Revelation 3 - Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock!

Click Here to Read or Listen to Revelation 3

Words in italics are quotes from David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary unless specificied cited to another author. 

As you might remember from yesterday's blog, each message John gives to the 7 churches has a similar structure. 

The letters to the seven churches share a similar structure. They each feature:

· An address to a particular congregation.

· An introduction of Jesus.

· A statement regarding the condition of the church.

· A verdict from Jesus regarding the condition of the church.

· A command from Jesus to the church.

· A general exhortation to all Christians.

· A promise of reward.

We can see the state of each of these seven churches – and the state of our own walk with Jesus – by looking at what Jesus has to say to each church in each section.

In chapter 3, we see John's message to the last three churches. 

To the Church in Sardis

At the time Jesus spoke these words to John, the ancient city of Sardis had seen its best days and had started to decline. Yet it was a wealthy city, situated at the junction of several important roads and trade routes. The connection between Sardis and money – easy money – was well known in the ancient world.

This city was also a city well known for its softness and luxury. It had a well-deserved reputation for apathy and immorality. In Sardis there was a large, stately temple to the mother goddess, Cybele. From the ruins of that temple we can see that its main columns were 60 feet (20 meters) high and more than 6 feet (2 meters) in diameter. This mother goddess was honored and worshipped with all kinds of sexual immorality and impurity. - Guzik

Sardis: The combination of easy money and a loose moral environment made the people of Sardis notoriously soft and pleasure loving. “The great characteristic of Sardis was that, even on pagan lips, Sardis was a name of contempt. Its people were notoriously loose-living, notoriously pleasure-and luxury loving. Sardis was a city of the decadence.” (Barclay)

3 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, 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.

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus is identified once again as the one who holds the seven spirits and seven stars. The stars represent the seven churches. and the seven spirits suggest the Holy Spirit in all His fullness. The number seven represents completion, so that this could represent the fullness of the Holy Spirit in each church and the church as a whole. 

Jesus' main rebuke of the church in Sardis is that to the outside they seem alive but Jesus, who sees our hearts, tells them they are dead. I assume this means spiritually speaking. Though they are dead, they are still salvageable. What remains can be strengthened and restored. A question might be what did it mean that their deeds were "unfinished"? 

Unfinished means that they were not never completed. They may have started some good projects but didn't carry them through to completion? Sound familiar? We are often anxious to start something only to not follow it up to completion. 

But there seems to be a stronger message than just finish the good works there were doing. There is a note of judgment that if they don't repent from what they are doing, Jesus is going to come like a thief. If they are not doing what Jesus had called them to do, they would be caught unaware. It seems as though part of this relates to what they are doing with the Word of God that had been taught to them. They had strayed from what the Word was calling them to do and be. When we stray from God's word and Jesus' teaching we need to repent, as soon as we can. The longer we wait the more our hearts and spirit get hardened. 

There were a few examples of those who had not fallen into the immorality of the culture, as we described the city of Sardis. After we see what the city of Sardis was known for it is clear that these Christians had "backslidden" into two of the main desires of the flesh. Sex and money. 

How can we as Christians avoid being soiled by the world? How can we be victorious over the world? 

To the Church in Philadelphia

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. 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. 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. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them 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 them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The name means brotherly love, and this city was the youngest of the seven cities, and was originally founded as a missionary outpost for Hellenism, the culture of ancient Greece. 

“Philadelphia had been built with the deliberate intention that it might become a missionary city. Beyond Philadelphia lay the wilds of Phrygia and the barbarous tribes; and it was intended that the function of Philadelphia should be to spread the Greek language, the Greek way of life, the Greek civilization, throughout the regions beyond.” (Barclay)

This was a prosperous city. “Philadelphia commanded one of the greatest highways in the world, the highway which led from Europe to the East. Philadelphia was the gateway from one continent to another.” (Barclay)

This time Jesus is seen as holding the "key of David". David was the greatest king in Israel and had authority of the Jewish nation, but Jesus was an authority greater than David. When David wrote, “The LORD says to my Lord,” he distinctly said that the Messiah (or the Christ) was his lord and master—his Adoni." Psalm 110:1

The church of Philadelphia is the only church where Jesus does not have a negative thing to say about it. They kept Jesus word even in the midst of being persecuted by other Jews, which he again calls, "a synagogue of Satan". Since they have been faithful, they will be kept from the hour that is coming on the church. This could mean an imminent trial, or Jesus could be referring to the tribulation which will be the focus of the rest of the book of Revelation. 

The church of Philadelphia was an open door for the gospel. They have been given a unique opportunity to spread the Word of Jesus to those who will come through the city. 

