Laodicea
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We have reached the last of the seven letters that Jesus gave to the seven churches in chapters 2 & 3 of the Book of Revelation.
If the Futurist view is correct, the view to which we have been preaching about,
Then who can deny that we are in the last days, or rather according to the Futurist view, the church age of Laodicea.
The six previous churches displayed six different ages in church history, starting with the very first letter Jesus gave to the church of
Ephesus, the Apostolic Church
Then the persecuted church at Smyrna
Followed then by the Perverted Church Pergamos
Thyatira, was next with the spirit of Jezebel.
Then came Sardis
And the sixth letter was the Missionary church, of brotherly love, in Philadelphia
Today, the last of the seven churches being the church age of Laodicea, The Apostate church.
As I said, who can deny that these letters do correspond to church history since the beginning of the church in the Book of Acts?
Especially the previous church age of Philadelphia being the missionary church age, where nations began sending thousands into the mission fields.
Most of the experiential knowledge of mission planning, we learned from this period in church history.
In like manner, when we read the letter to the apostate church in Laodicea, which would correspond to this present age you and I find ourselves, then
Again I say, who can deny the days we are living in currently aren’t the last days prophesied in the Bible?
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore 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 dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
When Jesus uses the term in His introduction to this letter, He uses the name, AMEN, and the Faithful & True witness, and Beginning of the Creation of God.
If you aren’t familiar with your Bible, or haven’t kept up on your Bible homework, then this phrase would seem quite an odd way to start off an introduction.
First, it was only about six miles south of Colossae where Paul’s letter to the Colossians were no doubt read among the churches there in the area.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Also, if you understand what was going on in Laodicea, then it makes perfect sense why Jesus would introduce Himself with those words.
In Laodicea Pagan worship flourished, as worship many Gods, Including
Dionysus, the god of pleasure and theater and is the son of Zeus
Helios, the god of the sun
Hera, the goddess of marriage, women and childbirth, the wife and sister of Zeus
and Even Athena, the goddess of strategy, and warfare
But they also worshipped the god Zeus as well, the king of the gods, and the supreme ruler in Greek Mythology
It was so prevalent that even some of the Christians mixed in a few of their practices,
It was because of their reliance and confidence in the Greek Mythological supreme god,
That Jesus opens his letter addressing Himself not only as the supreme God, but also the creator of all that is, from the beginning,
Ex-Nihilo= Which means= Out of Nothing He created everything.
Again, just like in the previous church ages, He wanted to set the record straight, saying,
Forget all of your fancy and decorated gods of wood and stone,
I am the Alpha and Omega, I am God the supreme ruler and creator, of all that is.
The word AMEN basically means, = “And you can take that to the bank”
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Has anyone here ever had a tooth ache?
I know Ive had a few in my time as well.
One of the home remedies to try at home when its the middle of the night and the dentists are all closed, was
to rinse your mouth with warm water and Salt.
Have any of you ever tried that?
I have and its probably one of the most disgusting things Ive ever had to do.
Im not sure if it was the salt mixed in or the tepid water, but it is disgusting especially when your face is swollen and full of dreadful pain.
In this verse, Jesus uses the example of water being hot or cold and warm.
To you and I, the end reader, we don’t quite get the reference, until you began to study the water situation in Laodicea in that time.
In the north of Laodicea was the town of Colossae, to which Paul’s letter to the Colossians was delivered and distributed among the believers there a couple of decades earlier than this letter to the church by Jesus.
In Colossae there were natural hot springs, that flowed freely out of town.
Laodicea was a very prosperous city and very wealthy, so they wanted to get some of this natural hot water from the springs for many reasons.
although the water being mixed with sulfur from the earth, it was usually undrinkable.
But they used it for many reasons, including the health benefits, and for washing and even for bathing.
Using their wealth, they constructed aqueducts to channel some of that hot water down to Laodicea.
The problem they faced was that Colossae to the north was about six miles away.
By the time the water reached the town in wasn’t hot anymore, it was Lukewarm water, having lost its heat on the trek downward.
Thats not the end of their water problems in Laodicea,
They didn’t have any water access, period.
At least not enough to supply a prospering town
So, they had to pipe cold drinkable water in to town as well.
Likewise, the water problem in Laodicea was that no one could enjoy a cold drink of water.
By the time the cold mountain water made its way by clay barrel pipes, the water was lukewarm by the time it streamed into town.
This reminds me of a time I happened to travel to Mexico in the month of June one year.
I wasn’t there but maybe two days.
It was so hot and dry, I was constantly thirsty.
Because, in the Mexico heat, the refrigerators have a hard time keeping things cool.
To me, and my American sensitivity and the spoiled ness I assume most there I had, none of their drinks were cold enough to quench this relentless thirst I had.
I ended up having to drive two whole towns over to buy a bag of ice before I could be relieved of the lukewarm syndrome.
Jesus was using this idiom to them because those in that time would have readily understood, that Jesus was talking directly to them.
They understood that reference about being lukewarm.
Wouldn’t you rather have hot water for your tea or coffee?
Wouldn’t you rather have a cool drink on a hot day?
Jesus was telling them, I would rather you be hot or cold, but to be lukewarm, is the most terrible place to be in your faith.
Here’s why.
