the grace and love of God.

 

The church in Philadelphia in our reading today was also such a church. It is one of two churches that do not receive a complaint from Jesus (the other is Smyrna). What a compliment from “him who is holy and true”! Imagine what it was like for the church in Philadelphia to be greeted this way. The One who is holy and true is wholly set apart from all that is worldly. Everything that Jesus says and does is holy and true, both now and forevermore.

 

Jesus also says that he “holds the key of David” (cf. Isaiah 22:20-22). It is in the Isaiah passage that we find some background on this phrase. The one who holds this key can open and close the door of the house of David. Undoubtedly this refers to the kingdom that God promises to establish forever in Christ, a descendant of David (cf. 2 Samuel 7:11-16; Matthew 1:1; Revelation 22:16.) And when he opens or shuts the door, it is permanently open or shut. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple in Jerusalem “was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). God did that, opening the way into his presence through the death of Jesus for all who are redeemed by His work of grace. Jesus has opened the way to his kingdom.

 

Do you see it? This is indeed the chapel we are toddling along to enter when we arrive! I hope to see you walking along with us! Trust in Jesus!

 

The Letter to the Church in Sardis

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:1-6 ESV).

 

When I was in high school, one of the rainy-day games we played in lieu of outdoor football practice was called “last man standing.” The coach would put four wall mats together on the floor of the gym as everyone on the team gathered on hands and knees on them. The object of the “game” was to be the last person left on the mats. There were no rules, which led to a pretty rowdy exercise. Usually the winner consisted of one of the bigger guys, typically a guard or tackle. As the number dwindled left on the mat it became more strategic as teams formed to corner one person and force them off the mat. Of course, the “last man standing” needed be especially wary at the end avoiding a sneak attack from others.

 

The city of Sardis had a citadel on top of a mountain. The residents considered themselves safe from all enemies. But they became complacent and lazy about defense, and the city was captured. The church at Sardis had apparently followed a similar path. Prone to laziness in their spiritual life, the church was headed for destruction. Jesus knew their deeds and was not impressed. Though they had a reputation of being alive and healthy, the Lord of the church saw the truth and said, “You are dead.” Even so, Jesus graciously urged them to remember what they had received and heard. Calling them to repent, he gave them hope.

 

Sometimes in our walk to the chapel we can become complacent, especially when it seems as if everything is going well. We must take care to remember what we have received and heard. We must be intentional and alert to dangers both within and outside our immediate circumstance.  Our enemy never rests in his plotting against us!

 

The Letter to the Church in Thyatira

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:18-29 ESV).

 

To the church in Thyatira, Jesus reveals himself as “the Son of God.” This is the first time we find this name for Jesus in the book of Revelation. Jesus also connects this name to the one “whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (cf. Revelation 1:14-15).

 

In many cities like Thyatira in the Roman Empire, emperor worship and idol worship were impossible to miss. But if you worshiped the true Son of God, Jesus Christ, you could walk and move about with confidence amid the idol temples and altars. You could do that even if it meant you would be ostracized from the business world, rejected in your neighborhood, and perhaps beaten and put into jail or even put to death.

 

John had been an eyewitness at the transfiguration of Jesus, and he had heard the voice from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). John knew Jesus, and now Jesus presents himself as that same Son of God to the church in Thyatira. Jesus comes today and simply asks who He is to you? Is He merely a good teacher, a miracle worker from storybooks? Or do you know him as the only Son of God who came to this world to provide salvation and to rule as King over all earthly kings and rulers? Jesus is the living and reigning Son of God whose eyes penetrate to the heart and whose feet stomp out injustice. The call is clear… shall we join in the great chorus of all true believers to worship him, or will we be deceived by the Jezebel Spirit at work among us?

 

The Letter to the Church in Pergamum

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:12-17 ESV).

 

 

The city of Pergamum was the capital of the Roman province of Asia (present-day Turkey). The Roman ruler there held the power of the sword; at his decision someone could immediately be put to death. So, in that setting Jesus, “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (cf. Revelation 1:5), with “the sharp, double-edged sword” of his mouth (1:16; 2:12), claimed ultimate authority over eternal life and death. Jesus commends the church for “remaining true to [his] name” and staying in Pergamum. They took up permanent residence in this city filled with pagan temples and idol worship. They became rooted in the Pergamum community and built up the church in a most difficult location, where Satan lived and reigned.

 

Jesus had previously taught his followers to do this: “On this rock [the so-called ‘gates of Hades’ at Caesarea Philippi in northern Galilee] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (cf. Matthew 16:18). Similarly, Jesus is saying, “In Pergamum I will build my church, and the throne of Satan will not overcome it.” Satan will never overcome a faithful community of Jesus-followers. Trust the One who is Judge to keep his word on your behalf. Be humble, be obedient, be strong.

 

If ever there was a time when the church needed to hear a message from the Lord like this one, this is that time in America!

 

The Letter to the Church in Smyrna

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” (Revelation 2:8-11 ESV).

 

The next letter is to the Church in Smyrna. It is a message from Jesus to the church, praising their faithfulness despite suffering and poverty. Jesus acknowledges their tribulation and slander from those who falsely claim to be Jewish. He warns of impending persecution, including imprisonment, but encourages them to remain faithful "unto death," promising them a "crown of life" and freedom from the second death for those who overcome.

 

To the family of God, near and far, young and old, rich and poor, Jesus speaks as “the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.” Jesus presents himself to the church in Smyrna as divine and sovereign, being over all history—past, present, and future. As the First and the Last, he covers not only the ends of the spectrum but also everything in between.

 

Even death could not hold Jesus; he is alive! As we believe that Jesus suffered and died for us, we can find comfort in knowing that death will not hold us either. In Jesus, like Jesus, we will be raised to new life. In Jesus we have assurance that we will live forever with him. With this truth Jesus encouraged and strengthened our brothers and sisters in Smyrna. He went on to mention their afflictions and their poverty. He knew they were slandered by people who said they followed God but did not. Those people were agents of Satan, he said. Jesus called his true followers not to be afraid of any suffering or persecution they would face. “Be faithful, even to the point of death,” he said. He had already been there for them. The One who is First and Last would hold them through all that would come their way. This same Jesus will also be with us through the difficulties we face. Jesus is the One who gives life and victory, now and forever. That makes our walk to the chapel much easier to face!