Letter to Laodicia

The Church with no Commendation

Call to Worship

Psalm 47:6–7 “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.”

Old Testament

Isaiah 55:1–4 ““Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.”

New Testament

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.”

We have been studying the Letters that Jesus gave to the Apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos around 95 AD during the reign of Domitian . While John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day Jesus appeared to him in a vision as the Son of Man and told him to write letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. In each letter Jesus has introduced himself in a different way and has had a different message for each one. Last week we looked at the letter to the church in Philadelphia. It was different in that there was no condemnation. This week we will look at the church in Laodicea. In this letter there is no commendation only condemnation.

Laodicea was a wealth city. A Roman city located on the mail route with much trade passing through the city. It was a great banking and financial center. It was known as a manufacturing center of black wool. The shepherds had been breeding successfully for sheep with black wool that was highly sought after. It was also known as a medical center and was known for a salve that promoted healing of eyes. Excavation has unearthed many buildings, theaters, temples, gymnasiums and public baths. Coins have been found that bear the image and name of doctors, evidence of the importance of their medical skills.

One thing that Laodicea did not have was a good source of water. there was a river nearby but it would dry up during the summer and was too muddy to drink most of the time. They relied on an Aqueducts from nearby Hierapolis and Colosse for their water supply. Hierapolis was 4 .5 miles away. This water came from hot springs that had a high mineral content that resulted in a bad smell and taste. Because of the distance the water traveled by the time it reached Laodicea it was lukewarm. The water from Colosse came from cold springs and was refreshing there, but after traveling a distance of 11 miles it was tepid.

Jesus introduces himself as the Amen, ( in Hebrew refers to truth) the faithful and true witness , the ruler of God’s creation. We know from John’s gospel John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” In that passage Jesus was refereed to as the Word.

He tells them that he knows their deeds, nothing is hidden from God. He chastises them for being neither hot or cold. Because they are lukewarm he is about to spit them out of his mouth.

None of us like to drink things when they are lukewarm. I like tea that is either hot or cold not lukewarm. How about a can of soda it is not refreshing when it is warm or water especially if it has a mineral taste or smell. The Laodiceans did not know that they were lukewarm spiritually, life was good.

Their being lukewarm spiritually was evidenced by their being content with their material wealth and their being unaware of their spiritual poverty. Christ used strong words to describe them: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

John Walvoord

The Apostle Paul refers to being wretched, this means wicked or beyond hope. He knew that he was a sinner, lost apart from Jesus.

The Laodiceans thought that they were doing alright. they were rich, didn’t have many problems, but in God’s eyes they pitiful, their worship was lukewarm, their prayer and praises were wanting. They may have been rich in money, but their spiritual lives were lacking. We live in luxury in our country compared to lots of countries in this world, to be really poor is to not have any food, clothing or shelter. But we can be poor in spirit. Blind to what is going on beside us. We don’t see the truly poor nor do we see ourselves for what we truly are. Naked , they thought that they were clothed but were wanting. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden they realized that they were naked, not clothed. Nakedness can also be exposed for others to see our imperfections. Jesus could see where the Laodiceans were lacking.

The lukewarm Christian is comfortable, complacent, and does not realize his need.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Rev.3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock.

This verse is often used as in invitation to salvation. In this instance it seems more like an invitation to those who are believers, but are not enjoying a relationship with Jesus. When Jesus says that he will come in and eat with them this implies a close relationship. This would have been part of the culture in those days, it would have been expected in the early church.

We enjoy fellowship with our family and friends when we gather around a table and enjoy good food and conversation. this is the image that Jesus is portraying. We could also see this as Jesus being the master of the house returning from a journey. When he knocks the servant on duty would open the door. It is Jesus’ house in the first place we should welcome him. We could also picture him as the bridegroom coming to claim his bride.

There is a promise here to the one who is victorious. Jesus will come powerfully, and personally. He will give of himself to his people. He will give them the right to sit with him on his throne. Even though they are complacent they are not with out hope. They need to repent and turn to Jesus for the hope of what is to come.

Again he closes with the admonition “ whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This letter has always caused me the most concern of all the letters. I think that it describes the church here in our country today. We are rich, we have what we need and we are complacent in our worship, prayer, praise, and service. We take God for granted. Now I want to narrow it down to our individual church. Are we complacent? Are we wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked in God’s sight? Now lets go one step further no longer the church but as individuals? Now it starts to hurt. I remember Jesus’ disciples when he told them at the Last Supper that one of them would betray him and they asked is it I Lord? We need to examine ourselves and repent of our sin.

Jesus told the Laodiceans to come and buy gold refined in the fire so that you can become rich in the things of God. White clothes that represent the cleansing of sin, a covering for shame. Salve for your eyes so that you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and disciple. Be earnest and repent.

This message is for us today. Will we repent, open the door and let Jesus in. Allow him to cleanse us and clothe us in white garments and fellowship with him around the his table.