The Lukewarm Church, Part 2

Outline

Big Idea: Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

Each of the seven letters has the same elements. (Borrowed from John MacArthur)

The Correspondent

The Church

The City

The Commendation

The Concern

The Command

The Counsel

Introduction

Body

Review

The church at Laodicea represents a church that THINKS they are a church, but are in fact, not.

They are an unregenerate church.

Which sounds like an oxymoron because it is.

A church that is not regenerate, is not a church.

Laodicea fits into this category.

He addresses them as church? What we are to make of that?

Two thoughts…

One, there is a mighty small segment that is valid and his address is to them primarily but to the rest through them.

Though I do not believe this to be the case.

They THINK they are a church. They BELIEVE themselves to be, despite not truly knowing better. THUS he addresses them as such…

Personally, as I consider this letter, the context, the wording, I am taking the position that this was an entirely unregenerate church. A non-church.

HOWEVER, throughout, I do want to make application for us…for certainly we can have characteristics in our own lives that was true of them…and we need to be warned away from such things. So, though I believe the original audience to be unbelievers, I will attempt to make application for us as followers of Christ.

In addressing this “church” as a church, he is inviting them to ACTUALLY COME AND BE His church

We will see that verse 20 is a call to salvation.

Let’s resume where left off last week by considering the commendation.

The Commendation

Oh wait, there isn’t one.

There is nothing of value worth commending.

This is an extremely sad and sobering reality.

They are the only church to NOT receive any sort of commendation.

The Concern

Revelation 3:15-17.

Revelation 3:15–17 ESV

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I Know Your Works

As before, he begins by saying, I know your works.

It is worthy to note, again, that though salvation is by grace through faith, salvation is confirmed or denied by one’s works.

Works are the fruit of one’s true spiritual condition.

Works are the fruit of that which the Spirit is doing within one’s heart and being.

As with the rest of the churches, their works revealed the nature of what was going on in their hearts, souls, and churches, so here it stands true again.

You are Neither Hot Nor Cold

There has been much debate and discussion over the years regarding the nature of hot vs cold.

Hot - Good, Cold - Bad.

Hot - passionate and on fire for Christ.

Cold - Indifferent, opposed to Christ.

BOTH Good, in their own way

Hot - passionate, invested, on fire.

Cold - Refreshing and invigorating

Hot and Cold are not even the point - their lukewarm state is.

Some thoughts

OT understanding actually reversed our understanding of Hot and Cold.

Hot was bad - hot temper, one lacking self control. Hot to trot

Cold - Good. Tempered, restraining, thoughtful, refreshing.

Christ says he wishes they were EITHER hot or cold….

I doubt that God would prefer them to be cold IF it were negative, a position indifferent and opposed to Him.

Could be used to describe a person who bounces back and forth, vacillating between extremes.

Lukewarm is the point

Lukewarm is that which is unpleasant to taste.

Useless.

Sickening

The phrase - spit you out - literally VOMIT you.

Lukewarm water is useless.

Whereas BOTH hot and cold water have uses.

The point is, their lukewarm state was a USELESS and DISGUSTING state.

They literally DISGUSTED GOD.

Robert Thomas notes…

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

Lukewarm is a description of church people who have professed Christ hypocritically but do not have in their hearts the reality of what they pretend to be in their actions.

You and I as followers of Christ CAN exhibit lukewarm characteristics at times.

But what differentiates us in those moments from this…is that those moments are brief, not enduring.

These believers, this “church” was perpetually characterized by this trait. They were not outwardly opposed or resistant to God. They do not openly reject the gospel.

But neither do they embrace the gospel. Neither were they passionate for or interested IN God.

They claimed His name and believed that be enough.

AND THIS is where we can reflect that attitude at times. We can claim His name, but then fail to live like it means anything, like HE means anything to us.

We can claim his name and think that is all God requires of us.

All God DESIRES of us.

And we would be so tragically wrong.

They were content to accept the reality of Him WITHOUT seeing the need or having the desire to embrace Him.

This position disgusts God.

Thomas goes on to note…

Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition

A person who professes to be a Christian, but secretly has not believed in Christ, thinks that such a profession is enough to get him by. Nothing can be done with a nominal Christian who cannot recognize that he needs repentance and that Jesus is really outside His life (Moffatt). The five adjectives that describe this church in v. 17 make it quite evident that, corporately speaking, they did not have a relationship with Christ as Savior

I would place “christian” in quotes for the truth is that they are absent of the reality of true salvation.

BUT, because they are convinced they are Christians, and are blind to the reality that they are not, there is little that can be done to help them until they saw it.