If you are hot for Him, great, keep it up, you’ll be effective or die trying to be for Him.
If your cold, at least there is a starting point.
You don’t have faith because of this or that, lets’ chat and see where we end up.
But to be lukewarm means, you have already believed but you aren’t motivated to do anything about it, or to react to your faith in Him.
Like, laziness,
or You don’t take the faith too seriously.
This is why He would rather vomit people like this from His mouth.
They are good for nothing except to make one sick.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
As I mentioned, Laodicea was a wealthy town and built up pride because of their wealthy rich status.
To demonstrate how prideful they were in their material wealth, they even rejected imperial help to rebuild the city
After being struck by an earthquake in 60AD
But Jesus is calling them dirt poor.
Which was meant to be an offense to this prideful generation of people who rested in their own prosperity rather than on the things of God,
Here they are thinking their are super rich, but Jesus says they’re actually super poor, and wretched,
Wow,
That sure sounds a lot like America doesn’t it?
Here in the west, we have multiple cars, multiple garages to store them, gas always available at the pumps, 24 hours a day.
We’ve got 401K’s IRA’s and flexible spending plans.
But, when it comes to the offering plate of the Church, we tend to forget the many blessings came from the Lord Himself to us.
Many of us today are so far removed from the church, that we prefer to spend more on our HBO subscription and membership fee’s at ANY OTHER place than we give to the church.
Yet, when we do show up to church, we are Blaise about it.
We don’t want to get involved in committees, help with this project, volunteer for this ministry, or that ministry.
Let alone, give a few extra bucks to the church.
Then on top of that, you can’t wait to BOLT out of church to get the best table at the local restaurants where you’ll no doubt spend more than you gave to the Lord the whole month combined some of you.
And I am including those of you watching on live stream
You want proof of what I am saying is true?
Answer this question: Why do you prefer watching church on tv instead of coming in person?
Because you aren’t entirely invested enough to get your body into the pew, or on the mission field where Christians belong, with the rest of us believers.
This makes you, lukewarm.
This age is lukewarm and we are all in danger of being vomited out by God,
Unless we wake up, and wake up NOW, for this is the last of the letters to the churches.
After this letter, Jesus no longer uses the term,
“What the Spirit says to the churches.”
Do you know why?
Because the church won’t be here anymore after this church age is complete. AMEN
Even so come Lord Jesus.
If we take the Futurist view of revelation, than this letter to the Church of Laodicea is truly speaking also DIRECTLY to this age, right now.
To think how He feels about all these big churches, and Mega churches that are rich financially but bankrupt in the Spirit.
And how many people are falling for this itching of the ears of financial prosperity today
If you would only give to their ministry you’ll receive that financial reward, and so on
Even with all our material blessings from the cars to garages and the houses, we boast about.
Jesus said your nothing more than a wretched, poor lukewarm beggar, fit only to make Jesus sick to His stomach enough to make Him puke.
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
But there’s a way out from this mess.
Jesus said, you can buy your stuff from me, and then you’ll truly be rich!
You’ll wear white clothes so that your shame won’t be revealed.
This nugget from Jesus stung them too.
Laodicea was also well known for a certain type of quality wool, only this wool was black.
If you lived in Colossae or in another town, but wore you black wool sweater around town, people knew you must have gotten from Laodicea,
Kind of like today, instead of black wool however, we now use little sen on tags that say things like,
Neiman Marcus, or Calvin Klein, you get the picture.
But Jesus is telling them.
“Don’t use the wealth I have blessed you with to spend on these wretched nasty things. Instead use the wealth to buy precious things from me, and those things things will be as white as snow, signifying righteousness!”
Basically, “Spend your wealth on the things of God!”
Besides, that’s where its all coming from anyway.
Or do you commit the sin of believing the enemies lies, that somehow it was all on account of your genius?
REALLY?
It was He who gave you breath in your lungs and every other things you think you own.
Its all His anyway.
Including your health.
There’s many of us who have, are currently, will be battling health problems.
Jesus wants you to know, that He even owns your health.
That’s right. your health is a blessing from Him.
Jesus mentioned this to the Laodiceans because the town also boasted a prestigious medical school.
And guess what they specialized in, the eyes.
This is why Jesus said He would anoint the eyes with His salve so you can truly see Him.
If you aren’t hot for Jesus, you won’t be able to SEE HIM, because it’s a members only club.
Meaning, Seeing Him requires a relationship with Him thats on fire for Him,
Listen church, we are supposed to be about the gospel.
This is a gospel church, we are gospel people. AMEN
If anyone ever questions missions or evangelism in their hearts, an I mean EVER, friend you have lost sight of Jesus and the purpose of His church.
All of our focus should be on making disciples, so we aren’t caught up with the lukewarm churches in danger of being vomited out.
Every Christian should be on fire for Him.
Our souls should burn so hot for Him that the heat from it will
burn away the enemy
That it will burn away financial problems
That it burn away cancer
That it burn away that diabetes diagnoses.
That it would burn away death, blindness, deafness,
That is would burn away Emotional problems, and addictions.
AMEN
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Unless you are born again into the fire of the Holy Spirit, you will not see HIM.
So, let what remains of this church age, be dedicated to the all consuming fire of the Holy Spirit.
If you were lukewarm before today, then walk out of this building burning up for His glory.
Amen.
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