CONCLUSION: SEVEN ‘FROM The HEART Of JESUS’ LOVE LETTERS To The SEVEN CHURCHES

The LORD instructs the apostle John to write concerning the things which were (those things which he had seen and recorded in Chapters 1 and 2); the things that are (in his day, the seven churches of Asia Minor as recorded in Chapters 3 and 4); and the things that shall be “hereafter” (which involves the remaining chapters 5 through 22). We focused on chapters 3 and 4, and prayerfully what I hope to do, LORD willing is to do a full study on the book of REVELATION on The TRUTH Under FIRE.

In summary, what have we learned (from the introduction of this series and) as the main lessons that the LORD is instructing these seven churches, and what must be done to correct the problems and issues that they faced? Let’s go over them briefly before we conclude this series with a brief treatment of the doctrine of the rapture of the church.

SEVEN ‘FROM The HEART of JESUS’ LOVE-LETTERS to the SEVEN CHURCHES of REVELATION - To The Church of LAODICEA REV 3:14-21

 Church #7 LAODICEA:

REVELATION 3:14-22
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

If the church at Philadelphia was given an "open door" (REV 3:8), individuals at Laodicea are told of another door, one that they must open themselves (this refutes the idea in Calvinism that we have no choice in the process of salvation, that God determines apart from us, who will and won’t be saved): “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 (REV 3:20)”. In pictures of Jesus "knocking at the heart's door" you will notice that there is no door knob on the outside. 
This is a door which can only be opened from within. 

What is wrong is that Jesus is standing outside the door, excluded from the banquet like a homeless stranger! The earnest plea, though directed first to the church at Laodicea, is strategically placed near the end of these Seven Love Letters from Christ's last appeal to any congregation that has shut him out. The beautiful "invitation" is at the same time a severe and scathing indictment of a church that is self-sufficient, independent of Christ, complacent where godliness is concerned and contented in the world – only marginally, barely recognizably Christian!!