Given the reality of this condition, this is the reason why I am inclined to think that they were unregenerate for a truly regenerate person cannot and will not remain in this state. The Spirit of God within them won’t permit it. Even if we ACT like it from time to time, the reality of Christ in us will not permit it to remain.

I will Vomit You…

Jesus explains, rather graphically, how the “church” affected him.

So disgusting to Him were they that He was sickened to the point of vomiting.

What I find so telling about this is that is not even anger or wrath that has been invoked here.

But sickness.

It is certainly one thing to invoke God’s anger and wrath.

But making Him sick?

That is something else entirely.

In my mind…something worse.

Their lukewarm state…their state of neither embracing nor rejecting God was worse than rejecting Him and invoking His wrath.

And what made it even worse was this….

THEY DID NOT SEE THEIR CONDITION.

Revelation 3:17 ESV

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, naked

Revelation 3:17.

They THOUGHT they were rich.

They THOUGHT they were prosperous.

They THOUGHT they did not need anything.

They THOUGHT there were ok

They probably even thought they were blessed.

BUT they were living self sufficient lives…They did not need Christ…they had what they needed.

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

Do you know how often I have heard or seen this from people?

They are living openly in sin…

They are living openly in “independence.”

They are living openly in apathy, indifference, selfishness…

They are living openly for self…

AND YET dare to think that GOD IS BLESSING THEM…because their life is comfortable and pleasing.

The carry on every day, not rejecting God…

They carry on every day, living comfortably..

They carry on every day claiming to know and love God…

They carry on every day citing His blessing…

While never really knowing, enjoying, or pursuing deep intimacy with God.

They mistake their comfortable life for intimacy with God.

This is true of unbelievers….

AND US

BELIEVERS as well.

How often do we mistake our comfortable lives with intimacy with God?

How often do we mistake our comfortable lives with His blessing (which it may or may not be)?

How often does our comfortable live BLIND us to the reality that our relationship with God is NOT what it should be?

They mistake their abundance as something it is not, as something it was never meant to be.

They are living LUKEWARM…devoid of any true relationship with Christ

WE can live lukewarm, AT TIMES, devoid of the true intimacy with Him that God intends for us to know and have.

And like the church at Laodicea, that lukewarm state is OFTEN tied to our physical state.

Rich in wealth/Comfortable in our possessions

Great in our knowledge and understanding

BUT REALLY BLIND to the truth.

The Truth that their self sufficiency is drowning them and tearing them away from Christ.

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

They THINK they have it right.

ALL THE WHILE, being blind to the truth.

They are…

WRETCHED

Miserable

E.G. - What am I? Just a miserable particle of humanity

Distressed

Extremely or deplorably bad

Contemptible

VERY poor in quality or ability

Romans 7:24.

Romans 7:24 ESV

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Paul in describing his battle with the flesh, says that he does what he does NOT want to do and what DOES NOT DO want He wants to do. He wrestles with the flesh. It is the law of sin within him that he wrestles and fights with.

Oh wretched man that I am

THIS IS THE ONLY OTHER PLACE in scripture where this specific word shows up.

Without Christ, we are wretched, miserable, distressed.

Even with him, we are dependent upon his might to walk righteously.

The Laodiceans need to die to self, to the flesh, and yield to His ruling power within them. They need to yield to God and not themselves.

PITIABLE

Deserving of sympathy for one’s pathetic condition.

When we look upon another IN PITY, we are acknowledging their LOW and DEPLORABLE state…so much so, that we are moved to FEEL sorry for them.

Perhaps even, moved to act on their behalf, though not always. That is compassion.

Pity does not ALWAYS move one to compassion

But PITY does invoke a feeling of sorrow, sympathy, or sadness on behalf of another and what they are enduring.

The only other place this word is used is in 1 Cor 15:19.

1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul is explaining that if Christ has not been raised, if all we hold to be true is not, then we are of all people MOST to be pitied, to be pitiable by others.

Why?

MOST because we chose to believe and live believing in something untrue, wasting our lives on a lie.

Also because the thing we chose to believe was SO INCREDIBLE, for it to not be true or not attainable is so devastating. 

Salvation, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God is the HIGHEST and DEEPEST need and desire of man.  To believe it is within grasp to have it ripped away and reveal our entire life and belief is a lie, that is devastating and leaves on hopeless

To believing in something, the thing that we need most, forgiveness, reconciliation to and relationship to God, and find it unattainable or untrue…

Removes hope

Removes purpose

Removes identity

Removes everything

Pity is what you feel for someone or yourself who just found out that everything they believed and lived for is a lie.

