Part 10 - Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church (Part 1) Series

Grace Community Church

www.gracecommunity.com

I’ll never forget it. I was a young boy eating at a Shoney’s with my dad. I loved going to the buffet and he loved taking me because, like most young teenage boys, I had a hollow leg. I thought I found the jackpot as I scooped up some fluffy white goo. It was my whipped cream dream right there in the middle of the buffet. The shock on my face and the resulting gag made my dad laugh out loud when I realized after shoveling a spoonful in my mouth that what I had really found was sour cream. Have you ever grabbed a drink of water only to find out it was Sprite? The mother of all stories for me was when my friend and I were sitting on my porch talking. We were finishing up and I hastily grabbed one last dink of southern sweet tea from the cup before taking the dishes inside. To my stomach’s dismay, I grabbed his cup of chewing tobacco spit. I think I turn green just talking about it.

That is the response from our Lord Jesus when he thinks about a church that is essentially dead spiritually. It’s not that the church has lost its zeal. The church has denied Christ’s divine authority and the authority of his word. Christ may be in the name, but he is certainly not in the church. It is about as refreshing a drinking your friend’s tobacco spit. They are affluent, wealthy, apathetic, self-focused, and spiritually dead.

It is easy to see how they, of the 7 churches in Revelation, are also the best fit to describe our time. We are full of material affluence with little zeal for the gospel. We are more concerned with worship styles, experiences, environments, comforts, and messages more geared toward self-improvement, self-happiness, and entertainment. It didn’t happen overnight. There’s a progression here:

Ephesus: Doctrinally pure, but lost its first love

Smyrna: Withstanding intense persecution

Pergamum: Holding fast in persecution, false teaching, and immorality

Thyatira: Some love and works, false teaching and immorality

Sardis: Faithful remnant but mostly hypocrisy

Philadelphia: Good works and faithfulness

Laodicea: Nothing good, pride, materialism, laziness

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

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. 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 into him and eat with him, and he with me. 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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ” (Rev 3:14-22)

The Church in Laodicea

Laodicea, like the other 6 churches are located on a postal and trade route through Asia Minor. It is a sister to two other churches in the Lycus valley along with Hierapolis and Colosse. It was located about 10 miles from Colosse which is the recipient church of Paul’s letter to the church there. It’s in your Bible as the book of Colossians. Interestingly, Paul mentions Laodicea in Colossians. Colossians is a letter as an answer to those who deny the deity of Jesus. Apparently whatever was happening in Colosse was also happening in Laodicea and visa versa.

16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. (Col 4:16)

There are a couple of other things we need to understand about Laodicea. It was a very wealthy city. When the region was hit by a great earthquake in AD 60, the city was virtually destroyed. They rejected all offers for the Roman Empire to help rebuild and instead used their own money to rebuild into a gorgeous town.

It also had a renowned medical school that was known for the development of eye salve to treat blindness. There was a wool industry there where they made beautiful black wool. Their wealth was from their banking. They were wall street in Asia. Lastly, they were known for their awful water.