In its history, Philadelphia had a great “evangelistic” calling. The city had the mission of spreading Greek culture and language through the whole region. Now Jesus opened the door for the Christians of Philadelphia to spread the culture of His kingdom through the whole region.

Jesus told them to see that they had this open door. Sometimes God sets an open door of evangelistic opportunity in front of us, but we don’t see it. 

If the Philadelphians remained faithful, they would receive a crown that would never fade away reserved for them in heaven. This is talked about in other places of the bible. The bible makes clear that as we are faithful to the end in following Jesus, we will be rewarded.  There are several rewards that will come about for their faithfulness. 

1. A pillar in the temple of my God, a permanent dwelling place for them. 

2. They will have the name of God written on them and also the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which will come out of heaven at the end of the tribulation. 

3. Jesus will write his name on them. 

Overcomers were told that they would be as a pillar in the temple of My God. Pillars were pictures of strength, stability, and dignified beauty. 

The pillar holds up the building. The only thing supporting the pillar is the foundation. True pillars in the church support the church, and they look to Jesus as their support foundation.

The overcomer also received many names – of God, the New Jerusalem, and the new name of Jesus. These names are marks of identification because they show who we belong to. They are marks of intimacy, because they show we are privileged to know Him in ways others are not.

Like the church in Philadelphia, God continues to create open doors for our churches today. In our densely populated cities, there are likely thousands of those who don't believe in Jesus. Where do you God has opened up doors in your culture? Where are the open doors God has open up for you in your life to share the gospel? 

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “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. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You 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. 18 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.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 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 that person, and they with me.21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The final church is the church in Laodicea. It is one of the churches that we remember for the words Jesus says to it. It is really important for us to understand the historical background of this church as it helps us tremendously to understand the metaphors Jesus is using to describe them. 

Laodicea was an important, wealthy city, with a significant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a center for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous temple of Asklepios in Laodicea, with a more famous medical school connected with the temple.

One of their problems was a poor water supply that made Laodicea vulnerable to attack through siege. If an enemy army surrounded the city, they had insufficient water supplies in the city, and the supplies coming into the city could be easily cut off. Therefore, the leaders of Laodicea were always accommodating to any potential enemy, and always wanted to negotiate and compromise instead of fight.

Their main water supply came on a six-mile aqueduct from the hot springs of Hierapolis. Because the water came from hot springs, it arrived unappetizingly lukewarm.

One of the fundamental misinterpretations of Jesus' words to this church is when he says, "You are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were either one of the other. Because you are lukeward, neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of mouth." 

Usually the interpretation goes like this. The "hot" is the "on fire Christian". I.e. It is good to be hot. The "cold" is the dead Christian. Cold hearted and lifeless. But the historical setting of Laodicea shows us that both hot and cold were good and useful. The hot springs brought healing and restoration and the cold water quenched thirst, which lukeward water could not. Jesus is saying either be in the world or in me, you can't have it both ways. 

"This picture of lukewarmness would immediately connect with the Christians of Laodicea because the water they drank every day was lukewarm. Jesus said, “Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm, you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot.” In this spiritual sense, lukewarmness is a picture of indifference and compromise. It tries to play the middle, too hot to be cold and too cold to be hot. In trying to be both things, they end up being nothing – except to hear the words, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.” - Guzik

Because of their material possessions they became "lukewarm" in their faith. Indifferent to the things of God and comfortable with their worldliness. They probably were prideful in the healing they provided and the wealth that came with it. But they needed healing so they could see. They needed the "salve" they possessed that was so valuable and brought people to their area. They needed it for their eyes to be opened to where they stood before God. Blind, naked, wretched, pitiful, and poor. This is quite an indictment of this church. 

Out of all the churches they definitely seem to have received the worst verdict. But the letter ends with some hope. He says the famous verse that is used for many a evangelistic rally and sermon. 

 20 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 that person, and they with me

I stand at the door and knock… If anyone hears My voice and opens the door: This statement of Jesus expressed a profound mystery. Why did Jesus stand outside the door? Why did He knock? Why did He wait until someone opens the door? He had every right to break down the door, or enter some other way on His own accord, but He didn’t. The sovereign, omnipotent Jesus lowered Himself to work out His eternal plan by wooing the cooperation of the human heart.

“The occupant must open the door. That is, he must repent of his pride and self-sufficiency, his human wisdom, and his cowardly neutrality.” (H. Morris)

Have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus? He won't force his way in, but his invitation is always there waiting for you. When he says he will come in and eat with you that was the most intimate setting in Jesus' culture for two friends or family members to spend time together. Jesus is giving us an open invitation to have a personal and intimate relationship with him like you would have with a good friend over dinner!  

Why don't you open the door???