1. Know Who Jesus Is (verse 14).
2. See Who You Are (verses 15-17).
3. Buy What You Need (verses 18-19).
4. Open When He Calls (verses 20-22).

America is the richest nation in the world. I trust that you know that. But do you know how rich our nation is? Here are some stats for you.^[1] The ultra-rich in the world are Americans. Of the 2,668 billionaires in the world, 27.5% of them are Americans. The collective worth of American billionaires (4.7 trillion) makes up 37% of the total worth of the world’s billionaires. The same is true of millionaires. There are some 56 million people in the world whose assets exceed a million dollars. That’s 1% of the world’s population. 39% of the millionaires are Americans. Of all the wealth in all the world, 31% of it is held by Americans. That’s despite the fact that America is only 4% of the world’s population.

What about the average American? Let’s just take the average income in America. The median household income of America is $71,000/year. That means that half of Americans bring in less than $71,000 each year. half of Americans bring in more than $71,000 each year. In comparison, the global median household income is on the order of $9,000 each year. That means that if you take home more than $9,000 each year, you earn more than half of the world. And if your median household income is $71,000, your household income is 8 times greater than the global median. Your household income is greater than 92% of the world’s population. If you are living by yourself, and have only yourself to support, and if you are working full--time and making $15/hour, your personal income is 10 times greater than the global median. Your personal income is greater than 95% of the world’s population.^[2]

We live in a wealthy nation! And with such wealth comes temptation, to trust in your riches. "If riches increase, set not your heart on them" (Psalm 62:10). The temptation for the wealthy is to trust in their wealth, and not in God. This is why Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty with a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23). The reason is simple: a rich person has everything that he (or she) needs in this life. There is no reason to look beyond this life to the next life for hope! And if anything summarizes the anemic state of genuine faith in America, it is this: America is rich. And thus, Americans don’t think that they need God. Because their life is pretty good in the here and now. Why do Americans need God?

How ironic, that God has obviously blessed America. But we, as a nation, no longer “need” God. But we have neglected him in all of our blessings. We have removed prayer from schools, We have taken down the ten commandments from courtrooms. We have legalized abortion. We have forsaken marriage. We have promote immorality.

God warned Israel of this happening. Before they took the promised land, the LORD told them this:

Deuteronomy 8:7-20
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

This is exactly the case of the church in Laodicea, which we will look at this morning. The church was wealthy and had experienced the blessing of God. Yet, with all of their earthly blessings, they had no need of the Lord. We read about this church in Revelation, chapter 3. Now would be a good time to turn there in your Bibles.

For the past two months, we have been looking at the letters written to the churches of the Revelation. These are real letters written to real churches that existed in the days of the New Testament. We have studied through the first six of these letters. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia. And today, we come to the church in Laodicea. The church in Laodicea was a wealthy church. It was in a city that sat at the crossroads of several trading routes, which helped their economy to flourish! But sadly, in their flourishing, the church had lost its way. They had become proud and arrogant.

The city of Laodicea had so many resources, that when their city was destroyed by an earthquake, in A. D. 60, they refused the financial help the Roman Empire to rebuild their city. Instead, they rebuilt it using their own resources at their own expense. Such were the Laodiceans, They were self-sufficient people! industrious! wealthy! independent! And this attitude had snuck into the church! Sounds just like America. We are industrious, wealthy, and independent! Such attitudes find their way into churches. So, the message to the church in Laodicea couldn’t be more timely for us, as a church in the United States.

And here’s the question that we must ask ourselves. Do we need Jesus? As a church, do we need Jesus? We need to ask ourselves this same question. “Do I need Jesus?” “Do I live in such a way that I am dependent upon him every hour of every day?” I want you to ask this question of yourself this morning: Do you need Jesus? That is the title of my message this morning. It comes from my text: Revelation 3:14-22.

It seems like such a silly question, especially for those of us who are church this morning, coming to worship Jesus. “Of course we need Jesus!” Though you might say this with your mouth, it may be this morning, that you really don’t think that you need Jesus. You have everything that you need. You have a nice house, a nice job, a nice family. You have Netflix and your hobbies. You really don’t need Jesus. That’s what the church in Laodicea thought.

So let’s read about this church that thought that they didn’t need Jesus. Jesus dictates the following to John:

Revelation 3:14-22
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."

Here’s my first point. It comes from verse 14.

