If Jesus Came to Your House

For Sunday, February 8, 2015

Text

Revelation 3:14-22

“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. 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. 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. 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.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 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 that person, and they with me.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Summary

As we walk in our lives with Christ, we should always keep guard against the sin of complacency. The marks of spiritual complacency is being self-dependent apart from God, thinking that we "do not need a thing". 

We are not to be dependent on material wealth but rather seek the "gold refined in the fire" -- a richness that will last forever found only in Jesus. Secondly, only Jesus can clean us by placing his own righteousness over us ("white clothes to wear"). Nothing but Jesus can cover all the mistakes we've ever made. Thirdly, only through Jesus can we see clearly (as opposed to being spiritually blind, see here). 

Jesus rebukes any spiritually complacent follower so that they might repent. This is because he wants us to fellowship with him ("eat with that person"). The good news is that he extends this invitation to fellowship with him to everyone.

The Christian life is marked by a constant fellowship with Jesus, while avoiding complacency and compromise. In the end, only the victorious will be the ones who will be with Christ. 

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We talked about the following poem about how we would react if Jesus physically visited us in our homes. Would we live our lives differently if Jesus were physically present everywhere we go?

"If Jesus Came to Your House"
by Lois Blanchard Eades

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two - 
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do. 
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, 
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there - 
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door 
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor? 
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in? 
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been? 
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard? 
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? 
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? 
And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you, 
Would you go right on doing the things you always do? 
Would you go right on saying the things you always say? 
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace? 
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace? 
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read, 
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed? 
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go? 
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends? 
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends? 
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on? 
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? 
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do 
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.