Laodicea: The Nauseating Church
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We have now arrived at the final letter to the 7th church, Laodicea.
Remember, these letters are from the groom and his opinion of the bride as she is faithfully awaiting His coming and the Marriage Feast.
He reminds each of these churches:
Ephesus - Don’t lose your passion for Christ.
Smyrna - Suffering is no excuse to abandon Christ.
Pergamum - Don’t compromise, even when the truth is unpopular or uncomfortable.
Thyatira - Be intolerant of falsehood and the presence of sin.
Sardis - Grow in Faith, don’t get complacent by resting on the laurels of our past fellowship with Christ.
Philadelphia - Commit to faithfulness unconditionally.
Laodicea - Become spiritually healthy or refreshing, not spiritually nauseating because we have figured life out.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Laodicea, the last of the 7 churches was founded in 250 BC by Antiochus II of Syria, who named the city after his wife, Laodice.
The city was located 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia and 40 miles east of Ephesus.
Laodicea was situated in the Lycus River valley which made it very fertile and under Roman rule, become one of the most prominent and prosperous cities of Asia Minor.
Laodicea was located on the north side of the Lycus valley by Hierapolis. To the east about 10 miles was the city and church of Colossae, known for its cold springs, where Philemon lived. The apostle Paul wrote a personal letter to Philemon and also a church letter to Colossae which was to be shared
13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
It is believed that Nymphas and his house where the church met was located in Hieropolis.
Hieropolis was built around hot springs that are still today renowned for their healing properties.
Therefore, These 3 cities in the Lycus valley were closely related as were the churches within them.
As with the other churches that we have noticed, the city of Laodicea was also destroyed twice by and earthquake.
In AD 17, it was rebuilt by Tiberius, the Roman emperor, and in AD 60, during the reign of Nero but was rebuilt by its own resources.
Laodicea was a very wealthy city, especially because of its importance of the last opportunity of those leaving the West, Ephesus, and the first opportunity of those coming from the East from Colossae.
Finances:
Another reference made in this letter is gold.
There were many banks and elite rich living in Laodicea. These elite rich, combined to build banking houses, theaters, a huge stadium, with seating capacity of tens of thousands and still visible today but deteriorating, lavish public baths and fabulous shopping centers. Therefore, the abundance of gold was easily recognized.
Now we can understand why Laodicea was boasting of their riches.
Fashion:
Laodicea became famous for its clothing industry, renowned for the fine quality of its woven garments. The wool came from a breed of sheep that is now extinct with long, soft, glossy, violet black wool.
Pharmaceuticals:
Laodicea was also famous for its medical school, famous for ointment for ears and an ointment of eyes, both of which are referred in this letter.
2 of their doctors were so famous that they appeared on the coins of Loadicea, Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes.
However, they lacked one thing physically. Water. The water supply came from springs through an underground aqueduct from about 6 -10 miles away. Aqueducts ran from Hieropolis, Hot water, and from Colossae, Cold water. The springs filtering through limestone made it abundant in minerals but the distance to be delivered made it no longer cold or hot, but rather, luke warm.
Knowing this background makes it very interesting that the four words used by the Lord to analyze the state of disrepair in Laodicea corresponds to these four features of the city.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The source of water was cold or hot but yet they were lukewarm. The church of Laodicea was self sufficient but nauseating.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The church of Laodicea was economically prosperous but was spiritually bankrupt, they were the center of vision medicine but were blind, they were fashionably dressed but spiritually naked.
The church of Laodicea had completely conformed to their surroundings.
But before we get into the sermon, lets notice one more thing in introduction to this church. Notice the phrase:
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
All the other churches were addressed to the church in the city,
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
“In” is indicative of the separation of the church and their cities.
but of the church of Ephesus
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
and again the church of the Laodiceans.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
“of” is indicative of the breaking down of their distinctive separation.
