Knocking at the Door: Christ's Message to Laodicea

The wealthy church of Laodicea presents a cautionary tale for believers today. After surviving a devastating earthquake, this prosperous community proudly refused Rome's financial assistance, declaring "we can handle this ourselves." This spirit of self-sufficiency had seeped into their spiritual lives, creating a dangerous disconnect between perception and reality. While they saw themselves as "rich and prosperous, needing nothing," Christ diagnosed them as "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

Many scholars identify our current era as the "Laodicean age" of church history. Though not all congregations fall into this category, those in prosperous Western nations face unique spiritual dangers. As we explore in this episode, prosperity can destroy our spiritual lives faster than poverty – a truth King David understood when he prayed for neither too much wealth (lest he forget God) nor too little (lest he be driven to sin). Even more alarming is the prophecy that the Antichrist will use prosperity as a weapon of destruction.

Yet Christ's message doesn't end with rebuke. "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline," He assures before offering one of scripture's most beautiful invitations: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." This image of Christ seeking fellowship around a meal speaks to His desire for genuine relationship, not mere religious observance. The letter concludes with an astonishing promise that transforms rebuke into hope: "The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne."

Are you struggling with lukewarm faith? Open the door to Christ's knock today and experience the genuine fellowship He offers to all who have "ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Chapters

• 0:20 Introduction to Chronicles of End Times
• 0:53 The Church of Laodicea Explained
• 2:18 Reading Christ's Letter to Laodicea
• 3:55 Dangers of Prosperity in Faith
• 6:49 Christ Knocking at the Door
• 8:07 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Transcript

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Speaker Names

Speaker 1

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00:20

Welcome everyone. This is Russ Scalzo Chronicles of the End Times. I hope you're doing well today and following the Lord Jesus Christ, hearing from the Holy Spirit, for in this world which we live in today, we need to hear from God, not once a week or once a month or once a year, but every single day, staying in touch so we can be one of those that the Lord mentions in the book of Revelation he who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So, on that note, we're going to be looking at chapter 3 of Revelation, the church of Laodicea, the letter to the church of Laodicea. 

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01:03

If you're a follower of Bible prophecy, you may know that that was a rich church, a well-to-do church, and there's a lot of history written about that. During that time in Laodicea and the surrounding area they had a violent earthquake, and many things were destroyed, and at that time Rome, who was in control of that whole area and beyond, offered financial help so they could rebuild their city. But Laodicea refused and said, no, we can handle this ourselves. And they did so we get from that that the area around the Laodicean church was wealthy, and people were doing pretty well there, and they enjoyed their independence because of it. And sometimes, along with that feeling of independence and confidence, there's a feeling of I can do anything. I got this kind of attitude, which can be healthy at times, but in this case, because of how the Lord addresses this church, it had seeped into the church and into their philosophy and theology and they were very proud. 

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02:12

Let's read it, but I want to point out some things that maybe are not so obvious. Let's check it out and to the angel of the church in Laodicea write the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. With that, you are either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say I am rich, and I have prospered. I need nothing not realizing that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by the fire so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. We'll stop there for a minute. The Lord has a lot of things to say here that are not very complimentary, let's say, of the church of Laodicea, but I love. At the end of all this rebuke, he says to them those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. And I believe that is a powerful message to the church. 

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03:38

Today. We are in the Laodicean age, as many have written and spoke about over the years. But also, within these seven letters, these seven churches, we see different types of churches, fellowships that exist today. Although we consider this to be the Laodicean era, there are many churches throughout the world that are not like this. They are like one of the other of the seven churches that God addressed. There are churches that are faithful, like in Church of Philadelphia, that don't have a lot. 

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04:15

Those of you listening in other parts of the world might say, yeah, I can relate to that. We have a great group of people that come to gather, and we have little of what this world would consider riches. But we love Jesus and God is moving among us. Unfortunately, prosperity has a way of destroying us. I guess that's my biggest problem with prosperity preaching. You know that God wants us to prosper. You know he wants to just bless us and bless us and bless us. And is that scriptural? Yes, it is to an extent, but we have to be careful, because prosperity will bring us down faster than poverty. In fact, David writes in his Psalms he said, lord, just give me enough so I can be happy, so I can live my life. Don't give me too much that I forget about you, and don't give me too little that I go out and try to steal to survive. David knew what he was talking about, and in the book of Daniel, the Lord prophesied that the coming Antichrist would destroy people with prosperity. So, we have to be careful. I like paying my bills, I like having money to give to other people if they need it, but with great prosperity comes great temptation. 

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05:29

The point here is that, although he rebukes the church, Laodicea, telling them that you know, you guys think you got it all together, but you don't he doesn't leave it there. Aren't you thankful for that? He says those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So, he's letting them know he loves them. So, he tells them then, though, I love you them. So, he tells them then, though I love you, you need to do something. You need to have zeal and repent. You need to be zealous for me. If you have zeal for God, you'll be drawing closer to God and then, as you draw closer to God, you will realize you need to repent of some things. That's the formula. So, he's telling them look, these are the things I found that I'm not pleased with, but those whom I love, I rebuke. Basically, he's saying. So, what I want you to do is be zealous for me not for things, but for me and repent. 

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06:23

I believe that is the message for the churches in the West. By the West I mean, geopolitically, the democracies, those who are in more affluent countries where prosperity abounds. Yes, there are people struggling. We live here month to month. God always provides, but it still exceeds those in other countries around the world. He goes on to say Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. 

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06:57

Fellowship, that's what he's saying. He's saying to the church Laodicea, to the churches today behold, these are the things I don't like, and if you're not careful, I'm going to come and take the spirit from you, but I want you to have zeal for me and I want you to repent, because I am knocking at your heart's door and if you open it, I will come in and hang out with you. Why does he say he's going to come in and eat with them? Because that's where we have our greatest fellowship. That's why it's important for a family to sit around a table and have dinner together, which is almost non-existent in this crazy busy world. That's where we sit and talk, and we eat and we're more relaxed and we can open up. 

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07:37

And that's what Jesus is saying Come on, open the door. I'm just not going to say, hey, how are you? That's great, I'll move on. No, I'm going to sit down with you. Let's have something to eat. That's what he did with the disciples Always, even at the end, when he was in his glorified body, he was cooking fish on the beach. It's fellowship, true fellowship, is spending time, not five minutes, but spending time. So, he's telling us open the door, let me come in and we'll hang out together. 

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08:07

And he ends with this the one who conquers. I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. What a turnaround from going from a rebuke telling them they're in trouble, they're in danger of losing everything, that they're lukewarm. He's going to spit them out of his mouth. 

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08:29

And it ends with come and sit on my throne with me. What is that? That's the grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ. But remember, grace is not an open door to do anything we want in the name of Jesus. Grace is the door we open and let Jesus in that we may sit with him and have fellowship and get closer to him, so that one day, that great promise, which is really beyond our imagination, says come, come, and sit with me on my throne. What an amazing letter that letter is to the Church of Laodicea. This is Russ Scalzo for Chronicles of the End Times. Love you all. Thank you for your support. Keep looking up, for the King is coming. 

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