LAODICEA - THE LUKEWARM CHURCH _ Revelation 3:14-22

 

Laodicea – The Lukewarm Church

Revelation 3:14-22

 

LAODICEA – A.D. 1900 - Tribulation.

THE SALUTATION

“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 (3:14).

 

This was John’s ninth command to write.

The Amen – God is called twice in Isaiah 65:16 the “God of truth (אָמֵן ʾāmēn, Heb).” It means “to support; to be faithful; to have constancy and reliability.” Amen means truth, affirmation, or certainty. It refers to that which is firm, fixed, and unchangeable. Whatever God says is true and certain. Christ is the Amen (ἀμήν amḗn, Gk) in the sense that He is the God of truth incarnate. It is through the person and work of Christ that all God’s promises and covenants are fulfilled and guaranteed.

The True and Faithful Witness – Everything Christ speaks is truth. He is completely trustworthy, perfectly accurate, and His testimony is always reliable (John 14:6).

The beginning of the creation of God – Beginning (ἀρχή archḗ, Gk.) means that Christ is called “the beginning” because He is the efficient cause of the creation; “the head” because He is before all things, and all things were created by Him and for Him (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16–17; Hebrews 1:10). Christ Himself is the source or origin of creation (Revelation 22:13). Through His power everything was created. He is the Preeminent One, the One receiving the highest honor (Psalm 89:27). He is the source of the creation, and the supreme person (πρωτότοκος prōtótokos, Gk.) in it.

THE COMPLAINT

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot (3:15).

 

Your works – Deeds always reveal people’s true spiritual state (Matthew 7:16; Romans 2:6-8). Though salvation is by God’s faith, through faith alone, deeds confirm or deny the presence of genuine salvation (James 2:14).

Neither cold nor hot – Laodicea’s water supply traveled several miles through an underground aqueduct before reaching the city. The water arrived foul, dirty, and tepid. It was not hot enough to relax and restore, like the hot springs at Hierapolis; nor was it cold and refreshing, like the stream water at Colossae. Laodicea’s lukewarm water was in a useless condition.

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth (3:16).

 

I will vomit you out of my mouth - Some churches make the Lord weep; others make Him angry; the Laodicean church made Him sick. Hot people are those who are spiritually alive and possess the fervency of a transformed life. The spiritually cold are those who reject Christ. The lukewarm fit into neither category. They are not genuinely saved, yet they do not openly reject the gospel. They attend church and claim to know the Lord. Like the Pharisees, they practice a self-righteous religion; they are hypocrites playing games (Matthew 7:22-23). Obnoxious hypocrisy nauseates Christ. Those who self-righteously think that they are saved are protective of their religious feelings and unwilling to recognize their real condition. No one is harder to reach for Christ than a false Christian.

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 (Revelation 3:17).

 

I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing – Such words as these bite and burn. Their deeds gave the lie to their empty words (Matthew 7:21). Like the rich young ruler, they were deceived about their spiritual condition (Matthew 19:16-22).

Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked – They were rich in spiritual pride, but bankrupt in saving grace. They believed that were to be envied, but they were in fact to be pitied. Human nature must be changed internally, and only Jesus Christ can do that!

“The world is not to be converted by money, but by the Spirit of God” – Clarence Larkin.

THE COUNSEL

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 (Revelation 3:18).

 

Gold refined in the fire – They needed gold that was free of impurities, representing the priceless riches of true salvation (1 Peter 1:7; 1 Timothy 6:18-19). Christ offered the Laodiceans a pure, true salvation that would bring them into a real relationship with Him. Salvation is not purchased through human efforts. It has been purchased for us by the death of Christ on Calvary’s cross.

White garments that you may be clothed – Laodicea’s famed black wool symbolized the filthy, sinful garments with which the unregenerate are clothed (Isaiah 64:6; Zechariah 3:3-4). In contrast God clothes the redeemed in white garments (Revelation 3:4-5, 4:4, 6:11, 7:9, 13-14; Isaiah 61:10) symbolizing the righteous deeds that always accompany genuine saving faith (Revelation 19:8).

Anoint your eyes with eye salve – The Laodiceans were spiritually stone blind. Blindness represents lack of understanding and knowledge of spiritual truth (Matthew 15:14, 23:16-17, 19, 24, 26; Luke 6:39; John 9:40-41, 12:40; Romans 2:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:11). The unregenerate Laodiceans needed Christ to open their eyes (Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9).

All sinners have to offer is their wretched, lost condition. Christ offers His righteousness to those who truly repent. He offers spiritual gold, spiritual clothes, and spiritual sight.

THE CHASTENING

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19).

 

Christ has a special love for His church (believers), but He also loves the unredeemed (unbelievers) (Mark 10:21; John 3:16).

Rebuke and chasten – To rebuke (reprove) means to expose and convict. It is God dealing with sinners (John 3:18-20, 16:8; 1 Corinthians 14:24; Titus 1:9; Jude 15). Chasten (discipline) refers to punishment (Luke 23:16, 22) and speaks of God’s convicting of unbelievers (2 Timothy 2:25; Ezekiel 18:30-32, 33:11).