It is what you feel when hope is snuffed out and all is lost!

For us to discover that what we held most dear is in fact not true, makes us the MOST to be pitied of all mankind.

Thankfully, we will not find ourselves in that position.

Point is…Pity is what you feel for someone who is in a terrible state of loss, devastations, suffering, etc.

The Laodicean’s position was PITIABLE.

And they were blind to the reality of it.

POOR

This word can be used to refer to BOTH physical and spiritual poverty…

A state of being disadvantaged or lacking.

They were wealthy, financially, thus the poor he is talking about is spiritual. They were spiritually poor.

They could be rich if they would turn to Jesus for their riches instead of their earthly wealth. They need to put their confidence and hope in him.

1 Peter 1:6-9.

1 Peter 1:6–9 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Endure trials patiently and joyfully for they produce a wealth and glory that cannot compare to anything in this life.

Sacrificing all in this life for that future, eternal worth is all worth it!

Psalm 66:8-12.

Psalm 66:8–12 ESV

8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, 9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. 10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

God is the one who supplies the abundance. We may suffer and endure loss but true blessing and abundance is found in Him.

Jesus told them to buy what they need from Jesus! The cost to buy: NOTHING.

Isaiah 55:1-3.

Isaiah 55:1–3 ESV

1 “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. 2 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. 3 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.

Revelation 22:17.

Revelation 22:17 ESV

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

The way to true wealth was free. It was open to them.

But they had not yet seen their need for it.

BLIND

Unable to see, unable to comprehend and understand

This is referring to spiritual blindness

Matthew 23:16-19; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; John 9:1, 6-7, 17-31, 39.

Matthew 23:16–19 ESV

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Jesus is telling them, they are spiritually blind…just like the religious leaders in the day of Jesus.

They THOUGHT they could see. But they could not.

Jesus is the cure for BOTH physical and spiritual blindness.

Again, though we can be blind ourselves as children of God, the tone and context seems to suggest that this blindness is the same as those religious leaders whose blindness was an unregenerate one.

His final description of them only further strengthens it.

NAKED

Being without proper covering, stripped bare.

This will be contrasted with the white garments they are told to “purchase” from Christ.

The nakedness suggests, not one who is clothed in white but momentarily blind to truth, but one who is not even yet clothed in proper attire.

They were to “purchase” (for free as we saw above) from Christ who would supply it.

The white garments in the context of Revelation certainly depicts purity, righteousness.

Revelation 6:11; 7:9; 19:8.

Revelation 6:9–11 ESV

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Revelation 7:9–14 ESV

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:6–8 ESV

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

White robes come from God. The Sovereign Lord

It is given to those who repent, believe, and who come to Jesus for salvation.

They are given to those who die for the faith - martyrs

The lack of possessing such garments, of being naked suggests that they are in an unrepentant state.

In Revelation 16:15 Jesus warns…

Revelation 16:15 ESV

15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

We are to stay away, to keep our garments on in readiness for our God.

Laodicea was not ready. They were blind, naked, wretched, and unprepared. They had grown content and confident in their own selves instead of looking up to God.

They had rested upon their own self sufficiency for their salvation instead of recognizing their utter neediness.

Revelation 3:18-20, the command, is an invitation to ALL who hear and respond.

It is hope for the wretched.

It is compassion for the pitiable.

It is wealth for the poor.

It is sight for the blind.

It is clothing for the naked.

It is life and salvation for the needy.

The Command

Revelation 3:18-20.

Revelation 3:18–20 ESV

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Let me read again, the text from Isaiah 55:1-3.

Isaiah 55:1–3 ESV

1 “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. 2 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. 3 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.

When Jesus commands them to “buy” these things from them, he is playing upon their sense of wealth and the self sufficiency that they believe it gives them.

The truth is, the cost is zero. Provided for us by His grace, Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.

The only cost to us is our sin.

Repent and believe.

The cost is turning from self to Christ. But the COST, to us at least, is paid for by the precious blood of Jesus.

Do not mistake his words for suggesting you can buy your salvation and way into His kingdom. He is using words that play upon their spiritual and mental state. They believe themselves to be sufficient in themselves, believing their money and knowledge has already saved them.

Jesus is pointed making clear, you are lost.

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

FOR US as followers…when we find ourselves living in the characteristics of lukewarmness, the cost is the same…

LAY DOWN OUR SIN that is leading us to such indifference…and RUN TO JESUS.

If you can look at your life and see characteristics of being lukewarm…the answer is to REPENT and turn back to Him.

So, in response to this description, he says…

Buy from me gold refined by fire.

