This is the most popular and the most used passage among all the seven messages given to the churches in Revelation.
• It is so because many people can identify with the condition in Laodicea.
• This church’s experience wasn’t unique; it is common. We see that even in our own lives.
• The spiritual condition of not being hot or cold - being lukewarm - is sadly, something that we know first hand.
This is a danger we face as faithful believers. We are complacent.
• We lost the zeal and joy of being a Christian, and began to go through the motions.
• Doing the same routines week after week. We got used to LISTENING to the Word and not DOING it.
• We begin to church more out of habit than anything else.
We saw the danger of complacency recently, in the escape of Mas Selamat.
• People got used to the same routine, the same people, the same schedule…
• You let go of your guard, because there is really little for you to be watchful about.
The church at Laodicea was in such a condition - a ‘going through the motion’ stage.
• Are you now in a ‘going through the motion’ stage? Is everything a routine?
• Are you in love with Jesus? Are you concerned with the lost of precious lives?
• Complacency hits everyone, me included, no matter at what stage of Christian life you’re in.
The church in Laodicea lost that passion. Jesus came with a warning.
• The environment they lived in wasn’t helping. They live in a very comfortable environment, and it affected them.
• Laodicea was a very wealthy city, founded by Antiochus II and named after his wife Laodice. The city was located where three highways converged, so it was highly commercial.
• Three things they were well-known for, and Jesus uses it in His words of remedy.
1. They were rich (its banking industry)
2. They were well-adorned (famous for its manufacture of black wool), and
3. They have a medical school that produced eye ointment .
Frankly, to live in such a place means you have little needs.
• That’s what they say, “I do not need a thing.” (v.17)
• Singapore is like Laodicea. We are blessed with everything we need. Comparative to our neighbouring countries and what we see happening these past weeks (in China, Myanmar), we are very blessed. We are very comfortable.
• The danger is we do not feel a need for God. Unless we face a problem, we can easily slip into complacency and an easy life.
The only negative thing about the place was its lack of an adequate water supply.
• The city’s water has to be piped in from 10km out, from the hot springs of another city Hierapolis in the NE. The water flows through a canal and by the time it reaches Laodicea, it is lukewarm.
• In the SE about 16km away is the city of Colossae, known for its pure mineral water.
• Both the cities offer something that is beneficial to the people – the hot springs good for health, or and the cool waters are refreshing to drink.
• But Laodicea has only lukewarm water. You do not have hot springs, or cold waters.
So is the church, the Lord says. You have nothing to offer.
• You are not doing anything that brings benefit or blessing to the people.
• The “going through the motion” Christian life blesses no one. In fact, it may be a stumbling block to others.
• In fact, the Lord says it makes Him sick. “I want to spit you out of my mouth.”
• It’s repulsive to Him. It’s like drinking a warm can of coca cola on a hot day.
This is one of the strongest emotions expressed by the Lord in the Scriptures.
• Going through the motions make Christ sick. He wants us to be serious with our faith.
• The comfortable environment does affect us. We are usually victims of the circumstances we are in.
• During school days, I’m serious about Christ, I read Christian books, attend Christian groups. In NS your routine changed completely. Little time for prayer. Got home, very tired to do anything else.
• When you go into the workplace, start a career, everything change again. Then you start a family, and you have to factor a lot of other things in.
We come to church, and we take things for granted. We are pampered.
• We come to an air-conditioned place to worship. We have comfortable seats, electricity keep this place running, nice PowerPoint slides. We have different versions of the Bible in our hands, we have scores of Christian bookstores, we can get whatever books or commentaries we want, we can surf the web and get tons of Christian knowledge.
• Living the Christian life is so easy and comfortable. Singapore is a modern version of Laodicea. We face the same challenges.
We pray that, although the environment affects us, it will not change us.
• These are externals. Circumstances change. These will affect us, but they NEED NOT change us. These need not change our heart towards God and His work.
• We want to remain faithful to God, and stay in love with Jesus. We want to be always concerned for those who are dying without Christ. We want to treasure time with Him, to worship Him and study His Word.
Don’t let the circumstances around you change your heart.
It can affect you, but it cannot change your heart if you do not allow it.
The best part of this passage, is when the Lord came and spoke to them.
• The most important part is when Christ REVEALS what they need.
• 3:17 “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’” They may have what they want, but they do not have what they need. Christ reveals to them what they need.
• I know what I want. But today, we want to know what WE NEED!
