PRAY FOR LESS INTERESTING TIME Revelation 3__14-22
Laodicea: the Lukewarm Church
Introduction
Translations of quotes from other languages, other times, and other cultures often do not work well. A person from another country gave advice on prayer petitions. He included a line that some inept translator parsed thusly: “Pray that you do not live in interesting times.”
What the person with another language intended was “Pray that you not be tested by persecution. Pray that you not have to suffer for your faith.”
Even our often repeated Lord’s Prayer has this anemic translation, “Lead us not into temptation.” Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus said, “Don’t lead us to the place of trial and testing of faith. Don’t lead us to the cross. . . .deliver us from evil.”
Forseeing the day when the walls of Jerusalem would be broken down by the Roman engines of war Jesus advised his followers, “Pray that your flight does not come in the winter. . . . .woe to the pregnant women and women with children in those days.”
That was a prayer that his disciples not be led to a severe place of testing.
On the eve of his crucifixion Jesus prayed in agony, “Father, take this cup from me.”
IN our devotion, we forget the humanity of Jesus. One thing that we can say of Jesus, He lived in interesting times; times that tested character, times that tried men’s souls.
"Blessed are the Lukewarm." That is the title of an article I clipped a couple of years ago.
"Blessed are the Lukewarm." That is the approach the world takes to religion and faith in God and Jesus. That is the approach the church of Laodicea took. If you don’t take Christ too seriously, you can have your faith and religion but don’t actually practice it; don’t actually believe it; don’t actually be excited about it. "Blessed are the Lukewarm."
"Blessed are the Lukewarm." The devil and the world wants our religion and faith to be lukewarm because then we don’t create problems. Then we don’t take a stand against abortion or sexual immorality. Then we don’t take a stand against emperor worship or participation in pagan feasts or theological heresies. Then we don’t take a stand for the authority of Scripture.
We have to be on watch, on guard, that ours is not a lukewarm faith and religion. I think Anglicans, in their search for the middle way, attempt to avoid controversy and hence are particularly susceptible to being lukewarm.
We are here because we were raised in the faith and are surrounded by the faith. We have devotions every single day. We have Bibles and devotional material. We attend church on Sunday. All of this can be a sign of real commitment and devotion. But we can have all of this and still be lukewarm. We have so much that we don’t get excited about our faith. Maybe we are just going through the motions at worship.. Maybe we rarely or never have private devotions. We may have become like the King in Shakespeare’s play who confessed, “My prayers go up, but my thoughts remain below. Prayers without thought never to heaven go.” Are we excited enough by our faith to be involved, to think and act on our prayers?
"Blessed are the Lukewarm." I want you to notice that is not what Jesus says.
I The Letter’s Introduction
This letter starts with "to the angel of the church ..." and ends with "... what the Spirit says to the churches." Like all the letters, it is meant for a local church in Asia Minor, it is meant for all the churches of Asia Minor, and it is meant for all churches of all times and all places. This letter, in other words, is meant for us as well.
The letter in front of us as written to the church in Laodicea.. Note of two features of the city. Laodicea was rich and prosperous. When in A.D. 60 an earthquake destroyed the city, Laodicea asked no financial aid from Rome. The wealthy citizens rebuilt their city. Laodicea had three sources of wealth: a banking center; its soft, raven-black wool, and it had a famous school of medicine that developed a cream for curing eye diseases.
The second feature of the city of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. They had to pipe in lukewarm water via an aqueduct.
Jesus is the author of this letter, identifying Himself as "the Amen" (Rev 3:14). According to the Gospels, Jesus used "Amen" often to emphasize that what He was about to say He says with the authority of God and as the messenger of God.
Jesus also speaks as "the faithful and true witness" (Rev 3:14). In the church of Pergamum, Antipas is called "my faithful witness" (Rev 2:13) because he was put to death for his faith. Likewise, Jesus is the faithful witness to the Father because He is the Lamb Who was slain. Jesus is the true witness. "True" means He is faithful and true to His promises; He is dependable, He is genuine and real.