The membership of Ephesus had left their first love and was courting another, the world. The church and bride that was supposed to be Jesus’ church and bride was theirs and no longer His. Laodicea were not restricted and had totally abandoned Christ and had merged with another. Their practice was loose, doing as they will and not what Christ willed. Therefore, the Lord could not find anything good to say because they were composed of wealthy, extravagant, lustful, and self satisfied people. The light in the midst of the church had completely disappeared and was now standing at the door waiting to be invited back in.
Jesus was nauseated at what He discovered.
So, now that we have seen the physical attributes of Laodicea, lets look into the spiritual nature of the church and start like all the letters
The Christ of Laodicea
The Christ of Laodicea
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
The Amen: Affirmation of truth.
The Amen: Affirmation of truth.
This is the 4th time we find this word Amen in Revelation. 1:6; 1:7; 1:18.
“Amen” means fixed, true, unchangeable.
In Isaiah 7:9 and Isaiah 65:16 it is seen in the words “believe” and “truth”
Therefore making “Amen”, the affirmation of truth.
In Jonah 3:5
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
The Ninevites “believed” or affirmed the truth of the message of Jonah by God, by believing and obeying.
In the Greek, the equivalent to “Amen” is “Verily” meaning “of the truth” or “divine certainty” occuring 25 times in only the Gospel of John.
Also, notice 2 Cor 1:20
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
We can affirm the Word of God. All His words are true, but if we don’t, then Christ is enough to confirm and affirm it Himself.
If Christ said it, we don’t need to question it, challenge it, or explain it, we just need to AFFIRM It! AMEN!!!
Remember, He is the A to Z, the letters that make up the words.
The Faithful: Fullness of truth.
The Faithful: Fullness of truth.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
In order to be a true witness, you must satisfy 3 essential conditions:
You must have seen with your own eyes that of which you tell.
You must be absolutely honest so that you repeat with accuracy that which you have heard and seen.
You must have the ability to tell what you have to say so that your witness will make its true impression on those who hear.
Jesus is the ultimate faithful and true witness.
Jesus knows everything about us. There is nothing we can hide and He holds nothing back. He speaks the absolute truth about the situation at Laodicea. Jesus is totally honest because He cannot lie and Jesus is impressionable enough to have us believe because of His character.
The Source: The Beginning
The Source: The Beginning
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Christ is the source or power of all creation, not the first created of God. He is the divine cause of everything's existence.
Christ is the agent of both the material and spiritual creation of God.
Our physical creation and our spiritual creation, salvation, is created in Christ Jesus.
He is “The beginning and the end”
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The church of Laodicea would not exist without Christ and will not continue to exist without Christ.
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
According to history, Archippus was the first pastor of the church of Laodicea. When Paul wrote to Colossae and told them to share the letter with Laodicea, he calls out Archippus.
17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
This message was 30 years before the letter of Revelation was written.
Now finished with a description of the Christ of Laodicea he proceeds with the most severe criticism yet given to any church.
The Critique of Laodicea
The Critique of Laodicea
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Apathy: I Know thy Works
Apathy: I Know thy Works
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
“I know” - think of all the friends you have fooled. think about your enemies and what they don’t know, Think about even yourself, you may not know, but Jesus knows.
We cannot hide from the light of the world walking among the churches and there is no where to hide, there is no shadow to find.
“I know you are lukewarm”
“I know your true condition”
7 times Jesus has made that statement. 7 times = Jesus affirms His Omniscience, all knowing, divine attribute.
“thou are not neither cold nor hot”
Hot is the greek word “zestos” meaning to the boiling point.
I am reminded of 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul reminded Timothy to
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
“stir up” is fanning the flame, increase the heat, passion, of the gift of God, the Holy Spirit.
Laodicea had come the point where they had no enthusiasm, no emotion, no zeal, no urgency.
He doesn’t rebuke them for the lack of doctrinal correctness, but rather for their lack of spiritual power and affection.
“cold” is “PSUCHROS” = cold to the point of freezing.
