No grandkids (Judges 2)

It’s not a verse in the bible. But I think that this statement neatly summarises the message of Judges Chapter 2: God has no grandchildren.

That is to say, your relationship with God is personal. Just because your dad is a Christian; your mum is a Christian; your husband or wife is an elder or a deacon or the organist in church - that does not make you a Christian in any way whatsoever. You become a Christian by trusting personally in Jesus as your God and Saviour, and in so doing, becoming a child of God. But God does not have grandchildren.

Having said that, your life as a Christian will have a lasting impact - on your sons, your daughters, your spouse, your family and friends - in the way that you walk with Jesus and witness to the gospel. You life can be a positive or a negative influence on them. Here, we see both in the opening verses of Chapter 2.

The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?

Judges 2:1-2

God reminds the Israelites the terms of the contract - or covenant, as it is called here. God’s part of the deal was to bless the Israelites: to save them from slavery in Egypt, and to give them a land to call their own. It was a promise God made to their ancestors, “I swore to… your forefathers” (verse 1); specifically, over four hundred years earlier to Abraham and his descendants. Since then, generation after generation had held on to this same promise from God. But none had seen its fulfilment until now.

Now, the Israelites were in the land. Now, over four hundred years later, they were a nation. They had seen God do miraculous wonders in Egypt. They had been led by great men of God: Moses and then Joshua. They received the Ten Commandments. They worshipped God at his holy mountain and subsequently at his tabernacle. They ate manna from heaven. God had been with them. God had protected them. God had blessed them.

But now God sends his angel to tell them, “You have disobeyed me.” The Israelites had broken their end of the deal, and had effectively made pacts with foreign peoples and foreign gods. “I said, ‘You shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars’” (verse 2).

God is responding to the events of Judges Chapter 1 which we looked at last week. After the death of Joshua, the Israelites pressed on to take hold of the Promised Land. They began well enough, enquiring after and obeying God’s will that Judah lead in the conquest of Canaan. Yet as the other smaller tribes followed and encountered opposition, the people of God took the easy way out: They compromised. When things got too tough and the Canaanites were too strong, they shrunk back: they settled among the Canaanites and adopted the local practices of idol worship. Yet when Israel did grow strong, they compromised again: choosing not to obey God’s direct instruction to wipe out any trace of Canaanite culture and idolatry, but instead to enslave the local population.

God spells out the consequences for their disobedience.

It’s a sad sad situation...

Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.” When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the LORD.

Judges 2:3-5

It is hard to tell whether this was a sign of true repentance or a simply a show of remorse. Either way, the Israelites got the message. The Canaanites were here to stay. No longer would they be assured of victory. Rather, the rest of their earthly existence here in the Promised Land would be marked by ongoing struggle, turmoil and war.

Yet, I don’t think that is the main reason why the Israelites “wept aloud”. No, it wasn’t these local enemies that caused them so much grief. It was because they had made an enemy of God. God was now against his own people.

So they called that place Bokim (which NIV footnote tell us, means “weepers”) and “offered sacrifices to the LORD” (verse 5). Again, the question is: Are the Israelites sincere in their repentance? Or has God torn up the contract and is about to abandon his people?

It is at this point that the author does something quite amazing and I think, awesomely cool! To begin with, he zooms out from Bokim, giving us a bigger picture of what is going on. For instance, if you glance over to the next verse (verse 6) we find Joshua alive again (Didn’t he just die in Chapter 1?)! And if you jump forward to the end of the chapter 2, there God repeats what he just said at Bokim, “I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations” (verse 21).

It is as if the author took the remote control, rewound the tape right back to the beginning, and then fast-forwarded all the way to the end of the movie. I think he does this to demonstrate a a pattern that we see in the history of the people of God: Even in the face of our faithlessness and rebellion, God remains faithful to all his promises from generation to generation.

Flashback

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Judges 2:6-9

So the author has rewinds the tape <“Insert rewinding tape sound effect here” - BWZZZZWIIIIWWW> and we’re back to Joshua leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land!

They - meaning, those who “served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who outlived him” - were the same generation of Israelites who could still remember Moses, who crossed the Jordan, who conquered Jericho; They were the first generation to step foot into the Promised Land. They “had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel”.

However Joshua eventually dies. Not right away; I mean, this guy lives to be a hundred and ten! He sticks around for several decades. And things were OK so long as Joshua was with them: “The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua”. Even after he’s gone, they still had a few good men - “the elders who outlived him”. Throughout this period of strong leadership and relative stability, Israel knew who God was and what God had done. They lived in obedience to God’s word in under the men of God; men like Joshua; men who had seen all the great things God had done for Israel.

But soon after, everything changes.

A new generation

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

Judges 2:10-15

This new generation of Israelites did not know God “nor anything he had done for Israel”. When their parents died, the knowledge of God and the promises of God was buried with them. Was it Dad and Mum’s fault for not teaching them well enough? Maybe Sunday School was too boring, or maybe the sermons just didn’t hit home?

Yet notice the way verse 10 describes this younger generation again: They did not know God. Do you remember how the book of Exodus opens? With a new king who did not know Joseph. The King of Egypt did not know because he did not want to know. Pharaoh wasn’t concerned with the past - with Joseph who was used by God to bless Egypt when they were faced with famine. No, all he saw was a big problem with the growing population of foreign Israelite migrants in his land. This lapse in memory led to mass murder and the enslavement of an entire ethnic group under the subsequent government.

So similarly, this new generation of Israelites did not know, and did not want to know the God “of their fathers”. They followed new gods - the Baals and the Ashtoreths.

Now in case we come down too hard on this new generation, we need to recognise how these kids were facing challenges their parents had never known. Firstly, there was much greater temptation. Living in Canaan meant that they were constantly surrounded by idolatry. The Canaanites had their own local gods and deities. And many of these new neighbours appeared to be more advanced (last week we saw they had iron chariots) and more prosperous (they lived in cities, while the Israelites were nomadic).

On top this, these kids never experienced what their parents did first hand. They never saw the miracles in Egypt. They didn’t cross the Red Sea. They didn’t hear God’s voice thunder from Sinai speaking the words of the Ten Commandments. They had never had a leader like Moses or Joshua. They had never eaten manna from heaven or drunk water from the rock.

This was a new generation with new challenges and temptations. But God still holds them personally accountable for their sin of rebelling against him. Now many people have a big problem with this about God. How could a just and fair God seemingly impose the same standards of morality and faithfulness on a totally different generation of believers who had a totally different set of experiences and challenges to faith?

