Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20020505.htm

THE ROLES OF CHRISTIAN MEN AND WOMEN
Part VI: Knowing And Adjusting To God's Will For TODAY'S Christian Marriages
(Revelation 3:14-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. Besides the issues discussed thus far in this series, today's Christian marriages face unusual trials.
    2. There is a prophetic explanation for this, and it is found in Revelation 3:14-22 as follows:
  2. Knowing And Adjusting To God's Will For TODAY'S Christian Marriages, Revelation 3:14-22.
    1. Christ addressed not only the messenger of the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:14, but also applied His address to the churches, meaning He spoke to individuals and married couples in these churches, 3:22.
    2. Then, in previous studies on the book of Revelation, we learned the "Laodicean Church" pictures current Evangelicals in Church History, so Revelation 3:14-22 is Christ's word to us believers TODAY.
    3. As Christ thus speaks to us Christian MARRIED couples today in Revelation 3:14-22, this section of prophecy details for us Christian couples what Christ wills for US as couples TODAY (as follows):
      1. "Laodicea" means "tried by the people" (Liddell & Scott, Grk.-Engl. Lex., p. 1029), signaling we Christian spouses often errantly think we can sovereignly manipulate our spouses, 3:14. Jesus Christ counters this error, revealing He is the "Amen" Who creates a positive response from righteous spouses, cf. 2 Cor. 1:20. He is also the "Faithful and True Witness" Who punishes our carnal spouses who do not treat us as they ought [this phrase refers to Jer. 42:5 where Israel was to be punished for not heeding Jeremiah]. Jesus is also the "head" of God's creation, ruling unsaved spouses, Col. 1:16-17.
      2. Some of us believers thus errantly think by our own manipulation of our spouses we can produce marital bliss, 3:15, but Christ views such an effort as spiritually futile, Revelation 3:16:
        1. As Laodicea did not have a water source within the city, it piped hot water from a source outside the city by way of bored out stone blocks cemented end to end only to have this conduit's exposure to the elements leave it yielding lukewarm water useful only as an emetic, New Bib. Dict., p. 716-717.
        2. Thus, if we as Christian couples do our best by our own efforts to find happiness in trying to control our spouses instead of obeying Christ, we will produce only offensive results, Revelation 3:15-16.
      3. What is faulty in such an effort is its basis -- it is based on an artificial spirituality, Revelation 3:17:
        1. Such manipulation arises from our sin natures and cannot be effective, 3:17a "wretched," Rom. 7:24
        2. Such an effort vainly focus on this life's passing lusts, 3:17b "miserable" & 1 Cor. 15:19; 1 Jn. 2:17.
        3. Such an effort lacks faith in God to bless in the marriage, Rev. 3:17c "poor" versus 1 Pet. 1:7.
        4. Such an effort lacks Scripture discernment, so we get blind sided by trials, 3:17 "blind;" Matt. 15:14
        5. Hence, we end up to our dishonor failing to persevere with blessing in our marital relationships, Revelation 3:17e "naked" in light of Revelation 16:15 with Revelation 16:14.
      4. Christ then calls us spouses (a) to heed His signals via marital trials we face to live by faith in His Word to handle these trials ("gold tried in the fire"); (b) then we can see God enable us to stay in our marriages long-term ("white garments") and (c) gain insight from His Word to avoid pain ("see", 3:18)
      5. Since we Christian spouses must understand the love GOD has for us is measured by how He rebukes and disciplines us, not by how easy He causes our earthly marriages to function, Christ calls us to be motivated to exchange our false spirituality for His true spiritual vitality for life in our marriages, 3:19.
      6. If we Christians today stop viewing ourselves as sovereign over our spouses and start sensing how accountable we are to Christ in our marriages so that we start living by His Spirit's power, living for the life to come, living by faith to handle challenges in our marriages and thus come to discern His Word and find our relationships with our spouses and others going long-term due to God's power, we will enjoy Christ's blessing in our fellowship with Him, Revelation 3:20 with Luke 12:35-40.
      7. Indeed, Christ will give us influence to help other couples find such blessing, Rev. 3:21; Lk. 12:42-44.
Lesson: WE Christian spouses of TODAY must SHIFT from the usual temptation WE face of trying to find happiness by CONTROLLING our respective marital partner to SUBMIT to GOD'S control of OURSELVES: if we then trust and obey Scripture, we will find blessing and influence through Christ.

Application: Let us CEASE OUR FALSE efforts to gain marital bliss and HEED GOD'S WORD!