In the Greek these are three separate terms: the faithful, the true, the witness. Jesus is everything the church in Laodicea is not. This church is not faithful to Christ. She is not true to Christ. And her witness to Christ is almost nonexistent.
Finally, Jesus speaks as "the ruler of God’s creation" (Rev 3:14). This title should be well-known to the church in Laodicea because of the letter Paul wrote to their sister church in Colosse:
(Col 1:15-16) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Jesus is the ruler and the beginning of God’s creation. Again, this is a message to the church of Laodicea. In their wealth and prosperity they thought of themselves as in control; Jesus is telling them that He alone controls creation; in fact, He is the source of their wealth and prosperity.
II The Evaluation
In His evaluation of this church Jesus said, "I know your deeds" (Rev 3:15). Jesus knows all things and He sees all things. Nothing is hid from the sight of Him Whose eyes are like blazing fire (Rev 1:14). In the same way, Jesus knows and sees all things about us. Our opening prayer says of Almighty God that from Him “no secrets are hid.”
What does Jesus know and see about Laodicea? "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot" (Rev 3:15). The church of Laodicea is like the water of Laodicea – lukewarm. She is lukewarm about faith. She is lukewarm about God and Jesus. She is lukewarm about sanctification. She is lukewarm about worship. She is lukewarm about professing her faith and living out her faith.
The Laodicean Christians are neither cold nor hot. The church is not hostile to the Gospel; she does not reject the faith. But neither is the church hot and enthusiastic about the Gospel; she is not excited and on fire about the faith.
Listen to what Jesus says next in His evaluation of the Laodicean church:
(Rev 3:15-16) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! (16) So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Jesus wishes that the church does not match the city’s water supply. As a result, Jesus says "I am about to spit you out of my mouth." The Greek is far more expressive – I am about to "vomit" you out of my mouth. Do you hear what Jesus is saying to the church of Laodicea? Jesus is saying, "You make me sick!" "I want to vomit because you are lukewarm about me and God and faith and religion!"
Does Jesus have any reason to say this about our faith and religion? Do we make Him sick because we are not excited about his work in the world?
Why did Laodicea become lukewarm in her faith? She did not start off this way. At the beginning she was excited about Jesus, zealous for God, on fire for the Kingdom and Lordship of Jesus Christ. Se was a firm defender of the faith. But now she is lukewarm. What happened?
Jesus tells us what went wrong. Again, He knows. He sees.
(Rev 3:17) You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’
Do you see the problem? The church of Laodicea, like the city of Laodicea, was rich. The church and her members made an assumption: they assumed that earthly wealth meant heavenly wealth; they assumed that material riches meant God’s favor. Isn’t this what the "health and wealth" gospel is all about? Those preachers and churches that preach and promise prosperity make a jump from physical wealth to spiritual wealth.
Th city Laodicea needed no help from Rome in rebuilding after the earthquake of A.D. 60. She said, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing" (Rev 3:17). In the same way, the church of Laodicea thought she needed no help from God. Isn’t this the biggest danger of riches – those who have it think they don’t need the Lord (Prov 30:8)? If those with riches don’t need God for daily bread then they don’t need God for salvation and eternal life either.
I am sure you see the comparison with us in this country we have great earthly and material wealth. Do we assume this means we also have the approval of heaven? Do we think we can get along without God?
"I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing" (Rev 3:17). That is what the city and the church said. "I need nothing." "I don’t need the Lord." But notice what Jesus says:
(Rev 3:17) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Laodicea is a center of banking and finance but Jesus says they are "poor." They have accumulated the wrong kind of wealth. Laodicea is known world-wide for its soft, raven-black wool but Jesus says they are "naked." It is possible to wear Armani suits and Dior dresses but to be naked in the eyes of God. Laodicea is famous for its healing eye creams but Jesus says they are "blind." Like the Pharisees, they claim to have spiritual insight but in reality do not see (Jn 9).
The city and the church are wretched and pitiful because they don’t know their true condition. They are miserable but don’t know it. They think they need nothing when, in fact, they need everything. They think they need nothing when, in fact, they are poor, blind, and naked.
