“The Real Test Begins Now.” Sermon on Revelation 3:14–22 for Confirmation, Easter 6, April 28/May 1, 2016

1. Every year as part of our Confirmation we have the public examination of the confirmands. And that serves a useful purpose of letting the students show you, the congregation, parents and grandparents what they know. The questions should also serve as a review of Christian teaching for you. Long ago, I started to wonder, ‘Does this really show what the students know?’ So I put together a test—a test on the whole Catechism, Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Sacraments, Keys, everything. And I decided to give it unannounced so that I would find out what the students really know—not what they studied the night before. I give the test every year, and every year I get some surprises—mostly good ones. Sometimes a student who struggled with memorization gets a better score than I thought he would. Sometimes a student that I didn’t think was listening gets a higher score. Then, there is always one student who writes a near-perfect test. Inside I cheer when I correct that test—one page with no wrong answers, two pages… three… oops, a ten pointer… excellent work! Another purpose of the test is to test how we are teaching. Are we getting the truths of Christ across to our children.
2. But that is only a test of the knowledge.  That’s all a public examination or a written test can do is test knowledge. It isn’t a test of faith. Faith is more than knowledge. It’s also acceptance of these truths and trust which is shown by our actions. Those will be tested too, by God himself.
3. In Revelation chapter 3, we read about a group of Christians that were failing the test. The book of Revelation begins as a letter to seven churches that were in ancient Turkey. And in this mini-epistle, Jesus speaks through the disciple John. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” “I know your deeds.” Remember that our actions reflect our trust, and that trust is that last and essential element of faith. Their deeds showed that they were neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. “Hot” has a different meaning in our time. What he is talking about here is hot as an active and living faith. If someone were to ask you about your faith, your answer would show that you are on fire with the Gospel and on fire with the Holy Spirit. “Oh, my faith is what drives my life. It’s what powers me every day. It’s my strength when I’m weak. My joy when I’m sad. It sets me right when my mind and life and deeds drift away from what is good.” “Cold” would mean no response at all—dead. “Lukewarm”… Young people have a word for that. “Meh.” Indifference. “Did you like the new movie?” “Meh.” “Did you like the new song?” “Meh.” “Tell me about your faith.” “Meh. Yeah, I do that church thing once in a while. The preacher is boring and dry. The hymns are old fashioned and long. Everything else is the same as the week before. Meh.” Lukewarm. Not much of a faith at all. So Jesus says, “because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” He may be referring to Laodicea’s water supply. Their water had a high sulfur content, so it smelled of rotten eggs and tasted even worse. Even bad tasting water can taste better  if it’s cold enough. If you heat it up and mix it with something like tea, that covers up a bad taste. But at room temperature—you taste and smell everything that’s wrong with it. “Ptooey!” That was Jesus’ judgment of their lukewarm faith.
4. In the next part, Jesus tells what the source of that lukewarm attitude is. “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.” Physically, they were rich. Laodicea was a wealthy town, famous around the ancient world for something called “Phrygian powder,” which could be mixed with oil or water into an ointment to cure some eye ailments. Physically rich. Spiritually poor. That’s the problem in our world, too. Look in your closet. Look in your refrigerator. Look in that corner of the basement or garage or attic where you put things you never use. Physically we are rich and have far more than we will ever need. Spiritually? We all have Bibles. [Some of you will be getting new, leather-bound Bibles with your name on the front.] Do we open them? Do we treasure the message? We have church, worship, bible study, school. Do we value these things as treasures? Do we strive to live these truths in our lives and show our trust? Or do we say, “I’m rich and don’t need a thing!” There’s good contentment and there’s bad contentment. Good contentment is when we look at all the blessings God gives and say, “I am content. I need nothing more. God has given all I need. I have no need to covet.” Bad contentment has more to do with attitude about yourself. “I am just great. I don’t need to change or improve.” Because of our broken and twisted human nature, we know that isn’t true. That’s the reason why we begin almost every worship service by saying, “I have sinned.” “I have done what is evil.” “I am sorry.” Without God, without the riches of his mercy and forgiveness, we are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” We need God’s amazing grace to save wretches like us.
5. And that’s what Jesus says next. “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.” Ah, here is some of the easiest symbolism in Revelation. Gold is the most precious of metals—what is of the highest value to the Christian? Isn’t it the Gospel—the Word of God that gives us Christ, that brings a message of forgiveness, that gives our lives new meaning and gives us a new value—changing us from poor, wretched sinners to children of God. “White clothes to wear.” Elsewhere, Revelation speaks of the saints who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). St. Paul said those who are baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27). That’s the reason why it has been a long tradition to wear white at confirmations. Confirmation is also a remembrance of baptism. We stand before God covered with the righteousness of Christ. We can’t stand alone. Christ’s goodness covers all our mistakes, errors and sins. That is why we are counted as God’s own—because we have Jesus, we confess him, we cling to him.
6. Jesus gives the reason for this rebuke, “You are lukewarm.” “You are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” “Those I love, I also rebuke and discipline.” This is where some of the real tests of faith will come. Sometimes it is the Word of God itself that rebukes us—we hear that Word of correction from Scripture. Here comes the test. Is the Word right? Do you have to change to be in line with the message? Or are you going to try to change that message or disregard it? Sometimes we get that rebuke from a Christian friend. “What you’ve been doing or what you’ve been saying is hurtful to me.” There’s another test. Do you take it to heart, confess your sins and then live restored and repentant? Or do you say, “How could that be hurtful.” “If it was hurtful you had it coming.” Sometimes the discipline comes from the events of life. You commit some sin, and then you have to live with the consequences of it. Sometimes you have some loss that isn’t connected to any sin or action on your part at all—say, some health problem or some other loss. That can be discipline[1] from the Lord’s hand too. A  loss can be God’s way of saying, “You’ve been spending too much time and energy on these other things in life—even on the gifts I have given you—focus on me instead.”
7. Jesus finishes his message to Laodicea with a promise: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne.” That is a lot like another favorite Confirmation passage from Revelation, “Be faithful to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). He calls us because he is faithful and merciful. He sustains us because he is faithful and merciful. Because of our weak human nature, our faithfulness wavers, but our Savior remains faithful. When we overcome, it is because Christ overcomes for us and with us. When we stumble, with his Word and guidance from Christian friends he sets us back on the path of righteousness. The A on our test, the crown of life on our heads will be there, and it will because of Jesus’ work for us and in us, and it will be to Jesus’

Amen.

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.” (NIV84)

Pastor Stratman’s sermons are available online through the St. Stephen’s Sermon page www.ststephenspulpit.wordpress.com, and on his own sermon blog, www.pastorstratman.wordpress.com.

[1] Don’t confuse discipline with punishment. Discipline always has the goal of teaching. Punishment doesn’t. Punishment is often raw justice with no goal of reform or teaching.

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