Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

In his book, The Second Coming of the Church, Christian sociologist and pollster, George Barna, documents his findings about the differences in behaviors between those who identify themselves as born again Christians and non-Christians here in the United States.

Among the results of his surveys are these:

Have been divorced:

Born again Christians – 27%

Non-Christians – 23%

Donated money to a non-profit organization in the last month:

Born again Christians – 47%

Non-Christians – 48%

Bought a lottery ticket in the past week:

Born again Christians – 23%

Non-Christians – 27%

Gave money to a homeless person or poor person in the past year:

Born again Christians – 24%

Non-Christians – 34%

He found similar results with people’s attitudes:

Satisfied with your life today:

Born again Christians – 69%

Non-Christians – 68%

You are still trying to figure out your purpose in life:

Born again Christians – 36%

Non-Christians – 47%

As a result of these findings as well as the results of other surveys his company has completed over the years, Barna made this insightful, but troubling comment:

The vast majority of Christians do not behave differently because we do not think differently, and we do not think differently because we have never trained or equipped ourselves, or held one another accountable to do so.

Although the church in America certainly has much in common with all of the seven churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation, it is probably most like the church that we’ll read about this morning – the church in Laodicea.

And that certainly explains why we often don’t see a lot of difference between those who claim to be Christians and the rest of the world.

Transition:

The message to the church in Laodicea is the seventh (and final) in a series of messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3.

Influenced by the local culture, the church considers itself wealthy and self-sufficient, but Jesus’s assessment differs from that of the congregants.

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 3:14–22

The city of Laodicea was located about forty miles southeast of Philadelphia and about one hundred miles east of Ephesus.

It was the wealthiest of the seven cities. Hierapolis, with its hot mineral springs and white limestone cliffs, was only about eight miles to the north, while snowcapped mountains stood just a few miles to the south.

Unfortunately, Laodicea had no reliable water supply of its own.

The city was earthquake prone, however, and was virtually destroyed by a massive quake in AD 60.

Yet instead of leaning on Rome for money to rebuild as Sardis had done, Laodicea paid for everything itself.

Because the church in Laodicea was undoubtedly influenced by the city’s affluence and self-sufficiency, it receives a stern rebuke without any praise from Jesus.

Transition:

The church at Laodicea was likely in even worse shape spiritually than the church at Sardis, because nothing positive was said to its members at all.

Their spiritual lukewarmness made the Lord want to vomit (vv.

15–16).

Their well-to-do status, materially, had blinded them to their utter spiritual destitution (vv.

17–18).

The Lord had been pushed to the outside of this congregation and was now seeking to reenter (v.

20) through their repentance (v.

19).

What the devil or false doctrine does not accomplish in the church, self-centered materialism often will take up.

I.

The Proficiency of Christ (v.

14)

As with most of the seven messages, Jesus identifies himself using language from Revelation 1

Interesting here though is that this is not part of the description of John’s vision of the physical Jesus toward the end of chapter 1; rather, it is from the introduction of the Book

(e.g., 1:5, where Jesus is “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”).

In addition, Jesus as “the Amen” probably comes from Isaiah 65:16, where the term āmēn is used twice in the Hebrew text (i.e., the “God of amen” or “faithful God”; NIV: “the one true God”), meaning that He himself confirms and guarantees the message.

Jesus speaks as the truthful, authoritative witness to God’s ways in contrast to the unfaithful witness of the Laodicean church (cf.

Rev. 19:11).

No doubt the Laodiceans were familiar with the letter to Colossae which, by this time, was in their possession for at least a generation.

In Colossians, Christ is described as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” [[Col.

1:15]],

and as the One “who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” [[Col.

1:18]].

As the Laodiceans had reveled in material riches, Christ reminds them that all of these things come from Him who is the Creator.

Jesus is also the ruler (archē) not just of the kings of the earth but of the whole of creation (cf.

Col. 1:15–20).

While “ruler” can be taken temporally as the “beginning” of creation, it can also be understood causally as the “origin” or “source” of creation, as is the case here.

Since Isaiah 65:17 speaks about the creation of new heavens and a new earth, and because of the parallels with Colossians 1:15–20, “God’s creation” here points to the new creation begun by Jesus’s resurrection.

