A Lukewarm Church
Introduction:
A young woman went to her preacher and said, "Preacher, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it." The preacher replied, "Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake."
Sometimes things are not how they seem or how we think they are. Sometimes I wonder if we do not really think we are better than we are. Perhaps we look at our lives through rose colored glasses and fail to see the faults that we may have. Perhaps we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are some sort of super saints, but in reality we are barely hanging on spiritually. It is important for us to regularly and honestly look at ourselves and see where we stand. That is why I want to ask you, what type of Church is this? What type of Christian are you?
In Revelation two and three, seven different churches are addressed. In those addresses some of them are harshly criticised for their shortcomings. I wonder if we were to receive a letter addreessed to us what would it say? Perhaps our faithfulness would be questioned? Perhaps we would be rebuked for something that we have ngeclted doing that we should be doing. What would the letter say to you? What sins would be confronted? What areas that have been negelcted would be brought out into the open? What areas would you be commended for?
In Revelation 3, we come to the address to the lukewarm church of Laodicea. I wonder if we will find any similarities between us and the church at Laodicea.
Text: Revelation 3:14-22
I. The Problem
Revelation 3:15-16
The problem with the church at Laodicea was that they were lukewarm. The city of Laodicea sat in between the cities of Hierapolis. That area was known for their springs. The city of Hierapolis which was only six miles from Laodicea was known for its hot waters. People from distant regions came to soak in warm baths and seek healing for arthritis, skin diseases, and even abdominal problems. Literally, millions of people came to soothe themselves in the naturally hot waters of Hierapolis. On the contrast the city of Colosse was known for its cold waters. People in the fertile Lycus River Valley commonly talked about this wonderful, invigorating water of Colosse.
During the first century Laodicea was the richest and most prominent of those three cities and one of the richest in the world. Despite its prosperity, however, Laodicea had a serious problem. Its water, unlike the healing hot springs of Hierapolis or the fresh, cold mountain water of Colosse was lukewarm and full of minerals. It tasted so bad that it made people sick. In fact, it became a joke in the first century world about the nasty tasting lukewarm water of Laodicea.
Jesus may have been saying to the church at Laodicea, if you were hot, like the springs of Hierapolis, you would bring spiritual healing, restoration, and comfort to people who suffer. If you were cold, like the water in Colosse, you would refresh and encourage people who are hurting. Instead, you are lukewarm. You don’t do anyone any good and you make me sick just like your own water makes you sick.
Have you ever taken a sip of lukewarm water? Usually, lukewarm is not a good temperature. We like it either hot or cold. We like our drinks either hot or cold, but lukewarm is sickening. We want hot showers and cold refreshing drinks. You never hear anyone say, “I am burning up; I would love a nice glass of lukewarm water”. You never hear anyone say, “I am tired and aching, I would love to take a lukewarm bath.” The picture of likewarm is a picture of something that has no use at all. The Laodicean Christians were lukewarm, they were apathetic, and they were good for nothing.
Most of the time people take that passage and say that hot is for God, cold is against God and lukewarm is apathetic. There is a sense in which that is ture. However, perhaps he is saying cold is good, hot is good and lukewarm is apathetic. You see, the cold water of Colosse was great and refreshing. The warm waters of Hierapolis were soothing. They both had a use, but the lukewarm waters of Laodicea were good for nothing. Perhaps the message Jesus is conveying is for the Laodicean Christians to have a use, to be good for something. Perhaps that is why Jesus says I wish you were either hot or cold. He isn’t saying I would rather have you be totally against me than simply lukewarm, he is saying I wish you were good for something either cold and refreshing or hot and healing.
I wonder if they same thing couldn’t be said to the church of today? Perhaps the charge is for the church no longer to be worthless, lukewarm, or apathetic, but to be effective in the Kingdom. Maybe not much can be said of our effectiveness in the Kingdom, if that is the case, wouldn’t God rather have us be like the hot waters which bring about spiritual healing to the spiritually sick? Wouldn’t he rather have that we were like the cold waters which bring about the refreshing that can only come in Christ?
John 4:13-14
A church that is ineffective in the kingdom is worthless. It will be spewed out of the mouth of Jesus. Let us understand that the church is not just a social club. The church is not just a thing we do every so often, but the church has a distinct message and a distinct function. We are comissioned with the task of introducing people to Jesus. If we fail to be effective we are lukewarm.
