3/04/07 – 9LAW “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 7”
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

Today’s subject – “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 7”

Before we begin today’s program, shall we reverently seek God’s presence. Heavenly Father, once again we ask for divine guidance through the agency of the Holy Spirit, as we open the word and continue our study of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.  In Jesus name Amen.

I continue to keep my pledge to cry aloud and spare not, lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s Law.

We concluded our study last week of the sixth of the seven churches of Revelation as found in chapter 3. That was the church of Philadelphia and its parallel church period was from AD 1833 to 1844.

In our continuing study of the seven churches of Revelation we have discovered that there was a dual application, as the description, warnings rebukes and promises applied to the seven churches of that first century, but also describes the Christian church in seven periods of its history to our present day.

Today we will continue with the seventh church, starting in Revelation chapter 3, verse 14. It would really help your understanding if you follow along with me as we study verse by verse. Verse 14 reads, “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ” 

The period of history covered by the church of Laodicea was from AD 1844 to the end of time. The meaning of the name Laodicea is “judging the people” or “the people adjudged.” The message to the Laodicean church reveals the spiritual condition of God’s people in the last days. It applies to all who have had great light and many opportunities, and yet have not appreciated them.
“These things saith the Amen, …” This title coupled with the faithful and true witness identifies it as a title of Christ, who is the author of the epistles to the seven churches. In the present passage, this title may be understood as a declaration that Christ is truth. Accordingly His message to the Laodicean church is to be accepted without question.

	“…the beginning of the creation of God; ” The Greek word for beginning is arche. It is taken actively and refers to that which initiates and action. So understood here, it indicates Christ to be the Creator.
	
	Verses 15 & 16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” The tepid spiritual condition of the Laodicean church was more dangerous than if the church had been “cold.” “Lukewarm” Christianity preserves enough of the form, and even of the content of the gospel, to dull the perceptive powers of the spirit and renders the person oblivious to the earnest effort necessary to the attainment of the high ideal of a victorious life in Christ. The typical Laodicean Christian is content with things as they are and proud of the little progress he/she has made. It is impossible to convince that person of their great need and of how far they are from the goal of perfection.

	A lukewarm spiritual state results in decreased alertness, a slow response, and indecisive action, and such is the condition of the Christian church today. If the Laodicean church were cold, the Spirit of God might the more readily convince it of its dangerous condition. It would be more pleasing to the Lord if lukewarm professors of religion had never named His name. They are a continual weight to those who would be faithful followers of Jesus, and they are a stumbling block to unbelievers. 
	Jesus said, “… I will spue thee out of my mouth.” The figure of lukewarm water is pressed to its logical conclusion. Such water is disappointing and nauseating, and the one who drinks it almost involuntarily expels it.
	 
Verses 17, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” This is how the Christian church sees its spiritual condition today, “… I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; …” The church today has suffered no serious persecution. Pride in its prosperity has led to its complacency. Of itself, wealth is not wrong, however, the possession of wealth subjects its possessor to temptations to pride and self-complacency, and against these his only protection is spiritual humility.
The possession of important truths held only on the level of intellectual acceptance but not allowed to permeate the soul, leads to spiritual pride and religious bigotry.
Not only does the Laodicean church claim to be rich, but she also makes the fatal mistake of considering that these riches are the result of her own labor. The climax of the Laodicean boast is that their situation could not be improved. Such self satisfaction is fatal, for the Spirit of God never enters where a need for His presence is not felt, yet without that presence newness of life is impossible.
“… and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: …” 
He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is well nigh hopeless. Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked is the true spiritual condition of the church as Jesus sees it, which is exactly opposite of the boast made by the Laodicean church.
	Instead of being rich to the point of needing nothing, this church is, in reality, so much a pauper that she even lacks her spiritual clothing.

The counsel of Jesus is in verse 18, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Jesus says, “…buy of me…” Isaiah 55:1 says “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” “… buy, and eat …” is to read and understand, “… wine and milk …” is the doctrine of present truth. “… without money and without price,” is the Holy Spirit. So in verse 18 Jesus counsels us to buy without money “gold” to alleviate our spiritual poverty. That gold is “faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6.  He says “gold tried in the fire.” This refers to faith that has been tried by the fires of affliction. The dross is removed. And white raiment is offered in place of Laodiceans’ nakedness. The white raiment may be understood to be the righteousness of Christ. 
“… and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” The figurative eyesalve offered the Laodiceans is heaven’s antidote for their spiritual blindness. It’s purpose is to open their eyes to their own true condition. This is the work of the Holy Spirit and only through His convicting work on the heart can spiritual blindness be removed. This eyesalve may also be thought of as that spiritual grace which enables the Christian to distinguish between truth and error, and between right and wrong. “… mayest see.” That is to see sin as God sees it and realize their own real condition – as a prerequisite to repentance.

Verse 19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”  This reassurance of Christ’s love shows that the Laodiceans are not without hope. His love for them is expressed by chastisement, through which He hopes to bring them to repentance.
	“… I rebuke and chasten …” The aim of all true remedial discipline is to bring conviction to the erring one and to encourage to a new course of action. Chastening comes to the Christian when Christ’s rebuke is disregarded. Although the Laodicean church had not yet endured persecution as her sister churches had, Christ warns the church that it cannot continue in its half-hearted way without encountering remedial discipline.
	“… be zealous therefore …” The Laodiceans are called upon to experience the warmth and enthusiasm that comes with true repentance, consecration, and devotion to Christ. “… and repent …” The verb is in the singular, stressing the personal, individual nature of this admonition.

Verse 20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
	We must have the buyers and the sellers cleared out of the soul temple, that Jesus may take up His abode within us. Now He stands at the door of the heart as a heavenly merchantman; He says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." "Open unto me; buy of me the heavenly wares; buy of me the gold tried in the fire." Buy faith and love, the precious, beautiful attributes of our Redeemer, which will enable us to find our way into the hearts of those who do not know Him, who are cold and alienated from Him through unbelief and sin. He invites us to buy the white raiment, which is His glorious righteousness; and the eyesalve, that we may discern spiritual things. Oh, shall we not open the heart's door to this heavenly visitor?

Verses 21 and 22 conclude with “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
	It is true that none of the other 6 churches are administered so sharp a rebuke as the church of Laodicea, but it is also true that no other is offered more tender evidence of Christ’s love, closer fellowship with Him, or a more glorious reward. Obviously there are overcomers in Laodicea, as there are in the preceding periods of church history, and it is to these overcomers in Laodicea that the promise is given to sit with Christ in His throne.  

Time is up for this week’s study, so be tuned in next week as we will speak on the subject of  “Can A Saved Man Choose to be Lost? Part 1”	

	If you want some more information or even Bible studies, contact me by writing to: Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. Once again that’s Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. 
 
	And remember, you are always welcome to worship with us each seventh day Lord’s Day (that’s Saturday mornings) at the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 117 W. Danville Street in the center of South Hill, VA. 

	Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.