“lukewarm” = tepid
Things that are tepid or lukewarm are often nauseating.
Foods that are cold are great, Ice Cream, coffee, popsicles.
Foods that are hot are great, soup, coffee,
However, tepid foods make your stomach turn.
The minerals from the hot springs of Hierapolis with their chemical content were also nauseating in their taste and smell.
This is exactly the way Jesus felt about the church of the Laodiceans.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Lukewarmness is manifested through the professing of Christ, attending church, but lacking of a true testimony of Christ through their actions and attitude to the point they their Christianity is questioned.
Indifference is the greatest enemy of Christ today leading to more people rejecting Jesus Christ than any other sin.
Not only was there Apathy in the church of Laodicea but their was also
Apostasy: Sayest, I am Rich
Apostasy: Sayest, I am Rich
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Apostasy = a desertion or departure from living life with God.
Their Reasoning: Sayest, I am Rich
Their Reasoning: Sayest, I am Rich
The church of Laodicea was a wealthy church. Remember, their city rejected the help of Caesar for help in rebuilding the city. Their arogance made them uninterested in help or input from others.
The 2nd half of Apostasy.
Their Reality: Knowest not
Their Reality: Knowest not
They were wretched = suffering toil and hardship
They were miserable = pitied and in need of compasion.
They were poor = of little value
They were blind = incapable of comprehending or understanding
They were naked = uncovered, without outer garment.
They were to the point of being untouched by the gospel and the hope of the future return of Jesus Christ, their groom and provider.
Therefore, Jesus makes and Appeal this congregation.
The Counsel of Laodicea
The Counsel of Laodicea
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
The 3 prides of Laodicea are addressed in the counsel of Jesus.
Their Prides Prioritized:
Their Prides Prioritized:
Proper Finances: “Buy of me gold tried in the fire”
Wealth is great and can do much, but wealth can’t buy happiness, give health, comfort your sorrow, or bring comfort in suffering.
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
On the other hand, a man with faith, that has been refined in the crucible of experience and trust in God can face and overcome anything.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Proper Fashion: “white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed”
Are we more interested in the fig leaves or the robe of righteousness that Jesus wants to clothe us with.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
What you try to wear or put on will never cover your nakedness, only the garments of God are sufficient.
Jesus is inviting them to salvation.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Proper Pharmaceuticals: “annoint thine eyes with eyesalve”
Spiritual Vision: Jesus is the Light of the World. Only He can allow you to see your condition and His holiness. A true sight of Jesus Christ will lead to repentance, obedience with humility as we serve Him.
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
His Phileo Proclaimed:
His Phileo Proclaimed:
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
“love” is not agape, but rather Phileo, a term of affection with less depth than Agape.
Agape loves and acts toward their enemies.
Phileo disciplines because of relationship.
Rebuke = “to convict or correct” and has the idea of not just giving a piece of His mind, but rather, pleading for them to see the error of their way and admit their wrong.
Remember how Nathan confronted David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba? That is what we are talking about.
Chasten = to train or educate with blows as a child. Jesus may touch any area of our life to get our attention. 1 Cor 11:30
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Our Path Preferred:
Our Path Preferred:
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
zealous is the word we get zesty from. It means to come to a boil.
Jesus wants us on fire for Him. Passionately waiting His appearing.
Repent = changing our mind in way that results in a change of direction.
Repentance brings the life and presence of Christ in the church.
The Conquering of Laodicea
The Conquering of Laodicea
The conquering of the sin of Laodicea is the conclusion of this letter. Jesus says,
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Jesus wants back in the church. He is standing at the door and continually knock waiting for us to open the door and allow HIm back into our midst.
We can’t worry about the turning of the entire church. Jesus wants anyone this morning that will hear to open the door. Revival always starts in the heart of one.
Notice the Promise:
If you will overcome the apathy and apostasy of life, then you will be allowed to sit with Christ on His throne and rule and reign with Him.
Will you hear the message?
Will you respond to the message?
