From Him Who is the Amen

Revelation 3:14-22
June 21, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

So here we are at the last of Jesus’ letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. And what a journey it has been. We learned about the lost love of the church in Ephesus and the the tribulation and suffering of the church in Smyrna. We came to know the false teaching of Balaam in the church of Pergamum and the foolish tolerance of Jezebel in the church of Thyatira. We were made aware of the sleepy Christlessness of the church in Sardis. We took to heart the powerlessness of the church in Philadelphia. And today we consider what happened in the church at Laodicea.

This seven church journey is absolutely priceless. Because in this journey, our Lord Jesus gives us an inside look into the real struggles and challenges that any church can face. There is real sense in which our church could be any one of these seven churches at any given time. This is the blessed gift of Revelation 2-3. The stories of these seven churches is our story as well.

But perhaps the most valuable treasure that we can receive from our time here in Revelation 2-3 is this. We see more clearly our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus walks among the golden lampstands. He died and came to life. Jesus has the sharp two-edged sword. He has eyes like fire and feet like bronze. Jesus has the seven spirits and the seven stars. He has the key of David. Jesus is the Amen. We see more clearly our Lord Jesus Christ. And like the Apostle John, we fall at his feet as though dead.

But just as Jesus laid his right hand on John, we are deeply touched to see how much Jesus cares for and how much Jesus loves his church. Some of the strongest and toughest words in all of Scripture are found here in these seven letters. Jesus calls his church to repent of sins. Jesus disciplines his church to grow and change. This is his strong care. This is his tough love. But there is always hope for each and every church. No matter how each church is doing, Jesus speaks to them. He invites them. He encourages them. Jesus cares for them and loves them. This is the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And praise the Lord that he loved the church in Laodicea.

Laodicea had a very sad and serious problem. And many pastors and scholars actually believe that out of all the seven churches here in Revelation, Laodicea was the worst. While Jesus had at least one good thing to say about the other six churches, he had nothing good to say about Laodicea. And out of all the seven churches, Laodicea was the only one that made Jesus want to vomit. “I will spit you out of my mouth.”

So what was Laodicea’s problem? Their problem was this. They were complacent in their reliance on the Lord.

Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that they were neither hot nor cold. Instead, they were lukewarm. Let’s consider coffee for a moment. Many people are into coffee and there are so many different kinds of choices out there. But when it comes to coffee temperature, there are basically only two choices: hot or cold. While you’re out studying on a winter day, it’s nice to have a toasty-hot cup of coffee. And while you’re out shopping on a summer day, it’s nice to have an ice-cold cup of coffee. But lukewarm coffee is far from nice. I don’t hear many people at Starbucks ordering lukewarm vanilla lattes or lukewarm caramel macchiatos.

The church of Laodicea was spiritually lukewarm. They were spiritually complacent in their life with Christ. They were neither hot nor cold in their approach toward him. There was an indifference and an apathy toward Jesus. And so, they were, as one preacher puts it, a spiritually stale, stagnant, and smelly church. Neither hot nor cold. Just lukewarm.

But what exactly was Laodicea lukewarm about? The answer can be found in verse 17. Laodicea thought that they were rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing. Now it’s possible and probably likely that what is in view here is monetary wealth. Laodicea was a financially affluent city overall. So much so that when their city was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD, they declined assistance from the capital city of Rome to rebuild everything. But what is more likely is view here is self wealth rather than monetary wealth. It’s the idea that the church of Laodicea was spiritually self-sufficient and spiritually self-reliant. They did not need Jesus. They did not ask his help. This was the lukewarmness of Laodicea. This was their problem. They were complacent in their reliance on the Lord.

The truth was that Laodicea was the exact opposite of rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing. They were actually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked - and they didn’t even know it. Self-reliance often comes with self-deception and self-delusion. 

Dear Highland, this is a very sad and serious problem that cannot happen in any church. And it cannot happen in our church. The church is the body of Christ. And Christ is the head of the church. We need him. We depend on him. It is in this sense that we must be wholeheartedly hot as we trust in Jesus and hold fast to him. It is in this sense that we must be refreshingly cold in our eagerness and in our commitment to stay with Jesus and abide or remain in him. It is a loathsome sight when a church is indifferent and apathetic toward Jesus. It is a nauseating sight when a church is complacent in their reliance on the Lord. A church that forgets to ask for help from God? What a sad and serious sight. And even worse, what a sad and serious sight it would be if Jesus wanted to spit us out of his mouth.

