A Divine Intervention (A sermon based on Revelation 3:14-22)

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A Divine Intervention

A sermon based on Revelation 3:14-22

Sunday, May 9, 2010 - Easter 6C

        The man was in his late thirties and had two young boys both attending the Lutheran grade school. One day he came to pick up his boys and was told they were in the church office. Assuming they were in trouble he went went over to church with a curse under his breath. I followed knowing what was really going on.

        Once he entered the office, it was the my job as vicar to block the door. You see, the boys weren't in trouble. He was. It started with marijuana joints, but quickly moved to cocaine and heroine, and this young father's life quickly spiraled out of control. There in the church office he was surprised to see his ex-wife, his pastor, his boss, two church elders, and even his two young boys. He felt hurt and betrayed at the surprise. And it felt uncomfortable (to say the least) for me as the vicar (that's what we call pastoral interns in our church body) to be there at the "intervention" of this man I'd just recently met. 

        But it worked. He went to rehab. He got cleaned up. He took the Bible Information Class again and, though he still struggled, he was working hard at becoming the faithful employee, the loving father and active church member that God had called him to be. 

        And it was a valuable lesson that I learned. Sometimes love has to be tough. It has to tell the truth, even when that truth is jarring, even when that truth is uncomfortable, even when that truth hurts. Because sometimes, to not be tough or even harsh with someone is to be unloving as we let them continue down the path of self-destruction.

        It is such tough love that Jesus showed to a congregation in ancient Greece. The the congregation of believers in Laodicea he wrote a harsh letter through the Apostle John. But he rebuked his people out of love, to jar them out of their apathy and to help them overcome the temptations and struggles of their sinful nature that they might win the final victory in him. 

        And we do well to listen in and apply these truths to ourselves and rejoice even in the tough love that Jesus gives us. For it is love for us that prompts him to make a divine intervention. 

        Feel free to follow along with the text which is printed on page 5 of the worship folder and to use the insert to take notes as you listen to Jesus' tough love recorded in Revelation 3:14-22...

        

¹⁴ "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹ 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. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

I. With Rebuke and Discipline

        What's worse ignorance or apathy? I'm sure you've heard the ironic answer, "I don't know and I don't care." But Jesus gives a different answer to that question: Ignorance is better than apathy by far! Being cold to the gospel, ignorant, or even hostile to it is better than those who know the truth but are apathetic to it. 

        Laodicea was a wealthy well-known for thee things: 1) for their finances, 2) for their fashion, and 3) for their pharmaceuticals. There was no doubt about it: the Laodiceans had been very blessed by God. Maybe too blessed. The health and wealth that God had given to them led to their complacency. They had all they needed: Enough money to live comfortably, fine clothes, good food, and good health. Life was good...or so they thought. But their wealth led them to be stingy toward God. They were growing more and more apathetic toward him and toward spiritual matters. And they were in danger of losing their faith (if they hadn't already). 

        But God loved them too much to let that happen. So he would intervene. With a divine intervention, Jesus rebuked them. Through John and through their pastor he showed them some tough love: "because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.... you are wretched, pitiful..." and those so proud of their wealth, their medical skills that could restore sight, and their fine and fashionable clothes, Jesus called, "poor, blind and naked."

        Though they thought they were doing just fine -- great, really -- the Laodiceans were anything but. They were wretched in their apathy. Pitiful in their sin! They were impoverished, dirt poor, with no righteousness before God at all. They stood naked and bare before him with their shameful sins exposed, and worst of all they were blind to their condition. In short, even though they thought they were doing pretty good, they made Jesus sick -- so sick he was ready to spit them out, literally, to vomit them up.

        Wow! Harsh, huh? But why did he do it? He tells them: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." The most un-loving thing Jesus could do to them would have been to ignore the situation, leave things alone, and let them continue on their path to hell. But in love, he couldn't do that. He had to intervene. He had to rebuke them and discipline them to lead them to repent and turn to him.

        And friends, you know that God loves us enough to the same for us. He will not leave us to our own destruction, but must intervene to rebuke and discipline us. 