Be zealous and repent – This is the attitude of mourning over sin and hungering and thirsting for righteousness of which Jesus spoke (Matthew 5:4-6). In repentance, the sinner turns from his sin to serve God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

“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” – D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

THE PROMISE

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 (Revelation 3:20).

 

I stand at the door and knock – The invitation is a personal one, since salvation is individual, but it is much broader than that.  The door on which Christ is knocking is not the door to a single human heart, but to the Laodicean church. Christ was outside of this apostate church and wanted to come in, something that could only happen if the people repented.

There are four ways in which Christ knocks:

1.  Through His Word (John 5:24).

2. Through His people (Romans 10:14).

3. Through His Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

4. Through providence (1 John 1:3).

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door – Christ is knocking on the door of the church, calling the many to saving faith, so that He may enter the church. If one person opened the door by repentance and faith, Christ would enter that church through that individual.

“The picture of Christ outside the Laodicean church seeking entrance strongly implies that there were no believers there at all” – John MacArthur.

Dine with him – Christ’s offer to dine with the repentant church speaks of fellowship, communion, and intimacy. Believers will dine with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9) and in the Millennial Kingdom (Luke 22:16, 29-30). Dine (δειπνέω deipnéō, Gk.) refers to the evening meal, the last meal of the day (Luke 17:8, 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25) which is rendered “supper.” Christ urged them to repent and have fellowship with Him before the night of judgment fell and it was too late forever. This is the fourth and last reference in the 7 epistles to the return of Christ, meaning that there will be Laodicean-like churches in the world when He does return.

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 (Revelation 3:21)

 

Him who overcomes – A believer overcomes by receiving eternal life (1 John 5:4-5). This victory is made on an individual basis, and not all Christians attain it.

Sit with me on my throne – Christ offers to seat believers on the throne He shares with the Father (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30). This symbolizes truth that we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10, 20:6; 1 Corinthians 6:3).

I also overcame and sat down with my Father – Overcomers are promised:

1. The privilege of eating from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7).

2. The crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

3. Protection from the second death (Revelation 2:11).

4. The hidden manna (Revelation 2:17).

5. A white stone with a new name written on it (Revelation 2:17).

6. Authority to rule the nations (Revelation 2:26-27).

7. The morning star (Revelation 2:28).

8. White garments, symbolizing purity and holiness (Revelation 3:5).

9. The honor of having Christ confess their names before God the Father and the holy angels in heaven (Revelation 3:5).

10. To be made a pillar in God’s temple (Revelation 3:12).

11. To have written on them the name of God, of the New Jerusalem, and of Christ (Revelation 3:12).

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” ’ ” (Revelation 3:22).

 

What the Spirit says to the churches – The message to the apostate church is: repent and open up to Christ before the night of judgment falls.

The character of the church at Laodicea is a fair outline of the church period from A.D. 1900 - Tribulation. This church presents a vivid picture of the age in which we live. Luxury-living abounds on every hand while souls are dying for want of the gospel. Christians are wearing crowns instead of bearing a cross. We become more emotionally stirred over sports, politics, or television than we do over Christ. There is little sense of spiritual need, little longing for true revival. We accumulate instead of forsaking, lay-up treasures in earth instead of in heaven.  The churches of today are usually more interested in social action than gospel action, more interested in reformation than transformation, more interested in planning than praying.

Everything is largely mechanical and of a social character; all kinds of organizations, programs, committees, activities-but no power; fabulous architecture, million-dollar buildings, fund-raising organizations, and a large church membership. We have outward religious worship without the inner reality; “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). The Apostate Church today would be at the forefront of the gay rights and feminist movements and be leaders in the ordination of women and the feminizing of the deity. As this age draws to a close, apostasy, deadness, and indifference will increase. This is our condition on the eve of Christ’s return.

PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET (Matthew 13: 47-50)

The time is the end of the age (end of the Tribulation period) and is the time of the second advent of Christ. The fishermen are the angels. The good fish are the righteous (saved people, both Jews and Gentiles), and the bad fish are the unrighteous (unbelieving people of all races). The righteous enter the kingdom of their Father, and the unrighteous are consigned to a place of fire.

MYSTERY BABYLON (Revelation 17:1-7)

The picture is of the world being swept up into the intoxication and sin of a false system of religion. Prostitution (harlotry) symbolizes idolatry or religious apostasy (Jeremiah 3:6-9; Ezekiel 16:30, 20:30; Hosea 4:15, 5:3, 6:10, 9:1). The harlot rules over the waters which symbolize the nations of the world. She lures the nations into her grasp and deceives them into committing spiritual fornication with her. She is the bride of the Antichrist. All false religion stems from Babel or Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9).

System of denials within the professing church at the end of the age:

1. Denial of God (Luke 17:26; 2 Timothy 3:4-5).

2. Denial of Christ (1 John 2:18, 4:3; 2 Peter 2:6).

3. Denial of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:3-4).

4. Denial of the faith (1 Timothy 4:1-2; Jude 3).

5. Denial of sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

6. Denial of the separated life (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

7. Denial of Christian liberty (1 Timothy 4:3-4).

8. Denial of morals (2 Timothy 3:1-8, 13; Jude 18).

9. Denial of authority (2 Timothy 3:4).

 

©2012 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.