III The Exhortation
What must Laodicea do? How can their lukewarm faith be hot again? Jesus says, "So be earnest, and repent" (Rev 3:19). Be earnest – that’s the problem, isn’t it; they are not earnest in the faith; they are not zealous for God."Be earnest." How do they go about doing that? How do we go about doing that? Listen to what Jesus says:
(Rev 3:18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
"I counsel you." Thse are the words of "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation." This is a command not a recommendation.
The city known for its banks and finances is told to buy gold from Jesus. A city known for it black wool is told to buy white clothes from Jesus. A city known for its healing eye creams is told to buy eye salve from Jesus.
When they buy from Jesus they become rich, they cover their nakedness, and they can see. As always, it is not our work but the grace of God that supplies us.
Laodicea’s problem: a lukewarm faith because she bought from the wrong store. Laodicea’s solution: buy from Jesus Who alone provides what is really needed.
Go to Jesus and you are clothed in garments of righteousness. Go to Jesus and your spiritual blindness disappears. Go to Jesus and find in Him everything you need..
What is true for Laodicea is true for every church and every believer. It is only by coming to Jesus that any lukewarmness on our part can be overcome. Throw yourself at His feet. Worship Him. Enthrone Him in your heart. Make Him the King of your life.
Do you yearn for the days when your faith was so real and meaningful, when your walk and talk with the Lord meant so much more to you? The only cure, as with Laodicea, is to come to the Lord.
Actually, it is not really a case of us coming to the Lord but of Him coming to us. All that we have to do is to see and hear that the Lord is there and that we need Him. Jesus says,
(Rev 3:20) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Usually, we think that Christ knocks only at the door of unbelievers. But we see otherwise in our Bible reading. Is Christ knocking at your door? He is, you know, if you are uncommitted, lukewarm, complacent about your faith. Is Christ knocking at your door? He wants you, He wants me, He wants all of us to be absolutely committed to Him. To regain the blessedness we once knew we must open the door and let Christ in.
Conclusion
Seven letters to seven churches.
Five of the churches are strongly admonished by the Lord:
Ephesus because she has forsaken her first love;
Pergamum because she is tolerant;
Thyatira because she chose cultural approval in order to secure economic well-being; Sardis because she is dead;
Laodicea because she is lukewarm in her faith.
Two of the churches – Smyrna and Philadelphia – receive no criticism from the Lord.
From a purely secular and worldly point-of-view the five churches that are admonished are successful. And, from a purely secular and worldly point-of-view the two churches that are not admonished are struggling.
What makes for a successful church? From a worldly point-of-view, success is measured by seating capacity, average Sunday attendance, the number of converts, the size of the Sunday School, the amount collected in the offering, the number of hits on the church’s website, the number of CDs requested. From a worldly point-of-view, Sardis and Laodicea are the most successful churches – yet, they are the churches that Jesus criticizes the most.
From a worldly point-of-view signs of an unsuccessful church are , poverty, tiny size, and small visible impact.. From a worldly point-of-view, Smyrna and Philadelphia are the least successful churches – yet, they are the churches that Jesus praises the most.
This survey of the seven churches tells us we need to change our criteria for what makes a church successful. It tells us if we use secular and worldly measurements of success then the Lord Jesus will say something that will shock us and surprise us on Judgement Day..
How does Jesus measure success? Jesus praises Ephesus for sniffing out heretics. Smyrna is praised for endurance under trial. Pergamum is praised because she is faithful even to the point of death. Thyatira is praised for faith, service, and perseverance. Philadelphia is praised for keeping God’s Word and confessing Christ before men.
We see that Jesus alone is the judge of what matters. Not the world. Not the culture. Not the Romans. Not the governing authorities. Not the denomination. Jesus is the One Who determines what counts, what is important, in the life of His church.
If we measure success the way Jesus does, and strive to be overcomers – people who are faithful, who endure, who confess Christ before men, who keep the Word,– then Jesus promises us victory, the Crown of Life and the words, “Well Done Good and faithful Servant.”
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"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