So what did the Lord says? “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.” (v.18)
The Lord paints them the true picture – they are actually in need.
• They need to get gold refined in the fire – true riches, not the wealth this world offers them.
• They need to get white clothing from Him, in contrast to black wool they’re having.
• And they need to get from Him the ‘salve to put on’ their eyes. The eye ointment they have cannot help them see their true spiritual state.
Always go for what you need, not what you want.
• You may have what you want – a bible in hand, a church building, lots of money – but is this what you need?
o You need an intimate relationship with Christ, which you do not have.
o You need a love for people, which you know is not there.
o You need to read the Bible, but you cannot do it.
You don’t always know what you need. The doctor knows better.
• If you feel empty, if you’ve lost the joy of being a Christian, no sense of a purpose, then seek Him. The Lord will tell you your needs.
• Our great Physician knows what we really need. When we are moved by His Spirit, care to listen.
Looking at this church, I realized that they have gotten to be self-reliant (self-sufficient), self-righteous (efforts), and self-deceived (thinking they are fine).
• No wonder Christ ends with: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” (v.20)
• He is outside because they’ve gotten used to a life ‘without Christ’. They said they ‘do not need a thing’.
Jesus is asking to be invited back. Mind you, He is talking to a church!
• He is not talking to an unbeliever, asking to receive Christ as his Saviour.
• Jesus wants to be a part of the affairs of your life. He wants fellowship.
• Is Jesus asking to be invited back into your life?
• Have I somehow, neglected Him and left Him standing outside of the affairs of my life?
• He needs to be a part of your life, and a part of everything you do. We do not want to just do our own things. We want to do His things.
In the well-known painting of ‘Christ outside the Door’ by Holman Hunt, the door has no handle. People thought this was a mistake, but the artist explained that this door must be opened from within. The choice is ours. We can invite Christ into our lives, or leave Him outside.
I find this very significant. You have to open the door to Christ.
• You have to take responsibility for your spiritual life. The key is in your hand.
• How intimate you want your relationship with Christ to be?
• You are as close to Jesus as you want it to be.
Willow Creek Church (Bill Hybel’s church) did a study last year that shook their understanding of spiritual life and growth.
• They surveyed their members to find out how has the church been doing in helping them grow spiritually.
• And the finding shocked them. The seekers find the activities of the church very helpful, the new Christians felt they were good, and the graph goes downwards.
• The mature Christians felt the church isn’t helping them much, and some have been hopping to other churches.
The findings showed that the longer a Christian stays in a church, the less satisfied they are with the program the church is offering them.
• They repeated the survey with a few hundreds other churches in US, and the results were the same. And they are now currently doing the survey for 500 churches from around the world.
• Bill Hybels realized the problem: Christians have gotten used to being spoon-fed. When they were seekers, they needed help and they got it. Over the next few years, they learnt more and more about Christianity and the Bible. Over time, their expectation rises, and you’ve to raise the level.
• Christians become consumers. What new products, better programs are you offering?
Where is the failure? We did not teach them to fish themselves.
• Bill Hybels: After one becomes a Christian, we ought to train them to self-feed.
• You have to learn to do your own fishing, to study, learn and grow, independently.
• But most aren’t doing that, so they return weekly to the church for feeding sessions. It’s like a grown man still tied to his mother’s apron strings.
• Heb 5:13-14 “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
When we are young, we depend on our parents to feed us.
• We grow older and we make our beds, feed ourselves, and mom helps with our laundry. In our teens, we want more autonomy. We want to be independent and make our own choices. We choose our own course, our own career. After we get married, we have our own house, and we are almost completely on our own.
• This is a sign of healthy growth, a sign of maturity. You plan for each stage of life.
• Imagine, you are a grown-up person and your mom is still there to make your bed, cook and feed you, and do your laundry. Something must be wrong with you. You ought to be independent but you’re not.
Think in terms of our spiritual life.
• Imagine you are now a Christian for over 5 years, 10 years and you’re still not ‘feeding’ yourself. Not because you cannot, but you choose not to. We rely on Sunday feeding sessions, and become Sunday Christians.
The church will always be there for us. God planned it that way, for mutual encouragement and edification.
(1) But we have to go beyond spoon-feeding. Learn to self-feed.
(2) We have to take responsibility for our spiritual growth and well-being. This is a sign of maturity.
(3) We have to be intentional. Intimacy with God is intentional. You planned for it to happen.
