A "Rich" Church who is Actually Bankrupt

First, let’s consider how Jesus is described:

Amen is used a a title in only one other place: Isa.65:16 (“so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.”)(ESV translates it the God of “truth,” but the word is amen meaning “trustworthy” or “surely.”) The Hebrew word comes from a verbal root that mean “to be firm or trustworthy.” This certainly highlights the truth and reliability of Christ’s witness.

The identity of Christ as the faithful and true witness should ready the church to receive Jesus’ critique. This picks up on Jesus’ identity from Rev.1:5. Heb.1:1-2 describe Jesus as the better final word from God.

Finally, Jesus is the beginning of God’s creation. I think this picks up Isa.65:17 and the fact that God creates new heavens and a new earth. Jesus is the beginning of this. (““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”)

As the letter bears itself out, contrast Jesus as the faithful and true witness with the Laodicean church who is mired in lukewarmness.

Are you bewitched by success?

As with the church at Sardis, the letter to Laodicea moves straight to condemnation. The common understanding of water (cold…hot…lukewarm) has related it to spiritual zeal (which does accord with Jesus’ command in vs.19) or hard-hearted spiritual lifelessness (see Mt.24:12). However, recent archaeological evidence has caused some to reconsider this understanding. Some believe that Laodicea lacked the consistent water supply of some of its neighbor cities. Particularly, Colossae had an abundant supply of steady, cool drinking water, and Hierapolis was (and is) known for it hot mineral springs. Both of these water supplies were useful. Laodicea would have water brought in from five miles away. The argument then is that hot or cold was useful, but the lukewarm Laodiceans were able to provide NEITHER “refreshment for the spiritually weary, nor healing for the spiritually sick.”

The emphasis for the water was on its drinkability, and there is sufficient cultural evidence to show a desire for both hot and cold drinks. So, it is a call to either embrace lostness or embrace salvation. Rather, both hot and cold were desirable options in some form or another, but lukewarm was not.

We often question, given the security of the believer, how Jesus could spew the lukewarm out of His mouth. However, the descriptions of those in Laodicea prove them to be unbelievers, not simply those who weren’t zealous enough. The Laodicean church is deceived about her true spiritual condition. They believe themselves to be wealthy, but they are unaware that spiritually they’re poor. Remember Christ’s words — be rich toward God (Luke 12:21). In Revelation, the wealthy achieve this status because of their association with the world.

The church claims to be rich, which shows the pride of their self-sufficiency. Their true spiritual condition reveals them to be desolate, wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Gen.3:7a — Adam and Eve’s eyes are opened to their nakedness after the fall.

Gen.3:10 — Nakedness is shameful for Adam and Eve as a result of the fall.

Isa.47:3 — “Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen.”

We often question, given the security of the believer, how Jesus could spew the lukewarm out of His mouth. However, the descriptions of those in Laodicea prove them to be unbelievers, not simply those who weren’t zealous enough. Laodicea is the antithesis of Smyrna and Philly, churches that were poor but spiritually rich, because it is a rich church who is spiritually bankrupt.

Riches…a blessed life…an abundance of things…they can deceive a person into thinking they’re blessed of God and spiritually squared away, but those riches can be quite deceptive, luring us into a state of self-dependency and self-sufficiency where, quite frankly, God brings nothing to the table for us. Pause for a moment and ask, “Am I bewitched by success?”

Would you be willing to turn to Christ?

Three of the “ills” of the church from vs.17 are here offered remedies. The key to all of them is that Christ is the only One who can supply them.

Gold from Christ vs. their poverty — this will bring true spiritual wealth.

White garments vs. their nakedness — they will have true covering for their sin through Christ’s righteousness.

Salve for your eyes vs. blind — they will move from spiritual blindness/darkness into true spiritual understanding and comprehension.

Christ counsels the church to buy from Him, similar to Isa.55:1-3 where God’s compassion is shown. The church, after all, is pitiable (vs.17). (““Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”)

Even though the church has received a stern rebuke, it was done out of love. The word is phileo, often translated as “brotherly love,” but carrying the idea of a love rooted in interpersonal relationship. Divine love through discipline calls for decisive action, evidenced by “zealous repentance.” Their lukewarm attitude called for a zealous response, and their zeal will be seen in true repentance.

Know this about Christ: when He, as the faithful witness, confronts you with truth, it’s not to "be mean” as we might reckon it. No, He does so to hurt your feelings…to break you down…to help you wrestle with the truth precisely because He is calling us to a zealous response.

If you are bewitched by success today, would you be willing to repent and turn to Christ?

Are you walking in true fellowship?

Christ is standing at the door knocking, which is not an evangelistic call as we typically think of it, but an invitation to renewed fellowship. (Though, I am starting to question this line of thinking. Yes, this is written to a church. But, the church is spiritually lethargic/dead. The descriptions of the church reflect lostness). There is an aspect of the Song of Solomon here, recalling the husband who knocks at his wife’s bedchamber encouraging her to continue expressing her love for him, though she is hesitant at first. The invitation, if received, will result in deep communion, intimacy, and fellowship.

The dining imagery comes from Ancient Near East practices of table fellowship where an invitation to share a meal is equal to reconciliation between estranged parties. It involves deep and intimate fellowship…see Isa.25:6 (“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”)

There is an emphasis on personal response, and the result is intimate fellowship and reconciliation.

Those who conquer share in the throne of Christ. The promise is grounded in Dan.7:9-14, 22, 27 while Christ’s rule echoes Ps.110:1. The victorious Christ is essential to NT theology. It is evidenced in Jesus performing exorcisms, and the culmination of the cross was Christ’s utter defeat of Satan (see Col.2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in it (the cross).”) Lastly, Jesus was given a name above all others, and His victory served a s basis for His throne.

It seems the line of reasoning in this letter is that:

We recognize that we are not truly surrendered to Jesus, particularly if He is simply an add-on to our lives. The question I always wrestle with is this — if Jesus were removed from my life, what would truly change?

We turn from our trust and obsession with the world to Christ.

We are walking in true and genuine and rich and deep and intimate fellowship with Christ. If this one isn’t true, then either Christ is a liar…and He is not…or we haven’t actually turned to Him and from everything else.

Laodicea was marred in self-sufficiency, oblivious to their true, desperate spiritual condition. Christ is their only hope for deliverance, and He is ready and willing to enter into intimate fellowship with any who will turn to Him. Laodicea likely feels oddly familiar for the western church, and it serves as a reminder to give up what we cannot keep in order to gain what we cannot lose — a share in Christ’s kingdom.