The letter to the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)
This is the seventh and final letter written to the seven churches of the Apocalypse that we find in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3.
It is written to the Church at Laodicea.
This is the one church that Jesus has not one good word for.
The Catchphrase for this church is “a negative profit” in the bank of God.
1. Introduction
We have been looking at the Churches of the Apocalypse during lockdown.
The seven churches of Revelation are
1.) Ephesus Rev 2:1-7
2.) Smyrna Rev. 2:8-11
3.) Pergamum Rev. 2:12-17
4.) Thyatira Rev. 2:18-29
5.) Sardis Rev. 3:1-6
6.) Philadelphia Rev.3:7-13
7.) Laodicea Rev. 3:14-22
I believe that The Angel of the Church is the Bishop or the leader of the Church in the particular place.
Ephesus
Seven weeks ago, we looked at the first Church of the Apocalypse - The Church of Ephesus and drew the lesson that we must come back to our first love.
It is good to have a Christian orthodoxy but in the end it the love of Christ that counts.
Smyrna
Six weeks ago, we looked at the Church of Smyrna and drew the lesson that loyalty to Christ is important - even if it means we die.
Pergamum
Five weeks ago, we looked at the third church of the Apocalypse, the Church at Pergamum
And the catchword there was
“Caesar or Christ
There is no compromise”
Thyatira
Three weeks ago, we looked at the fourth church of the Apocalypse the Church of Thyatira
And the catchword for Thyatira was
no compromise with false teaching within the church
Sardis
Two weeks ago, we looked at the fifth church of the Apocalypse, the Church of Sardis and the catchword was
“Be alert and on your guard”
Last week we looked at the sixth Church of the Apocalypse the Church of Philadelphia
It was the only church that received no reproof.
The catchword for the Church in Philadelphia is Endurance in Adversity
And this week we are looking at the letter to the seventh church of the Apocalypse, the Church at Laodicea and in sharp contrast to the Church in Philadelphia, Jesus has nothing good to say about this church
And the catch phrase is the Church of Laodicea was in a “negative profit” in the bank of God.
1. Historical background
I am going to start as I did with all the other letters by setting out the historical background to the church in Laodicea.
I want to do this – because it will help us to understand more fully what Christ is saying about the church, in the light of the history of the city.
Barclay says that
“There are at least six cities called Laodicea, and this one was called Laodicea on the Lycus to distinguish it from the others.” (William Barclay The Daily Study Bible Revised Edition Vol 1 page 137)
Laodicea was founded in 250BC.
Although it was originally built as a fortress, Laodicea was not easily defendable.
It could not hold out long in a siege as the springs from which the city derived water were six miles away. An invading army could close them down.
What was amazing about the location of Laodicea was that it didn’t just have one significant trade route passing through the city, it had three significant trade routes passing through the city.
1. The first was the road from Ephesus to Syria.
2. The second was the road from Pergamum to Pisidia and Pamphylia and
3. The third trade route was the road from Caria to central and west Phrygia
Sir William Ramsey said” It only needed peace to make Laodicea and great commercial and financial centre”
And that is what the Romans brought to the party.
The Roman peace gave it the opportunity to become as Pliny put it” a most distinguished city”.
Laodicea became the centre for three important industries.
i) Banking
The first of these industries was banking. Laodicea was a great financial centre.
When, in AD 61, the city was devastated by an earthquake, its citizens were so wealthy that they refused any help from Rome to rebuild it
ii) Clothing
The second great industry was that Laodicea was a great clothing centre. They were very proud of the garments they produced
iii) Medicine
Laodicea had a very considerable medical centre, where they manufactured ointment for the ears and for the eyes.
Some of their doctors were so famous that their names appear on some Laodicean money.
When you consider the three major industries of Laodicea you can see now see how apt Jesus’ words when He said:
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. (Rev 3:18).
2. The Angel of Laodicea
The Angel of the church is as I have said in earlier sermons the Bishop (or local leader) of the Church
It is interesting that William Barclay points out that a third century work “The Apostolic Constitutions (8.6) states that Archippus was the first Bishop of Laodicea.
Is this the same Archippus that Paul wrote about in the letter to the Colossians – a neighbouring church (about 30 years before the Book of Revelation was written) where he says
“Say to Archippus, “See that you fulfil the ministry which you have received from the Lord.” (Col 4:17)
Perhaps Archippus, as leader of the Church of Laodicea didn’t do the work he should have done and consequently the rot set in.
Being the leader of a Church has important responsibilities.
No wonder Paul reminds his congregations to pray for their leaders
3. Lukewarm
When Christ rebukes the Church in Laodicea for being lukewarm towards him, what does he mean?
Barclay suggests that one attitude which the Risen Christ condemns is “indifference”.
Another is that one cannot be neutral to Christianity.
But despite the lukewarmness of the Laodicean Church, Christ offers then another chance in words that have sparkled down the centuries.
Rev 3:20
Jesus says:
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Countless Christians over the centuries have answered the call of Christ in Rev 3:20.
When I was a new Christian back in 1972 when I was 16 years turning 17, I couldn’t quite believe that God would want me as a disciple.
But when I read Rev 3:20, I said to myself. If Christ has said it, I will believe it.
Story: When Holman Hunt the pre-Raphaelite artist exhibited his famous picture known as “Light of the World”, someone is reputed to have asked him why he didn’t draw in a door handle on the door at which Jesus was standing.
Holman Hunt replied: “Because the handle is on the inside.”
We see the human responsibility, as Barclay puts it so nicely.
Christ knocks and a man can answer or refuse to answer. Christ does not break in.
The word “sup” and in other translations “eat” is a lot weaker than the word Deipnein in the original Greek.
William Barclay tells us that the Greeks had three meals a day.
i) The first was breakfast (at-rat-isma) which was no more than a piece of bread dipped in wine.
ii) Then there was the midday meal (ariston). It was a snack eaten by the side of the pavement or in some colonnade
iii) But in the evening when the work is done there was Deipnon – the evening meal.
Mobile phones were switched off and so was the television.
People lingered over that meal at the end of the day.
The word translated in the King James version to sup is Deipnein the evening meal.
It was not a rushed meal.
Rather it was a meal where you took time (ibid p 148).
I’d like to end by asking this question:
To what meal does your prayer time with Jesus most closely equate:
Is it
i) A hurried At-ratisma as we rush off somewhere else quickly in the morning
ii) Or an Ariston – a quick meal on the run over lunch
iii) Or is your prayer time more of a Deipnon an evening meal where we linger in prayer with Christ.
It is your choice which you go for.
Two of them, if they become your habit, will lead you into a “negative profit” in the bank of God.
The exception however is the Deipnon evening meal type of prayer.
For that alone will lead you deeper into a relationship with Jesus
Please may I ask you to give a rating to this sermon. In this way I will know if I am connecting with my audience. Thank you
