The Lukewarm Church of Laodicea
Introduction: There are more than a few scholars who view the seven churches in Revelation as representative of “church ages”. They believe each individual church represents a certain era in history leading up to the rapture of the church. If they are right, then Laodicea would represent the last day church age and many Christians, including myself, believe that we are living in it.
Laodicea wasn’t just the last of the seven churches, it was the worst of the seven churches. Christ is gracious to consider them a church at all, they might as well have been a community center for all the good it did them. Yet they were proud of themselves, which made their lukewarm condition all the more repulsive.
The lukewarm Laodicea church was the opposite of Philadelphia. There was nothing to condemn in Philadelphia and there is nothing to commend in Laodicea. There is nothing bad ever said about Philadelphia and there is nothing good said about Laodicea. When the good was there even in the worst of the churches, Jesus found it and commended them for it. But when it is nowhere to be found, He won’t flatter them in their sins for the sake of kindness.
He introduces his letter “these are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler (beginning) of God’s creation.” v.14 The word ‘Amen’ in the Greek means “so be it” or ‘surely’ or ‘truly’. This speaks to his holiness and his absolute unequivocal truth. There is a sense of finality to this word, just like Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; the BEGINNING and the end. He is going to give the truth, because He is the truth and there is no other truth but HIM! He is worthy to be trusted because he existed before the beginning of creation and He is the Lord of it. Which qualifies him to say what he is about to say to his church in Laodicea.
Transition: He gives them four things to consider: a diagnosis, a deception, a cure, and hope. First Jesus offers a simple and blunt diagnosis of the church in Laodicea
I. A Diagnosis of the lukewarm church (v.15,16)
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth” v. 15,16
Jesus lets them know that he knows their deeds better than they do and since it is his church, he offers the most honest and truthful diagnosis of it. It is possible that in the process of time this church degenerated from being “on fire for God” to becoming warm and eventually lukewarm and became most comfortable with that temperature because it was the most agreeable to the world and required the least amount of effort. It would have been better if they had back slid out of the church than to be lukewarm and still staying in it, because they might be convicted to return and rekindle the fire they lost. But they were content and happy being mediocre. Matthew Henry said “If religion is worth anything, it is worth everything.” The Lord would rather have you either be intensely for him or be intensely against him.
It’s interesting that the city of Laodicea sat between Colossae, just 10 miles southeast, and Hierapolis which was 6 miles north of it. Hierapolis was famous for their hot springs. The springs were therapeutic for healing and relaxing and are still used today. And Colossae had a mountain stream that always provided cold water, even in the heat of the summer like the Barren fork river, it was always cold. Laodicea had long aqueducts made of terracotta that brought their water to them and when it reached the city, it was dirty and lukewarm. It was neither hot for healing nor cold for refreshment – it was lukewarm, if you drank it, it would turn your stomach and make you vomit. We read in these churches how some churches made the Lord angry, some make him weep, but this one made him sick.
They were neither hot nor cold. They were not atheists, but they were not committed Christians; they were not immoral, but they were not zealous for God; they were not cold like hard hearted unbelievers, but they were not hot in their passion for Christ. They are not so cold that they would deny Christ but they are not so hot to advance his cause. They weren’t opposed to the gospel, but they never would defend it either. They were what the world would call ‘moderates’ they wanted to be respectable, but not seen as fanatical. They love the mainstream and the best of all worlds. They want the praise of both the church and the world at the same time. They do all they can to be seen as religious, but will also do all they can to avoid being insulted for it.
Transition: If the diagnosis wasn’t bad enough, Christ explains how they got to their miserable condition by deceiving themselves
II. The Deception of the lukewarm church (v.17)
“You say ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” v. 17
Laodicea was a city that sat on the Lycos River valley on a major trade route, which caused it to have great wealth. In fact, after a great earthquake destroyed it in 60 AD they didn’t need the assistance of Rome to rebuild their city. They had enough wealth to take care of themselves, they didn’t need the help of anyone else. They were proud of their self-reliance. It seems this attitude spilled over to the church.
A person who not only trusts in himself but is proud to do so is a person to be pitied. “We are rich” just as their city was materially rich they thought their church was spiritually rich. Laodicea minted their own coins, had many banks with lots of money, a lot of commerce was going in and out of their city. They thought they were doing just as well spiritually as they were financially.
The way we view ourselves and the way the Lord views us is quite different. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” -Jer. 17:9 We tend to believe the best about ourselves . . and we even lie about that. Laodicea would say “We are good people and good Christians.” But they deceived themselves by mistaking knowledge for faith and works for grace. There are many in Hell that thought they were headed for Heaven. This terrifying thought should prompt us to pray every day against self-delusion.
