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Sermon preached on Revelation 3:7-22 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 01/12/2025 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
As we continue our Revelation series, we complete today the section on the letters to the seven churches. Recall, that we’ve been considering that vision which showed Jesus tending to his churches like how a priest cared for lampstands in the temple. These letters are Jesus speaking a powerful message to each of these seven churches. The sorts of issues these churches were facing are the types of challenges churches may yet be facing today, so they are ripe for modern application. As we come to the last two letters, they are quite the contrast to each other. The letter to Philadelphia is one of only two letters that has nothing bad to say about them – Jesus doesn’t mention any problem in their church. On the other hand, the letter to Laodicea is the only letter that has nothing good to say about them – Jesus doesn’t commend their church for anything. So, we have two letters, a good church and a bad church, yet both received a letter from Jesus. The good church was not so good that it didn’t need counsel from Jesus. The bad church was not so bad that it couldn’t still use counsel from Jesus. This thought alone gives us great application today – no matter what our church’s or personal spiritual estate, we need God’s Word. As we dig into the details of the two letters, we’ll find that the one to Philadelphia encourages a faithful church to persevere under continued opposition, and the one to Laodicea warns a faithless church to repent and truly receive Jesus before it is too late.
We’ll begin by considering the letter to Philadelphia in verses 7-13. This is the only thing we know about this church in the Bible, as nowhere else is it mentioned in Scripture. There is also very little reference to this church in early church writings. We might remember how the previous letter to Sardis addressed a church that had a great Christian reputation but was actually a dead church. In contrast, Philadelphia’s outward Christian reputation seems rather unnotable, yet Jesus here gives them such a positive review. So then, Jesus addresses this letter to Philadelphia’s angel, identifying himself as the holy and true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Similar to Smyrna, we’ll see that they are facing persecution from Jews. Such persecuting Jews would claim that they, and not Gentiles, are God’s holy people and who have an interest in the Davidic Messiah and his kingdom. But Jesus begins by encouraging this church that they have known the David Messiah, and he is the one who will usher them into that promised kingdom, even as such unbelieving Jews won’t be able to enter. There is nothing any human can do to keep out of Christ’s kingdom whom Jesus receives, even as there is no human who can enter Christ’s kingdom whom Jesus does not receive.
So then, following the normal pattern, the body of the letter to Philadelphia begins in verse 8 with the words, “I know.” Jesus commends their works. He commends them for keeping his word. He commends them for not denying the faith. He commends their patient endurance, verse 10. This is all acknowledged in the context of the persecution they have been experiencing from the Jews, verse 9. Like at Smyrna, the synagogue of Jews at Philadelphia have been afflicting them. Jesus again explains that they are really a synagogue of Satan, and that they aren’t really Jews. Again, he is saying that to be truly Jewish is not about your ethnicity but your faith. These Jews were genealogically Jewish, but their faith had failed because it did not receive Jesus, the promised Davidic Messiah. When they rejected the long-awaited king, they simultaneously were rejecting the kingdom. They unwittingly became disciples of Satan in persecuting the one true church of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Jesus says that the slanderous words of these Jews against the Christians at Philadelphia are but lies, false claims.
In the face of such persecution, even lies from the enemy, Jesus gives them the truth. Jesus acknowledges them and their faith and even speaks of them having a crown. Jesus encourages them with such truth to persevere in the faith amidst such persecution. They are to, “Hold fast,” according to verse 11. And he also encourages them that he will keep them from the hour of trial that is coming on the world, likely referring to how he will guard and protect them when such testing comes.
Another way Jesus encourages them in the face of Jewish persecution is to predict that the Jews will ultimately learn the truth. For the moment, many Jews opposed the Christians, but there was yet a harvest of salvation that Jesus would reap among ethnic Jews. We see this in verse 9. Jesus speaks of how he will ultimately make the Jews to come and bow down before the Philadelphian Christians and they’ll learn that Jesus loves them. This alludes to a prophecy from Isaiah 45:14 which foretells how one day Gentiles would come before God’s people and bow down to them in recognizing that God is with them. The idea is that Isaiah foretells Gentiles coming to God’s people to be saved because they finally recognize the truth. This letter puts the Jews in the place of nations coming to the Christians to find salvation and a true knowledge of God. Indeed, this has been happening and will continue to happen until all the elect Jews are saved.
The letter to Philadelphia then closes with the promise that to the one who overcomes that they will be a pillar in the temple of God, always staying in temple. While some Jews incorrectly claimed Gentile Christians were not part of God’s chosen people, Jesus says actually they will enjoy the greatest height of what it means to be part of God’s people. They will be a pillar in the true temple of God. Think of the psalms that say how wonderful it is to be in God’s temple. Psalm 23 rejoiced at a future where we would dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 84 rejoiced that a day in God’s house is better than a thousand elsewhere. David prayed in Psalm 27 that he could dwell in God’s house forever. Jesus says that Christians, Jew or Gentile, will find that answered. When Christ returns, we who are victorious in Christ will dwell with God forever in the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven. The end of Revelation describes that as a temple on earth, because God and his Christ will dwell there together with all of us Christians.
This conclusion also promises the victorious Christian that they will also receive several names written on them, the name of God, the name of the new Jerusalem, and the new name of Jesus. We might remember the theme of reputation again when we hear the language of a name. Not only do victorious Christians receive a new name (2:17), but we will also receive these other names to mark us as God’s own. The Aaronic benediction was described as God putting his name upon his people, Numbers 6:27. That is what this is here. God blesses us who overcome in Christ by putting these names upon us. We have the blessing of the very name of God, we belong to Him! We have the blessing of the temple of the new Jerusalem, we will live with Him! And we have the blessing of that new name of Jesus, the name that speaks of his final and full victory. We will win with Him!
Let us take an application from this letter that no matter what lies opponents to Christianity say about us, it doesn’t matter. What really matters is what Jesus says of us. If we hold fast in faith, not denying Jesus, but trusting in Jesus, we can have confidence in our eternity. What Jesus holds out to Philadelphia, he holds out to us as well, that the door is open unto eternal glory. We enter into the kingdom in Jesus! Be encouraged at the holy and true promises of Jesus!
Let us turn now to consider this letter to Laodicea in verses 14-22. Laodicea was a very affluent city. It reminds me of Marin County. Its affluence came in part from its strong clothing manufacturing and also from its prominent medical school, especially its school of ophthalmology. Such affluence can breed self-reliance and arrogance, trusting in one’s wealth and success. Certainly, that is an issue from a spiritual standpoint for this rather wretched church. Jesus addresses this letter to Laodicea’s angel, identifying himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness. Jesus is here to bear witness to what is true about these Laodiceans who seem self-deceived, thinking themselves spiritually well off, when they weren’t. Jesus also identifies himself as the beginning or source of God’s creation, which if it refers to the earthly creation, would remind them that all earthly wealth comes from him. Or, if it is a reference to the new creation, it would remind them how they need to let go of the old creation and find the treasure of the new creation in Jesus.
The body of the letter to Laodicea begins in verse 15 with the words, “I know.” Jesus describes their works as neither cold or hot, but lukewarm or tepid. Jesus is threatening to spit them out because of this. While it is often assumed that to be hot here would be a good thing and to be cold would be a bad thing, let us notice that Jesus says in verse 15 that either hot or cold would be good. Interestingly, despite all Laodicea’s affluence, the history books record that their water source was horrible, something that was an embarrassment to them. Colosse to the east had a wonderful source of cold water, great for drinking. Hierapolis, to the north, had wonderful hot springs, whose water was used for medicinal purposes. But Laodicea’s water was neither hot nor cold, rather it was tepid, nauseating, and disgusting. It seems Jesus is taking their historical setting and using it as a spiritual analogy of their Christian works. Their works as Christians are as this worthless water that their city had.