Because they were still Israel. Yes the participated in the worship of pagans, but they still considered the Canaanites enemies, and themselves the people of God. They still wanted the land. They fought the locals for the land. These Israelites wanted it both ways - to have God’s blessing as God’s people and yet to ignore God’s commands. In his anger, God hands them over to their enemies. “Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them.” God was now their enemy. But then it says, “just as he has sworn to them.”

God is faithful in his promises in times of blessing but also in times of judgement. He had sworn to bless Israel and he has. He had sworn that he would judge Israel’s sin. And he has. We see God’s unchanging nature in both situations. He is a God of his word.

Another thing: Even though this new generation of believers had not seen God perform any of miracles in their parents’ day, the truth is: it did not matter. God had given his people his word. That is the significance of verse 1, where the angel is described as travelling up from Gilgal to Bokim. When Israel first entered the land, Gilgal was were they set up camp (Joshua 4). God had re-created the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, by separating the waters at the River Jordan. Israel would cross over walking on dry ground into the Promised Land, arriving on the other side, to Gilgal. There at Gilgal, Joshua gave instructions to set up twelve stones as a memorial; stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River - each one representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel - saying:

In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

Joshua 4:21

As parents, the Israelites were charged with the solemn responsibility of speaking God’s word to their children. These stones at Bokim were a reminder of that responsibility to pass on God’s promises to the next generation. In the next chapter, we find Joshua meeting the commander of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5:14) - an angel of God. And I think it is this same angel whom Joshua met at Gilgal who has now come to speak to the people once again at Bokim. He reminds them that they had forsaken God’s promises.

Yet in the same way that God was faithful to the parents, so now we find God showing grace and mercy to their children. What is important to see here is that God was being true to the same promises in his covenant, but he does so in new and personal ways to each new generation.

The judges

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’s commands. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Judges 2:16-19

God had compassion on his people as they “groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them” so he sent raised “judges” - a position which has more in common with a military commander - a “leader”, as the NIV footnote reads - than a guy in a black robe and white curly fries wig. Think more along the lines of Sylvester Stallone in Judge Dredd.

We will look at these judges more closely in the remaining chapters of the book. But here, near the beginning of the book, the author wants to establish a pattern. (1) Israel rebels against God, (2) God hands them over to their enemies, (3) Israel cries out for help, (4) God raises a leader/judge to save them from their enemies, (5) The judge dies, (6) Israel becomes even more corrupt than before, and finally (7) the cycle begins all over again. Each successive generation becomes more sinful and more stubborn. “They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”

An important thing to note from this is: God uses leaders. When his people sin against him; when they forget his promises; when they call out to God for help and salvation - God may do a miracle, he may destroy their enemies, he may send bountiful blessing - but more often than not, the pattern we find in the bible is: he sends leaders. It doesn’t mean that these leaders were good or godly - some of the judges we will encounter were just as sinful as the people they were supposed to have saved. But God uses them nonetheless. He did so with Moses, then with Joshua. And after Joshua died, he raised other leaders to bring the nation out of sin and back to God.

At the same time, we see that the people rejected God’s leaders. “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them” (verse 17). They knew they needed a leader. They wanted someone to protect them and lead them into victory against their enemies. And yet, paradoxically, they rebelled against any form of authority - especially God’s. The book of Judges is a prelude to the establishment of the kingdom of Israel, so already here we find hints of the people’s need for an ultimate faithful leader under God’s rule. Fast forwarding to the very last verse of Judges, we read, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”(Judges 25:21)

Back to the future

Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did.” The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Judges 2:20-23

So we’re back to God’s words at Bokim. This generation has “violated the covenant... laid down for their forefathers” - they have forsaken God. So God decides not to drive out the Canaanites. But here we also find the reason why God does this. “I will use them to test Israel,” God says. That’s very interesting! Why? Because God said the exact same thing of their forefathers. In the wilderness, God “tested” Israel (Exodus 15:25). That is, he wanted to know if his people would remain faithful to him in the face of temptation and difficulty.

It is worth clarifying what the bible means by “test”. We might think of a nasty Physics teacher who sets impossibly hard questions in the exam - to “test” us - and mistakenly think that God simply wants to make life difficult for us. Rather, the tests that we see in the bible are more like driving tests. You go for lessons and finally take a driving test to earn a licence. The point is to pass the test, not to fail. The purpose of the test is to make sure you learn and understand what you need to know to drive safely. So here, God wanted to “test” Israel to teach them faithfulness. He wanted them to learn to trust him, not just when things were going well, but especially when they faced temptation and difficulty in their lives.

Again, notice that God had the same purpose with the parents’ generation and the present generation in Judges. He wanted to test them, but in each case, the tests were rather different. This is because God wants each generation - and each person - to trust him personally.

I wonder if it is fair to say that  just about every single Chinese Church is concerned about its “second generation”. Often parents are worried about their kids growing up in a new country and environment. Sometimes they bring their kids to church, not so much to hear the gospel, but so that they will hang out with other Chinese kids, and maybe along the way, learn about Jesus.

Judges 2 reminds us that each generation has its own unique challenges and circumstances, but also that God’s word is timeless. The lessons from culture may be important - especially imparting wisdom and values to the next generation. But the gospel comes first. If we truly want to prepare the “second generation” in the Chinese Church for the inevitable new challenges and opportunities in the gospel, we must always put the gospel first.

One other thing - and this is a difficult lesson to learn. It is hypocrisy. Kids can smell hypocrisy from miles away. Here in Judges, God rebukes both the parents and their children for the same sins of unfaithfulness, stubbornness and compromise. So, integrity at home - in your daily Christian life and witness - is very important. Your friends will notice this. Your kids will see this - first hand.

But do you know what is infinitely more important than integrity in our lives? It is grace through the gospel. It is pointing to God’s faithfulness even when we have been unfaithful and teaching the lessons of repentance, forgiveness and grace. It is the gospel.

Good news

To say that God has no grandchildren, well frankly, I think that’s wonderful news. It means each of us has the opportunity to know him personally. It means he deals with me one-to-one. It means I can know him as my God and my heavenly Father.

It means that even though you were brought up in a loving Christian family; you’ve been to church week by week since young, and have read the bible from cover to cover - your relationship with God today can be as fresh as the first day you first heard about Jesus. Your faith is personal and intimate with Jesus.

It means that even though you were not brought up in a Christian family, and have never been to church, but have only just come to understand who Jesus is and how he took your sins upon himself when he died on the cross, God is your Father, and you are 100% his child in Christ.

