The Church at Laodecia
Revelation 3:14-22
April 2, 2023
Today we’re looking at the final letter of the 7 letters Jesus wrote to the churches in the book of Revelation. Of the 7 churches, this was the most scathing and condemning. There were no positive words for the Laodecians.
Laodecia was located 90 miles east of Ephesus and 45 miles south of Philadelphia. Laodicea was a very wealthy city. They were so prosperous, that when an earthquake destroyed Laodecia in 60 A.D. the people refused aid from the Roman government. They paid for and completed repairs on their own. That’s noble, but it was also a sign of their wealth and arrogance.
Outwardly the church in Laodicea appeared to be strong and prosperous. The people who worshiped there considered themselves blessed. They lived in a town others envied. Unlike Smyrna, there was no persecution, and unlike Pergamum, no false doctrine. There was no Jezebel like in Thyatira.
Laodicea was a comfortable place to live and a comfortable place to go to church. That can be a lethal combination, which can make us so comfy, but leaves a terrible taste in Jesus’ mouth.
Jesus wrote, 14 These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
We usually say “Amen” when we’re done with our prayers, which means “Let’s eat.” But amen means more than that, it literally means “it is true!” There are times when Jesus would start a sentence by saying, “Amen, amen...” Meaning “Truly, truly.” So, when Jesus says these are the words of the Amen, Jesus is saying He is the truth, He is the only Word you need to hold onto.
We can say amen to all God has said, because Jesus is the final amen. And because Jesus is the faithful and true witness, we can completely trust Him.
All Jesus said is true and it’s true all of the time. It isn’t temporarily true, but always true. The Son of God is faithful to His people and He’s who He says He is.
For the church at Laodicea it means that when Christ issues his scathing denunciation, they can’t escape it by saying, “That’s just his opinion.” No, that’s the word of the Son of God who sees all and speaks the truth.
Jesus added, He is the ruler of God’s creation.
They would have known what Paul said in Colossians 1 - - -
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.
All creation comes through Jesus. He was there before there was a creation. In fact, He’s always been here. Jesus is not only Jesus sovereign, but He’s the glue of the universe. If He stopped holding it together, the universe would fly apart.
Now comes the point of condemnation. Jesus exclaims - - -
15 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.
What does it mean when Jesus said, you are neither hot nor cold? Think about it this way —
Isn’t lukewarm water also called — — room temperature water?
What do you need to do to make water room temperature? Nothing.
Leave water alone and it’s room temperature.
If you want hot water, you have to do something to make it hot. You take action. Water never becomes hot on its own.
And if you want cold water, you have to do something to make it cold. You put it in the refrigerator or put ice cubes in the water. Water will never become hot or cold if left to itself.
So here’s the issue. The Laodiceans weren’t guilty of immorality, worshiping other gods, believing in false doctrine, or welcoming false prophets. In order to be guilty of those things, you had to do something.
How do you become lukewarm? Just do nothing. A lukewarm Christian is nothing more than a “room temperature” Christian who’s become just like their environment. Rather than changing the world around them, they allow the world to change them.
Some churches take the middle road, believing the truth, but unwilling to take a stand for it. Pastor Ray Pritchard wrote, “While in India, a local pastor took us through a Muslim town where you could see the green flags flying indicating that Muslim families lived there. Because of ongoing tension, few Christians live in the city. But there was a church with a cross on it. The pastor said, “The Muslims leave the church alone because they never evangelize.” If you never tell anyone about your faith, you’re unlikely to be bothered.
The church at Laodicea had become like that church. They had conformed to the ways of the world, and felt really good about it.
Why does Christ hate lukewarmness so much? Because it seems that nothing really matters to that person. They stand for nothing. They’re comfortable, and don’t want to be bothered by anything that could lead them to be uncomfortable. They simply blend into the world and they’re no different than anyone else.
When I drink coffee, I want hot coffee. In fact, often times I’ll put the coffee in the microwave after pouring myself a cup. There’s nothing worse then lukewarm coffee. What about a nice glass of room temperature water after you’ve been outside in the heat for awhile. That’ll quench your thirst.
The church was no longer effective. They were too comfortable, too focused on their own needs, wants and desires. They lost their passion.
The people would have understood Jesus’ message loud and clear. Because He spoke in ways they understood. Jesus was actually speaking to a very real physical condition too.
Laodecia was was 10 miles west of Colossae and 6 miles south of Hierapolis. There was cold, pure water in Colossae and hot, therapeutic hot springs of Hierapolis. The one thing lacking in Laodecia was an effective water system.
They built an intricate system of aqueducts, but by the time the water got to Laodecia, the hot water was now lukewarm. And the cold water from Colossae, yup, you guessed it, it was also lukewarm.
You see, the Laodecians were proud that they built these and acquired them by their own efforts. So, Jesus said the Laodiceans were like that water, lukewarm. There was no passion and sense of urgency. Pastor and theologian John Stott wrote - - -
The Laodicean church was a half-hearted church. And perhaps none of the seven letters is more appropriate to our 21st century than this.
It vividly describes the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin-deep religiosity which is so wide-spread among us today.
Our Christianity is flabby and anemic. We appear to have taken a lukewarm bath of religion.