Transition:

With this introduction of Himself, Christ addresses His message to the angel of the church in Laodicea without a word of commendation and with probably the most severe rebuke found in any of the seven letters.

II.

The Problem at Church (vv.

15-17)

What’s the problem!?

Jesus illustrates the church’s spiritual problems using the city’s well-known water problems.

Hierapolis to the north enjoyed hot springs useful for healing, while Colossae to the east had cold, refreshing drinking water.

Jesus might be even going as far here as to say He prefers Hierapolis or the people of Colossae over those that are in this church.

But Laodicea received its water from a spring about five miles to the south.

By the time this mineral-rich water made its way over the Roman aqueduct to Laodicea, it had become lukewarm and disgusting to drink (On a visit to the city today, I read somewhere that you can actually still see many corroded water pipes from this era.)

Jesus views both hot and cold water as somewhat positive to a degree and perhaps more useful, whereas lukewarm water is nauseating.

Is Christ really saying here that he prefers “cold” people?

or “cold people” are better than “luke-warm” people?

Christ is likely referring to three different spiritual states here:

a state of coldness— spiritual deadness,

a state of warmth or fervor— spiritual life,

and a state of lukewarmness— something in between?

But then how can one be alive and dead at the same time in the same way?

Jesus had referenced in the Gospels to the fact that many in the world are cold to the things of Christ, that is, the gospel leaves them totally unmoved and arouses no interest or spiritual fervor.

Such were many who were later won to the gospel, but in their prior cold state they had no evidence of grace or of salvation.

By contrast those who are described as hot are those who show genuine spiritual fervor and leave no question as to the presence of eternal life, the sanctifying power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and a fervent testimony manifesting to all that they are true believers in our Lord, Jesus, the Christ.

The normal transition is from a state of coldness to a state of spiritual warmth and is manifested in the experience of many prominent servants of God.

The Apostle Paul himself at one time was cold toward Christ and bitter in his persecution of Christians; but once he met Christ on the Damascus Road, the opposition and lack of interest were immediately dissolved and replaced by the fervent heat of a flaming testimony for the Lord.

The One whom he formerly persecuted then became an object of such affection that he would cheerfully die for Christ’s name.

Such has been the pattern also of countless souls who have been won from spiritual deadness and coldness to fervency of Christian testimony.

The third state of lukewarmness likely refers to those who have some sort of interest in the things of God.

They were probably professing Christians who attend church but have fallen far short of a true testimony for Christ, and whose attitude and actions raise concerns to the genuineness of their spiritual life.

They have been touched by the gospel, but it is not clear whether they really accepted it.

They can hardly be classified with the worldly who are totally unconcerned about the things of Christ, nor with those who unmistakably bear a true testimony for the Lord.

This in-between state of lukewarmness is the cause for the extreme statement which Christ makes that He will spit them out of His mouth.

“I will spit you out of my mouth”

The indifference in the term “lukewarm” in this passage extends to their love for YHWH and for others, their conviction to the core doctrines of the Christian faith, such as the necessity of being born again and the need for a dramatic change in life and perspective required of a true Christian.

If we never make clear the necessity of the new birth and do not proclaim accurately the depravity, and sin, of the human heart, and the divine remedy provided alone in the salvation offered by the crucified Christ, no one can expect the church to make any impact on people.

The result is churchianity, membership in an organization without biblical Christianity and without membership in the Body of Christ accompanied by the miracle of the new birth.

It is apparent that there is something about the intermediate state of being lukewarm that is utterly obnoxious to YHWH.

Far more hopeful is the state of one who has been untouched by the gospel and doesn’t fake putting his trust in Christ, than the one who makes some profession but by his life illustrates that he has not really trusted the Gospel he has heard and now professes.

There is no one farther from Christ than one who dies holding onto an idle profession without real faith.

The church at Laodicea shows the sad picture of much of the professing church in America and serves as an illustration of those who participate in the outer religious worship without the inner reality—this is as true for the Catholics as it is for professing protestants!

Commentator John Walvoord has said:

How many have outwardly conformed to requirements of the church without a true state of being born again into the family of God? How many church members are far from God yet by their membership in the professing church have satisfied their own hearts and have been lulled into a sense of false security?