Revelation 3.14-22
Revelation Bible Study

Evening Sermon from 10/27/2021
Little Stevens Creek Baptist Church
Edgefield, SC
Reverend David Lyda

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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REVELATION 3.14-22 “The Lukewarm Church”

Laodicea / Near modern Denizli
-Founded by Antiochus II / Lycus River Valley
-Wealthiest / Important / On Asian Trade Route
-Banking / Wool / Medicine
-Inadequate water supply
-Church maybe founded by Epaphras

*Seven churches may represent church history.
-Ephesus: From resurrection of Jesus to death of John
-Smyrna: Age of martyrdom (AD 100 to AD 320s)
-Pergamos: Constantine to Roman Papacy (AD 312 to AD 1073)
-Thyatira: Supremacy of Pope to Reformation (AD 538 to AD 1400)
-Sardis: Reformation standstill (AD 1517 to AD 1755)
-Philadelphia: Great Revival in Protestantism (18th/19th century)
-Laodicea: 19th century to end of church age

LUKEWARM (Rev 3.14-17)
Verse 14) -Amen / Signifies certainty and truth
-All promises fulfilled in Christ / Guaranteed

-Faithful and True Witness
-Trustworthy and accurate about truth of God

-Beginning of Creation / Uncreated Creator
-Heresy / Jesus just created being (not eternal)
-Eternal as God / A beginning as man (John 1.1-3, 14)
-Supreme human being / Last Adam (1 Cor 15.45-49)

Verse 15) -Jesus knows the good, bad, visible, and hidden heart.

-Not cold (outright rejection of Christ) / Not hot (zealous for Christ)

Verse 16) -Hierapolis (hot springs) / Colossae (cold mountain water)
-Lukewarm / Tepid / Dirty

-Hypocrites / Maybe apostates
-Disgusting to Christ / Vomit out

Verse 17) -Fooled by riches / False security / “Need nothing”

-Self-sufficient pride
-Rebuilt after AD 60 earthquake without assistance
-“Whatever the devil or false doctrine does not accomplish in
the church, self-centered materialism will.”

COUNSEL (Rev 3:18-19)
Verse 18) -Counsel / Advise / Must “buy” from Jesus
-World resources will not satisfy

-Offers spiritual counterpart of 3 industries
-Gold / White garments / Eye salve

-Gold / Spiritual treasures (Matt 6.19-21)
-Possessions mean nothing for eternity

-White garments / Righteousness
-Covers shame, guilt, and nakedness

-Needed their eyes to be healed
-Temple of Karu / Great Physician / Collyrium
-Sick need to acknowledge they are sick to seek help
-Holy Spirit needed to open their eyes / Reveal truth

Verse 19) -Chasten / Reprove believers (Heb 12.5-11)
-Non-believers (Rev 3.18, 20) / Christ loves them too

-Be zealous (hot) / Repent

KNOCKING (Rev 3.20-22)
Verse 20) -Knocking / Not forcing / Personal lives / Church

-Maybe not heart, but church here / Christ wants to come in!
-Whole church / Unbelievers? / Apostates?
-One member respond / Christ enter to dine

-Church by AD 364 / Council of Laodicea / Rejected Revelation

Verse 21) -Overcomes (Christians)
-Share privilege / Authority / Reign with Christ

Verse 22) -Are you willing to listen to what God says?

Churches today have similar struggles, failures, and victories
-Invitation to repent = forgiveness
-Warning to reject = punishment
-Jesus knows the good, bad, visible, and hidden heart.

*: Description with challenging, disputed, or unclear interpretation.

NEXT MEETING (Rev 4.1-11)

CROSS REFERENCES
Rev 3.14: Is 65.16; 2 Cor 1.20; Col 1.15; Rev 1.5; 3.7; 19.11
Rev 3.15: Rev 3.1
Rev 3.17: Hos 12.8; Zech 11.5; Matt 5.3; 1 Cor 4.8
Rev 3.18: Is 55.1; Matt 13.44; 2 Cor 5.3
Rev 3.19: Job 5.17; Prov 3.12; 2 Cor 11.32; Heb 12.6
Rev 3.20: Song 5.2; Luke 12.36, 37; John 10.3; 14.23
Rev 3.21: Matt 19.28; 2 Tim 2.12; Rev 2.26; 20.4
Rev 3.22: Rev 2.7