Laodicea’s problem was very sad and serious. But Jesus loved them.

Jesus counseled the church of Laodicea and invited them to buy his goods. He said: I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and salve to anoint your eyes. Jesus was obviously not being literal here. What he was saying though was this. He did not want Laodicea to window shop him. He did not want them to leisurely browse through the spiritual blessings of his salvation and approach him with zero intention of really seeking him and depending on him. He wanted them to come to him and do some real spiritual business. Buy from me. And so again, he wanted them to come to him toasty-hot. He wanted them to come to him ice-cold. He wanted them to come to him with hungry and humble and hearty reliance on him. Like how Zacchaeus climbed that sycamore tree. Like how the woman with the alabaster jar wept at Jesus feet. Like how a few good men made an opening in the roof of the place where Jesus was at so that they could get through the crowd and lower the paralytic to him. These were people who were desperate. These were people who believed that Jesus could solve their ultimate problems. These were people who knew that they were not spiritually rich or prosperous or in need of nothing. These were people who knew deep in the bottom of their hearts that apart from Jesus they were spiritually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. These were people who were hot, people who were cold. Jesus wanted Laodicea to come to him like this.

And the reason why is because he loved them. He has for them the refined gold of his heavenly inheritance of the new heavens and new earth so that they may be rich. He has the white garments of his perfect righteousness for them so that they may never be put to shame. He has the eye salve of his gospel word so that they may see the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ lovingly offered all of this to Laodicea. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ.

And praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ… because there is nothing lukewarm about who he is and what he does for his church.

Jesus’ suffering and Jesus’ death for us was wholeheartedly searing and hot. He wept. He was beaten and spat upon. In agony he prayed to the Father and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And on the cross, with nails in his hands and in his feet, our Lord Jesus Christ received the wrath of hell and the punishment for our sins as our atoning sacrifice, and he died to pay for us and buy us and redeem us. This business of his, this work - there is nothing lukewarm about it.

And if Jesus’ suffering and death for us was hot, then let us also say that Jesus’ obedience and Jesus’ righteousness for us was refreshingly crisp and cold. He was perfect. He never sinned. His heart and mind and soul and strength was all 100% pure. The lawgiver became the lawkeeper. The test maker became the test taker. Jesus fulfilled the law for us. And then he credited us with, he imputed us with, his perfect record of obedience. He covered us with his perfect righteousness. This business of his, this work - there is nothing lukewarm about it.

Dear Highland, are you wholeheartedly hot, are you refreshingly cold, before the Lord Jesus Christ? Or are you lukewarm? Dear brother, dear sister, Jesus says to you these words: Buy from me gold refined by fire, white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and salve to anoint your eyes. Dear saint and fellow pilgrim, are you aware that apart from Christ you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked? Jesus loves you. You need him. Your life right now depends on him. So draw near to Jesus with a hungry and a humble and a hearty reliance on him. His love for you, his salvation for you, is not lukewarm. May your love for him and your reliance on him not be lukewarm either. Instead, be zealous and repent. This is Jesus’ command for you today. Be zealous in your reliance on the Lord. And repent of your complacency. Be zealous in being hot or cold. And repent of how you have been spiritually stale, stagnant, and smelly. Be zealous in prayer. And repent of pride. Be zealous in putting Jesus first in your family and in your life. And repent if you can’t even remember the last time you genuinely and desperately asked God for help. Be zealous in doing business with Jesus. And repent for all the ways that you window shop him.

You can trust Jesus, Highland. And you should trust Jesus. Because he is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. Everything that he says is true. And because he is the first of the resurrection of the dead, the beginning of the new creation, you can count on him as you follow after him, united with him. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In closing, I invite you to listen to the wonderful promises of our Lord. Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. If you hear his voice and open the door, then he will come in and you and Jesus will have a meal together. What a promise. There is nothing better than eating food with the Lord. It is a confirmation of family life and the covenant of grace. It is a place for memory and identity. It is a preview of a happy ending in the new heavens and the new earth. You do not have to eat alone. What a promise. And Jesus will grant you to sit with him on his throne, as he also conquered and sat down with the Father. What a promise. The war will soon be over. There will be rest. You will arrive at the very purpose for which you were created. You will be and you already are royalty. What a promise. Highland, believe these wonderful promises of the Lord. Believe because the time is near.

Highland, hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Hear the words of the one who is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. And remember that he who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” And so we say: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria