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Texts -- Revelation 3:14-22 (NET)

Context
To the Church in Laodicea
3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following : “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen , the faithful and true witness , the originator of God’s creation : 3:15 ‘I know your deeds , that you are neither cold nor hot . I wish you were either cold or hot ! 3:16 So because you are lukewarm , and neither hot nor cold , I am going to vomit you out of my mouth ! 3:17 Because you say , “I am rich and have acquired great wealth , and need nothing ,” but do not realize that you are wretched , pitiful , poor , blind , and naked , 3:18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich ! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed , and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see ! 3:19 All those I love , I rebuke and discipline . So be earnest and repent ! 3:20 Listen ! I am standing at the door and knocking ! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him , and he with me . 3:21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne , just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne . 3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches .’”

Pericope

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Arts

Hymns

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  • Ajaib Benar Anugerah [KJ.40] ( Amazing Grace )
  • Dari Kubur yang Kelam [KJ.190]
  • Di SalibMu 'Ku Sujud [KJ.361] ( I Am Coming to the Cross )
  • Meski Tak Layak Diriku [KJ.27]
  • T'lah Kutemukan Dasar Kuat [KJ.38]
  • Yang T'lah Menang [KJ.263]
  • [Rev 3:20] Behold, A Stranger At The Door!
  • [Rev 3:20] Behold Me Standing At The Door
  • [Rev 3:20] Come In, O Blessed One
  • [Rev 3:20] Come In, O Come!
  • [Rev 3:20] Come, Let Us Who In Christ Believe
  • [Rev 3:20] Father, Thou Art Calling
  • [Rev 3:20] God Calling Yet
  • [Rev 3:20] Have You Any Room For Jesus?
  • [Rev 3:20] If Any Man Hear
  • [Rev 3:20] Knocking, Knocking, Who Is There?
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Him Come In
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Him In
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart
  • [Rev 3:20] Master’s Call, The
  • [Rev 3:20] O Jesus, Thou Art Standing
  • [Rev 3:20] Only A Step
  • [Rev 3:20] Room For Jesus
  • [Rev 3:20] Seeking, Calling, Knocking
  • [Rev 3:20] Shall I Be Saved Tonight?
  • [Rev 3:20] Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
  • [Rev 3:20] Slighted Stranger, The
  • [Rev 3:20] Somebody’s Knocking At Your Door
  • [Rev 3:20] Who At My Door Is Standing?
  • [Rev 3:21] Ruler Of The Hosts Of Light
  • [Rev 3:21] Soldiers, Who Are Christ’s Below
  • [Rev 3:21] They That Overcome

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Revelation 2-3; Frivolity; Thirty-one New Testament Descriptions of Sinful Mankind; The Word “Amen”

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The lighting of the lamps in the tabernacle symbolized the consecration of the Levites who were to represent the whole nation as lights to the world (vv. 1-4; cf. Isa. 42:6). The high priest was in charge of the lampstand (cf...
  • Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was Josiah's third son to rule over Judah. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (v. 20) by making a treaty with Pharaoh Hophra (589-570 B.C.) under pressure from nationalists in Judah (cf. Jer. 37-38)."Clea...
  • Israel, however, had been a wayward flock in the past. This led the writer to warn the people to avoid the sins that had resulted in the wilderness wanderings. At Meribah (lit. strife; Exod. 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13) and Massah (...
  • The preceding pericope recorded how the Lord preserved his prophet, and this one shows how He preserved the prophet's rescuer.39:15-16 Before his release from the stockade, the Lord told Jeremiah to give a message to Ebed-mel...
  • 27:1-3 The Lord instructed Ezekiel to write a lamentation over Tyre, though presently it was renowned for its seafaring and commercial leadership in the world. Tyre's neighboring kings sang the first dirge over Tyre's demise ...
  • 1:7 In view of the inevitability of coming judgment for idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to be quiet before sovereign Yahweh (cf. Hab. 2:20)."This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner of oppositi...
  • Jesus balanced the need for humility and service with a promise of future reward. Though the Twelve are in view the implication of reward for other faithful disciples is strong. Jesus evidently repeated this promise in differ...
  • This is another of Luke's exquisite and unique stories. Various students of it have noted its similarity to the stories of the feeding of the 5,000 (9:10-17), the appearance in Jerusalem (vv. 36-49), and the Ethiopian eunuch ...
  • John began his Gospel by locating Jesus before the beginning of His ministry, before His virgin birth, and even before Creation. He identified Jesus as co-existent with God the Father and the Father's agent in providing creat...
  • 16:5 Jesus again pointed out that the revelation of His departure had made the disciples sad rather than happy. They had little interest in where He was going. What concerned them was the sorrow that His departure produced fo...
  • In this part of his speech Peter cited three proofs that Jesus was the Messiah: His miracles (v. 22), His resurrection (vv. 23-32), and His ascension (vv. 33-35). Verse 36 is a summary conclusion.2:22 Peter argued that God ha...
  • 19:8 Paul followed his standard procedure of preaching to the Jews in the synagogue at Ephesus as long as possible. Here the Jews were more tolerant than they had been in some other towns that Paul had evangelized, and he was...
  • "Nowhere else in Paul's writings do we find a more concise collection of ethical injunctions. In these five verses are thirteen exhortations ranging from love of Christians to hospitality for strangers. There are no finite ve...
  • To encourage Timothy further to endure hardship Paul cited a commonly accepted and used quotation that encouraged believers to remain faithful to their Christian profession (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8). It may have ...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • These verses summarize what the writer said previously about irrevocable loss through disobedience, unbelief, apostasy, and contempt for New Covenant privileges. The fearful warning about Esau brings these earlier warnings to...
  • This epistle does not contain the name of its writer, but from its very early history the church believed the Apostle John wrote it. Several ancient writers referred to this book as John's writing.1Though modern critics have ...
  • John reminded his readers of their spiritual blessings to motivate them to cultivate intimate fellowship with God."Because his readers are Christians and have in part experienced the power of their faith he moves them to nobl...
  • The subject of the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ (1:1). It is an unveiling ("revelation") of Him. What does this book reveal about Christ? The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ, the power ...
  • I. The preparation of the prophet ch. 1A. The prologue of the book 1:1-81. The preface 1:1-32. The address and doxology 1:4-63. The theme 1:7-8B. The commission of the prophet 1:9-201. The first commission to write 1:9-112. T...
  • "As is true of NT epistles in general, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting."181:4 John sent this letter to the seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3, which we...
  • 1:9 John now addressed the seven churches to which he sent this epistolary prophecy directly. He described himself to his readers as their brother in Christ and a partaker with them in three things. These were, first, the rel...
  • John turned to see the person who had given him his commission. These verses describe what he saw.1:12 When John turned to see the person who spoke to him he saw a majestic figure clothed in a long robe standing among seven l...
  • John's response to this revelation was similar to Daniel's response to the vision God gave him (cf. Dan. 10:7-9). Jesus then proceeded to give John more information about what He wanted him to do.1:17 This revelation of Jesus...
  • These persecuted Christians did not need to fear their adversaries or death since they would live forever with Jesus Christ. "Behold"signals an oracular declaration (cf. 2:22; 3:8, 9, 20).96The devil would incite their foes t...
  • The Pergamum Christians had held firmly to their commitment to Jesus Christ and their witness for Him even though they lived in one of Satan's strongholds."Antipas is said to have been a dentist and a physician, but the Aescu...