Lastly, it means that we might be a screwed-up dad, mum, spouse and even church leader, and if so, we need to repent, turn back to Jesus, ask for forgiveness and restoration. But even so, God still deals personally with our family, friends and kids. He overcomes any and every one of our failings. Only he can bring someone to faith. Our responsibility is to communicate the message of forgiveness in the gospel of his Son.

Speaking of Jesus, the bible says this:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:10-13

This is God’s promise to all who receive Jesus and trust in him. They become his children. They are born of God.

Behold our God (Revelation 4)

Worth-ship

What do Christians mean by the word “worship”? In the bible, various words translated as worship usually mean “bowing down”(Hebrew: shachac; Greek: proskuneo) or “serving” (Hebrew: ‘abad; Greek: latreuo). That is, they often translate a physical action or response toward God such as offering sacrifices or falling down on your knees.

It is different in English.

In English, “worship” comes from the word “worth”. It means giving back to God what he is worth. So we read in today’s passage, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory, honour and power.” (Revelation 4:11)

This passage isn’t about how to worship God: Do we sing? Do we give money? Do we stand up or sit down? Will there be electric guitars in heaven? No, it does not teach us how to worship God. Rather, it tells us why we should worship God.

It tells us why God is worthy of our worship.

After this...

After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

Revelation 4:1-2

I just want to remind you that John is writing this from prison. He is a pastor who has been arrested and sentenced to spend the rest of his life isolated from other Christians. He is suffering in prison alone. But here he continues to worship God. And here, Jesus appears to John.

And Jesus says to him, “Write what you see on a scroll and send it to the seven churches” (Revelation 1:11). Write to other Christians and remind them: They are not suffering alone. So, we’ve seen in the past weeks, John writes to seven churches reminding them that Jesus knows everything they are going through. He is with them in their suffering.

That was Chapters 2 and 3. But now, Chapter 4 begins with John saying, “After this” - that is, after the seven letters to the seven churches. But notice that Jesus also says in verse 2, “I am going to show what must take place... after this.” That is significant.

After you’ve read the seven letters - after reading Chapters 2 and 3 - keep on reading. Some people like to split Revelation into two parts: The first part, which are the letters to the churches, which is relevant to us as Christians today; and the second part which is just weird and confusing. Don’t bother with the weird chapters. Chapters 1 to 3 are the safe chapters, like watching the BBC Channels - Strictly Come Dancing, Great British Bake-Off, the daily news-roundup - stick to those channels. Chapters 4’s where you find the dodgy stuff, it’s the Sci-Fi channel - Dr Who, Star Trek, anything with Vin Diesel in it. Chapter 4 is OK for geeks and weirdos; keep to the safe chapters.

But no, John says, there’s more to Revelation that chapters 1 to 3. After this, much much more happens. Jesus says to John, after this, God has determined what must happen.

That is because Revelation is not one book with two parts; nor is it one book with seven letters stuck in the front. Revelation is one book with one message to all of God’s people, symbolised by the seven churches. As far as Chapters 1 to 3 are concerned, that’s just the address line in the letter - “Dear Ephesus, Dear Smyrna... “ and so on. Today we begin with the body of the letter.

Jesus says, “Come.” He says he will show us what must take place after this.

The throne

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Revelation 4:3-6

What John sees is a throne: one sitting on the throne; twenty-four other smaller thrones around this throne; lightning coming from the throne. Verses 3, 4, 5 and 6 all focus on this one throne in heaven.

Now we need to keep in mind that John says he was “in the Spirit” (verse 3). He keeps describing what he saw by saying “it looked like this” or “It had an appearance like that”. Meaning: these visions were hard to describe. He was trying his best to get the message across, but these images given him in the Spirit were so amazing beyond words.

So, later on, when he says that he saw a living creature that looked like a lion -  it doesn’t mean it was a lion, but that it looked like a lion; the creature that had a face like a man - doesn’t mean that it was a man - but that what John saw looked like a man.

Still, this does not mean that the images are random. John chooses words and images that are actually familiar to his readers. He wants to help them - and to help us - to understand fully what he saw. In fact, these are images that we find recurring in the Old Testament. Meaning this: John is describing what he sees, but also what they signify. Meaning: if you know your Old Testament, you may be more familiar with many of these images and what they mean.

First of all, John sees a throne.

The throne signifies that God is king and that he rules from heaven. We need to remember that this was a culture where everyone sat on the floor. To sit on a throne was to place yourself above everyone else in the room. It was a position of authority. Kings sat on a throne. Judges sat down when they delivered a verdict. In church today, the speaker normally stands while everyone else sits on chairs, but in Jesus’ day, when the bible was read in the synagogue, everyone in the room would stand, and the person read the scroll would be sitting down.

Here, God sits on his throne and all of heaven worships him before the throne.

God is described as having the appearance of “jasper and carnelian” - precious stones; today we might say “diamonds and rubies”. The idea is that of light: God is the source of light. At the end of Revelation it tells us that there is no sun, for the only source of light is God himself and Jesus - God is the source of all light. But here, John describes God as a light that is brilliant - that is attractive. Not light from a fluorescent lamp - cold, boring, like the ones you find in office buildings - rather it’s like looking at a chandelier. This is light brilliantly emanating from a source that looks like diamonds. Similar to when a girl gets engaged and everyone crowds round and says, “Let me see the ring.” It doesn’t matter how big or how small the ring is: everyone wants to look at the diamond. Everyone is drawn to its beauty and preciousness.

And from this light we get a rainbow. John tells us “a rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne”. God is the source of light, and his glory is manifested into a myriad of colours - the way the colours of a rainbow are refracted from its source.

So far, heaven is very different from the all white, boy-band image, Harry Potter death-scene, Star Wars sterilised cloud-city image we are used. It is colourful! It is brilliant and glorious. And God is right at the centre of heaven, not hidden away in the distance.

But the rainbow also reminds us of God’s mercy. God told Noah, after the destruction of the flood that covered the whole earth, “Never again will I cause the waters to become a flood to destroy all life” in Genesis 9. As a sign of his promise he placed a rainbow in the clouds.

Now the fact that we see this rainbow here, in heaven, before God’s throne, means he is still keeping his word. Its not here on earth, after it rains a bit and we might find a faint hint of a rainbow in the sky. Here the rainbow “encircles the throne”. It is part of the furniture, “in emerald”. Almost as if, God is reminding himself, he will never break his word. He will always be merciful, gracious, faithful to his covenant.

Our God is sovereign: he sits on the throne. Our God is faithful: he keeps his promises.

Also around the throne are twenty-four other thrones and on them are twenty-four elders. God sits on the throne - he has all power and authority - but he invests his authority in others, in these twenty-four elders or leaders, who also sit on twenty-four thrones.

The number 24 is significant. It represents the whole people of God, under the old and new covenants symbolising the 12 tribes of Israel under the Old Covenant, and the 12 disciples of Jesus under the new - all the people of God are represented in heaven before God. All who are redeemed - saved - under the Old and New Covenants are there.

Some prefer to think of these elders as actual people from biblical history: specifically, the twelve sons of Jacob followed by the twelve apostles of Jesus. After all, Jesus does say in Matthew 19 to his disciples, “You will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

More likely, however, these are not people but angelic beings. I do not think that these are the twelve sons of Israel and the twelve apostles; first of all, because John would then be seeing his future self seated there on the throne, worshipping God (“Hmm, future me needs to lose some weight.” It would be like a scene from Dr Who where River Song sees her future self on Lake Silencio.)

Secondly, we see in the next chapter that these elders distinguish themselves from the redeemed community of God, when they say to Jesus, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10). Meaning: they are not part of saved community.

Rather, I think these elders are angelic beings, always in God’s presence, always representing all God’s people; in the same way that we saw that there were seven angels representing seven churches back in Chapters 2 and 3.

There is something to be said about their being called “elders”. God has given them authority: they sit on twelve thrones; they wear crowns of gold on their heads; in the same way, that the elders of a church are given authority by God over his people. This authority is from God in submission to God. Later on we see in verse 10: “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne.” These elders in heaven are doing two things: they are always worshipping God and they are always in submission to Jesus. Peter writes to fellow elders and fellow pastors in 1 Peter 5 - he uses the two terms interchangeably - urging them to be pastors of God’s flock under their care. “And when Chief Shepherd appears (or Jesus, the Senior Pastor appears - “pastor” simply means “shepherd” in the bible), you will receive a crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).

God rules from his throne in heaven but he mediates his authority through his angels, through elders and through leaders to lead God’s people graciously and lovingly.

What we have so far, is the vision of God ruling from heaven in majesty, glory and power. The rainbow reminds us of God’s faithfulness and mercy. The twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones represent God’s people under the Old and New Covenants, in worship and in submission.

But next we will see God in his awesome holiness. And we will see him sitting in judgement over those opposed to his rule and authority.

The sea

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Revelation 4:5-6

The scene is reminiscent of the events in Exodus - the thunder and lightning; the sea. Remember how Moses led the people of God out of slavery from Egypt to God’s mountain at Sinai. And there we read that God’s people were afraid. The mountain was covered in smoke; there was fire on this mountain, thunder and lightning. God was a holy God. This was God’s holy mountain. At Sinai, God speaks to them with a voice like a trumpet, similar to the voice John heard at the beginning of the chapter.

And here we see that God’s spirit is holy. There are seven lamps burning before him, referring either to God’s seven-fold spirit, his Holy Spirit. Or even possibly referring back to Chapters 2 and 3, to the seven churches in which his Spirit dwells. God wants his church to be holy as he dwells in them.

And before the throne is what John calls “a sea of glass, clear as crystal”. It is tempting at this point to imagine God on a holiday by the beach, dozing off on his deck chair, staring into the deep blue sea, as if this were a picture of calm and serenity. But that could not be farther from the truth.

In the bible, the sea is symbolic of chaos, destruction and evil. Daniel records a vision of the “four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came out of the sea” (Daniel 7:2-3). The same thing happens in Revelation Chapter 13 where dragon - symbolising the devil - stands on the shore of the sea, out of which emerges the beast of the sea.

When John says the sea was like “glass” (verse 6) he wasn’t describing the smooth shiny surface of an iPod Touch. Glass in the ancient world was full of imperfections. So, when verse 6 says that the sea was “like crystal” (the word “clear” isn’t in the text) - it is actually describing movement and motion. This was a raging sea.

In the very same vision Daniel records of the sea, and the beasts emerging from the sea, he writes:

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.

Daniel 7:9

The sea represents all that is opposed to God. And here in this vision, we find this image of rebellion right before the throne, before the presence of Almighty God. What does this signify? God is sovereign even in the face of opposition. He sits on his throne of fire ready to pour out judgement on all the forces of evil that stand opposed to him.

It reminds us: even though we live in a world broken by sin; even though we live in a world in opposition to God and does not want to acknowledge that there is a God - God still reigns. He will judge. But his patience and grace means salvation. We should not take that for granted nor should we despair. God is sovereign even over a world that rebels against him.

God is still on the throne.

The four living creatures

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.

Revelation 4:6-8

The next time you are at St John’s College (it’s opposite Hong Kong Fusion Restaurant!), look up at the gatehouse where you will see a stone statue of John the gospel writer, standing in a tabernacle, and if you look at his feet you will notice a golden eagle. Now the reason why the eagle is there (and you’ll find golden statues of eagles all around the college) is because of this passage in Revelation. In the past, people used to think the four living creatures represented the four gospel writers. Matthew was the man, Mark was the lion, Luke was the ox and John was the eagle. No biblical reason whatsoever to support this, but it was popular at one time in history, nonetheless.

The four creatures are likely to be angelic beings, similar to the twenty-four elders. While this bit of the vision might seem the strangest, it is actually one of the most familiar from the Old Testament. The prophet Ezekiel records his vision of God’s throne where he saw four angelic beings with wings, each having a face of a man, an ox, a lion and an eagle.

I think that altogether, these four creatures (literally, “living ones”) symbolise all of God’s creation. We have just seen the sea in rebellion towards God, but here we see creation in worship of God. That is what we were made for - worship. The four living creation continuously offer worship before the living God. They are covered in eyes - a symbol of God’s all-knowing nature, sometimes called him omniscience - telling us that God knows everything that happens in the world that he has made.

John tells us these four creatures are in perpetual worship.

Day and night they never stop saying:
“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”

Revelation 4:8

This is what the four living creatures say day and night. They are in perpetual praise of God. While you were sleeping last night, they were praising God. While you were driving to church, parked your car and stopped off for a bite to eat, these four living creatures around the throne were saying, “Holy, holy, holy!”

This is continuous, ongoing, unceasing worship in heaven in the presence of God. Not just on Sundays. Not just when the music is playing. Continuous, ongoing and unceasing praise of God for his holiness and majesty.

God is three-times holy. It is a superlative. In English, we might use words like “holy”, “holier” and “holiest” to describe degrees of holiness. But in Hebrew, you represented degree by repeating the word: “Holy, Holy Holy”. It is saying that God is the Most Holy God. It is the very definition of God. He is Holy.