Your wealth, he says, means nothing. It is useless.

The true wealth, is gold refined by fire.

1 Peter 1:6-7.

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Gold refined by fire is gold that has undergone, willingly, suffering and hardship.

It is gold that has paid the cost and been proven under the heat of fire.

It is gold that has been purified by burning off the false sense of sufficiency.

It is gold that has been purified by burning off man’s foolish wisdom.

It is gold that has been purified by burning off false idols.

It is gold, preciously purchased.

This gold is TRUE riches.

White Garments that you may clothes yourselves…

Again, you may recall, Laodicea was known for their production in wool cloth, particularly black.

Here again, Christ is using pictures that they will understand.

Clothing.

But in contrast to that which they are famous for, he wants them to be clothed in white.

Purity

Righteousness

You may recall back to Sardis in verse 4.

Revelation 3:4.

Revelation 3:4 ESV

4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

White is that of worthiness, holiness. Righteousness.

Those who are redeemed, wear white to show the righteous standing in which they come.

Salve to Anoint Your Eyes

Again, playing off their fame for eye salve to treat eye maladies, he strikes at the core of their spiritual blindness.

They are blind. Though they think they see.

They are blind, though they think they have the corner on how to help one see, they remain blind.

So he tells them, buy your eye salve from me….SO THAT YOU MAY SEE.

You do not see as well as you think you do.

They needed spiritual sight.

They were limited by their physical sight.

As unbelievers, they were blind to the truth

BUT….

How often is this true of us?

How often are we limited in spiritual sight because we are too heavily depending on physical sight?

We are called to live by faith (Romans 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38.)

This will OFTEN require us to NOT rely upon physical sight and ability, but will rather cause us to step out in the unknown.

How many times in scripture did God ask his people to step out in faith? Into the unknown?

How will we respond when God asks it of us?

Will we allow the Spirit to lead and guide us?

Will we be limited by our human sight, reasoning, logic?

Or will we allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God to lead us?

Laodicea’s problem was that they thought they saw.

BUT

They were relying upon physical sight to see and all the while they remained blind.

Unregenerate or not, we can all be prone to this problem. And we must heed the warn to run to God for spiritual sight.

Together, these three things, Gold refined by fire, white garments to hide your nakedness, and salve for your eyes that you may see….together these represent the elements of true salvation. True redemption.

So, he comes to them and offers them this true redemption.

And with that, Jesus offers words of affection to draw them.

Revelation 3:19.

Revelation 3:19 ESV

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

This first half of the verse poses a challenge for some. It could seem that this statement is indicative of their salvation. It has led some to believe that in fact the audience here are believers.

However, as we have been building thus far, verse 18 and 20’s language suggest strongly otherwise.

So, if in fact, we are dealing with unbelievers, how are to understand this statement that those whom he loves he reproves and disciplines?

We know that God loves all, including the unredeemed (John 3:16 and 2 Peter 3:9) and that he is not desirous of punishing any. He proffers the gospel to all, including those who will reject it.

This “church” though unregenerate, still claims the name of God. They are still part of the world into which Christ came to speak truth. THUS they are in God’s view of concern. He does love and care enough for them to reprove and rebuke them, calling them to repentance.

Reprove means to expose and convict

Discipline refers to to punishment.

Yes, as believers, we face his discipline that we might grow out of our sin into righteousness. And we will NEVER face his wrath. But the word can be applied to unbelievers as well in terms of God rebuking them in their sin and CALLING THEM to repentance.

These two words do not demand that we understand the recipient as believers. Only that he does have love and concern for them and that they need to repent and seek him in salvation.

THUS, having admonished them to “buy” from him, he now comes to the two commands.

The Two Commands

Be Zealous

To be zealous is to be intensely serious about something.

The problem is, Laodicea was not not intensely serious about anything. They had become comfortable and complacent in their “christianity.” They were comfortable.

They were content in their wealth, in their knowledge. They felt like they did not need anything. They had what they needed.

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

Everything, that is except true salvation.

If they were to heed this warning, to heed this counsel, they would need to be INTENSELY SERIOUS about it.

They would need to be EARNEST.

PASSIONATE.

They would need to GET SERIOUS about their spiritual condition. Serious enough to do something about it.

FOR US…

Church, truthfully, the real danger to us as followers of Jesus lies rooted in our passion or lack therefore, for Him.

When we lose a passion for Him…

When our passion for Him gets replaced by other things…

THEN we drift into error, compromise, tolerance, and lukewarmness.

And we become USELESS.

Just like Laodicea.

The truth is, we are ALL passionate….about something.

