The Lukewarm Church
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Revelation 3:14-22
Revelation 3:14-22
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
The Amen is the God of Truth and the Guarantor of all God’s promises.
The Beginning of the creation of God refers to the source and cause of creation.
‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
The church neglected to do anything for Christ.
God won’t use an apathetic Christian.
Don’t settle for following God halfway.
Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action.
‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Christ severely warns the church about His judgment against spiritual lukewarmness.
Christ sincerely invites the church to repent and be restored to a place of faith.
Christ’s promises to overcoming churches remain valid.
He will come to them in blessing and in the power of the Spirit.
‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Some believers falsely assume that having lots of money and possessions is a sign of God’s spiritual blessing.
You have nothing if you don’t have a vital relationship with Christ.
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
The church needed the garments of Christ’s righteousness and Spirit-illumined eyes of the heart.
Christ told the Laodiceans to buy their gold from Him.
Christ told them to buy white clothes.
Christ told them to buy salve for their eyes so they could see the truth.
Christ was showing the Laodiceans that true value is not in material possessions but in a right relationship with God.
Their possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ’s kingdom.
‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
God would discipline this lukewarm church unless they turned from their indifference toward Him.
God’s purpose in discipline is not to punish us but to bring us back to Him.
Are you lukewarm in your devotion to God?
God may discipline you to snap you out of your spiritual apathy.
You can avoid God’s discipline by drawing near to Him again through confession and studying His Word.
The Holy Spirit can reignite our zeal for God when we allow Him to work in our hearts.
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
The church in Laodicea had excluded the Lord Jesus Christ from its congregations.
Christ’s invitation is a request for fellowship.
Individuals may still open the door and enjoy intimate fellowship with the Lord.
Jesus showed us who God is and what God’s rule means.
We will know the newness of the living Christ in us.
Jesus does not want us to ever forget what He did.
Jesus waits for us to invite Him into our lives so we can deeply connect with Him.
We are going to be so impressed with the awesome wonder of God that we are not going to be able to contain it.
We owe Jesus so much.
The Laodicean church did not have Christ’s presence among them.
Christ knocked at the door of their hearts.
Pleasure’s temporary satisfaction can make us indifferent to God’s offer of lasting satisfaction.
If you are indifferent to God, you have begun to shut Him out of your life.
Leave the door of your heart constantly open to God.
Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts because He wants to save us and have fellowship with us.
‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
The distinction between the churches and the Holy Spirit must be continually affirmed.
Churches are subordinate to the Spirit of God and to His inspired Word.
The distinction between the Spirit and the churches can be expressed by the following biblical truths.
The Spirit is not the possession of the churches or any human institution.
He is the Spirit of God and of Christ, not the Spirit of the churches.
The Spirit remains free to come and leave according to God’s righteous standards.
The Holy Spirit represents Christ’s present lordship over the churches.
The Spirit and His Word are the ultimate authority.
Churches must constantly judge their beliefs and actions by the Spirit.
The Spirit and the inspired Word are greater than the churches of history.
The Holy Spirit will remain with any church only as long as it remains faithful to Christ and His Word and what the Spirit says to the churches.