At the heart of worship is knowing who God is. He is holy. He is “Almighty” - referring again to his authority and majesty. In the Old Testament, “Almighty” often translates “Lord of hosts” which is a picture of the God who owns all armies and every authority, again referring back to the picture of God as king on the throne and God as judge on the throne.

And he is the Everlasting God. Who was, who is and who is to come. He is coming. One day, all will see God for who he truly is. One day, this vision is what we will see, because Jesus will come and display his full glory before his new creation.

At the heart of this worship is the true God, and knowing who this true God is. He is holy, Almighty, Everlasting. And the four living creatures never stop worshipping. Now the difference between us and these four creatures is not simply that they are always worshipping and we aren’t. No, the real difference is that they worship the true God and we often don’t.

We are all worshippers - we were made to worship. And the problem is we worship what we do not know, we worship idols or we worship ourselves. Jesus dares to tell the Samaritan woman, “You worship what you do not know.” (John 4) Doesn’t matter how sincere you are. Do you know this God who has revealed himself in creation but more so, in the bible? Paul says to the Athenians, “Let me tell you about this God you say is unknown, he is the God who made the world, he is the God who made you, he is the God who sent Jesus Christ.” (Acts 17)

We are worshippers, and we are always worshipping, but often we worship other gods, even in the knowledge of the true God. We look for satisfaction and fulfilment in something else other than God. The bible calls that idolatry.

You see this in ads that say, “You’re worth it.” You deserve to look beautiful and attractive, so buying this product, spending your money, taking the time to use this shampoo, will make you the person you deserve to be. Beautiful. Adored. We want to be worshipped. We want to be on the throne.

Instead what we find here in Revelation are angels saying to God, “You are worth it!” They say to God, “You are worthy!”

You are worthy

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.”

Revelation 4:9-11

God is worthy or worship. That’s what they are saying. That is what worship means - giving God his worth.

Again, the person who is still thinking, “I am worth it!” may turn around and ask, “Is God worth it?” It is worth my time paying any attention to this God. Is it worth my life trusting in this God? And granted, the bible does promise that he is. God offers forgiveness, reconciliation, eternal life, heavenly reward to all who place their trust in Jesus alone. Yet asking, “Is God worth it?” is fundamentally a flawed question when it comes to worship.

It is the question a person asks when he spends all night trawling through eBay looking for that deal - trying to get the most of the least. It is the question the new graduate asks when deciding what job to apply for - which has the best perks and the biggest salary. It is the question, I wonder, that maybe many Cambridge Christian students are asking when after weeks and later, months in university they still hop from church to church - is this where I will get the most for my precious time on a Sunday morning. What can I get out of this? Where can I get the most for the least?

Yes friends, God is worth it. But this passage teaches us a greater truth. God is worthy.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive all glory and honour and power, for you created all things.” God created you. The first thing we learn in our bibles is that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made you. He owns you. That is why he is worthy. He made you to worship him.

Our desire to worship ourselves is a fundamental indication that we reject God as our creator. We don’t want to be owned. We don’t want to owe anybody anything.

But Revelation also says, “By your will they were created and have their being.” Your very existence is owed to God. Every breath. Every moment. Every new day is a new sign of God’s loving grace to you. He sustains all of creation purely by his will.

At the very least, we ought to thank him, should we? Verse 9 says the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to God. It is simply recognising God for what he has done for us. Worship is a response. You worship truly by knowing the true God.

He is holy. He is Almighty. He is Everlasting. He is your creator. He continues to sustain you by his will.

And he made you to worship him.

Jesus is worthy

The real question you need to ask yourselves is not “Am I worshipping today?” Or “Do I stand for this song?” No, the more fundamental question is, “Do you know who this God is?”

That is what Jesus wanted to show John. Here was a man in prison, isolated from his friends, suffering for the gospel. But on the Lord’s Day - on a Sunday like this - he worshipped God. Jesus used him to encourage other Christians who are also suffering to show them - God is still God. God is still on the throne.

And you what else? Revelation 4 is just a set-up for Revelation 5. Because next week see how God left the throne to come to us. Next week we see Jesus.

He left the worship of angels to be rejected by men. He left the glory of heaven to crucified on a cross. He submitted himself to the will of his Father and was obedient unto death. And there on the cross, Jesus was enthroned. He took our sin and shame upon himself, bearing our punishment for our rebellion against God.

Because there on the cross, Jesus offered the only true sacrifice to the only true God. He offers our worship so that we would be acceptable before a holy God. On the cross, we see that Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain, is worthy of all our praise, our thanks and our worship.

Behold our God. Come let us adore him.

Who has held the oceans in His hand

Who has numbered every grain of sand

Kings and nations tremble at His voice

All creation rises to rejoice

Behold our God seated on His throne

Come let us adore Him

Behold our King nothing can compare

Come let us adore Him!

(“Behold our God”, Sovereign Grace Music)

Rich enough

Most sermons on money and God deal with either faithfulness or greed. We have to be faithful with our money: investing wisely what God has entrusted to us for his kingdom. We should be wary of greed: of making money an idol and forsaking the God who blesses us with our money, income and livelihood.

This week’s passage is unique.

In dealing with wealth, Jesus addresses neither the problem of greed nor the importance of faithfulness. Elsewhere in the bible, Jesus has much to say on these two issues, yet here in the book of Revelation he confronts Christians in the city of Laodicea with a condition he calls “lukewarmness”.

But what does it mean to be lukewarm?

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

Revelation 3:15-16

Some say it is indecision. These Christians didn’t want to get sucked into worldliness. But they dare not commit to God either. Like a spiritual Switzerland*, the Christians in Laodicea sat on a fence, preferring not to take sides in any issue that might cause trouble in the church or conflict with their non-Christian friends.

Others say it has to do with their affections. The honeymoon is over and their relationship with Jesus has cooled. Going to church is routine. Serving God is a chore. They still turn up for the occasional bible study or Sunday service at Christmas, only to sneak out early before the closing hymn, whispering, “Traffic.”

Yet there is no need to speculate. Jesus tells us exactly what he means by lukewarmness in the very next verse.

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.

Revelation 3:17

I call this being ‘rich enough’. You are not greedy for more and there is nothing in the passage to suggest you are stingy with what you have. It is a form of contentment - satisfaction, even. In fact, you may look at the material wealth you have received and rightfully acknowledge God as the giver of all good things.

Yet, says Jesus, you do not realise how “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” you truly are.