        Now, notice that Jesus addresses not the congregation, but their pastor: "the angel," or messenger, "of the church in Laodicea." So, if I'm to be a faithful messenger of the church in Raleigh, I have to ask, "Have you lost your zeal for the gospel? Are you still hot? Enthusiastic about serving your Savior? Or have the blessings that he's given to you, the great wealth with which we've all been blessed (as even the poorest among us have so much more than most in this world), has that wealth distracted you from what's most important? Have the comforts and conveniences and pleasures of this life led you to treat your Bibles with apathy and neglect?"

        "Have you lost your zeal to reach the lost? Have you lost your desire to grow in your faith? Have you become complacent and apathetic in your Christian living thinking, 'I'm just fine. I've come a long way in my faith. I need not grow anymore. Now it's time for a break. Now it's me time.'? Have you lost your holy discontent to grow, to serve, to love Jesus by loving others?" 

        Then watch out! Don't let your lukewarm attitudes sicken Jesus to the point that he will vomit you out of his mouth! Harsh? Maybe. But that's Jesus tough love. He still rebukes and disciplines those he loves. You have an ear! So hear what the Spirit says to you! Be earnest! Repent! Hear his voice! Listen to it and open the door!

        And when you do, he will not abandon you. He will come in and will help you to overcome! For Jesus did another intervention...

II. With Love and Salvation

        Even though Jesus didn't offer a single word of praise for this sad congregation, the letter he had John write to them was not without comfort. It wasn't all law, but was full of gospel promise! In spite of their apathy, Jesus didn't spit them out, but continued to hold out his gracious offer...

        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... If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me... 

        Ironically, the Laodiceans, well-known for for their finances, their fashion, and their pharmaceuticals, were poor before God, naked without his righteousness to cover them, and blind to their spiritual condition. But Jesus didn't just intervene to point out their condition. He also intervened to save them. 

        He also intervened to before God to become the solution that they and all sinners need. You see, even though the word "vicar" means substitute, I couldn't take place of that young father to take his drug addiction on myself to cure him of it. And even if I could have, I wouldn't have. I was only be there to help point him in the right direction and encourage him to get the help he needed elsewhere. 

        But Jesus is the true vicar. He is the perfect substitute who took the place of every sinner in hell. He intervened by taking our apathy toward his Word on himself. He took our lackluster attitudes toward his sacrifice on himself. And there on that cross, he hung naked, shamed, pitiful and wretched, covered with the filth of our sins, so that we might be pure and clean, covered with the white robes of his righteousness!

        And so, he offered the Laodiceans true wealth: the gold of the gospel. He offered them the robes of his righteousness that would never go out of fashion. He offered them a salve that would give them spiritual sight and save their souls. And Jesus offers the same to us still!     

        Now he pleads with us, "Turn to me! Trust in the forgiveness I won for you! Listen to my Word! Listen to what the Spirit says of your sin and of my grace that he might heal your blindness with the salve of the Word, that you might see the truth clearly again! Don't lock me out! Let me in that we might dine together and share the close intimacy we once had! Let me restore your zeal for my Word and your zeal in serving me and others! Let my gospel fire you up again so you're not lukewarm any more, but hot!"

        And finally, even to this lukewarm church that was close to being spit out, Jesus offered the promise of heaven with him: "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." After he overcame all sin by his sacrifice, Jesus was rewarded with his heavenly throne. And now, he rewards those who claim his victory through him. That victory is ours!

       And now, the great grace that Jesus has shown to us, intervening with his tough love to rebuke and discipline us when we need it, intervening before the Father on our behalf to win for us the true wealth of the gospel, his robes of righteousness, and spiritual sight and health for all of eternity -- this great grace shown to us, gives us the courage to intervene on behalf of others.

        Do you know someone apathetic toward spiritual things? Do you know someone content with the wealth and health they enjoy in this life? Then it's time for an intervention. Take that co-worker out for lunch -- your treat! Call up that family member who seems to have turned their back on Jesus and invite them to sit down and talk. Have your neighbor over for dinner with a plan to turn the conversation to spiritual things. Jesus hasn't spit them out of his mouth for eternity -- not yet. So confront them now, while there's time. It won't always be comfortable. It won't always be fun. But in thanks to God for his divine intervention with you, you can be someone's angel -- a messenger that intervenes with Jesus' rebuke and discipline, but especially with his love and salvation. And Jesus, our Savior, will help us overcome. In his name, dear friends, amen.