Do you think Stott is right? Are we afraid of being on fire for Christ? We don’t want to be labeled as politically incorrect. We fear being seen as fanatics or extremists. The sad truth is we have no problem being fanatical in other areas of life. How many of you shouted yourself hoarse during the NCAA tournament?
We’ve been to concerts, with crowds of thousands of people dancing and singing and shouting for Jesus. You may not like the noise level, but you know . . . people were excited about Jesus.
But when they left, did they still show the same passion and fire for Jesus? Or were they back in the world and the lukewarmness too over?
Yet, what if we came here on Sunday mornings to worship with that same attitude of expectancy? Can you imagine what worship would be like? We wouldn’t worry about what songs were song, or the message or the length. We’d be here for the same reason . . . to meet and experience the power of worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of lords. And we would shake this building to its foundations.
What gets Jesus really angry? Lukewarm -- room temperature Christians! Jesus says, give me your passion, and watch what happens with your life!
So in Christ’s way of looking at things, He’s going to spit us out of His mouth. I think Jesus is getting our attention.
This message is for all of us, because I believe we’re all prone to being lukewarm. But Jesus isn’t yet finished! Jesus said - - -
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.
Jesus now reveals the deeper issue, the heart of the problem. And until the heart is changed, nothing will change; because all of life flows through our hearts.
Arrogance had blinded them to their true spiritual condition. Money has a way of doing that. They were wealthy! Remember money and wealth is not bad. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it can make us super comfy. It can make us think we’re doing better than we really are. It insulates us against the pain of the world.
Let’s be clear — money isn’t the problem. Money is never the problem. It’s the love of money which gets us into trouble. The desperate desire to accumulate wealth.
The very thing that gave them prosperity was killing their souls. What made this worse, is that they were deceiving themselves. They thought they were fine, but they weren’t. What we think equals a successful church may very well not be the same answer that God would give.
Now Jesus gives His answer to the church, and again He speaks to their physical condition to help them see their spiritual condition.
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.
Laodicea was a wealthy banking city. They had accumulated a great deal of money through banking. They were known for their beautiful woolen garments, especially for black wool. And they had invented a medicine which brought healing to eyes. Jesus touched upon the very points of their civic pride to reveal their spiritual poverty. One writer said Laodecia was like a Bank of America, Macy’s and Mayo Clinic in one.
Jesus was telling them that they needed true gold refined by fire, white, not black garments, and ointment that only Jesus could give. Their spiritual formation could only come through a true relationship with Jesus.
Now Jesus gives them the solution - - - -
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.
Because I love you, I need to tell you what I see going on in your life, because more than anything I want you to thrive in all of life. But the way you’re living is killing you in more ways than one.
Parents do this all the time, don’t they? If we see our kids doing something which is leading them down a wrong path, we try to tell them and warn them. We try to redirect them down a different path. We will tell them about the person they’re dating or the friends they’re hanging out with - - - - not to hurt them, but because we love them, we want the best for them.
So it is with Jesus. He loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to stay the way we are. The way forward is to wake up and admit our need. Until we do that, we’ll never find healing. And this is the 5th church of the 7 called to repent.
Jesus then tells the church, this great statement . . .
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.
Jesus is knocking, always knocking. He waits for us to come and open the door..
People may ignore the knocking on the door, but each one of us has the opportunity to open the door, even if your spouse doesn’t. Even if your siblings don’t, even if your children don’t. Even if your friends don’t. Others may have no PIC.use for Jesus, but that doesn’t have to include you. You can open the door. You may be part of a lukewarm church, but you can still open the door and let Christ in.
He wants to come in and is waiting to come in. But will we let Jesus in. Or will our doors be locked and the welcome mat will say GO AWAY!?!
Not only does Jesus want to come in, He wants to eat with you. We can have Jesus, not as our dinner guest, but as our dinner companion, every day. We never have to dine alone. Jesus wants to share a meal with us. He wants a long meal with a lingering conversation.
Isn’t it amazing that the worst church gets the best invitation? Isn’t that just like Jesus? After exposing their indifference, He offers Himself. What an offer! I’d like a meal like that. How about you?
Have you ever seen the painting by Holman Hunt in which Jesus stands at the door and is knocking?
SHOW Picture
Here it is. Everything seems normal, until you realize something’s missing. Do you see it? Yup, it’s the doorknob. The door must be opened from inside, not by Jesus.
Christ comes to us again and again and knocks and knocks and tells us, “I want to spend time with you.” Then He waits . . . what will we do?
For those who open the door, Christ comes in and makes Himself at home. He’s waiting for you to open the door.
Jesus ends by telling us - - -
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Who is the victorious? The one who opens the door and let’s Jesus in, the one who’s not embarrassed by Jesus. Folks, don’t let your sin and failure keep you from Jesus. Christ came for sinners, and it is sinners who need a Savior.
So for all the foolish, fallen, messed up, mixed up, worn out, discouraged, backslidden, compromised, downtrodden, guilt-ridden and lukewarm church people who wish and dream and secretly hope for a new start, take heart.
Christ has come for you. He stands at the door and knocks. Will you let him in?
To those who answer yes, He comes in and He makes all things new. If we welcome Him, we will be with Him forever, and He will be with us, forever. We get Jesus now and we get Jesus forever!