Furthermore, this isn’t just about money. Laodicea was a banking centre - meaning their wealth was a result of shrewd investment and skilled entrepreneurship. Jesus refers to this when he counsels them to buy from him “gold refined in the fire”. They had a thriving textile industry - exporting wool to the neighbouring regions - yet Jesus says only he provides “white clothes” to cover their nakedness. Finally, Laodicea was famous for it’s medical school - there were lots of doctors in this church. But Jesus says they need “salve” to put on their eyes, so they can see.

Now, doesn’t the bible does teach us that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6)? So, what’s the problem? They were contented not with God but with having gain. It is like asking God for that plum job but nothing more. Asking God for your kid to get into uni and nothing more. Asking God for that boyfriend or girlfriend; the happy marriage with two kids, a cat, a dog and a house with a decent garden. And nothing more.

It is finally getting that job, the place in that uni, the happy marriage, the two kids and the swanky bachelor pad in the city - the very things you have yearned for and prayed earnestly to God for - and then saying to Jesus, “I am rich. I do not need a thing.”

“You are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” Jesus says. They weren’t cold - as in, they weren’t entirely devoid of blessing or wealth. Yet at least if they were physically poor, they might have recognised their spiritual poverty. At the same time, they were not “hot” either. They measured wealth in terms of money and gold - the Laodiceans had lots of both - and yet Jesus could say to them, “Buy gold from me so that you can become rich.” He does want them to be wealthy, only on an entirely different scale. The question is what? What is this scale or measure of wealth that Jesus is talking about?

I think the clue lies in his closing words.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 3:21

It is all too easy to dismiss these words. Jesus tells every single one of the seven churches to “overcome” in Revelation - to overcome their sin, their temptation, their weakness, their suffering. And yet this is the only time Jesus says he also overcame. He compares their struggle in overcoming lukewarmness to his own victory on the cross. It is that serious. It is that significant.

And the reward Jesus offers is not simply salvation but true wealth. Or, true riches. He says “I will give (the overcomer) the right to sit with me on my throne.” Now why I do I say this is a picture of true wealth? Because of Ephesians 2:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6-7

God wants to display his wealth through us. It an “incomparable” wealth; meaning it is vast beyond comparison. That is why he saved us, raised us, and seated us with Christ - to display in our lives and in the coming ages the vast extent of his wealth and riches. Yet this is wealth that is measured not in silver nor gold, but in terms of grace, mercy and kindness shown us in Christ Jesus.

Don’t settle for anything less. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus says, “for theirs in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Hunger for this true wealth. Yearn for it. Keep begging God to fill you with his grace, mercy and kindness through Jesus Christ displayed so clearly to us on the cross.

And he will.

Hungry I come to You

For I know You satisfy

I am empty but I know

Your love does not run dry

So I wait for You

So I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees

Offering all my needs

Jesus You're all

This heart is living for

(“Hungry” by Kathryn Scott)

* An illustration I heard Sunday at StAG

Jesus was thirsty

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:6

The “sixth hour” was noon, the hottest time in the day when the sun was at its brightest. Jesus had been making his way back with his friends back from Jerusalem to his hometown, Galilee up north. It was a journey of 70 miles. By foot, it would take four days. And John tells us that Jesus was tired. He sat down.

“Will you give me a drink,” he said to the woman who had come with her bucket to draw water from the well. It was a scandalous request. They were alone (Jesus’ friends were off getting lunch). And she was a Samaritan.

“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” she said. Even John, the gospel writer adds, “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.” Jesus asking this Samaritan woman for a drink was an unlikely a scene as the Pope auditioning for X-Factor singing Lady Gaga’s “Born this way”. It was the wrong place and the wrong crowd.

But Jesus persists. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.” Oh! So now you are offering me water! She probably thought Jesus was being cheeky talking about the “gift of God”. But she plays along. “Where can you get this living water?” she asks Jesus.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13-14

Let me just say, this woman probably had no idea what Jesus was going on about: this water that becomes a spring “welling up to eternal life”. When she heard these words, she wasn’t thinking about God or heaven or salvation or religion.

But something Jesus said did connect. It was her thirst.

“Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” For her, thirst was real. The searing heat of the noonday sun - that was real. Coming back day after day, with her bucket to this well, again and again - that was real. Whatever Jesus was offering may have sounded too good to be true. But what if it was? What if it was true?

We know how the story moves on(and if you don’t I encourage you to read it for yourself in Chapter 4 of John’s gospel): how Jesus confronts this woman not just with her need, but with her sin. Multiple failed marriages had left her empty and disillusioned. Shame over her current illicit relationship made her a recluse. Yet Jesus speaks to her honestly and tenderly of her true need for God; about her need for Jesus.

Physical thirst is given us by God to make us aware of a spiritual thirst. Jesus knew this first hand. He is fully God but through the incarnation he became fully man. John tells us he was tired from the journey. John tells us how he asks the woman for water.

But it is near the very end of the gospel, at the scene of the cross, that John tell us, Jesus was thirsty.

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28-30

Psalm 69, verses 20 and 21 says, “Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” In his greatest moment of need - in his thirst - Jesus experienced abandonment, rejection and scorn.

“I am thirsty.”

And yet we read that Jesus said this “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’” He bowed his head. He gave up his spirit. Jesus was in absolute control right to the end.

On the cross, Jesus took upon himself our rejection of God and our punishment from God. He took our thirst so that we would never thirst again.

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Counsel for a rich church (Revelation 3:14-22)

Rich church, poor church

What is the biggest difference between a rich church and poor church?

Is it money? Does it mean they can afford bigger buildings; a nicer website; advanced equipment - iPads instead of bibles?

Or is it outreach? Programmes for both young and old; projects to help build up the local community; bible translation and church planting in distant countries? Rich churches have more money to do more mission and more ministry than poorer churches.

Today we come to the last of seven churches addressed by the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation, and it is a church that is rich, in city that is wealthy. This is the church of Laodicea. But notice that Jesus does not tell them to make sure to use their money to fund more programs. Nowhere does Jesus say, “Make sure you give me your ten per cent - before tax!” He doesn’t even warn them, “Don’t be greedy. Don’t discriminate against the poor. Be generous with the wealth that God has given you.” He doesn’t say any of that.

Instead Jesus looks straight at this church full of wealthy, influential individuals, and says, “You are wretched, pitiful, poor. I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Try saying that to a CEO of a multinational company driving his Bugati Veyron Sport down to his villa in South France. “You’re poor. I pity you.” He will probably laugh at you and think you are mad. Or worse, he might get angry and say, “Who do you think you are talking to me that way?”

Well, who does Jesus think he is? We begin with verse 14.