1. Know Who Jesus Is (verse 14).

Like in every letter, Jesus begins by describing himself. He says (in verse 14), “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." Jesus begins by speaking about his words. He speaks about how trustworthy they are. He says, “These are the words of the Amen.” Amen is what we say when we confirm the truthfulness of what has been said. The preachers says something profound, and people in the congregation say, “Amen.”

“Jesus is the light of the world!” <Amen>
“You must be born again!” <Amen>
“Jesus came to seek and to save the lost!” <Amen>

What are you saying? “So be it!” Amen are the words sung at the end of many hymns. It’s as if we finish the hymns by confirming that all we sang was true! Jesus often used this word when wanting to emphasize some truth. It’s often translated, “Truly, truly.” Literally, it’s Amen, Amen. To Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In the gospel of John, there are many occurrences of this phrase:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24).
"Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death" (John 8:51).
"Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7).
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24).

That’s it! The words of Jesus are true! He is the Amen. He is the faithful and true witness. So, why does Jesus begin his letter to Laodicea in this way? Because, Jesus will say some hard things to Laodicea. And he wants to establish his trustworthiness first. As Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend." The words of Jesus will wound Laodicea. But his words are true. and they come from love. Look at verse 19:

Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.

This is what Jesus does in this letter. He reproves those in Laodicea, by pointing out what is true! He disciplines them, by telling them the error of their ways. And this morning, his words may come hard upon you. Know that they come from the faithful and true one, who loves you want wants you to trust in him!

Finally, Jesus identifies himself in verse 14 by saying that he is “the beginning of God’s creation.” Some will take this to mean that Jesus was the first thing created. like he was the “first” of creation. That’s not what Jesus means. He means that he is the beginning like God is the beginning. In Revelation 22:13, Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (See also Revelation 21:6). He is the source of everything! All things end with him.

That’s why the NIV translates verse 14 with these words, “The ruler of God’s creation.” He’s the one who speaks these words to Laodicea. You need to "Know Who Jesus Is (verse 14)." Second, You need to:

2. See Who You Are (verses 15-17).

In verses 15 and 16, Jesus describes those in Laodicea. He says,

Revelation 3:15-16
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.

Now, there are many who take these words, and think that Jesus is speaking about one’s spiritual fervor. As if Jesus here is telling those in Laodicea to be on fire for the Lord! Burn in your passion for him! Be emotionally stirred by him! Rather than being lukewarm. Certainly, this is true. God wants us to be on fire for him. God wants us to be passionate in our pursuit of him! He calls us to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And when it comes to Laodicea, the rich congregation, It is often those who are wealthy in this world, who are cold toward the Lord. Because, they are so easily distracted by their things, and by their leisure time, That they spend it in their pleasures, and not in seeking the Lord.

Certainly that is true of America. As I have gone to foreign lands, and ministered to pastors living in poverty, I have seen the zeal of the church. They aren’t distracted by their boats and their cabins and their expensive vacations. They are devoted to the Lord. As I was in the jail a few weekends ago, ministering to those who were incarcerated, I saw the zeal of the professing Christians. They aren’t distracted by the worries of this world. They have an abundance of time, which is given to God and his word and prayer.

Easily the question comes to us all, “Are we lukewarm?” “Has the wealth of our society turned our hearts away from the Lord?” One of the difficulties with this interpretation from these words is what Jesus says, “Would that you were either cold or hot!” (verse 15). In other words, Jesus prefers that you be cold in your faith, rather than lukewarm. And in verse 16, Jesus says, “It’s your lukewarmness that I hate. I can handle hot. I can handle cold. I hate how you are lukewarm. I hate is so much that I will spit it out of my mouth.”

How can this be? that Jesus prefers us to be cold, rather than “lukewarm.” One commentator said this: “It is inconceivable that Christ would wish that people were spiritually cold, or unsaved and hostile to him.”^[3]

It may be that Jesus understands hot and cold drinks. Hot drinks are good. Coffee, tea, hot cider. Nothing is better than coming in from outside on a cold day and having a nice hot chocolate drink by the fire. Cold drinks are good. Lemonade from the fridge, soda with ice. Nothing is better after a time of hard exercise, than having a nice swig of ice-cold water to cool you off. But Lukewarm drinks are awful! Not room temperature, but just a bit warmer than that, so that when it lands on your tongue, you barely know that it’s in your mouth, so that you spit it out.