We are ALL worshippers…of something.

But the command for Laodicea and to us is this…BE PASSIONATE for me.

Be PASSIONATE for the truth

Be passionate for the right things.

For them, this zealousness would lead to repentance.

For us, it may well do the same.

OR

It may simply lead to deeper intimacy with Him and deeper effectiveness for him.

Repent

Repentance, as we so often talk about it the CHANGING of one’s mind.

It is a sorrow and grief OVER SIN, not over the consequences of Sin, but over SIN and it’s offense against God…

It is an agreeing with God that our sin is sin, that wrong is wrong, that is is bad, and is accompanied by a ZEALOUS desire to turn FROM it and walk in righteousness.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it like this…

Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974], 2:248)

Their lack of passion for God was a sin. For them, it was UNBELIEF. It was a failure to truly embrace God. It was a lack of true salvation.

Their dependency upon their own knowledge and wealth, was a sin.

Let’s call it what it is.

It is the same when we do it.

We want to soften the language, to make it feel less bad. But that is not helpful to us. In fact, it is harmful.

Until we see the severity of our actions and attitudes, we will not be zealous about changing it.

Repentance comes WHEN WE SEE the severity of our sin AND are moved to grief and sorrow over it THAT CAUSES us to reject it and turn aside from it.

Unless all of these things are present, we have not truly repented, no matter what our words says.

AND SO God command the church…BE ZEALOUS (be intently serious) and REPENT (change your mind about your sin AND turn aside from it).

For us, if we are struggling with a lack of passion and zeal for God…

If we are content in our comfortable Christianity…

BE intently serious for God AND turn aside from that in Godly sorrow.

Live with a zealousness for Christ that is rivaled by no other.

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

Finally, he says in verse 20

Revelation 3:20 ESV

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Behold, I stand and knock

Revelation 3:20.

This is an invitation to salvation

And what is an invitation to salvation other than an invitation to intimacy and fellowship with God, our creator?

That is what this is.

God is on the outside, seeking entrance into their hearts, into relationship with them.

AND YES, this has been used, rightly, throughout the ages to depict a call to salvation, which is certainly a personal one.

HOWEVER, it is more. Because it is in the context of this church to Laodicea.

Christ standing at the DOOR OF THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA, seeking entrance. This further shows that there were NO believers in the church at Laodicea. Unlike Sardis, the dead church, where a few remained, there were NONE here.

Christ had no presence in the church at all.

If even ONE had opened that door and accepted the invitation, then Christ would have entered that church through that one individual.

Did Laodicea heed and repent?

Some commentators suggest maybe citing that there were bishops and leaders that show up in church history AFTER the time of this letter.

But whether those teachers were standing faithfully upon the truth and preaching the true gospel, is unclear to me.

Other commentators did not mention what happens to the church after this time.

So, in all honesty, I am not sure. I would need to dig further to discern the churches response to this letter.

But the sad reality of this church is that there were not a church.

And they were blind to their true condition, resting so securely in their own wealth and wisdom were they.

For us, AS THE CHURCH, may we never be guilty of displaying any of these characteristics of the lukewarm Church.

The Counsel

Revelation 3:21.

Revelation 3:21 ESV

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Read. Meditate. Consider.

We come back soon…to consider all of these promises to the conquerers.

Conclusion

Big Idea: Self-sufficiency is the root and foundation of lukewarmness. Zealousness for Christ and repentance are the only righteous responses.

Church,

Just as Christ warned the church at Laodicea and admonished them to buy from him, to be zealous and repent, so should we be warning others.

So should we be warning one another to be on guard against the symptoms of lukewarmness less we too be guilty in any way of living in a self sufficient way.

Ay certainly, anyone who is actively displaying a claim to Christ likeness without the reality of it, we should warn with the same urgency that Christ warned them.

For what worse fate is there than to claim the name of God, believing that you possess him, while all the time sickening God with your self sufficient attitude.

May we not be like the lukewarm church. But may we rather, be zealously living repentant lifestyles as we seek to be growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

Application

In what areas of your life do you feel self-sufficient, and how might that hinder your relationship with Christ?

What practical steps can you take this week to cultivate a zealous relationship with Christ?

How can you ensure that you are not living a lukewarm Christian life amidst the comforts of our modern society?

What does being zealous for Christ look like in your daily life and interactions with friends?

How can understanding the concept of true spiritual wealth change the way you live and interact with worldly possessions?

How does recognizing your spiritual poverty lead you to seek a deeper relationship with Christ?

What specific areas of your life could benefit from a deeper repentance and turning away from self-sufficiency?