The words of the Amen

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.

Revelation 3:14

Where the NIV has “ruler” of God’s creation, some translations have the word “beginning” (Eg. the ESV reflecting the Greek: arche; which I take to be a more accurate reflection of the text); meaning Jesus introduces himself with three titles: (1) the Amen, (2) the faithful and true witness, (3) the beginning of God’s creation. But I hope to show you how these three titles flow from one identity of Jesus, and also how these three titles flow from Jesus’ relationship with the church. How they relate to Jesus; how they relate to us - the church.

The identity of Jesus Christ: There is a close connection between these three titles - a flow, if your like. The first two are easy: “Amen” in Hebrew, simply translates “faithful and true” in the Greek. It’s what we say at the end of our prayers, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” That is, we are committing ourselves to what we’ve just prayed - This is true. When the whole church togther says, “Amen”, we are saying that we all agree. (That is why is it important that when we lead in prayer before the church, we say what is consistent with the truth of the bible. So that everyone can respond, ‘Amen’: It is true.)

Here Jesus is saying you can trust what he is going to say, because these words are true but also Jesus is the Amen. He is the truth.

Additionally, Jesus calls himself the beginning of God’s creation. Here, we are meant to recall John’s gospel Chapter 1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” And the next thing John writes, “Though him all things were made.”

This is the Word that is true; this is the Word that is God. Through him all things were made.

The three titles come together to reveal Jesus’ identity as the agent of God’s creation and therefore rightly, as the NIV implies at the end of verse 14, the ruler of God’s creation.

But what does this have to do with the church? Well, verse 14 isn’t just talking about the first creation; it actually points forward to the new creation. Colossians 1:18 calls Jesus “the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead”, speaking of the church.

You may also remember that over the past few weeks I have said that “witness” has this double meaning of someone who gives a reliable testimony a court-room, but also someone who witnesses through his sacrifice. It is where we get the word “martyr”. Through his witness or sacrifice on the cross, Jesus brought in the new creation. He redeemed the new creation, that is, out of the original creation stained by sin and standing under God’s judgement, Jesus paid for the church by taking our punishment of death upon himself. He redeems this new creation out of the old with his own death.

Who does Jesus think he is? He is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s (new) creation - the church. He paid for this church is Laodicea with his own blood.

Lukewarm

And now he says to the Christians in this church:

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

Revelation 4:15-16

Jesus finds them disgusting! He is about to spit them out of his mouth. The word actually means to throw up. It’s a reaction when you’ve just swallowed something that has made you sick!

The reason is lukewarmness. Not hot; not cold; just somewhere in the middle. Lukewarm.

But what’s wrong with that? You know how some people like to leave the Coke bottle open until it all fizzles out? Tastes like cough mixture afterwards. Or the guy in your office who buys the expired sandwiches for lunch the next day (everything for one pound at Boots after church!). So what’s wrong with that? I happen to enjoy day-old flat Diet Coke with my stale BLT sandwiches, thank you very much.

Laodicea was situated in a region near two other cities; one was famous for hot water, the other, cold. The city of Hierapolis had hot water springs, and people would drink this like medicine. While the city of Colossae had a supply of fresh cold water (Interesting enough, if you look to Colossians Chapter 4, you will see Laodicea mentioned at the end of the letter. They were close neighbours).

The problem with Laodicea was it didn’t have its own water source, so they tried to pipe their water in. Unfortunately this resulted in horrible tasting water. It wasn’t hot or cold. It was yucky and lukewarm. It is like having take-away food delivered to your house only to have it arrive two hours late. The pizza is cold, the crispy noodles are soggy, the ice-cream has melted and the delivery guy standing there waiting for his tip.

Now you guys all know that Jesus is a using an illustration. Even the kids know that “lukewarm” is not talking about food or water, but that it is symbolic of something going on in the spiritual lives of these Christians. The question is what? What does it mean to be lukewarm?

Does it mean being indecisive? You are decide whether you like hot or cold? You can’t decide whether to go out with the hot guy or the cool dude?

Does it mean you’re uncommitted? You’re not really doing anything here in church; you’ve not pulled out either. You’re just hanging around.

What does Jesus mean by “lukewarm”? He tells us in verse 17.

Don’t need nobody

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. 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.

Revelation 3:17-18

Laodicea was well-known for three things: banking, textiles and medicine. Meaning it wasn’t just rich; Laodicea was industrious: They invested they money; they built up their business from scratch. They took care of their bodies - ate well, lots of sessions at the gym, there was excellent healthcare. And they looked good: Laodicea was famous for it’s woolen industry; their clothes were exported to other countries.

We see these three things - banking, textiles and medicine - picked up by Jesus in verse 18, “Buy from me gold refined in the fire; white clothes - as in white wool - to wear; and medicine for your eyes.”

The Laodiceans were healthy, wealthy and well-dressed. But they were not wise.

Verse 17: You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ Again, there is nothing here to suggest that these Christians were greedy or oppressive towards the poor. There is nothing in today’s text that says these Christians committed any immoral sin or worshipped false gods.

The problem was: these Christians turned up in church every Sunday and thought they were doing everyone else a big favour by coming. “I don’t really need anything from this church. I’m OK.” And in their minds, they may even be thinking, “God has blessed me with my wealth, so I must be OK.”

That is the danger of the properity gospel. I want it all. I want it now. It is impatience. It is self-delusion. Jesus says, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Don’t get me wrong. Wealth is a blessing. You should thank God for your money; for your health; for that iPod or iWhatever. The problem is, that’s all we want from God. “Dear God, please get me into Cambridge.” And the moment you receive that degree, you stop asking for anything else.

That is lukewarmness.

Friends, you don’t tell that you are lukewarm by looking at your bank account; you tell by looking at your prayer life. Prayer is asking God. I know that people like to say that prayer is talking to God; it’s like having a conversation. I don’t think so. Jesus teaching his disciples to pray like this, “Your will be done, your kingdom come, Give us our daily bread, Lead us not into temptation, Forgive us our sins.” We presenting our requests to God. We are asking God to give us something we need; something only he can provide. That includes bread - our income, our food, our daily living. That includes forgiveness and salvation.

The main reason why we do not pray is because we think we have no need of prayer. “I do not need a thing,” that’s what the Christians were saying in Laodicea. That’s not humility talking, friends. It’s not even laziness, though it is a big factor. It is the fact that we think we’re OK, and we don’t realise that we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked.

We need to pray. So much so, that I would define complaints as misdirected prayers. Complaints are prayers that go in the wrong direction.