It may also be that Jesus is referring to the local geography around Laodicea. Nearby Laodicea, there were two cities. Hieropolis and Colossae. Hieropolis was seven miles to the north of Laodicea. It was famous for its hot springs. That natural, mineral water that bubbles up out of the land and gives medicinal value in warming your body when you take a bath. Colossae was ten miles to the southeast of Laodicea. This city had fresh, cold spring water, that was tasty and refreshing. Perhaps Jesus was referring to these cities, “I would rather that you have hot water that is useful, like the hot springs in Hieropolis.” “I would rather that you have cold water that is useful, like the cool, mountain springs of Colossae.” “Instead, your water is lukewarm and rancid and repulsive. and I hate it. In fact, it makes me vomit.”

That’s literally the word that is used here in verse 16, “I will spit you out of my mouth.” Jesus says, “I will vomit you up!” It’s totally right for you to picture Jesus, over the toilet, wretching at the repulsiveness of those in Laodicea, vomiting at the nauseating attitude of the rich church in America. If there is any word that I think helps describe the lukewarm water of Laodicea, I think it’s the word, “Useless.”

Too often, those who are rich in this world, are useless toward God. Oh, they may fund churches and missions and buildings and schools, and for that, we are thankful for the many who have given out of their wealth to further the kingdom of God. But when it comes to their own lives, they are often useless. Paul told Timothy "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
 
What about you? Are you useful for the kingdom? Or are you like a cup of lukewarm water, that Jesus will spit out of his mouth? Can you "See Who You Are?"

Jesus continues the diagnosis of those in Laodicea in verse 17,

Revelation 3:17
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

It is here that the wealth of the church in Laodicea comes to the forefront. Those in Laodicea say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” In a very real way, this is true. Their businesses are going well. They have prospered in their way. Their trade status has made them wealthy. They spend their time in leisure. They are satisfied. They say, “I need nothing.”

To them, Jesus is like dessert at the restaurant after a filling meal. You are served your steak and potatoes, and you have barely finished your meal. And then the waitress comes, “Any room for dessert?” And the thought is almost repulsive to you. “No thanks. I’m so full, that I can’t fit any more.” This is those in Laodicea. “I’m so full with everything else in the world. I don’t need anything.” Jesus says that you don’t understand your true condition. “You may be rich in the worldly sense, But before me, you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked" (verse 17).

Jesus describes the church with five unflattering words. These aren’t the words that those in Laodicea would use to describe themselves. If you would have asked them, “Give me five words that describe yourself.” I doubt that any of these would have been on their lips. They would have used words like, independent, hard-working, industrious, self-sufficient. I doubt they would have called themselves, “wretched.” They were beautiful people, not ugly and tormented. I doubt they would have called themselves, “pitiable.” They were envied for their wealth, not miserable like the dirty homeless man. I doubt they would have called themselves, “poor.” They simply needed a look at their bank account to confirm that they were wealthy. I doubt they would have called themselves, “blind.” They saw the world in full color in all its glory with all that it had to offer. I doubt they would have called themselves, “naked.” They weren’t exposed and without. They had everything.

The problem with those in Laodicea is that they didn’t see who they really were. They were blind to the real state of their souls. They were “clueless.” What about you? Do you 2. See Who You Are (verses 15-17). Or have the riches of America blinded your eyes to the reality of your own soul. It is so important that you see who you are before the Lord.

Next week, when we get to chapter 4, we will see the vision of the God who is “Holy, holy, holy.” And when Isaiah saw such a vision, The Bible says of him that he was “undone” (Isaiah 6:5). He was “ruined” and “lost.” Apart from the cleansing touch of Jesus, this is who we are! We are “wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked.” We need Jesus! This is what we find next in verses 18 and 19. Where Jesus says,

3. Buy What You Need (verses 18-19).

Look there at verse 18:

Revelation 3:18
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.

In verse 18, Jesus speaks the language of those in Laodicea. They knew what it was to buy and sell. They had grown wealthy through their trade. And Jesus says, “Here are some things that you haven’t bought, that you need to buy.”

1. Buy gold!

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich." Isn’t it interesting here that Jesus considers those in Laodicea to be poor. That’s opposite to the church in Smyrna. "I know your poverty, but you are rich. But to those in Laodicea, Jesus says, “I know your riches (but you are poor). And you need to buy from me the gold that I will give, which will make you rich indeed" (Revelation 2:9). Obviously, this is metaphorical. Jesus isn’t telling them to purchase gold bars from Jesus. But Jesus is saying, “Purchase from me the heavenly wealth, which will never perish.”

