Revelation 3:20-22
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.
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.
“Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)
“Laodicea was a commercial and administrative center, the richest city in its district. In fact, when it was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD, Laodicea refused imperial aid that its neighbors gladly accepted. Laodicea “was known throughout the Roman world of its time for three things: its banks, which even Cicero recommended for exchanging money, its linen and wool industry, which produced cloth, and carpets, especially from the glossy black wool of sheep reared in the area; its medical school and widely famed medicines, notable among which was an eye-ointment. (See Revelation 3:17-18). Laodicea’s sister city were Hierapolis and Colosse. Because Laodicea was built to suit the trade routes rather than natural resources, the city had no local water supply. Water had to be piped in through stone conduits. This made the city extremely vulnerable to attack, so its politicians specialized in appeasement. Laodicea had a large Jewish population –at least 7,500 adult males.”Laodicea means, “rule of the people” or “judgment of the people.” “(2, pg. 43)
We, like the church at Laodicea have taken pride in our resources and accomplishments. However, Jesus had to remind them that they were: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked (3:17); although they accumulated money in their banks, produced an eye-ointment in their medical school, and linen and wool for cloth. Especially glossy black wool of the sheep reared in that area—reminds me of the Nursery Rhyme, “Baa, Baa Black Sheep”. In their self-pride in their accomplishments, they had forgotten their benefactor— the source of their supply—the Savior, Himself.
Jesus’ position with the church of Laodicea is the same position He takes with us today, outside the door (Revelation 3:20) of our hearts, homes, churches, and concerns. “God is standing outside the doors of our homes— the black doors, the green doors, the red doors, the white doors, the shabby doors, and the neat doors. Shall we open those doors to Him and invite Him into our family circle? He is waiting for us to do just that.” (3. pg. 129) God is ever-present, and accessible— yet waiting to be invited in to our hearts, homes, churches, and concerns. We may sometimes wonder why God isn’t doing more in some of our situations; we may even get angry at God for not caring. The problem is not with God; it’s that we’ve never had the courage to invite God into the problem, give it to Him completely to solve, and trust Him totally with the outcome. Have we prepared room for the Savior in our hearts, homes, churches, and concerns? Are there areas of our lives that we frankly feel that Jesus should have no involvement in? If He’s not Lord of all, is He Lord at all? Are we so full of ourselves that we can only “top our glass-off” with the Savior through a few minutes when we have nothing else on our schedule? Have we left the Savior standing outside the door, knocking and waiting, again?
Jesus, the Savior, “was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a substitionary death, bodily rose from the dead, and is physically coming back again.” (1. pg. 162) Have you made room for the Savior?
References
- Evans, Tony, Dry Bones Dancing, Multnomah, Publishers, Inc., Sister, OR,2005
- Revelation, Life Change Series, NavPress, Colorado Springs,Co.,1989.
- Shoemaker, Helen Smith, The Secret of Effective Prayer, Word Books, Waco TX, 1967
Homewords Ministry 