I wonder if we took this to an individual level what could be said of us. Are you having an impact in the kingdom individually? Are you making a difference that will last for eternity? If not then you would be designated as lukewarm. The designation of being a lukewarm Christian or a lukewarm church is not a compliment, but it reveals uselessness for anything significant. The lukewarm church of the lukewarm Christian might be classified by apathy or a lack of care.
Many people have designated th church of today as an apathetic church, a church without care or concern for being effective. This seems to be a dangerous designation for the church. The church and individuals needs to wake up and realize that the lukewarm and unproductive life for Jesus is not acceptable. Are you lukewarm? Jesus would rather have us be hot or cold.
Let us be aware that God knows our deeds whether bad or good. He knows if we have any value or use in the Kingdom. He knows if we are neither hot nor cold. Perhaps you can deceive yourself and others into thinking that you are doing more than you are or that you are better than you are, but there is no fooling God because He knows our deeds. The question we need to answer is, what does he see as he looks at us?
II. The Prescription
Revelation 3:17-19
Laodicea prided itself on its great wealth. Laodicea was so rich that following a devestating earthquake in the region they refused finanical aide from the emperor saying they were rich and did not need his money. Jesus plays on their assumptions about themselves. He says, “You say I am rich; I have acquired wealth and I do not need a thing.” The problem was as the letter informs them was that they did not realize the reality of their situation. The truth of the matter was that they were, “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” That doesn’t sound like the description I would want for the church.
There are several problems at work here. The first was that the church apparently was not very distinct from the culture in which they lived in. Laodicea was a wealthy city so we can assume that there were some wealthy members of the church. Often times as a person’s wealth increases so does their ego and their view of themselves. Laodicea thought they were something great, they thought they had it all together. They thought they were special because they had more things. Perhaps they interpreted their wealth as God’s blessing upon them. There was a problem though in Laodicea among the Christians. They like the non-Christians surrounding them in the city took great pride in the physical. We can see throughout history that churches often times take on the personality of their culture. The church in America deals with some of the same problems and issues as the non-Christians around us. The problems in American society, the laziness, love of self, and arrogance which is so prominent in American society is also visible within the church.
Secondly, the church is Laodicea had a false view of themselves. They were self-deceived. They had confidence in themselves. Perhaps so much confidence in themselves that they lost their dependence upon God.
A. Buy Refined Gold
Did you catch the reality of the church there? They thought they were rich, but really they were poor. The problem wasn’t that they were ignorant about their financial well-being; the problem was a spiritual problem. Though they were rich in the eyes of the world, spiritually speaking they were poor.
Then there is a prescription given, a chance to remedy their problem. He instructs them to buy refined gold, white clothes, and salve for the eyes. This would remedy the problem that was given to them earlier. The refined gold would solve their poverty problem. The white clothes would solve the nakedness problem, and the eye salve would remedy the blindness problem. However, I do not believe there instructions were merely physical advice to the Laodiceans. Perhaps they would have read this and thought to themselves, we are already rich, why do we need to buy gold, we aren’t poor. However, spiritually speaking they were poor.
Laodicea was a banking center for the province of Asia during this time, and it included a gold exchange. Perhaps this is what was being played upon when they were instructed to buy some refined gold. Notice though it wasn’t at the gold refinery that they were to purchase that gold, it was from Jesus himself that they were to go to. He is saying that you are going to the wrong place to find your wealth. Perhaps the Christians had been frequent customers at the gold refineries. Perhaps they trusted that the gold they bought would be a good investment, but they were investing in the wrong place. There isn’t anything wrong with investing or being wise about one’s finances, but the problem has to do with where their allegiance was. They were devoted to their riches. Their hope was in the things they had, but they needed to buy gold from Jesus. They Laodicean Christians needed to learn where to go to find contentment, where to find something that will really last.
Isaiah 55:1-3
Perhaps there are some here who think they are something, but the reality is they are spiritually poor. If that is the case, Jesus invites us to come and buy gold so that we might be rich.
B. Buy White Linens
Also, Laodicea was a textile center where glossy, black wool was woven into garments called trimata that were prized in the Roman world. Jesus here instructs the church to buy from him, white clothes to wear. Perhaps the picture he gives of buying white clothes was in direct contrast to the well known black wool that was prominent in the area. Afterall, white always in symbolic of purity. He calls them to buy white clothes, which will cover the shame of their nakedness. Nakedness is the badge of sin. When Adam and Eve sinned they realized they were naked and wanted to clothe or voer themselves. Jesus instructs them to find white clothes, which would stand out in a culture wearing dark clothes.