Do you remember the parable that Jesus told of the man who was so wealthy that he had nowhere to store his crops? (Luke 12:17). So, he tore down his barns to build bigger barns, so that he could store up for himself ample goods so that for many years he might relax, eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12:19). Jesus called him a fool (verse 20). Because he would die that very night (verse 20). Jesus concludes the parable, "So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:20).
 
This is exactly who those in Laodicea were. They had laid up treasure for themselves, but they were not rich toward God. And Jesus here commands them to purchase the gold that will lead them to true riches (see Luke 16:11). The good news is that this gold doesn’t cost anything. As Isaiah said “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David" (Isaiah 55:1-3).

We can buy the true, pure gold from Jesus without cost! Second, Jesus tells those in Laodicea to:

2. Buy White garments.

The meaning of these garments are clear when you see the purpose of them. "I counsel you to buy from me white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen" (Revelation 3:18). The clothes that Jesus is talking about here are not the garments you get from Kohls or Old Navy or Men’s Warehouse. They will never be able to cover your shame. Only the righteousness of Jesus will be able to cover the shame of your sin. This clothing here is a picture of the gospel! When we trust in Jesus, we are given a garment of his righteousness that covers us and our sin and our shame. And we stand before the Lord, pure and beautiful! Not because of who we are, but because of the garments that we receive.

John Bunyan pictured this beautifully in his Pilgrim’s Progress. "Where once Christian was clothed in rags, when he looked to the cross, he was given new and clean clothes!" This is also illustrated in Zechariah, chapter 3, when Joshua that high priest stands before the Lord. He was wearing “filthy garments” (Zechariah 3:3). And the angel said, “Remove the filthy garments from him." He said, “I have taken you iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments” (Zechariah 3:4).

This is the picture of the gospel! The Lord takes away our filthy garments, and replaces them with pure vestments, worthy for a priest to wear, that we might stand before the presence of the Lord, pure and holy. Third, Jesus tells those in Laodicea to:

3 Buy Eye Salve.

"I counsel you to buy from me salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see" (Revelation 3:18). When Jesus mentioned this, it would have been a slap in the face of those in Laodicea. Because, they had medical center in Laodicea that was famous for their eye salve. Somehow, they had figured out how to create a fluid with the right pH levels so that it doesn’t sting your eye when place in the eye. It was like our saline solution, or like our eye drops. People would come far and wide for this eye salve.

But Jesus says, “You need to buy your salve from me.” Again, Jesus isn’t speaking physically. He is speaking metaphorically. He is speaking about the salve that will open the eyes of the heart. He said (in verse 17) that they were “blind.” They were blind to the spiritual realities of Christ and his saving work. So focused were they upon their riches, that they had been blinded by their stuff. This is why my second point in my message was this: “See Who You Are” (verses 15-17). The problem with many who are rich in the church is their blindness. We need to see Jesus clearly!

I want for you to picture Jesus, or the cross. Now, I want for you to picture all of your stuff that you own, and place it before your picture of Jesus. You may have so much stuff that you have to pile it high, and it begins to obscure the picture of Jesus or the cross. And soon, the picture of Jesus may be totally obscured by the stuff that is stacked up in front of it. But this eye-salve that Jesus has can help to make those things transparent, so that you can see through them to the realities of Jesus. This is what those in Laodicea needed! They needed this eye-salve to see Jesus, and his work on the cross to forgive our sins through faith in him.

Verse 19, then falls right in line. Jesus says,

Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

If the world and your riches has become dominant in your life, I would call you to repent! Turn from them! In the parable of the sower and the seed, the seed that falls on the thorns, grows up, but then is choked out, by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness or riches, and whatever growth the seed had, it “proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). If the riches of the world are a snare to you, seek the Lord! Be zealous for him and repent. OK, let’s look at our final point.

4. Open When He Calls (verses 20-22).

Here is the good news of Jesus. He is patient and he is always calling. He is always knocking.

Revelation 3:20
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.