Jesus’ critique only gets stronger from there. He goes on in verse 17 to confront their spiritual estate by exposing that they had a misplaced trust and hope. Jesus uses their own words against them. They speak of how rich and wealthy they are, needing nothing. Christians ought not to fundamentally trust in such earthly things, but that’s what they were doing. The deceitfulness of riches had deluded the Laodicean church. Jesus tells them the truth. They actually are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Jesus, obviously, speaks of their spiritual estate. Surely Jesus said they were poor, blind, and naked, to confront what they were trusting in. Society said Laodiceans were rich because of their successful business ventures; Jesus says that they are poor because they have not pursued heavenly riches but instead are living compromised lives. Society might ask, how can you say that they are blind when, when the Laodiceans are leaders in the treatment of the disorders of the eye? But Jesus says that they are spiritually blind, because they do not see their own sin and diseased spiritual condition. Society might ask, how can you call them naked, when the Laodicean’s manufacturing of fabrics and cloths are clothing the world? But Jesus says that the Laodicean have forgotten that earthly clothing can never cover the shame of their spiritual nakedness which exposes their sin. This is a harsh word to the Laodicean church. It is not just their works that were worthless. Somehow this church ended up full of souls who had put their trust in the wrong place.
Despite such a shocking rebuke, we see the hope that begins in verse 18. Jesus counsels them to buy spiritual treasures from him. They can receive from Jesus gold refined in the fire. They can receive white garments. They can receive salve for their eyes. Obviously, Jesus is speaking with metaphor, using the earthly things they trusted to redirect them to heavenly treasure. How can they buy such things from Jesus? Well, the first thing is to realize they don’t cost any money. It’s like how Isaiah 55 speaks of how we can buy bread from God without money, so too Jesus offers these things freely. As verse 19 says, they need to repent. They can yet turn in faith to Christ to look to him for these things. They need to receive spiritual sight so that they understand what is truly of value. They need to find the spiritual clothes of Christ’s righteousness to cover their sinful nakedness. They need to then strive for the riches and reward that come from God, through the fruitful works of a life in Christ.
Verse 19 further encourages them by implying that this hard letter is a function of his love and discipline for his chosen people there at Laodicea. He wants them to be saved and to thrive as Christians. Indeed, what he implies in verse 19, he then gives as an explicit gospel call in verse 20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Will the church hear this strong rebuke, be cut to the heart and repent? If so, it means they will turn and receive Jesus and take his word into their hearts. This complements the previous letter to Philadelphia where Jesus assured them that he had an open door for them into the kingdom. So then, if Laodicea will open their door to receive Jesus into their lives, they will find that Jesus will open the door of the kingdom to them.
Indeed, the letter to Laodicea then closes with such a promise. Jesus says they will sit on Jesus’ throne even as he sat on the father’s throne. This is the language of kingship. It is the king who sits on the throne. As a reward, the church is offered something far better than the fleeting earthly treasures of Laodicea. Here God promises the reward of reigning with Christ on the very throne of God. No earthly treasure or success can compare to the royal throne of the Almighty God. Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to that treasure.
Let us take the application that no matter how bleak a church or an individual’s spiritual estate is, they are not without hope. We might be tempted to think someone is a lost cause. Someone might think they themselves are beyond help. But if Jesus had hope that this church at Laodicea could yet be saved, then surely God’s Word can save the most lost among us.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, we have these two letters today of two very different churches. Both the healthy and the sick churches needed God’s Word. That means you individually need God’s Word. Have you been giving proper heed to God’s Word? We should attend to God’s Word at church. We should also attend to at home. Read it. Study it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Look to live it out. See how it directs you to hope not in yourself but in Christ. See how it calls you to live a fervent life for Jesus, a life lived in Christian works. See how it encourages you when troubles come to persevere. See how it gives a wake-up call when you need it.
We’ve now considered these letters to the seven churches. They gave the direction Christ’s churches here on earth need as we live for him. As we move forward in Revelation, we will be directed upward into the heavenly throne room of God where we will see our majestic God and our victorious Savior seated in glory. Revelation will show us that while Christ’s churches struggle here on earth, God is sovereignly working out his good plan for us. This heavenly and eternal perspective is to encourage us to persevere in faith while we patiently endure until the end. I look forward to continuing this study with you.
Amen.
Copyright © 2025 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