What’s worse is that they were proud of their religion. What they thought others should envy was really something to be pitied. In the old fairy tale ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ The Emperor loved to be seen in fancy clothes. Every hour he would wear something remarkably different. One day two swindlers came into town and pretended to be tailors. They said they could make him the nicest clothes and better yet they would be invisible to all those that were stupid and ignorant so they went to work with scissors, and needle pretending to make these clothes, later the emperor asked his top official to check their progress, so he went in and didn’t see anything, He didn’t want anyone to know that he was stupid so when the two swindlers asked what he thought of the clothes he answered “Oh they are wonderful!” and when it was time to put them on even the emperor couldn’t see them and they tricked him into wearing ‘the new clothes’ in a parade and none of the citizens wanted him to think they were stupid so they all pretended they could see the clothes and said “what beautiful clothes he has.” Until a little boy said “the emperor has no clothes” and everyone started to agree and even when the emperor realized they were right he kept his head held high and went on with the parade.
The emperor was so proud of something that was to be ashamed of all along. He refused to be humbled and was proud instead of shamed. The Laodiceans were proud of their condition and thought the Lord would be proud too. They were blind- they could not see themselves honestly. They didn’t see themselves, as the Lord saw them. They were clothed in works and self-righteousness which makes them shamefully naked before Jesus and they kept parading around as if they had some religion to be proud of. Charles Spurgeon said that this church “was so rich in its own esteem, but it was utterly bankrupt in the eyes of the Lord.”
The world loves a lukewarm church, like a lukewarm bath it suits our nature, if it is cold we shiver and if it is hot we sweat. But the world loves a church where things are free and easy, where you are not expected to do much, or say much, or give much, or pray much, or to be very ‘religious’. They want an easy religion, that allows them to enjoy the pleasures of the world and the honors of the church at the same time.
John MacArthur said “No one is harder to win to Christ than a false Christian.” We read in the gospels Jesus found it is easier to win a prostitute than a Pharisee. It is easier to win an atheist, than a religious person. For the same reason it is easier to win a “cold” person than a lukewarm person.
Transition: The person who denies they have nothing wrong cannot be helped, only those people that know they are sick, can run to Christ for the cure.
III. A Cure for the lukewarm church (v. 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.” v.18
If they could part from self-reliance they could then come “poor in spirit”. How can the poor buy gold? They can’t. Isaiah 55:1 says “Come all you who are thirsty, come to the water; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” The Lord makes them understand they have to go to him. If you have no money, you can only offer what you have, and if you have nothing, you can only offer yourself. That’s what God wants. He wants you to sell out to him. There wasn’t enough banks in Laodicea that could buy their debt, but Christ offers them a cure for their lukewarm condition. He wants to buy your sinful condition from you. He paid the price for it already. You just have to let him have it and you will become rich. Why store treasure on earth where it won’t last? Store treasures up in heaven where it will last forever.
He gives them a cure for their nakedness. He offers white clothes, if we let him take all our false hop of works which is nothing but filthy rags, he replaces it with his righteousness. If we give him our sin we not only give him our condition, he gives us his redeeming grace to cover our shame.
Laodicea was known for its eye salve, a medicine made from Phrygian powder that was manufactured there. This is something that was also a part of their prosperous economy. So they would have been able to understand the Lords analogy better than anyone. They were blind to their own condition. Some churches are so proud of their great size, and yet are blinded to the corruption in their spirits. They grow in mass because there is no conviction and are proud of their growth, but should be ashamed of the lukewarm state they are in. If they would stop looking into themselves and start looking into Jesus – they would see the truth, and be healed of their blindness. Churches are like store fronts on the strip mall, they like to put their best products in the window for everyone to see but Christ see through all the facades, the pretenses, and the hype and knows the shame and graciously offers them a cure.
Transition: A great deal of honesty is needed to save their souls and He ends the letter by giving them great hope.
IV. A Hope for the lukewarm church (v.19,20)
“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.”v.19
The proverbs say “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” but they might have thought this was a harsh letter, a hard sermon with sharp words; but he reminds them all of it was done in love. A parent who doesn’t rebuke and discipline their child doesn’t love them. If they don’t receive a well-deserved spanking when they do wrong then they will continue to do wrong! If it weren’t for his harsh words they wouldn’t know the seriousness of their wrongs. Don’t trust any minister who deals out nothing but sweets form his pulpit. If he didn’t love, He could have said nothing, making sure not to offend them and just turn them over to a reprobate mind, guaranteeing their destruction. But he warns them and the record is set for all of us the fiery danger of the lukewarm condition. There is hope for us all thanks to his warning. He then tells them he is at the door:
“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.” v.20
This shows you how far Laodicea had fallen and how far Christ will go to reclaim his sheep. The Lord that the church of Laodicea professed to know and love is not inside with them in communion but outside their door, having to knock and call for them and continuing to do so! Do you see the significance here? He should be in their midst if they were truly gathering in his name. It’s a sad day for any church when Jesus is at the door and not in the sanctuary.
Conclusion: We think that we must “get right” “clean up” before we come to God. He doesn’t want that he wants you just the way you are. He will reward them with what every church should treasure most, himself. He is the pearl of great price. He asks you for yourself and he will give you himself. That is a relationship and that’s what he desires most, to have a relationship with you