  • The prize for faithfulness was the privilege of reigning with Christ in His earthly kingdom (cf. 1:6; 12:5; 19:15; Ps. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4-6). As with the promises in the other letters, this one is probably for all ...
  • Jesus Christ gave no rebuke to this church, as was true of the church in Smyrna. He gave the Christians five promises instead.1. Their Jewish antagonists would eventually have to acknowledge that the Christians were the true ...
  • This church received no commendation, a fact that makes this letter unique compared to the other six.The deeds of the Laodicean Christians manifested their heart attitude. They were neither cold nor hot in their love for God,...
  • Since they considered themselves to be rich but were spiritually poor Jesus urged them to "buy,"implying self-sacrifice, the things they really needed (cf. Isa. 55:1). Instead of real gold they should buy "gold refined by fir...
  • In the context we note that God addressed well-known verse 20 to Christians."The first thing which a person mustget fixed in his mind when studying the message to the Church in Laodicea is the fact that the Spirit of God is a...
  • Chapters 4 and 5 prepared John, and they prepare the reader, for the outpouring of judgments on the earth that follow. They present the place from which these judgments originate and the Person from whom they come. Before rev...
  • "These things"refer to the revelation of the messages to the seven churches (chs. 2-3; cf. 1:19). After John had received these messages, he received a vision of heaven in which Jesus Christ invited him (cf. 1:10, 12-16) to e...
  • 4:2 As soon as John heard this invitation, he entered another ecstatic state (cf. 1:10). His body remained on the earth, but he saw a throne and someone sitting on it in heaven (cf. Ezek. 11:1, 5). "Throne"occurs 45 times in ...
  • 5:6 As with our dreams, John's vision contained some unusual features. John saw the Messiah as a Lamb.229The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ at His first advent, meek and submissive to a sacrificial death as our substitute (...
  • 6:1 "I saw"marks the continuation of what John had seen that chapters 4 and 5 record, but also the commencement of revelation concerning future events on earth. Chapters 1-5 have introduced this revelation. John was an eyewit...
  • 13:9 God and John called on the readers of this book to pay attention. Particularly those living at this time in the future should do so. Note that John made no reference to "the churches"as in similar exhortations in chapter...
  • The fact that separate and succeeding angels make these announcements stresses their importance and their sequential relationship. A second angel followed the first with the message that Babylon had fallen. This is another pr...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...
  • 18:4 Another voice from heaven instructed God's people to separate themselves from the system that the city symbolizes so they would avoid getting caught in her judgment. The being speaking is evidently an angel who speaks fo...
  • This pericope has strong ties to what precedes (16:17-18:24). It is the concluding revelation concerning the fall of Babylon, the latter-day Egypt and Tyre, and Antichrist, the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre....
  • On the one hand, the return of Jesus Christ to the earth is the climax of all that has preceded. On the other, it is the first of seven final things that John saw and recorded. These things were Christ's return, Satan's captu...
  • ". . . it is not difficult to see why the early church understood John to be teaching a millennium in Revelation 20. Three arguments support this interpretation: (1) the teaching of two resurrections, (2) the binding of Satan...
  • 20:11 This "And I saw"introduces something else John saw in this vision (cf. 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 12; 21:1, 2). The continuation of chronological progression seems clear from the continued use of "And"to introduce new info...
  • The next scenes in John's visions proved to be of conditions that will exist after the Millennium. He recorded this insight to reveal the final home of believers. There are many allusions to Isaiah 60 and 65 and Ezekiel 40-48...
  • 21:2 In the same vision, John next saw a city descending out of heaven from God (cf. v. 10; 3:12; Heb. 11:13-16). It was holy in contrast to the former Jerusalem (cf. 11:8; Isa. 52:1; Matt. 4:5; 27:53). As the old Jerusalem w...
  • Essentially what John saw next was Paradise regained (cf. 2:7; Gen. 2; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2). Having viewed the splendor of the New Jerusalem he now saw what will nourish and enrich the lives of God's people there."Up to t...
  • 22:12 Jesus Christ repeated His promise to return soon (v. 7, cf. 1:3; 22:20)."Nowhere is a date set, nor was there any definite promise that the consummation would occur within the lifetime of the first century Christians. N...
  • Abbott-Smith, George. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1950.Aldrich, Roy L. "The Divisions of the First Resurrection."Bibliotheca Sacra128:510 (April-June 1971):117-19.Alford, Henry. ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Their webs shall not become garments.'--Isaiah 59:6.I counsel thee to buy of me, white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.'--Rev. 3:18.THE force of these words of the proph...
  • "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot… be zealous therefore, and repent."--Rev. 3:15-19.We learn from Paul's Epistle to the Colossians that there was a very close connection between that Church and this a...
  • "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
  • "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."--Rev. 3:20.Many of us are familiar, I dare say, with the devoutly imaginativ...
  • "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."--Rev. 3:21.The Church at Laodicea touched the lowest point of Christian character. It h...
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