We complain when something goes wrong - our computer breaks down, the traffic piles up, our boss is being unfair - and as a Christian, these are opportunities to bring our needs before God. Yet when I meet someone who is constantly complaining, always griping about something in their life - I pray for them; but I also tell them, “You talking to the wrong person. If you are Christian, you know that God is in charge of all things. Why haven’t you brought this before him?”

This is counselling, I wonder if you noticed that. Jesus says in verse 18, “I counsel you.” Counselling is not lying on a couch and talking about your feelings. Jesus counsels by exposing their need - their lukewarmness; their sin. I promise you that if you say this during a counselling session, “You are not OK. What you really need is Jesus,” people will walk out of your church. They will turn on you. They will not thank you for this kind of counselling.

And yet, exposing this church’s sin and lukewarmness is an act of love.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Revelation 3:19

What is the biggest difference between a rich church and a poor church? I suggest to you, it’s this. A rich church needs to be very careful of lukewarmness. A rich church needs leaders who are loving enough to expose lukewarmness.

That’s very hard to do in a Chinese Church. Very hard. In the Chinese Church - hard work is good. Respect is very good. God is always good.

But this passage is saying, we’re not good. We are bad. This passage is talking to respectful, hard-working, good people and saying to them, “You need to repent. You need Jesus.” That’s hard to do in a Chinese Church.

But I hope we do this here in the Chinese Church, because Jesus says it is loving. “Those whom I love,” Jesus says, “I rebuke and discipline”. He is talking to Christians. That is very important as we consider the next verse.

I stand at the door and knock

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 him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20

This is so often used as an evangelistic text. So at this point in the passage, the pastor will turn to the non-Christian and say, “Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Won’t you let him in?” In fact, this verse is so popular that you if you Googled “Revelation 3:20” you will find all manner of paintings depicting Jesus standing in the cold dark night, outside a door of a brightly-lit house, waiting for someone to answer his call. In some of these paintings, the door doesn’t even have a handle, implying that unless you open the door, Jesus will stuck outside waiting in the cold - a bit like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory who is always knocking frantically on his neighbour’s locked apartment going, (Knock!Knock!Knock!) “Penny!”,  (Knock!Knock!Knock!) “Penny!”, (Knock!Knock!Knock!) “Penny!”

I had a friend once who got so annoyed with these paintings and said, “Jesus would more likely blast his way through the door!” Kapowww!

No, this is not an evangelistic text for non-believers. Remember: Jesus is talking to Christians, “to those whom (he) loves” (verse 19). The only difference is: Jesus now speaks to the individual Christian. “I will come eat with him, and he with me.”

But it is still a strange picture, isn’t it. If Jesus isn’t talking to a non-Christian, but rather a believer who already knows Jesus and has a relationship with Jesus - why is there this new invitation for him to come in?

I would say: for the same reason we have communion again and again. For the same reason we confess our sin again and again. Repentance is an ongoing process in the life of the Christian. It is for the same reason we pray - daily, repeatedly, unceasingly.

What did Jesus say about prayer? Go for a prayer meeting? Not a bad idea; but no: Jesus said go to your room, close the door and pray to your Father in heaven (Matthew 6). Prayer is an intimate, personal and ongoing between you and God. To him who opens this door - meaning: you close the door to your room, so that you can open this door to God - Jesus promises to come into his or her life.

Try this. Don’t wait for Rock on Wednesday. Don’t wait for next Sunday. Go home, close the door and pray. Say to Jesus, “You promised. You said in Revelation 3:20, that if I listened to your voice; if I opened the door; you would come.” Why not try this today?

If you are a non-Christian, then know that this promise is for the individual who responds to Jesus personally. You don’t become a Christian by turning up in church. You respond to Jesus’ voice speaking to you. You respond by trusting that his is faithful and true: He is the Amen. That’s all. And Jesus promises that as small as your trust might be in the beginning, as serious as all those times you might have messed up in your life, his word is true and his forgiveness is real. You will be changed and Jesus will be there.

Jesus overcame

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:21-22

These closing words remind us how serious the problem of “lukewarmness” is. Jesus says lukewarmness is disgusting. And here he says it needs to be overcome. That word “overcome” means to conquer; to be victorious - it is a word that describes a battle in a war.

I worry that we hear these words about money and self-sufficiency, prayerlessness and lukewarmness and think it’s not a very big deal. It frankly scares me because Jesus says to the Laodicean church, “You do not realise” that you are poor. These Christians didn’t think it was a big deal.

Jesus says that dealing with lukewarmness is nothing less than an act of war. You have fight against this false sense of self-sufficiency. If you see pride, deal with it pronto!

In the previous six churches, Jesus says we need to overcome various struggles: false teaching, idolatry, forsaking the gospel, sin - pretty serious stuff. But here in verse 21 is the only time that Jesus describes how he overcame. And he seems to be saying to us as Christians, dealing with lukewarmness, “This is as serious as how I overcame and went to the cross.”

Jesus says, “I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” That’s huge! Jesus had to overcome something on the cross, and I think, he is drawing a connection to the temptation he faced to turn away from the cross. Do you remember how Satan offered him all kingdoms the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8)? Satan was offering Jesus glory. It was a way out of the cross. And Satan used an earthly reward, saying, “You don’t need to sacrifice yourself. Just worship me.” Jesus was tempted and he overcame.

And Jesus seems to be saying to these lukewarm Christians, “Don’t settle for cheap glory. It is a false glory.” It means dealing with the temptation to settle for this world is tough, friends. We often pray for our friends who leave us at the end of the year - Alan, Kinki, Kit, Molly, Richard, Shirley, Judy, Sarah, Along, Lang, Vince - we pray that God will help them to settle in a good church, to settle into their new homes, to settle into their jobs. But we do not pray for them to settle into lukewarmness. We ask God to guard their hearts and give them strength to fight against conforming to this world. And we remind them that it takes nothing less than the kind of strength Jesus had when he overcame the world and went to the cross. We pray that when they are tempted, they - like Jesus - will overcome.

The reward for those who overcome is nothing less than eternal life. Paul writes in Ephesians about being “seated with Christ”, saying:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6-7

The amazing thing about this verse is, it says that God means for the church to display his wealth. In fact, Paul calls it God’s “incomparable riches”. But it is riches measured not in money nor status. God raised us up and seated us with Christ so that he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The bible says: Come to Jesus and buy from him gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Come to Jesus and live.

Weak and wounded sinner

Lost and left to die

O, raise your head, for love is passing by

Come to Jesus

Come to Jesus

Come to Jesus and live!

(“Come to Jesus” by Chris Rice)