The picture here is of Jesus. He's knocking. He knocks at every heart. And he says if you can hear him, to merely open the door, and he can come in, eat with you, and you with him. This is often used as an evangelistic call, to those who don't know Christ. Jesus is knocking at the door to come in, and open the door to him. And that certainly is true. But this is a call to a church, that once had Jesus in their house. But now, Jesus has been shut out. He has been marginalized. But he is willing to come back in. What if the holy spirit did leave the church? Would the church even notice the lack of the presence of the spirit? Are we just so used to doing things on our own that the spirit could leave and we could carry on? How much of our ministry could be carried on without the spirits help? How much of our ministry is really dependent on the spirit to move?

That's the call of Laodicea, is to say let's have Jesus do his work at building his church. Let's invite him in and have him being doing work in our church. There's the idea there of deep fellowship. That Jesus will commune with us in a deep way. What a great opportunity, and all it takes is us opening the door, keeping it open, and continuing to depend in his spirit.

Then we get to some wild verses.

Revelation 3:21-22
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.’”

This is crazy stuff. Jesus has been magnified and glorified in heaven, seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high (Psalm 110). And what are we promised? For us, the promise is we get to sit on the throne with the Father and the Son. We are so one with Jesus, that when he appears, we will see him and we will be like him because we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2). That's the picture we are to think of. In glory, there's some power that will be bestowed on us that we will be with Jesus. Romans 8 talks about how what Jesus inherits, the kingdom, is what we inherit too as a brother.

We'll see more about that in a couple weeks in chapter 5. Verse 9 talks about Jesus making his people a kingdom and priest to our God. This aspect that believers in Jesus will be given authority to rule and to reign with the Father. Not because we're wealthy on the earth, but because we've been rich toward God. Cause we as America have used our wealth for his kingdom and we have given ourselves to Christ and his word and gospel, and we can sit and rule in reign with him in eternity. How that all works out, I don't know. And we'll see a lot of this in Revelation. The "I don't know what that means." But let's embrace the mystery.

So, what's better, reigning with God, or your vacation? Reigning for God or some adventure in Europe? God has given us creation to be good and be enjoyed. You don't have to give it all away. But are you rich towards God with the things that you have? Is he where your priority is? Are you useful for his Kingdom?

We close in verse 22.

Revelation 3:22
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

This has been the wrap up of every letter. Think about the message of Ephesus- Tell Ephesus "you've lost your first love." Have we at Rock Valley Bible Church so theologically discerning that we've lost our love for Christ, others, and the world? Tell Smyrna "be faithful unto death." Have we become so protective of our lives? Are we willing to lay our lives down for Christ and that crown of righteousness? Tell Pergamum "to forsake Balaam and the Nicolaitans". Tell Thyatira "forsake the immorality of Jezebel." Have we embraced false teachings? Are we letting false teaching and immorality into the church? Tell Sardis "you're dead." Are we dead, or are we living as a church? Are we growing in our bible reading, prayer, and relationship with Him? Or are we just going through the motions and dying on the vine? Tell Philadelphia "I will protect you." He says I will protect you through the trial and tribulation that's coming. He's not going to take you out of it, but protect you through it. And then there's the message to Laodicea, "you are lukewarm." You need Jesus.

These churches, though written two thousand years ago, are applicable to churches today. These are samples churches of what was taking places in the first century church. There were problems then, and there are problems in the American and worldwide church today. Just embrace it, Jesus is somehow doing his work through the church.

There are so many admonitions for us a church to look at. Where do we see ourselves here in Revelation 2 and 3? How do we need to repent, and conform, so that God looks upon us with a smile? For him to keep us and protect us, even if it means our death. Like it means here in Laodicea, and for us here in America, to deal with our riches in the right way.

I want to end with this. Psalm 67 is the missionary Psalm. "God be gracious to us and bless us and cause your face to shine upon us. That your ways may be known on the earth, your salvation to all the nations." So as God blesses us, he doesn't want us to use it on us. He wants to bless us so we can use it strategically for the salvation of the nations. "Let the peoples praise you O, God. Let all the peoples praise you." So we use what we have to stir and be empowered to enjoy the grace of God so we can extend his Glory. That's how it all fits together.

I'm excited to go to heaven next week, as we look at chapter 4.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on July 2, 2023 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] See https://www.sportofmoney.com/how-rich-are-americans-on-a-global-scale-very-rich/

[2] See https://howrichami.givingwhatwecan.org/how-rich-am-i and https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/median-daily-per-capita-expenditure-vs-gdp-per-capita?xScale=log

[3] Alan Johnson, The Expositors Bible Commentary: Volume 12 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 457.