The Church of Laodicea
Notes
Transcript
Today we are concluding our series on the seven churches that are featured in Revelation. Before we look at the entire passage, I want to look at how Jesus greets this church. If you notice Jesus greets each church by describing Himself to them. This one is no different. Look at Revelation 3:14
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.
Jesus calls Himself “the Amen.” “Amen” is a Hebrew word meaning “truly” and is a great word response to the promises of God. The root idea of amen is firmness, certainty, the assurance of faith. Look at how Isaiah 65:16 describes the Lord.
16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
This verse describes the Lord as “truth.”
Jesus is our revelation of everything that this concept means.
As the Amen, Jesus guarantees the truth of God’s promises. Those same promises that were still available in Laodicea and the same promises that are available to every believer today.
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Jesus also describes Himself as the “faithful and true witness.” Jesus will not go back on His word. If He said it He means it.
He is also the ruler of God’s creation. Jesus was not created. He always was, is, and will be.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The world was made by Him.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
Now that He is sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven, He has a place that is
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Jesus is the One through whom all things were begun, and He will bring God’s plan to its final consummation. He is still the one Mediator between God and mankind.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
This is who Jesus is and this is how He addresses Himself before the church at Laodicea.
Jesus is not just a simple prophet, but He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen.
Now that we have that established, let’s look at verse 15. This is the second church that Jesus didn’t commend for anything. He gets right to the point here.
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 that person, and they with me.
21 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.
22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The church at Laodicea was acting as if they had forgotten that Jesus was a man that had died for their sins. Before they accepted Christ, they were cold and once they accepted Christ, they were hot after the things of God. But over time they became lukewarm.
Have you ever drank lukewarm water? It doesn’t quench your thirst. Or have you made a cup of coffee and let it sit on the counter and then drink it when its lukewarm. It’s not the same drink.
The Laodicea’s had become lukewarm. They were no longer hot after the things of God. Jesus says, “I wish you were either one or the other!”
Jesus can do something with us if we are cold or hot. But because they are neither hot nor cold, He says, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” The translation is literally, “vomit.” or reject such followers.
The church of Laodicea claimed to be Christians, but they were not doing the will of the heavenly Father.
Laodicea was a wealthy center of commerce. Prosperity was the cause of the lukewarmness in their congregation. Because of their wealth, it made them blind to their deep spiritual need.
The church of Laodicea was not realizing just how much they needed God. They were depending on their own wealth. Just like the example that Jesus gives of the seed that falls among the thorns.
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
The church at Laodicea suffered no persecution. It was not troubled by false doctrine or false apostles. To the other churches their situation must have seemed enviable, even ideal. But these Laodicean Christians had allowed themselves to become so self-satisfied in the enjoyment of the things money can buy that they had lost their desire for the things of God.
They had not learned to be content like Paul describes in Philippians 4:12
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
The Laodiceans thought they no longer needed anything, but they were fooling themselves.
So, Jesus leaves them a challenge. Look at verse 18 again.
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.
The first things He tells them.
Buy From Me Gold Refined in the Fire
Buy From Me Gold Refined in the Fire
A gold that is refined in the fire is free from impurities. It is the gold of faith, which is worth far more than all the gold of this world. God wants us to be rich in faith.
7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
This type of gold doesn’t necessarily mean giving money to Jesus’ work, but it could. When we give to ministries we are extending our faith to the work that needs to be done.
Jesus wanted the Laodicean’s to understand that there was a greater wealth than riches. He wanted them to be rich on faith, by putting all their trust and riches in God.
God wants you to be prosperous but He wants you to not depend on money for your life. He wants you to depend on Him. Money will only give you temporary happiness. You need more than just money, you need the things of God. God loves you and wants the best for you, but you need to put all of your trust in Him. Place your faith in Him.
White Clothes to Wear
White Clothes to Wear
These clothes represented clothing of triumphant righteousness.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
This is a righteousness that is not our own but it is given to us through Christ. It is a righteousness that is made real in our lives through sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
He says to them, “so you can cover your shameful nakedness.”
Adam and Eve didn’t realize they were naked until they sinned against God. The nakedness that the church at Laodicea was experiencing was that they did not see it. They didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. But Christ could see it and was pointing it out to them.
We are to clothe ourselves with righteousness. We need to walk in the steps that are ordered of God and put our faith and trust in Him only.
Salve to Put on Your Eyes
Salve to Put on Your Eyes
They understood eye salve because they were know for this commodity. This would be a spiritual ointment for their eyes so they might see their true state and receive help from the Spirit and the Word. They they would have a clear vision of Christ, of heaven, and of the things of the Spirit.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
Church it is time that we open our eyes and see the things of God and all that He has for us.
Jesus did not hate the church at Laodicea. He loved the church. He was rebuking them in order to get them on the straight path. He was giving them discipline so that they could get back on the path they needed to be on.
The word rebuke in Revelation 3:19 is the same Greek word as “reprove” in John 16:8
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
The Spirit convicts and convinces by proof. Since John in the Spirit is in heaven with Jesus, Jesus does the same thing here for the Laodiceans, just as the Holy Spirit does for the world and for lukewarm or carnal Christians today.
There is hope for the Laodiceans. There is hope in repentance. In verse 20 we see the love of Christ.
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 that person, and they with me.
The truth is Jesus doesn’t want to spit us out of His mouth. He wants to sit with us and eat with us.
If the fire of revival has gone out in your heart, it is not too late. Jesus is knocking and all you have to do is open the door of your heart and let Him in. He is waiting for you to open the door and receive Him into your life.
Let’s pray.