Perhaps these Christians would have read that and thought to themselves that didn’t make any sense. They weren’t naked. However, spiritually they were unclothed.
Galatians 3:26-27
C. Buy Eye Salve
Furthermore, Laodicea was the location of a major medical school known worldwide and where an eye salve called Phyrigian powder was made from a local stone. The salve was said to be a miracle remedy for weak eyes. I doubt that the problem in Laodicea was a physical blindness. If you were to go there you would find that the people may have been able to see just fine. However, they were spiritually blind. We pick up on that same language in songs like “Amazing Grace” where we sing, “I once was blind, but now I see”. We are speaking of our spiritual eye sight beign restored, of our focus changing, of a time of being enlightened to spiritual truths. Jesus is telling them essentially, “I know about the eye salve in Laodicea which is so well-known of which people use to help impaired vision, but you come to me and buy some eye salve which will help you to see things more clearly.” The Laodicean Christians had a seeing problem that no eye salve or eye doctor could cure. The reason why was because the problem did not root in the human eye, it was a spiritual blindness. They needed help that their famous eye school couldn’t provide them. Laodicea had a focus problem. They could see, but they were blind. They couldn’t see the most elementary and most important things. They were blinded and needed their sight restored. I am reminded of the story of the healing of the blind man in John 9.
John 9:39-41
D. Repent and Be Zealous
Finally he makes another charge to them. He tells them that it is those he loves whome he reproves and disciplines, therefore they were to repent and be zealous. This charge was totally contrary to their current lukewarm state. This is the charge that would be given to any lukewarm Christian today, for them to repent and be zealous. A lukewarm Christian has lost their zeal, they may be characterized by apathy, but they are called to be zealous. We live in a world which can get zalous and excited about different things. If you don’t believe that talk to people about politics or sports. Wouldn’t it be great if the church showed the zeal for te Lord that they do at the football games or basketball games? People cheer, they get excited at victories and upset at losses, they get mad when there is a bad call. In fact, it seems that little league games are a dangerous place now a days. It isn’t uncommon for a parent to get a little overzealous at a bad call in game. We need to be zealous for the Lord.
Larry Crabb said, “The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things.”
Are you lukewarm? If so, repent and be zealous get passionate about that which is really important and of value.
III. The Promise
Revelation 3:20-22
The first picture we see is of Jesus standing at the door and knocking. This is actually quite an ironic picture. We see Jesus standing at the door knocking, seeking entrance into His church, which he is the Head of, which he purchased with His own blood.
It reminds me of the story fo a family that went to an art gallery. They stopped at the famous picture of Jesus knocking on the door, drawn from this passage. A little girl looked up at her Dad and said, “Daddy, we would let hom in, wouldn’t we?”
I have heard on numerous occasions preachers use this passage at invitation time. They will say, Jesus is standing at the door knocking; will you let him come in? The problem is that this passage has nothing to do with salvation or non-Christians. It is Jesus addressing a lukewarm church seeking entrance back into the church.
I often wonder is Jesus really welcome in what we do or is he standing outside seeking entrance into the church or into our lives. Is he really welcome among us? More than that is He welcome on His own terms or is He inly welcome on our terms? I think many people like the idea of allowing Jesus into their lives, but they want Him there only on their terms. They want him there if he is going to give them something. They don’t want Him there if He is going to demand something, or if he is going to expect us to live a certain way, talk a certain way and act a certain way. People will allow Jesus in, but only on their own terms. We must never forget that Jesus needs to be Lord of all of our lives. Perhaps today he is standing at the door knocking seeking entrance into the church. Perhaps the picture is of Jesus despertley wanting to be involved in our lives, in the activities we are engaged in, in the work of the church. You see, sometimes we do it on our own and we exclude Jesus from the equation. We forget to seek His blessing. We forget to conform ourselves to His likeness.
Christian, will you let Him reign in your life? Chuch will you let the Head of the Church be a part of the Church? Behold, he stands at the door and knocks waiting for us to let Him in. The promise for those who allow Him in is a relationship. He promises to dine with us.
The he promises something that is beyond my comprehension. He promises us a right to reign with Him. We are not just pawns in the kingdom of Heaven. We are not just getting a shack on a hillside in Heaven, we are not just getting a cracker jack prize or a consolation prize if you are a Christian today, you are invited to come and sit with Him on His throne.
Romans 8:16-17
